Our Weekend

This weekend Brett and I left Henry with mom and we went to Beaufort, South Carolina for a brief respite from the round-the-clock schedule. Beaufort is very much like Charleston as far as architecture goes, but about 1/20th the size. We arrived in time for a dinner out and then went back to the hotel and slept. And slept. And slept. Although I did wake several times during the night at no time did I have to get up and breastfeed or change diapers or burp anyone (surprising since usually Brett does need burping - ha ha). We had breakfast with one of Brett's co-workers who lives there and then headed back home. Mom said that Henry woke up every 3 hours like clockwork to be fed. The three of them went on two long walks and Wilbur was pretty exhausted all day today! I'm posting a picture taken before we left (Henry and me outside) and one once we returned home (boys on the sofa).

Little Man

Sometimes he really does look like a miniature man...we think this picture captures that look. One minute he was sitting on my legs smiling and laughing as I sang to him and the next minute he was sound asleep in the same position with his little hands resting on his knees.

13 Weeks Old!

So this is a combo post for both his 13 week anniversary of birth and his 3 month anniversary of birth...even though 3 months isn't technically until tomorrow. We went to the doctor's office this afternoon and found out that he weighs in at a lucky 11 pounds, 11 ounces!! While this only puts him in the 7th percentile for being 3 months old if we look at how much he's gained in one month and gauge him against 2 months old (his adjusted age), he is doing fantastic. It's hard for us to believe he's only in the 7th percentile given how BIG he looks to us and how much we've seen him grow lately.

Goin' Goin'...

...Back Back...

...to Oregon Oregon!

Start spreading the news...okay, enough with the song lyrics. The point is we can finally say with certainty that we will be moving back to the great Pacific Northwest by the end of the summer. We cannot wait to be back among the liberal sanity of Portland. Ahhh....it's like a big weight has been lifted, the clouds have parted and we can take a deep breath (without inhaling the stench of Savannah...seriously, this city literally smells). But what a wonderful learning experience this has been for us. Primarily we learned that the City of Roses is the place to be!

I would be remiss to not mention that we also learned a huge lesson in the ability of people to be friendly to your face but be wicked behind your back. I was warned before we moved to the South that Southerners tend to be that way - quite two-faced. You'll think that someone is your friend and then find out they've been anything but behind your back. Wow. Did I ever underestimate that warning. We learned that lesson to the nth degree. But now we can put it behind us and move forward (at least that's what I keep telling myself).

Henry is wearing his Oregon t-shirt in celebration of our impending return (thanks to Molly, Jeff, and Anna!).

Tough Day

Fast asleep without a care in the world.

Smiles, smiles, and more smiles

It seems like he's figured out that smiling gets a really positive reaction from us and is using this new found knowledge to the fullest of his ability. He smiles, smiles, and smiles all the time. The foil to this happy baby expression is that he has also discovered his ability to scream and the reaction that noise gets...namely, us either changing what we're doing or trying to soothe him. The smiles are definitely more enjoyable!

In other news, a realtor is coming tomorrow to take pictures of the house! Hooray! Stay tuned and cross your fingers for a speedy sale.

Gigi and Henry

Since Gigi's arrival Henry has been smiling so much more - probably because I've learned that he doesn't need to eat so much and that he needs to sleep more. I think I had been trying to feed him every time he fussed, when many of those times he just needed to sleep. His new trick today is blowing bubbles. I just hope that doesn't mean he is starting to teethe. He also rolled over from his stomach to his back three times...but I was the only witness. We're still waiting for him to have a repeat performance.

12 Weeks Old!

Henry's weekly picture!

Gigi arrived today and has been getting reacquainted with Henry. He's been smiling and smiling lots at her!

We've promised a video tour of our house but haven't come through with that yet - but it is definitely in the works....stay tuned.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Brett's birthday, so it's been kind of a banner weekend for him the lucky guy. Although I suppose sometimes his birthday will fall on Father's Day and then he'll have to settle for a two-for-one deal. These pictures were taken today in honor of Father's Day and his birthday. It's hard to see, but Henry's shirt says "Daddy's little helper." It was the only shirt I could find that said anything with Dad on it. I'd have thought the stores would have had more but I guess not. I did find a website that will print anything on a onesie which is tremendously exciting for me since a great deal of sleep deprived angst can be mediated with a wickedly funny onesie on a baby. I've already got one (a little big yet) and a brilliant idea for others (thank you, Cary! That's what Gawd Fathers are for!!)

