Growth Spurt?

We went through a slight rough patch last week. I’m hoping it was a growth spurt, but I guess we’ll never know. It started Saturday night with him waking up periodically during the night (keep in mind he’s been sleeping through the night since he was six weeks old!). On Sunday, he barely napped all day and the longest I could get him to sleep was for about an hour and even then he would only sleep if he was lying right on my chest. He did the same thing Sunday night, just waking up constantly. Well of course Justin left Monday morning and wasn’t returning until Thursday night. So far the summer hasn’t been that bad without him here….until this week. He woke up a lot on Monday night too. We thought that maybe his tummy was bothering him (since he had just started solids) or that his legs were hurting him where he had gotten his shots (he still had these big knots in his thighs where they stuck him). So I know the little guy just wasn’t feeling good, I just couldn’t figure out why – tummy, legs, a little bit of both..?

I had hoped that Tuesday night would be a little better, but it definitely was not. The little monster woke up at midnight and I put the paci back in. He woke up at 2am, I put the paci in. He woke up at 2:20am and this time when I went in there, his eyes were wide open like he was wide awake. Putting the paci in this time did not do a thing. I would try to rock him back to sleep and as soon as I would lay him down again, he would wake back up fussing. I gave him some Tylenol, but that did nothing. Finally, I decided maybe he could be hungry. He had finished all of his bottles at school that day (something he rarely does) and he had eaten all of his solid food and rice cereal that night, but he only ate about 1oz from his bottle. So even though he hasn’t eaten during the night in 5 months, I made a bottle anyways. He sucked down 3oz so fast, I couldn’t believe it! As soon as he drained the bottle, he cried for more. So I made another 3oz and he had fallen asleep by the time he ate about half of that. I put him back down and low and behold, he woke back up. I let him cry a few minutes thinking he would cry himself to sleep, but then I realized the longer he cried, the longer he and I were BOTH awake. So I went in, picked him up and rocked him back to sleep for about 10 minutes until I knew he was good and asleep. I finally got him back down and went back to bed myself around 4:15am. By the time I got up at 6am, showered and got ready, he was still asleep! He didn’t wake up until 6:45am and then ate another 5oz then! I thought at this point that it was surely a growth spurt.

I had no clue what would be in store for myself on Wednesday night, and was just hoping and praying I wouldn’t lose another 2 ½ hours of sleep during the night again. It’s hard to be up like that during the night when it’s been months since you had to do it! You forget how much it sucks until you are doing it again!! So Wednesday, he ate all his bananas, all his rice cereal and 5oz from his bedtime bottle. We got all the way to 5am (not counting the few times of putting the paci back in during the night) before he woke up and would not go back to sleep. So I made a bottle and fed him at 5am and had him back in bed asleep by 5:30 – you know, 30 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off!! So I re-set my alarm for 6:30 and by 7:15 that little dude was still asleep. I woke him up just in time to get him dressed and loaded in his car seat. I didn’t figure there was any point in feeding him since he had eaten just two hours before that.

Thankfully, Justin came home on Thursday so I was able to get in bed a little earlier and knew I would have a tag team partner if we had a middle of the night feeding session again. But of course when I’m not alone, he sleeps all night. It’s like he knows – “Oh Mommy’s home alone, I’m gonna wreak havoc on her!!” Hmm..something I guess I’ll have to get used to.

This week we still haven't quite been back to normal, but we have now added stomach issues to the plate. On top of that, the little guy just won't eat his bottles. Luckily he'll eat his food but I worry that he's not taking much from his bottles. He is not waking during the night to eat but now he wakes up between 5am and 6am rather than 6am or later! That has definitely been an adjustment. Hopefully this phase will pass soon and we can get back to our regular routine!

Here are some recent pics I wanted to share! Not sure if this thing has any readers out there but if so, hope you enjoy!

This is quite possibly my most favorite picture of Austin ever!!Austin and Daddy playing and being sillyNow he wants to sit up in his swing and use the bar to swing himself!I found him completely sideways in his crib one night and he had the cutest look on his face when I found him...I couldn't resist the picture :)A few minutes after we put him down each night, he usually turns himself sideways or completely upside down. Justin has seen him upside down a few times, but this was the first time I saw it and again, I couldn't resist the picture! His feet are where his head should be!

Solid Foods!!

