Snow Day!

Colorado finally received some winter snow this past weekend and we could not resist dressing Kyle up in his snowsuit to play in the white fluffy powder. While we were pretty excited about the idea I think Kyle could have done without the experience. He usually does not mind being outside in the cold but he was not feeling his sled ride as much as we had hoped. He was a little small for the sled and had trouble sitting up in it so I think that had a large part to do with his dissatisfaction. Nonetheless, it made for some fun pictures!

We spent the weekend hanging out with Matt's parents. Matt is trying to suck up as much family time as he can these next few weeks before he leaves. Unfortunately, I got sick with some type of stomach virus and was out of commission Saturday night and all of Sunday. Thankfully we had the grandparents on hand to help take care of Kyle while I laid in bed all day. Being a sick mommy is no fun at all! Thankfully the plague left me as quickly as it came on and I was feeling like my normal self on Monday morning. I am crossing my fingers that no one else in the house gets it!

6 Months

Dear Kyle-

You celebrated your 6 month birthday this past week and I can’t believe you have been in our lives for half a year! Where has the time gone? I remember when you were a newborn, we could not wait for you to grow out of your colic and time seemed to be going so slow, but ever since those days left us, time has been flying by!

For your six month birthday mommy got some fun presents for both you and me to use. We finally purchased a BOB jogging stroller and a Kokopax carrier. I love both of these items and so far you seem to enjoy them too! I have been working at getting back into running and you have become my workout partner. So far you have fallen asleep on almost every run I have taken you on which has been great. You get a nap and I get a work out in! You were getting too big for your Bjorn front baby carrier so I upgraded to the backpack. I highly recommend this to all my mommy friends out there! It is really comfortable and makes carrying you around so much easier. I can put you in it when I go grocery shopping or when we play fetch at the park with Eros, and also when I am trying to cook dinner and all you want to do is be held.

You continue to grow and change so much these days. I stare at you in amazement sometimes at the little man you are becoming! Now that you can sit up right you enjoy playing with all your toys on your activity mat. I love to watch you play and talk to yourself. I try to imagine what you are thinking and saying, and you make it very hard for me to get anything done because you are just so cute to watch! You are also very good with your hand coordination and can pick objects up with ease. Your Sophie giraffe, blocks, and baby cell phone are some of your favorites right now. In addition to your toys you LOVE your jumperoo (Thanks Aunt Holly!). You learned how to jump in it this month and can really get yourself going. It is so fun to watch you giggle and smile. You also like to growl when you are jumping which is too funny.

We are working on increasing your “tummy time” to continue to build your core muscles but right now you show no signs of wanting to crawl. You are very content to just sit and play with your toys. This is fine with mommy, it makes my life a lot easier not having to chase you around the house, yet.

This month you have also really taken a liking to your dad. As soon as he walks in the door your face lights up with joy and you smile and laugh. It melts my heart and breaks it at the same time since he will be leaving us very shortly. I will have to make sure we read our daddy books and look at videos and pictures so you don’t forget him.

Winter cold season also struck our house this month and you got your first cold. Luckily it did not turn into an ear infection but you had your first stuffy/runny nose. It made for a week of sleepless nights for mommy and daddy but you seem to doing much better so hopefully that is the worst of our cold season this year.

Your adventures with solid foods are going well. We gave you sweet potatoes for your 6 month birthday and you were not quite sure what to think. You love your rice cereal and will eat about 2 tablespoons twice a day with no problem, so I thought for sure you would love sweet potatoes and other solids since you enjoy your rice cereal so much but you are a bit unsure. We tried avocado the next day and you liked that more, but the slimy texture made it hard for you to keep it in your mouth and I think more of it ended up on your face and hands than in your tummy. We tried yams (the orange sweet potatoes) today and you actually seemed to prefer it to the yellow sweet potatoes. Right now it is all about the experience of eating and trying new things so I am not too stressed about you getting any sort of caloric nutrition from these meals, and I am sure in time you will get the hang of eating other things besides rice cereal and breast milk, or you will be one cheap date when you grow up :). I am going to move onto fruits next week and am curious to see what you think about bananas and pears.

