Can you keep a straight face?

Ian really likes the lion toy on his bouncy seat. He makes literally hundreds of different expressions while staring at it...and staring...and staring. (Until he goes cross-eyed from staring, as this picture illustrates). Who thought looking at a singular toy would provide so many minutes of endless amusement for him! I'll try to get a sequence made up (or a video)...it's really hysterical to watch!

Nicknames...

Ian is one of those names listed in the baby names book as "Nickname Proof." Now the name Ian might be nickname proof, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have any nicknames. The older he gets, the more he accumulates (and some he will outgrow!). Here's an amusing list of current nicknames, and their origin:

-Squirtle (don't use it so much any more...what we called him in-utero)
-Dodo littles (It's my silly way of saying "so so little")
-Littles (shortened form of above)
-Stinkerpants (His lovable name at the church nursery!)
*WeeBee (My favorite! It's short for Wee Baby.)
-Little Squirt (Does this really need an explanation?)
-Sluggo (Matt has to beef up the nickname pool!)
-Punkin (he does have orange-ish hair!)
-Big guy (Any male figure...Women focus on the smallness of a baby, and men work on building their self-esteem!)

And of course your dime-a-dozen...cutie pie, sweetie pie, cuteness, stinker, etc.

I guess that's enough for now! Any more suggestions? LOL.

NOTE: I might have forgotten to mention it in his 2 month post...he has been in size 2 diapers for a little over a week now! I have learned the immense value of buying in bulk. Ian eats a lot, and...welllll...does the other activity that corresponds with it! :) That's ok, grow big and strong!

Poll results!

Thanks to those who voted! No thanks for not voting for me! LOL. Just kidding.

Final online tally was:
5 votes for Matt
1 vote for Julie (and that was mine, LOL)
1 vote for combination

Community tally is:
1 million votes for Matt
1 vote for Julie...thank you Michelle!!!! :)
4 votes for both

I will accept defeat! The influence of Mat's genetic coding is more obvious...for now. Several years from now when Ian is towering over his father, I will smile to myself in quiet victory!

P.S. I have changed the settings on the blog to allow anonymous posting. Now, you don't have to procure a Blogger account to comment. Sorry about that, I am still learning all the bells and whistles! So, in summary...I would love to hear from you lurkers! :)

Up close and personal...

There's no such thing as a "quiet day at home" anymore. See above! Just playing with Ian, and just about every time he will do something new and exciting!

As we all know, Ian is NOT a fan of tummy time...but we make him do it anyway. For the most part, he rolls around on his hands and sucks on them. This time was different! I was encouraging him with a little fluffy toy, and he actually pushed himself up for a little while to look at it! Very cute! Kiki was even impressed...she meandered over and checked him out for a minute. :)

(And yes, I do have the camera with me almost constantly! Otherwise, how could I capture great moments like these?!)

P.S. I still haven't forgotten about the other parts to our 4th of July vacation...I'll end up post-dating them, so check back in the July archives in a few days.

Fun Slide Show...

You may recognize some of the photos...but I hope you enjoy! :)

One dimple...

Since he is starting to smile more and more...I have had the chance to see his adorable little dimple! No, that's not a misprint...he only has one! Even when he's not smiling, I think he's the cutest baby ever, but that dimple is simply adorable! I wonder if he will "grow" another one? LOL!

As a side note, this is one of my favorite pictures of him to date! He is almost always in a good mood right after he wakes up, and this just captures it! No, it's not gas! :)

TWO MONTHS OLD!

Now, according to his actual birthday, it wll have been 9 sundays since Ian was born...therefore, in my mind, he is 9 weeks old. However, according to the calendar (and the Dr.), he was 2 months old yesterday. (May 20th to July 20th). So, for a while, he has two ages! For simplicity's sake, I'll go with the calendar date...

The most rapid period of growth is the first year...and now I am experiencing this with my own eyes! It is so amazing!

Ian has grown from 10 lbs. to 13.75 lbs. and from 23.75 inches to 24.25 inches! According to the growth charts, this puts him between the 75th-90th percentile. I will say this much, he feels a lot heavier, and it seems that he has grown a lot more...I think a lot of those inches were in the torso!

