Four Month Dr. Appt.

Today was our four month dr. appt. and we were told, yet again, that we have a happy, healthy, and growing-like-a-weed baby boy. See stats below.

Birth         10/24/12      9 lbs, 7 oz.      21 inches long
1 Month   11/27/12     11 lbs, 8 oz.     24 inches long
2 Month   1/9/13         14 lbs, 6 oz.     25 1/4 inches long
4 Month   3/7/13         17 lbs, 2 oz.     27 1/2 inches long

Playing with ladybug while waiting...

Funny dr. appt. story - - - this was the first dr. appt. that I took RF to by myself. I was a bit overwhelmed, but managed to get in, be seen, change and feed RF within an hour. After we met with our pediatrician, his nurse came in to give RF his vaccines. RF was his usual happy, smiling, babbling self and was chattin' up the nurse as she laid him down to give him the shots. She was so fast at giving them to him that RF didn't even cry until she was putting the band-aids on his legs. RF was looking at me the whole time and as she was giving him the shots he continued to stare at me...no tears. I first thought that she was still getting her instruments together, but no...she was done. It took RF by surprise too. He didn't even have time to cry while she did it. His cry was almost his way of saying, "Wait. What just happened? That hurt. What did you do to me? Nevermind...I'm over it."

Calm, cool and collected ready to go home...

After the appt. RF and I ran a few errands before coming home to rest for the afternoon. We spent the evening getting a game plan together for a big weekend event - a blog post on that sometime on Sunday. :-) 

10/24/12

11/24/12

12/24/12

1/24/13

2/24/13

A Perfect Moment

I'm pretty sure I experienced another (yes, another) perfect moment last night with RF.

The Back Story:
For about a month now, RF has been experiencing a bit of a sleep interruption/regression/craziness thing. I have attributed it to everything possible...teething, growth spurt, increased brain activity (remember how you feel the night before a big trip or your wedding, you just can't turn your brain off - that's what 3-4 month olds are experiencing...more advanced cognitive development which can lead to sleep interruptions), the fact that he is more mobile now and can move about which could lead to some muscle fatigue at night - all sorts of things I have read* that babies in this age are experiencing.

*Disclaimer - No I don't believe everything I read on the internet...we have RF's 4 month dr. appt. this Thursday and my list of questions is growing longer by the day.

We have a bedtime routine - we kiss daddy goodnight, we go upstairs to RF's nursery, turn out the lights and turn on the lamp, we eat a small bottle, we rock and we read and then as he drifts off to sleep I tell him that I love him and that I'm proud of him before laying him down in his bed.

Perfect Moment:
Last night RF ate, we read and rocked and instead of getting drowsy and drifting right off to sleep he was a little squirmy, so I stood him up on my lap. As I did, he looked me square in the eyes, took both of his hands and put them on my cheeks, pulled himself in toward me and began to coo. He stayed like that for about a minute and a half - just holding my face, cooing, sighing and breathing. He was completely still, completely calm and completely perfect.

It was one of the most amazing moments - it was as though he was telling me thank you. Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being my mom. Always and forever, baby boy...always and forever.

3 Weeks Old...

Moments

Technology has an amazing way of letting us capture special moments in life. Since RF was born we have become completely attached to our iPAD. RA and I have taken some 2,000 photos/videos of RF in the four short months since his birth, which doesn't include the photos that Papa Tad and Lola take every day while RF is with them. There is no denying the fact that our child's life will be well documented.

Some highlights from this past week...

Heading to lunch with Lola...

Hanging with Papa Tad...

So cute...

Working on sitting up...

Who is that little boy looking at me? 

Have I mentioned that he loves to sleep? 

Whirlwind of a weekend...

Whew...it's 2:30 Sunday afternoon and we are finally sitting down to some calmness. We have had a very busy weekend with aunts, grandparents and great-grandparents. As I have mentioned in previous posts, family is uber-important to RA and I. We want RF to grow up knowing his family members and having specific memories about spending time with them. We never want to deny our child the opportunity to spend time with those that love him the most. And so starts our whirlwind weekend...

