6 month stats - the late edition

Shortly after your 6 month birthday we went to the doctor.  She was shocked to see 3 teeth in your mouth and told us she thought 3 more would arrive before we see her again.  Yikes - you're a teething monster.  She checked you out and said you were looking good - this is music to our ears.  You did not like the nurses this time and the shots kept you crying for a while afterwards.  Not to mention, when you'd see those two ladies again, it's spark another round of crying.  I hope that was just this time...you were such a trooper before!

You also got measured and weighed while we were there.  You're trucking right along in your growth, up to 27 inches (you grew over 2 inches since the last time we were in) and you now weigh 15 lbs 7 ounces (a little less than 2 lbs since the last time we were in). 

You're growing every day and we are so thankful!  You also keep doing lots of new things. 

Here's my top three favorites (ok four favorites, I could not decide between the bottom two):
1. You give kisses and hugs!  Love this!
2. You lift your butt in the air when you're laying down and laugh about it.  It makes us laugh too.
3. You are kicking and playing in the bath tub now.  While this means sometimes I get wet, I cannot help but smile at the fun you are having!
4. You have a new carseat.  It's rear facing but sits more upright and I think it allows you to see more out the windows.  It's so fun to glance back in the mirror to see you looking around at things as they go by and making noises in response.  It makes me even more excited for when you can tell me what you're seeing or what you want to explore!


You also went to the helmet lady again this week.  Your head is down to a 3 mm difference  in diagonals (you started with a 7 mm difference) in the short 6 weeks you've been wearing the helmet.  She let us know that she'd continue to monitor your head until we did not see any more changes and then also that they recommend babies be sitting up/scooting around/basically not laying on their head before the helmet is done.  You're getting close to doing all that, but we'll wait a little bit to make sure the progress continues and we do not back track!

Keep growing, exploring, enjoying life little man!  You sure make your momma remember to stop and do the same things on a regular basis!

6 months old!

 

You're six months old today.  Boy the time has flown by!  Here are some of your recent highlights:

1. Your 3rd tooth cut today.  Let me set the scene for how I found out.  Your Dad picked you up from daycare around 2 pm, he sent me an email around 2:40 pm that said "I got home and daddy got me a cold one, life is good. :)"  He attached two pictures of you with some of the teething rings I had put in the fridge.  He then noted "He has a tooth coming in his top left."  Wow buddy, you have 3 teeth now at 6 months.  No wonder you've been whining lately.

2. You give kisses (well Oliver kisses).  I'm known to give you repeated kisses on your cheek several times a day.  You're now grabbing my face or neck and planting your face on my cheek.  After a couple days of this, I figured out that you're giving me kisses back.  It melts my heart.  Thanks for all the love buddy.

3.  You're eating two meals of solid foods a day.  Right now, you enjoy a fruit with oatmeal in the morning and at night you enjoy rice cereal with a vegetable.  I think you prefer the veggies and I think it's because they are not as sweet.  You certainly did not get your mom's sweet tooth.

4.  Everything your Dad or I have in our hands, you want.  You reach for it and once you grab on, there's normally a tug of war that ensues.  If you win this tug of war, whatever you've got in your hands will head straight for your mouth. 

5.  You have aspirations to fly.  It's because of these aspirations we are thinking you are done with the bouncy chair and we must find something else for you to sit in regularly.  You see, when you're in the bouncy chair you kick your legs so much that your butt will hit the floor and your body has started to lift off the chair.  Let's save this flying for another day buddy, we'd rather not have you launching yourself into our furniture.

6.  Each day that we get to spend with you, we grow more in love.  These last six months have really changed our lives and it's now hard to remember a time before you arrived.  I still remember that day like it was yesterday, the feelings I had as I went through the motions of preparing for you to arrive, and then hearing you cry for the first time.  Thinking about it still brings tears to my eyes as I had dreamed of that day for a very long time.  Since you've arrived, you continually teach me to love even more unconditionally and to stop to enjoy the little things in life. 

 

Love you little man.  Happy 6 month birthday! 

First Week of Day Care Down and Other Things

WE MADE IT!!!  You successfully went to daycare for 4 days last week and we all lived to tell about it.  We had our moments - especially those of should we really be doing this, but we conquired.  I was so nervous that you would cry one morning as I was dropping you off, but you did not.  Ms. Carrie would take you and as soon as you'd see her, you'd smile and coo (you little stinker - I will only let you get away with this because you went crazy when you saw me later in the day when I got home - melt my heart). 

