Month 7

Mason is at such a fun age now!  He's becoming more independent, but still loves to snuggle with mom!  I love what little time I have with him during the week but needless to say weekends are the best!  I can't wait until I can spend every day with him!

I am happy to say that it will only be a few more months!  I officially turned in my resignation yesterday!  I will finish the school year then next year I will be staying home with our little man and babysitting sweet friends from church!  We still have a few details to work out, but I have faith that it will all work out.  I CAN'T WAIT!!

Measurements
These were taken at 6 months, one week.  He is one BIG baby!

Height- 29.25 in (99%)
Weight- 22 lb 3.2 oz (98%)
Head circumference- 18.6 in (99.5%)

Clothes
He's growing like a week, so it feels like we're buying new clothes every couple of weeks!  He is mostly in 12 month clothes now.  Some 12 month things are getting tight!

Sleeping
He is down to only one nap most days at day care.  He wears himself out during the day so he's starting to sleep through the night a lot more often now! Yay!  Every couple of nights he'll still get up once to eat.

Eating
This boy loves his food!  When it is something he really loves I can't get it in his mouth fast enough!  He'll open his mouth real wide waiting and sometimes pull my hand towards his mouth.  This month we had sweet potato, butternut squash, avacado, oatmeal cereal, and rice cereal.

I also gave him a puff since he did well with them before, but this time he started gagging on it! I had to get it out with my finger!  Scariest moment so far!  Needless to say, we'll be waiting a while before we try that again!

Likes

• His bouncer!
• Grabbing everything in sight and putting it straight in his mouth.
• Eating!
• He understands how to play more now.  He will really get to laughing about the smallest things.

Dislikes

• Being on his tummy.  He'd much rather be sitting up or standing.  We're really trying to force this though so he can start crawling.  His ped. said he may be a little delayed since he is so big.
• The baby bullet.  He was in the kitchen with us when we used it once.  It scared him so much that he lost it!  Sad, but it was really funny!

Teeth
Still none!  They've got to be coming soon!

Milestones

• He can finally sit up without tumbling over!  
• We also had to get him a big boy car seat.  He's already outgrown his carrier!
• He also started eating in his high chair.  He looks like such a big boy in it.

Dr. Appointments
We had one extra appointment this month.  Poor baby had croup!  He woke up in the middle of the night and sounded terrible.  I took off work the next day to take him to the doctor.  He took a liquid steroid to help with the swelling and it helped so much!  He still had a little cough for the rest of the week, but then he was much better!

Favorite Pictures this Month

Hanging out with Reid, watching the Aggies! He was patting his knee in this pic.  It was too cute!

So happy to be eating...

... but this is after we turned on the baby bullet! haha

First time in his big boy car seat

He got his little tykes license on his 7 month bday!

Loving his avacado

Shopping with dad at home depot

Daddy day care!

Our big boy!

Sunday funday with daddy!

Month 6

I cannot believe he is already half a year old!  I feel like I say this almost every post, but seriously, the time is flying by.  He's really getting big now.  Well, he's really been big all along, but I've even started getting comments when we're out in public.  I took him to the mall New Year's Day and as we walked in a store a lady that worked there saw me pushing his stroller and came over to take a look at the cute little baby (as most women in public do, I've found) and I think she was kind of taken aback.  All she could say was "wow, what a big baby!"  Her face said more than her words.  Granted, he was in his car seat which he had really outgrown (we have since bought a new one, don't worry) so he looked really big.  It was quite funny.  I'm glad I'm not easily offended, but some people really should keep there opinion to themselves.  I know he's a big boy, but I just see it as more for me to love!  Surely he'll trim up some once he is mobile.  As squishy as he is, I still love every inch of him!

Measurements- We did our own again this month, so they may be a little off.  We'll get official measurements at the end of the week :)

• 28 in (90%)
• 21.8 lbs (95%)
• 18 in head cir. (90%)

Clothes
He is mostly in 9 month clothes now, but some 12 month stuff is already fitting him, depending on the brand.

Sleeping
He takes little cat naps at daycare, but will take great naps at home (mostly because I spoil him and let him sleep on me!)  He is still getting up at least once at night to eat.  I'd love any advice on how to get him to sleep through the night!!  I'm ready for a good nights sleep!

Eating

• Dec 16th we tried apple sauce- he wouldn't swallow it, he just kind of spit it everywhere.  He made a really funny face with this one!
• Dec 29th he figured out how to swallow the food!  He had some sweet potatoes at Granna and Big Daddy's and he really like it!
• Dec 31st he ate a whole container of sweet potatoes.
• We tried squash again and it was a hit too!  He also tried a few puffs and did really well.  I was just too scared he was going to gag on them.

