Months 3 & 4

Months 3 & 4

I am SO in love with our little guy.  Seriously.  There are hard days and I get stressed and frustrated sometimes, but I LOVE being a mom and staying at home with Owen.  I try to cherish and enjoy special moments and have already realized how quickly this time is going by.  He literally grows and changes in the blink of an eye.  It seems like as soon as one new cute stage starts it is just as suddenly gone and he is into something else.  At first I thought this baby stage would last for a long time and now it is flying by.  

These months were awesome.  Probably to date the easiest most purely enjoyable months.  I guess I'm basing that on breastfeeding and sleep (which honestly are two dominating factors in our life right now).  Around three months I finally started to feel good about breastfeeding.  He was consistently latching well and eating well and I was no longer in pain and uncomfortable.  We were nursing easily and it didn't seem to be a hassle too much any more. I actually surprised myself by realizing I reached a place where I like it.  Enjoy seems like a weird word, but it's something special and I've found myself cherishing this phase of his life and this bond between us. I honestly did not ever think I would start to feel differently about breastfeeding because I definitely did NOT like it for a long time and felt like we struggled with it a lot. I'm so thankful we stuck with it and it is so much better now. 

Finally I feel like I reached a place where I was able to handle Owen and start to work on home things as well.  I think this is about when I started cooking consistently again and have been able to for the most part keep up with most house stuff.  Now I will say I use our crock pot and do freezer meals and those have been a life saver. I would NOT be cooking if it weren't for those.  And as far as the house goes, I focus on the basics: diaper laundry is a must, general pick up and tidiness, regular laundry, and the kitchen are my main things. But I feel fine about that. Please just don't ask me when the last time our floors were mopped or I dusted anything. Ever. 

Some of my favorite things from these months were breastfeeding times, rocking him to sleep for a nap, watching him become more alert and engaged in the world around him, and singing songs and babbling with Owen.  

3 Months

• Smiles a ton!
• Recognizes Mama and Daddy
• Lights up when he sees and goes to Mama
• Starting to laugh!! Laughs most for Dad
• Has babbling conversations back and forth with Mama
• Discovered his feet! First started staring at them, then trying to reach them, now can grab them and uses them to grab things.
• Loves to lay on his back in the play gym and grab and pull at hanging toys, especially an elephant toy
• Starting to lean/roll onto his side from his back
• Can sort of fit in his Jumperoo and LOVES it! We put books under his feet and stuff a towel behind his back
• Likes to be held in either a standing or sitting position
• Grabs his pacifier and sort of plays with it in his mouth and half hanging out
• Likes to look at Callie
• Moved to the nursery in his crib at night -Mama bawled that night and weekend :(
• First real date night at a movie with grandparents watching Owen. Mom bawled as soon as we were out the door all the way there. (Owen moved to his nursery the same weekend as our date night… Cody said that it was a super emotional weekend for me -which it was.)
• Spitting up a little more but still not too often (For the first two months I could count on my hand the number of times he spit up.)
• Finally started latching without the nipple shield! Slowly worked on nursing without it. Yay!
• Started squealing when super happy or excited but not a lot yet
• Awake and alert SO MUCH NOW, really all the time.
• Sleeps 5-6 and 1/2 hours regularly for first stretch at night followed by a feeding then a shorter stretch. Every now and then he goes 7 and we've had two nights of an 8 hours stretch!
• Has one long nap during the day, usually his late morning nap, then shorter naps throughout afternoon between 20-40 minutes.
• Often stays awake now in the car instead of falling asleep instantly
• Still usually falls asleep while nursing, but is also starting to get distracted while nursing in the afternoon. Pulling off, looking around, stopping when he hears noises. Also has started sometimes looking at me and smiling while nursing and occasionally cooing babbling while distracted and in between pulling off and eating again.
• First sickness :(  At the end of the month we made several trips to the doctor in a row! He got numerous bug bites all over and one on his foot blistered and popped and we thought was infected.  He got an antiseptic cream and an antibiotic for this first incident.  After that he then developed a fever which was followed by a rash all over his body.  We went to the doctor again and he was fine and it all cleared upon it’s own thankfully.

For the 4th of July we went out to my cousin Makia's house to hang out with the Epies and their family. We enjoyed awesome food, family time, corn hole, and lots of little kiddos!

Chillin with Uncle Aaron

These kids were cracking us up!

Baby friends 

We were trying to get Owen to start holding his toys... not quite there yet.

Barely starting to be interested in my Chewbeads necklaces

Our little monster LOVES to sleep in this position.  We have an abundance of pictures of him sleeping with his hands up behind his head like this.  I wish I could be so comfy and relaxed.

Babies hanging out

Daddy figured out how the baby-shaped nursing pillow can be super helpful. 

4 Months

We're in disposables due to a yeast infection :(

• 13 pounds; 24 inches
• Loves to have help to stand up and sit up
• LOVES his Jumperoo and has really started bouncing/jumping in it
• Smiles when he sees Mommy
• Laughs at Mama and Daddy being silly and blowing on his chest, hands, and feet
• Gets SUPER easily distracted while nursing (I can no longer watch TV or be on my phone or drink anything while nursing unless I’m prepared to fight him to eat again.)
• Can now stick his toes in his mouth and every now and then tries to suck on them
• When playing on his back he now often half rolls/leans over way far onto his side
• Starting to really want to be mobile! While on his tummy he really kicks and pushes with his legs wanting to move.
• Can now rotate himself on his tummy around 360 -but it takes about 10 minutes
• Starting to be ify with taking bottles
• LOVES to stare at Callie and reach out to touch her. He has started squealing with happiness when Callie walks up to him.
• Can grab his pacifier and (not always, but fairly often) can get it back in his mouth
• Typically has one long stretch of sleep at night (ranges from 4 ½ hours - 7 ½ hours) followed by a feeding and then a shorter sleep stretch (ranges from about 2 hours - 3 ½ hours)
• Typically takes 3 naps during the day
• We have started pushing Owen’s bedtime up a bit. He was staying up late with us until between 10-11 and now we are working on going to bed between 9-9:30.
• Constantly active and alert and eager to grab things. He is no longer content to just sit back in your arms; he leans and reaches and wants to grab everything.
• SO drooly! But no signs of teeth at all yet
• Is SO CLOSE to rolling over from his back to tummy! He just gets stuck on his arm. (At the end of the month - closer to 5 months)
• Has started blowing bubbles and spitty raspberries

First time at the POOL!

First train ride at the zoo!

Hanging out with Mama on the hammock 

Starting to play with our toys

Loves to lick and stick his tongue through this ball!

This is how he sleeps. Isn't he adorable?!  

Callie wants to join the fun 

Time with friends

Sucking on Mama's Chewbeads

Playing with Mimi

I love how Cody loves to read to Owen : )

Hanging out with Grandma

First time in the Jumerpoo!! He has LOVED it since that very first time!

Starting to lean and roll onto his side a bit

Uncle Sean came and visited!

First Sickness :( 

Possibly infected bug bite that blistered, popped, and had a massive and  BRIGHT red streak across his foot.  

Dr. prescribed a cream for the bug bites to prevent infection and also an antibiotic. Turns out it is super difficult to give a baby medicine!!

After the ordeal with the bug bites he developed a fairly high fever that was followed by a rash all over his body.  This was the beginning stages of the rash. I can't find the pictures (I know I took some) of when it was at it's worse! He looked awful :(  We ended up going to the Dr 3 times within about a week and a half!  Two for sick visits and then we just happened to have our 4 month appointment at the same time.