First Christmas

It's hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone. Half of my vacation, already over! Ack!

Last week was wonderful. We always have four days of Christmas festivities every year. The Saturday before Christmas, we get together with Wes's mom's family. On Christmas Eve, we go to Wes's parents' house to celebrate with them. On Christmas morning, we have our family time. Then that afternoon, we go to Aunt Pam's to celebrate with my family. And the day after Christmas, Wes's dad's family gets together. Isaac enjoyed spending time with everyone and opening all of his presents. Although, truthfully, he would've been just as happy to play with the paper and boxes.

We enjoyed introducing Isaac to all of our family traditions, especially the Waiting Tree. When Wes was a boy, his mom found the idea in a magazine, and she passed it on to us when we got married. Every year, we hang up a felt Christmas tree and decorate it with a different "ornament" every day. We read a passage from the Bible, and then we put up the felt piece that corresponds to it. So for instance, when we read about Joseph's coat of many colors, there's a colorful coat that we put on the tree. This year, Wes read the scriptures, and then Isaac "helped" me put up the symbols. In actuality, the felt pieces always made their way to Isaac's mouth, and I gently pried them from his fingers so I could put them on the tree. Then, we would sing and pray together. It was a great time of family worship.

We also enjoyed taking Isaac to Guido Gardens. It's a beautiful place, particularly around this time of year. It's always decorated so nicely, with so many lights. It's a far drive, so we had to break Isaac's new bedtime routine that night, but it was definitely worth it. Isaac enjoyed looking at everything. Also, this year, Mr. Guido had the talking deer back up. Isaac watched in amazement as the deer told the Christmas story. It was so cute!

Wes and I went to something called The Journey, at Savannah Christian Church. It was at night, so we didn't take Isaac with us. That would've kept him up way past his bedtime, and we'd learned the week before that breaking the routine is not a good thing! So Wes's mom watched Isaac for us so we could go. It was basically a live nativity, and we traveled in tribes. Wes and I were in the tribe of Joseph. While we were waiting for our tribe to be called, we stayed in the sanctuary where they had an awesome worship time. They had singing, videos, and different pastors came out to talk about various things. When it was time for our tribe to make the journey, we had a centurion lead us on our way. We traveled to different checkpoints, and at each one part of the Christmas story was reenacted. Everything looked so authentic; the city of Bethlehem truly looked like a movie set. The whole experience was such a blessing, and we decided that is definitely going to become a family tradition once Isaac is old enough to participate.

Several people thought Isaac would be walking by this Christmas, but he didn't quite make it. He's been pulling up on things and cruising around the house. He's even stood alone for a few seconds. His muscles are definitely getting stronger, but he's got a little ways to go yet. Next Christmas, though, he'll be walking and able to understand more of what's going on. Now we really can't wait for that.

Worship

Well, we're all finally over the sickness now. Wes was over it in a few days, Isaac has been over it for a couple weeks now, and I've finally gotten my voice back within the last week. I'm so happy that I can sing again! So since I've been able to sing, I decided to play my guitar for Isaac on Sunday night. I felt full of joy while I was playing, and I was really enjoying myself. Towards the end of the song, Isaac raised both hands above his head and just held them there for a minute or so. He looked up and smiled a little bit too. My heart warmed at the sight. Isaac was raising his hands in worship. I told Wes about it later, and he said he thought that must've been a really beautiful thing for God to see. I agree. Isaac is such a blessing!

Sleep...Sweet Sleep

We've been working with Isaac on how to go to sleep on his own and stay asleep for a little while now. We've tried different methods, but nothing seemed to work. This week, we resorted to letting him cry it out. I was really opposed to that but decided to do it just to see if it worked. Praise the Lord, it has. We started on Wednesday, and last night, Isaac only fussed for five minutes before he fell asleep. He woke up a couple times in the three o'clock hour, but he was able to get himself back to sleep each time. So he was in his crib from 8:30 last night until 6:30 this morning. Wes and I were very happy about that. What an important milestone.

Something else important happened this week too. Isaac learned the meaning of the word no. He has a few teeth now, and he's started biting me. Usually it would happen during a nursing session, when I didn't realize he was finished. I broke him of that, but yesterday he bit my arm a couple times. The first time, I was too shocked to do anything. The second time, while he was in the middle of biting me, I popped him on his cheek (very lightly, just enough to get his attention) and said, "No. Don't bite Mama." He looked at me, and I could tell he was shocked, because that had never happened before. I said, "Mama loves you, but you can't bite Mama." A worried expression came over his face, and he looked like he might cry, so I said again, "Mama still loves you, Isaac, but you can't bite Mama." Then he put his head to my chest and cuddled with me for a minute. That was the best. Parenthood is such a blessing!

The Wonderful World of Reading

I read somewhere that "baby's probably not ready for listening to stories yet," but I've been reading to Isaac since he was in my womb. At work, we had someone come in and talk to us about brain-based research. She told us that everything we see today (in our students) is a product of what happened between 0 to 5 years of age. Everything from baby's health to whether or not dad is in the home to how much interaction he gets on a daily basis is important.

Literacy definitely begins in the home, so I make a point to read to Isaac every day. We've got quite a collection of books so far. We were in three book clubs at one point - the Beginning Readers program, Disney Readers program (which we later dropped, but will pick up again later), and My First Steps program. Anytime I'm in the mall, I usually stop by Barnes and Noble and pick up a few books too. We read Dr. Seuss books, interactive board books, and the Bible. Anytime we read a story, Isaac gets excited as he's waiting for me to start the book. He enjoys looking at all of the pictures and helping me turn the pages.

I have The Beginners Bible, which was given to me by my grandmother when I was a kid. Somehow I managed to keep it all these years, so now I've passed it on to Isaac. This morning, I was carrying Isaac and said, "Isaac, let's read a Bible story."

I walked over to his bookcase, and he said, "Bible." My mom asks me how he can say that word, since it has two syllables. I don't know, but it was very distinct.

The publisher wrote on the book that it's for kids ages two to six, but I still read it to him anyway. We've already read through it one time, and we're close to finishing it for a second time now. When we do finish, then we'll start it over again. I don't want to wait until he's two to start reading the Bible to him. By the time he's two, I want the words to be ingrained in him.

I know that in order for Isaac to pick up the language, he has to hear it often. So I make a point to read to him, as well as talk to him about all the things we're doing around the house. Last week Wes and I were talking, and Wes said, "Yea," agreeing with something I'd said. Then I heard Isaac parrot Wes and say, "Yea," just like he was part of the conversation. When we're sitting at the dinner table, sometimes we'll let Isaac play in his Exersaucer, and other times we'll let him sit at the table with us in the high chair. He listens intently, and you can tell that he really wants to be a part of what's going on. I can't wait until we're able to have a conversation around the dinner table with the whole family. I look forward to asking Isaac how his day went at school and talking to him about things that matter.