RA had a few house projects that needed someone with more carpentry expertise than I could offer (which is absolutely none), so Friday afternoon Mr. Joe and Mrs. Margie came in town. We ordered in dinner and spent the evening hanging out with Nana and Babu (Mr. Joe and Mrs. Margie's grandparent names). Saturday morning we woke up bright and early - RF is a morning person and greets the day with a bright, beaming smile - and go to work on a few house projects. RA and Mr. Joe went to work on the outside projects and I went to work on a few inside projects - one of which included tackling the mountain of laundry that has been accumulating the last week or so - I just cannot seem to get it under control for some reason. While RA and Mr. Joe made a Lowe's run, Mrs. Margie and I packed up RF and went out and about for a little while. We started out at Babies R' Us, then wandered over to Target before picking up the dry cleaning and heading back home. The evening was spent with Mr. Joe and RA working until after the sun went down - two Hawk men on the back porch with a flashlight and a circular saw - amazingly we didn't have any major injuries - while Mrs. Margie and I put together our newest baby-gear purchase (see below).

Sunday morning greeted us with blue skies and birds chirping and again, RF with a big grin on his face as he woke up about 6:30. We helped Mr. Joe and Mrs. Margie pack their things to head home and got ready for the second round of family to come over. Aunts Hartley and Haydn, my mom and my grandparents came over for lunch (luckily I didn't have to cook - thanks, mom!). As RF drifted off for one of his cat-naps we all found ourselves on the front porch. We spent the better part of two hours reminiscing, and watching RF take in the sights of the outdoors.

As everyone left a little bit ago, I snuck upstairs to rest while RA and RF watch their weekly John Wayne movie. I can hear RF 'talking' to his daddy right now - he is just a squealing and laughing - what a sweet sound to hear on a Sunday afternoon... :-)

Mama and baby boy playing with iPAD Saturday morning before everyone else woke up 

A baby in a box...

Playing with my toys...in a box...

Charlie keeping a keen eye on his brother's new 'toy'

LOVING my new high-chair from Nana and Babu

BITING down on my teething ring...

two peas in a pod...

Aunt Hartley feeding RF while he acts all dramatic - since the day he was born he has put his hand over his face while he eats - even if it is pitch dark in the room, he still does it...oh the baby nuances...

MEME's here! 

Hanging in my high-chair reading my book while Meme cooks lunch

Aunt Hartley and Mamaw with RF 

Hugs from Meme and kisses from Papaw

Chewing on those fingers...

Four months old today

Loving on my baby boy

A Confession

Ok...here it goes.

RA and I went out on a date last night...without RF...for the first time since he was born...yes, he was born three and a half months ago...

In all fairness, RA and I aren't really 'go-out' type people. Our date nights usually involve either a) ordering dinner and bringing it home or b) cooking at home together. We prefer to be at home - I suppose it is somewhat hermit-like, but for us it's just perfect.

Anywho - RF stayed home and played with Meme while we enjoyed a nice dinner and the symphony. RA bought us tickets to the Mobile Symphony's performance of American Masters: George Gershwin featuring Benjamin Grosvenor on the piano and it was fantastic! The music selection was classic, the orchestra sounded amazing and Benjamin Grosvenor is an incredible pianist.

In other news, RF is continuing to melt our hearts. He is such a smiley baby that I can't stand it - I just want to (and many times I actually do) kiss his little face all over. He is going through a bit of a sleep regression/teething/growth spurt thing that has our routine a bit out of whack, but everything I read says that it is normal for his age. We have our four month dr. appt. coming up soon, so we will be sure to get our pediatrician's thoughts on everything as well. RF is becoming so much more mobile, too - rolling over everywhere - even in his bed at night while he's asleep, trying to 'scoot' himself around by kicking his feet or pushing on us when he's on his tummy, and he loves to stand up on our legs when we hold him.

Mommy Thought For The Week: 
Once I drop off RF at Lola's each morning I use my 20 minute drive to work as a mommy-time/reflection-time. Last week I had a realization about just how much RF has changed my life in the non-obvious ways.

