Simon [5 months]

Simon is now 5 months old!  He has really blossomed over the last few weeks and his growth blows me away everyday.  Our boy truly is the happiest baby, constantly smiling and making friends everywhere we go.  I've been trying to take more pictures of him with my nicer camera, both for better-quality photos and because I've been running out of space on my phone.  We've had a fun and busy first month of summer with many big changes for our little family. 

a day with Daddy

 

watching TV at Pappy's

Boppy sleeper

The biggest news in our house as of late was that after 18 weeks home with my love bug I finally had to return to work.  I agreed before Simon's birth that I would teach summer school this year, and during the days leading up to my first day back I was completely dreading it.  4 hours a day for 4 weeks should've been an easy transition for me, but I found it difficult to stay organized, find the time to prep, and figure out a pumping schedule.  While the change was a struggle for me, Simon adapted with such ease.  Eric was off work on my first day back, so he stayed home with Simon and had great daddy/baby time and sent me many pictures.  Kristine then watched Simon for a couple days and also had a good time, although he would only sleep while in her arms and would do so for hours at a time.  Finally, my dad offered to babysit, which turned into our best setup yet.  He got Simon to take naps in the Boppy pillow, fall asleep with his pacifier, and quickly picked up on all of Simon's fussy cues (hunger, tiredness, gas).  Eric and I loved having my dad here to watch Simon and felt better about not having to drop him off somewhere else.  It worked out so well for us and we were so thankful for my dad's help.  And now that summer school is over, I'm thankful to be off work again for another month!

   activity mat fun

eyes everywhere

watching Daddy's phone

Simon decided one day that his tummy is the place to be!  When we began tummy time at 1 month, Simon was not a huge fan and would only tolerate the belly activity for a few short minutes here and there.  After meeting an acquaintance's baby who is almost a month younger than Simon and appeared to have stronger head control, I realized that we really needed to step up the tummy time in our house.  It definitely paid off because after only a few weeks, Simon is loving the belly-down position!  Lying him down tummy-first is a piece of cake now, and he'll willingly stay in this position for long periods of time.  As I observe him, I think Simon has found that he has a better view of what's going on around him when he's on his tummy; he lifts his head quite high to look at the TV or to watch us walk around him.  And of course if there's anything bright with lots of colors and movement nearby for him to look at (laptop, cell phone, Eric's PSP), Simon's attention is immediately caught.  He also enjoys his large variety of toys that always surround him while he's on his play mat or the Boppy pillow.  His interest in his colorful noise-makers and teethers grows by the day.

dog park visit in the Ergo

 hanging out the Bumbo chair

first time in his jumper

We recently introduced Simon to the Ergo carrier, Bumbo chair, and doorway jumper.  Near the end of May, I scored my Ergobaby Carrier on sale at Target for $20 off ($20 gift card with purchase).  Simon is no stranger to being carried, as he's spent time in my Moby, so the transition from the wrap was no problem for him.  Right on cue, he falls asleep easily and comfortably in the Ergo, as he did when we recently took him to the dog park with Courage for the first time.  This carrier is perfect for summer since it is open in the back and allows for more air flow around both of us than my wrap does.  It's definitely a winner, and is even more comfortable than I expected it would be!  Simon has also started spending some time in his Bumbo Floor Seat.  It was given to us by a friend of Jen's, whose youngest child outgrew it.  Upon sitting Simon in it for the first time, Eric and I thought it was the cutest sight ever and took several pictures.  Simon seems to really enjoy it, too, and will sit in it for longer than I ever expect him to.  Another place where he loves to spend lots of time, surprisingly, is our Graco Jumpster® Doorway Jumper.  Given to us with several hand-me-downs from one of the families from Eric's hockey team, the jumper is pretty much the best baby item ever made.  Simon LOVES it!  I was so excited to set it up and have him try it out, and it just blew me away how quickly he figured it out and fell in love.  Simon jumped so hard in it one day that he fell asleep!  All these new toys just remind me of how fast Simon is turning into a big boy, but it's completely worth it to watch him have so much fun.  