Sickness

Isaac has been sick for over a week now. He started out with pink eye last Sunday. I first noticed that his left eye was red on Sunday evening after I got to my mom's house. I put in a call to the pediatrician, and he said to put breastmilk in his eye every two hours. (I'm continually amazed by all the things breastmilk can do.) That helped, but by Monday the infection spread to his right eye and both of them looked really bad. I took him to the doctor on Monday, and the doctor prescribed some eye drops and said he could return to daycare on Wednesday.

I stayed home with Isaac again on Tuesday, and that's when he started running a fever. Dr. Ramos had asked me the day before if he had been congested or had a fever, so I decided to call the office to let them know he had those symptoms now. They called in a prescription for an antibiotic for me, thinking it was a bacterial infection. Come to find out, it was not. By Thursday, his fever still had not gone down, and his coughing had only gotten worse.

Wes took Isaac to the doctor on Friday, and they diagnosed him with RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). It's the cause of the common cold, pneumonia, and some lung infections. In adults, RSV just manifests itself as a cold, but in babies it's much more serious. The pediatrician's office called me at work to let me know and give me instructions for the nebulizer they sent home with Wes. We've been giving Isaac three breathing treatments per day, and he has to go to the doctor to be rechecked tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Wes and I have both gotten sick from being around Isaac. Wes was feeling really bad by Wednesday, but I was fine until Friday. Thankfully, the doctor's office sent home some samples and an extra breathing device, so I've been able to do the breathing treatments too.

Isaac ran a fever all weekend, and he hasn't been eating very well. He nurses just fine, and he eats a little bit of his cereal. He isn't eating his baby food, and he didn't take much of his bottles while I was at work last week. The doctor's office told me to nurse him as much as possible and to give him water in between to make sure he stays hydrated. I stayed home with him today to make sure he stayed hydrated, so Wes is taking him to the doctor tomorrow. He'll probably take him to daycare in the afternoon, and then there are just three more days before I have a week off from work. Thanksgiving break couldn't have come at a better time this year!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Life has gotten very busy lately. It's hard to believe that it's been about a month since I posted anything. Time goes by so quickly these days.

I had fall break the second week in October. It was so nice to be able to stay at home with Isaac for a whole week! We did all kinds of things. We traveled to Savannah so I could go to the doctor and eat lunch with my mom and grandpa. We took walks at the park, played at the house, and read stories. That weekend, we took Isaac to Mrs. Rosie's house for a fall festival. We dressed him up like Superman, and he looked so cute! She invited a bunch of her friends who have small children and had all kinds of games for the kids. Mr. Mike even did a hayride, and Isaac really enjoyed it. He normally nurses in the afternoon, but he was having so much fun that he forgot all about it. We went to my mom's later for her birthday party, and he slept the whole way there.

After the week of fall break, I took my students to Jekyll Island for their study trip. We were gone from Wednesday morning until Friday evening. Isaac is still nursing, so I didn't feel like I could be away from him overnight yet. So Wes brought Isaac down on Wednesday night. There wasn't an extra room for us to stay in at the 4-H Center, so we stayed at the Days Inn just two miles away. That was good and bad at the same time. It was good because we had more privacy, and I was able to take a nice, long shower and sleep in a comfortable bed. It was bad, though, because I had to be at the 4-H Center by 7:30 in the morning, and I couldn't leave until the students were settled in for the night. That was at about 10:15, so that made for a very long day. The students had classes and breaks in between. I didn't really get a break though, because in between their classes I was changing dirty diapers and feeding my baby. So needless to say, I was exhausted when we got home on Friday night. All in all, it was a good trip though, so I was thankful for that.

We went to Jekyll last weekend too - this time for a writing retreat. This was something I did of my own volition, through the Georgia Southern Writing Project. We could work on anything we wanted the whole weekend. I chose to work on rewriting my 7th graders' Washington, D.C. booklet. I didn't get done as much as I wanted, but I still made good progress. I hope to be finished with the booklet in a couple weeks. In between writing sessions, we had some good family time. It was very relaxing, and welcomed after such a busy week the week before.

This week, I've been wide open with work. This election year has definitely been historic to say the least, and I couldn't miss this opportunity to teach my students about the election process. For the last couple of weeks, I've been teaching my students about the elections, campaigning, the duties of President, etc. On Tuesday, we held a school-wide mock election. For the remainder of the week, I've been busy trying to get papers graded. Progress reports go out next week. I can't help but find myself wondering how we're already almost halfway through the school year.

Isaac is growing so much too. He's maintained his weight for the last few weeks, but he's really filling out his 12 month outfits now. Last Sunday, after we got back from Jekyll, he crawled for the first time. That was exciting! I was afraid I was going to miss that first, since I'm working full-time. He'd been crawling backwards for a few weeks, and he'd rocked back and forth on his knees like he was getting ready to go forward. Then just like that, he started crawling forward.

Isaac is also pulling up on things. He can pull himself up to standing when his crib rail is all the way up. I'm guessing it's just a matter of time before he starts taking some steps. I hear some people say they can't wait until their children start walking, but I can. I already keep a close eye on him, but I'll have to watch him like a hawk when he can walk. Just thinking about all the stuff he can get into scares me. But, everyone has to do it sometime.

Isaac hasn't said any new words lately. Now, he mainly says "mama," "dada," and "bye-bye." It seems like he knows what the words mean too. He says mama and dada discriminately, and he says bye-bye when someone is leaving.

He will be nine months old on the 24th, and that means just a few short months until he's one year old. I'm already thinking about the party. I've been thinking about it for a couple months, but I haven't made any firm decisions on what we're going to do yet. I know he won't remember much of it, but I still want to make it a special day.

Music

I really enjoy music, and I try to incorporate it into our lives as much as possible. I'm careful about the type of music I let Isaac listen to though. Right now, he mainly listens to classical and Christian music. Every now and then, I might turn the radio to the local rock station, as long as the song that's playing doesn't have a bad message. Of course, I know Isaac can't understand the words right now, but I'm trying to get myself into the habit of doing that so it's not so hard when he's older.

I play music while we're getting ready in the mornings, when we're in the car, and when he's playing in his nursery. I sing to him while I'm nursing him and while we're doing things around the house. I also play the guitar for him at least once a week. The last couple of times, I've been letting him try to "play." I've also been "teaching" him how to use the shaker. I'll shake it a few times, and then give it to him. Amazingly, he repeats the pattern back to me. I know every mother wants to think her child is smart, but all bias aside, I really do think Isaac is a smart baby.

Isaac seems to really enjoy music, especially when we're at church. Whenever he hears the piano or people singing, he stops what he's doing and listens intently. I have visions one day of the three of us being a musical family. Wes has an awesome singing voice. I like to sing, and I play the guitar, as well as the clarinet and tambourine. Maybe Isaac will play the drums. Or who knows, maybe he'll pick up the saxophone. I can't wait to discover and develop his talents!