I got a baby bullet for Christmas and making his food is much easier than I thought it would be!  I'm so excited about making new foods for him, it's going to make baby food so much more affordable for us! Those little containers get expensive pretty quick, especially if you get the organic kind!

Likes

• Loves to play in his bouncer.  He's sitting up really well in it now and can jump in it a little bit.
• Still LOVES to play with daddy!  Matt can make him laugh more than anyone else.
• I don't know if he loves it as much as Matt and I do, but he is really ticklish now.  He really gets to laughing a lot!
• Playing peek a boo!  Matt will hide behind the recliner and pop up and say his name.  Mason loves it!  When Matt hides again, Mason starts to look around for him.  It's the cutest!  Maybe I can get a video of it soon!
• He's beginning to understand how to play with toys more now.  He knows he can shake some things to make them rattle.

Dislikes
Being woken up right after he gets in a deep sleep.  He fell asleep on me one evening before I remembered to put his pj's on and he was not a happy camper when I tried to change him!  This is really the only time he'll really cry.  What can I say, the boy loves his sleep just like his mom and dad!

Teeth
Still none, but he is starting to chew on his toys and paci more now.  He also had a low grade fever towards the end of the month.  I'm assuming it was because he's teething because he didn't have any other symptoms.  We'll see!

Milestones

• He's finally really laughing!  Matt can get him to really giggle a lot!
• Dec. 29th started actually eating baby food.

Favorite pictures this month

He finally got to meet sweet little Hannah!  It was so great to see Leslie and Joe for a little bit!

Matt's grandparents with the great grand babies- they were so busy that this was the best I could get!

4 generations

Mason's first Christmas 

We finally got a family picture... too bad we didn't turn the TV off! 

Big boy LOVES his bouncer

Norwood cousins

Turner cousins

Playing with dad is so much fun!

Our big 6 month old!

Month 5

I feel like Mason really changed a lot this past month!  He's starting to do a lot of new things and is becoming more interactive.  Being a mom is so much more fun than I ever thought it would be!  I already can't wait to see what else he'll learn this month!

About two weeks ago I learned one lesson the hard way.  Never, never be the one to drop Mason off at daycare!  One Friday Matt needed to go into work early (he's normally the one to drop him off) so I had to drop Mason off.  He was pretty happy that morning, but when he saw his teacher Ms. Maria he really lit up!  I tried to get him to smile as big at me and that little stinker wouldn't!  Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad he loves her, I just want him to love me more!  It really doesn't surprise me.  He sees her anywhere between 9-11 hours per day so of course he loves her!  It wasn't that big of a deal, just one of the many reasons I want to stay home next year.  Needless to say, I won't drop him off anymore unless I absolutely have to.  It is much more fun to be the rescuer at the end of the day!

Measurements

• 20.4 lbs (97th %)
• 28 in (97th %)
• 18 in head cir (97th %)
• We did measurements on our own this month since we didn't have a checkup so they may be a little off.

Clothes
Most of his 6 month clothes are too small now.  9 month fits best except in pants.  He's still wearing 6 month pants.  I feel like they run bigger than all his other clothes.

Schedule
He's starting to nap less after daycare now.  I think he's finally getting used to being up playing most of the day.

Sleeping
He still loves to take naps laying on my chest.  He will nap on his own in his swing, but will nap at least 45-60 min longer if he's on me.  I still love this, but needless to say I don't get much done while he's napping!
On November 14th he rolled over all the way when he was swaddled at night.  This really scared me so we stopped swaddling that night.  The next night or two was pretty rough but he does great now!

Eating

• He's still eating about 6 oz every 3-4 hours during the day.  At night he'll go much longer between feedings.  
• We're still trying cereal and he's still not a fan.  Maybe I need to try mixing something else with it.
• He tried sweet potatoes for the first time the day after Thanksgiving!  His Aunt Kristal made them for us.  I can't wait to get a Baby Bullet and start making things for him!
• Matt mushed a little banana on his finger one day and he didn't like that either!  I'm convinced he doesn't like food because of the texture.  We'll just have to keep trying!

Likes

• He LOVES playing with his daddy!  Matt can really get him laughing by throwing him in the air.  He can also get him to talk a lot more than I can.
• He likes to go new places and just take it all in.  I can tell he's going to be shy like I was.  He's so playful at home, but as soon as we go somewhere new he is very clingy, quiet, and very observant!
• Loves to reach for object now.  Anything that is bright and colorful goes straight to the mouth!

