5 months!

Campbell, we made it to 5 months!

Campbell, you're still amazing me every day. You're such a happy baby, you're always giggling and always have a smile for mama even when you're tired. You're rolling around like a pro - the second we lay you down on your back, you roll to your belly. Daddy tells me daily that he thinks you'll be crawling soon. I tell him I hope not because I want you to slow down with this growing up business! He's right though, a couple times you have gotten up on your knees in crawling position for a couple seconds! Usually you just do the little "combat crawl" with your legs straight out behind you and when you get frustrated you push yourself into a "v" shape trying to move.

You're much better coordinated, holding things with two hands and sometimes you try to hold things with your feet you little monkey! You love to grab the phone and the remote if either are nearby!

You've been a good nighttime sleeper - naps are still a little touch and go. You usually give Gamma a good 2-3 hour nap in the mornings but the others are a little more rough. She loves having you every day and misses you when you're not there on the weekends. I love having 3 day weekends with you every other week.

You've lost all the hair you were born with except for a patch in the front and a patch in the back! It's come in very fine and blonde. Your eyes are still bright blue for now!

You're growing bigger and bigger (what seems like every day)! You're wearing 6-9 month clothes and most outfits you wear only once before they seem too small!

We still swaddle you to go to sleep but usually at nighttime once I lay you down, the arms come out and you roll to your side. Sometimes you'll roll right to your belly too!

We try to call you by your name and less by nick names but it's hard!

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Solids!

One of the new and exciting things is trying solids! At C's 4 month check up the Pedi said we could try solids whenever we wanted. Cautious mama just decided to wait until 5 months for cereal. I read a lot about babies getting constipated with rice cereal and that oatmeal didn't have that effect so needless to say we tried oatmeal!

For several weeks Campbell has shown a readiness for solids, he would stare at us while we ate - watching the fork go from the plate to our mouths and back. I started to feel guilty eating in front of him! Here's a pictorial of the first solid food attempt!

Gimme, gimme, finally! I'm so excited!

Hmm, what do I think about this?

Well, that's not quite what I expected...

Lemme try again...

Do not let too much in...

Blech, I was right! What IS this stuff!?

So it didn't really go as well as I hoped. I mixed it with breastmilk thinking that would make it taste familiar but, no go! We decided to put it away and try again later. We may just skip it all together and wait until 6 months when we try veggies. We'll see. The plan is still to make my own, we'll see about that too!

4 Months!

We have a chunker on our hands! I couldn't be more proud! At Campbell's 4 month appointment he weighed 17lb 6oz (92nd percentile), was 26" long (88th percentile) and has a head circumference of 42 cm (50th percentile). 

He took his second round of shots like a champ. I'm just so proud of him. He didn't flinch or cry at all for the first shot and then cried for maybe 3 seconds after the second one and then was fine. We laughed later that it's probably his chunky thighs that help with this. He probably felt the needle and thought "What was that? Did someone sneeze on my thigh?"

He smiled and giggled for all the nurses and the doctor. She was very impressed with his head control and has no developmental concerns.

She said we could start him on rice cereal and/or oatmeal if we want to. I think I may want to wait until 5 months to give that a try. She said we could try solid foods when he turns 6 months. She recommended starting with veggies and then going to fruits. I plan to make his food so we'll see how that goes! 

My baby is just amazing. He's so flexible, not at all like his mama! Even when he's fussy, you can usually get a smile out of him!  

He does seem to have his mama's temper though and when he gets worked up, he's worked up and you better feed him and let him sleep or it's not gonna change!

Things Campbell can do:

• He has completely mastered rolling both ways. He picked up back to belly at about 3 1/2 months. Now he can roll pretty quickly so there's no taking your eyes off him!
• He recognizes mommy and daddy now and always has a smile for us when we come home or back into a room. And loves giggling at whatever silly thing daddy is saying to him. 
• He found his feet around 3 months or so and still loves them. He tries to hold books with his feet instead of his hands! 
• We're finding he's more aware of and interested in his toys now. He loves all the hanging things on his floor gym and plays with his rattles more when we hand them to him. 
• He still needs to be swaddle to sleep - those arms are still a little 'flaily' but he does figure out how to get out of it often. 
• Still eats about every 3 -3.5 hours and 5-5.5 oz. 
• Generally wakes up once per night between 1-3 am
• Campbell appears ready to try cereal so we'll probably give that a try at 5 months. 