Surprise!

We had a surprise party for Wes on Saturday to celebrate his 30th birthday. It was stressful getting everything together, but in the end definitely worth it. Most of our family was there, and some of our friends. Everyone had a great time, including Isaac. I didn't even know where he was half the time, as he kept getting passed around from person to person. Isaac is a very loved baby, that's for sure.

Work is busy, but I feel like I've been doing a good job of balancing it all. We've settled into a flexible routine, and that makes things easier. Fall break is coming soon, though, and I'm looking forward to that. It'll be nice to be home for a whole week, spending more time with Isaac and getting things done around the house.

Isaac now has two teeth! They haven't come in all the way yet, but you can see them. We started seeing them late last week. He's been getting up in the middle of the night still, which I'm assuming is related to the teething. I no longer nurse him in the middle of the night, except on rare occasion. I will be very glad when all of his teeth have come in so we can all start sleeping more again. Even as I type this, I am yawning, which is a definite sign that it is time to go to sleep...

What a Week!

It's hard to believe that it's been over three weeks since my last post. Everytime I sat down at the computer to type, something else caught my attention. It's been an interesting week, to say the least. Isaac has been sick all week, and Wes and I have taken turns staying home with him.

Last Friday, I left school half a day early so that we could take Isaac for his six month checkup. Everything looked good during the visit. As of last Friday, he was 27" and 18 pounds, 11 ounces. He's meeting all of his milestones, and he did great with his immunizations. Isaac didn't make one sound when the nurse gave him his first shot. After the second one, he fussed for about five seconds, and then he was fine. Thank the Lord for a good baby!

After we left the doctor's office, we drove to the coast where Wes's parents were waiting for us. One of Wes's uncles has a house out there, and he let us stay for the night. When we got there, we only had enough time to go to dinner. By the time we got back, Isaac was ready for bed. On Saturday, though, we took him for a walk throughout the neighborhood in the morning. In the afternoon, we took him for a boat ride to a manmade beach. Wes's parents bought him a lifejacket, and he looked so cute in it. We took it off when we got to the beach and let him play in the water for a little while. We left for home soon after we got back so we could give Isaac a bath and put him to bed.

On Monday, Labor Day, we relaxed around the house for a while and then had some family over in the evening. Wes's parents, brother, and cousin came. My parents, sister, and her boyfriend also came over. Wes grilled some chicken and vegetables, and I made some potato salad. Everyone had a nice time.

On Tuesday, I woke up with what I thought was pink eye. Thankfully, I found a substitute to go in for me. I went to the doctor and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that it was not pink eye, just an eye infection. So Isaac and I were able to spend the whole day together, and that was nice.

On Wednesday, Isaac woke up with a 102 degree temperature, and he's been home ever since. Wes and I have taken turns staying home and taking him to the doctor. Wes took him to the doctor on Wednesday, and I took him today. It turns out that he just has a really bad cold. It's a virus, though, so no medication for that. He was throwing up, coughing, sneezing with lots of drainage, and being pretty fussy. The last couple of days have been better though. He seemed to be in a better mood last night, and he ate a little better today. The nurse practioner told me he should be fine by Monday.

Since I last posted, Isaac has tried many new foods. So far he's eaten rice cereal, squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, sweet peas, bananas, applesauce, and broccoli, respectively. Most things he tried for a week at a time so we could make sure there were no allergies, with the exception of bananas. Normally, he starts his new foods on Saturdays, because I like to see his reaction to them. But, I decided to give him applesauce on Tuesday since I was home with him and he really didn't like bananas when we gave them to him over the weekend. Today, I made my own broccoli for him since I couldn't find any prepared packages in the store, and he really liked it.

Since Isaac has started solids, his eating patterns have changed. He nurses when he wakes up in the morning. Then he eats cereal, fruit, and nurses (or takes a bottle at daycare) for breakfast. He eats a vegetable and nurses for lunch. Usually, he nurses mid-afternoon. Then for dinner, he eats cereal, a vegetable, and nurses. He nurses one more time, and then he goes to bed. So now Isaac is not eating as frequently, which is a breath of heaven for me. The first time he went three hours between feedings, I was elated. I truly did not know what to do with my time. Now if only I could get him to sleep through the night.

Isaac can also do many more things now. He's sitting up by himself, with very little help. Sometimes he will fall over, but he's getting more and more proficient at it. I also saw him roll from his back to his stomach for the first time today. The girls at the daycare told me he does that there sometimes, but he had yet to do that at home until this afternoon. Isaac is also much more vocal. So far, he has said eight words: dada, hey, mama, boo, bye, Bible, ball, and hi, respectively.

Yes, he really said Bible! I was reading a Bible story to him out of his Beginner's Bible one night. He started trying to grab the book and made a b sound. I said, "Yea, Isaac, we're reading a book. B-b-book." He kept making the b sound, so I closed the Bible and said, "Look, Isaac, we're reading a book. We're reading your Bible. B-b-Bible." I moved my finger across the word and said, "Bi-ble" very slowly a few times. Wes came in the room, and he started saying it too. And then Isaac said it, several times!

I looked at Wes incredulously and said, "Did I hear that right? Did he just say Bible?!" Wes nodded and smiled. Then he grabbed a baseball that someone gave Isaac as a gift and said, "Look Isaac, it's a ball. B-b-ball." Wes said that a few times, and then Isaac repeated him exactly, "B-b-ball."

Something else Isaac has been doing a good bit of is laughing. He laughs over everything. The girls at the daycare were marveling over how much he laughs, and I said, "Well you know what his name means, right?" They didn't. "'He laughs.' He's definitely true to his name." He is, and he's such a blessing.

Pictures!

I haven't posted any pictures in a while, so here are some recent ones!

Week 3

This is my third week of being back at work. It's definitely a balancing act. So far, I think I'm doing ok with it. I've only stayed at school past 3:50 one day, and that was only because we had a faculty meeting. I still get to spend lots of time with Isaac at the end of the day, and I don't feel like he's getting the "leftovers." It's been quality time that I've been able to spend with him each afternoon, and I look forward to it every day. The house isn't as picked up as I would like, but my mom told me to just get used to the fact that my house will never be clean again. She fussed at me one day, actually. She said, "Your child is going to be growing up, and you'll be cleaning the house. Don't worry about it!"

Isaac got sick last week. It was the second time he's been sick since he was born. The first time, he caught a virus from someone at church. This time, it was from someone at daycare. They called me on Thursday morning at 9:00 to tell me that Isaac was throwing up and that I needed to come pick him up. So I very quickly told my administrator, found someone to cover my classes, and left notes for the rest of the day. I was out the door in 30 minutes, which is truly amazing for me.

