Busy Times!

Well life has been a bit crazy in the past week... We did go up north after Kevin's Grandpa's funeral and did a lot of work. The cottage has gotten a face-life, complete with new wood flooring. It does look different, but GOOD! So we had some moving around of stuff and cleaning to do. Dane got to meet a lot of our summer friends for the first time and that was a blast. I think he is slowing becoming more of a social baby and not such a momma's boy - ha!

Today Dane had an echo cardiogram to make sure everything is looking good with his heart. He had to be sedated in order to get a good picture, which had Kevin and I a bit nervous. Of course it turned out to be no big deal and this will be the case until he is over three years old (little babies are too squirmy otherwise). He had a very good check-up! It was a relief to know his heart is functioning properly and that his bi-cuspid valve is not causing any problems at this time. The aorta repair is also looking good. He still has the slight heart murmur and most likely always will. It should not cause any problems. The doctor said Dane could not be looking any better and he does not foresee any problems in the near future. His next appointment is not until December 5! We are so happy Dane is healthy. The poor little guy slept most of the day away and certainly was not himself when he was awake. Hopefully he sleeps tonight!

The pic I'm posting is from Dane's first swim in the neighbor's pool...he loved it! He talked the entire time and stayed happy for over an hour, it was too cute.

Rest in Peace Grandpa Jim

Kevin's Grandpa Jim died early yesterday morning. He battled cancer for more than 10 years going to University of Michigan Hospital for treatments. He was considered by many a "medical miracle" because he just kept beating the cancer. This time last year Kevin and I were on the Relay for Life committee...we honored Grandpa Jim and he even came to the event wearing his Relay for Life t-shirt...it was so special. He was a very funny man and loved his family. Dane was his first and only great grandchild. He was a teacher in Waverly for many years before retiring.

Keep Kevin and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle with the grief that death brings. I know they do feel some comfort knowing that Grandpa Jim is in heaven and that he is finally cancer-free. The funeral is on Saturday.

new pics

Pictures fresh from today...

I did not get it on camera, but Dane has discovered his feet! He has been grabbing them and even sucking on his toes...something new everyday...being a mom is a true blessing.

Art Fest

This weekend we really had no plans...it was SO nice! We went to the East Lansing Art Festival and did a lot of walking around and window shopping (well, tent shopping?). Finding places to nurse in public is always quite interesting, especially when it is hot and sunny. Shade is hard to come by when there are crowds of people. Anyway, any modest bone I ever had (I've never really been modest, luckily) has gone out the window since I had Dane! You seriously have to have a sense of humor to breastfeed because you frequently find yourself in some unique situations!

This coming weekend is already Memorial Day weekend! Yay! We can't wait to get Up North!

100% BOY

As you can see from the above pictures, Dane is 100% boy. This child already loves to eat, play with electronics, and be a general houdini!

First of all, Dane has started some yummy solid foods and he LOVES them! We started with some baby rice cereal for about six days. Now we are onto SWEET POTATOES! Yum! He is doing really well with the spoon and opens wide when he sees it coming. Of course it is messy cause he likes to grab the spoon and then suck the food off his fingers. It is too cute.

I have been reading a great book, Super Baby Foods by Ruth Yaron - love it! Making baby food is actually really easy, cheaper than jarred, and tons healthier. It really does not take much time and it makes me feel in control of what I am putting into Dane's system.

His latest favorite thing is the cell phone! Seriously, what is SO great about it!?!? The screen lights up, it is shiny and it makes noise, that's what! Besides constantly trying to grab our cell phones Dane has taken a liking to my hair. It is killing me...he grabs a huge fistful every chance he gets and stuffs it into his mouth.

Now for the funny/scary part - Dane's crib antics AND his in general squirmy "I can roll over now" self. Yesterday Dane was taking longer than usual to fall asleep for a nap. I went in to check on him and low and behold he is in there sideways with his feet up as if to say, "Um, Mom, where is the remote?" It was funny and I grabbed the camera and caught him in the act. His expression is a riot.

