Visiting Cox Farm with a Infant...

I will not lie when I say there are things that I want to do with Collin for the first time.  

One of them was going to Cox Farms.

I know he is too young to actually go in and participate in the rides, etc but I wanted to take him to see all the pumpkins and as Joe and I have done each year pick our pumpkin.  

This is especially special to me because it was around this time last year that we announced.....

We would be having a little boy with our pumpkin that we picked out at Cox Farm.

And now... that little boy is here with us!

So last weekend we headed out to Cox Farm on Sunday just to play in the pumpkin patch and get some photos.  Collin I think was a little overwhelmed by all the Orange....

But it was cool to see him looking and exploring the pumpkins.  

We got some great pictures and because it was pre-opening weekend no one was there which made it awesome and very low key. 

They had employee's going around offering to take family photos so of course we said yes. 

 Collin exploring the pumpkin and then wanting to bite it!

 Awesome family photo

We spent about 45 minutes there just playing with the pumpkins and taking pictures which proved very stimulating to Collin who proceeded to take a 2 hour nap when we got home! 

Yeah for pumpkin season and fall!

Happy 6 Months!

Happy 6 Months Collin!

This by far as being my favorite month yet.  

You are becoming a little person!  

You have starting babbling, sitting up on your own, and starting to try to crawl.

You are starting to play with objects, you are starting splash during bath time, and I think we are getting ready to enter the phase that we throw things.  

In fact, on your 6 month birthday I came home and you reached up for me for the first time.  

This pulled on my heart strings.  

You love your jumper-roo!  

Who even invented this was a genius!

We put away your baby swing, your activity mat, and your bouncer.  

You are out of the snap n go and in your big stroller- this was done because I can not lift you in the snap n go anymore and it was also time.  

We put up a swing outside on the porch which you are loving!

You are also starting to reach for Clemson and will pull on his hair which Clemson tolerated quite well. 

You are so much fun!!!

You are so big!!! 

I am putting most of your 6 month stuff away, and putting you into 9 month clothes.  

Your 6 month appointment will be next week because the nurse practitioner you see is on vacation this week and I like seeing the same provider.  You are in size 3 diapers.  

You are pretty much sleeping thru the night. Going down at 7 pm and waking up between 6-8 pm.  We occassionally have a bad night but by bad I mean you wake up once.  Naps are kind of all over the place- but you take two a day when you are home with me.  One in the morning and one in the afternoon- they last anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours but the average is 1 hour.  

Eating- You are eating mostly breast milk with about 35 ounces a day, and having 1 meal of oatmeal.  We tried a couple days of baby food, but felt  you were still learning to eat so went back to oatmeal for three weeks.  This week we have started back trying solids and it is going much better.  We are doing yams which you are showing that you like.  Next up carrots and bannans.  I actually think we are going to start doing oatmeal at your 9 am feeding and then pureed foods at your 5 pm eating in a week or two.  I am most excited about this because it means that I can decrease the amount I am pumping.  I love you- but I HATE pumping.  

You are still doing great at daycare- and you are so happy there.  You love your two teachers and they love you!  

This month, working and being a mom has hit.  Not from the stand point of “oohhh I miss my baby, and no one can take as good as care as his mom.”  I do not believe this- in fact I have learned alot from your daycare providers and love that you are getting socialized.  It is hard because I feel like I am doing two full time job with not enough time to both the way I would like.  That being said I have am learning to let go, especially with work.  When I leave work, I do not check in again until I am back at work.  The days of checking my laptop from home and answering email/labs are over!  Also on my days off, I spend time with you which means stuff around the house may not get done or to the level that I would have done previously.  It also means I am doing more chores after you go to bed- like the grocery store, laundry, etc.   

This month we went on our first family vacation to St. Augustine Florida.   

Your dad and I went in with low expectations because well you are a baby and we have heard horror stories of taking babies on vacation- i.e not sleeping, crying all the whole plane ride, not napping, not adjusting, etc.  WE HAD A BLAST and you were the best baby ever!  You had your bottle on the plane and then feel asleep for most of the flight in my arms.  

When you did wake up all you wanted to do was play with the plastic cup...