After I picked up Isaac from daycare, I took him straight to the doctor. Everything was looking fine, until the nurse practioner checked his mouth. It was then that she discovered that he had a virus called herpangina (mouth blisters). She told me to keep putting breastmilk in Isaac's nose, as well as saline drops, for his congestion. Other than that, there was nothing she could do. Viruses just have to run their course. She told me she expected that he would run a fever, but that he would be fine to go back to daycare on Monday.

Wes stayed home with Isaac on Friday, and they had a good day together. He took him for a walk at the park and ate lunch with his parents. Isaac also took a three hour nap, which amazed me. I would never get the three hour nap. I'd be lucky to have him sleep for one! But I digress. Wes and Isaac had a great day at home, and Isaac never ran a fever all weekend.

This week has been flying by. It's hard to believe that the second week of school is halfway over already. Isaac has been developing so much too. He said his first word a few weeks ago, "dada." His second word was "hey," his third word "mama," and his fourth word was "boo." He's able to stay up for much longer while on his stomach now. He's not crawling yet, but he's trying. He can sit up with support, and he's almost able to sit up without support. As far as foods, he's eating cereal for breakfast, a vegetable for lunch, and another vegetable and cereal for dinner. This week, he'll finish up all of his yellow vegetables (squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes), and then he'll start on green beans. Once we finish the green vegetables, then he'll start on fruits.

Isaac still isn't sleeping through the night. I thought he might start doing that once he started solids, but that hasn't been the case. That will definitely be a point of conversation at his next well baby checkup. He's still teething, but he doesn't have any teeth yet. Although, the nurse practioner did see a tooth ridge when she examined him last week, so maybe he'll have one soon.

This is the best stage of infancy, in my opinion. Every time you turn around, Isaac is learning something new. And he's always so happy. True to his name, he laughs all the time. This is really the best time of our lives!

Working Again

I went back to work last week for pre-planning, and the students came back today. So far, so good. Isaac is doing really well at his daycare. He really likes the girls who are keeping him, and he's been eating well for them. He hasn't been napping as well, but he's doing better each day. I think it's just going to take some time to get adjusted to the new surroundings and noise in his classroom.

I've been doing well being back at work too. I took Isaac to daycare for his first day, mainly to go over his feeding plan and other odds and ends with his teacher. I also took him on Thursday, because I didn't have to be at work until 11:00 since I was required to work until 7:00 at night for open house. Every other day, Wes took him. I picked him up every day except for Friday, because Wes only works half a day on Fridays.

Some people told me they cried all the way to work on the first day they took their babies to daycare. I didn't though. I wouldn't allow myself to get that upset, because I doubted my ability to regain my composure. After only an hour of being at work, I was already thinking about Isaac and wanting to hold him. I called to check on him, and, of course, he was fine. I also went to see him on my lunch break, hoping to get in a little cuddle time. He was napping though. On Tuesday, I went again during my lunch break, but just a little bit later. That time, I was able to cuddle with him and nurse him. On Wednesday, I worked through lunch and picked him up early. Thursday, we had the whole morning together, and Friday was the first day we were apart for the entire day. Each day, he was fine when I called to check on him and when I picked him up. He didn't fuss when we left, and they said the only times he cried during the day were when he was hungry or tired. They also said he laughs and "talks" all day.

The students came back today, so I couldn't leave work during lunch. We have to stay in the cafeteria with the students, and we only get thirty minutes anyway. I was more tired when I picked up Isaac today, but I figure that's going to continue until he starts sleeping through the night again.

Isaac has been doing well with solid foods. He's been eating cereal for breakfast, a vegetable for lunch, and another vegetable for dinner. So far he's tried squash and carrots, and he's liked both. Next week, he'll try sweet potatoes. I was hoping that would help him sleep through the night, but so far it's been about the same. Every few hours, he's up. And every few hours, he's hungry.

All in all, things have been going well since I've been back at work. I've been able to keep up all my activities so far, and the housework. Isaac has brought more balance to my life, that's for sure. And I'm more fulfilled now than I've ever been.

Last Week

This is my last week at home. Tomorrow, Isaac will be five months old. On Monday, he'll be starting daycare, and I'll be going back to work. Where has the time gone? It seems to have slipped away from me.

I've just been trying to really enjoy this last week with Isaac. On Monday, I took him to Guido Gardens. It was beautiful, as always. It's always interesting to see Isaac's expression when he's in a new place. His eyes are so full of wonder as he looks all around.

Yesterday was a quiet day at home. We did all of our usual stuff. I made sure he had time in the bouncy chair and swing. He looked in mirrors and had tummy time. We sang songs and read books. He worked on sitting up in the Bumbo chair and on the couch. We spent some time outside in the yard, and walking at Stilson Park. He also tried his exersaucer for the first time, and he enjoyed it.

Today has been a quiet day too. We went to the daycare this morning so I could drop off some of his things. I dropped off a box of diapers, some toys, and a 3-drawer storage system with his bibs, burp rags, blankets, and extra clothes. I figure that will make Monday that much easier. All I'll have to bring then are his bottles, pacifiers, teething rings, and a few other things that I forgot to bring today.

Isaac is napping right now, and he looks so peaceful. Later on, we'll go to church. I hope to be able to continue going after school starts, but we'll see. I'll be teaching the youth next Wednesday night, so that'll be a good test. If it's too much for me next week when I'm only in pre-planning at work, then I'll know to take a break for a little while.

I feel comfortable with the daycare I've chosen. My main concern is being able to get enough rest and juggle all of my responsibilities. I've been trying to get up earlier for the last couple of weeks and not take naps during the day. I've been able to function, but so far the earliest I've been able to get up is 6:50. I figure I'll be motivated to get out of bed sooner once I have to do it though.

Isaac has been reaching more milestones lately. A couple nights ago, he very distinctively said, "Hey." He's also been trying to imitate sounds that we make. I'll say, "I love you," and he'll stick is tongue out and make an l sound. I've also been saying, "Can you say, Mama? Mma, mma. Mama!" He's tried to imitate that m sound a few times, but so far I haven't heard the word.

Isaac also started on solids last Saturday. That was really exciting! It only took Isaac about five minutes to figure out he needed to stop sticking his tongue out in order to eat the cereal. He got a good bit on his face in the beginning, but by the end of the feeding, there wasn't much on his face anymore. And of course, Wes videotaped the whole thing. That is going to be priceless to watch in the years to come!

My pediatrician originally told me to wait until he's six months old, but he changed his mind once I told him how often he's been eating (every 2 hours, pretty much around the clock). I also told him that he hasn't been sleeping through the night anymore, and he won't go back to sleep unless I feed him because he truly is hungry. So he gave me the green light to start him on rice cereal. He said if he doesn't seem more satisified during the day, to start vegetables too. He goes 2 1/2 to 3 hours between feedings when he's had the cereal, but after that it's back to every 2 hours. So this Saturday, we'll let him try his first vegetable, squash, and see how he does.

