8 Weeks: A Trip And A Wedding Dress

I know I keep saying this, but I simply can't believe how big Nolan is getting. The smiling and cooing makes him seem like a "real boy!" I've included a picture of Jason and Nolan communicating - he seems to respond to daddy the most in this respect.


I remember Bailey being a happy baby, but Nolan just seems to be even more joyful. I love it (and I knock on some wood, too)! By the way, look how long Nolan's hair is...you almost don't notice it in this picture, as it fades into the background. Then, you realize there's spiky hair sticking up 2 inches off of his head. He must have just gotten a bath - his mohawk is much more severe when it's fluffy and clean. :-)

Since I'm just a week from returning to work, we decided to go spend a few days with my parents. I missed Jason while we were gone, but it was nice to just hang out for a little while and let my parents have fun feeding Nolan and/or playing with Bailey. And, when I talk about playing with Bailey you have to understand what that really means...she likes to take her subjects back to her room (which is wherever the toys are), shut and lock the door (she doesn't understand that the lock just keeps people OUT and not IN) and play elaborate pretend games for hours. Jason and I are constantly trying to think of activities we can do with her in the living room or kitchen so that we don't have to be isolated in her bedroom. But, I digress.

After we returned, I spent Saturday with my soon-to-be sister-in-law as she shopped for a wedding dress. Her family, my mom and me were her entourage as we journeyed from store to store. As is usually the case with these kinds of things, she had a hard time narrowing down her options and ended the day with 2 dresses still in the running. I'm curious to find out her ultimate decision, as I'm sure she's anxious to check that particular wedding item off the list. Meagan also asked Bailey to be a flower girl, along with her other little niece, and me to be a bridesmaid, along with her sister. I didn't expect either, so it was a nice surprise. I just hope Bailey is up to that task. I fear that she'll be one of those little ones that eats it up until time to walk down the aisle...then falls apart at the pivotal moment. Of course, she has 6 months of growing up time before the big day! And, I have 6 months of "getting skinny again" time, as well.

And, just for fun, here's a picture of Bailey with 30 balloons that Jason blew up to welcome her home after our trip to Clinton. I have been popping and throwing one away here and there in hopes that she won't notice how they are gradually dwindling. There's nothing like millions of balloons to really junk up your house!


On another Bailey front, lately she has refused to sleep in her bed. We go through this every so often and she usually has a few weeks of tantrums right before bed and then it stops. This week, Jason put up her tent and she gladly slept there as a novelty. And, she managed to put about 20 toys in there with her. You'll notice her Halloween basket, of all things, there in the corner.
However, last night the tent wasn't cutting it and she simply wouldn't settle down anywhere. After putting her back to bed numerous times, we just started ignoring her (it was a game to her at that point). And, here is the result....she set up her sleeping bag in the hallway outside her room. Ahhhh, as frustrating as she can be, how cute is that?


Finally, here's my wonderful husband feeding Nolan and being mauled by Bailey at the same time! It's a skill they don't tell you is required for parents of 2 kids.


Peace...

7 Weeks and SHOES!

This week brought some neat developments! I mentioned in a previous post that Nolan has started smiling. Sometimes they seem elusive, while other days bring almost constant amusement. This week, however, Nolan began to "talk" to us. Those parents out there will know what I mean....when we talk or coo at him, he will smile and (attempt to) imitate the sounds we are making. I had forgotten how fun it is to know, really know, that your little baby is seeing and hearing you! So cute, if I do say so myself!

The cold that was coming on last week has thankfully run its course. He still is a little snotty in the mornings, but the awful cough and severe nasal distress is gone. The aforementioned spitting up has not subsided and I am convinced that he has Reflux. We'll see...I'll discuss it with his doctor at his appointment on the 1st. In the meantime, I bought some of that formula that's supposed to reduce spit up and IT IS AWFUL. Has anyone used it? It's so thick (I guess that's what is supposed to reduce the spit up because heavier milk stays down better) that the hole in the nipple gets clogged about 100 times a feeding. I try to always mix it with the little amount of breast milk I pump, but the problem still remains. AND, he still spits up with every burp, so what's the point?

As far as activities this week, we did very little. We made the long trek out to Choctaw to see Rachel and her new baby, Owen. He's doing well and makes me realize just how much Nolan has grown. Since they were very near the same size at birth, it makes for a good comparison over time. We enjoyed seeing Owen and Bailey enjoyed playing with her best friend Matt (Rachel's hubby who is so good with her....but he probably has to take a nap every time we leave!!!). I only wish we lived closer so I could go see them more often. I honestly think we live as far apart as possible within the OKC metro. If this tells you anything about the distance, Nolan ate when we first arrived and was ready to eat again by the time we got back to our house. Of course, we did stop at the grocery store....and Nolan is a little piggy boy, so maybe that's a moot point. :-)

As the title of this post indicates, I put shoes on him for the first time. Now, I don't know how to impart how exciting this was for me. I'm one of those parents that really likes to complete any outfit with shoes - even with a baby. I don't think Bailey ever went without shoes. But, as tiny as those shoes looked when I bought them, Nolan hasn't been close to being able to wear them until now. They are actually still a bit big, but they at least stay on his feet. Doesn't he just look like a big boy?!!

