Little Baby in the Big Apple!

This past weekend, Michael made his first trek to New York! My Aunt Calli was throwing my Uncle Gus a surprise birthday party. Since M hadn't met much of his NY/NJ family, missing the party was not an option.

Michael, my mother, and I flew up on Friday and stayed with my Aunt Diane, Uncle Dave, and cousin Nicole. Michael had loads of play and cuddle time with Diane, he totally loved her! Uncle Dave's deep voice freaked Michael out at first (seriously, he started screaming), but got over it pretty quickly. Nicole had to work while we were there, but she got some cuddles in too!

Saturday night was the party, and my uncle was genuinely surprised! The only person more surprised? Michael when everyone yelled, "Surprise!" Definitely scared the crap out of him! Everyone loooooooooved Baby Michael! I think 654 people he's never met before held him, and he didn't cry or fuss once. He was quite the party animal, and stayed awake most of the party, and the ride home to Jersey. He didn't fall asleep til 2am. Needless to say, he was so worn out that he slept through the night no problem! My cousins, Steve and Brigitte are pregnant with twins, and they did the gender reveal at the party- two girls!! Michael and I were hoping for boys, but he's still super excited for cousins his age!

Sunday morning my aunt, Thalia, threw a brunch for even more people to meet Michael. If I learned anything this weekend is that 1. Michael is the most popular person I know, and 2. If you are preg, enjoy all the attention, cause the minute the baby is born, no one cares about you anymore (seriously, my own grandmother didn't even say hi to me because Michael crossed her path before I did!). That night we went into the city to eat at Sal's, a tiny pizzeria that my family has been going to since my dad was a kid. I was a big fatty and had a deep fried calzone (freaking delicious, despite filling my arteries), and 3 slices of margharita pizza. Plus, I got to see my aunts, uncles, and cousins one last time!

Monday we lazed around in the morning and the headed back to Atl. Traveling was a nightmare. Delta wouldn't let me on the place because I got to the check in at 3:07 and my flight was at 3:45. They claimed I missed my flight because it was impossible for them to check my bag. As a courtesy, they put me on the next flight at no charge because I had a baby- and I should be thankful because usually they charge $100 for that. I asked when the next flight was, it was at 5pm, but delayed 45 min (and really it didn't take off til 6:20). So I get punished for being 7 min late, but they they get to put me on a flight delayed an hour and a half! The best part was that when I got to the gate, the flight I was originally on? Still at the gate, I watched the people get on it and push back and take off. All because the stupid mean lady at the ticket counter insisted I "missed" the flight because of my need to check a bag. Oh, and she said she could check my car seat and stroller, but not my luggage. So stupid.

Today we had our 6 month appointment with the doctor.Michael is 15lb 3oz, and is 25.5 inches long! His combined weight and height puts him in the 55 percentile, right in the middle of the pack! He looks great developmentally, and doesn't have any weird issues. We got the ok to start meat and trying out a sippy cup with water. Baby boy needs iron and fluoride! We don't need to go back until 9 months, and the best part- no shots at that appointment!

6 months old!

Six months ago Michael came into our lives, and now I can't imagine my life without him! I really can't believe how quickly the last six months have gone by, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how much Michael will grow and change over the next six months. I just hope it doesn't go too fast! I'm not quite ready for my baby to grow up yet!

6 Month Birthday Boy!

You may also have noticed that I have been a very lazy blogger lately. Well, lazy is kind of harsh. Busy, busy, busy, busy might be more descriptive. Michael is very active now, he wants to be entertained every second he is awake! He is interested in everything he can see and touch... And put in his mouth! I have to be honest, I really love the face he makes when he is concentrating on something. He is so freaking cute! Michael is also getting real close to moving- he rolls on to him tummy ALL the time and he tries so hard to move forward. So far all he can do is reach and grab nearby toys, but I know I'll be running after him before I know it! Back to the beginning of this paragraph, I've been lazy about blogging because once Michael falls asleep all I want to do is sit on the couch and veg out!

Since I last blogged some exciting things have happened. Michael had his first (non Greek Orthodox) Easter. He was a lucky bunny- his J'mamma (Julie) gave him some really cute books and tiny surgery scrubs to match his daddy; Faith got him a big fuzzy fluffy stuffed Easter bunny, my parents have him an Easter basket with a crab bathing suit set, bubbles, a book that came with a little bunny, and some assorted tasty treats; Rob and I gave him an Easter basket with a whole lot of books! What was my Easter gift from Michael? A bout of sleep regression.

Michael with his Easter Swag.

