Welcome Autumn!

Autumn!  It's officially here and I love it!  Now if only it felt more like autumn I think we'd all be happy!

Aaron's First Day of Kindergarten

Aaron had his first day of Kindergarten about 2 weeks ago at his new school in Livermore.  I think everyone was excited about that!  We've gone to back to school, met his teacher and even bought a school shirt for Spirit Days!  We bought him a new Jake & The Neverland Pirates backpack and lunchbox which he loves.  I think he must be liking it because I'm definitely not hearing as many complaints about going to school like I did in Sacramento.  

I also bought Aaron a small desk for his room at IKEA so he'll have a space to do homework and artwork.  It's white with a green accent drawer, which is is favorite color.  Now I just have to find a cute chair!

He still loves to read (we're currently reading a new chapter book about a zombie goldfish) and he loves animals of all types and he wants to be a veterinarian when he grows up!

Elizabeth Grace

Elizabeth will be 2 years old next month and just had her check up today.  She's 31 lbs and 2' 10.5" tall.  At Aaron's 2 year check up he weighed 2 lbs more and was 1.5" shorter.  So they're not too far off from each other!  

Elizabeth is currently between a 2-3T in clothes but at this point I am buying nothing smaller than a size 3.  She's still in diapers but has recently started to tear off her wet diapers and throw them in the trash can (all on her own!) so I think potty training is just around the corner.  

She definitely has a vocabulary though it is smaller than Aaron's at this age.  But she's saying more and more everyday!  Her favorite saying is "HEY NO!  THAT'S MYYYYYYY BOOK/TOY/MILK (etc)".  Today at the doctor's office though, was the first time she's ever introduced herself to someone!!  It was so cute!  She walked up to the doctor, pointed to herself and said "BUBBA"!  It was the cutest thing EVAH.  

Elizabeth is a fearless, feisty little girl.  She climbs everything, she tells pretty much everyone off and she will even haul off and close-fist punch her brother when he's bothering her.  At first, I couldn't stop laughing about it but now that it's happened several times I'm having to tell her that it's not right.  If her personality stays this way, I don't think we'll have to worry too much about her being bullied!  LOL!  Hopefully not anyway!  

Both kids are doing well and very happy to be under the same roof as their dad again.  We all are!  And we've had so many visitors at this house - it's been wonderful!  We are enjoying Livermore, still exploring, but definitely have found a few favorite spots.  Personally, I'm looking forward to my first autumn here.  With all the farms and vineyards and family activities in the area, I think this fall will be fantastic!

We hope yours will be too!  

 

Spring Forward

I make some good looking babies.

There are those moments in every parents life when you look at your kids and think - Holy crap!  When did you get so big?!  That, my dearies, is happening right now with both my kids.  

Aaron is such a big boy.  So Big.  I mean, when did he grow up?  How is he 5 years old already?!  He's so smart and he surprises me with new things all the time.  Lately it's been reading!  I mean, I've been reading books to him since he was less than a year old.  Every night before bedtime he gets his pick of 2 stories.  And lately, he's been reading random things - signs, labels, fragments of a story - and even though I want to scream OMGYOUJUSTREADTHATALLBYYOURSELF! I refrain and just say calmly "Yeah, that's right!" because I don't want to freak him out.  

Aaron is a funny kid because he won't tell me things if I ask him.  It's actually something I don't like and I'm trying to break him of it.  Because if I ask him what he had for lunch or what he did at school he'll say something like "I don't know/remember" or "It's a secret!".  That's not what I want to hear.  I mean, as a parent and with safety in mind, I want him to tell me everything.  So when he gives me answers like that I want to shake him and tell him "WE HAVE NO SECRETS IN THIS HOUSE!" but I can't.  That's not how you deal with Aaron.  I'm learning this.  I'm learning how to deal with him.  He's not the same as he was when he was 2 or 3.  Things are different.