The scary part is now that he is rolling over, he is doing it every chance he gets. I am not used to watching his every move! This morning I put him on the bed as I got his bath ready (like usual) and I came back to find him on his tummy with one leg hanging off the bed! I felt like such a bad parent... I have learned my lesson - I have a little Houdini on my hands - I have to watch his every move.

Mother's Day

Sunday was my first Mother's Day as a mother! It was really special for me. Since my mom died eight years ago Mother's Day has been a holiday I dread. This year I was able to celebrate the holiday again...

Kevin and Dane bought me some spiffy sunglasses and brought me Beaner's in bed - most everyone knows I am a Beaner's fannatic! We had lunch at Kevin's mom's house and otherwise enjoyed a quiet day. I got so many calls and text messages from friends and family wishing me my first "Happy Mother's Day."

I could not be more blessed to have a healthy, happy son. He is truly the best thing I have ever done...

Roll with Me Baby!

Today was a big day for Dane!

This morning I had Dane in the middle of our bed having some tummy time while I got ready for the day. Our bathroom is right by the bedroom and I can watch Dane in the mirror as I brush my teeth and hair. I was brushing my teeth and he was getting increasingly fussy. So I kept talking to him (or trying to...this is hard while brushing) and suddenly as I glance at him in the mirror, he is on his back! YEA! I was super excited, but also sad that I kind of missed the moment. Of course I then tried to get him to do it again, but to no avail. I honestly think he did it out of frustration...he did not want to be on his tummy any longer!

Kev and I have been thinking that he would surely roll from back to tummy first because he has been coming SO close. The pics are of him pushing up on his tummy and his almost roll from back to tummy... What a big boy!

Hope you all have a great weekend -

The Birthday Party

About a week ago, one of my close friend's little boy, Stanton, celebrated his first Birthday. This was Dane's first Birthday party to attend! It was also the first time Kevin and I had ever attended a child's Birthday party as parents. We were taking everything in, trying to see how it all works - for future reference. Surprisingly, it was pretty tame! The funniest thing was watching Stanton eat his cupcake - what a riot! I think for most babies that piece of cake on their first Birthday is the first time they eat something sweet (other than fruit), so it was quite entertaining to watch Stanton devour the entire thing! Dane was especially enthralled with Kevin's clown nose and party hat. It was too cute to watch him study Kevin. He even tried grabbing the clown nose!

The whole thing got me thinking about Dane's first Birthday party and how fun it is going to be to plan and watch as it unfolds...

Hot Day

Whew - today was hot! Here is a pic of Dane, taken today, in his first pair of little short overalls.

Welcome

I have always enjoyed keeping a diary or journal, but let's face it: these days I spend more time on the computer than writing in a little book. I admit it is sad, but at least I am going to try and keep some kind of record of my day to day life. Right now my day to day life consists of taking care of baby Dane and trying to keep the apartment clean. I also try to get a meal on the table if Kevin does not have a soccer game.

Dane is four and a half months old and had his four month check up this morning. Kev and I KNEW he was teething, but we were reassured this morning that indeed he is! That felt good cause people keep telling me it is "too early." The doc showed us that you can even see the white teeth showing under him gums. Poor little guy...he keeps grabbing his gums and actually pulling on them. It seems like during the late afternoon it is the worst. He goes through moods of elation, frustration, to all out crying - "I'm in pain!" Otherwise he is a healthy boy - he took his shots well and only cried for about 30 seconds. He is in the 50th percentile for both weight and height, a normal baby! The doc also said I can begin some cereal feedings...which I will do soon. It is sort of sad to move onto solids already! I think I am going to wait until he is five months so I can fully prepare with buying a high chair and researching some more. Of course I have high expectations to make all of Dane's food myself (we'll see how long that lasts), so I have to hit the books!