2 months of baby love

 

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We have had one crazy {wonderful} week around here!

Houston turned 8 weeks old last Monday {the day his new friend, Wyatt, came into the world!} and then yesterday, officially celebrated his 2 month birthday.

 

He wasn’t much into our 2 month photo shoot, unless laying like a knot on a log counts for being “into it”. So I asked him to give mommy a smile:

 

 

 

I got attitude instead!

I guess if he won’t smile, sticking his tongue out may be the next best thing.

 

 

For his 2 month birthday, we got him the bestest gift of all. The gift of immunity to polio, rotavirus, hepatitis A,B&C, tetanus, diptheria, pertussis…

The poor boy got 3 shots in those tiny little thighs for his big birthday. How’s that for a mean mommy?! :(

 

 

The appointment actually went better than I expected. I nursed him ASAP after the shots were over and he barely had time to cry before they were already forgotten. Nick was in Atlanta for business and I was extremely thankful to have my mom with me to help keep a brave front. Houston slept most the day after that with a couple crying spells and a not.so.great night of sleep after. I was just relieved for no allergic reactions or fever – THANK GOD!

 

His 2 month stats from the appointment:

Height: 22 1/4 in (10-25 percentile)

Weight: 11 lbs 5.5 oz (25-50 percentile)

Head: 15 3/4 in (75-90 percentile)

 

In other words: still a small fry with a big pumpkin head ;)

Our little guy can still wear some of his newborn clothing and is now big enough to wear most of his 0-3 month without them swallowing him whole anymore. He is smiling up a storm these days and tracking our every move with those big gorgeous eyes. He’s also holding his head up pretty great these days too – soon we’ll be throwing that boy on our hip to tote him around and will finally be able to use the other arm when carrying him – hallelujah!

 

As I mentioned before, we braved 4 days and 3 nights without daddy here {survived with the help of H’s Mimmie!} We missed our daddy terribly but are so proud of the award he brought back from Atlanta. He has such a wonderful work ethic and still comes home to take care of us both after a long day {and commute}with a sweet disposition. We could not ask for a better husband or father!♥

 

 

Today we’re attempting the “baby in a pumpkin” shot with high hopes and low expectations – ha! I have little confidence that we will get a shot that he’s not crying in, but even that adorable sad face would be worth it.

{Worth it to me – I’m not sure how Houston actually feels about that!}

Sneak peek sans babe, hoping to share the final shots with you tomorrow:

 

 

 

 

Lastly, in addition to turning 2 months old, my little guy decided to roll over from tummy to back 3 times on Thursday.

My baby is growing up.

*tear*

I happened to catch one of those rolls on the camera on my iPhone but I:

1.) Filmed it sideways on accident.

2.) Moved and shook the camera so much you’ll feel like you’re watching The Blair Witch Project.

3.) Talked obnoxious baby talk the whole way through and ended the video with my mom and I whooping up a storm for this amazing display of gymnastic ability.

 

That being said: Enjoy! ;)

 

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Side note: I, shamefully, copy and pasted this entire post from Becky over at from Mrs. to Mama. I just HAD to share this with y’all ASAP! {It was too late and I am too sleep deprived to word it as perfectly as she already had… my SINCERE apologies, though I know she will be absolutely cool with it cause she’s pretty freakin’ awesome like that.}

P.S. – Becky is one AMAZING woman – gorgeous with a gorgeous family, working night shift as a RN and working days as a full-time mama AND is one phenomenal bargain hunting, coupon clipping saving super power. Follow her blog… you will NOT be sorry! ;)

pumpkins pumpkins everywhere

 

Last weekend we visited Boyd Orchards to get our little punkin’ head’s first pumpkin. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to go patchin’!

 

 

 

 

My parents, Poppy and Mimmie, with Houston.

 

Our family of 3♥

 

I choose… that darling little punkin’ in the middle!

 

For every picture, there was the photographer and there was the person blocking the sun from the baby’s eyes. We are straight up gaga over this little guy!

 

There will be much more fun to be had by Houston when the next time we visit and those little legs start working the play ground =)

 

 

 

Then there was the yumminess that poor Houston can’t enjoy just yet. We brought home some jellies, apple butter, and a to die for “apple spice pecan honey butter” that has me wanting just toast for breakfast every day since!

 

Can’t wait to carve that big pumpkin this weekend and plop a tiny little boy in it for pictures… even if Poppy says we take so many pictures it’s child abuse.

