August 25, 2012 - Sam is 8 weeks old

August 25, 2012 -

Sam is 8 weeks old

Little Sam is already 8 weeks old.  He's still has a bit of a cold/congestion that he got last week but is sleeping and eating just fine.  He doesn't like when we put drops in his nose or use the bulb suction on his nose but he doesn't scream bloody murder when we do it.  He has more and more awake time everyday, usually between 10-2pm with a little snooze somewhere in there, again around 4-5pm, and the minute we sit down for dinner (around 7pm) to 9pm with or without a catnap in that time.  He's started to coo and smile much more often and I've included a video.

August 23, 2012 - Round Rock Express Baseball

August 23, 2012

Round Rock Express Baseball

The 2012 Season is wrapping up and we went to our second to last baseball game for the year.  It was an eventful time, the Round Rock Firetrucks were there, and a baseball game even took place.

Milestones - Sam's first appearance on the Jumbotron! Henry did the Chicken Dance.  Jason caught a shirt that was blasted out of a gun by Spike (the team mascot).

I got us to the game and avoided getting Sam or I hit by all the fly balls that kept coming into our section.  All the excitement wore Sam out and he snoozed through part of the game while Jason and Henry went to the play area and to get some ice cream.

 Chicken Dance Video

Henry- 17 months old!

Slightly out of order but I didn't realize I hadn't published this yet.  

Eating Habits: Eats nearly everything.  Absolutely loves Rudy's BBQ extra moist brisket, he's getting pickier about his Rudy's meats.  Eats oatmeal (whole rolled oats) with mom.  Still doesn't drink much cow's milk, but we keep trying it.  Like to feed himself with a spoon but hasn't figured out scooping yet.

Motor Skills: Can go down the stairs feet first on his belly and sitting/facing foward and scooting down step by step.  Will sit down and go down the slides facing foward.  Can kick a ball.  Will spin around until he's dizzy and falls over, then will get up and do it again.  

Sleeping Habits:  Mostly sleeping through the night, though I can usually get him back to sleep by activating his mobile music remotely if he wakes up.   Goes to bed between 9:15 and 10pm after he nurses and Jason reads some nights.  Finished Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor and started Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O'Reilley.   He keeps testing out wanting to only take one nap a day and even went 12 hours without a nap one day, but it's better for everyone if he takes 2 naps.  First nap is around 11:30 about 3 hours after he wakes up the second nap around 5:30.

Speech:     Fish (ish), cheese (chiz), da, a very clear "bye bye", row row row, How I won (der what you are),  wee (going down slide), MMMMM after eating something,

When asked what a cow says he says Moo!, sheep = Baa!, cat = Meow!, dog = rururur

Signs:  Has picked up many signs this month and is putting them together. We also bought some of the Signing Time videos to watch.

Help, Milk Please, More Please, cracker, bread, cheese, Dad, fish, dog, hungry, thirsty, meat, eat, change, down, bird/chicken

Teeth :  10 teeth, another lower molar came through this month

Clothing:  wearing mostly 24month/2T size (neck is getting small to get over his head) and a few 3T shirts and shorts.

Other:   Went swimming in the Cat Hollow Pool, still taking swim lessons at AquaTots getting comfortable in the water and can climb out of the pool, but hasn't blown bubbles in the water on command. He is very excited to see Spike (Round Rock Express mascot) and has received hugs, played peek a boo with, gave a high five and had a pointing contest.  Fights getting into his carseat lately.

Aug 11, 2012 - Sam is 6 weeks

Aug 11, 2012 -
Sam is 6 weeks

Sam went to his second baseball game this week.  He slept through most of it but the weather was nicer (slightly cooler and breezy) that we spent the game outside instead of escaping to the air-conditioned Intel Club.  His baby acne is at it's worst, he leaves oily stains on everything he rests his head on.  He's starting to have more awake time and going longer between some feedings (4hrs) and shorter ones when he's awake.  He has an awake period around 10am-12pm, another around 4pm (short in duration) and another one from the moment I sit down to eat dinner, 7ish until 9pm.  It's during this later awake time that he eats nearly every hour.  He wakes up to eat around 1am, 4 or 5am then again at 7am.  He's started to smile this week but I have yet to be able to capture that cute moment on my camera to share with everyone else.  He does really well with tummy time and will stay pretty content on his belly for 10-20 minutes.  Henry always joins him on the floor.