Isaac is also able to sit with support now. He's been practicing sitting up in his Bumbo chair for a while now, but he's also getting to the point where he can sit up on the couch when supported with pillows. Then last night, he rolled over onto his stomach! It was an accident, but usually that's how rolling over starts. He's been trying his hardest to lift up on his knees and crawl too. It won't be long, and he'll be mobile!

First Vacation

We're back from vacation now, and we had a great time! We left for Jekyll Island last Sunday. Once we got everything packed and loaded into the car, we set out for Jekyll Island...or so we thought. We made it a whopping two miles before we had to pull over. Isaac was being really fussy and wanted to eat. We thought we would have an hour on the road before his next feeding, but alas, we were wrong. As we pulled over onto the side of the road, Wes and I just looked at each other and laughed. That would be the first of seven--yes, seven--stops before we reached our destination. Two of them (for gas and food) would have happened anyway, but the other five were because Isaac was fussing. What should have been a two hour trip turned into a four hour trip. But, we didn't mind. We weren't in any rush. We were, after all, on vacation.

Once we got there, we had a great time. Isaac was such a good baby. We took him all kinds of places, and he was pleasant everywhere we went. The only time he fussed was when we were in the car. So I rode in the backseat with him, and that helped calm him most of the time. Isaac also adapated well to sleeping in a new place. We took the pack 'n' play, and he slept in there next to our bed. Two nights, he actually slept for ten hours...straight. I still woke up at the times he normally eats, as my body has become accustomed to his schedule. Each time, I checked to make sure that he looked fine and was still breathing, and then drifted back to sleep.

Vacation for us is usually jam-packed with activities, but this year we took it very slow. We still had a great time though, and it was probably one of our better vacations because of how much we were able to relax. On Sunday, we took Isaac for a walk in his stroller and then for another walk on the beach later that evening. He was scared of the waves at first, but he eventually warmed up to the idea of putting his feet in the water.

On Monday, we drove to the Jacksonville Zoo. We stayed there the majority of the day. Isaac enjoyed looking at the animals, when he was awake. We walked throughout most of the zoo and would've stayed a little longer if it hadn't started to rain. After waiting out the storm for an hour, we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel.

Every time Wes and I have gone to Jekyll, we've always rented a double bike and biked all over the island. So on Tuesday, that's what we did. The guy we rented them from helped us secure the car seat in between us, and off we went. We didn't bike in all the same places, as some of the terrain would have been too rough for a baby, but we still had fun. We spent most of our time in the historic district. The interesting thing was, Isaac seemed to draw a crowd everywhere we went. At one point, Wes waited outside with Isaac while I went to The Commisary to get a drink. When I walked out of the store, Wes and Isaac were surrounded by a group of elderly women. They were just swooning over Isaac, talking to him and marveling over how adorable he is. Wes was beaming from ear to ear, like the proud daddy that he is.

Wednesday was our last day on Jekyll Island. We took Isaac to the Sea Turtle Center. He seemed to enjoy looking at the turtles and the different displays. Just as we finished, he fell asleep. We decided to take advantage of that quiet time and started the journey home. This time, the trip was much quicker, as we only had to stop one time.

We spent the rest of the week just relaxing at home. It was oh so nice, and very needed.

Update

We had a good Father's Day last weekend. On Friday, we celebrated with Wes's dad. His parents and brother came over for dinner, and we spent time talking afterwards. On Saturday, we celebrated Wes's Father's Day. It was a little broken up though, because Wes had inadvertently agreed to perform a wedding ceremony that day. Then on Sunday, we had my parents and sister over to celebrate with my dad. It was a busy weekend, but a good kind of busy.

Isaac reached another milestone today. This morning during tummy time, he rolled over onto his back! I was videotaping him, and he became a little fussy. Thinking that tummy time was over, I turned off the video camera and went to go pick him up. Before I could, he rolled over. So hoping that he would do it again, I put him back on his stomach and quickly got ready with the camera. Much to my delight, he did roll over again. Before long, he's going to be rolling over from his back to his stomach and then crawling. How exciting!

Next week, we're going to be on vacation. We plan on taking it very easy, and I'm looking forward to having some quality time as a family. It's hard to believe that four months have already passed since Isaac has been born. Just one more month, and then I'll be back at work. It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone.

Things I Hear Often

• "He's such a pretty baby. Boys aren't supposed to be pretty, but he is!"
  I would have to agree that Isaac is a very handsome baby. We're probably going to have to beat off all the girls with a stick when he gets older!
  


• "He seems like such a happy baby!"
  Isaac is a very happy baby. He has a pretty pleasant temperament. He's quite the flirt too, smiling all the time at different people that he meets.
  


• "His eyes are some of the prettiest blue eyes I've seen!"
  Yes, Isaac definitely got Wes's eyes. And that's actually the same thing I said about Wes, as his eyes were the first thing I noticed when I met him. People also comment about how long Isaac's eyelashes are, which is another trait he got from Wes.
  


• "I can't decide who he looks like. I think he's a combination of the two of you."
  When he was first born, everyone said Isaac looked exactly like me. Now, though, I do see both of us reflected in him. From the eyes up, he looks like Wes. From the nose down, he looks like me.
  


• "His face looks different since the last time I saw him!"
  Yes, his face seems to be changing every day. I can't tell as much, since I'm around him all the time. I notice it the most when I look at pictures.
  
  
• "He's so alert!"
  Isaac does have the ability to concentrate for a long time, especially for a baby. I took him to church on Wednesday night and kept him with me instead of putting him in the nursery. He sat in my lap and was quiet for the entire lesson - a total of 30 minutes. I jokingly told Wes that he was better behaved than some of the teenagers.

And the thing I hear the most?

• "That's a big baby!!!"
  Yes, he most definitely is. When I took him to the doctor on Monday, he weighed in at 14 pounds, 14 ounces. I think I am going to be really strong by the time I go back to work!

First Beach Trip

Isaac is just about over his cold now. He's had a slight temperature every day since I last took him to the doctor, but the doctor said it's not anything to worry about. I took him back to the doctor yesterday so he could be rechecked, and Patty said he is fine.

Isaac went on his first trip to the beach on Saturday. I was a little apprehensive about it, because the pediatrician told me not to put any sunscreen on him before six months. It has something to do with the chemicals in the sunscreen, and it can also interfere with the baby's perspiration. Dr. Ramos said it would be fine to go, but just to cover him up. Patty, the nurse practioner, said it would be better not to go, warning that the sun's rays are reflected off the sand and the water. Well every year, Wes's mom's family goes to the beach together, and this was it, so we decided to take him.

Right as we were getting ready to walk out the door, Isaac let us know that he was hungry. We knew it would be close to the time we had to leave, but we were hoping that we'd be able to travel for at least a little while before he needed to eat. It didn't happen though, so we ended up leaving an hour later than we planned. It takes a little over an hour to drive to the beach, so by the time we got there, all of the good parking spots were gone. We ended up parking over a mile away from where Wes's family was. By the time we got there, we were about two hours late, which is pretty comical. Normally, we are one of the first ones there. Somehow I don't think that'll be the case anymore, at least not for another few years. But, thankfully, Isaac slept through everything. He didn't wake up until just a few minutes before we arrived.