The Sunday night of Easter through that Thursday, Michael was up and screaming EVERY HOUR OF THE NIGHT! Nightmarish is not a strong enough word. I legit thought I was going to go insane or die of sleep deprivation. Once Michael was awake, he was calm, quiet and would fall asleep... IF I was holding him. Wednesday night I was so desperate for sleep, I let him sleep in bed with us all night. I am not really comfortable with co-sleeping, but it was the only reason Michael and I got a few hours of sleep that night. He woke up four times instead of 569,753,973 times that night. It was the strangest thing, before Sunday and after Thursday he was and is sleeping through the night. After doing some research and getting advice from one of my mommy friends (thanks Michelle!), we figured out it was likely sleep regression. Basically, when babies are going through a period of big developmental changes (physical or psychological) they can have difficulty sleeping. Rob and I read one article that explained it pretty well- it compared baby's trouble sleeping to when an adult can't sleep cause his mind is racing, problem is a baby doesn't know how to deal with that. Michael has been working on some stuff that I guess could have had his mind racing.

Rocking the shades with Daddy.

Baby Michael is rolling over onto his tum like crazy, although it seems that he has forgotten how to roll back to his back. He is also sitting up mostly on his own, we're just trying to conquer balance! When we are playing with toys now, it's not just me playing with the toys while Michael watches, he is really interacting with his toys. Solid foods are moving right along too.

M likes pears best so far. He enjoyed bananas, wasn't into sweet potatoes until I added a bit of cinnamon, was ambivalent about butternut squash and avocado, and really didn't like apples. I've started to mix and match fruits and veg, so hopefully we will keep expanding his repertoire. Feeding Michael is challenging. He likes to help by grabbing the spoon out of your hand, or sticking his hands in his mouth the second the spoon goes in, or grabbing the food off the spoon. Needless today, mommy (or daddy) and baby end up covered in food. No matter how thoroughly I clean Michael after he eats, I end up finding dried food on his earlobe, or in his eyebrows, or up his nose several hours later.

Last week my mom came and stayed with us for a few days. We went to the Georgia Art Museum. It was small, but had some interesting pieces. Michael actually enjoyed it. He wanted to be held so he could look at the pictures. My mom really wanted to take Michael to the park, but it was cold and rainy while she was here. Michael and I still loved having her stay- Michael got loads of extra attention, and I got to talk to a grown up and relax a bit. I say a bit cause she was here during the sleep regression nightmare!

This picture cracks me up.

We are still doing baby yoga, but I think we might be close to the end of that- Michael is getting a bit to wiggly for mommy to handle during yoga. I'd like to sign him up for swim lessons next, but with the swim schedule we won't be able to take the class til June. There is a session going on now, and the next one starts at the end of the month, but we would end up missing most of the classes because we are going to St. Kitts for two weeks in May when Rob is finished with the semester. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot tell you how freakin' excited I am to be headed back to the Rock!

Well, I think that about catches us up. Happy 6 month birthday Michael! Mommy and Daddy love you!

Happy St. Patrick's day!

Not much to share, just a picture of a baby in a green top hat!

What a weekend!

I'm a bit behind on my blogging, but that just means I have more to write about!

On Friday my cousin Lia flew in from New York for the weekend. We were very busy bees- we visited my friend Mauri at the hospital (she's there on bed rest carrying twins), went to a 1st birthday party for Jackson (my friend Angie's son), played at the farm, and had a nice dinner in downtown Athens. It was a really nice weekend, I loved seeing not only Lia but also some good friends I hadn't seen in a while. I was so sad to bring Lia to the airport yesterday, I wished she could have stayed longer. Especially since baby Michael loved playing with her so much!

Sunday was Michael's 5 month birthday! I'd like to think he enjoyed driving through the woods at the farm on our bada** golf cart! Not a bad way to spend the day. It doesn't seem like it's been 5 months. I just can't believe how quickly things are going. He has started to fixate on something and tries to grab it. If it's out of his reach he just leans towards it with all his weight. It's pretty funny. Last night he was getting frustrated because he couldn't grab the polka dots off my pjs! He is super wiggly now too, it's only a matter of time before I'm chasing him around!

Finally a smile in his monthly pics!

Yesterday was my father-in-laws birthday. We had a nice fancy dinner at their house, with yummy steak, asparagus, roasted potatoes, Greek salad, and caprese salad. Well, it looked yummy anyway- Michael has been teething and choose the moment I filled my plate to completely lose it. I felt so awful, he didn't want to eat, cuddling and loving on him didn't help; he cried for about an hour straight. In the end we rushed into dessert and after wolfing down birthday cake, Rob and I brought him home. After a nice warm bath and a dose of Tylenol, he was calm. :(

Today we started solid foods! Well, kind of anyway. A friend suggested trying Baby Led Weaning, and after reading up on it, Rob and I decided to try it with Michael. Instead of spoon feeding purée, you give the baby French fry sized pieces of SOFT, easily mushed food and let them go to town trying to pick it up and get it to their mouth. We started with avocado, but it was a bit slippery for him to grab, so I helped him with it today. By the end of our first go, Michael had a green mustache and nose, and I had green hands. He wasn't really sure what to think, but he got a few good bites in. The faces he made were hilarious! He'll get avocado for two more days, then sweet potato, then banana. It's pretty exciting!