Milestones this month:
-Wearing 3-6 month size clothing, some 6 months size.
-Can hold his head up for very long periods of time...although it's still a little shaky
-Still gets mad when he has hiccups!
-Can sit unassisted in the Boppy!
-Can stand in the exersaucer for 1-2 minutes without help
-Sometimes makes cooing sounds and looks mommy's direction when she comes back into the room
-Will do a sort of laugh on more occassions when you gently tickle him or play simple games
-Holds his head up in the car seat when he's not sleeping (and for a little while when he is)
-Sits in the maya wrap and enthusiastically takes in all of his surroundings!
-Turns his head from side to side while he is holding it up to look around
-Holds himself up for a minute at a time when put on his belly
-Wants to be held up to "stand" and check things out
-Is awake for 7-10 hours a day!
-Has started drooling....ew!
-Is taking interest in his developmental toys that hang above his head
-Shows an obvious preference for mommy!
-Purposefully brings his hands to his mouth to suck on them
-Will "find" his thumb and suck on it if he's really hungry and half-asleep!
-Movements are significantly less jerky!
-Displays more expressions...concentrating, pouting, sad, angry, happy, amused, relaxed!

FIRSTS!:
-Social smile...smiling back when he is smiled at!
-Shoes!
-Airplane trip!
-Train ride! (MARTA)
-Road trip!
-Shower...he LOVES them!
-Braves game...if only for a couple of innings.
-Road race: watching daddy start off the Peachtree 2007!

Again, I'm sure I could add even more to this list, but we'll go with it for now! Upcoming events are going to include professional family photos and an outing to the park (I hope!).

Mommy questions...

Sitting here thinking about some decisions ahead, and I realize again that being a mom is scary and hard sometimes, and joyful and easy at others. For the benefit of those who are interested, there are a LOT of thoughts that run through your head in a day. And, there are all sorts of serious and/or difficult decisions and questions that NO ONE CAN ANSWER...except maybe you, time or God...

And there are even ridiculous questions, that really don't matter in the end. An adventure in the mind of mommy's questions...

-Is that bug bite from a poisonous bug or a harmless one?
-Was that mosquito carrying malaria?
-WHAT WILL THESE VACCINES DO TO MY CHILD?
-Is it time for a nap?
-Do I pick you up or let you cry?
-DO I LISTEN TO THE DR's ADVICE?
-What cute outfit do you wear today?
-You are sleeping so soundly...are you still breathing?
-Are you getting enough to eat?
-Are you eating too much?
-If something really traumatic were to happen, would I be able to save both of us?
-What would I do if I lost you?
-How can I make you happy?
-Did that silly face truly scare you?
-When do I know you're ready for the next stage of your life...(solid food, girlfriends...)?
-IS THAT NORMAL?
-Who can I trust to babysit you when friends and family aren't around?
-Will you develop autism?
-Should I let that person hold you, or is it still mommy time?
-Was that gas, or a real smile?
-What will your voice sound like when you can talk?
-Do you understand what I'm saying to you?
-Is there going to be enough money in savings to help you if we need to?
-What are you going to be when you grow up?
-WHAT IS NORMAL?
-Are we giving you a good enough understanding of your God?
-Who invents all these crazy baby gadgets?
-Who has money to buy all these crazy baby gadgets?
-WHAT IS THAT CRAZY BABY GADGET?
-Will you understand that daddy isn't leaving you, he's just doing his job?
-Can I teach you to love him, even when he isn't here?
-Are you going to accept Jesus or reject him?
-When are you going to go back to sleep?
-Does that hurt?
-Will you play music?
-How many times will you make mommy cry?
-What color will your hair be when you get older?
-Will you like your brothers and/or sisters if we have more children?
-Can you be any cuter? :)


-Am I a good mother?


Do I think these all the time? No! Is this an exhaustive list? No! :)

Being a mom is such an adventure...with so many questions, answered and unanswered. I am truly enjoying EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of being a mom, even the dirty diaper ones. Yes, even the dirty diaper ones! And, I look forward to all of the questions ahead. They aren't always easy, or even pleasant to think about, but it's all part of being a mom!

Besides, the questions already answered make me so much more excited...

-Will the love I have for you get me through the day and the difficult times?

Yes. God is good.

Proud baby!

 

Daddy has been exercising with Ian, doing the baby versions of squats and push ups. :) Now that Ian has developed a great deal of muscle strength in his neck and back...we decided to try something new! Yesterday, Ian got into his exersaucer for the first time! You can see how proud and happy he is!

He alternated between concentrating really hard on muscle control, and HUGE smiles of pride at being able to stand up and look around on his own! (At least I imagine that's how he sees it!). How exciting to watch Ian develop his own sense of accomplishment! He is truly growing up so fast!