Dislikes

Having thicker foods in his mouth.  He won't even try to swallow it, he spits it all out.

Teeth

Still none, but still very slobbery.  He's really started to chew on things now so maybe soon!

Milestones

He started trying to roll from back to front, but can't quite get there because he gets stuck on his arm.  He's so close!  His back control is getting better too.  He can almost sit upright by himself.

Dr. Visits
Last month his pediatrician was concerned about the shape of his head.  He ordered xrays and everything came back normal! :)  He was going to refer us to a specialist anyway, but we decided to wait.  I'm glad we did.  His head is really starting to look better and is shaping up nicely.  If it isn't completely corrected in the next month or so we'll see the specialist.  God is so good! :)

My favorite pictures this month:

Fun with his cousins at Granna and Big Daddy's

Not so sure about sweet potatoes

Our attempt at a family picture with the dogs

This just makes me laugh every time!  Poor kid!

Breakfast with Santa

Helping daddy hang an ornament on the tree

He looks so grown up here!

Month 4

Measurements: 

18 lbs 13 oz- 98 %

27 in- 97 %

Head Circ 45 cm- 98 %

Diapers:

size 3

Clothes:

6 month clothes fit most of the time.  Some of them are a little tight so he's started wearing some 9 month clothes.

Schedule:

He usually wakes up in the morning at 5:30 or 6.  Daddy drops him off at daycare between 6:30 and 7 and I'll usually pick him up between 3:45-4:30.  We usually put him to bed between 7-9.

Sleeping: 

He will only take short naps at daycare- usually 2 or 3 that are about 40 min.  When I go to pick him up he's usually pretty tired and will nap on me as soon as we get home.  There's been a time or two that he'll only wake up to eat, then go straight to bed!  He averages about 7-10 hours of straight sleep at night!  (He loves to sleep like mommy and daddy... thank goodness!) 

Oct 30th he slept for almost 14 hours!  He fell asleep after daycare at about 4:30, sort of woke up to eat at about 7:30, then slept until about 6 the next morning!

Eating:

He's eating 6 oz every 3-4 hours.  The only time longer between feedings is at night.  The day before he turned 4 months old he tried cereal for the first time!  He did really good eating it out of a spoon!

Likes:

• Loves to pull things toward his mouth, especially his paci (wubinub) or bottle.  Likes to hold on to them once they are there.
• Loves to 'talk' especially to daddy.
• Loves to go new places and look around.  He's very talkative at home, but if we go somewhere new he gets really quiet.
• He can grab things with his hands now.  He loves to grab the animals on his bouncer.
• If we put something close to his mouth, he tries to pull it in.  Sometimes he is successful, but sometimes he pulls it into his nose or eyes and it scares him.

Dislikes: 
Being tired or hungry.  That is really the only time he fusses. :)

Teeth: 

None yet, but he is very slobbery so I think he may start teething soon.

Milestones: 

• Oct 16th- Rolled over front to back for the first time.
• He's really starting to hold himself up well during tummy time.
• Nov 2nd- Rolled from back to front for the first time!  It was during his night time feeding.  Daddy laide him on the floor to swaddle him again and he stretched really big and rolled.  I think it was an accident because when he stretches he arches his back a lot.

Dr. Visits:

We've been concerned about the shape of his head (from laying on his back so much) so we asked our pediatrician about it at his four month check up.  He has ordered an xray to check and make sure there are no serious problems.  A helmet might be a possibility.  Please keep him in your prayers that there are no serious problems!

Some favorite pictures from this month:

Sweet little cuddle bug ready for church!

He can hold his head up so good now!

Can I sleep with you?!

Meeting sweet Reid for the first time.  They are only 3 1/2 months apart!

Having a good chat with dad.

Fun at the fall fest at church.

Our little monster for Halloween.

First time trying cereal.

He did great, but was ready for his bottle!



Our big 4 month old!



Month 3

I cannot believe that our little man is already three months old.  I never knew I could experience such joy from this sweet little life that God has entrusted us with.  He is so happy the majority of the time, God has truly blessed us!

This month was a little hard on me because at 12 1/2 weeks, I had to go back to work.  I've enjoyed having a schedule again, but I never knew it would be SO hard to leave him.

My biggest fear was that the people at daycare would ignore him and leave him crying in his crib all day.  Sure enough, the first day when I picked him up he was alone, sobbing in his crib!  I managed to hold it together as I scooped him in my arms, got his things, and took him out to the car... then I lost it!  This was going to be so much harder than I thought!

