Months 7-8

Hey Y'all-


Sorry I haven't been able to update my blog in awhile.  I have been busy with a number of activities.  


Great Grandma and Grandpa H came to visit me again.  We did all kinds of things while they were here.  My favorite was going to the Georgia Aquarium.  I got see all kinds of fish and water creatures.  My favorite part was seeing the beluga whales.  Those things are huge!

At the aquarium

In early October I started going to daycare.  This was quite a departure from what I was accustomed to having Grandma M and Miss Ellen take care of me (I miss those days).  I'm now going to a home daycare which is run by Miss Suzanne and she watches me along with 4 other kids.  The other kids are older than me so I have been learning a lot being around them.  I have picked up a few phrases:  baa baa baa; da da da; ma ma ma; and gee gee gee.  I have also learned to stand up on my own.

As I mentioned to you last time I have been eating solid foods for several months.  Momma (and Grandma M too) goes to great lengths to make all of my baby food.  Every few weeks we go to the DeKalb County Farmers Market and buy all kinds of organic fruits and vegetables.  My favorites right now are apples, mangoes, and carrots.  I also like oatmeal and millet.  I'm not too fond of peas although they smell great when Momma is preparing them.  Momma also makes popsicles for me which are a nice treat in between meals.

Yummy blueberries & oatmeal

Momma took her first business trip since I was born.  She went to Winston-Salem, NC for 3 days so Daddy and I spent a lot of time together.  The first day Momma was gone I hung out with Miss Ellen and Mr. Richard while Daddy finished up a game of golf.  Then the rest of the time Daddy took care of me.  I'm glad Daddy is very hands on and knows the daily routine.  Every morning he would get me up early, feed me, get me dressed, prepare my food and bottles, and then take me to daycare.  Then in the evening he would pick me up from daycare, we would play for a while, he would give me a bath, feed me, and I would be ready for bed.  


Grandma and Grandpa M came to visit me again.  They came down to watch me while Momma, Daddy, Aunt Cassie went to Miami for the NASCAR race.  They stayed with Jennifer, Dan, and Abbey while I had fun with my grandparents.  Grandpa M taught me a new skill; how to headbutt:  

The weather has started to get cool here.  Grandma A bought me a nice winter coat to keep me warm.  I'm not a big fan of that big, bulky coat because when I'm in my car seat I can't move very well.  Daddy says I look like the kid off The Christmas Story :)

Grandma M & I with my coat & hat

Now that I'm mobile I spend my time searching for things that I know I shouldn't play with like electrical cords, cell phones, the dog's water bowl, and the TV remote.  One time I ventured into Sienna's cage and found one of her treats to chew on.  It didn't taste too bad, but Daddy took it away from me.  One of my favorite activities is to crawl into the kitchen and ransack the pantry.

Here's me helping Momma reorganize the pantry

Well folks it's time for me to get going.  I've got to look at the ads and make up my Christmas list.  Talk to y'all soon!

My new car seat for Daddy's car

Grandma M likes giving me mohawks

Checking out my new Santa...Thanks Miss Elisa! :)

5-6 Months

Howdy Folks!

It has been a crazy couple of months.  I've been doing all kinds of things and learning some new skills.

In August Momma, Daddy, and I took a trip to Illinois.  This was my second trip back to the Midwest and it was a lot easier this time around since I didn't need to eat every few hours and slept a good bit of the way.  The main reason we went back was because of the family reunion.  I really enjoyed meeting all my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Great Uncles, and Great Aunts.  

AK & Aunt Mimi

AK with Uncle Joel & Aunt Sarah

AK & Cousin Ryan

While we were in Illinois I started eating solid food for the first time.  I tried some rice cereal and it was pretty good.  I tried helping Momma feed me, but that didn't work too well as I kept trying pull the spoon away from my mouth.  I was also getting a little upset because Momma couldn't feed me fast enough.  As you can see below I made quite a mess!

I have also learned how to sit up and crawl in the last few months.  I really like being mobile.  I get to explore the house and get into things that I'm not supposed to.  I particularly like playing with cords and plastic bottles.  So Momma and Daddy have had to move some things out of my reach.

In addition to going to Illinois Momma, Daddy, and I took another road trip to Tennessee to see Sam, Steph, and Everett.  Everett is 3 months younger than me so he can't get around as good as I can at this point.  When we go see him at New Year's I'm sure he will be crawling too.  While in Tennessee we went to a jazz festival at a former Shaker establishment.  The Shakers were a form of Quakers, but men and women were restricted from interacting so without reproducing they basically disappeared.

 

Well that's all for now folks.  We'll talk to you later!

4 months!

Hey all!  It's been quite awhile since I've been on here.  A lot has been going on since then.

