Jack - Week 10

February 28 -March 6

 

Jack got to spend the first few days of his tenth week with his Aunt Lauren and his Uncle Mark! We loved having them visit!  On Saturday we took Jack on a walk down to the neighborhood pizza and wine bar/restaurant. He did great and actually fell asleep soon after we got there. Since my sister and I are both Gonzaga alums, Jack also cheered on the Zags for their big game Saturday night, but he didn't get to watch since the game was after his bedtime.  On Sunday evening, Lauren and Mark babysat Jack while David and I went out to grab a quick dinner. It was nice to sneak away, but of course I'm just nervous the whole time we are gone. He was fine of course, and they even took care of bath time for us! It was sad to see them go. I wish they lived closer!

Uncle Mark on early morning cuddle duty

Jack requires lots of close attention in the tub or he freaks out

Go Zags!

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful.  The weather here has been awful the past several weeks- just gray and dreary most days.  We are so over it!  Jack has hardly seen the sun in his little 10 week life!  

Things To Remember From This Week:

-Jack really seems to be discovering his hands, and he is working really hard at getting them in his mouth  This typically creates a slobbery mess, but he loves it.  

-Jack had a low grade fever that started after his shots last week, and it lasted all the way through Tuesday.  Along with the fever, he also developed a rash on his chest and back. I wasn't worried about it at first, but it seemed to be lasting too long to be just a symptom of the shots.  So I called the doctor's office and they had me bring him in since the fever had gone above 100.4, and they wanted to check out the rash.  Of course, it turned out that it was nothing to worry about- just what they called a delayed reaction to the vaccines. I felt like a silly, paranoid new mom, but I'm glad we got it checked out. 

Baby's first pair of (fake) jeans

FaceTime with Dad while he's at work

Does this shirt make my chins look fat?

The boys always get the good eyelashes

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Nap time. At least one of us is sleeping.. He fell asleep like this, and unfortunately I couldn't fall asleep. I didn't dare move him, so I was stuck like this for a good hour and a half.  There are worse places to be stuck I suppose. 

On To Week 11!

Jack - Week 9

February 21-27

Events of the Week:

Jack had his second trip to the grocery store. This time it wasn't just a quick in and out trip like last time, so of course I was worried how he'd do.  He did great thought. I carried him in the Bjorn, and he was awake the whole time, but just staring at all the lights and new things to look at.  We also had a successful trip to Costco.  He slept through that entire trip.  YAY Jack!

Jack had his first real "scare."  I was holding him and making a smoothie.  I pressed the button to turn it on, and I felt him JUMP in my arms. I turned it off, looked down, and his eyes were HUGE, he had the biggest pout on his face, and he let out the loudest scream I have ever heard from him, he proceeded to cry inconsolably for quite a while.  It was so sad, and I felt awful. I kept thinking that that was the first time in his little life he had been scared of something.  Poor guy. 

Sleep HAD been getting a little better the past week or two.  But this week he seems to have had a little sleep regression.  He was fighting naps again, and not sleeping as well at night. One night, I got up to feed him at 1:30 AM. He seemed sleepy while he was eating, but after he finished, he was WIDE awake. He was smiling, laughing, and trying to "talk" to me with his newly discovered voice.  Normally- totally cute.  At 1:30 AM? Not so much. This went on until he finally fell back asleep at 4AM!!!  I kept telling myself, "at least he's not screaming and crying," but it was still pretty miserable.  

Jack turned 2 months old this week!!  Time sure does fly!

Jack met his Aunt Lauren and Uncle Mark this week!  They came to visit us for a long weekend (more on this in week 10).  It was so fun to have them meet their nephew.  He LOVED them so much, and we loved having them here!

First time meeting Aunt Lauren.  She got him right to bed for the night!

First time meeting Uncle Mark!

Jack had his 2 month doctor appointment this week.

Stats:

-12 lbs, 12 oz (62%)

-24.5 inches (97%)

He also had to get 3 shots and have one oral vaccine.  Jack and I both cried during the shots, but he recovered a lot faster than I expected.  He was VERY sleepy for the next 24 hours and took lots of naps.  But other than that, he was fine.  Glad to have that done with!

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Pep talk from Aunt Lauren

Sad baby thighs

Brave boy!

We both cried

Recovery

Future Dr. Mark

5 Days Old at Doctor Appointment vs. 2 Months Old Doctor Appointmnet

Poor guy fell asleep on his belly after his shots

New Developments:

-Jack's eyes are definitely turning brown now. Up until now they were that typical baby gray, but now it's fun to watch them change. David and I both have brown eyes, so it was pretty much inevitable that he'd be a brown-eyed boy.

