Lucky #7

 
I knew babies changed people. Some babies bring out the good in people, some bring out the bad. I have watched people have babies all around me throughout my life, seen my nieces being born, given birth myself, and still never realized what being a parent entailed, until that very first night in the hospital when I got close to no sleep. (Scariest day of my life: getting the send-off at the hospital. What?! You want us to put this 3-day-old baby in the car, DRIVE him home and take care of him!?)  I would not change a thing. Even after the sleepless nights, the throw-up, getting poop on my hand at 3 am cause I am half-alseep while changing the diaper, or the extra time it takes to do anything. Parenthood is an awesome thing, and it is life changing, and as I watch Lincoln grow and develop day by day, hour by hour, I see myself growing too. Since becoming a mommy, I have learned some things about myself and about the world in which I now live.

I love zippers and despise snaps. If given the choice between a hideous footie with a zipper, or an adorable footie with a gazillion snaps...zipper it is!

I will never ever get an award for using the least amount of wipes for a diaper change. Poopy diaper? Give me at least 10 wipes.

Two words for ya: Rain. Sucks. Rainy day + Baby = suckiest of the suck.

I require a lot less sleep to function than I ever thought. (take note: I said ' to function'. I did not say 'to feel awesome'.)

And much more coffee. I never knew I could drink so much coffee. 10pm, 5 am, noon...coffee does not discriminate. Coffee sounds good right about now.

This mama will never be a songwriter. Listen to me try to make up songs for Lincoln and you would understand. I do not make sense. And I'm OK with that.

My mind is forever embedded with the tunes that Lincoln's toys play. This has got to be one of the leading causes of insanity in parents. I hear them in my head nonstop. When I am not hearing the tune of pop-goes-the-weasel or Old MacDonald, I am hearing an imaginary Lincoln crying. Who knew that every fan in the house could sound like a crying baby.

Most days I feel like a zombie. I do not see this changing anytime soon and I am slowly coming to terms with that.

I can get more done in the 20 minutes that Lincoln naps (yes, we've got a cat-napper on our hands) than I would have on any normal day before he came along. And making it through the day without multi-tasking? Ain't nobody got time for that!

I never was a big fan of holding hands. Until it was my little boys fingers holding mine as he drifts off to sleep. <3



Lincoln is 7 months old! Lincoln has begun to rock on all fours; has 2 teeth (1 is just coming in), loves shaking rattles, bathtime, napping with mommy, and is sitting up on his own. He can hold his own bottle to eat, although he'd prefer not to have to, likes his sippy cup and just about everything he has eaten- except beets and green beans. With any food that he likes, each bite is followed by 'mmmm'.

 

 

 

First lollipop

Good luck taking this thing back!

Half way to 1!

Lincoln is 6 months old!
 

Likes: kicking, watching and touching his kitty cats, swinging, jumping in his bouncer, bathtime toys, riding in his stroller, sweet potatoes, carrots and squash

Dislikes: laying down (he wants to sit up), green beans, having to wait to get taken out of the carseat, barking dogs

Weight: 19.5 lb. (75th percentile)

Height: 28" (92nd percentile)

Head circumference: 17 1/2" (50th percentile)

Things mommy and daddy like: hearing you talk, snuggling, having fun with dress-up, when you sleep well, seeing you smile, taking you for walks, when you poop during the day and not at 3 AM

 

 

 

Lincolns month in photos

 

 Lincoln, here is your last month in photos. XO - mom

You took your first trip to NJ and met a lot of family for the first time.

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This was a big month for development! You learned to get your foot to your mouth and how to use your hands to hold toys and reach for things. You are rolling over like a pro. You also learned how to get up onto your knees and even started sleeping up on your knees. You will be crawling any day now!

You started rubbing your eyes when you get sleepy. It is one of my most favorite things to see you do. You are so precious!

You ate rice cereal for the first time. You weren't crazy for it but you're liking it more and more each time you have it. You eat much better for daddy than for me. This month you had carrots too!

You met your cousin Mariah for the first time. She was so excited!