Probably the biggest change for us was Momma going back to work.  While typically this the can be quite an ordeal for most moms where they leave their babies in someone else's care I have been VERY lucky.  Why?  Because Grandma M came to stay with us for the first three weeks :).  While Grandma was here Momma works 4 days a week so that gives her an extra day to relax and keep the house situated.

While Grandma was here I discovered my first allergy...baby formula.  Crazy huh?  Grandma gave me some formula.  It tasted horrible so I spit it out and it ran down my face and onto my chest.  Then those areas that touched the formula turned red and I broke out into hives.  I tried one other brand and it didn't taste all too good either so I spit it out and my face also turned red but no hives that time.  Momma and Daddy are trying to find a brand that is compatible for me, but I think I'll just stick with Momma's milk.

After Grandma left Momma started working three days a week and those days I get to stay with Miss Ellen.  I have fun there and she takes good care of me :)

I got to experience my first 4th of July.  It was really fun.  Brandon and Payton brought their kids Lucas and Kaitlyn so it was nice to have some other little ones to play with.  Brent and Roxanne came to visit us from Jacksonville and they brought a cute little Chihuahua named Bella.  Rob and Jennifer also came over for awhile and brought some South Carolina style bbq sauce to put on the pulled pork Daddy made.  Once it got dark Daddy and his friends started lighting off fireworks.  It was kinda of scary all the noise they were making.  In fact Sienna was so scared she hid under the bed and wouldn't hardly go outside for the next few days.  They also caught the woods on fire a few times.  Fortunately Daddy had a garden hose handy ;)

I've picked up some new skills since last time I talked to y'all.  I am now very aware of my surroundings and am constantly looking around to see what's going on.  I've also learned how to rollover from my back to my belly.  When I'm playing on the floor I can go back and forth between my belly and my back.  The only problem I'm having is when I'm in bed I rollover to my belly and it wakes me up so I make all kinds of noise until Mommy or Daddy come and flip me to my back.

Well it's been nice visiting with y'all!  Hope to see you soon!

Weeks 7-12

Hey all!  I've had a lot going lately so it has been a little challenging to give you all an update.  

First up, Momma and I have been venturing out of the house more.  We have been going to play group at the local library where we can meet other kids and their mommas.  I have also been going with Momma to La Leche meetings.  These are great as well because I get to watch more kids and the moms can discuss the ins and outs of breast feeding.

We also went to the Bradley class reunion.  This was the class Momma and Daddy took to get prepared for my arrival and have a natural childbirth.  We got to see all the folks that went to the class with my parents and their children.  Needless to say I wasn't too happy during this trip and fussed most of the time.  I let everyone know that I was in the house :)

I've been doing quite a bit of road tripping here lately.  The first trip we took was to Crossplains, TN to visit Sam and Steph.  They are expecting a son at the end of June so we went to the baby shower.  I can't wait to meet "Jr"!

The big road trip was back to IL to meet all of my family.  It takes about 11 hours to drive from GA to IL so Momma and Daddy thought it was best to leave at 9 PM and drive through the night, that way they could capitalize on me sleeping a good majority of the drive.  I did quite well and we only had to stop twice to eat.

Once we arrived in IL it was crazy.  We first had an open house at G-ma A's house.  There I got to meet Sara, Kailee, Evan, Conner, Cole, Juanita, Beth, Lisa, Glenn, Great G-ma D, Cheryl, Tom, Theresa, Jenni, Liz, Jason, Aunt Kathy, Cassie, and of course G-ma and G-pa A.

The next day was an open house at G-ma and G-pa M's house.  I got to meet Uncle Nick, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Joel, Ryan, Lydia, Brenna, Uncle Pat, Aunt Marsha, Jessica, Kyle, Jenn, Tawnya, Jon, Uncle Ed, Aunt Brenda, Brittney, Lauren, Kalley, Kendra, Maddison, Jackson, Aunt Michelle, G-ma M, and G-pa M.

After all the excitement in IL we headed back home to GA.  When we returned I went to the my 6 week checkup.  Every went well and the Dr. was happy with my progress.  I now weigh 11 lbs 4 oz and am 24 in length.

Lately I have been sleeping very well and I started taking a bottle.  The bottle is a good supplement to feeding with my Momma and I stay a lot happier during the day.  I'm also starting to find my hands and fingers and also making all kinds of noises.

Anyway I hope you all are doing well and we'll talk at you soon :)

Weeks 5 & 6

Wow how time flies.  It has been crazy the last few weeks. 

First off, my Great Grandparents came down from IL to spend a week with me in GA.  We had a good time while they were here.  My Great G-ma H held me a lot and helped calm me down when I was fussing.  She also gave my Momma some good tips and tricks that only a Grandma can provide.

 

My Great G-pa H took care of things around the house while my Momma and Great G-ma tended to me and my Daddy was traveling.  He helped keep the dishes done up and even helped Momma with the laundry.  He also helped my Daddy out in the garage do some work on his car and change the brakes on his motorcycle.