August 2, 2012 - Sam's 1st Baseball Game

August 2, 2012 -
Sam's 1st Baseball Game

Tonight was Sam's first Round Rock Express Baseball game, I don't know if they won or lost but it was a fun trip out for all of us.

Henry was a little shy around Spike at this game

July 17, 2012- No Nap Henry on the loose!

July 17, 2012
No Nap Henry on the loose!

slightly out of order, trying to catch up on posting

Today is the second weekday since Grandma headed back to Wisconsin with just our little family at home.  Jason is on paternity leave yet this week, but I'm trying to handle both boys on my own as much as possible so that I get used to taking care of them on my own and Jason has a chance to catch up on some work and home projects this week.  Yesterday didn't go so well.

We spent a lazy morning snacking on a plate of breakfast goodies Jason makes for us each morning and watching a variety of kids cartoons.  Sam has been pretty easy so far, mostly just needing a clean diaper, to be fed and put back to sleep with an hour or two of awake/alert time twice a day.  Whenever I put him on the blanket for tummy-time, Henry lies on the floor next to him giving hugs, shaking his hand, finding his feet or rubbing his back.

By noon I was touched out.  Breastfeeding the baby and having Henry crawling on me, pointing out features on my face, rubbing my hair, running trains all over my legs, arms, in my sleeves and attempting in my hair I just needed a little space and to get us both out of the house.  The whole family packed up and headed to Mighty Fine for some lunch and some playtime on the playground.  Henry has become quite adventurous on the playground equipment.  The monkey bars there start with horizontal bars and end 8 feet up tilted to vertical.  It's a little scary watching him climbing up that high even with Jason ready to catch him at any moment, but once he scaled it the first time there was no stopping him.

Running some energy off Henry was a good thing, or so we thought.  He fell asleep in the car just as we entered our neighborhood.  We quietly took him out of the car, carried him upstairs and once his body hit the bed he was awake.  We read story after story but every time we'd leave the room he'd be upset and still awake.  He fought the nap most of the afternoon and spent a lot of time reading his books.  We let him out of his room for a bit figuring that we'd try the nap again in an hour or so.  Tried again and nope, just wouldn't nap.  We took down his toddler rail on the bed since he was just using it to make noise by pounding it against the bed and kick at it.  We probably didn't need it anyways, he sleeps against the wall usually with his legs between the wall and the bed.

Dinner actually went well.  Made him something other than white bread toast, mac and cheese, black beans or mandarin oranges (go to foods he'll normally eat) and had rotini and meatballs with tomato sauce.

July 31, 2012 - Day of Firsts and a goodbye

July 31, 2012 -
Day of Firsts and a goodbye

First Movie - Jason, Sam and I went to Baby Day at Alamo Drafthouse to see Batman, The Dark Knight Rises.  Sam slept through all but the last 20 minutes of the movie.

First bottle - Jason gave Sam his first bottle.  We decided to give Sam a bottle at least once a week so that he will take a bottle and we might be able to leave him with a sitter sometime in the next year.  We learned from Henry not to start this process too much later or he might not ever take a bottle like Henry.

First tub bath - we finally progressed from sponge baths on the counter to putting Sam in the bathtub.  After the initial shock of the water he calms and seems to like being in the tub.

Today my grandparents' retirement home was sold.  I remember the long drive up to northern Wisconsin with my grandma when my grandparents moved out of their condo and into a little apartment waiting for their home to be completed.  Though I haven't been there to visit in years the house holds alot of wonderful memories.  Grandma's carefully planned, prepared delicious meals and desserts, bad jokes and stories from Grandpa, campfires, shooting fireworks off the deck, driving up there on my own, deer hunting preparations, when I was of legal drinking age ordering a drink at the bar with Grandpa when we'd go out for fish fry and so many more great times.  So hard to believe it's been almost 7 years that Grandpa has been gone, 12 years  for Grandma and that they'll never get to see me married and with two boys of my own.