Additionally I found something good about the obscenely hot weather today as well. While Henry loves baths, he hates getting cold so post-bath a screaming frenzy ensues while trying to get him dry and dressed before the windows are shattered by his wailing. Today it dawned on me to just take him outside after his bath. I suppose it hadn't occurred to me before because I usually do baths at night and this time I did it during the day, but nonetheless it worked like a charm - no crying or screaming at all. I did have to walk a fine line between getting him dried off and getting him back in the house before the sweating began. And since the "palmetto bugs" (aka giant cockroaches) are back the situation is a little dicey as I don't want to look down and see one walking across Henry. SICK.

Happy Father's Day!

And Happy FIRST Father's Day to Brett!

(This picture is kind of old - Henry is about 7 weeks old here.)

Pajamas

I couldn't resist trying on a pair of pajamas for Henry tonight - even though they are a size 3-6 month. I didn't think they'd fit, but I wanted to see just how big they were. Well, as you can see by the picture, not only do they fit, but they fit almost perfectly. Just how big is this kid?? I'm going to take him in for a weight check next week and find out!

11 Weeks Old!

Subtitled: The Jolly Green Midget

Here is Henry's weekly update picture. (He likes the monochromatic look.) Things are going well with napping. He is sleeping a bit better over night, usually just waking once although last night he woke twice. Only one week until GG gets here (my mom) so I hope she can help me get him on a more regular routine. I'm trying out the Baby Whisperer's method of "Eat, Activity, Sleep" in a three to four hour pattern. It's a bit difficult for me because I am not a routine or schedule type of person...so I'm working on that. He's getting a little chubby as you can see in his cheeks! So cute!

Nap Time

So, following my nap epiphany yesterday, I'm having Henry take naps today. So far, so good. And, Wilbur is quite happy as well as you can see in this picture. Just have to wait and see how this affects his nighttime sleep. Also posting another picture of Henry smiling (taken today) since he is so darn cute when he smiles.

Monday Update

Picture taken today after dinner.

Did you know that babies get more hyper when they are tired rather than less? Well, I didn't until two days ago when I read about napping in The Baby Whisperer book. Now I'm thinking that all these days when Henry didn't nap and then was in a bad mood were because I didn't try to make him take a nap. I had been just waiting for him to fall asleep since that's what he did for the first eight weeks or so of his life. Heck, for the first five weeks we could barely get him to wake up! So, now I am trying to actually put him down for naps whether or not he is acting tired. And according to this book, they sleep better at night when they're well rested and have had good naps during the day. We'll see...

Not much new to report from Savannah. It's hot. The news said it's been about 15 degrees above average for the last week. Heat index over 100 degrees each day. There is a 30% chance of rain on Thursday and Friday so we are really hoping that comes to fruition to break this nasty humidity. Looking forward to having mom arrive next week. And then dad and Geoff coming for a visit first week of July. Hopefully we'll get some decent weather so we can get outside and do stuff! At these temperatures it's even too hot for the beach. One thing I had forgotten about seeing last year until this week is that people bring coolers to the grocery store to transport frozen things back to their homes in. That's how freaking hot it is.

Holding Up

This video was shot today of Henry holding his head up over my shoulder. We're out in the backyard and it is about 90 degrees - at almost 9 pm. This past week has been miserable, temperature wise. This coming week won't be much better. Henry looks so different when you're able to see his neck!

Just for fun

Sorry, Geoff, but I love this picture and I think other people will too. Heh heh heh.

10 Weeks Old!

Since I just posted recent pictures, I'm only posting one new one today. Along with everything else, Henry has decided he doesn't want/like/need daytime naps. Other than a quick 1/2 hour around noon, he hasn't slept during the day at all the last four or five days. I talked to Mom and she said that's normal; some babies at this age don't take naps. GREAT. I thought I could at least count on some nap time to catch up on sleep. Oh well.

Our neighbor from across the street just brought over a TON of her boys' old clothes and toys. She asked if we could use some of their old things and I said sure, but I had no idea what she really meant was ALL their old things. There are 3 of those big, plastic containers of clothes, one full of baby Legos, a big garbage bag of more clothes, and another garbage bag of toys. I think she must have been cleaning out her garage or attic! ;) But, I am looking forward to going through all of it - it's like shopping without having to pay for anything!

First Smiles!

The last 4 days have passed in a blur of sleeplessness brought on by a prolonged duration of gassiness (Henry's, not mine...hee hee). Cross your fingers that he has crossed the threshold and entered in to a more contented phase now.

So...the big news for today is that we reached a new (and thoroughly delightful) milestone...the "responsive smile." Up until this point, we've only seen the "reflexive smile;" a smile that is merely a result of physical reactions and not emotion. These smiles, in contrast, are definitely in response to my smiles and noises. I'm able to make him smile by smiling, etc., rather than him just randomly smiling like he used to do. He kind of does a weird Popeye smile a lot (second picture). I thought the third picture here looks exactly like he's winking and giving the A-OK sign with his right hand. Hee hee hee.