Hippies!

We visited Kevin's sister and parents last weekend in St. George. It was the first "big" car trip for all of us (all 3of the girls went, too). I did take him to Idaho to visit my mom a couple of months ago, but that wasn't quite as adventurous as this trip.
All things considered, he did GREAT! The first day, he was a little fussy gus just about all day. We also didn't have anything for him to sleep in, so we were up constantly, trying to get him back to sleep, moving him from the floor to our bed, back and forth. The next day, I decided to pick up a pack 'n play from Wal-Mart. As soon as we got it home, Angel put it together. It was probably the best 80 bucks I've ever spent. He slept like a dream (or dare I say, like a baby?) that night and almost all of his naps, too.
We also went hiking in Zion National Park. This was a scary adventure for us, because Charlie hasn't ever done anything like it. We've gone to Emilee's soccer games before, but nothing so far away from diaper bags, extra bottles, diapers and places to nap.
So, I donned the baby backpack and off we went. Within the first 5 minutes of walking, he was fast asleep, nuzzled on my chest. It was SO CUTE. We had bought a little cheezy stroller at Wal-Mart as well because I forgot his regular stroller at home (duh!). The stroller acted more as a storage on wheels deal for everything like jackets, water bottles and sunscreen. Charlie was only in it to and from the car to the park. Still, it will be nice to have one of those easy strollers when he gets a bit older and we just need something with wheels, without the bulk.
We had so much fun on our trip! The girls are so cute with him. They all want to hold him, play with him, and take such good care of him. I'm so glad he's lucky enough to get such great big sisters.
In development news, he is able to sit by himself now. I don't dare leave him alone yet, but he is up on his bum and can reach for his toys and such now. Pretty soon we're going to have to get the carpets cleaned and the house baby-proofed because this little guy is about to explore and destroy!

Kevin is trying to convince Charlie to eat his peaches. Charlie
was not convinced.

We Be Movin'

Charlie had his most recent set of shots on Friday. He's had two sets of shots before now with little to no side effects but this time, he's been miserable. He had a fever of 102 degrees that night and has been fighting it off ever since. Even though he obviouly feels terrible, he's a good sport.

Kevin spent some time vacuuming this afternoon so I decided to take advantage of the clean floor to let Charlie spread out and roll around. While on his tummy, he started doing some jerking and kicking around and made his very first crawl movement. He's still a ways from actually crawling, but he is definitely moving in that direction (ha, pun).

He has been extra snuggly this week, letting me hold and cradle him while we rock in the chair. He is gaining interest in his books and loves story time. He's also more aware of his surroundings when we take walks and car rides.

I guess it didn't occur to me until recently that he's not really around new people very often. He's been held by a couple of strangers in the last week or so and let's just say he didn't exactly love it. Not that I want him to be a mama's boy or anything, but it's kind of sweet to be the one to comfort him.

His latest accomplishment is that he is now able to sit unassisted for about ten seconds before toppling over. And, he is finally interested in peek-a-boo. His doctor said it's a bit early for him to be interested in that so I guess it just shows what a genius he is.

The Well Has Run Dry



Charlie has just about outgrown his baby bath. He loves to
try to touch the water and seems fascinated with it.

I'm so thankful Charlie sleeps through the night. It is blissful to not wake up 2, 3, or 4 times during the night anymore. But, every action has a consequence.
Once Charlie stopped waking up to eat, I stopped waking up, too. That meant a longer interval between boob feeding which in turn meant loss of stimulation. So my milk supply was quickly drying up. Within a week, I went from producing 12-14 ounces to a mere 3 or 4 ounces. Even though I was feeding and/or pumping every 3 hours, I just couldn't seem to make any more.

It got even worse. Even the milk I would pump, he wouldn't eat it. Maybe it tasted funny. I don't know. I didn't taste it.


I took this one earlier this morning. Even though it's spring,
it's still chilly outside. This hat makes me laugh.

However, he is now consistently eating solids. Although he tolerates the oatmeal, he seems to like bananas and pears the best. The peaches are too sour and he did not like carrots at all.

We will be going to the 6 month appointment next week. 6 months seems to be a big milestone. He's eating solids, can almost sit up by himself and will probably be itching to crawl soon. That means it's time to get the carpets cleaned.

We were comparing Kevin's baby pictures to Charlie and he is, without a doubt, Kevin's kid. Not that there was a doubt about it in the first place - but it's pretty definitive based on looks alone.

This is Kevin with his mom back in 1971. Throw a hat on
Charlie and this could be him.

Another one of Kevin as a baby.

Charlie was just over 5 months here. Now that he knows what
he's doing, he loves to bounce in his chair.

This was about the time he figured out he had a tongue.

And this was at Liberty Park a couple of weeks ago. He had
more fun than he appears to be having in the picture.

Rock a Bye

It has been a busy couple of weeks. We had visits from two sets of grandparents, I initiated a wellness program at work and I got my hair did.

Charlie is gearing up for his 6 month appointment. 6 months! When did that happen? His personality has blossomed. He occasionally giggles now, but he's quite ticklish. He seems to recognize us more, although I love this age - he sees anyone smiling and is instantly happy. I took him to work with me last Friday and he loved seeing all the new faces! We also went to visit Kevin at work and, although he was getting a bit crabby, he was still such a good boy for all of Kevin's co-workers.

Now I'm going to brag. Charlie is a champion sleeper. I mean, serious champ. He is ready for bed around 7, and sleeps all through the night. He doesn't wake up until 6 or 7 in the morning which is perfect as it gives us some time to spend together before I go to work. AND, we do actually have a routine now! It's like magic.

7:00 Wake up time - extra cuddles and play time
7:15 Boob time (my supply is just about dried up, but I still have to pump/feed about three times a day)
7:30 Diaper change, breakfast for mom, play time for Charlie
8:00 Cuddle/play time
8:30 Nap time, mom gets ready for the day
9:30 Charlie wakes up, diaper and clothes
10:30 Mom goes to work

On the days I stay home, we're still trying to get the hang of the afternoon. He is still taking three naps a day usually, about an hour each. At first I thought this was too much sleep. I mean, I know he's still an infant, but that's about 16 hours a day of sleep. Doesn't that seem like a lot? But I guess it's not. And he is SO MUCH happier when he sleeps well.

While we're on the subject of sleep, check out how Charlie sleeps.

Usually, he is on his belly. Often, his face is buried in the softness of his bumpers. Trust me, I am the first to acknowledge how alarming this is. I have tried moving him, rolling him, taking everything out, putting him to sleep with a soft animal and taking it out...many things to try and comfort him to sleep but keep him safe in the night. He just wakes up as soon as the "softies" are gone. He will not stay asleep otherwise. So, I stare with a hawk's eye at my video monitor quite a bit during the night and haven't slept soundly in ages, but he is old enough to roll over and seems to be breathing just fine, even when on his tummy or squished in the corner.

I've lost 9 pounds since I started in March. It's a far cry from the total I am aiming for, but my clothes are fitting much better and I can fit in just about all of my pre-baby clothes.