Here are update pics!

Naptime!

Daddy and me

"I love falling asleep in PaPa's arms"

Bathtime with Daddy...LOVE it!
My new hats that were made for me!

Hanging out at Nana's!
Mommy & Me
Mommy & Daddy at Myrtle Beach (1st weekend away from little one!)
Total relaxation in Myrtle Beach. Birthday weekends are the best!!

Again, it has been forever since I blogged last. Lots going on lately--

Let's see--
Eric and I went to Myrtle Beach for my birthday weekend. Nana Ann kept Alexander for 2 whole nights for us to go away. We left intending to stay only 1 night but once we got down there, we decided to make the best of it. It was nice to be "grown up" again, going out to "real" restaurants, relaxing, SLEEPING, and just enjoying the time we spent together. Little things meant so much--taking short walks on the beach, sitting on the patio of Starbucks drinking a coffee while watching the Harleys drive by, intimate dinners, having a few drinks on the deck outside the condo listening to the waves crash....ahhh....Then, we of course had to hit the outlet malls. Eric bought me a beautiful Coach purse for my birthday since my other pocketbook was about to start falling apart. Then we spent the time shopping for our little man. Shopping for kids clothes is soooo much fun!
I started back to work this past Monday and let me tell you...that has been a huge adjustment for me! Monday, I worked 7a-7p. Can't tell you the last time I worked a 12 hour shift! :-) It was wonderful to hit the floor as a RN. I can't wait for all the things I am going to learn and the experience that I am going to get! However, getting up at 4am to try to get yourself ready and then take care of the baby to get him to daycare is a chore and that is with Daddy getting up and helping too. I think if I had to do it myself, we would be up at 3am! :-) Alexander is doing great at daycare. He takes 3 hour naps for them midday. Lord, how I miss napping with him during the day!
Let's see--Alexander is doing great! He is becoming more and more vocal. It is quite funny how we can make words out of what he is saying. (not that it is what he is actually saying!) He even negotiates watching the Anderson Cooper show with Daddy at night. We let him stay up late so that he will sleep until we need him up in the AM. Then if Eric or I have off during the week, we stay home and have Mommy / Daddy days. He is 11 weeks old this week and neither Eric nor I can believe it. He is getting so big and it is kinda sad to think that he is not our "little" baby anymore! I know everyone told me, "time flies and before you know it, he will be off to college" but seriously, where has 11 weeks gone!?!?!
We are trying to give him more tummy time. He gets so frustrated that he can't go anywhere in that position, so those sessions are short, but I know how important they are. He loves looking around and playing with his hanging toys. He enjoys grasping at soft toys, like his "lovey" and small plush balls. He has even learned how to pop his own pacifier back into his mouth if it falls out and is close by!
I have some recent pictures of us at the beach and Alexander but the camera is in daddy's car so I will have to post them later.
We are planning on doing our own "3 month/Fall" photos. Anyone know of any cool pumpkin farms or any great backdrops, let me know!!

2 Months Old

I have neglected to update the blog lately but no fear...we are all doing very well. Alexander is feeling better after his "2 day bug". We are all enjoying the time we have together before I head back to work...which is just around the corner!

Alexander turned 2 months old last week and Eric and I were talking about how much he had changed in such a short amount of time! He has gotten such a personality! We definitely see both of us in him. (the good and the bad! :-) His mannerisms, attitude, and sense of humor! He is laughing and cooing more and more everyday. It is so nice to walk by him while he is in the swing or bouncer and he greets you with the biggest smile! It is even more fun to play with him and get him laughing! He is sleeping more during the night, sometimes going a full 8 hours. He is enjoying playing on the floor gym more and beginning to hold and grab more at toys. He is still going to daycare 2-3 days a week and is doing really well with that. Next week he will begin full-time since I am due back at work! We go for his 2 month check up and shots on Thursday--Mommy is really not looking forward to that! But, we will have an updated weight and height then.

His reflux is getting better and I think we are just getting used to all the spit up. We know now that when you leave the house, you take 4 outfits, 8 bibs and just as many burp clothes. And, there is no wearing nice clothes unless you want to find a way to get spit up out of them. :-) His "colic" is getting better as he gets older too. He will start in on a crying fit but it is usually because he is over tired and needs to be swaddled and put to sleep. He really fights his sleep bad...I think he thinks he is going to miss something!

This weekend, Eric is treating me to a night away for my birthday. We are heading to the beach for just one night and Nana Annie is going to keep Alexander. I am not liking the idea of leaving my little man behind but it will be fun to spend the evening alone with my husband. I am sure I will cry all the way to the beach and again at bedtime, but I know he will be loving his "Nana Time". He always does!

Here are some updated pictures. I did not have his pictures professionally done at 2 months, so we took some of our own.



Look how chubby my cheeks have gotten!
Posing at Nana's house





My #1 reason why I DON'T want to return to work!



