Many firsts

Dear Baby Bird,
This week we took you to your first hotel, where you swam for the first time. You loved it!

You also really liked having so many people to play with you and give you attention.

You did great sleeping wherever we were, including in the pack n play, stroller, or cuddled up on the bed.

We look forward to taking you on many more trips, you are such a laid back traveler.

Love,
Mom

More Christmas Cheer

Dear Baby Bird,
Today we got to celebrate even more, with a visit from Nana, Aunt Loree and Aunt Christine. And of course, some of your cousins!

You slept a lot, but had fun playing with everyone. Here you are on your new blanket, with a new toy.

Love,
Mom

Christmas Day

Dear Baby Bird,
We woke up this morning to find stockings full and lots of presents to open.

 Brother patiently opened his presents and yours.

 You helped with a few of them.

 Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Uncle Dave came over for lunch. We stayed in our pajamas all day long and enjoyed having no where to go and lots of people and things to play with.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Mom

Christmas Eve Part 2

Dear Baby Bird,
You were great during church, letting different people hold you. You wanted to play with Aunt Karina's bulletin, but settled for a toy instead.

When we got back to the house, we took our annual group photo.  You were getting tired and didn't want to sit still for long.

We opened presents, you enjoyed pulling the paper off the boxes. I have a feeling next year you are really going to love that part!

I thought you were tired and should nap, but you were not happy with that idea. I finally gave up and brought you back down to be with everyone else. Your cute pjs from Aunt Loree were the perfect touch.  A photo with Brother and Great Uncle Dave, and we packed up for home.

Brother wrote a note to Santa and we all went to bed!

Love,
Mom

Christmas Eve Part 1

Dear Baby Bird,
Tonight we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house to celebrate Christmas Eve.

You loved having so many people to hold and play with you.

We watched everyone help decorate the tree. Brother got to put the angel on top. Maybe one year soon it will be your turn.

 

While Brother decorated Gingerbread with Uncle Jake, you practiced your sitting. This pose and outfit reminded us of Brother during his first Christmas (click here).

After a nice nap together, we got ready to go to church. I like to take a photo of us in front of the tree. We've been taking them since Dad and I first met, and it's fun each year to see all the pictures. This year there are 4 of us!

While the presents under the tree are wonderful, having you and Brother in our lives has truly been the best gift we could ever ask for.

Love,
Mom



Christmas Vacation

Dear Baby Bird,
Christmas vacation started a little early for us. We had a snow day on Thursday, keeping Dad and Brother home with us. They went back to school and work on Friday, but then Saturday started a long vacation together.

 

You are sitting up so well now, and love to play with toys that are a little taller and easier to reach.

Today, Aunt Karina and Uncle Jake came to visit. They took Brother sledding down a big hill, but we decided having you start in the front yard was probably a good idea.

 

You didn't seem to mind riding around for a while... you were certainly warm all bundled up in there! 

 

I think your favorite part of vacation is getting to see Dad and Brother so much. Even at bath time, you love to see what Brother is doing, and how he can make you smile.

Love,

Mom

Time Together (A letter from Aunt Karina and Uncle Jake)

Dear Baby Bird,

Now that the holiday season is here, it is bringing back special memories.  On Christmas Eve last year, we found out that you would be joining our family.  It was a long time waiting for you to arrive and now watching you grow seems to be going so fast! 

When we were home for Thanksgiving, we got to see how much you have grown.  You loved it when we helped you sit and stand, and we even saw you roll over a few times. 

We don’t get to see you as often as we would like to (our house is a 5 hour drive from yours), but we think of you often.  Sometimes I see something cute and just have to buy it for you.  Your Thanksgiving outfit is an example.  The moment I saw it, I knew that your mom and Grandpa would love it.  When your mom and I were kids, we would travel to visit family after Christmas.  There were lots of long car rides and we liked to make up songs to pass the time, including one where Grandpa would call your mom a turkey.  Grandpa still uses the phrase “turkey butt” as a term of endearment so it was perfect that your pants had a turkey on them.

 

Since our time together is limited, we try to make every moment that we are together a special one.  Right now that means snuggling on the couch and loving each smile, but before long you will be running around and we can’t wait to see what toys are your favorite and what you are interested in. 

 

We can’t wait to see you at Christmas.  I like to make sure that you are well dressed and am especially excited about your Christmas gifts this year.  You are going to be a dapper dude! But don’t worry, there are things for you to play with, too!

Love,

Aunt Karina and Uncle Jake

Catching

Dear Baby Bird,

Catching Up

I found this picture from last month. Forgot to post that you have now outgrown the swing, bouncy seat, and Bumbo. You much prefer to sit up, either on your own, or in your highchair. On your own, you can hold it for a while, but usually tip over and want to be propped back up.

You take 5 bottles each day, about 6 oz each bottle. At breakfast and dinner, you also eat cereal, either rice or oatmeal, sometimes with prunes or bananas mashed in. You go to bed about 7:30 pm and have been sleeping (mostly without waking up, except when sick) until 7:30 am.