Mama is still pumping 3 times a day at work and still not loving it but it's definitely just routine. I still have my goal to nurse for 6 months and a couple times I've thought about going longer but then there's a day when he's tugging and pulling and scratching me (I need to clip his nails every 3-4 days) and I have to remind myself to even keep it up another 2 months so we'll see where we are at 6 months. I think the plan will most likely be to drop the pumping and just nurse when I'm with him and he can have formula while with Gamma. 

Every night from work is crazy town in our house. From 6-8:30pm we're running crazy. I get home at 6, change clothes and immediately (generally) feed Campbell while Nick gets dinner going. Then Campbell plays on his floor gym or bouncer while we hurry and eat. Nick entertains Campbell while I clean up the kitchen and pump parts/bottles. We give him a bath, I nurse him once more for just a little bit and then rock him to sleep. Then its time for mommy to relax a little bit before going to sleep by 9:30! 

We keep reminding ourselves it won't be like this forever and Lord knows it will probably only get crazier as he continues to grow but we know we'll get through it all! 

3 Months!

3 Months!

We're not sure exactly how much you weigh but we think it's around 16lbs based on grandma's scale! Your next doctor's appointment is at 4 months!

Your eyes are still blue, blue, blue. Your hair is still light brown and is definitely falling out. You have a bald spot that is like a ring around the back of your head!

Mommy went back to work on June 1st and you started staying at Gamma's house every day. Mommy has every other Friday off with you. You've been such a good boy for Gamma and she loves having you, you're her "little prince". She takes video and pictures for Mommy and Daddy to see. She calls Mommy and updates her on what you're doing a couple times a day.

Things you can do:

• Hold your head up
• Giggle/laugh
• Roll over (tummy to back over your left side). First time was 6/3 @ 5:20
• Blow bubbles
• Grab and hold a rattles/toys. We thought you'd never open your hands up from fists!
• Drool, drool, drool. We think you may be teething a little. You gnaw on your fists and arms and suck on your bottom lip too!

There he goes!

You still love baths, I think its part of your bedtime routine just because I love seeing you so peaceful and happy. Daddy and I give you them together even though it really only takes one person and I usually just watch. I love to watch you look up at him with adoring eyes while he bathes you. I've given you a bath only once so far!


You eat about 5-5.5 oz every 3 hours. You still breastfeed when Mommy is home but have a bottle at Gamma's. You sleep through the night (technically) but usually wake up at least once. on 6/13 you slept 8 hours in a row, Mommy and Daddy's tired memories think that's a first!

You've gotten much happier hanging out under your floor gym and you like the bouncer now! I still think your favorite toy is Daddy though :) He can make you laugh so easily, you like to play with his beard with your feet and he makes you giggle when he burrows his face into your neck.

You like to watch TV, much to Mommy's dismay. You've gotten so much better at tummy time, it makes Mommy SO proud to see you holding your head up.




Nicknames for you: Camel, Cam Cam, Sugar Booger, Boog, Buddy, Bud, Poo Poo Mcgoo, Bubba, Bubba bear. Daddy calls you 'dude' :)

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As for mommy, I'm glad to be back at work and have a routine, mama thrives on routine! I feel like I never left.

I miss my little boy but it's honestly great to GET to miss him! I like feeling like I know what I'm doing at work, where for 12 weeks at home I felt so lost like I didn't know what I was doing! That's hard for a control freak like me.

Things have gotten much easier since about week 10 or 11. It's still no cake walk but I feel more comfortable in taking care of him and being his mama. I don't like getting home so late and feeling like I barely get to spend time with him. I get home at 6 and try to get him to sleep by 9 so eating dinner, cleaning up, bathtime, feeding and rocking are all crammed into 3 hours! I don't know what I would do without Nick. He does so much around the house now to help those 3 hours be less stressful. I love the weekends when we have two whole days as a family and am so thankful for every other Friday home with my boy.