Update later--

A Sick Child

No one could really prepare you for your own child to be sick for the 1st time. Yes, I work with sick children all the time and yes, some are pitiful....BUT, no one could have prepared me for this. Really.

Alexander woke up Friday AM crying. Unusual for him unless you let him lay in there "ehh eehhhing" it too long. Then he will let you know "hey, I am ready to get up!" This particular AM he woke up just plain crying. I ran in there to see what in the world...it was kinda a different cry. As soon as I picked him up, he was burning up. I thought maybe it was just the blanket. I unwrapped him and rocked him a minute and then decided I was going to do what I promised not to do for for the 1st 3 months. I was going to check his temperature.
(You have to understand, working in the Childrens Emergency Dept., children under 3 months with a fever over 100.4 is automatic blood work, urine labs, and lumbar puncture to test for meningitis.) I had joked while I was pregnant that Yes, I had a thermometer but wasn't using it until he was over 3 months of age! BUT, he was so warm, I was scared.
Yes, indeed, he had a temp of 101.1. I took him to Eric and told him to hold him but don't wrap him up and I would recheck him in about an hour. I rechecked and it was 100.9. I gave Tylenol. I still didn't want to go to the MD. He had NO other symptoms. We hung out all day together and he seemed fine...a little crankier and sleeping a little more, but ok. I went by Nana Annies and she instantly said he felt warm.......Great....I thought he had broke the fever and we were over that. Nope. Fever 100.9. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but the MOM in me was like..."Ok, nurse Tonya, go away, what if there is something wrong..." So, I call work and spoke to trusty ole' Dr. Sutherland. Of couse urine and blood work was in the picture, no lumbar puncture needed if he was acting fine because he was 8 weeks old...whew....got that by a day! So, I picked up my sister and we headed in to the Children's ED for a workup.
Long story short....we had a wonderful nurse who drew labs, got his urine and let us know the great news of NO infection present right now. His ears, eyes, chest, nose, etc were all clear. We truely don't know why he spiked a fever but all his labs came back completely normal and that made me feel so much better. Yes, we will deal with the ER bill later! :-) We followed up with his pediatrician today and again, everything was clear. I have no idea why he spiked and yet is still running a low grade fever but we are treating with Tylenol and will keep a close eye on him.
Again, no one can prepare you for this...when it is your child, it all seems totally different.

8 weeks old

Wow! Can you believe 8 weeks have already come and gone since our little man was born! The last 2 weeks have flown by for me for some reason.

This week Alexander has become more social. He has gone to daycare 2-3 days each week and they say he is doing really well. He stays awake a lot more there, probably hard to nap with all the other babies, but he takes a long nap when he gets home. He has been babbling, blowing bubbles with his saliva, watching you as you walk across the room. He enjoys playing with his hanging toys more and more each day. He has also taken on a stronger love for the swing. He is not a fan of tummy time. He thinks it means it is time to rest, so we have been working on that!

We had to say good-bye to our ole' faithful blue flying saucer pacifer. This paci was special. It was a rounded nipple that he had sucked so much, he had flattened it and that is what he preferred. When I noticed this one getting old (there was a piece of plastic on the tip that was wearing thin!) I tried to give him others just like it but he didn't take too well to those! I finally found some at target by Avent that are round, but flat and he seems to do just fine with that. Thank goodness!

We have started taking walks in the n'hood in the afternoons since the weather has been so nice. Alexander loves being pushed by Mommy or Daddy in the stroller.

We introduced the Bumbo chair. He tolerates it but is not much a fan just yet!

He does however love being carried around places in the Baby Bjorn! Makes grocery shopping so much easier!

I see exactly what I have to look forward to as my big boy grows! He is now taking 6 ounces, about every 5-6 hours. He was taking only 4 but was really fussy afterwards and I read many places to "feed on demand" so I gave him more and he was completely satisfied. His spitting up has gotten better and he is overall a happier baby!

Happy 30th Birthday!

Happy 30th Birthday Eric!!

Despite getting over bronchitis and a hurt back, Eric was all smiles today as he celebrates his 30th birthday. He says "boy I am getting old" and I say "hey, life just started!"

Here are some pictures of Daddy and Alexander blowing out his birthday cooking candle.

He Made It There Today

Yep, Alexander finally made it to daycare today. I dropped him off this AM around 9:30am and have been wanting to go back and get him ever since. :-) It is kinda funny, I was looking forward to having some "me" time, getting some errands run, getting the house cleaned up, etc but now that my errands are run...I want "Mommy & Alexander" time and well the house...it can just stay the way it is.
I know he will be fine. I left him playing in the bouncy seat, left the teachers with explicit instructions on his feedings and how to get him to nap...gave him a big kiss goodbye and walked out of the bulding with tears strolling down my cheeks. Today is picture day for them so can't wait to see how those turn out!
In the meantime, I am going to go straigten this quiet, quiet house and maybe even get a nap in.