Father's Day at Apple Hill

with Pappy, Daddy, & Cho-Cho

our family

Eric's first Father's Day was quite the success.  After opening his card from Simon and me, we started the day up in Apple Hill at the Jack Russell Farm Brewery.  We enjoyed delicious brisket sandwiches with coleslaw and watermelon for lunch and tried their amazing Cyser, a combination of wine, mead, and cider.  We then made a quick stop at Boa Vista Orchards for apple juice, apple-blackberry wine, pumpkin butter, and apple cookies before heading to Lester's for dinner.  We picked up my dad on the way and made burgers with cream cheese and raspberry Chipotle sauce (The Squeeze Inn's special at the BerryFest we went to on Mother's Day).  It was the first day that Simon had spent with us and both of his grandfathers in a while and it was a nice get-together.  I look forward to many more future celebrations with our entire family together, surrounding Simon with lots of love and the most important people in his life.     

driving to IKEA

4th of July BBQ

Simon's 1st Independence Day

We also celebrated Simon's first 4th of July, which was really more of a relaxing day than a night of partying like years past.  IKEA was having a big Independence Day sale, so we drove out there in the early afternoon with my dad, who treated us to lunch in the cafe when we arrived.  My dad was the one who ended up making out with a bunch of great finds, but Eric and I were happy with our dollar treats and the end--hotdogs for him, a cinnamon roll for me.  Later in the evening, we got together with all of our friends for a BBQ and passed Simon around to visit with everyone.  I held him outside in the front yard briefly during the neighborhood fireworks in the street and he did surprisingly well.  I think he was more intrigued by the bright colors and lights than scared of the loud screeches and booms.  With the holiday falling on a Thursday this year we couldn't stay out too late because of work, but we had fun as always spending time with our friends and sharing so many delicious treats.  Our gang really does know how to throw a food party! 

Simon's 2nd wedding

 Jen and her dates

Mommy & Simon

I took Simon to his second wedding; we went with Jen to Rancho Cicada Retreat in Plymouth to watch our friend, Shannon, from college get married.  The drive was about an hour each way and the weather was a little warm that day.  I wasn't too worried about how Simon would do, so of course he was absolutely perfect and didn't fuss a bit.  I brought a bottle to feed him during the ceremony and nursed him during the reception.  My hands felt a little full not having Eric with me... I had to keep the car seat on the ground and I didn't want to rely on Jen too much to hold Simon since she was 8 months pregnant herself, but he was awesome and even took a little nap while I ate.  And as always, complete strangers kept coming up to us to tell me how adorable Simon was.  I never get tired of hearing how cute my baby is, but I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing it from people I don't know.  The wedding was very sweet, and we were thankful to Shannon, who looked lovely, for having us to share in her special day.  It was also very nice of Jen to ask us to attend with her, as I would've hated for her to have made that drive alone!

happy boy

cool baby

talkin' away

It was a quick and busy month for our family and I'm glad to be back at home with my boy.  My short stint back at work was just a taste of how life will be when I return full time when the school year begins in the Fall, and I am still in shock over just how difficult the transition was for me mentally more than anything.  I'm happy to say that I now know what to expect come mid-August when school starts, and I actually have many positive thoughts about being back this new school year.  We were so thankful to have my dad and Kristine's help with watching Simon, and while I would be a stay-at-home mom in a heartbeat if I could, I have faith that hopefully I can stay at home at some point down the road.  Eric started his new job with SCP Distributors and is really enjoying it and doing well so far.  We have the same hours when I'm working, but the tradeoff is that he's home in the evenings and on the weekends and we have dinner together as a family every night.  With the continued help of family and friends to babysit, I feel okay about our identical work schedules.  But since I'm not working for the rest of the summer, I can focus on my number 1 job of being a mommy and spending as much time with my little man as possible!

