MoJo Come to Visit

Emerson got to meet his Aunt Molly and Uncle Jonathan (MoJo) this past week when they visited us in Houston.

We had a blast getting to hang out, see a few sites and spend quality time with them before they headed back to Nashville.

Here is a little of what we did:

Outside the JPMorgan Chase Tower where we went up to the observation deck.

60th floor please.

Family photo at the top. Great views of Houston.

We were also lucky enough to help celebrate Molly and Jonathan's fifth wedding anniversary! We went to a great restaurant called Corner Table.

The happy couple.

 

  Emerson did pretty good for his first fancy dinning out experience.

 

We also took our guests to NASA Johnson Space Center. This was the only photo I snagged on my camera. We were on the tram waiting to tour the Mission Control Center and other sites.

 

 

  Emerson loved his time spent with MoJo and he can't wait to see them again!

Two Months Old: All On Our Own

What fun month two has been watching Emerson grow. If every month is as fun and fast as this one, then I am so excited to see what lies ahead.

 

This month has been all about being on our own for several firsts. For a solid month we have been just a family of three. We had to cook, clean and do normal stuff all by ourselves, which was kind of nice to get back into a normal schedule, but I sure do miss people bringing food by...I was spoiled/blessed to not have to cook for almost two whole months!

Jesse had to travel a lot for work this month, and Emerson and I survived a few nights without him. For the first time I had to go a full 24 hour stretch with just me and Emerson, yikes! I was so nervous at first not to have any help, but in the back of my mind I knew I had several friends around who were there for me if I needed them. Being on our own meant me having to do bath time/bed time routine and all of the middle of the night feedings by myself, but I did it and now I am super confident I would be able to do it again.

Week six was the most challenging this month. The poor little guy hit a growth spurt and was fussier than normal. We lived through it and now my happy baby boy is back!

After we got passed the crying spell, I noticed that he started "talking" a lot more. He has even replaced some of his normal crying sessions with what I call a whiny talk, haha. Instead of waking up crying, he "talks." It starts out quite and then he will start to "whine" talk. It is pretty funny to listen to. Its like he is saying "hey, is anyone going to come get me?". After he eats is when he will talk the most in his happy voice. I am pretty sure he has said his first word, "hi". Ok, so maybe not, but that is the sound he makes. If  you say "hi" to him over and over he will make that same sound. It is so much fun to talk to him trying to get him to talk back.

Here is a breakdown of his activity this month:

Sleeping: We started the month off with his normal waking every three hours at night routine, but right around seven weeks he really started making a change and is now consistently sleeping longer stretches. He will go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m., sleep until 2 a.m. and then wake up between 5 and 6 a.m. He sometimes struggles with going back to sleep after he eats. His natural wake up time in the morning is 6 a.m. If he wakes up before then, I typically just let him talk to himself until it is time to get up. If I am lucky he will go back to sleep, if he gets fussy I get up to comfort him but make sure to leave him in this crib until 6 a.m. His naps are getting shorter, he takes several, but they only last 45 min to 1 hr. On a really rare day, he will take a three hour nap along with all of his short naps.

Eating: He is a much faster eater now. I almost miss him taking a full hour to eat, because it was a great time for me to relax, blog, read, etc. now he is all business. Jesse on occasion will still give him a bottle, which he drinks so fast!

Activity: His "play" is still about the same as last month, things only keep his attention for about 15 minutes or so. I am starting to introduce different toys during certain times of the day. For instance on his changing table I always keep a stuffed blue elephant that squeaks and crinkles that he loves to look at and try and reach for. During tummy time, I may use a rattle or another toy for him to look at. But his favorite toy of all is my face : ) He loves it when he is just sitting in my lap watching as I talk or sing to him.

Doctor visit stats:

• Weight: 12 lbs 11 oz
• Height: 24.5 inches 
• Other: he got a round of shots and did great! He cried and then slept.

Likes, dislikes and other milestones:

• He is starting to get a better grip on things you put in his hand. He loves to grab my hair and not let go. It wouldn't surprise me if his first real word is "ouch," because I constantly find myself saying that as he yanks on my hair.
• More smiles! I love it, it can make even the worst day, the best one :)
• Went on his first mini vacation to Galveston.
• Got several shots this month, but is now cleared "safe" to go out in public by his doctor.
• Has started to find his fists and will suck on them.
• Loves to take naps in his pouch while I walk around. I love it because I can get a few things done.
• Still has a head full of hair, but its starting to get lighter, and it almost has a red tint to it.
• Loves to go outside.
• Loves to look out the window, I think it is the light/dark contrast of the blinds and of the light outside, but he can stare out a window for a long time.
• Doesn't mind diaper changes as much, I think having the toy there helps.
• Loves to have books read to him, but his attention span is short, I usually read to him right before a nap. His favorite so far is the Bible for Boys (such a cute Bible book). 
• Likes to sing and talk.
• Can now stand for a few seconds, while holding him of course. His legs are becoming so strong, he will be crawling before I know it.
• He has only done it a few times, but he can roll over from tummy to back.
• He now fusses a bit more when doing tummy time. I think it frustrates him that he can't roll over every single time, he tries and tries and then gets mad.
• Likes to listen to music and the sound of my blow dryer.
• Does not like his car seat and it is getting harder and harder for him to calm down during car rides. Car rides used to put him right to sleep, but now that he is more alert, it takes a much longer drive to soothe him. 

