Happy Holidays!

Davis had a wonderful first Thanksgiving!  He got to see lots of family and he enjoyed sampling some homemade sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes.  I didn't take many pictures, but we did get a couple of him eating his big boy food.  We have been feeding him some solids for the past couple of weeks because he has been so interested in them.  My plan was to wait until he was six months before feeding him anything besides breastmilk, but he seemed ready so we've been slowly introducing some "real food" and he loves it!  His favorites right now are bananas and sweet potatoes. 



I'm loving this cooler weather and the beautiful scenery that comes with it.  D loves to go on long strolls around the neighborhood with his mom and dad.  The other day, I brought my camera with us so I could get a few pictures before the leaves are all gone...

I'm getting really excited about Christmas this year.  I can't believe Davis is about to have his very first Christmas!  The house is decorated, most of the presents are bought, and now we can just sit back, relax, and observe this holiday season doing many of my favorite things--cooking, eating, and spending time with family and friends.

Today's lesson...Leave wallet at home when going for a walk.  I had dropped off a couple of items to have monogrammed for Christmas presents at a store near our house, and today I decided I'd walk with Davis to go pick them up.  As it turns out, the lady who owns this store also makes really cute baby clothes.  Stay tuned for a picture of Davis in his custom-made Christmas outfit!

Davis has a new BFF!

Don't have too much to say today, except that Davis is doing awesome!  I think he is even starting to come out of his anti-social shell a little bit!  The past few times we've had visitors he has been super-friendly and hasn't given anyone the "What are YOU doing here?" looks.  He's even been happy to be held by someone other than Derek or me.  We also went to a little get-together last night and he seemed very comfortable with all the new faces and voices.  On that note, I think Davis has a best friend for life:  Sadie (the dog).  He loves to reach out and touch her and have her lick his hand.  He watches her constantly and loves to chase her around the back yard with Daddy's help.  The other day, Derek was having Davis bounce around the yard and "get Sadie".  I could hear Davis squealing with delight from inside the house!  Luckily, Sadie likes him, too.  She's a little on the hyper side, but she's really sweet and gentle with D. 

Here are a few recent pictures...

Davis with his "sleepy eyes" first thing in the morning

In his "big boy" outfit

The car is a happy place...as long as Mommy is sitting next to him in the back seat.

"Okay, Sadie, that's a tad to close."

 Today's confession...I'm living in fear of a five-month-old...well, in fear of waking him up.  Unless he is being held, Davis is such a light sleeper that Derek and I find ourselves in almost silence every time he goes to sleep.  I know that everyone says not to get your baby accustomed to sleeping in silence, but when your baby wakes up to the sound of your knife touching your plate, you adapt.  He could go to sleep in the middle of a hurricane (or a Hicks family reunion, which is almost as noisy), but if we're at home and a cabinet door squeaks or someone coughs, you can forget about it.  If I wake up before Davis, I won't even brush my teeth in the bathroom across the hall for fear of my electric toothbrush waking him up.  Oh well, you do what you gotta do.  Maybe we'll hire a bunch of people to come into our house and make noise all the time since that seems to be what he likes.

Five Months!

I can't believe my little man is five months old today!  Time is going by so fast.  In some ways it seems like it was just yesterday when I was calling Derek at work and telling him my water had broken...In other ways it seems like we've had Davis forever; I can't imagine our life before baby anymore. 

We celebrated D's five-month birthday by getting up at 5:00 am...seemed appropriate to him, I guess.  He always seems to be gassy around 5:00 or so, but usually is able to get back to sleep.  Today he was ready to start partying early. 

One of Davis's new favorite toys is a red plastic disposable cup.  (You can find them at your local Wal-Mart or grocery store and they are cheap!)  He loves to gnaw on the side of it and hold it with both hands.  He's doing great with holding his head up while lying on his tummy now, and he looks like such a big boy when he's in this position.  I can just picture him lying like this and watching cartoons in a couple years.  He is even sitting up independently for a few seconds before he tips over.  He is making more and more sounds and different types of vocalizations, and his favorite place to chat is on the changing table.  He still needs to learn not to talk with his mouth full, though...last night he had his whole foot in his mouth and was carrying on the best conversation with me. 

Today is Veteran's Day and I'm feeling extremely grateful for those who have served our country.  I'm especially thankful for my Dad and for my husband, who have both served in the military.

Today's lesson:  Screened-in porch + music (+ 66 degree weather) = stress relief.....Yesterday afternoon Davis and I were both feeling a little fussy, so we went out to the back porch to relax and listen to some music.  He sat in his swing and I sat in my rocking chair and we immediately felt much better!  Our feel-good song of the day was "No One" by Alecia Keys...great song!

Every Moment Counts

Last night, after I got Davis to sleep, I came across the blog of someone I didn't know.  It was a nicely designed blog and it had a catchy title, so began to read.  I skimmed just a few words and I could quickly tell that this woman had lost a child.  After reading further, I discovered that her child was an otherwise healthy and happy four-month-old boy who had passed away in his sleep.  One day he was learning to roll over and give kisses; the next day he was gone.  This hit so close to home that I couldn't help but continue reading some of her posts.  As tears ran down my face and prayers went out to this family, I learned that this woman would never feel whole again...that she may be able to find joy in life, but that something will always be missing and that she will live out the rest of her life waiting to see her son again.  It got me thinking about little moments and how important they are.  And it really drove home how important it is to savor every second we get here on earth with our children, our families, and our dear friends.  The blogger wrote about how she would never regret forgoing her own much-needed rest in favor of staring at her beautiful baby boy as he slept, and she wrote of how she would always remember the little things like patting his bottom and the way he smelled and his biggest smiles, which he saved for his daddy.  I hope to always feel about my son the way I feel right now, loving and appreciating every moment I get with him and not sweating the small stuff.  I will relish the few short years when I'll get to hold him and squeeze him as much as I want.  I will continue to try to be selfless when it comes to him and my family.  I will not live in fear of "spoiling" him with love and will give him as many new and positive experiences as I can.