I know they cannot comfort him constantly since they have six other kids in his class, but I was just so upset!  Part of it was the irrational, mother side of me, part of it was guilt that I had to leave him there.  I'm glad to say that it has gotten much better.  The rest of the week when I went to pick him up he was content, and would give me the biggest smile when he saw me.  Made me feel much better!

I successfully made it through the first week, hopefully it will get easier as time goes by.  Mason also made it through, but managed to pick up a small cold by Friday.  I knew it was going to happen, I just didn't think it would be this soon.  Hopefully by the end of the year he'll have a great immune system!  Any ideas for helping prevent sickness for a daycare baby is greatly appreciated!

The upside to him being there is that it wears him out so he sleeps great at night!  The first night he slept for over 9 hours straight!  I know that I will eventually find more perks of daycare, it's just kind of hard right now since I want to be at home with him so badly.  Maybe one day I'll be able to find a way to make enough money working from home.

Overall, it was a great month.  He is still growing like a weed.  I can't wait to go to his four month check up to see just how much he has grown!  Here are highlights and pictures from the month.

Highlights:

•  2 months 1 day- 14 lbs 11 oz- 97^th percentile, 24.5 in- 93^rd percentile
• Still loves to be swaddled at night.
• He has really started talking a lot more now.  He likes to try and mimmick sounds we make.
•  Will smile really big when you talk real sweet to him.
• Still love morning time the most!  He’s so happy when he wakes up!
• He has found his tongue and loves to stick it out now. He also found out he can put his hands in his mouth!  We caught him sucking his thumb during a nap at 11 ½ weeks.  I hope he doesn’t make a habit of this!
• At two and a half months we started putting rice cereal in his milk at night, he started sleeping much better.
• At 11 weeks, he slept through the night for the first time, over 8 hours!  I was so excited to finally get some sleep, but woke up really worried!  I had to go check on him to make sure he was okay after 7 hours.
• He has pretty consistently slept through the night since then!  (I hope I don’t jinx it!)
• September 23^rd- 11 ½ weeks he went to Bible class for the first time.  Our neighbor Mrs. Jacinda was his teacher.
• Oct 1^st was his first day at daycare.  When I picked him up he was very upset, crying in his crib.  Mommy made it out of the daycare without crying, but lost it in the parking lot.  I just hated to see him so upset.  I’d love nothing more than to stay at home with him!!
• The night after his first day of daycare he slept 9 hours! It must have really worn him out!
• Still loves his paci.

Pictures:

Meeting cousin Keely for the first time!

Playing with cousin Mallory.  He really does love her even though he looks a little unsure! haha

Watching his first Aggie game vs. Florida, he wasn't impressed!

Deep in thought! ha!

He looks like such a big boy in his jeans!

After his first day of daycare!

He wanted to go dove hunting with daddy... maybe in a few years!

Such a happy boy!  We are so blessed!

Month 2

Highlights

• One month, one day- 11 lbs 13 oz (93rd %) 23 in (92nd %)
• 7 weeks 5 days- 14 obs 5 oz (98th %)
• He has to wear mittens because his little hands are always by his face and he scratches it.
• Loves to take naps on mommy.  I love this right now, but needless to say, I don't get much done! He will nap in his crib for short amounts of time.
• The hair on top of his head started falling out.  It looks like he has early male pattern baldness!
• He loves to be held tight and cuddle.  
• He LOVES his paci! If it falls out, he lets you know.
• If he really wants his paci, when we first put it in his mouth he shakes his head back and forth a bunch.
• His eyes are focusing much better now.  He can track objects and loves looking at mommy and daddy.
• At his monthly check up this month he did much better than mommy did when he got his shots.  He stopped crying as soon as daddy picked him up to love on him.
• He loves when I sing to him.  He gets really still and stares at me.
• He is still sleeping through church... thank goodness!  No crying outbursts! :)
• He is staying awake more during the day now.  Usually for an hour or two in between feedings.
• Eating 4-5 oz every 3 or 4 hours.
• Right at 7 weeks he started sleeping in his crib at night!  He'll sleep for about 4 hours at a time.

Doctor visits- Only one extra visit this month!  At seven and half weeks his tongue was green on the top middle part.  I had never seen or heard of this, but apparently it's pretty common.  It was thrush, a yeast infection in his mouth.  It was pretty easy to treat.  Paint his mouth with and anti-fungal 4 times a day for 7 days.  It was funny at the Dr. office though because a few of the nurses had never seen it before and came in our room to check it out.

This months favorite pictures:

Ready for church!

Helping Daddy at the office