Well we have started solids – and Austin is loving them!! We had his 6 month checkup on July 15 and we got a great report from the doctor. He was weighing 16.7lbs (30th percentile) and he was 26.75 inches long (60th percentile). He continues to be a long and lean little guy!! The doctor said he is growing beautifully and is perfectly healthy. He gave us the go ahead to start on solids so we are giving him one fruit and one vegetable every day.

We started with green beans, which was probably not the best idea. I had read that sometimes if you start with a fruit, the baby gets used to the sweet taste and will refuse the vegetables. Knowing how bad my sweet tooth is, I really didn’t want to start him with a fruit and risk him not wanting his veggies!! I know it may be early to think that way, but I want to be as proactive as possible with him and vegetables so that he won’t be anything like his Mommy!!

The first bite of green beans did not go over so well. His face was priceless but then he gagged (funny, that’s what I do when I eat beans and peas).


We gave him another bite and he gagged again, and then he puked (notice the puke stain going down his bib – his daddy was mad that he ruined the pictures with the puke but it just added to the story!).


We tried a couple more times but he gagged every single time until I refused to give him anymore. If he doesn’t like them, I will not force him to eat them. So we gave up and I decided to send some to school the next day for him to try again, but we got the same result. So we moved on to apples, which went over much better!

Since then we have tried every fruit and vegetable that Gerber has to offer and he has loved everything!! He finishes the container each night, which means we’ll be moving to 2nd foods once all of the 1st foods are gone. We even tried green beans again the other night and he actually ate them this time! I guess he was not only getting accustomed to the taste of solid food, but also the texture. I’m so proud of him for being such a good eater so far!!

My Favorite Things

I love that Austin has the same cow lick that runs in my family. I love that when I kiss him on the mouth he never fails to stick his tongue out at that moment. His hair makes me smile and I love kissing his head and rubbing his hair. I love to watch him sleep at night. I always check on him one last time before I get in bed and it's so hard not to pick him up and bring him in the bed with me to snuggle. He's just so soft, warm and cuddly...completely irresistible. I love picking him up after he's been sleeping in his swing. He's so sleepy and just buries his head in your neck and it's the sweetest thing. Justin and I used to "fight" over who got to wake him up :) I love to watch him sleep while he eats his bottle. The way he plays with his hair just makes my heart melt. I love to see him playing in his jumparoo. He gets so excited and to watch his face light up is so precious. I love that he is a perfect mix of me and Justin. He has my eyes and nose and Justin's lips. I love to watch him curl his toes and wiggle his feet when you tickle them. He has a sweet spot at the top of his thigh and if squeezed the right way, you get tons of giggles from him. I love that he loves animals. The sight of them makes him squeal with joy. I love to watch his eyes stare into mine in complete relaxation as I pour the warm water over his head in the bathtub. I love to see him sitting up. It was such a crazy feeling the first time I walked into daycare and he was sitting up and playing rather than laying down or in a bouncer/swing. I love that he still loves his playmat and seems to find new and exciting things that captivate his mind every time he's on it. I love his eyes. They are the perfect, most beautiful color blue and he has his daddy's eyelashes that I'm completely jealous of. His smile is the most precious thing I have ever seen. I love the sounds he makes. He has the sweetest voice I've ever heard. I love when he squeals. It's so cute and ear piercing at times, but still one of the best sounds in the world. I love the look on his face when I clean his ears with Q-Tips after his bath. He closes his eyes and is in complete bliss getting his ears cleaned. I love to see how he's grown. Looking back at the pictures from his first few months are so funny when you can see how much he has changed. I love that he typically keeps the toes on one foot curled under and the toes on the other foot flexed up. I love how he reacts when he sees us leave the room and I love to see him get excited and wave his hands in the air when he sees me walk into his classroom at school to pick him up. I love that we come home with new artwork from school each week and that it covers an entire side of our refrigerator. I love to watch him lean towards the spoon and attack it when he eats his rice cereal and how he gets so distracted if our cat Lola is anywhere near him while he is trying to eat. I love how he touches my face as if he's studying it and learning. I love how everything he grabs goes straight to his mouth. I love how he wraps his arm around mine and holds his hand on my back when I'm carrying him on my side. I love how when he is around new people he is always sure to keep me in his sight and knows exactly where I am. I love that I can see him making certain arm or leg movements and know that is exactly what I was feeling him do in my belly. I love it when he poots. :) I love his booty and how it has cellulite when you squish it. I love his thighs, we call them his pork chops. I love his fingers and toes, his perfect little ears and his cute little belly button. I love how he is enthralled with tags on blankets. I love that when he is sleepy he pulls his blankets over his face and rubs his face all in it. It's so sweet to see him yawn and rub his eyes when he is tired. I love walking into his room first thing in the morning and he is already awake. He waves his arms in the air and starts smiling the second he sees you. What better way is there to wake up in the mornings? I love that his hair is turning such a pretty color blonde. I love that he sleeps like a wild man and you never know what position you're going to find him in each morning. I love how he goes to school every morning with socks on and comes home everyday with socks off because he kicks them off. I love that he kicks his legs constantly. I love the quiet moments alone with him. I love covering him in kisses. I love the feel of his smooth, soft skin. I love the way he smells after a bath. I love the way his room smells like him. I love to see his face light up when he sees his daddy. I love that he has formed such a sweet bond with him. I love how every time I strap him in his carseat, he sticks his tongue out and tries to eat/suck on the seat belt until I get it strapped in place. But more than anything, I love that this list can go on and on, and will continue to grow longer every day for a very long time...

