2/21/16

We have had such a fun weekend! I feel like every weekend is more fun because your personality and happy little face seems better every weekend. You are laughing more and give the cutest expressions when you are trying to talk to people now. 

I believe you said Momma for the first time on Friday and I almost died. I was in the kitchen making coffee and eating breakfast while you were playing in the living room. You started crying so I went into the living room to finish eating and to feed you, then when I walked in the room you screamed MOMMA! I turned around and asked you if you said momma, you just gave me a huge gummy smile. I guess I'll never know if you meant to say it and it will probably be months until it happens again but I loved it.

You are going through your fifth leap right now but this one seems to be pretty easy on you. Besides a little bit of restless sleeping, you are doing well. I'm trying to start your nights in your crib but that only lasts for an hour tops, then you are snuggled in bed with me. I try, but we love you close to us, so it's ok! I can tell you are noticing everything now and imitating a lot too, it is so fun to watch your little mind grow! 

I don't know how time has gone by so quickly, you are almost half a year old! That is just crazy!!! Amazing, sad, unbelievable, exciting... So many emotions about you growing up but I pray every day that you will be kind like your daddy. He is such a good man and I'm so happy you have him to look up to. We love you so much! 

Sporting your #wisebabysolomon shirt from the sweet and creative cousin, Diana

& your grump face.... aka "stop taking my pictures and hold me, Momma" face!

2/27/16

Yesterday your daddy came home from a work trip and you were sleeping in my arms when he arrived. Once you woke up, he was so excited to say hello and see your response, you were so happy when you saw him! At first you seemed a little confused, rubbing your eyes and trying to wake up, but then you gave him the biggest smile and started to cry for him. As soon as he picked you up you were so happy to be in his arms. It made me so happy, and I could tell your daddy was thrilled. We love you so much, sweet boy! 

Today I was changing your diaper in your room and we could see daddy working in the garden out your window. He was starting the garden and planting lettuce, and it made me so excited! Excited to see you grow and one day work in the garden with him. When we were planning your room he said he was happy you could see the garden from your window so you could learn about the chores you would have one day.... It's funny that I could see that in my head when I would stand in your room and rub my belly while we were still one, looking out your window. Now I can picture it even more now that you are here. This life is so sweet and I can't wait to see the little man you are going to become. I pray for you to be sweet, kind, and hopefully you will love to help daddy in the garden. I know he needs the help!! 

& that is what the melt down face looks like up there.... the smush face, almost about to scream bloody murder! 

3/3/16

Sweet boy, I love you so much. I know I say this often but I'm so thankful for your happy personality and I love seeing it evolve and change over time. You are smiling at almost anyone now and you even reached for one of the ladies working in the hotel yesterday. I'm not sure if we helped you become this way with all the many visitors you had from day one, or if this is just your personality. Either way, we love it. 

I also love how much you love your daddy and me. You really do show it in the sweetest ways now. The little smiles and excited grins you give us makes our heart so happy. And I love listening to your dad talk about you to our family and friends... he is smitten with you! 

Yesterday while we were playing on the hotel bed you were feeling extra cuddly so in between playing with your toys you would lean over and wrap your arms around my arm for a hug, then go back to playing. I could have melted into a puddle of momma love. It was so precious! But, right now you are starting to wake up from your nap on the hotel bed so I need to go and get some cuddles. Those post nap cuddles are the sweetest..... 

Constant drool, either on your face or dripping on our arms or legs!

3/4/16

We are safe and sound at home from our trip to Charleston and it was so sweet to see you light up when you saw that we were home again! I'm rocking you in your room right now and I'm soaking it in. You are wearing your new pjs that I swore wouldn't fit yet, but they do. 6-9 months. You are growing so fast.... How is it possible?? You are my little baby but you are also turning into my big boy more every day. I love it, but I hate it. I have a feeling this bittersweet feeling won't ever go away. Sweet dreams, baby boy, momma loves you so much!

3/13/16

Sweetest boy ever, I can't believe you are half a year old tomorrow! I somehow love you more every day and your sweet personality is shining through more every day as well. After spending a busy weekend away with you and Gigi, I can honestly say you are the best. You go with the flow and love to see new things and new people. I'm so thankful for you!

I'm watching you sit in the living room floor right now as you play with some toys and I can't believe how big you are. Randomly, you will tun around and look at me and smile or make your cute little sounds, just to make sure I'm around. Everything finds a way to your mouth right now and I love watching you interact with your toys. I have a feeling you will be crawling soon since you love to move from a sitting position to lying down on your belly in a slow motion. We will be in big trouble once you realize you can stay up on our hands and knees and move around a lot faster.

Your Gigi was over tonight hanging out with us since Daddy is out of town and she mentioned how six months ago we were arriving at the Birth Center and I felt so many emotions about that night. I had so much anticipation about meeting you. So many questions; what you would look like, how you would be and when you would finally make it to my arms! 2:04 couldn't come soon enough!! I would pull your squishy little body to my chest and I would experience the craziest feeling I've ever felt in my life. My whole world would change in that moment. Motherhood, it is life changing, and I owe it all to you. You made me a momma, and I'm so thankful for your precious life!  