Once we got there we headed to the condo and spent the next 5 days on our schedule.  We went to the beach, the pool, out to eat, winery, watched the Clemson game, and actually got some much needed rest, etc.  It was perfect and you slept AMAZING!!! Now traveling with all the stuff- we had to take your car seat, stroller, and pack in play was not fun but it could have been worse and we got around on having to pay to check luggage- which rocked!  The condo was perfect because you had your own room which we set up the pack n play in, it also had a washer/dryer and full kitchen.  We ended going to the grocery store when we got there and purchased enough for a weeks worth of Breakfast and lunches, most nights we ate out or ate left overs.  

We did go up to Jax on day to visit with both set of Great Grandparents- and you were just awesome all around considering it was a very long day.  

We also celebrated your grandfather’s 60th Birthday and your Uncle G and Laura #2 came home so that was a special treat. 

We ended out the month with a groupon that I had been saving...

OMG so cute...

Up next month....

Your 6 month appointment with all your shots

Get together with friends on multiple weekends

Hopefully Cox Farms

Lots of Clemson football watching!

Happy 5 Months!

It is crazy to believe that you are 5 months
and that summer is almost over!

OMG- could you be any more cute?
I know what mommy's new favorite color to dress you in is...

It has been a fun and tiring summer filled with alot of firsts.  

You survived my first month back at work and as I dropped you off this morning at your permanent daycare, I am looking forward to the next month.
Mostly because now with daycare less than 1/4 mile from our house we can establish sort of a routine.  

You have been a pretty good sleeper this month considering you daycare hopped from everyone.  

Going down around 7 pm and sleeping until 5 am- waking up to feed and then going back to bed till 8am.  

We have used the Ferber method a couple nights when you wake up at 10 or 11 pm-  it works pretty well.  Max time was 23 minutes and min time was 7.
You are a stomach sleeper and I totally love in the morning when I go to get you up you are in your turtle position with your neck up and looking around and once you see me it is all smiles-
Seriously the best part of my day!

Your naps are starting to rock.  

We are pretty much down to two a day unless you wake up super early.  

Your morning nap is normally 30 min to 1 hour and then after noon nap is longer, one and half hours.  

We now have your nap routine down- I put you in your sleep sack, read you a book, and before I finish, you are already rubbing your eyes.  

You are a moose when it comes to eating-
some days taking in as much as 45 ounces.  

On average is around 40.  

We decided to jump into the whole solid foods-
yes I know the recommendation is for nothing but breastmilk for the first 6 months-
but you were ready- grabbing our food and cups.

You are also showing more interest at holding your own bottle- AMEN!

Your first meal was oatmeal-
you had 1 ounce the first night and did awesome.

I was not looking forward to solids because it was just another thing to worry about.  

But thanks to some friends advice I made homemade baby food and frooze it in an ice tray which each cube is one ounce.  I then each week put it in the fridge in the containers so it is ready for either I or daddy to feed you.  I plan on only giving you 1 ounce at a time at first. 

I was kind of surprised how awesome you did,
which just reinforced that it was time for solids.  

We continued this for about a week when on Saturday night we gave you your first taste of carrots- OMG you love carrots and now you hate oatmeal- such is life.  

Last night you had an ounce of oatmeal and one ounce of carrots.  

Coming up soon is avacado and bananas.  

You continue to be so happy!  

Seriously, thank you!  

It amazes me how you just laugh at me when I am being silly.

We have learned to accessorize- which even though you are a boy is still very important!

You are having more moments that you look like your dad-
which makes him very proud....but I still think you look ALOT like my dad and me.

You have started to notice your dog brother and actually will pet him if he sits next to you.

You are in 6 month clothes which I think will last you at least another month to two months depending on the brand.

You are still putting everything in your mouth and starting to really be able to lift yourself up on your stomach.  I totally think you look like a turtle when you do this.  

You are rolling like crazy and starting to try to use your legs to crawl but you still have alot of work to do.  We put your activity mat away because with rolling so much you were getting frustrated with it.
You are starting to be able to sit up on your own for limited time periods.  

You have switched over to the bigger part of the infant tub because you are so long,
you are too big for it.  

All and all you are pretty awesome.  

This month was pretty busy with mommy going back to work but we filled it with 

visiting with friends, lots of trips to the pool, and a trip to Burke Park which we did not hike like your father thought we were going to!  

Can't wait for 6 months....

Up this month is Vacation to St Augstine Beach!!!! 

WAHOO!!!