You spent a lot of time in the pool with friends and family. And boy did it make you sleepy!

You celebrated Bip's birthday. And you get the cutest wrinkle at the top of your nose when you are really excited.

You saw your reflection in the mirror and for the first time it caught your attention.

 And as usual, you filled our hearts with joy!

16 weeks

Here I am at 16 weeks pregnant:

And here is Lincoln, 16 weeks old...for the second time.

It's kind of strange that he has already been 16 weeks old, so in reality Lincoln is 55 weeks old; or about 14 months. How's that food for thought.

 

Anyhow, Lincoln's growing so fast, big surprise. Go figure- that's what babies do.

Scott and I are really starting to feel like we have a kid now...not a little baby. The fact that he's 16 lbs. may or may not have anything to do with that. Lincolns personality is starting to show, laughing and 'talking' more, becoming more mobile and just interacting with the world around him more, in general- watching his mobile, noticing people on TV, using his silky snuggler to soothe himself to sleep. Its so strange how things happen so slowly but yet so fast. I can barely remember the first time he cooed, the first time he smiled. Each new thing he does stands alone, so important and amazing, but yet they all seem to blend together over a matter of just a few weeks, days even. Just in the past week he rolled over onto his stomach like he had done it a million times already.

He had rolled over before, from his tummy to his back, but it took him quite a while and he had to get pretty pissed before he would give enough push to get himself over, and he had only done it a handful of times. Then, about a week ago he was laying on the floor on his back and before my eyes, he rolled right over onto his stomach, propped up on his elbows and looked around like it was no big deal. I, on the other hand, couldn't believe what I had seen. Just to test the waters, I rolled him back over onto his back. Like our cats, annoyed as hell with us when we hold them like babies, quick to upright themselves, Lincoln flipped right over. The next morning brought us to the next step in Lincolns evolution...we found him sleeping soundly on his stomach in his crib. There was no going back, this boy had it down. Slowly, over the next few days, Lincoln went from back to tummy to his back again. Usually Lincoln just laid on his tummy, sucking his hands or fussing, but now he is starting to look around, smile and check out toys we put in front of him on the floor, propped up his elbows, looking almost proud of himself. So, although we may say Lincoln has the whole rolling-over thing down, that activity is built by many tiny events that in time, will fade and take place by a series of events that will most likely go as follows:  Lincoln wriggles around on the floor, Lincoln wriggles himself with the specific goal of getting from point A to point B, Lincoln crawls. And although we will simply say, 'Lincoln is crawling'- know that each milestone is made up of 10 little step stones. It is these step stones that seem to get forgotten the easiest, just as I am starting to forget the way it first sounded when he made a noise that wasn't crying, because now hearing him talk is an everyday occurrence.

Although time stands still at times, but yet moves so fast, it is amazing seeing the changes and watching him grow. So here's to you, Lincoln, our big 4 month-old! May you grow slowly, no matter how fast time goes by.

 

Where has it gone?

The past month has FLOWN by, but I feel like we have come so far in such short time.

In the past 30 days:

Scott and I have grown comfortable with transferring Lincoln back and forth to one another, as well as to family. With our work schedules though, sometimes it seems like that's all we do, but at least Lincoln gets to be with one of us all the time :)

Lincoln found his hands. They are in his mouth most of the time, so much that his fingers get pruney!

nom nom nom

I made it through my busiest time at work. with Lincoln. (and with the help of Scott and my mom!) Lincoln does so well with being around other people he is unfamiliar with, and is a joy to have in the office. People stop by just to see HIM!

I turned 29.And  I've made it another month breastfeeding. Yea me!

Lincoln made his first stage appearance at Common Ground on the Hill Traditions Weeks.

He still is not sleeping through the night every night, but surprises us with a sleep-full night every once in a while.

Lincoln still loves his swing and also really has started to like looking around and taking in his environment.

He loves listening to Scott talk and talks back to him a lot.

Lincoln is very close to rolling over from his back to his stomach. He also holds his head up so well and can sit up when given some support.

Lincoln turned 3 months old!