I recently found out that Aaron was being made fun of at school by other students.  I don't like to use the word bullying because it's not physical, but bullying can be words too.  And he was called ugly and fat.  (Which quite OBVIOUSLY is NOT true).  His clothes and toys were made fun of.  To the point where he wouldn't take off his sweatshirt one day when I took him to his class and when I asked why he told me it was because he didn't want the other kids to make fun of his shirt.  Which started a 2 minute argument between us of how it shouldn't matter what other people think - if he likes the shirt, that's all that matters.  I left the classroom later that morning and was crying by the time I got home.  

After pouring my heart out on Facebook and getting some good advice, I was able to calm down.  But I still made Josh go to school and pick Aaron up because I was still upset.  The next afternoon I spoke to the teachers about the issues and the day after they came to my house for a previously scheduled parent-teacher conference.  We spoke more about the issue and agreed that instead of calling individual students out that they should use it as an opportunity to teach the whole class about bullying.  And they agreed to keep a closer eye on these students.  So far, I haven't heard anymore complaints from Aaron, but when we get dressed I have to ask him about which shirts he wants to wear to school.  

Honestly, my first reaction to the situation was to be aggressive and speak to the students myself.  But I am not Aaron.  And that is not Aaron's personality.  And he has to learn to stand up for himself.  And he needs to learn self-confidence.  I am 36 (in 2 weeks) and I have self-confidence and experience.  I KNOW it doesn't matter what others think.  But this is something Aaron has to learn.  He is a sensitive kid and sometimes I wonder if my aggressive nature is too much for him.  I have to learn to deal with things so that he can deal with them too.  

Elizabeth on the other hand ----- Whoooo Weeeee.  She's a feisty little girl.  I always wanted a boy and then girl so that my baby girl would have a big brother to take care of her but I think it's gonna be the other way around.  Elizabeth is just so adorable.  And her personality is coming out more and more.  She loves her brother (and he loves her) and she brushes his hair and gives him kisses.  She is a mover - she loves to walk and explore.  She has no problem doing things her brother wasn't doing yet at this age.  Aaron still has some fine motor skills he could work on but Elizabeth is climbing and crawling over and opening things.  She took my keys and tried to put them in the door to unlock it.  She climbs on top of Aaron's stool to get to the sink.  If she's hungry, she'll go to the cabinet and get her food.  If she's thirsty, a cup.  I mean, she's so smart!

And big!  Did I mention big?  Josh was just holding her this morning and said "OMG she's so big now"!  I am the one always holding her so I don't get to see how long she is in comparison to an adult.  She's got all her teeth but her eye teeth are only halfway out.  She'll eat anything you put in front of her and I think there have only been 2 things that she hasn't liked.  She even ate sushi!  Just recently I stopped giving her night time bottle and it was completely by accident.  I forgot one night because we had eaten dinner so late and she was full.  Tia Eva came over to visit and with all the stuff going on, I just forgot!  She didn't complain, she didn't ask and she slept through the night!  So I was like, well, that's that then!  No more bottles for baby girl.  

Unfortunately around the same time I was washing two of her binkies and I found holes in them.  I knew that she chewed on them sometimes, especially when she is teething, but this was the first time I had seen the holes so of course I tossed them and then inspected the rest.  I thought one was salvageable but it got a tear a few days later and so I tossed that one too.  Now she's down to one binky.  I'm wondering if I should buy her new ones or just have her be done with them when she chews a hole in this last one.  Josh thinks she should be done but I'm not 100% sure.  What do you think?  I mean, she is 16 months now!  

As for us moving - we are still looking.  It's hard since I'm here and not there to look and Josh sleeps during the day.  I think it's going to take me pulling up my big girl panties and just going over there for a week and just renting.... anything.   I don't want to do it that way necessarily, but with Josh sleeping in his car.... the kids don't see him during the week.  It's too hard on us.  We all want to be together.  We're looking at Fremont, Livermore, Dublin or Pleasanton.  Wish us luck, pray for us, send us good ju-ju.  Whatever you can!

Looking forward to a happy spring with new beginnings!  Love to you all! 

