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.