Simon [4 months]

I can't say it enough: time FLIES when you're having fun!  As he continues to grow, life with Simon becomes more and more fun with each passing day.  Everyday he is constantly doing something new for the first time, amazing us with the many new things he discovers and learns.  As we've settled into a comfortable lifestyle as a family of three, it still seems like it was only a few short weeks ago when we brought our little bundle of joy home from the hospital.  In reality, 4 months have flown by right in front of our eyes as our boy quickly grows out of newbornhood.

 out and about with Mommy and Daddy

hangin' with Auntie

my uncle rocks

Simon had his 4-month well baby check up at 18 weeks.  He received boosters for the vaccines he got at his 2-month appointment and had his height and weight recorded.  Our pumpkin measured 27 1/2 inches long and weighed 15 pounds and 1 ounce.  Eric and I weren't surprised by these numbers, but we were shocked to learn that Simon is in the 37th percentile for weight and the 99th percentile for height!  So, he's tall and skinny; the skinny I totally get... but tall?  We're not sure where that came from, but from very early on in my pregnancy Eric knew that our son was going to be big.  Boy, was he right!

playing with his owl rattle

 trying to hold his bottle

lovin' on Sophie

Simon is learning how to use his hands and is doing a great job.  I've been working with him for a while trying to get him to grab for objects, particularly his toys, and he's figuring it out.  We always have his owl rattle out since it is a noise-maker and an easy attention-getter, plus the handle is a large enough opening to allow for me to put it around Simon's arm for easy access.  He's now grabbing at the handle more and bringing its soft surface to his mouth.  He is also trying to help hold up his bottle during bottle feedings.  His little hands and arms aren't strong enough or coordinated enough to allow him to hold the bottle upright to enable milk flow, but I was able to snap a few photos of him balancing it in his mouth.  Speaking of his kisser, we think Simon has entered the beginning stages of teething!  Our boy has become quite the drool fountain as of late, and when our fingers are near his mouth he bites down very hard.  I decided it was time to break out his Sophie the Giraffe teether so he could have an appropriate chewing accessory.  It only took him about a week to figure her out; I repeatedly placed Sophie in Simon's hands, showing him how to grab her by the neck or by one of her legs, and gently put either her ears, nose, or feet in his mouth to bite.  He loves her now and understands exactly what her purpose is, and our little giraffe friend comes with us everywhere!

Mother's Day at the Berry Festival

I love Mommy

Mommy's 1st Mother's Day

My very first Mother's Day was a fun and special day.  My dad left chocolate-covered strawberries and Cupcake Red Velvet wine with Eric to surprise me with that morning.  Simon and Eric gave me a beautiful Mother's Day card that made me cry, and then took me to the BerryFest for an afternoon of yummy strawberry eats and treats.  Ashley was home from work for the weekend, so she met up with us at the fairgrounds and came over to our house later in the day for some Simon time.  In the evening, we all went to watch Eric's hockey game and got to visit with Pappy the other hockey families (mommies and kiddos) on Eric's team.  My first Mother's Day was such an incredible day and I was so happy to spend it with family and friends... and most importantly, my two favorite guys who made me a mommy!

 Vanessa's law school graduation

ready for the Ely wedding

Jen's baby shower for her daughter, Baby Girl Hawhee

Simon had quite the busy month attending many parties and functions with Mommy and Daddy.  He got to see Mommy's best friend, Vanessa, graduate from law school at Memorial Auditorium.  The commencement was very nice and Simon did great despite the constant loud noises of cheers and applause from the audience.  He nursed and slept and played with Vanessa's husband, Roy, during the ceremony and afterwards we went to dinner with her family.  The next weekend, Simon went to his first wedding with Mommy and Daddy.  He watched Mommy's good friend, Michelle, marry her wonderful fiance, Jay, at Forest House Lodge up in Foresthill.  This time, baby wasn't too fond of the hoots and hollers during the bride and groom's entrance and toasts, so Eric had to take Simon out of the room.  Other than that, he was as cool as a cucumber and was dressed to impress.  Simon also attended his third baby shower, for Mommy's other close friend, Jen.  She is having a daughter, whose name is yet to be determined, and we joke that Baby Girl and Simon are going to be boyfriend and girlfriend.  As fun as an arranged marriage would be (haha), I do sincerely hope that our babes will be great playmates and wonderful friends.