        

9 months in, 9 months out! The EGH Version.

Elizabeth Grace - 9 months

Elizabeth Grace is 9 months old!  Look at her adorable face!  She is doing so well and is always so happy!  She brings us so much joy.

Elizabeth went for her 9 month check up yesterday and she weighs 23 lbs 2 oz and is 29 3/4 inches long - both are the 100th percentile!!  100% people!  Public Warning: I produce large babies!  I mean, they are normal at birth but then seem to just jump right into that BIG BABY stage and stay there.  Aaron, at 4 1/2 years old is just recently starting to "slim down".  

Elizabeth sits up on her own, is starting to pull herself up from a sitting position and is trying super hard to get those big legs under her to crawl.  Right now she just rolls everywhere.  The doc said it's a bit tougher for "bigger" babies to get themselves going since they've got more weight on them. 

She is just starting to get a bit big for her 9 month clothing and so we've got the 12 months ready for her.  We also switched her diapers to 7th Generation because they are unbleached and she kept having reoccurring rashes.  These diapers have definitely helped with that!  

She's got 4 teeth on top and 4 on the bottom and loves to smile (and bite!).  Of course she puts absolutely anything you give her in her mouth including you!  She likes to chew on Josh's collarbone which for some strange reason I think is kinda cute.  She also loves to put her hand in his beard and pull his hair & skin!  She likes to smack her brother's head and pull his hair.  And with me.... well, she likes to motorboat.  LOL!  Yeah, I just said that.  I mean, she's been on formula for more months than not but she just likes to rest her face in there and open her mouth.  It's so funny.  I'm sure it's a comfort thing.  

She wakes me up in the morning by banging her feet on the crib and yelling "Mama!  Maaaama!  Mamamama!" but she always greets me with a smile.  She's been sleeping through the night for awhile and takes 2 naps a day.

Basically, she's doing awesome.  We love her to pieces.  Thanks to all of our family for helping us out lately especially.  We love you all and will hopefully be sending some pictures out soon.  

Stay tuned because we've got some stuff on the horizon!!! 



       

These little fish are growing

Eating solids - 6 months

Elizabeth went in for her 6 month check up and boy, is this chick growing!  Elizabeth is 19 lbs (90%), 27 1/2 inches (95%), head circumference of 17 3/4 (98%), wears a size 3 diaper, size 9 month clothing and 12 month in pjs!  Big girl!

We have just started her on solids and are still not quite on a regular schedule with it.  She seems to want it sometimes and then not others.  And sometimes it's just like she has no idea what to do with it.  But we're going to keep trying!  I've only tried the rice cereal once, but have tried a few of the fruit and fruit combo organic baby food and have given her mashed up bananas at home and organic apple sauce.  

Elizabeth's teeth are coming in and her mouth is hurting baaaaaad right now.  She has the bottom two already poked through and I'm pretty sure the top left one is coming through too.  It looks like we might have another Aaron on our hands.  He got all of his teeth super quick and close to each other (time wise).  We having teething toys, rings for the freezer and I give her wet wash clothes (frozen and non) to help her.  We also use the teething tablets and I have a teething bracelet that a cousin gave me.  She pretty much chews up anything she can, including me and Josh!

Even with all this though, she's a pretty happy baby!

Blowing in the wind.

Aaron is also doing pretty well, though extremely bored at home with mama and baby.  We're hoping perhaps he can start at public pre-school this coming school year.  He's happy to have his daddy home these past few days and even that has changed his behavior a little (very little) bit.

Today, separately and without knowing, Josh and I both asked Aaron what he wanted to be when he grew up.  When I asked it was at the dinner table and we were all there.  At first he said he wanted to be an elephant.  So when I explained to him what I meant by the question, and gave him several examples he settled on veterinarian.  After going over it again and again in his head a few times, I think he liked the idea even more and reconfirmed this great idea to us.  When he grows up to be like, 8 yrs old, he wants to be an elephant.  But then after that, a vet for sure!  He says he might even have to live in the forest because he'll have too many animals to take care of.  He loves animals, watches Planet Earth over and over again, knows the names of really strange and random animals and dinosaurs and even knows if they are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores.  I think he'd be a wonderful vet!  Now if only we could get him to stop chasing the dog!!!!