I'm pumping at work 3 times a day. It's working for now. My goal was to breastfeed for 6 months - we're almost there! I'd actually really like to be able to nurse him maybe in the morning before work and then when I get home and before bed and just drop the times in between when that time comes but we'll see about those teeth that will likely be around! My goal then will be to make his baby food! We'll see how that goes, I think it will be fun!

I can't believe how time really did go by so fast, I've really thought that this whole time. I can't believe that soon he'll be 6 months before I know it! I think we're still a "one and done" family right now. While I'm starting to love life, I don't think I can do the newborn period again!

2 month stats!

BIG BOY!!!

Mama was right, 13lbs 3 oz - 90th percentile; 24 inches long - 80th percentile; head circumfrence: 40 cm - 50th percentile. I'm so proud of this little boy and thank God we've been able to take care of him and help him grow!

Campbell got 5 vaccines today - 2 shots and one oral (3 were combined into 1 shot): Polio, Pneumococcal disease, Diptheria/Tetanus/Pertussis, Rotovirus and Hib. He took them very well! He only cried while being stuck with the needle. Once daddy picked him up after he was okay. He was just a little bit fussy when we put him back in the car seat but fell asleep before we pulled out of the parking lot. Once again, I'm so proud!

We'll keep an eye on him for the next 48 hours to make sure there's no adverse reactions to the vaccines and we'll be good!

Everything else looked really good, the doctor answered our questions and everything seems on track. We have to get better at giving him tummy time 1 hour per day. We've definitely not been doing that but will definitely start. His Gamma will be given the word to stay on that when he starts going to her in June!

He goes back for his next appointment at 4 months. Time is really flying.

My 1st Mother's Day!

My 1st Mother's Day!

Our little family! I didn't get to sleep in on Mother's Day but I didn't really expect to. We got Campbell down for a nap and were able to have breakfast (it would have been in bed but C was sleeping in there) where Nick surprised me with a gift! I just expected a card but he went above and beyond with a 90 minute massage gift card :). I can't wait to use it.

Then we went to my parent's house where we invited Nick's mom to come for a BBQ. Here is Campbell with all the mommies. Nick's mom (Ya-Ya), my mom (Gamma), Me, and my grandmother (Gigi).

4 Generations!

Campbell and his mommy!

Campbell with his mommy and his Gamma

And, Campbell with his daddy!!

I still don't feel like a mommy yet but I love that little boy more than anything. I really never knew what it would feel like to have my heart swell just looking at him. He's beautiful and we're so thankful he's our healthy and (generally) happy baby boy.

2 Months!

Campbell James is 2 months old! I can hardly believe it, he looks so much bigger in just one month!

Things he can do:

• Coo (finally caught it on tape!)
• Hold his head up for a little bit of time while sitting up (assisted)/lifts it up when laying down (started at about 7 weeks)
• Smile (started at about 6 weeks)
• Seems to try to roll over
• Likes to try to "stand" when being held up
• Still keeps his hands in fists - we're hoping they open one of these days!
• Has slept through the night (5-7 hours) - started at 6-7 weeks.

Here are his 2 month pictures. He goes for his 2 month check up on the 11th so I'll post his 'stats' then. He's definitely a chunky monkey, he's wearing size 2 diapers. We think he weighs at least 13lbs.

We've been working on trying to be in more of a routine so we can get out and do things a little more. It's working okay but definitely not a schedule of any sort. He still rules the roost!

I go back to work June 1st and I think I'm ready. Campbell will be in good hands with his Gamma so that helps me a lot. I'll miss him but I think I'll be a happier mommy with some adult interaction and brain stimulation! I look forward to knowing what I'm doing somewhere!

First Easter!

Campbell's first Easter!

Campbell's first outing to somewhere other than the doctor was to his grandma and granddad's for Easter dinner!

My mom made him a little Easter basket, very cute. He loved it ;)

You'll note we did not get all dressed up, we're lucky we made it out of the house!