Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Little Fish in a Big Pool

We took our little man swimming this weekend and it was the cutest thing ever! It is so fun getting to do new things with him. It was so hot on Sunday and hubby had been out doing yard work. He mentioned how it would be a good day for the pool and we both decided we would give it a go! 

So we loaded up the pool bag with a baby bathing suit, swim diapers, towels, his sun hat, fan, and float. Gosh babies need a lot of things to go places! Mom and dad got our suits on as well and we headed up to the pool. Well of course as soon as walked out of our house we noticed a very dark cloud over us but decided to go anyways. Pretty much as soon as we got there the rain started which meant we had to kill about 10 minutes under the umbrella before we could actually get to the swimming part. 


That gave me time to get him zipped into his too cute bathing suit and strap on his sun hat. I don't think I'm being biased at all when I say I have never seen a cuter little swimmer. Hubby got the float blown up and the shade attached and we headed into the pool. 

He was not too sure about it. We're not sure if it was the float he didn't care for or maybe the temperature of the water which while pretty warm for a pool it was definitely not as warm as the bath water he's accustomed to. He spent a little time in the float and a bit of time in our arms testing the waters but all in all only wanted to stay in for maybe 10 minutes at the most. 

So after all that...we got back out, put him in a dry diaper and loaded everything back into the stroller to head home. It may not have been a long adventure but it was a cute one! 

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

What I'm Reading

So I figured I'd switch out of baby mode for a hot minute to share what I've been reading in case anyone is looking for some book ideas. I spent a lot of the last year reading pregnancy related books and now that JB has arrived I have gotten back into some more of my usual reads. Also, I have been listening to some books on audible because it's a great way to pass time when nursing that doesn't involve looking at my phone or watching tv- habits that are so easy to get sucked into when you feel tied to the couch or rocker. I usually tend to read more mystery and thriller books with a healthy mix both historical fiction which I love and some lighter chick-lits. But thrillers tend to keep me awake at night and with a new baby and a hubby who has to travel for work quite a bit, I can't be losing any more sleep than I already am so I haven't been gravitating towards them quite as much. So since little man has been born, here's what's been keeping me entertained...

The Match- Harlan Coben

This is the second book in the "Wilde" series. I am not sure if there will be more but I hope there might because I've enjoyed them. The first book was titled "The Boy from the Woods" and I listened to that last year. The main character- Wilde- was found alone in the woods as a child and noone ever figured out his real identity or how he got there. The books focus some on him and his backstory while also covering an additional storyline that makes for a good mystery book. If you're a fan of other Harlan Coben books I think you'd enjoy it! But definitely read them in order :) 

Big Summer- Jennifer Weiner 

I love a good beach read and picked this up looking for something pretty lighthearted. It surprised me a bit by being both what I would describe as a "chick-lit" book but also a mystery thrown in there. But it kept me hooked and didn't keep me up at night when my husband was out of town (the main reason I can't read solely thrillers). Jennifer Weiner's writing is fun and easy to read and while this probably wasn't my favorite book of hers I'd still give it 3.5/5 stars. 

The Deepest of Secrets- Kelley Armstrong 

This is another book from a series and I have really enjoyed this series as a whole. This is actually number 7 so if you do pick this up, just know there are 6 others you'd probably want to check out beforehand. There is a little "in case you've missed it..." section right at the beginning of this one- almost like a episode recap of some of the main parts of the other books so you don't HAVE to read them but I'd encourage it! The series is based on a town that people can go to to escape their old life for a few years, with the understanding they can remain anonymous while they're there and there is no contact with the outside world. It's set in the remote Yukon Wilderness and Casey, the main character, becomes the town's detective when she applies to live there for her own personal reasons. Throughout the series, a whole multitude of problems/mysteries arise with each book having it's own storyline but all with some interconnected themes. In this particular book, someone in the town is spilling the secrets of why different residents have come to Rockton and the book is complete with a murder, some small town drama and a little bit of romance too. 

People We Meet on Vacation- Emily Henry

I read Emily Henry's "Beach Read" when it came out and loved it! So I've been checking out her other books as well. She has such a fun writing style and I've loved all of her characters. This one is about two best friends and their summer travels together and is a delightful  book that I would describe as a romantic comedy. It alternates between the current summer the characters are in and all of their previous summers leading up to it. A feel good book for sure! 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo- Taylor Jenkins Reid 

This was a book I had seen talked about a lot and people have loved it! The writing is very well done and I loved that from the beginning you know there is going to be some big "reveal" at some point in the book. So it definitely keeps you turning the pages to see what it will be. It was different than what I was expecting just from reading the book jacket but I did still end up enjoying it! 

Book Lovers- Emily Henry

Speaking of Emily Henry, this is her newest book and it is just as fabulous as her others. It's a light read but the characters aren't plain and boring they still have a lot of depth. This one focuses on a literary agent- her love life, her family life, understanding herself and a few other things. The characters are all super endearing and I felt very invested with them by the end of the book. I see she already has a book set to release next spring and I can't wait! 

Currently I'm just starting to read a book on Kindle called "Persuaded" and I'm starting the physical book of "Beartown". Fredrick Backman wrote "Beartown" and I absolutely love his books and people have told me this is one of their favorites so I'm excited to dive in. Feel free to drop me a book suggestion of what you're reading right now, I'm always looking for new reads! 