Growing Up Healthy - 4 months

Elizabeth Grace - 4 months old

Elizabeth went for her 4 month check up 2 days ago and baby girl is catching up to her brother quickly!

Lizzy baby is 25 1/4 inches long (85%), 16 1/3 lbs (90%) and her head circumference is 16 3/4 (85%)!  The NP says she's looking great and if we want, we can start her on solids.  I'm not sure we're ready, but Elizabeth sure does smack her lips and lick her chops when anyone eats in front of her!  LOL.  I think once I decide what I want to start on, we might try that soon.

She's currently wearing 6-9 months in clothes but I think in the one pieces (like pjs) we'll have to move to 9 months soon.  She literally went through ONE jumbo box of size 2 diapers and now she is on size 3.  She's definitely going to be in need of new stuff soon.

She still tries super hard to turn over whenever she is on her back, but besides that one time, hasn't been able to do it on her own yet.  She gets just the top half around.  She sits up pretty well with help and she's getting a little bit better at tummy time.  

Elizabeth loves, loves, to laugh at her brother.  She just stares at him and watches him.  And whenever he laughs, so does she.  It's pretty adorable.  I only wish Aaron was more calm, gentle and aware around her.  (sigh)  She loves when anyone sings to her too.  

On March 1st, I moved her into her room finally.  She's been sleeping through the night for some time now, but since we're still missing things in her room (like a proper room/floor lamp & a changing pad cover) I held off on it.  Finally I just decided to make the move and she's been doing so well!  She wakes up happy.  I think that might have something to do with the colorful bedding, pink walls and owl mobile!  Once I feel like the room is complete, I'll have to take some pictures.

Until then........   Hope you all are just as happy and healthy as Elizabeth!  

  
   

Two is Enough

Elizabeth Grace, 2 months old

Gah!!  So today I was holding Elizabeth, squeezing her chubby parts and kissing her skin and it made me a bit sad.  This is my last baby!  This is the last time I will be holding and squeezing and kissing a baby that is MINE.  MY BABY!  Aaron is a big boy now.  And Elizabeth is growing.  I mean, I know she's just starting out.... just two months old still but......  She's my last baby!  I'm crying a bit inside for that.

Just so you know this baby loves to smile.  I'm thinking of getting her a shirt that says "I just like smiling.  Smiling's my favorite".  She can hold her head up and has been from almost the beginning.  Sometimes I can get her to hold her half empty bottle while she's feeding.  Not for very long.... but you gotta start somewhere!  If you say a phrase like "I love you" she can mimic the inflection.  She has been sleeping through the night for over a month now.  She is just brilliant.  

In 2 days, she'll be 3 months old.  Gah!  My last baby.

  

Growing and growing

Aaron saying good morning to Elizabeth.

These kids keep growing.  Someone should tell them to slow down, seriously.  I looked at both my babies yesterday and at different times thought, when and how did he/she get so big?  Elizabeth is just..... I mean..... it's crazy!  She's not even 3 months yet and I'm putting her in 6 month clothing because she's too long for the 3 month one-piece outfits.  She went from being so skinny we could feel her spine to having a double chin!  Oh believe me, I think it's fabulous!!!  But holy crap, when did it happen?!  She's getting chubbs!  I mean, I doubt she'll ever reach her brother's previous chubb status (evidenced here and here) but you never know.

And speaking of Aaron, I mean - he's not even a baby anymore!  He's a boy!  A (little) big boy!  He's got the biggest eyes and these long eyelashes that he bats at you........  He's just beautiful but sometimes I look at him and miss the little chubby baby he used to be.