I have never been a morning person. I love to sleep and morning time generally signals an end to sleep-time - boo. But since having RF, I have realized just how much I look forward to the mornings. Waking up and seeing his smiling face, brewing a pot of coffee, getting things ready for the day and driving across the bay as the sun is coming up while listening to Ray Charles as we head to Lola's house. In high school (and in college), I got up in enough time to get dressed, throw my hair into a pony tail and drive to school - nothing more. Amazing how life shifts...just amazing.

Why wouldn't I want to get up each morning when I know I get to see this face? 

Napping in his swing at the office

Family Sundays

RA and I have always tried to devote Sundays to family-time. Now with RF we are even more adamant that Sundays be a day for us to spend quality time together, sometimes going out-and-about and sometimes hanging out at home, but either way the day is family-focused. The weeks are so hectic that the weekends are our time to completely focus on each other. 

RA and I want to do everything we can to expose RF to learning opportunities - even as a 3-month old. This morning we drove down to the marina at LuLu's to tour the replicas of the Nina and the Pinta, two of the ships from Colombus' 1492 voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Both ships were quite small which makes the feat of crossing an ocean even more impressive. 

AL.com recently did a piece about these two ships - http://blog.al.com/live/2013/02/replicas_of_columbus_ships_nin.html

We had a great time - even with overcast and gloomy weather. RF spent the morning in our new carrier (thank you, consignment sale - round 2) and smiled, cooed and kicked the whole time we were looking around. After we left the ships we went by and spent some time with Meme (my mom) before calling in a pick-up order to Mellow Mushroom and getting home before the rain came in. 

Replicas of the Nina and the Pinta 

About to board the ships with my 'first mate' 

Onboard the replica of the Pinta

I love RF's face in this one - he was taking it all in

About to board the replica of the Nina 

Arms out - "I'm king of the world." :-)

Hanging out with Meme

RF and mama time - napping

In other news, we are fairly certain that RF has begun teething. He has all the classic signs - major drooling, being fussier (any amount of fussing is out of the norm for him - he really is a happy baby), wanting to gnaw on everything - his hands, his toys, our hands, his pacifier, etc. and he has been wanting to sleep more - nature's way of helping us feel better when we don't feel 100%. Hopefully we will get through this milestone unscathed and may even be sporting some cute little teeth in our Easter photos in a few weeks. 

I Had No Idea

Since being pregnant and giving birth I have learned so much. I have learned things about the human body, I have learned things about maternal instincts, I have learned things about myself, and I have learned about things I had no idea even existed - enter consignment sales.

My first experience with consignment sales was about a month before I had RF in Mobile at Kidz Klozet (great business run by great women). I went in with a very specific list of things I wanted to look for like a boppy pillow, a sound machine, a snuggle nest (best thing EVER for newborn babies, in my opinion - thanks Casey!), and a bathtub among other things. I tried to stear clear of the clothes because I was completely overwhelmed at the shear vastness of the racks. I came out with exactly what I had on my list - every single item. I was completely amazed. I spent $100 on items that would have cost me more than $300 if I had paid retail for them.

Tonight I had another such experience at the Savvy Mom Sale in Spanish Fort - complete success. Since our little one is growing like a weed I went in focused on clothes. I ended up with 11 onesies/shirts, 7 pairs of pajamas, 4 pairs of pants/shorts, 2 pairs of shoes, 2 sets of blocks - one cloth, one wood, and 1 cloth book ---- all with a grand total of $52. Just from the items that still had the tags on them I totaled the retail cost to be over $150.

Being a mom opens your eyes to all sorts of things and I am completely happy that the term 'consignment sale' has been added to my vocabulary.

my finds 

Sunday morning bed-head :-)

14 Weeks Old and a Major Milestone

At least to us it's a major milestone - drum roll, please...RF rolled over tonight from his back to his stomach!

 

He has already rolled from his stomach to his back and has been trying to go from his back to his stomach for a few days now. This afternoon, he finally did it, not once, but three times.