We have several things to look forward to as we move into month three. Emerson is going to get to meet several of his aunts, uncles and cousins for the first time. Aunt Molly and Uncle Jonathan are coming to visit us in Houston next week and then we are traveling to my parents house for the Fourth of July where he will meet lots of my family for the first time. I am a little nervous about the seven hour drive, but I am sure he will do fine.

Emerson is still in the room with us at night in his pack n' play, but I keep saying that once we get back from traveling over the Fourth that we should move him into his crib, but we will see if I am actually brave enough to do it : )

In His Daddy's Shoes

I have been saving this post in honor of Jesse's first Father's Day, which revolves around these shoes...

Jesse has these old Nike shoes that he never really wears anymore but has kept them for a special reason. Several years ago he saw baby Nike shoes that matched his, so he bought them in hopes that one day his son would wear them and they would have matching shoes :) Now that Emerson is in our lives, he gets to fulfill this hope.

We got Emerson all dressed up so he and his daddy can match.

 Like father like son.

I just love Emerson's face in this one!

This is how Jesse normally carries Emerson around...it scares me to death!

  Happy Father's Day to this wonderful new daddy. We love you so very much. 

Emerson's First Vacation

Jesse had a work event in Galveston this week so Emerson and I joined him one evening.

It was more like a mini vacation because we were only gone 24 hours, but it was a vacation none-the- less. There were several firsts on this trip. 

First time to:

- drive a "long" distance in the car (1.5 hours)

- stay the night in a hotel

- go to the beach

- leave the house/normal routine (gone longer than two hours)

 In the car and ready to go to Galveston. He did great on the drive down.

Where we stayed, Hotel Galvez.

 

There was a gift shop within walking distance from our hotel that was right on the beach and had a huge porch with rocking chairs. For hours E and I sat in those chairs listening to the ocean and letting the sea breeze cool us, perfect for napping, which is what E did.

We also walked on the beach, explored our historic hotel and did a little shopping. E slept most of the time, which I fully expected. When he was awake, he loved listening to all of his new surroundings.

First time at the beach and he missed the whole thing : )

 

We purchased Emerson's first Christmas ornament. Jesse and I started the tradition when we got married that we would always buy a Christmas ornament when we took trips to new places and we wanted to do the same for our kids. Let the collection begin!

While we were there, I wanted to do my best to keep his nap and bed time routine the same as it would have been at home, this includes bath time, which was interesting. Thankfully the hotel had a tub, but next time (if he fits) I will just bathe him in the sink. He hated his bath in the hotel and I found it challenging as well. Any tips from the moms out there on bathing without a baby bath while traveling?  

My in-laws bought us this neat travel bed for Emerson which we were planning on taking, however after Jesse evaluated the size of our room (super tiny!), we opted not to take it this time. So guess were baby slept? In bed with us, yes I said it. For one whole night we co-slept with him and he did not die. In case you don't know, co-sleeping is one of those controversial parent topics. We don't co-sleep at home because we don't want to create the habit for him to only know how to sleep right next to me or on me, but my goodness it was super convenient to have him right there and not get up and down all night long. I now know why some parents are all about it, but sorry kid, it's back to the crib when we get home : ) 

The whole time we were in the hotel room I was so conscience of what our neighbors thought of his crying. He was a good boy, but anytime he made a peep, I rushed right to him to comfort him. Emerson probably loved all the extra attention. 

With all of these firsts, new environments and changes in his schedule, I was afraid the little guy would be a nightmare at night, but no! He actually slept "through the night"! And by "through the night" I mean five hours straight. I could not believe it! He slept from 8- 11:30 p.m. and then from 12-5 a.m.. Way to go, Emerson. I am one happy momma. The only downside was that he was wide awake at 5 a.m., but I would rather him do that then wake up every two hours all night long. He actually slept through the night at home the night before, so let's all hope and pray this continues. 

We have a few more vacations planned coming up this summer, one to my parents house for the Fourth of July and the other to a family reunion with Jesse's family in AZ. Can't wait for both of them!