Catching Cold

We were all stuck home last week with a really bad cold/flu/bug.  Brother started on Friday, Mom on Sunday, Dad on Wednesday, and you on Thursday. You got a fever and cough and were very sleepy for a few days. You seem to be quite a bit better now, though I think you are working on teeth so it's hard to tell what is causing so much drool and runny nose.  I hope you get back to your usual happy self soon, but you have been a really good sport during all this sickness.

Once we would let you and Brother get close to each other, you had a great time "tackling" his face.

Speaking of sport.... Catching the Spirit
The Packers and Bears played yesterday. I decided we needed a mini party in our house to boost our spirits, so we had some favorite appetizers while we watched the game. (You didn't get any, but soon enough, I promise!). You and Brother wore your Bears gear, although it didn't seem to help.

 Mom was excited to see you sitting up to watch Aaron Rodgers. When Brother was your age, he sat up to watch another great Packer quarterback play his last game.  (See Here)

 Even though mom was cheering for the other team, we still made time for a family hug! :)

Love,
Mom

5 months old



Dear Baby Bird,

Things you like:
Chewing on anything you can get to your mouth! You also drool a lot lately, so I think maybe a tooth is in the works.
Eating! You now eat rice cereal or oatmeal up to three times a day, and have had prunes mixed in, too. You take 2-3 bottles of formula each day. At first you would cry if anyone besides mom fed you, but now you will let anyone feed you.
Laughing at Brother, Mom, Dad, and anyone else who can do something funny. You also smile at everyone.
Being upright, either in the jumperoo, sitting/standing on someone's lap, or sitting up. You like the highchair.

Things you don't like:
Going down for naps, but after a few minutes of protest, you fall asleep. You don't stay asleep for more than an hour, usually, though.
Feeling ignored. You will play by yourself for a while, but once you are done, you want us to get you right away.
When we don't feed you fast enough. You cry when the cereal runs out, or if I take too long to get the spoon to you.
Being on your belly for very long. You can roll back to front, but then not back, so you get mad.

You also have a new milestone... you can sit unassisted for short times. So proud!

 

Love,

Mom

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Dear Baby Bird,
We're getting ready for Christmas, and that means introducing you to some favorite family traditions.

Cookie Baking

Picking out a Christmas Tree (you slept the whole time)

Meeting Santa

 

The next few weeks are full of excitement and family, but also peaceful moments by the light of the Christmas tree.

Love,
Mom

Your Newest Tricks

Dear Baby Bird,

Every day you are learning new things.  Here are videos of two of your latest.

Laughing

Rolling Over

Love,
Mom

Thanksgiving ... continued

Dear Baby Bird,
Thanksgiving celebrations last all weekend long for us.

You got to spend lots of time with family, and got to meet two of your "cousins" on mom's side.

We can't wait to see you grow up together... next year you'll be joining in the fun chasing the other boys around.

Love,
Mom

Turkey Day

Dear Baby Bird,

Today was Thanksgiving, and what a day we had! We drove to Aunt Loree's house and you finally got to meet the last of your aunts, uncles and cousins.  Almost the whole family was there, just missing your godfather, cousin Ryan.

The weather was amazing, almost 70 degrees, so we took pictures outside. Don't get used to it, though; we sometimes have snow on Thanksgiving.

You have some pretty amazing cousins to look up to and learn from.

You got your first taste of mashed potatoes. You loved them, didn't spit any out, and cried for more when Aunt Loree stopped feeding you. I'm going to try to make your cereal thicker and more like mashed potatoes, maybe you'll like it better that way. (Or maybe it's the cream cheese/sour cream ingredients. I have to admit, you have good taste!)

We snapped a few photos of our family, but might use one for our holiday card, so that will have to wait. Here's one of the three of us (daddy was behind the camera) that I really like. I can't tell you how proud I am to be called mom to you and Brother.

We were all pretty wiped out, and you and daddy enjoyed a great nap on the couch.

You were such a good boy during today's visit, sleeping in the car both ways, letting a few people hold you, and best of all, sharing your very first real laugh with us, many times. Every time Peyton shook her hair, you cracked up. The whole room had to smile and laugh along, you really brightened the day.

(there is a video on someone elses' camera. Will add it later and update with a post to let faithful readers know when it's been added)

Love,
Mom

Daddy's Little AJ

Dear Baby Bird,

What a blessing to watch you grow up.

Two weeks ago we did this photoshoot with you.

Mommy held you gently and made you giggle and laugh.

You love to watch her... whereever she goes, your gaze follows.

You're drooling more and eager to put everything in your mouth.

You found your toes this week.  Boy, they look delicious.

You are almost sitting up by yourself, and almost turning over by yourself.

You melt my heart son.

Keep smiling... and the whole world will follow!

Love,
Daddy