Your 6 month check up went well and you are continuing to grow healthy and strong. You are 17lbs and 26 inches long and wearing 9 month baby clothes now. We are going to be starting you on some physical therapy next week to help strengthen the left side of your neck. The doctors say you have slight Torticollis on the left side of your neck which basically means we need to lengthen the muscles so you are able to hold your head straight. If you look back at all the photos we have taken of you, your head leans slightly to the left in each one, mommy and daddy just figured it was because you had such a big head. The good news is you can move your head from side to side with ease and the doctors feel that after a few weeks of physical therapy the problem should be cleared up.

You are such a joy in our lives and I am so thankful every day to be your mom! I have to say that so far this is the best stage yet in your short little life and I can’t wait to see what the upcoming months have in store for us as you continue to develop. Thanks for making me smile every day little guy!

Love-
Mommy

Kairos Moments

One of my mommy friends shared the link below on her Facebook page today and I had to steal if for my blog. This article is so true! Being a mom is the toughest job I have ever had. To be completely honest, it is much harder than I ever thought it would be. However, with great challenge comes great reward and I would not trade a single sleepless night or a crying fit to see one of Kyle's smiles or hear his sweet laugh. These "Kairos" moments are what make motherhood worth while and I thank God everyday for the opportunity he has give me to be Kyle's mommy. And now that my little babe is fast asleep for the night, I am going to kick back and enjoy a beer and some pizza with my husband, and congratulate myself on another successful day in raising my baby boy. I could not ask for a better Friday night!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

Sitting Straight

Kyle started sitting on his own this weekend and he LOVES this new perspective on life! He started sitting for short periods of time a few weeks ago but was pretty wobbly and if he tried to play with any toys he would fall over. However, on Friday last week he woke up one morning and could sit and play with his toys with no problem. He has become such a happy baby and loves that he can entertain himself from this position. I also love that we have reached this milestone! I can plop him on the floor with a few different toys around him and he will play for a good hour before needing some assistance and attention from mommy. He is thoroughly enjoying all his Christmas toys so thanks to all our friends and family who spoiled this little guy with gifts this year.

Other milestones from the past week include, responding to his name when you call it and saying the word “mama.” While he does not understand that I am “mama”, he does say the word often, especially when he is tired. I will rock him to sleep while he drones “mamamamam…moooommmm…mamammama.”

We also took a nice family trip to Crested Butte for MLK weekend. While it was a bummer that there was horrible snow for skiing, the silver lining was the weather was beautiful and it felt like spring in the mountains! We were able to get outside with Kyle and go for a fun runs in the BOB stroller. Eros was also super excited with the weekend. Matt took him Nordic skiing and he loved it! It was so nice to get away and enjoy a family weekend together in one of our favorite places. It made me realize how much I am going to miss having Matt home when he leaves!

Five Months

Dear Kyle-

You turned five months right around your first Christmas. It was clear that you love the holidays! Your dad and I had so much fun with you this month. Daddy had three weeks off to spend with us before he deploys and we loved every minute of our time with him. You were quite the traveler this month spending time in Baggs, WY; Colorado; and Whitefish, MT.
Our first trip was to Baggs where Grandma Shannon grew up and mommy and daddy got married. You got to meet lots of your great aunts and uncles and even took your first buggy ride on Rosemary the mule. Mommy rode in the buggy on her wedding day and it was a special experience riding in it with you and daddy. I remember thinking my how far we have come as we rode down the lane. You enjoyed your buggy ride and almost feel asleep to the motion her hooves pounding on the gravel.


We spent Christmas Eve with Grandma Mary’s family in Ft. Collins and again you were the life of the party. Everyone had fun holding you especially your second cousin, Kayleigh, and you loved seeing your extended family. You sure were spoiled with lots of presents. On Christmas morning we went to Grandma and Grandpa Meersman’s house and opened presents and enjoyed spending time with the family. You got the cutest sweater that mommy loves to dress you in!


On Christmas night we took our first airplane ride to Montana. I was unsure of how you would do on the plane but you did great! You loved all the sights and sounds in the airport and fell asleep as soon as we got on the plan. I could not have asked for a better travel partner. Once we landed, we were greeted with huge smiles from Aunt Kate and Uncle Nate. We spent the week snowshoeing, antique shopping, and spending time with family. You loved every minute of it and it was becoming clear that you enjoyed the outdoors which makes your mommy and daddy very happy. We put you in your bear snowsuit and you were quite warm and comfy being outside.

You also got very good at rolling and finally rolled for your daddy! I had seen you roll a few times but he had never witnessed it. You also started sitting up on your own for a few seconds at a time. You love this new perspective on life and I can’t wait until you can sit on your own for long periods of time.

I can’t decide if you are teething or not. I keep thinking that you are but I see no sign of teeth under your gums. However, you have all the symptoms. You are drooling like crazy; clear runny nose off and on and you chew your fists in pain from time to time. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

You had another major milestone this month; your first taste of solid foods in the form of rice cereal. You were showing all the signs that you were ready to eat. You were grabbing for our food when we ate and moved your mouth open and closed. And ready you were. You ate your first tablespoon of cereal mixed with breast milk like a champ. Some definitely made it on your face and hands but for the most part you ingested a fair amount and every day that you have ate since you do better and better. You get very excited as I prepare your food and when I start putting the spoon toward your mouth you kick your legs with excitement. We will wait until you are six months to give you additional solids but I am positive you are going to love eating. I plan on making your baby food and can’t wait to start!

I can’t believe you are almost half a year old. You have not been in our lives for that long but I can’t imagine life without you.

Love-
Mommy

Four Months

Dear Kyle-

On your four month birthday daddy came home from his training and he could not believe how much you had changed. You had full control of your head and could look around with ease at the world around you. You also started sticking your tongue out at us which was too cute!

You continued to grow like a weed weighing 15lbs 8ounces and 25 inches long at your 4 month well baby exam. Your size is definitely one of your defining features at the moment. People always comment on how big and healthy you look.

You still enjoyed spending time on your activity mat and started taking interest in your puppy dog. The two of you are quite a pair. He loves to try to sneak in as many puppy kisses as he can when mommy and daddy are not looking and will lie next to you whenever you are on the floor. He is also very protective of you and goes on guard whenever a stranger comes into the house.

You have also started enjoying baby toys which worked out very well with Christmas right around the corner. Everything you touch goes in your mouth! Grandma Shannon bought you a Very Hungry Caterpillar toy which you love.

Yu still sleep well at night with one wake-up in the early morning and then you usually fall back to sleep for a few more hours. We started teaching you to self soothe with your favorite blanket which is going well. You definitely love your “nana” and are immediately comforted when you grab onto it and bring it to your face.

We enjoyed our first Thanksgiving with you and were reminded of how thankful we are to have you in our life. You have changed our lives completely but we could not imagine life without you. Your smiles melt our hearts and you have taught us what love really means.
We ended the month experiencing one of the sweetest sounds, your laugh. You do a lot of “air laughs” where you open your mouth but nothing comes out. However, every so often something really gets you excited and you let out a little belly laugh. It always brings a huge smile to my face and makes all the sleepless nights and crying fits worthwhile.

Love-
Mommy

Three Months

Dear Kyle-

At three months you hit a big milestone, you were no longer a colicky baby, and you became an infant! Mommy learned that she much prefers having an infant to a newborn. Daddy had to leave for a month of training in Louisiana when you were three months old. It was very hard to say good bye but it was good practice for when he deploys later this year.

We survived the month without daddy but not without the help of your loving Grandparents. You are one lucky kid to have three sets of Grandparents who adore you! They love spending time with you and are a huge help in giving mommy breaks to recharge her batteries.
You grew a ton this month and really developed into your own little person. You started rolling on your side and by four months had rolled over completely. You were interested in grabbing objects in front of you and your smile would light up the room. You were happiest first thing in the morning giving us lots of smiles and coos. You also started chattering quite a bit. I think you are going to grow up to be quite the chatter box like your mommy.

We also made the transition from sleeping in mommy and daddy’s room to your crib. You were such a big boy and made the transition with ease. You love sleeping in your crib and enjoy waking up to your bear mobile in the morning. Mommy also enjoys having you in your crib as well. I did not realize how much better I sleep at night not hearing all the noises you make in your sleep.

You also experienced your first Halloween and mommy dressed you as a baby tiger. You were sooo cute! Mommy soon realized that holidays are all that more fun with babies and can’t wait until you are old enough to understand what Halloween is all about.

While your colic was gone, you were still fussy in the evening and we realized that it was because you were tired so we pushed up your bedtime from 8:30 to 7:00 and it made a huge difference in your mood. It was also a great for mommy and daddy because it gave us a few hours in the evening to spend time together without having to take care of you.

It was clear you were growing into a happy healthy human and I could not get enough of you sweet smile.

Love-
Mommy