 2nd visit with Aunt Sami

 Daddy and Simon

 silly Pappy

Eric's aunt, Simon's great aunt, Sam, returned for a visit during Memorial Day weekend.  It was such a treat that Simon already got his second visit with her so soon, as she had just been here 2 months prior.  We went over to Pappy's house for a BBQ joined by Sam's boyfriend, Matt (who lives in Chico) and our friends Jonas, Jason, and Brandon (who was in town from Southern California).  Kristine took a bunch of photos of everyone playing with Simon, who was of course the life of the party.  He was passed around so much that I barely held him the entire time we were there, which at first made me feel guilty before I reminded myself that I deserve a much-needed break every now and then.  Simon had been awake the entire day before getting in a little catnap with Kristine, and to our surprise he wasn't fussy in the slightest.  I know he is beginning to enter the stage where he will be awake for longer stretches during the day, but sometimes I think Simon is just so curious and interested in what's going on around him that he'd rather stay up to join in on all the fun.  I really don't mind--especially when we're with family--because who wouldn't want to hang out with an adorable, happy baby?  We enjoyed Sam's short and sweet visit and hope it's not too long before she makes it out this way to see us again.

 

meeting baby Kinlee

ready to watch Daddy and Pappy battle in hockey

 playing at the mall

Simon is so wonderful everywhere we take him, and we feel so lucky that we are able to bring him out of the house with us so much.  Eric and I were happy to take our boy over to visit our friends, TJ and Kesley, and meet their new baby girl, Kinlee.  While they are only 3 months apart, their sizes vary drastically in comparison!  Simon looked huge compared to Kinlee, and seeing a newborn for the first time since we had Simon really made it clear to us how much he's already no longer a little baby.  Next to going to Pappy's house and our favorite stores, Simon has spent his fair share of time getting to know the ice rink where Eric plays hockey, and we were very excited to see Daddy's and Pappy's hockey teams play against each other.  Baby fell asleep toward the end of the game, but he had spent most of the time watching with great interest and cheering on Daddy (whose team won by a landslide).  Our boy is also a great sport anywhere else we take him.  Recently, Simon and I spent a morning walking around the mall just for fun.  When it came to be his lunch time, we found a cozy chair in the outdoor promenade and I comfortably nursed him while reading my Kindle.  When he was finished, Simon was all smiles as I changed his diaper in the sun and let him chew on his burp cloth.  It was one of the simplest, most enjoyable moments we've spent together just the two of us.

post-bath baby

watching "The Muppet Movie"

happiest baby ever

Being this little boy's mother is such a joy.  I've come to the realization that if I could be a permanent stay-at-home-mom, I would do it in a heartbeat.  Alas, that choice is not in the cards for our family at this time, and I've accepted that reality.  For now, I'm soaking up as much Simon time as I can.  Not much makes me happier than our morning cuddles in bed, the way he now smiles back at me when I smile at him first, and the look on Eric's face when he greets us at the end of a long work day.  I love our family so much, and both Eric and I are head-over-heels crazy about our boy.  The minutes are just passing by too quickly, and I'm doing everything I can to enjoy each moment of our son as he breezes through this wonderful, yet terribly too-short stage of his life. 