What do men know?! ;)

decorating takes a back seat

 

I’m sure some of you have noticed this blog’s turn in topic lately.

and by lately, I mean practically since I peed on a stick last December and held the secret from you as long as I could until February.

and by held the secret from you, I mean, I just didn’t write nary a thang… just take a look at January on the sidebar – I wrote one post that month. If I couldn’t write about baby, I couldn’t write at all.

Simple minded?

Sure.

My love of decorating and crafting has taken a backseat to my baby brain on the blog and in my house. Unless you count the nursery?

But I’m saving up ideas for next year when I project that my baby brain will have eased off and I may have gotten the hang of motherhood well enough that my simple minded brain can swing a few more things besides surviving with an infant.

 

Ideas for fall next year:

{and that you may still want to do this year if you have the time!}

 

Gorgeous modge podge pumpkins:

{source}

 

Burlap wreath with monogram:

{source}

 

Candy corn pom-poms:

{source}

 

Cinnamon stick candles:

{source}

 

Halloween banner… though I see myself doing this with purely “fall” colored fabric/ribbons so it can have a longer mantle life at my house than just October =):

{source}

 

Yarn candy corn:

{source}

 

So these next two are fall and baby related. Forgive me ;)

 

Baby pumpkin:

This one we will probably actually get to attempt this weekend!… we had been talking about this idea and then I saw it pop up on my sorority sister, Ashley’s, blog! Little Walker is absolutely GORGEOUS in his pumpkin. Could it get any cuter than those big blue eyes and sweet rosy cheeks?!

{source}

{Though Nick wants to make leg and arm holes in the pumpkin for Houston… ha! I think that may border on child abuse. We should have a hard enough time just pulling it off as is with H not able to hold his head up on his own just yet. We may have to modify it somehow for our little bobble head =)}

 

Candy corn onesie:

Last but not least: I was all ready to go make this cute onesie last week for Houston and for my friend’s new baby, but life got in the way… maybe next year, or more likely, next baby!

{source}

 

Happy fall, y’all!!! 

xoxo,

Houston

He’s coming….!

 

Houston may not realize it now, but his bestest little friend in the whole wide world, Wyatt, is just on the other side of Britney’s little belly. I could cry tears of joy thinking of their sweet future together as little buddies and how it will begin in just a few short days.

Their whole lives ahead of them. Precious, angelic, innocent little souls♥

 

Britney and I just spent our last day lounging on the couch in non-stop chatter before Wyatt’s arrival. I gotta say, I’ve really enjoyed poor Brit’s doctor ordered bed rest during my maternity leave;) Bless her heart.

Brit thinks her tummy is as big as a watermelon. I told  her it was only a basketball and forced her to take pictures with Houston’s to prove it… ha!

Still so gorgeous at almost 39 weeks!

 

 

 

Side story: This basketball was given to Houston by his poppy. Nick later informed me while holding it that it was a “nice” basketball and it was not to be played with “out doors”… like he was afraid I was about to hit the street, shootin’ some hoops with it one day soon.

Seriously?

Truthfully, I had no idea there was a difference between inside and out door basketballs. No worries, I placed it safely on the nursery bookshelf, lest it be taken outside by mistake

Because that’s where basketballs go, on book shelves… right?

 

 

Back to Brit – just in case she gets mad I posted the last couple of pictures, here’s my payback. A picture of me after 28 hours of labor and still waiting to take a shower… of course Britney and Kennedy look beautiful!

 

I couldn’t choose between the 2 pictures; I look equally as hideous in both and Kennedy’s cheesin’ is just too darn adorable with her “blue baby”.

 

Wyatt, we’re praying for your safe arrival as well as great health for you and your momma. We can.not.wait. to meet you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xoxo

rain, rain, go away

 

This chilly, dreary day makes me so thankful we took full advantage of the *perfect* fall weather we had this weekend with a trip to the park. It’s not easy packing all the essentials for baby and man’s best friend, but we soldiered on and ended up enjoying the time with our little family on a blanket by the lake.

 

 

and speaking of soldiering on for the greater good…

 

Guess who slept in his crib for the very first time last night?!

 

 

It was a roaring success! Momma was relieved and pleased that I was able to put him down awake and let him go to sleep on his own with no tears - from either of us. When I have a little more experience under my belt, {like, more than one night…}, I’ll let you know what worked for us and what didn’t.

That means book reviews!

One I loved, one I despised, and one that just came in the mail today and that I can’t wait to get started on.

 

 

Happy Hump Day!

xoxo

PS – Please do not worry about my child and his crib bumpers! They will be taken down as soon as he shows signs of becoming a roly-poly. I have some great breathable mesh bumpers already purchased just for that occasion =)

7 weeks of baby love

It’s naptime… which means it’s blogger time!