I visited Dr. H again for my 6 week check up.  He looked me over and thought everything was good.  He was rotating my arms and legs in their joints and Momma thought he was going to twist them off.  I also got my first shot which I did not like at all.  In 6 weeks time I have grown 2 inches and gained about a pound.

In addition to a few growth spurts over the last few weeks, I am getting stronger.  I can hold my head up for a little while.  I can also use my legs to scoot myself backwards on the changing table.  All this added strength makes it challenge for Momma and Daddy to hold me when I'm wiggling around like a worm.  I can also escape from my burrito wrap no matter how tightly my Daddy bundles me up :)

This last weekend was Momma's first Mother's Day.  Daddy and I got on the Internet and ordered her some flowers.  We picked some purple roses because this is Momma's favorite color.  Daddy also took Momma out to eat while the Great G-parents were here so they could watch me and my parents could enjoy their first night out since I was born. 

I've got an exciting few weeks coming up.  First I will be going to Nashville to visit some of my parents' friends as they are preparing to have their own little one.  Then at the end of the month we will be making my first trip to IL so I can meet all the rest of the family.  I guess I'm gonna have to get used to spending a lot of time in my car seat although I hate that thing.

That's all for now.  Talk to you soon! 

1 Month!

Hello Friends!

Well I have made it to the 1 month mark.  It's hard to believe that a mere 4 weeks ago I entered into this strange and crazy world.  This past week has been quite chaotic for me and my parents.  

I had my first growth spurt and as such it seems like I am never satisfied.  My momma continually feeds me, but I always want more.  While I am quite fussy during the day, I am still sleeping through the night so my Daddy, Momma, and Sienna can rest peacefully.  In order to fall asleep though, my Daddy has to wrap me up like a burrito :)

This week I've noticed a big change; I have better control over my eyes.  I'm now able to focus on objects and stare at my parents.  My favorite thing to look at are the ceiling fans.  I like watching them spin around.

I got to meet my Auntie Cassie last weekend.  She flew all the way to Atlanta from Illinois just to spend some time with me.  I was very happy to see her and felt quite privileged as she is studying to be a nurse and always has a lot of homework to do.


I also got to venture out of the house with my Momma yesterday.  We went to lunch at one of my Momma's favorite restaurants, Jason's Deli.  We met up with Momma's friend Sara who is in leaving the Atlanta area and moving to Oregon.  We wish her well in her new endeavors.  


I found out this this week that I will be having more visitors very soon.  My Great Grandma and Grandpa H are coming down to GA the first week in May.  I can't wait to meet them.  I also found out that I will be making my first trip to Illinois at the end of May.  I'm looking forward to it as this will be my first opportunity to meet a lot of my family.  

It's about time for me to start fussing again so let me get to it :)  Talk to you soon!

Weeks 2 & 3

Hello Friends!

It has been awhile since my last update.  I've been quite busy over the last few weeks doing and seeing all kinds of things.  

It's pine pollen time here in GA.  There's a yellow dust that gets all over everything.  Even my four-legged sister Sienna manages to get some on her! See her pollen mustache :)

As y'all knew I have been hanging out with my Grandpa and Grandma M while they were in GA.  They stayed with me until last Saturday.  I was sad to see them go.  They did a lot while they were here.  Grandma assisted my Momma with taking care of me and also kept our house clean and orderly.  Grandpa M helped my Daddy get the yard ready for spring and do some electrical work in the gym.

I got to participate in one of my Daddy's hobbies; I went to my first car show.  It was fun although I'm not sure that I really like the sunshine too much.  It was really bright and it made me squint my eyes.  Needless to say my Daddy got a trophy for having one of the Top 10 cars in the show so I was happy for him.

I have also started going to church.  My first visit was on Easter Sunday.  It was nice to go with my parents and grandparents.  Though I will enjoy it more in the future, I spend most of my time sleeping during the service.  This makes my parents happy.

In addition to my grandparents I have had quite a few visitors come and see me:  Momma's trainer Ellen; Rob & Jennifer; Payton, Brandon, Katelyn, & Lucas; Lori; Little Kathy & her friend; and Jimmy, Rebecca, & James.

It was nice to meet all these new folks, but since I am mostly eating and sleeping right now I tended to sleep during most of their visits.  I'm looking forward to getting to spend more time with them in the coming months :)

I've been getting to use all of the nice toys that everyone gave me during the many baby showers that folks held for me (a big thanks to you all by the way!).  I really like the swing and play mat.  The problem is I am a lot like my Daddy and can't sit still so I get bored very easy.

Even with all this excitement I have been sleeping very well.  Most nights I am sleeping about 7 hours each night.  This makes my Momma and Daddy very happy because they get a lot more rest that way.

Speaking of sleeping, it's about time for me to grab something to eat and take a nap.  Talk to you all soon!