Aaron is still out of school but he's doing much better health-wise and I'd like to keep it that way!  The rest of us are doing well too.  I just ordered a scale on Amazon and should be back on Weight Watchers by the end of the month.  This time around I'll be doing the online version only since I've been through the program once before (and reached my goal weight!).

Right now I'm enjoying the time with the kids at home though.  I often think of starting up some crafts.  I know I promised 3 other people I would send them something homemade last year and I never got around to it with the baby and all.  SO, perhaps I'll complete it this year instead.  I'm also following the Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day Challenge, which is fun.  I post all the photos on her Photo A Day Facebook Page.  

Thinking ahead, I'm hoping this year brings plenty of NEW & HAPPY adventures, trips and visits.  I'm taking in the small moments and making them into memories.  I love my family.  

 "Collect memories, not things"

 

 

2 is my favorite number

 

SURPRISE!  I'm pregnant!  Baby #2 is on it's way and should arrive at the end of October.  I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant and feeling great.  My fatigue isn't nearly has bad as it was the first time around but even that is starting to fade.  With Aaron, I was literally falling asleep at my desk during the first trimester!  I would even go to my car during my lunch and take a nap!  It was insane.  This time fatigue and "pregnancy brain" (it's totally a real thing) aren't as bad and that's great!  The not-so-great was that I showed WAY earlier with this one than I did with Aaron and I'm already looking big, though I'm only 4 months at this point.  Hopefully it's just a second pregnancy thing.

Aaron knows there's a "baby in my belly" and he knows the girls name already.  We don't have a boys name picked out yet, but we're working on it.  We won't find out the gender of the baby for a few more weeks though and I think it's no surprise, I'd like to even things out in this household.  Even the dog is a boy!  But anything that is healthy and pink and has all it's limbs will be alright with us!

Right now we're looking for a larger place but so far we've had haven't had the best luck.  I'm still working on it though.  I'm still at work full-time and will probably be so until the end again, though I'm not sure I'll work as long this time.  Last time I worked until December 19th and Aaron was born on December 21st.  This time around, I think I won't push it.  I have a feeling it might have been a subconscious thing.  I wasn't relaxed enough until I stopped working. 

But Aaron eventually got here and now he's 3!  He is past my waist now in height.  He still loves most of the same things -- reading, music, cars (well, any vehicle), animals and now you can add dinosaurs.  He also got his first multi-player game -- Hungry, Hungry Hippos!  He's playing it right now with Josh.  Though he's not really quite clear on the rules of the game yet, he loves to play it!  

Aaron loves being with his grandparents everyday though he's missing his grandpa lately since he went back to work.  This morning he asked "Grandpa, are you staying?" when I went to drop him off and pick dad up.  But he also knows that his daddy comes and picks up him at 4 pm.  He knows that 8 pm is "ni-night time" and best of all........ (drum roll please)..............................

Aaron is potty trained!  HOLLA!!!!!  

Really, he's still wearing pull-ups at night in case of accidents but he is usually dry the next morning and he even wakes us up sometimes in the middle of the night to go potty!  It's all very exciting and something everyone worked hard on.  Thanks Grandma Yvette & Grandpa Howard!

So the Herring household has been through some exciting changes since our last update and I'm glad I could share them with you even though it took awhile this time around.  The truth is, I was laying low the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy and the first doctor visit was, well, terrible.  Perhaps someday I'll write about it, but the important part is that everything turned out fine and the pregnancy is going well.  Let's hope it stays that way!

    

Working Momma

Well, it's been almost a month now and I think Aaron and I both have transitioned into my full time work status pretty well.  The whole family really, because it's taking all of us to see that this happens.  My sister Eva and I carpool to work.  She brings over her dog so our dogs can have a play date while we're gone.  We take Aaron over to grandpa & grandma's house and we're off for the day.  Josh gets off work earlier so he picks Aaron up and takes him home to wait for me to get off. 