 

The first time was at Lola's house this afternoon. With a lot of coaching it took him about 3 minutes to actually do it. Tonight at home he did it after about a minute or so of coaching and the third time I finally got out the iPad to record it. As soon as I laid him down he rolled onto his side and within 20 seconds was on his stomach. So proud right now...so proud.

 

And yes, that is NCIS on the video in the background. We missed the episode last night so we were trying to catch up on it tonight.

Reality.

I bought this outfit the day we found out we were having a baby boy - Friday, May 18th, 2012. 

RF wore the outfit today - Friday, January 25, 2013 - 36 weeks later. 

THREE Months Old

Another month has gone by and RF continues to amaze us everyday. Gosh, we sure do love this little boy...

10/24/12

11/24/12

12/24/12

1/24/13

Videos of RF

Having parents that are photographers and videographers makes for great documentation of RF's life. We usually get one or two of these a week from Debbie along with photos of RF hanging out at the office, out to lunch, or running errands. We are so thankful that we are able to have his daily life, not just the big milestones, recorded digitally. We already enjoy going back and watching video clips of his first few days of life. 

Tonight, as RF was sitting in my lap, I turned on a few of these videos and let him watch himself - he LOVED it! He sat, attentive, smiling and cackling as he watched. We know all the photos and videos will mean even more to us as he continues to grow and of course, there will be many more to come.

:-)

RF 'talking' to himself...

RF rolling over...

Routine

This week was quite busy as I headed back to work and RF spent his days with Lola and Aunt Hartley.   I started teaching at Fairhope High School on Monday and have to say that it is pretty awesome - the faculty, the staff, the kids, the campus, and even the additional 15 minute drive is quite nice as I choose to take the more rural route and get the chance to enjoy the quiet - no radio, no cell phone calls, no noise, just me and my thoughts.

We have our morning routine down to a science. We are up at 5:00 - Robert Alan tends to RF while I get ready for work and pack RF's bag for the day, then we are out the door on our way to Lola's by 6:00. On our way across the bay we listen to Ray Charles and RF takes a cat nap. Once we get to Lola's we get RF settled, I grab a coffee re-fill and am in Fairhope by 7:00.

Our afternoons are just as routine-based. We get home, RF cat naps while I unpack from the day then RF and I play for a little while before starting dinner. RA is home by 5:30, we have have dinner and spend time together as a family before putting RF to bed in the 7 o'clock hour. Once he is down for the night RA and I can get things ready for the next day and straighten up the house in anticipation of starting over again the next day.

RF has been doing very well in the sleeping department - he consistently sleeps between 7-9 hours a night. If he does wake up in the middle of the night a soft reassurance that he is safe and that we love him is usually all he needs to drift off to sleep. Although, the past two nights he has woken up at 2:30 or 3:00 hungry and, according to my research, this is quite normal as he is hitting his 3-month growth spurt - he will be three months next week.

RF has also begun to be much more interactive. He 'talks' to you when you talk to him - a gurgle or babble, but it is a 3-month version of 'talking'. He has been tracking things/people for a few weeks now and has begun to try and grab things that are close by - a toy, his blanket, your hair...so watch out - that grasp is a tight one. The most exciting thing that he has begun to do is try and roll-over. He can get to his back from his stomach when he is laying on the couch - it has a bit of an incline - and we are working on doing it on the floor. He is getting closer everyday, though.

We are loving watching him develop and change each and every day. And while I am loving all the new milestones, I am secretly sad that my baby boy is growing up right before my eyes. My new role as a mom is challenging, tiring, and oh-so-worth it. I am completely in love. :-)

Having a lunch with Lola on her birthday - keeping himself entertained with his hands. 

"WOW."

Such sweetness...

I LOVE my swing at the office - even with these funny ears on my pillow.

Sweet Zoey watching over RF while he plays with Aunt Hartley. 

Starting to 'hold' his bottle...

Chattin' up Lola while she works...

A handsome little boy...

There he goes :-) - getting better each day in the rolling-over department.