I love you so, so much!!!

stats // 18.3 lbs & 28 in

eating // a lot. So excited to start the solids tonight and see how that changes the breast feeding with us, but I'm hoping he doesn't want to wean anytime soon. He still wants to comfort feed a lot so I'm guessing we will still be nursing for a while. We also finally see two little white marks peeking through his top gums and I was so surprised since most babies get bottom teeth first. 

sleeping // It might be the time change or the fact that he just ended his fifth leap but sleeping seems to be back on track. So happy to have that 4-5 hour chunk back at the beginning of the night. We are also starting in the crib again unless we are traveling (which as been a lot lately) and then he is in the bed with us all night.

wearing // still wearing most 3-6 months but I'm excited about the spring stuff we have waiting in the 6-9 months sizes!
Wearing some 6-9 month PJs but still mostly wearing 3-6. Diapers are still size 3 as well!

favorite things // his jumping toy which was just moved up to the next notch because of his height!! This pillow on the couch, he will sit and look at the colors and touch it for so long. His daddy singing ABC's to him. Squealing and yelling when he is happy or mad... very verbal and loud! Being outside and going for walks in the beautiful weather lately. Licking his lips between snacking on his milk.  Sitting up and playing with his toys like a big boy!

PAST UPDATES
1st Month // 2nd Month
3rd Month // 4th Month

5th Month

weekly three.

As I mentioned earlier this week, this week didn't start off that great. But, thankfully it turned around and we are back in our happy routine! I'm also very happy about the little weekend getaway with my mom and Solomon! We are heading to Biltmore today & I'm so excited since I haven't been in a while. Last time was during the summer but I'm excited to see everything at the beginning of Spring. Hope you all have a beautiful, springy weekend!!! 

Speaking of spring, the beautiful tulip tree in our backyard is gorgeous right now! I just wish it would stay this pretty for Easter pictures...

And the amazing weather got me to break out my flip flops and do a little at home pedicure!

I love this cute little keychain that my friend Jocie gave me! It was just a little surrpise gift for no reason and I loved putting it together since it was a DIY keychain craft from the Makers Summit event that she just attended. Thanks, friend! 

hard nights.

Being a mother comes with the hard moments and even harder are the really long days that turn into sleepless nights. I had one of those this week. It was more than hard, it was all I could do to keep my cool with a very happy baby that wanted nothing to do with sleeping at 4am, after he only gave me an hour (if that?) of sleep. Nothing was working, not rocking, feeding or humming. No patting or shushing could calm his happy legs from kicking my side, and that just is not cute at all when you are sleep deprived. Thankfully after fighting back the tears and the curse words, Peter took Solomon downstairs before starting his morning routine for work. Thank you, husband!!! We are so blessed to have you! 

That night of course happened after a stressful day with a crying clingy baby that wouldn't let me leave his sight or lay him down to nap. Direct contact with momma is sweet but all day long can be a bit much. So, my stress level was high and my patience was low.... 

I'm also thankful that day and night was a total fluke and not the normal for us. So, so thankful that Tuesday night was a new night full of sleeping for me and baby, and today has been equally awesome for us. It has been a great day and I'm honestly glad that I have to get through those tough moments as a mom so I can enjoy the mundane regular days. It is a blessing in disguise, I guess? 

All the pictures for this post were from that really hard day on Monday, and now looking back at them all I really see is a sweet baby and a tired momma. I know those moments are the ones I will miss one day, because I already see things that I miss now. I mean, I cried just yesterday while packing up his bassinet because he's too big for it now, so I wanted to track these memories here. Leave it for one of those days in the not too far away future when I miss that little baby. Just a little something to make me cry again. 

Happy humpday to you!! I hope you are also having a gorgeous spring day wherever you are. I'm currently listening to the birds chirp and a baby snore. And that baby is not on my chest for his nap, so yes, it is a new day! 

weekly three.

This week in Charleston has been so wonderful. The weather has been perfect and Peter hasn't been working super late like he did in Chicago, thankfully. It has been like a little vacation every night. We can tell a difference with a baby of course.... some of our favorite bars aren't really doable now with a stroller and Peter joked one night about happy hours not being stroller friendly and wondered if we were doomed for Chucky Cheese forever. HA! Thankfully we have found several options with low tables so we can park the stroller next to us and still share some yummy apps. The cute little smile that Solomon gives all the waiters doesn't hurt either ;) hope you all have a beautiful weekend!!!

Actually having time to paint my nails during nap time since I didn't have anything to clean.
Thank You Room Service!!!!
also, the essie gel setter is incredible! I still don't have any chips and I painted my nails on Monday, that says a lot with how often I wash my hands....

The best breakfast in Charleston at Toast!

Home fries, gravy, fried green tomato topped with a crabcake, poached egg & low country remoulade sauce..... Oh and a biscuit the size of my face. Man, so good! 

All the walking I've done this week has been incredible. So much fresh air and sight seeing, plus my body can feel the miles which is a great thing after all the yummy food I've been indulging in. Oooops!

hotel fun with a baby.

Once again, Solomon is napping, so here I am typing. Over the past almost six months of his life (how is that possible?!?) we have stayed in several hotels. We joke and say that he has had more hotel stays than most young children, but I'm so thankful that he is a happy traveler. He definitely gets it honest from his Daddy and Momma but there are several things that help out with traveling. Some of the things that make it a little bit easier are.... bedsharing, no solids yet, he prefers breastfeeding over a bottle, he likes a changing scenery & noise doesn't bother his sleeping. We are super thankful for all those things.

During the past week I've taken so many pictures of our time in the hotel, mainly since I was hanging out by myself and I needed something to pacify my time, but I wanted to keep these sweet little pictures here for our memories. It is going by so fast and I can't believe half of his first year is almost gone! 

Having the beautiful porch of our hotel has been nice 

for some fresh air during Solomon's snacks and naps! 

Naked little baby waiting for daddy to get back to the hotel!

His sweet little face kills me. We are so thankful for our happy traveler, it's so wonderful having him along for all our trips!!