Aaron wakes up every morning by me putting on PBS and opening his door so he can hear it.  And like clockwork, as soon as he hears Clifford the Dog, he's up and bouncing in his bed saying things like "I wanna see Clifford the Dog" or "Let's go in tia's car to grandpagrandma's house".  (Grandpa and grandma are one word to him).  He's so excited to start his day with  his grandparents and I have to say that for the most part, I'm enjoying being back at work.  Sure, I stand next to his crib and extra few minutes at night after he's asleep and his hugs and kisses are longer than normal, but that's to be expected, no?

I swear Aaron gets taller everyday.  I keep looking at him and think that the time is going by too fast.  Part of me wants to make time move slower but on the other hand, I can't wait to see what kind of man he'll become. 

He's already wearing a 3/4 T in clothes, a size 8.5 extra wide in shoes and though he's not potty trained yet, I tried buying underwear in "his size" to see if they would help the potty training process along and they were too small for him!  He looked like a baby sumo!  (Or fat guy in a little coat....... )  He surprises me with this love for trucks and cars.  Such a boy thing to love so I shouldn't be surprised, but it's not something Josh and I taught him or even showed him.  I'm sure it was a cartoon or a toy or book that he got that started this obsession.  Josh and I try hard not to assign gender roles to toys or colors but the kid likes what he likes and he loves his silly trucks!  He's got dumpsters, race cars, tractors, trains, shovel trucks, fire engines, etc.  You name it, he's probably got it.  And he loves his animals.  He knows all sorts of animals, ones that I don't even know!  I think he's watched a bit too much of that Diego!!  LOL.  Humpback whales and chinchillas.  Yup, he's got those down! 

My parents watch him during the day so my mom has decided to try and do the potty training but he seems pretty resistant to it right now.  I've heard from many parents that boys seem to take longer than girls.  And I've also heard of a few stories about different parents that have kinda forced the issue and it backfired causing the kid to be really late in being potty trained.  So I don't feel so bad about him not being there yet and I certainly don't want to force the issue.  I am hoping though, that by the end of the year he'll be on the potty bandwagon because I'm kind over the diaper thing!!

Aaron has also recently started to throw fits (you know, those I didn't get a toy so I'm gonna throw a fit right in the middle of the store types).  He'll also just open his mouth and YELL right at us, face red and tears streaking, if we tell him "no" or "don't do that".  Yeah, it's awesome.  Like, being stuck with hungry alligators in a moat awesome.  We're still trying the time outs though he seems to handle it a little bit better when I do them than if Josh is the one telling him to go to his time out spot.  Probably because if I say he's getting one, HE IS!  Don't mess with momma!  Haha....  Hopefully he'll get over this phase really quickly!  (Please dear GOD!)

Things are going well.  I might even say that they're starting to look up a bit.  I can see a twinkle at the end of the tunnel.  But Aaron, as always, lights up our lives anyway. 

18 months - My baby is a toddler!

My Aaronito is 18 months old! Today we had his 18 month check up with the doctor and he's doing great. Aaron weighs 30 lbs exactly and is 32 inches long. We went over diet & nutrition and development.

Aaron pretty much eats everything we eat and now that I've cleared it with doctor that includes shellfish, raw fish and smoked fish/meats. AWESOME! Today we tried real sushi -- he's had a cucumber roll before and he loved it! -- but he wasn't too keen on the texture of the raw fish I think. But then again, it takes most adults awhile to get used to sushi!

He does a lot of baby babble and even likes to sit and "read" his books out loud to himself but he does have a small vocabulary. Aarons' current words are:

Truck (sounds like cock)
Car (Caa -think Boston)
Yes (yesssss)
No (NO no no no no; nonono!; nnno and other various forms)
Mama (usually Mmaaama!)
Dada (DaDa!)
Gaga (we have no idea where he got this word. He uses it for binkie. WE say binkie and he knows what we're referring to, but he says gaga.)
Nina (Neena! -She does the Goodnight Show on the Sprout Network)
Hot (ot - like the H is silent)
Chicka (Caca! -- A bird that does birthdays of the day for The Sprout Network)
Juice (jewwwz)
Cracker (cacker)
Agua (wawa or a-wah. Agua=water en espanol)
Block (again, cock)
Ball (ba-al)
All done or All gone (aah gah)
Elmo (emmo)
Banana (nanana)
Apple (app)

There are a ton of other phrases Aaron uses that Josh and I can understand but aren't really clear to others and has other words that he's just starting to say. Today he said "house" just once while I was reading him a book! His vocabulary is picking up more and more. I really want to get him some flashcards!