Anger Management

I think I might need to search online for baby anger management classes.  While Davis was playing in his cool Baby Einstein thingie this morning (a gift from my good friend, Katie, and her mom), he kept getting super frustrated that he couldn't reach every single toy, so he would scream at the top of his lungs until he was distracted by something else such as accidentally hitting the music button or me physically redirecting him.  Luckily he's still really cute even when he's mad.  He's the same way with other things, too.  If a need or want (at this point, I think they are the same thing) isn't being met right away, he goes ballistic for a second and as soon as we do what he needs us to do, he's all smiles and laughs again.  He'll have us trained in no time. 

Anyone who spends much time around Davis knows that being still or sitting down is not usually an option and that he knows exactly what he wants (and how to get it).  I personally think that it's a good thing and that this trait will serve him well later in life...a mother's love can put a positive spin on just about anything, huh?  But seriously, I think he'll be a self-directed, driven, and very passionate person as he grows up.  According to Dr. Sears--the baby expert who could start a cult and I'd probably join it--Davis is a "high need" baby.  When I read the chapter in his book that talked about fussy or "high need" babies, I felt like I was reading about my child.  He shows a definite preference for Derek and me over other people; he isn't "cuddly"; he stays tensed up with his fists clenched most of the time; he has a loud voice to match his strong desires; he is very tuned in to his environment; and he will not accept substitutes for the real thing--no bottles and no pacifiers for this boy.  Luckily, I believe in the attachment style of parenting and am loving the fact that Davis is so attached to me and his daddy (even if it is physically, most of the time), and that he knows he can trust us. 

As far as his development goes, I feel like Davis is doing extremely well.  He's actually enjoying tummy time now, and he is rolling over almost immediately when we put him on the floor (it's really fun to try to change his diaper now).  And he's even wiggling or scooting a couple of feet to get to a toy.  He is enjoying the simple things in life, like putting his toes in his mouth, stomping his feet in the bathtub, and getting tickled.  He loves it when I lightly run my fingers over his face and tummy, and he gets the cutest little baby goosebumps all over his legs.  He's "talking" a lot, mostly making the "guh" sound, with lots of gurgles and tongue rolls and raspberries mixed in.  He also coughs for attention now.  And he smiles right after he sneezes, which is precious.  His favorite toys right now are a little rattle from his cousin, Laura, his Sophie Giraffe, his Baby Einstein "iPod" from Beth, and anything soft and squishy he can put in his mouth.

Okay, time to figure out what to do for lunch--I'm not one of those people who plans out their meals for months in advance...

Today's lesson...When you make a batch of delicious oatmeal cookies, give most of them away immediately, and certainly don't feel the need to grab one every time you walk through the kitchen.  There are only so many more months I will be able to use the "baby weight" excuse.

All Aboard the Blogging Bandwagon!

Well, I've finally succumbed to the peer pressure...I'm starting a blog.  And here's what really pushed me over the edge:  The other night, I was attempting to write a little in Davis's baby book and already I was forgetting things!  He's not even five months old yet and I couldn't remember exactly when some of his little milestones had occurred.  I'm hoping that if I try to set aside a few minutes to blog every couple of days then maybe we will have a better record of what's happened with our sweet little boy and with our family in general.  Time is flying by so fast, and I don't want to forget a single thing.  Also, I think it might be nice for some of our family and friends to get a glimpse into our daily life with Davis since we don't have nearly enough time to visit with all of our loved ones.

A little bit about us...My name is Leah and I am currently staying at home with my almost five-month-old son, Davis.  I taught Pre-K Special Education for six years and decided to take a year's leave of absence to be with the little one as much as possible.  I'm so happy I made this decision, as this has been the happiest time of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I feel like I'm doing exactly what I was meant to do, and I have a loving and supportive husband who makes my new "job" so much fun each day (and who doesn't seem to mind seeing me in my pajamas most of the time).  I can honestly say that I am enjoying every minute of being a mother and I'm not taking any of it for granted.  We have been blessed with an awesome family and friends, and a healthy, happy, perfect baby boy.  Life is good.  My husband, Derek, works at Pepsi Bottling Ventures in Garner, NC where we live.  He is working on the second shift, which works out great for our family right now.  We get to have some good family time in the mornings and eat lunch together before Derek heads out to work each day.

I don't have time to post much more right now, as my little Velcro baby has had enough "alone time" playing on the floor two feet away from me.  I do, however, want to end each post with a "Lesson" or a "Confession" (I thought of this while walking around the neighborhood yesterday) because I think it's important to learn something new everyday, and it's also important to admit it when I've made a mistake or just completely goofed up on something--and it's funny to read later, after the initial shame and embarrassment have worn off.

Today I'll share a lesson I learned yesterday:  Always, always check each of your husband's pockets thoroughly before washing and drying them (dang cargo pants!).  I'll be spending a good hour of my day scraping Trident gum off of the inside of the dryer.