Since Isaac wasn't allowed to wear sunscreen, we had a canopy set up for him. If he didn't get sunburned, I was worried that Isaac would be fussy from being too hot. That didn't happen though. Wes's dad found a battery-operated fan, and we put that on him the whole time. Wes and I had also bought a baby pool so he could cool off. When it was time to nurse him, I went to Wes's dad's truck to do so. So he was fine. We got some really cute pictures of him playing in his baby pool, which I'll have to post later. We took them with Wes's phone, and Wes is at work right now. All in all, we had a great time. I can't wait for next year, when Isaac will be able to build sand castles, play beach games, and go in the water!

Back to Work

I went back to work this week, but only for three days. The students have gone home for the summer, but I had to go in for three days of post-planning. I had some comp time saved up from work I'd done while I was out on maternity leave, so I was able to leave early each day. I also decided to work through lunch, so in actuality I really only worked three half days. My mom took off work so she could watch Isaac for me, and I knew he was being well-cared for. Still, it was hard to leave him. The first day I was back, I called to see how things were going before an hour had elapsed. Of course, he was fine. He really enjoyed spending time with his grandma.

The first day back at work, I was glad to be back and get some things done in my classroom. I felt refreshed after I left, after having a little break from child-rearing responsibilities. The second day, I struggled a little more. I paid attention to every little thing when I got back to my mom's, afraid that our bond would not be as good after being away from him two days in a row. He did act a little differently, but I realized later that it was because he was sick. By the third day, I did better and felt better about working, but I still missed him terribly. This week was a good trial run for me, though, to get an idea of what it will be like when I really go back to work at the end of the summer, to start another school year. My first day of pre-planning is on July 28th, and I'm sure it will be here before I know it!

Isaac is still sick. He had a fever on Tuesday of 100.3, so I took him to the doctor on Wednesday afternoon. We saw Patty, the nurse practioner, this time. Patty listened to his lungs, inspected his ears and mouth, and she said that he is clear. He's been coughing, but that's due to some mucous in the back of his throat. The nurse took a few drops of blood, which confirmed that he does have a viral infection. They didn't prescribe any medication though, saying that it would be better for his body to work it out. They didn't even want me to give him Tylenol unless his fever got up to 101, saying that the fever would help fight the infection. All she told me to do is continue putting breastmilk in his nose before he eats, like I did before when he was congested.

I'm thinking Isaac probably got sick from being around people at church, because that is the only time he's around large crowds. For some reason, people love to touch babies' hands and feet, and you know what happens next. The hands and feet go in the baby's mouth. I usually wipe them off (after the people leave, of course), but apparently that wasn't enough this time. I can't quarantine him forever though. This is just part of life. If he's around people--whether it's at church, or the store, or a daycare--he's going to pick up germs. We'll just have to be more careful with him from now on. I really wish that he could just give his cold to me and let me fight it, since my immune system is stronger. I wonder if that's how God felt about us, when He sent His Son to die for us.

As far as what else is new, bathtime has become a daily activity now. It's part of our nighttime routine. Even though he's not really dirty every night, I think it's good to have that as part of our bedtime routine. When I was preparing to go back to work, I quickly realized that we need to have some things in place to let Isaac know it's nighttime and time to go to sleep. Plus, it's a good bonding activity, and he loves it. Wes bought these "disco duckies" (rubber duckies that light up), and Isaac loves looking at them while he's taking a bath.

Another first that Isaac had this week is Vacation Bible School (VBS). VBS was going on all week at our church, but I only took him on Monday night. The theme was a luau, and I had the perfect outfit to dress him in for the occassion. Everyone thought he was so cute and oohed and aahed over him. I thought I might help out where needed, but I quickly realized that was not going to happen. Isaac demanded most of my attention, as he should. I spent half my time taking care of his needs--nursing him, changing his diapers, cleaning up his spit-up, etc. The rest of the time was spent walking around taking pictures and talking to people.

Now for some pictures!

Memorable Days

We've had a couple of memorable days lately. One, of course, was my very first Mother's Day. We decided to split up the celebration into different days so we could spend adequate time with everyone. My Mother's Day celebration was on that Saturday, May 10th. Wes surprised me by making me breakfast in bed. After a quiet morning, we stopped by Subway to pick up some sandwiches and then drove to G.L. Smith State Park for a picnic. We found a nice spot overlooking the lake and ate there. Just as we were finishing up eating, Isaac woke up and was ready to eat. Afterwards, we found a walking trail called Squirrel Trail and walked along that. It was over a mile roundtrip. Just as we neared the end of our journey, the weather started looking dismal, so we went home. Wes finished putting together the new computer desk we'd gotten earlier in the week, and I tended to the baby. It was a nice, quiet evening at home. All in all, the day was just what I wanted. There were no phones ringing, no running ourselves ragged trying to do too much. I was out amongst nature, with my family, and it was a very quiet day. What a breath of heaven.

Last Sunday, we were part of a baby dedication service at Old Fellowship. Isaac just did fit into the outfit that I'd bought for him to wear for the occassion. (Thinking it'd be sooner, I'd bought the outfit a month ago.) Isaac was really good during the service too. He did need to eat towards the end of it, but he finished his bottle just in time to be called up to the front. Everything about the service was really nice - from the music, to the bulletins, to the message, to the dedication itself. Everything flowed and fit in well with the theme. I wish we'd been able to videotape it, but my video camera didn't work that morning. The service was recorded, though, so at least we have the audio.

Isaac has also been developing and able to do more things lately. He smiles and laughs all the time now, and often times spontaneously. He can lift his head up more and for longer periods of time during tummy time now. When sitting in the car seat, swing, or bouncy chair, he's able to move his head forward. He can roll onto his side. And he loves "talking" to us. It's hard to believe that today he is three months old. Where has the time gone?

Growth Spurts

Isaac is in another growth spurt right now. I can tell, because he's been mainly eating and sleeping for the last few days. I told Wes that, and he said, "Isn't that what he does all the time?" I resisted the urge to (playfully) throw a pillow at him. My response was yes, but he's doing that more than usual. Isaac has been sleeping anywhere from 7 to 8 1/2 hours at night on a regular basis. That's been wonderful, but it's also meant that he's staying awake more during the day. So I've really traded one type of exhaustion for another. I'm no longer tired from being up half the night. I'm just tired from tending to the baby all day.