He has also been quite amused with "the baby in the mirror." Sorry for the messy flash, but I wanted you to see how funny he finds that baby. And, yes, my kid does wear pants. I can't help when the photo op presents itself.

I go back to work in 1 week and 6 days. :-( Peace.

6 Weeks Equals Sick Baby

Bailey managed to successfully transfer her cold to little Nolan, so we're in the thick of our first baby sickness. Bailey didn't have anything more than a slight runny nose for the first year of her life, so it's a bit unnerving for us. He doesn't have a fever, though, so there's really nothing to do but suction his nose when it's full and cuddle with him. The poor little guy doesn't really seem to care that much that he's sick - he just breathes VERY loudly when he's trying to sleep (trust me - I'm sleeping near him and it keeps me awake!) and has an awful phlegm-filled cough. Yuck!

Prior to Friday night when the cold started creeping in, we had a low-key week. We went to Chuck E. Cheese with friends and then got to visit our friend Rachel in the hospital and see her new baby, Owen. Rachel and I are already laughing about the fact that Nolan/Owen is going to cause some problems. In addition to calling my son Bailey, baby girl and even Scout (yes, Rachel, I did actually call him the dog's name!), now I have another similar name to trip me up. Oh well. I think Bailey thought her name was "baby" for a very long time. They learn soon enough.



I'm going back to work in 3 weeks, so my challenge is just to enjoy my remaining time without thinking too much about how it's dwindling. I just feel like I haven't at all had enough time to do all the things I wanted to do. And, he still seems so small and fragile. I think Bailey seemed a little more "grown" when I went back to work. Of course, I did take a few more weeks with her. At least I am incredibly blessed to be able to leave him (and Bailey on the days she doesn't have MDO) with Jeanne, my mother-in-law. I know that I would be even more anxious if formal child care was another variable in the mix.

Here are some other pictures from the week:


No, she's not about to poke his eye out.

First comes a smile....

Then comes the full-fledged amusement.

Jason thinks it's cute to make him stand up...he'll have strong legs and dislocated shoulders. :-)

I don't really have anything else to write about - imagine that. So, I'll tell you to go watch "The Nanny Diaries." It's very cute.



Peace...

5 Weeks Update/Are We Ready For Our Closeup?

It's hard to believe little Nolan is already 5 weeks old. It seems like time is really flying!

This week, we spent a lot of time changing clothes (his and ours) because Nolan has decided he really likes to spit up...in large quantities. Burp cloths simply cannot contain his output! You'll note the huge wet spot on the bed in the first picture...yes, that's spitup and I immediately stripped off his clothes right before the pic and the sheets right after. It's weird, though, because one day he'll hardly spit up at all and then the next day he does each and every time we feed him.

Other activities this week...I had all of my staff over to the house Saturday for a post holiday family get-together. We had lots of good food and played a fun game that uses the DVD player to display movie quotes, clips, stills, etc. Major competition, I tell you! We had a good time and Nolan got passed around from person to person. The bad part was that Bailey developed a pretty nasty cold on Friday so we made the decision to keep her away from the guests. She was disappointed, but forgot about the party as soon as she went to grandma's house for the evening. I hope Jeanne and Phil don't get sick! But, I would rather pass sickness within the family rather than give it to one of my co-workers kids.

Sunday was our scheduled family portrait. I had initially wanted to take a picture before Christmas, but it just didn't work out with Nolan's arrival and the fact that getting an appointment at that time was virtually impossible. So, we gave our parents an IOU picture gift and set the appointment for Jan. 6th. As I mentioned, Bailey had the cold, so we debated about going. Then, just getting everyone ready was awful. I simply can't imagine being a single mom as it honestly took Jason and me 3 1/2 hours to get ourselves ready, give both the kids a bath, feed Nolan twice, and get everyone in the car. I mourn the time when I hopped in the shower an hour before having to leave to go somewhere. Yeah....that ship has sailed.

Anyway, then we got there and Nolan wouldn't wake up and Bailey pulled her, "I don't want to have anything to do with this and would rather play with the kids in the waiting room" act. So, it was stressful all the way around. We did manage to get some decent pictures, though, which goes to show how talented photographers are to get that one smile out of a thousand frowns. For your enjoyment.....

By the way, these are not cropped or anything...just the raw film they saved for us on a disk.