Simon [3 months]

I'm so emotional over Simon hitting the big 3 months!  It still seems like it was only a few short weeks ago that we brought our beloved son home from the hospital, and now--as Eric noted--he is a quarter of the way to his first birthday!  Since it has in fact been 3 months instead of only a few weeks, Mommy and Daddy are starting to find a routine in caring for baby, who is also beginning to develop a bit of a schedule himself.  The 3 of us are of course still learning and figuring out many things, like what works better and what's just plain easier, and we all know that this whole 'family of three' thing is truly a gigantic learning curve.  But if I do say so myself (and I'm sure Eric would agree), I think we are doing a pretty good job at this whole parenting thing so far!

success with the bottle

 first time taking the paci

eating like a champ with Daddy

At 9 weeks, Simon had his first successful feeding with the bottle.  We first introduced the bottle at 8 weeks through suggestions from my doctor and our friend, a lactation consultant.  I was hesitant at first, but understood that we needed him to get used to feeding from a bottle before I return to work.  When we started, I would pump an ounce for a bottle, begin a nursing session, and as soon as Simon would unlatch to burp, I'd hand him off to Eric, who would attempt to continue the feeding with the bottle.  The first few experiences Simon did not. like. one. bit.  Eric would try and try until Simon got too fussy to continue, and at that point I'd take him back to resume the nursing session.  Poor Eric was just as frustrated as Simon and wondered if he was doing something wrong.  I looked up a few bottlefeeding techniques to share, made sure to leave the room so Simon couldn't smell me, and encouraged Eric as much as I could.  Finally, I decided to try giving Simon the bottle one day and *poof* he figured it out.  It's taken practice from both of us, but after a week and a half Simon learned to drink from the "Daddy boob."  Now, I'm pumping to store breastmilk in the freezer for when I go back to work, as well as leaving a reserve in the fridge so Eric can feed Simon when I need a break or a shower.  One day, Simon was quite agitated waiting for me to finish pumping so I tried giving him a pacifier to soothe him while he waited.  We hadn't been forcing one on him, but had been trying on and off without success since he was a month old to see if he would be comforted by sucking on one a night.  Desperate to ease him so I could complete my pumping session, I offered the paci and he finally broke down and accepted it, which calmed him enough so I could wrap things up and prepare to nurse him.  Seeing our baby boy suckle on a bottle and pacifier makes him look like such an older baby, which excites me and saddens me all at the same time.

 multitasking daddy

two of a kind

 hangin' with his favorite guy

 

Now that Simon is taking a bottle, two wonderful things are happening in our house: baby boy gets more Daddy-time, and Mommy gets more Mommy-time!  Eric is so amazing and jumps at the chance to spend quality time with his boy.  Sometimes I feel guilty handing over Simon the moment Eric walks in the door after a long day on his feet at work, but Eric never complains and always greets Simon with a huge grin on his face.  As much as I know he absolutely loves his son, a part of me will always feel bad about asking Eric to take Simon for me after I've been home with him all day while I'm not working.  I know deep down that parenting is a job all in its own and can be just as tiring as working out of the home, but I still sometimes can't help feeling guilty needing a break.  Lucky for us, Simon and I have been blessed with a loving father and husband who agrees I deserve a little time off here and there and enjoys hanging out with his adorable son.  And because I love seeing how cute my boys are together, I spend half of my 'breaks' watching the two of them, laughing and smiling and taking photos of their cuteness!

trying out the bouncer for Pappy's house

enjoying time without Mommy
 

napping with Cho-Cho

Simon recently got to spend his first few hours without Mommy at Pappy's house.  I had dinner plans one evening while Eric was at work, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to try to leave Simon with a sitter since he was now feeding from the bottle without problems.  I'd left Simon with Eric before to run to the store a few times, but this was the first time that baby would be without Mommy and Daddy.  Surprisingly, I had no problems saying goodbye to my boy and enjoying some adult time with friends.  Maybe because I knew I was leaving him in capable hands, I wasn't worried at all about how Simon would do.  Just to be a good parent, I checked in after about an hour and of course Lester reported back that Simon was fast asleep in his arms.  When I returned to pick him up, he was all smiles and I was happy to be reunited with my little love.  It's hard for me to ask for it, but I do need and appreciate a little extra help or just a small break here and there.  My dad has been spending a day with us once a week to help with Simon to give me the chance to get some things done around the house.  They hang out and eat and nap together and Simon seems to really enjoy being in the company of his Cho-Cho.  So far, Eric and I are very happy with how much time Simon has got to spend with both of his loving grandfathers.