We've been spending our days reading stories and singing songs. I also make sure that Isaac has time in the bouncy chair and swing, although he doesn't like the swing as much anymore. Every day, I also make sure that he has tummy time, as well as time to play with his toys. Every other day, I give him a bath. (Until he's crawling, he's really not doing much to be dirty to need a bath every day.) Sometimes we walk around the house and talk about everything we see. Other times, I put him in the sling rider so I can get some chores done. We take walks at the park, visit the grandparents, and go to the gym once or twice a week. So my days are full. And he is definitely not eating and sleeping all the time. Until this past week...

It seems like Isaac has wanted to nurse and sleep much of the day for this past week. Yesterday, he ate for about five hours out of the day. He napped for nearly three, and then he still got a full night's sleep. Yes, he is definitely in a growth spurt.

It's getting easier to handle them though. At four weeks and six weeks, the growth spurts totally stressed me out. I was still getting the hang of breastfeeding then, and a mere fraction of a second would pass before Isaac was crying if he didn't have his food right away. So between trying to figure out breastfeeding and worrying that I didn't have enough milk, I was frazzled during those times. At eight weeks, it was easier to deal with, but it really wore me out physically. I still fretted over my milk supply too, until my pediatrician told me that it was not unusual for Isaac to nurse every 1 1/2 hours during those times. So this week, when I realized that another growth spurt is coming on, I knew what to expect. I've also just accepted the fact that I'm not going to get much done this week besides feed the baby. And that's ok.

I'm glad that I decided to stick it out and not give up on breastfeeding. I came very, very close to throwing in the towel at six weeks. I kept thinking that things were going to get better, that my milk supply would build up and that Isaac's eating would even out soon enough. When we went through that growth spurt, though, I was convinced that my milk supply would never be what it should. I was aggravated and tired. My visit with Janice is what kept me going that time though. She helped me see how far we'd come, and how positive the outlook really was. I came close to giving up at eight weeks too. After realizing that Isaac's eating habits were perfectly normal, I just wasn't sure that I could keep going. It was totally exhausting. That time, my medicine is what kept me going. I'd been taking some medicine that was supposed to stimulate milk production, and I couldn't see wasting all that money. And now, I'm so glad that I endured. Breastfeeding is so much more convenient and less stressful than bottle feeding. And even though Isaac seems to be eating all the time, I will miss it when this season of life has passed. Feeding time is a bonding time. I can't quite explain the love and closeness I feel when I'm feeding him. Out of all the times I think, "He's so precious to me," or "He looks so angelic," the times it happens the most is when he's doing one of two things: eating or sleeping.

Now that Isaac is napping and I finally have a few minutes to myself, here are the pictures I've been promising to post!

Big Steps

I've taken some big steps in the last couple of weeks. Wes and I left Isaac with Wes's mom for a few hours so we could go on a date a couple weeks ago. We brought a ton of stuff over to his mom's, trying to be prepared for different things that might come up while we were gone. After talking to his mom for a few minutes about different things, she smiled, gave Isaac a kiss, and said, "We'll be fine." I said, "I know, but this is a big step for me! I've never left him with anyone for a few hours before!" She laughed. I knew he would be fine, and I knew she would take good care of him. That didn't make it any easier to leave though! Wes and I ended up having a good time while we were out too. We didn't stay out too late--all we did was eat dinner and go bowling--but I felt worlds better when we got home. Isaac was fine too. When we got back, he was fast asleep in his grandma's arms.

I've also started using the childcare service at my gym. I'd been going to Body Flow at night so that Isaac could be with either Wes or my mom while I was gone, but lately I've been going in the morning. The first time I left him, I was so nervous. I enjoyed my class, but I thought about him the whole time. I kept worrying about him, and then I'd rationalize to myself, Well they're not going to just let him sit there and cry. If he starts crying, they'll pick him up and tend to him. And if something's wrong, they'll come get me. When I got back, I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I saw that he was just as happy as he could be in the swing. I still think about him when I'm in my exercise class, but each time it gets a little easier to leave him.

This past week, we had revival at our church. I really wanted to go, but I knew I wouldn't be able to hear much of the sermon if I had Isaac with me. (I tried going to church one Sunday night and ended up in the nursery tending to him the entire time. That's about the time of day he starts winding down--he eats one or two more times, and then goes to sleep.) So our moms took turns watching him for us. The first night, I felt this emptiness without him there. I enjoyed revival, but I really missed him. I still missed him the other nights, but it got easier each time. And by the end of the revival, I did feel revived and was glad for the break that I'd had during the week. Thank God for grandparents - they never get tired of spending time with Isaac!

Even though I'm with Isaac during the day, I felt like I'd been away from him too much, so Wes and I didn't go out this weekend. In fact, Wes took the day off yesterday so we could have some time together as a family. We spent the whole day together and had a great time! This morning, we had our pictures made. Isaac did really well too. The photographer said that babies normally don't smile as much as he did today. I can't wait to see the proofs!

Since my last post, Isaac has been growing and developing so much. We went to the doctor last Friday, and the doctor gave a good report. Isaac now weighs 12 pounds, 2 ounces and is 24" tall! He also got some immunizations while he was there. That was definitely not fun. He screamed/cried for about an hour afterwards. He didn't have any reactions though, thankfully. No redness, swelling, or fever. He was just a little tired the next day. His next well baby checkup is not for another two months. I may be taking him to the doctor on Monday though. He's been congested in his nose and coughing some this week. I called the pediatrician's office, and the nurse told me to put breastmilk in his nostrils every 2-3 hours. She said that would stop the mucous, and the mucous is what makes him cough. Well she was right, but it seems like the congestion has gotten a little bit worse in the last couple of days. So I called back, and the nurse told me to buy some saline drops. That seems to work too, but tonight he was being really fussy while he was eating. I think he was wanting to eat, but it was hard for him to breathe while he was doing it. If I notice that tomorrow, I'll take him to the doctor on Monday.

Isaac has also continued cooing and laughing, but now he's also doing "baby talk." I've noticed that when I'm talking to him, sometimes he tries to repeat what I say if I use simple words. If my sentences are more complex, he just listens and studies my face. He's been making mainly vowel sounds and some consonants. Sometimes it sounds like he's saying "hey" or "hi." Other times, he'll really get to carrying on, talking up a storm. He does it the most with Wes, I've noticed. Yesterday morning, they were "talking," and Isaac laughed so much. Wes would laugh, and then Isaac would laugh even more. They probably laughed for two or three minutes together. I wish I'd been able to get that on video! They are so cute together.

I never did get time to post pictures. Another big step Isaac has made lately is sleeping through the night. That's great, but now he's napping less during the day. So that's making it a little harder to find time to post! Hopefully I'll have time to post some pictures soon though.

The Little Things in Life

The last week or so has been interesting, to say the least. Last week, Isaac was in a growth spurt, so he ate more than usual. I knew it was coming, because I'd read about it in books and the pediatrician warned me. I dealt with it much better than I did the last one, since I knew what to expect. Even still, I was completely exhausted! Last Monday and Thursday, I felt like all I did was feed the baby. Those were the two days he ate the most. The other days? Honestly, they're all a blur now. Thankfully, I've been able to get more rest in the last few days.