Crazy daddy and "Bug" Songs...Part 1

Ian is starting to take more expressive interest in toys and games we play with him. (I say expressive, since I know he was interested before, but you can't always tell!). Matt is highly entertaining...maybe still more so to mommy than Ian! Enjoy! :)



P.S. Isn't google COOL!?!?!?!? I can't believe how easy it is to work with Picasa, Blogger, and Google Video! :)

Lazy Summer Days (and Nights)

To check-in with current events, we are enjoying the summer!

Last night, Ian got strapped in to his carrier, and we all went for a walk. I remember the first time he was in the carrier...you couldn't even see the baby inside, except for his feet dangling out at the bottom! Now, he is tall enough to be able to look out and around!

Ian is still sleeping 7-8 hours through the night! He takes several naps throughout the day, giving mommy plenty of time to do things around the house (or take a nap too!).

During waking hours, he is really taking interest in the mobile above his swing, following the fish arc above him. Ian also stares at his reflection in the mirror hanging on his "tummy time" mat. It's really neat to see him engaging with his surroundings more purposefully!

What an amazing experience it is to watch your child grow from morning to night! Looking back at pregnancy pictures, it is amazing to see how much he has already grown in the past year! (And, amazing to fathom that it was Ian who was the bump in my tummy!). God's design truly is incredible!

Check out the new pictures and be sure to vote on the right! :)

4th of July Vacation - Part One: Plane

So, how exactly did the trip go?

We had to head down to Georgia first, as our flight to Las Vegas was out of Atlanta. I have to tell you, I will surely be appreciative of the minivan when Matt gets back! It was a tight squeeze to get the baby, cat, and dog into the car (never mind us AND our stuff!). I am very thankful for such wonderful travel companions. It could be much worse! As we are very familiar with, the cat and dog travel very quietly, Ian was our unknown factor. It turns out, we had nothing to worry about. Ian slept just about the entire way! The worst part was at feeding time when there wasn't an exit for about 15 minutes. Ian got mad and was screaming, but that's understandable!

Fast forward to the departure from Atlanta...Matt has a travel tip for all of you frequent flyers. Invest in a stroller and cabbage patch kid. Strollers get to bypass the long security lines! :) We checked the stroller at the gate when boarding, and the attendants assured us we would be ready to go when the plane landed. Not much of a story to tell at this point. Ian nursed on take-off (recommended to prevent painful pressure changes in the ear canal), and slept for the remainder of the flight. I woke him up to nurse again on landing, and that was it! Several people commented, "Wow! There was a baby on board?!" Just what you want to hear! :)

Vegas was a wonderful family adventure. We spent most of the time with Scott, Conni, David, and Dale. We also visited with Great-grandma Dunham and Uncle Paul. Ian loved staring at everyone, and taking in all of the new sights, sounds, and smells.

Ian seemed a bit thirsty (but aren't we all in the dry desert heat?). He enjoyed watching us cook in the kitchen in his bouncy seat (thanks Scott and Conni!). I learned the old-fashioned term for the contraption is a "Punkin Seat." That's definitely much cuter! Conni demonstrated the expert burping technique, and Scott was a big comfy napping Uncle! :) Dale was absolutely ADORABLE with Ian! He kept calling him, "my baby" and requesting to hold him quite frequently during the day. He even had Ian "dance" with him while sitting on the couch, watching David play Guitar Hero (for those who don't know, as the name suggests, you pretend to play guitar to popular rock songs). David declined to hold Ian, but got a smile when talking to him!

The flight back to Atlanta was as uneventful as the first! Getting through airport security was again a breeze! (Stroller and cabbage patch kid! No joke!). Ian slept the majority of the flight, only waking up to eat.

We are so blessed to have such a good little traveler!

Stay tuned for Part Two: Automobile! (Yes, we're going a little out of order!)

We're baaaaaaaaack!

Wow! What a fun trip! It was so nice to see our family and friends!

Ian was fantastic on the trip...for such a little guy to do so much hopping around. Plane, train, and automobile, we did it all! The bags are still half-packed, and we're still pulling things out of the clown car of stuff...but I wanted to be sure to post right away.

There's lots of details to follow, but check out the pictures! (Picasa site, link on right).

The trip was fun, but it's nice to be HOME SWEET HOME! :)

(I was checking the growth charts online earlier since so many people were asking, and Ian's 1 month measurements put him in the 50th percentile for weight and the 95th percentile for height! We knew he was a long baby! Keep growin' Ian!)