I’m loving these video monitors we finally set up and learned how to use this week in preparation for a possibly soon transition at night from pack n’ play to crib!!

Momma, a.k.a. sole care taker of the babe during the night, could definitely use your prayers on this one =)

 

 

At 7 weeks it’s not just about what baby did new today, but what mommy and daddy did new as well. We are happilly living and learning through trial and error and growing as parents day by day. Yeah, there is that cute little babe that’s growing like a weed and learning new things like every hour, but I’m making this weekly update more about the parents.

Because I’m shallow like that.

…and because if both you and I learn from my big fat failures, that makes me actually feel a little successful, ya see?

 

{It won’t be a completely self-centered post as the pictures will be only of that cute little man I’m neglecting to talk much about today and not my ugly mug. Win-win.}

 

How has it already been 7 weeks?!

 

 

What mom and dad have learned here lately:

• There are a million and one ways to raise a child. There is also a book written for almost each and every one of those million and one ways. You will probably read more than one of these books before you choose your own style of parenting… so buy used, like on Amazon where used books can be really really cheap. Then when you don’t like the book at all, you don’t feel so bad about the waste of money - and because diapers are expensive and you sure as heck don’t want to buy those used. ;)

 

 

 

• With a little one, sometimes just getting out and going to Sam’s Club, the park or a friend’s house is a gigantic learning experience in itself. Like how to breastfeed on the go, how to fit everything you need in the shopping cart plus a baby in a carseat, and to always ALWAYS keep extra diapers in the car – which has come in handy twice already… thanks for the good advice, mom!

 

 

• Take any help you can get. Because it will be 5:00, your husband will be on his way home, there will be nothing ready for dinner, the house will be a mess, the dog will be begging to be walked, you will smell like garbage from desperately needing a shower and you’ll wonder where in the world the time went today.

 

 

 

• When you start to stress out about it all, make a mental list of what’s most important at the moment and start there. Thinking about whether this will seem so important to you years from now {or even weeks from now} helps to put things in perspective as well. I’m guessing being weeks behind on thank you notes and mailing out birth announcements won’t still bother me a couple years from now???

 

6 weeks picture with Peter Rabbit:

 

 

• Your significant other is your best friend. You are in this crazy, fun ride called parenthood together. Learn together, share your thoughts and feelings, help each other out, lighten up and most definitely have a good laugh about it all. You two will be the only ones who will share many of these wonderful memories of your little one for the rest of your lives. It’s easy to lose each other between diapers changes and feedings and trying to catch a few winks. Take the time, reconnect. A healthy, happy marriage will make for healthy, happy children! {and a healthy, happy YOU!}

 

7 weeks:

 

Now with just a couple hundred more nap times, I might finally get that birth story typed up before I forget some details.

Which means it should be finished some time around his 1st birthday! ;)

♥xoxo♥

memory snapshots from motherhood

 

• The first time I was left all alone with my son in the hospital and feeling genuinely surprised at how not scary and instead all together wonderful it was, just him and me.

 

 

• The dog and the baby on the bed with Nick rubbing both of their tummies and watching both of them kicking away, side by side =)
  
• Singing {loudly} every children’s song I could think of while taking a shower to pacify the little babe waiting for me in his bouncy seat in the bathroom floor.

 

 

• Houston and I staring at each other quietly at 3 am and me tearing up, knowing no one will ever love this precious child the way that I do.

 

 

• 4 diaper changes and one clothing change within 20 minutes… in the middle of the night… the middle of last night.

 

• Already having over 300 pictures of him on just my phone, taken by the camera on my phone, at just 6 weeks of life.

 

 

• Nursing my baby and having him stare up at me, knowing he knows me.

 

• Watching him learn new stunts every day, like turning his head to look at the person talking to him. The most minor of human achievements that make me fill with pride and excitement for him.

 

 

• His poppy saying things to him in his “Donald Duck” voice that he use to do for my sister and I when we were little.

 

 

• Watching every one of his grandparents melt over him, declare he is already a genius, and act like deliriously happy fools just to get a smile from this little boy.

 

 

• Wanting to keep smooshing him in his newborn size clothes because I can’t quite deal with the fact that he’s growing up so fast already. {Never mind that he is still comfortably wearing some of his newborn size clothes at almost 7 weeks… that still doesn’t make it easy on this momma.}

 

• After spending almost 6 hours apart for the first time this week, thinking his cry was the sweetest sound in the whole world when I got to see him again.

 

 

Crying while writing this and hoping I never forget a second of his precious life♥