To celebrate our successful first week back to our new "normal", we ran some errands on Friday and went out to lunch as a family.  Here is you with Dad at Panera for our lunch date. 

Then we arrived home and you played on the floor, only to surprise us with a roll.  You've been rolling onto your side for a while now (you even sleep on your side each night), but never all the way onto your belly.  I was so impressed and while you still did not know what to do with your arm (stuck underneath you), I helped you with that and you played on your belly.  Here's a picture we snapped after you first did it.  You were definitely surprised at this roll and we were so excited!

Our final fun adventure on Friday included meeting friends for the first time in a long time.  We met Sara, Joel, and Jack in St. Cloud for dinner.  It's the first time you met all three and it's the first time we met Jack.  We had so much fun!  Here's a picture of Sara holding you and me holding Jack. 

Jack - 5 weeks old, Oliver - 5.5 months

Saturday was filled with more fun things.  Mom picked up Rachel from the airport as she is staying with us for part of the week.  Then we all went to a block party in the evening.  You were a little stunned by the bands playing, but enjoyed laughing at Mom as she danced (and you even danced with me a little bit). 

Finally, today, your Dad and I added the stickers we got to your helmet.  You are now blinged. 

So serious.



That's right - Chicks dig this!

What a fun weekend!  Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! 

First Day of Daycare

It's as if you knew this morning that a new adventure was about to take place and you were excited about it (note how high you are kicking your legs in the above picture).  It was your first day at daycare and I have been nervous for the last couple weeks about this approaching day.  But you woke up just fine, ate your morning bottle, you got dressed without putting up a fight, and you were ready to go.  I can only hope mornings to come will go as smoothly as today. 

As I said, I was nervous as could be.  So many questions ran through my head, mainly, would I be able to walk away and drive home if you were crying as I left.  You see you generally do not want to be held by a stranger and well the ladies at daycare are strangers.  So when we pulled up in the parking lot, I was a little hesitant as I rounded the back of the car to get you out.  When I reached your door, I was choking up, how was I going to drop you off and leave for the day.  But you greeted me with a smile and you seemed ready for the new adventure.  You continued to smile, kick, and laugh as we got checked in and through the front door, then into the door of your room.  When I got you out of the car seat you would not stop looking around at all the new things.  Then Ms. Carrie took you and I held my breath (and chanted in my head, please don't cry, please don't cry).  You were a champ, you looked Ms. Carrie in the eye and gave her a little smile, then you continued to look around the room.  This allowed me to fill out your check in sheet, drop your tuition payment in the box, and get out the door.  As I looked in the window when I started to back up to leave, I saw you still with Ms. Carrie looking around at all the new things in your classroom.  It was at that point that I could shed a few tears and head home to work.  I guess at some point I need to realize you're not my little baby anymore and you need to go out and explore the world (without your Dad and I).  While really exploring the world will not happen for many, many years to come, starting at daycare is just the first step in this process. 

However, just to be sure all the girls knew your status today at daycare, I dressed you in one of the shirts that I love (as seen below).  For now, your heart belongs to me (and maybe your Dad).  As a note, I think you were still waking up when I took this picture (I'm sure you thought I was crazy for the bright flash so early in the morning - but who could resist a first day of daycare picture).

It's been a while since I have blogged.  So I figure I had better provide you an update on things you've been doing lately.  First, you are getting used to the house without air conditioning, but sometimes, it gets a little warm in your room.  So we rock you in our room which generally has a light breeze or at least allows you to watch the fan spin - which you are mesmerized by.  It just so happens, last night as Dad was with you, you zonked out on his side of the bed.  It had us laughing, you're already taking up his side of the bed. 

Finally, you are certainly gaining a lot of spunk.  I thought the idea of you dropping toys or throwing things on the floor only to have us pick them up was not supposed to happen this early, but sure enough, at a little over 5 months you're dropping things or throwing things left and right.  Tonight, I decided I would see if you would push every single toy that was not attached to your exersaucer to the ground.  Sure enough, it happened and while you can't see it in this picture, the remaining two toys ended up on the ground shortly thereafter. 

As always, love you little man.  Please keep showing everyone your beautiful smile and letting us hear your belly laugh. 

