Counting down the days

OOPS THIS WAS SUPPOSE TO BE POSTED BACK IN MARCH!!!!!

I can not believe that my 3 months maternity leave is coming to an end. It feels like this time has just flow by. So much as happened over the past 3 months, but looking back it only feels like it has been a few weeks. Although, when I look at Chance I can not believe how much he has grown. At his 2 month doctor check up he weighed 12 lbs and is 24 inches long and that was 10 days ago, he already feels like he is gowing and weighing more. Everyday he seems to be learning something new, especially smiling like you wouldn't believe, he giggles and is one big kickin' chicken.
Since my last post I am trying to think of all the big events that have happened, there have been so many! My best friend Jessica from Austin came to stay with us for a few days and brought her 18 month daughter Gwendolyn. We had the best time and laughed a lot of how far she and I have changed over the past 10 years. We had the same thought when we were driving to go to the Childrens Museum in Fair Park, "We're both mom's!" Here is a few funny photo's that I took of Chance at his first museum trip. 

If you look at it, all these pictures look like I photoshopped Chance into them. Al and I started laughing histarically when we both looked back at them. Another big event that happened since my last entry is that Chance had his first babysitting gig. It was so hard for me, but I bought tickets to the Mav's game for Al's birthday, when I purchased them I wanted to make sure that I had introduced a bottle to Chance and make sure that I bought the tickets when he was closer to 2 months old. He did such a great job, when we went to pick him up he had only ate once (normally he would have ate twice in the time we were gone) and he slept most of the time. I was a little worried that he would be up that whole night but actually that was the first night he slept 6 hours straight! I woke up at 6:30 that morning in a panic thinking I slept through him crying, but he was just waking up when I checked on him. Since then he has only had 2 other nights of sleeping 6 hours straight, but these changes take time.


Learning about gravity



Learning about waves

At the farm

Playing in the sand with Gwen

Time does go by at a blink of an eye

I have been thinking about posting for a while now and can not believe it has been so long since my last post. Although, I am not going to feel guilty, because I take in every moment that I spend with my son and each moment creates such special memories. So much has happened in such a small amount of time. Chance is already 7 months old!!! He is crawling, babbling, has 12 million different facial expressions and is becoming so observant, it blows me away.

It was the day after 4th of July the first time that Chance truly crawled and he crawled pretty far for his first time. I was so proud of him. Now he won't stop moving. Al and I are trying to keep up when baby proofing each room, catching new things that we need to take care of when he gets into things. I have to say that my two favorite times of the day are picking him up from daycare and that first embrace I get from him along with a very slobbery wet kiss and sitting him down for dinner, or any meal for that matter. He started on real food at 5 1/2 months. He absolutely loves yams!! But he is eating everything from mango's, broccoli, pears, blueberries, zucchini to squash, and much more. He loves it all. We are not a fan of peas yet, but that I really don't blame him for they are not a favorite of mine either. Chance is an absolute hoot when it comes to eating. He just seems to want a bigger bite each time and can not get enough of the mushy goodness between his fingers.
Al and I bought a new home at the end of February and we are enjoying putting it together piece by piece and making it our own home. Tell you one thing, buying a house is time consuming but getting it the way you want it is a bigger project within itself. Of course though Chance's room was the first completed. We kept the nautical/under the sea theme and painted just one blue accent wall. It's very nice and calming and Chance seems to enjoy it as well considering we have both been blessed by him sleeping through the night since he was 4 months old and goes to sleep about 8pm every night. Well enough for now, enjoy the photos I have below of my little peanut!

I have on my hands one water baby!

His typical sleeping position

Kaci and Chance on Easter

He loved this swing so much, mom broke down and bought one for the house

First time swimming in the pool.... and loved it

 

With Aunt Michelle on Cowboy Day at Church



Mommy and Chance

Loving dinner time

July 4th

 

At Jessica and Jay's Wedding

Precious Moments

So since my last blog entry I have found out that Chance does have colic...yay! He has been getting fussy a lot in the evening hours, but I can honestly say I don't think it is that bad. Don't get me wrong, there has been moments were I wished I was hard of hearing, but moments like these are were you have to find the good in the bad. The other night when he started crying like crazy I picked him up and held him tight against me, started swaying him back and forth and started humming Phantom of the Opera (of all songs lol) and he slowly started to calm down. When you can look down at your child and know that just being held and loved is what is calming to them, those colic moments aren't all that bad.