Monday, August 22, 2022

Two Months

Two months in and we maybe, sort of, kind of, might be getting the hang of things around here? I say that knowing that each time I start to feel like that inevitable something changes and I'm back to figuring it out all over again. We love it though! It is so fun getting to see him do new things and feel like his little personality comes through a bit more each day. I think he's going to be hilarious and feisty but oh so sweet. We've recovered from our two month appointment with the pediatrician that involved a few shots or as my precious nephews call them- some pokey medicine. He was a champ but was absolutely not a fan! He is growing well and developing right on track though which is great!

Two Month Stats:

Weight: He is now 13lbs 2oz. He continues to eat well and it shows :) 

Height: He is 22 3/4 inches long so he's grown almost 4 inches since he was born which is crazy to me! 

Likes: He is a huge fan of bath, it immediately calms him during his fussiest time of day and I'm pretty sure he'd stay in there for hours if I let him. He loves to play on his mat on the floor, we can tell he wants to grab the hanging toys but just can't quite figure out how yet. He still enjoys to be outside and is still a big fan of being in motion rather than sitting still. He likes to be able to look outward when being held and enjoys a ride in the car- he even took his first road trip to Nana and PawPaw's house this month! He loves to eat, likes to rock before nap time and is starting to actually enjoy being in his swing some too. He's also discovered his hands and loves to chew on them!

Dislikes: He does not love to be held "like a baby" unless it's naptime. He prefers to be held upright where he can see what's going on. He is super picky in general about how he is held and we do a lot of moving and rearranging to find just the right spot for him. He does not like being buckled into his carseat or sitting in traffic. He is not a fan of the hours of 6:00-8 pm but we're working on it.                                  

Sleeping, Eating and Playing: During the day he is still pretty much eating every 2-3 hours but more often than not it is closer to 2 but it seems like maybe he's starting to spread them out a bit. At night he eats before bed and then sleeps a long stretch before waking up and going back to the 2 hour schedule. But that means we are getting some pretty good night sleep for which I am so thankful! He usually goes down between 8:30 and 9:30 for the night and will sleep for somewhere between 5-8 hours before waking to eat. It's more often than not closer to the 8ish mark than 5 this days which is phenomenal and we hope he keeps trending that direction. After he eats, usually somewhere between 3:30 and 5:30 he goes down for a shorter sleep until somewhere between 6:00 and 7:30. I much prefer the mornings that we start our day at 7:30 but am getting used to some more frequent 6am starts. Daytime sleep is still a bit tricker for him than nighttime sleep and he usually needs a bit more encouragement to go down for a nap but with lots of rocking and shushing he'll take a crib nap= usually on the shorter side or a nap on mommy in my arms or the wrap for a longer time. I'm getting used to the shorter naps and trying to use my time well, getting pretty speedy at things I want done when he's asleep. Once he's awake, he's usually up for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half including his time eating, a diaper change and then some playtime. He loves his floor mat so we spend a lot of time playing there but also like to go outside and mommy likes to try and read books with him too, although he's not so interested in those just yet.

Favorite Moments: My favorite thing about this month has for sure been his little smiles coming out. A baby smiling back at you has got to be one of the world's sweetest things and I have been loving it! He's smiling more and more and just recently we even started getting some attempts at a giggle and some sweet, sweet coos. I could just eat him up! He also got to meet several new family members this month which  has been fun! He got to meet both of his great grandmother's and two sets of aunts/uncles on my side of the family, my sister- his aunt Shannon and her two boys, as well as a great aunt/uncle from my hubby's side. So it's been busy but full of joy! 

 

Friday, August 12, 2022

Babies Don’t Keep

The newborn stage is tough. It’s completely adorable and sweet and precious but it’s also a challenge while you try and figure out feeding and sleep. I’ve been doing naps in the crib for JB for several weeks so that he’ll be used to the space when he moves there for night eventually. And overall he’s done great! However lately his naps have been inconsistent and shorter than I’d like, often only lasting 30 minutes ish before he’s fussing. What I am finding though is that he’ll go back to sleep on me if I go get him. I can usually stretch his nap out by letting him fall back to sleep on my chest of rocking in my arms. This was stressing me out because I really wanted to have that good nap time in his crib and felt like I was doing something wrong when it wasn’t working as well as it had been. That I was setting myself up for future sleep troubles. 

But then I went to my parents for a couple of days and my mom said something to me while I was letting him take his nap on my chest. He hadn’t napped well that day and so after he woke up after only a few minutes in his pack n play I went to get him and decided to just hold him for the nap. I told her it had been a hard day for naps and this felt like the only way to squeeze one in and she looked at him sleeping on me and told me it was hard to even remember my sister and I sleeping in her arms. We did, often, but it was hard to remember since it was so long ago with so much life lived in between now and then. And I thought to myself that I don’t ever want to forget the feeling of him asleep on me. The heat and weight of his tiny little chubby body on mine, the baby snores and little sounds he makes when he sleeps, I want to remember all of it. 

But I know, like my mom, there will be a day in the future where this will be hard to remember. Where there will be so many other memories that the newborn naps will be hard to recall. So today when he woke up after 30 minutes and I decided to let him sleep on me a little longer, I didn’t feel bad or stressed. I didn’t worry about what that means for future sleep. I just held him and watched him and tried to freeze time so I could hold onto these moments as long as possible. 

Because babies don’t keep.