Red Monkey

For at least the last three months, the red monkey has hung on your car seat.  Most of the time you just gaze at it or want nothing to do with it, but today, while we were on our way to Target in the car, I heard the distinctive pull on the ring and the vibration it makes as it retreats back into place.  This happened about 20 times on our drive into town (about 5 minutes).  Then as I pulled you out of the car, I noticed your hand was still hanging on it (as shown in the picture above) and that is how you stayed for the next hour.  I was stunned to hear the distinctive pull noise and then retreat several times in Target and when I would look down at you, you'd smile.  Of course, then I couldn't help but smile because who can keep from smiling when they see your glowing eyes and big smile.  But I also realize you've taught yourself what to do with the red monkey.  Your Dad and I do not often pull on his ring, but I think you've taken notice when we do, because now you're pulling on him too.  I love to see your expressions when you start to figure out things lately and do them for yourself.  It makes me so proud to see you doing these things and teaching yourself.  I'm excited to continue to see how you progress!  I hope the curiosity I see in you now, continues forever!

In other news (and as you may see in your picture above), you are wearing a helmet.  This week we received the helmet and it is supposed to fix your flat spots as your head grows.  We are hoping it does just that, because the list of things that we were told could happen if it does not will affect you for the rest of your life and we do not want that to happen.

So far, you seem to have no problems with the helmet.  Life has gone on as usual for you, as seen below, where you seem annoyed as Dad takes pictures, because you are busy playing.

Or continue to chomp on Sophie.

You're exploring new things little man and I feel as if I'm seeing the world from a whole different perspective now.  I hope you continue to open my eyes to things I seem to take for granted or neglect to take notice of each day.



5 months old!

You're 5 months old today and I'm struggling to figure out where my baby has gone.  You've been growing and changing so much that I no longer see the baby in you, but instead a little boy.  As seen above, today you decided you wanted to clobber Moo Moo while we were taking pictures. 

You're grabbing your "piggies"!  This is your favorite position these days.  You even do it on the changing table and help your Dad and I out with each diaper change - lifting your bootie off the table as your grab your piggies, then putting it back down, so we can undo the diaper/wipe you up, then one more time you grab those piggies, so we can slide the old diaper out.  It really is a good process and makes me wonder if you know what we are saying or if it's just a coincidence. 

 

You're exploring so much and loving the exersaucer.  I love to see your smile when you grab onto something or make something move that you were not expecting too.  It makes me wonder what is really going on in your little head.

You're gearing up for hockey season - where has the time gone.  We were just finishing up hockey season when you were born, now we are preparing for the next.  You'll be the cutest little bulldog in Amsoil Arena (and you'll probably be the one with the least ringing ears).

You're about ready to roll.  I think you need to just figure out a couple more things with that darn arm.  Then you'll be rolling like crazy, as you spend a lot of your time now on your side.

And finally, you're just starting to use your high chair for solid food feedings...when we first registered for the high chair and even when we received it, I thought it would be forever until you were sitting in it, but alas, you're ready to go, at 5 months.

 

You're growing up before our eyes and I cannot believe you're already 5 months old (I know, I said it already).  When I think of you or see you, I cannot help but smile.  I mean who wouldn't smile when they are greeted by you in the manner below. 

Not to mention, your happy personality which we see everyday and your Dad captured while I was at work one day.  (I do not know what I'm going to do when you're going to day care and Dad isn't sending me fun things like this!)

Happy 5 month birthday little man.  Love you to pieces.

A tooth, a tooth!

Well after several weeks of you being a drool monkey and a couple days of some fussy evenings, we finally saw a tooth cutting through your gums!  Since it has arrived, you love to put the cold teething rings in your mouth or our fingers, of course, Sophie is remains a favorite too.

You are getting so big and I cannot believe how quickly the time is passing.  You love to play in your exersaucer now - even more than on your playmat it seems.  Plus you're gobbling up oatmeal like crazy lately.  Of course, you like to get it all over your face and we think it's the cutest while you think it's the funniest thing ever.  Finally, you're getting so big that you grabbed the bottle from me today and wanted to hold it yourself. 

So many changes little man, you're changing from the little baby I used to get to snuggle all day long if I wanted too to the little man who wants to hang out by himself on the playmat or exersaucer.  But I love watching you grow and the new things you want to explore each day.