I Have a 6 Month Old!

Hard to believe that 6 months have come and gone so quickly!! It is just crazy to think that Austin is 6 months old. Before I know it, we'll be celebrating his one year old birthday. It's amazing to go back to our pictures from January and see how much he has changed. He looks so different, yet exactly the same!

A few weeks ago we had an impromptu visit to the doctor's office. That Saturday night after Austin had been asleep for several hours, he woke up screaming and crying. We couldn't figure out why but it took about two hours to get him back to sleep. Justin was still awake when he started crying and I woke up and heard him just a few minutes later. When I went into his room to see what was going on, he sounded extremely congested and hoarse. He had been fighting his sleep pretty much all day so he had been fussing and crying more than normal and I was hoping that was the reason for him sounding hoarse. To be honest, I immediately thought something was wrong with his breathing and it took a while for me to realize I was overreacting. The next morning he was still really congested but the hoarseness was gone. He did the same thing again that night and it took about an hour to get back to sleep that time. I started thinking that maybe he had an ear infection due to all the congestion and maybe that was why he was crying. I called the doctor Monday morning and took him in for a checkup. He was weighing 15 pounds 15 ounces, which was less than I was expecting and hoping for. Good news though, his ears looked great and the doc sent us on our way. Luckily he did not have any other episodes and we are still fighting the congestion, although it is much better than it was then.

He goes back for his 6 month checkup next Thursday (a little late) and I am really hoping that he has gained some more weight. I was surprised at how little he had gained since his 4 month checkup because the little guy eats!! I'm trying not to let it concern me but I would feel better if he could pack on at least another pound or two. We will start solids after the next appointment so maybe that will help!

This past weekend was a busy one. Justin's grandparents came in town from Hattiesburg so we spent Friday night and most of the day Saturday at his parents house visiting and eating. Austin enjoyed playing with Caesar, their 120 pound lab! He has gotten to where any time he sees an animal, he starts waving his arms and squeeling, smiling and laughing! It is the cutest thing to see him get so excited over a furry friend. We have decided we might want to get a dog sooner than later :) He has always loved watching Lola, especially her big, fluffy tail. But cats are weird and when he gets excited it scares her off so he never gets to pet her. Caesar doesn't mind him at all and I look forward to the day when Austin is crawling and moving around and so that he can crawl and love all over Caesar.

Sunday we went to our friend Scott's parents house out on Logan Martin lake in Pell City. They have a pool and we were so excited to get Austin in it! He loves bath time so I knew he would love the water. He didn't get quite as excited as we were hoping and thinking he would, but he was so chilled out and laid back, so we could tell that he was enjoying it. We got him a float to sit in but it didn't work the way it was supposed to. Maybe he needs to grow a little more. We put his legs in the leg holes but he seemed to just topple forwards or backwards if we did that. So we just let him lay back in and float around. He also enjoyed being carried around in the pool so that he could splash his arms everywhere!! I had trouble finding a hat that would fit his head and the closest thing I could find to work were these flimsy visors that barely stayed on. Oh well, it got the job done! He didn't fuss all day long and did great until someone jumped off the diving board and he accidentally got splashed. It took about 5 seconds before he got freaked out and it only took about 10 more to calm him down. It was pretty funny actually because he had been splashing himself all day and didn't seem to mind!

Once he got tired, we put him in his swing for a nap in the shade. Life is so tough, right?
I love how he has started to use his feet to play with things!
6 Months Old!He started sitting up unassisted a little over a week ago! He's doing so good!Loving on Caesar!Life is Good!