Avocado face

Today is supposed to be warm and sunny, so we are going to bring a picnic to the botanical gardens and explore the hiking/walking trails. Mommy and baby are very excited that daddy gets to do fun stuff with us this week!

I've added new pictures to the photo website, check it out here! As always. let me know if you need the password!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is Rob's 29th birthday! Even though he has been SUPER busy with school, today he had a light day. Just two classes, and we had the whole day with him! We had a nice lunch together as a family, and my parents came to Athens for dinner tonight. If you haven't had a chance please wish him a happy birthday!

Today is Michael's 20 week birthday! When I was 20 weeks pregnant I found out that Michael was a little boy! I can't believe how long ago that feels; although, it was 36 weeks ago, which is exactly how long I was preg. Crazy. People can tell you all day time flies when you have a baby, but until you have a baby of your own you have no idea how fast it really goes! We were still living the island life, Rob was in his third semester of vet school (now he is in 5th), and we weren't sure if we'd be moving back to Georgia or staying in St. Kitts. Man oh man how things have changed!

Michael- 20 weeks gestation

Michael 20 weeks old

Things are going pretty well for baby; yesterday was our last physical therapy session! Natalie, our therapist, said Baby Boy looks great looking left! We still have to continue our at home exercises for a while, but there is no need for further appointments.

Next weekend my cousin Lia is coming to visit, and I can't wait!! I haven't seen her since my shower, and I'm excited for her to get to meet Baby Michael. We also have a birthday party for my friend Angie's son Jackson, he'll be a year old. AND it will be the start of Michael's adventures with solid foods.  It's going to be a super fun weekend.

The very best part of that weekend? Rob begins his spring break! Michael and I are going to take up all his time with family fun outings, cuddles, and play time! We just have to get through this coming week first...

Happy Valentine's Day!

As promised, here is an updated post now that our big events this week are over! First things first though - Happy Valentine's Day! Since Rob has two tests tomorrow, this is my valentine:

Pretty cute, right? Yeah I know, I'm one lucky lady!

Back to our regularly scheduled update. Physical therapy went ok; Michael was pretty fussy this time. He was not all that interested in having his neck twisted or stretched. Natalie, our therapist, said he looked like he was showing improvement, but when she tried to take measurement M flipped out and tightened up. But, Baby Boy is able to turn left much easier; he is now an ambi-turner (zoolander reference for those that didn't catch it!).

Today we had our four month check-up at the doctor. Michael is 13lbs (still two pounds lighter than his cat-brother Freddy) and is 23 3/4 inches long. He has doubled his weight at birth and is about 5 inches longer. We got three more shots- BOO- but both of us handled it better than last time... Not by much, but better. M responded well to all the physical tests, so we don't have to go back til six months. Oh, and we got the go ahead to start solid foods at 5 months. I can't believe it, people don't lie when they say it goes so fast!

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get to the Athens Mothers Center again for some grown up conversations and this weekend my Aunt Patty and Uncle Bobby are coming to town, so there are still more adventures to come this week. As for today I plan to cuddle with my little Valentine Michael and my furry Valentine Freddy (provided he's not in a bitey mood). My Valentine's gift to myself? Homemade pizza for dinner! Yum yum yum!

Hope you have a great day with the ones you love!

4 months!

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday for Michael's four month birthday! Oops! I can't believe how quickly he is growing and changing. It's bittersweet, I love seeing him do new things but I know he won't be a baby for long. I'm trying not to take anything for granted!

I don't have to much to share this week. Not yet anyway. Tomorrow we have physical therapy; hopefully Baby Boy will show more improvements in flexibility. Thursday we have our four month check up- weight, length, milestones checks... And more shots. I don't know who hates the shots more, mommy or baby.

Oh, wait! I do have something to share. A couple people have asked me why Michael sleeps on his back and not his tummy. Starting in 1994, the Back to Sleep campaign has recommended that babies sleep on their back. Since doctors have been recommending sleeping on the back since 1994, the occurrence of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or Crib Death) has been reduced by 50%! Yay! As a side note, Michael freaking hates being on his tummy, so it's probably best he is a back sleeper.

This is a pretty short post, but hopefully I'll have more material at the end of the week!

Michael smiles so much now, but the minute I try and take a picture, no dice! Maybe next month!

I added a whole bunch of pictures and videos to our photo website. I finally uploaded all of the pictures from Rob's phone. If you need or want the password, just let me know! Www.threeisntacrowd.shutterfly.com