Wednesday, May 29

Baby A at 5 Months

This cute boy has been growing up like crazy this past month! He was so little when he was born that I haven't been sad as he's gotten bigger because I was too busy being happy he was healthy. But this past month, I swear he's growing like a weed plus making so many developmental advances that it's making me a little sad because he doesn't seem like my itty bitty baby anymore!


These are his stats right now:
  • Weight: 14.8 lbs.
  • Height: 26.5 inches
  • Diaper Size: He wears Size 1 but we'll be upgrading to Size 2 once we use up the package of 1s.
  • Clothing Size: He still wears 0-3 Months but it's on my to-do list this week to pack those up and bust out the 3-6 Months.
  • Likes: Rolling from his back to his tummy {but not his tummy to his back!}, fake coughing, high-pitched squealing, giggling and smiling, cuddling with his blankey.
  • Dislikes: Being left to play by himself, feeling hungry for more than 0.2 seconds.
He is getting harder to take places because he loves the world so much that he looks at everything and can't fall asleep. So when we are out past a naptime, he gets overtired rather than falling asleep in the carseat or stroller like he used to. But his excitement to see the world is a lot of fun when we go anywhere in his stroller.

We got a jogging stroller this past week and Baby A loves going running or even just for walks. He absolutely loves being outside and now that he can sit up in a stroller and see the outside world while we go on walks makes him so happy!

Sometimes when he gets fussy, we go into the backyard to look at the trees and hear the birds to help him cheer up. He particularly loves the windchimes that we have and gets so excited that he flails his arms and legs about in excitement when he sees it.

He rolls like a champion but doesn't use rolling as a method to move around yet. He started rolling tummy to back first, but now he prefers back to tummy.



Lately, his tongue seems to be his favorite fashion accessory and it's always poking out and wiggling all over the place.


He also loves using his hands for everything! While eating, they are constantly moving and scratching my arms and poking me in the face. He likes playing with things like my hair and luckily he doesn't pull—he just likes feeling it run through his fingers and giggles.

We've been feeding him oatmeal cereal at night the past couple of weeks. At first he hated using a spoon, but now he's starting to get the hang of it... even though he still always ends up making a total mess! That's why eating always happens right before bathtime.


We haven't started feeding him any other solid foods besides cereal yet because we wanted to establish his familiarity with the spoon first, but we had watermelon on Memorial Day weekend and couldn't resist letting him have a little lick... which turned into a full-on attack and he got mad if we tried taking it away. With a mom and dad who both love sweets, we shouldn't be surprised that he does too!


We got a jumper and an exersaucer for him because A loves to be standing so much of the time. Apparently it's a lot more fun to stand with his parents' help rather than to have to stand on his own.


But luckily, he'll enjoy playing in the toys as long as he still gets our attention!


We feel so fortunate to have such a happy baby!  He loves his mom and dad and smiles, giggles, and squeals for us almost all the time. He is rarely grumpy and, even when he is, it consists of him making some whiney-sounding noises and trying not to smile when we smile at him. It's actually quite funny in these moments to watch him not know whether to be happy or sad. We think he's the best baby in the world and we are so glad to be his parents!

Saturday, May 25

Auntie Amy's Graduation!

This week, Baby A and I took a trip to Idaho to celebrate Auntie Amy's high school graduation.


M had work obligations and couldn't get away to come with us, so it was quite the adventure to drive several hours just me and the little man. Thank goodness his stuffed animals entertained him for portions of the drive or we both would have gone crazy because he hated staring at the back seat for hours on end {whoever though rear-facing carseats were a good idea should come talk to me!} and would just whine until I'd pull over and sit in the backseat to play with him.


But thanks to toys like his trusty roaring dinosaur, we made it!

True to family tradition, we started the celebration off with dinner at Johnny Carino's. Poor Auntie Amy didn't get much of a choice because as the fifth kid in the family after the other four all had their dinner celebration at the same restaurant, she was stuck with the tradition factor.


Then came the main event. Her 4-part singing group, Chanteuse, was asked to sing the national anthem at the beginning of the graduation ceremony. Her choir, Bonnevaires, was also asked to perform. I loved the opportunity to hear her sing because I miss her other performances due to the fact that we live in different states. She has an amazing voice!



The graduation was held outdoors but it was chilly and windy. Baby A doesn't handle wind well so he simply looks like a massive bundle of blankets in all the photos!

We are so proud of Auntie Amy for graduating and excited for her college adventures to begin in the fall. She adores Baby A and is an amazing friend to me. We love her like crazy!

The next day, Baby A got to spend lots of playtime with Meema and Papa. It's funny to watch two grownups turn to mush in adoration while playing with Baby A. It was fun to show them his latest developments and see them get to spend time with him.

One other thing that cracked me up about our trip was introducing A to his first cat. My family's cat, Dude {yes, that's really his name!} is a huge ball of fluff, very mellow and just loves to snuggle, so he was fun for A to play with. Baby A kept giggling and running his fingers through the fluff. It was adorable!

Sunday, May 12

My First Mother's Day

I love being a mom. I have the cutest baby in the world and I am so grateful to him for officially introducing me to the world of mommyhood.


I love this munchkin and feel so lucky for the opportunity I have to be his mommy.

It was fun having a day to be pampered for being a mom but I couldn't help but feel that I'm so new to all this! And that the day shouldn't be for me but rather just for the well-practiced mothers who have been wonderful examples to me throughout my life.

Particularly my own momma.


I love my mom so much and hope that I can even a portion of as great of a mom for Baby A as she has been for me and my siblings. Her whole world has revolved around her five kids since the day they came into the world. She is so unselfish and caring. She is an amazing example of quiet service to all those around her in need. She has a million friends and everyone loves her because she is so kind and a true friend. She is my hero and I hope I can be a mom like her!

Today also made me extremely grateful for the daddy and baby who complete me being a mommy! My boys were so sweet to me. M brought me breakfast in bed {which was adorable because I don't really like breakfast but he managed to make a tray of food that I would enjoy!} and gifts. He also teamed up with Baby A to give me the cutest massive card ever.



Gosh, I love my boys!

I know that this is a holiday that is heart-wrenching for so many women who would love the opportunity to be a mom but have not been able to due to a spectrum of reasons. I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child and I am so grateful for all the women who love my baby and nurture him and me as if we were part of their own family.

Wow, this is a holiday that makes me really, really grateful.