I've been able to get out of the house more lately, which has been nice. Yesterday, I took Isaac to my workplace so I could drop off my contract for next year. I visited everyone who wasn't teaching at that time, as well as some of my students. I was hoping I could get there close to the class change so I could see both of my eighth grade classes, but I quickly realized that I just needed to go whenever I had the opportunity. Isaac was tired, but he most definitely did not want to sleep, so I left as soon as he finally did take a nap.

We also made it back to church last week. Last Sunday, I was really proud of the fact that we arrived a little early for Sunday school. Wes had to be at the church much earlier than I did, so we rode separately, and I was a little nervous about having to get the baby ready by myself. I put Isaac in a sling and took him to Sunday school with me since he was sleeping. He didn't stay asleep for long though. Even though I fed him before I left, he was hungry an hour later. I anticipated that, though, and brought some milk that I'd pumped. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough, so I ended up leaving Sunday school so I could nurse him. By the time he finished and I talked to a few people, Sunday school was over. I went to the nursery to change him, thinking that he'd settle down after that. It didn't happen though. I was really looking forward to having him in the morning worship service with me, but I ended up having to leave him in the nursery. Mrs. Rosie was all too happy to watch him though. She said he stopped crying after everyone left the nursery, so maybe all the people and noise was a little too much for him that day.

This past Sunday, I decided to leave him in the nursery during Sunday school. I didn't think he would need to eat until after church, but I figured I'd leave him in there just in case. After Sunday school, he was just as calm as he could be, so I decided to take him into the church with me. He stayed up for the first part of the service. After "meet and greet," though, he went to sleep and stayed asleep for the rest of the time. Everyone was really excited to see him and told me they're glad I'm back. I was glad to be there. It's hard to put into words, but I just felt better when I got home.

It's amazing how much you take for granted...that is, until you have a baby. Since Isaac has been born, these are some of the things I've really come to appreciate:

Hot Showers. I never take my shower until after Wes gets home so that it won't be interrupted. That is probably the best 20 minutes of my day now!

Exercise. I started going to Body Flow again last week, and it felt GREAT.

Coffee. Every morning, without fail, no matter what time it is, Isaac always fusses when I'm trying to drink my coffee. After my Body Flow class tonight, I stopped by the Daily Grind to get a cup of coffee (decaffeinated, of course). It was so nice to be able to drink it without interruption.

Reading. While I was at the Daily Grind enjoying my coffee, I also read the newspaper for 15 minutes. I love to read, so it wouldn't have mattered what I read. But it was nice to be able to catch up with what's going on in the world lately.

Conversation. I've always appreciated my time with Wes, but now I cherish anytime we get to have a conversation without being interrupted. It's also been nice to get out of the house more and talk to friends in the process. The interaction makes a world of difference in my day!

Sleep. Isaac slept so much in the beginning that I was starting to take his naps for granted. Now, whenever he sleeps during the day, I can't wait to take a nap myself.

Speaking of which, it is definitely time for me to get some rest now. Pictures coming later on this week.

Update

We've been very busy the past two weeks, as I'm sure is evident by the lack of posting lately. As I mentioned in a previous post, Isaac breastfed successfully for the first time a few Fridays ago. It was a little painful for me, though, so I knew that I wasn't doing something right. Well the following Monday, I went to see the lactation consultant. Of course, Isaac breastfed perfectly while I was there. She did show me one little trick to get him to latch on properly though, and that has made all the difference in the world. Beginning last week, I was breastfeeding more and supplementing less.


Last Tuesday, Isaac had his one month checkup. He weighed in at 10 pounds, 7 ounces! Dr. Feldman asked me a bunch of questions and told me that he is developing normally. He also gave me some great news. I no longer have to wake Isaac up to eat! He said now that he's put on some weight, I can let him tell me when he's ready to eat. He said just to make sure he doesn't go more than four hours without eating during the day, and five hours at night. So far in two weeks, there's only one time I've had to wake him up for his next feeding. Let me tell you, he is a much happier baby now.


This week, I had my final checkup with Janice, and she released me to do all of my normal activites. I can't wait to go back to the gym next week! I am going to take it easy though, because I still get really tired during the day if I do too much. Janice was also a huge encouragement to me regarding breastfeeding. Isaac had been doing much better with it, but it was still inconsistent. Sometimes he'd do it perfectly, and other times he wouldn't even latch on. On one hand, I knew we'd come so far and didn't want to give up. On the other hand, I was pretty frustrated, impatient, and was ready to throw in the towel. Talking to Janice really helped though. After I told her about our progress and how much more milk I was able to pump, she told me, "I think it's time for you to get rid of the formula. Or if not, you're really close. You're just going to have to draw your line in the sand like you did that first day he breastfed and say, 'We're not doing this today.'" My eyes widened, as I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Could I really do that? Did I really have enough milk to meet his needs? So the next day I decided to try it and find out. And we went the entire day without supplementing! That was monumental for me, a milestone. Our day was so much better too. Isaac was happier, I was happier, everyone was happier.


We've had many firsts in the past couple of weeks:
~Last Monday was the first day that I took Isaac to Savannah, without any help.
~Last Monday was Isaac's first day meeting new people, as I stopped by my mom's workplace on the way home. Everyone oohed and aahed over him, saying he is a really "pretty baby." One person even said he looks like the Gerber baby.
~Last Thursday was Isaac's first visit to Grandma BJ's (my mom's) house. She LOVED having him there.
~Last Thursday was the first time I heard Isaac laugh. He did that while my dad was holding him and talking to him.
~Last Friday was the first time I took Isaac to a restaurant. We went to Applebee's to eat lunch with my grandfather, his great grandfather.
~Last Friday was also Isaac's first day in the swing. What a great invention!
~Last Saturday was Isaac's first visit to Grandma Terry's (Wes's mom's) house. She LOVED having him there too.


~This Wednesday was the first time that Isaac breastfed exclusively during the day. I was so proud of him...and myself!
~This Thursday was the first time that Isaac breastfed exclusively during the day and the middle of the night. That will definitely take some getting used to, at least for me!
~This Friday was Isaac's first trip to the mall. We went so I could get a birthday present for my grandmother, as well as some gifts for Mother's Day.
~This Friday was also Isaac's first trip to Wal-Mart. Wes and I took him there so we could do some grocery shopping. He was sleeping until we got in the store. He stayed up the whole time and, all things considered, was pretty good. He didn't start crying until he heard another baby crying. Even still, Wes and I decided to go back to the way we've done things the last few weeks. One of us will stay home with the baby, and one of us will go to the store.
~Today was the first day he took a tub bath. He really enjoyed it!
~Tonight will be the first night he sleeps in his own room. He is so big now that it's time for him to graduate from the bassinet to the crib. I must say, I am going to miss having him in our room!



Now for some more pictures: