Such a Big Boy

It is so amazing how much a baby can learn and change in such a short time. Every day it seems like there is something new that Aiden does or discovers. He is getting a little better about being happy in Bible class. The boy just loves his mama and daddy and doesn't like being away from us. As frustrating as this is at times, at least I know he loves us a lot. :)

His new trick is being able to pull the frog on his play mat to make the music come on.

I am excited that he is getting close to sitting up on his own. With just a little support he can do it!

He loves his new bath seat! Now bath time is even more fun!

Yeah! One of the few times he was actually happy on his tummy. Look at him hold his head up so well!

Three (and a half) Months

Wow! Our little man is three and a half months old! What a blessing this precious little boy has been in our lives. Here's what we've been up to....

* At the beginning of the month, Aiden and I went to Hot Springs by ourselves. I was a little nervous because you never can tell how Aiden will do in the car. He did GREAT! He slept almost the whole way down and almost the entire trip home. He got a little fussy at the end, but I can't complain. I can handle 15 minutes of fussing after 7 hours and 45 minutes of quiet!


{Aiden was not quite sure what to think of Uncle Alex's dog.}

* He rolled over again. (That's only twice now.) He hates being on his stomach! I lay with him, put toys around him, set up his mirror so he can see himself, but still all I get is crying! I know this too shall pass but still it's frustrating.

* Favorite toys right now are his exersaucer, Johnny-Jump-Up, and his little seat. He can see everything and this makes him happy. He LOVES to look around and take in what's going on.

* Everything goes in his mouth!! He loves to chew on anything he can get his hands on, especially blankets, burp cloths, and stuffed animals. When there's nothing else to chew on, in go the fingers (and sometimes fists)! Drool is all over him all the time!!

* Our daytime routine is pretty consistent now. He nurses every three hours and stays awake between naps about two hours. Still no long naps, just 3-4 one hour naps. The bedtime routine starts about 8:30 with a bath, then eating, then rocking. Aiden is typically asleep by 9:30 and sleeps 7-9 hours. He wakes up to eat then is back asleep for 3-4 more hours. I am so thankful I am not going back to work. His sleeping schedule would not leave me very rested!

* We tried to let him sleep without being swaddled, but that didn't end very well. Poor thing is still a little uncoordinated and ends up hitting himself in the face and waking up. We'll try again soon.

* Coming next month ... a trip to Montgomery to see Monty's family and then up to Huntsville to visit with my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and cousins. Then over to St. Louis for Aiden's first baseball game! The day after we come back is his four month check-up and shots. :( I am guessing he'll weigh about 16 pounds.

Firsts

We have had a week of "firsts" ....



* Tuesday Aiden actually laughed while I was talking to him! It was so sweet. I am loving that he is interacting more and engaging in "conversation".



* Wednesday he rolled over from his tummy to his back (and I missed it!). I laid him on his play mat and then left the room to go to the bathroom. When I came back to the living room he was on his back just looking around. He hasn't done it since, but nevertheless I am still careful about where I lay him!



* Thursday was his first time with a baby-sitter other than family. My good friend Lesley came and stayed with him while I went to the dentist. She said he did great. This is encouraging because he loves being with his mama and sometimes has trouble being with other people. He is going to Bible class now at church and is doing pretty good with that too.



Aiden's 3 month pictures are now on our Flickr site! Enjoy!

Great-Grandparents and More

How busy we've been around here lately. Fourth of July weekend we went to Hot Springs for my mom's birthday. Aiden did great on his first road trip and slept nearly the whole way there and the whole way home. Monty had some vacation days to use so he was able to take off Friday through Tuesday! It's nice to have some days at home together.

Aiden is becoming more and more fun each day. His new favorite things to do are watch his mobile,
listen to books and look at the pictures,

and watch his musical glow worm.

My Pappaw had a great time with Aiden!

Monty's grandparents came to visit last weekend. Aiden had a good time meeting Pops and Freda for the first time. Unfortunately I was in a wedding the same weekend so our time with them was limited. Hopefully we will get to see them when we go to Alabama in September.

Two Months Old

I can't believe Aiden is already two months old. Time is flying! He went for his two month check-up today. He did real good with his shots. He cried for only a second and then came home, ate, and went to sleep. Hopefully he'll have a good day today and won't be too fussy.


Here are his stats:
Weight: 14 pounds 1 ounce (93rd percentile)
Height: 24.25 inches (83rd percentile)


This is a random picture of him sleeping. He looked so cute when I got him up this morning! We are using his pack-n-play this week so he will be used to it when we go to Hot Springs tomorrow.

Sleep and Play

Aiden is growing so fast! I can't believe he is 8 weeks old. There are some new pics of him on our Flickr site. Monty is having fun experimenting with different portrait options.

Aiden is continuing to sleep well at night. He goes to bed at 10 and typically sleeps 5-6 hours. Last night he actually slept 7.5 hours! Yea!! Sleep for mommy!! He eats and goes right back to bed. He doesn't wake up "for good" until about 9:30 or 10:00. We are still working on taking naps during the day. It is really hard to get him to go down. He will fall asleep and then cry when I put him in his crib. He usually will only sleep about 2-3 hours during the day. If I carry him in the baby sling then he will sleep, but I really don't want him to become dependent on that as his way to take naps.

Aiden is becoming increasingly aware of his surroundings and loves to sit in his bouncy seat and look around. He will just smile at the toys on the seat and "talk" to them! It is so funny to watch. He also enjoys listening to me to me read to him. I am still working on getting him to play on his tummy and on his back. He really doesn't like it when he is not being held. He prefers to be able to look around. He is getting better and is not crying when I put him on his tummy. It is now just a whimper. I know he will play more independently as he gets older, but I just don't want him to get used to being held all day.

Next week he will be two months old and we will go for shots and a check-up. I am curious to see how much he weighs. I am guessing about 12 pounds. We will spend the weekend of the 4th at my parents house. Aiden will ge to meet his great aunt and uncle and hopefully even his great great aunt.

All Smiles

Aiden is now a smiling baby!! He started smiling last weekend when my parents were here and has been smiling ever since. Monty took some great one month pictures and managed to capture his sweet smile. Everything else is going well. Aiden is becoming more and more alert during his wake time and is so much fun to talk and play with. Monty got to stay by himself with Aiden for the first time yesterday while I went to a wedding shower at church. This weekend was the first time Aiden took a bottle and he did great.

Likes and Dislikes

Aiden likes . . .

* eating (but who doesn't?!?)
* being carried in the baby sling
* talking with mama
* listening to music while I am on the computer
* being swaddled tight to sleep
* sleeping late

Aiden dislikes . . .

* car rides
* baths
* being by himself

Overall, Aiden is on a great schedule and is pretty predictable. He is sleeping much better at night and is able to put himself to sleep. All I have to do is wrap him tight in his swaddle and he is out! He is asleep by 10 (usually) and will continue to sleep until about 10 the next morning (with a few feedings thrown in). We are enjoying our little man!

The Last Week

The last week has been a busy one! We have been able to get out more during the day which has been good for me! Aiden has been to Wal-Mart, Target, and the Associate Store - all very important places that he will learn to love as much as I do :). We went to church last night and then out to eat afterwards. It was so nice to be able to visit with friends! I was beginning to feel out of touch with the outside world.

Monty's parents and sister came for the weekend. Unfortunately Aiden had a very fussy two days and didn't seem to want anyone else but me. Hopefully the next visit they'll get to spend a little more time with him.

Aiden had his two week check-up on Friday. He weighed 9 pounds 10 ounces and was 22" long. He had gained 11 ounces and grown an inch since his 4 day old check-up. I think we're going to end up with a big boy!

New pictures have been uploaded to our Flickr account. Just click on the "Our Pictures" link on the side.

At Home

We are all adjusting well to life at home. Aiden is doing a great job sleeping and eating and is getting into a somewhat regular schedule. He is letting us sleep at night for about three hours at a time so we are both staying pretty rested.

My grandparents came from Hot Springs yesterday to visit. Aiden slept the whole time and let them hug and love on him the whole time they were here.

I am slowly recovering but have had so much help from Mom and Monty!! Monty gets up with me at night while I feed Aiden since I can't get in and out of the rocker with him. He has been great to change diapers and do anything else I need him to do. He will be at home with me for another two weeks. Yeah for paternity leave! Mom has been cooking and cleaning and is enjoying being a grandma.