We also let him walk a lot more on his own (he hates being in the stroller anyway of course) and today we took him in the stroller from our house to Sam's Sushi which is about 7 blocks away and on the way back he walked the entire way home!

He's definitely developing quickly now. I can't believe he'll be 2 in December! Crazy! :)

Crazy good.

The Beginning of the End of BOTTLES

So, yeah ... Aaron still drinks 3 bottles a day. Don't get me wrong - he has his full 3 meals, but he has a morning bottle, one in the late afternoon and another before bedtime. I know what you're thinking. Oh yes... if you're of an older generation you're thinking So what? I didn't take my babies off their bottles until they were 2 years old. And if you're of a younger generation you're thinking Seriously? He's still on the bottle?

But as I had been feeling for months like I should be weaning him off the bottle, and the fact that he no longer really finishes one (instead he turns it upside down so it can drip all over my carpet, tile, couch), and I found the hand out the pediatrician gave us at his one year check up which said to start weaning him off back then, I decided to start today.

I actually kind of did it all gung-ho like and wasn't going to give him any bottles, anymore, period. He didn't have his morning bottle or afternoon bottle. But I did end up giving him one before bedtime. He never asked for it but anything I can do to make bedtime easier, I'm all for it. I'll probably only do it for a few more weeks until he gets used to drinking cold milk with out of a sippy with meals.

And that is the beginning of the end of bottles. At least for this kid. Hooray for future cupboard space!

First trip to the park

Aaron has had a lot of new developments lately!

One, as you can see above, I realized that he's big enough to actually sit in his stroller without the car seat! Such a big boy!

Two, Aaron can hold his own bottle now basically. I mean, he grabs it with his fits most of the time instead of his open palms, but he holds it on his own! Such a big boy!

Three, I put Aaron in his swing this morning and he literally pulled himself up on his own and sat up in the chair!!! All on his own! Such a big boy!

Four, we (my mom, Josh & I) took Aaron to visit a friend in Des Moines on Saturday. She owns the Des Moines Dog House and Aaron actually lasted the entire visit without fussing once! He was actually really happy the whole time and seemed to take really well to Tammy (the owner). We all sat down and ate hot dogs and he was just a happy chubby baby, checking everything out. Then, we came back to Ballard and went to Golden Gardens for Aaron's first visit to the park. He saw the sound, the sand and all the people. Trust me, there were TONS of people because it was a sunny day in Seattle. AND he touched grass for the first time. Didn't start to fuss until the very end and that's because he had a dirty diaper.

Overall, Aaron's doing a lot better though and he's so much bigger now, it's crazy! We went and visited some old friends who have a 1 year old and he actually was BIGGER than their 1 year old! Granted, their 1 year old was a small boy (he was only in the 2 percentile!) and Aaron is kinda hefty, so I'm sure that made the difference seem even greater, but they litterally weighed the same weight! Hehehe! But we're all doing well. Mom is helping out while I'm back at work until the end of next month so I'm starting to look for day care or a nanny. Wish us luck with that!!

Hope you're all well too!

Love & hugs, The Herrings.

4 Month Check Up

Today Aaron had his 4 month check up! He's weighing 17 lbs and is 24.5 inches long. A short chubber, just like his momma! He wears 3-6 month clothing and he really likes the onesies that his Auntie Bea gave him from the Gap. (OK, I really like them. But they're awesome because they have alot of give and they're light weight.) His check up went well otherwise - Dr. Archibald said he was "perfect". :)

Aaron is doing really good with holding his head up all on his own. He's not quite so "bobble-headed" though he does get tired then his head goes down! He's much more aware of his surroundings now and he loves to play with things that light up. But more than that he likes to hold a wet wash cloth or his burp cloth because he sticks it in his mouth to "chew" on. We're pretty sure he's starting the teething process but the doctor said that infants can go through all the teething signs and not see actual teeth for months!