-Jack has been working on a pretty impressive pout lip. I haven't managed to get a picture of it yet, but it's pretty sad and pathetic looking.

-He likes me, he really likes me! Some of this started happening more around 6 weeks, but it took me a while to realize. Jack is now doing things that make me feel like, "hey, he actually likes me and maybe even appreciates all I'm doing for him!" It's a pretty great feeling to know he's moving on from appearing to be just a crying, pooping, hungry baby blob!  Things that I notice now:

  -he seems to actually LOOK at me, whereas before I knew he could see me but that was about as far as it went. 

  -he is FINALLY consoled by me when he's crying and I go to pick him up

  -he rests his sweet little head on my shoulder (on purpose, not just bc he can't hold it up)

  -each morning he usually wakes up crying or whimpering, but now once he sees me, he stops and gets a big grin on his face

Other Random Jack Photos From This Week:

He always tucks his little thumb inside his fist

"Haha, that's cute, mom.  You think I'm going to actually sleep in this thing one day?"

He loves looking at himself in the mirror

Trying out his new sunglasses - Baby Banz!

Baby North Face Jacket and Baby Banz!

Family Pregnancy Reveals

Shortly after we found out I was pregnant, I started to think about how I wanted to share the big news with our families.  Because we don't live in the same city or state as any of our immediate family, I was a little sad at not being able to share the news in person, but that just meant I would need to be a little more creative in my reveals.  I also knew that it would be important to me to "see" and record their reactions.  This is where Facetime and Google Talk proved very useful.

For each of our parents and siblings, I decided that we would send a onesie with the appropriate "I Love My _________" printed on the front. For David's parents, we were actually able to be there for the reveal, so it was easy to just give the gift to them ourselves and then get the video rolling.  For our siblings I had send them by mail, but then make sure that someone (husband, boyfriend, friend, etc.) was aware that a gift was coming and enforce that they not open the gift before calling me.  A little suspicious, but it worked out without anyone suspecting what it was all about (I think).  And for my mom, I had my good friend Sarah deliver the gift on Mother's Day and record the event for me. 

I'm so glad that I was able to catch everyone's reactions on camera, so it was fun to put this little video together.  Disclaimer about my brother's video- I was an idiot and totally forgot that we were both using headsets to talk/listen to each other, so unfortunately what I videoed obviously has no sound.  Oh well, his facial reaction says enough.  

Video Order:
-My mom on Mother's Day (love the dogs freaking out)
-My brother and his scary beard
-My sister
-David's dad on Father's Day (and the rest of his family around the table)
-My cousins and aunt/uncle
-My grandma, Mimi (who was confused about the ultrasound picture I was displaying and though I was trying to show her a picture of a new kitten I got- HA!)

Houston Baby Shower

November 15, 2014

My good friends who I met in Australia, Kim and Lori, and my sister-in-law, Renee, worked together to plan another beautiful baby shower for Baby H and I- but this time in Houston.  They chose a Fall theme with lots of "lil' pumpkin" references, and it turned out so cute!  They did such a wonderful job.  This baby shower brought together a pretty eclectic group of family, former co-workers, new co-workers, and friends from Australia.  It was so fun to have everyone all in one place.  I feel lucky to have met such great support networks here in Houston who all love and support Baby H so much already!  

Take a look at some of the great decorations, food, and activities they organized!

 

Clockwise from top, left: Guest favors (pumpkin coffee and pumpkin bark); guest sign-in; bib decoration station; "write Baby H a birthday card" and send your wishes to baby activities

And here are my lovely hostesses!

Renee, Lori, Me, Kim (& Sully!)

Some of the ladies who came to shower Baby H:

My mother-in-law and sister-in-law

My good friend and former co-worker, Yesenia

My sister-in-law, Christine

Sierra- present assistant extraordinaire (as you'll see in the photos below)!

My favorite teachers! 

Former co-worker and now fellow preggo, Sharon

My Aussie turned Houston girls- Casey, Lori, Me, Kim

David's side of the family- Renee, Fina, Me, Christine, Tess

And take a look at some of the great loot that we were so generously showered with:

Clockwise from top, left: My new Coach diaper bag!; so many cute baby clothes, present supervisor at work, baby Northface!

I received the most beautiful quilt put together by the group of girls I befriended in Australia. We are all spread across the world now, and somehow they managed to organize this quilt while in Australia, Indonesia, Canada, and the US.  This was SUCH a special gift! On the back it says, "Assembled with love from around the world by your mum's mates." 

And a closer look at some favorite gifts: Pee-pee Teepees, baby Northface, and Baby's first pair of Air Jordans!

Another great baby shower for Baby H in the books! It was such a fun and memorable day!