 

 

new wheels!

 

activity gym
 

cozy in his "sleepy chair" with his "lovey"

Our friends, Ben and Debra, were wonderful and gifted us their old travel system when I was pregnant.  It was a weight off of Eric's and my shoulders not to have to worry about the expense of a car seat and stroller while preparing for Simon's arrival.  As wonderful of a gesture as the gift was, I discovered that the car seat expired in April and after speaking with the manufacturer, learned that the decision to continue using the stroller would be to our own discretion should something happen.  After discussing it and feeling that Simon's safety is our main priority, we decided to purchase a new travel system.  With the help of our remaining Target gift cards and our friend, Justin's employee discount, we found the same exact travel system in a different color and scored it for a great price.  We also had left-over gift card money and coupons for Babies "R" Us and purchased the activity gym from our registry, since Simon is now beginning to show some interest in his toys.  So far, he loves both his new wheels and playmat, and Eric and I love gift cards and sales!

Nicole's baby shower for her daughter, Lila
 

Kesley's baby shower for her daughter, Kinlee

first birthday party for Erica's daughter, Bailey

It has been exciting to prepare for and introduce Simon to my friends' children.  We went to the baby showers for my friends, Nicole and Kesley, and had fun talking about Simon getting to meet his future girlfriends.  Simon will only be 3 months older than their daughters, so our kids will be the same school age and probably very close developmentally once they hit the toddler stage.  We also went to my friend, Erica's, daughter's first birthday party.  I have known Erica since middle school and it was so much fun to hang out together with our babies.  Life really does change as you get older, and I guess my mind was kind of blown when I realized I was hanging out with my friends and our kids.  Eric and I have already realized that we will probably start spending more time with our friends who have families, which makes me very happy.  Sharing motherhood with my friends is going to be a beautiful gift, and watching our children play together is going to make my heart smile.

Simon with Athena's daughter, Lilly

being cute with Mommy's friend, Hayley

Cinco de Mayo with Uncle Bucky

 

It has been such a treat and a blessing watching our friends with Simon and seeing the joy and love they share for our darling boy.  As I stated many times during my pregnancy, Eric and I felt extremely lucky to have the support of all of the wonderful people in our lives as we prepared to welcome Simon into the world.  The support of our friends has not wavered, as they continue to gush and smile and love on our son every time he is in their presence.  I don't know why this continues to surprise me; Eric is constantly reminding me of how truly amazing our friendships are and he is of course right.  It is our goal to give Simon the family life that Eric and I did not have growing up, and I am sure that with so many surrogate aunts and uncles among our close friends, our son will experience more love and attention than he'll know what do to with.  I've never been more certain that we've chosen wisely in regards to the people with whom we share the best moments of our lives.  We have an incredibly awesome extended family.

sleeping angel

tall boy
 

best smile ever!

 

Time is passing by so quickly, and I am trying my hardest to document as many moments as possible.  Simon is growing like a weed before our eyes, and it's scary to think that we could blink and miss something huge.  He's still smiling like crazy, and Eric and I are waiting breathlessly for his first laugh.  His neck muscles are becoming stronger by the day as he holds his head up more and more.  His grip is getting lots of practice as his curious fingers find more things to grab, like my hair, and the toys that hang from his activity gym, and the loveys that accompany him in his car seat everywhere we go.  He is so long that I can barely hold him in a cradle-like position, and he's getting lots of practice standing on his strong little legs.  With each day that passes, we get closer and closer to seeing what his personality will be like.  I know in my heart that he is going to be such an awesome young boy.  Nothing has made my life more complete than getting to know the little life form who is and will always be... my first-born son.