And if I haven't mentioned it before - Aaron loves the bath! Some times it's the only thing I can do to get him to calm down when he's crying too. So rest assured, Aaron is a clean baby! Right now my sweet chubbs is sleeping in his swing. He's a long day with the trip in the car, the doctor's visit, and the 2 shots he got. Hopefully he'll go to bed early tonight!

Well folks, that's all for now! Hope all is well with you!

Progressing.... 6 weeks

Well, Tuesday Josh and I took Aaron to the doctor's to see what was up with all his fussing and gas issues. It's amazing that pediatricians can diagnosis problems for someone who doesn't talk! I know Josh and I talk on Aaron's behalf, but seriously, those pediatricians know their stuff!

Aaron's doc says that his system is still immature and she thinks it's a combination of him being a really gassy baby and that he seems to have reflux. The flap in his esophagus is still immature and not working properly and so he tends to spit up, but not all the way - just so it sits in the back of his throat. Of course this is all very uncomfortable for him, not to mention that he had his constipation come back on Friday, so it's back to the Karo syrup. The doc did give us a trail medication for the reflux and so we're going to hope that works. It's only been 2 days but he does seem to be doing slightly better - at least less fussy. He's still uncomfortable though.

Aaron was weighed at the doc's and he's now 10 lbs, 12 oz! That's insane!! At least we know he's not starving, despite his digestion system problems. Poor kid. :(

Yesterday I had a dentist appointment so Grandpa & Grandma Coblentz came over to babysit and Aaron wore his shirt that says "Grandma loves me". Then, later that evening he had more visitors! My boss Pat and the President of our association, Laura, came by to visit and drop off a lovely quilt that Laura hand made for Aaron. It's a wonderful quilt - I love the pattern and I noticed that she put a handmade tag on the backside that says who it's for and who it was made by!! So cute!

Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment for myself so Aaron and I are relaxing today, playing it low key, listening to the Foo Fighters. We're cool like that.

Here's a picture of Aaron from the weekend with his little hoodie on. I told you he was cool.....(just wait until you see his rock and roll outfit!)

21 days

Today my sweet boy is 21 days old. Hard to believe he'll be a month old soon!

Last week we had his 2 week doctor's visit and he is already passed his original birth weight and has grown to 21 inches! He's drinking more and sleeping a bit longer, though he's also getting more and more fussy - but we're thinking that might be a gassy thing. We're trying to work it out.

We gave him another bath today and I think I might try and start giving him one twice a week at least because he's got some baby acne (you didn't even know that existed, did you?) and though the doc says it's perfectly normal, I'd rather it not be there. He's a handsome boy regardless!!

Aaron likes to stare at me after he's been feed. He just looks at my face and studies it. He doesn't make any noises - he just stares. Though sometimes he does make faces!! His faces crack everyone up. I've already given him his first nickname - Popeye! I even sing him the Popeye the Sailor Man song because sometimes when he first wakes up, he only opens one eye at first. Sometimes he opens the right eye first, sometimes it's the left. It's almost as if he's checking everything out first!

I've also tested to see if he can mimic me yet by sticking my tongue out at him. He stares and studies and moves his mouth around and so far, he's stuck his tongue out back at me twice! I'm not trying to get him to be a bratty tongue user -- but I am trying to get him to be aware of his body parts! His grandpa Howard is also teaching him that (or motor skills, as grandpa calls them) by getting him to use his hand to grab objects like his pacifier or keys and such. I'm not sure Aaron knows what he's doing - but he's playing along anyway!

Aaron is enjoying his time with his grandparents and tia Eva, but we'll be home soon. I hope my neighbors can handle it!!