A couple days after my last blog entry I knew I wanted to name this one Precious Moments because of a milestone (in my eyes) that I had with Chance one morning. It was the first time that I was playing with him that he smiled when I tickled his face, and for y'alls benefit I was able to capture the moment with a picture. Isn't he just so darn cute!! Another thing is that Chance has been talking up a storm recently..okay well really not talking but he babbles and coo's a lot, especially in the morning after I feed him and put him in his crib for the last time before we get up for the day. That's another thing that I am going to start focusing on a little more is slowing start moving him to his crib. He has been sleeping in his pack n' play next to my bed since we got home. I don't think that I am completely ready to start moving him to his crib but I do need to start putting him in it more while he naps to start getting him use to it. He seems to like it though so I hope we won't have a hard time with that transition.
Chance's had his one month check up and of course he passed with flying colors. The nurse did mess up his PKU test the first time around and so we had to redo that test, it was so easy the first time, Chance did amazing and didn't cry at all but the second time....not so much. Although, I wouldn't be to happy either people poking my heel and squeezing blood out of it.
Oh and before I forget, we received his newborn photos in the mail. Here are a few of my favorites.

Enjoy!

Merry (Belated) Christmas and Happy (Belated) New Year

    WOW! I can not believe how fast December flew by. Many people keep telling me of how quickly your kids grow up and how it goes by like a blink of an eye, let me be the first to say "I Know!" When Chance had his 2 week check up at the pediatricians (which he passed inspection with flying colors) I could not believe he was already 2 weeks old. It felt like just a few days had gone by since I was in the hospital and not 2 weeks. Now, this Friday he will already be a month old. Time seriously does fly by.
    Our Christmas was wonderful, not to crazy and hectic. We celebrated with Al's family at his Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Frances house on Christmas Eve with TONS of food. Which of course during the time when we were all about to sit down to dinner, that is when Chance decided to wake up and participate in his own dinner time too. So I missed out on eating at the dinner table and having a second and third plate, but I would have walked out in a food coma so the timing was perfect. Chance received a Cowboys Christmas stocking from his Aunt and Uncle which Al fell in love with so it was the first thing that was put up over the fireplace when we got home that night.

Christmas was spent out at my sisters with her mom, step dad and sister. Al and I had a great time having Fondue and hilarious conversations at the dinner table. We laughed later on of how different present opening was between our families. Al's family has everyone open everything all at once while mine opens one gift at a time while everyone watches. Needless to say Chance was spoiled at both houses and went home with all kinds of good stuff from family and of course Santa. Speaking of Santa I was really sad that we missed out of taking a photo with Santa this Christmas. Timing just wasn't right this year. Here is a photo of the three of us though at my sisters house on Christmas.

   My time on maternity leave so far has been really great. It has been a big adjustment with Chance at home but aside from what everyone has said the transition with him has been really smooth. He is sleeping well, initially every 2 hours he was waking up to feed almost to the minute but now its a little more sporadic, sometimes he will wake up every 2 hours other times its 4 1/2. But of course when he sleeps for 4 1/2 hours its only during the day, never at night.  The past couple of nights though have been hard. I am really really hoping he is not colicy. But I'm currently running on 4 hours of sleep in the past 48. He has just been really fussy. Really keeping my fingers crossed on this one. It definitely has been challenging though since Al went back to work a week ago. Although, I'm learning pretty quickly when the best time is to do things around the house. I notice that if I don't get ready in the morning during Chance's last nap of the morning, then I won't get out of my PJ's and be able to brush my teeth until the afternoon.
   Chance and I were starting to get cabin fever really bad last week so we finally broke out the stroller and have been taking walks daily. Chance LOVES being outside and in that stroller, oh my goodness!!! We walked and walked and walked, it was so nice and beautiful out, one of the perks of living in Texas it can be 70 degrees out during Christmas time! It was so great to get out and get my behind moving and working out too. The doctor said not to diet or exercise too much until after 6 weeks, but I am so ready to get this weight off ASAP! Its driving me insane. And yes I do realize I just had a baby but I know it is going to take a while to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight so I am ready to start... NOW!

 Overall, I still feel so blessed to have Chance in my life! It has been an amazing adventure so far; and Al and I are really enjoying our time with him.. watching all of his funny faces (especially while pooping!!) and all the little noises he makes. Each day has been a new experience and I absolutely love being a mom!