A Sneaky Shmu

Don't let this innocent face fool you! I learned today that he can roll over repeatedly and scoot himself all the way to the edge of our bed without making a sound! I was busy organizing my closet when I noticed Shmu had rolled over. I put him back where he had started and within a minute he rolled over again. After placing him back in the center of his activity mat, in the center of the bed, he scooted himself all the way to the edge of the bed and would have fallen off had I not stopped him. What is so scary, is that he didn't make any of his usual grunting noises as he moved. He's going stealth on us!!

Here's a few pictures from yesterday.

Kyle is holding himself up on his arms for long periods of time now. While on his tummy, he can hold his head straight up without looking side to side. It's been fun to exchange smiles and entertain him this way.

Reading with Grammie

Thanks, mom, for all your help and support. Kyle and I appreciate all the learning time, the monthly "birthday" presents, the surprises we find, and all the trips you make to see us. You are such a huge help and I'm so glad you're not too far away!

We love you!

Family

On Saturday, we took a trip to Grammie and Grandpa's house to see family. My aunt and uncle had flown in from Oregon to visit my cousins and the four of them met us at my parents' house. We really enjoyed hanging out, eating a delicious brunch (good job, Mom!) and playing some games. So good to see you, Uncle Mike, Auntie Jan, Mark and Lisa!

Mark and Lisa

Grandpa

Uncle Mike, Sr.

Auntie Michelle

Subbing for the 1st time

Thanks to my mom, for coming down to watch Kyle, I was able to teach again for a couple of classes yesterday! I was the science teacher to a group of kids in K-3 and 4-6th grades. It was a lot of fun to be in the classroom again without all the extra work a teacher does and hardly anyone ever knows about.

It worked out perfectly and I'm thankful Grammie was able to spend the night with us in order to be there early enough for me to get to the school on time. Kyle's eating couldn't have been timed better and it was fun for me to do random things from my former life like wear a dress that didn't require easy nursing access, my dangly earrings, heals, and carry just my purse! :)

When I got home, Kyle was peacefully sleeping, my mom was making me lunch, and my wallet was a bit heavier than before. I could get real used to that kind of gig! Thanks, mom, for taking good care of Shmu and for making it possible for me to earn a few extra bucks and feel like a professional again! :)

Happy 3 Months, Shmu!!

This month's picture was pretty hard to take. For starters, we always seem to wait until the last minute to take a picture and since it's important to me to take a picture on the actual day, we often get a sleepy, or otherwise grumpy Shmu. This time he was beyond tired and wouldn't sit still long enough to keep him and the sign in place before knocking it over. So, here are a couple pictures that show what Kyle has been up to lately. He's enjoying tummy time and putting everything he has in his hands up to his mouth. He's also talking and smiling more and more. Contrary to what pictures make it seem like, his dark blue eyes have just started turning slightly brownish. We wonder what color he'll end up with.

This month we saw Kyle interacting with his world in new and fun ways. He really enjoys sitting up in his chair and being a part of the activity around the house. His eyes travel with me throughout the kitchen and he seems to like having me close by. He loves his mouth and tongue and anything that touches them. His favorite book now is a black and white picture book we got from the library. His favorite picture is still the black and white engagement photo of his daddy and mommy. Finally, he has started cuddling anything we place next to him. He loves his giraffe, lovey and mommy's arm as she holds his head and whispers sweet things to him.

A psychologist friend of the family told us that by 3 months, we'd see significant aspects of Kyle's personality emerge or start to solidify. We can honestly say that our little man started showing personality in the womb and we have seen the same personality grow since his first day of life. This is a little of what we know so far... he is a relatively content, happy boy who curiously watches everything around him. Kyle still shows intensity with certain things when he clenches his fists, namely when he eats. It's really cute. He's pretty serious about his food. We just keep telling him to relax and take it easy. Kyle doesn't cry just to cry, but rather to express a specific need and he can be pretty easily soothed if the right steps are taken. He continues to love the outdoors and enjoys our daily walks around our neighborhood.

Bottom line, he's a JOY to have and Rudy and I are so blessed!!

Happy 3 months to all of us! :)

Tummy Time!!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Gina!!

Shmu saw us writing on GG's birthday card and wanted to get in on the action, too. So, we helped him by taping the marker to his hand (Rudy's idea) and letting him have a go at it. Here's a video of the process...

Happy birthday, Gina! We are thinking of you today and wishing you a fun, relaxing day in whatever part of the country you find yourself! Can't wait to see you and all the family! :)

Our cuddle bug (part II)

So after the last post, Rudy decided to be a little more vigilant of photo ops around here. After a long walk with Shmu, Rudy found us fast asleep on our bed. This was really unique because I had tried a few of our tried and true techniques to get Kyle down and he just didn't seem to like any of it. So, I took him to our bed and cuddled him. Within a minute he was drifting off to sleep and we slept there together for about 45 minutes or so. What's really cute, is that Kyle likes my voice, face, and kisses up as close as possible to his face. What's not so cute (can't believe I'm putting this in writing) was that I found myself drooling on his head!

Then, later in the evening, Ru caught some more pictures of Shmu cuddling Mr. Giraffe. We finally got a smile for the camera, too!

Our cuddle bug.

Another adorable non-posed picture I happened upon. :)

Our Shmu likes to move and is quite strong now. I'd always been a little worried he wouldn't like to cuddle us or sit still for periods of time. That worry has been laid to rest. Thankfully, Kyle enjoys cuddle time all throughout the day but especially after waking up and then again after eating. He also can just chill on his activity mat, play in his crib or entertain himself in his new seat. He enjoys sitting on the kitchen counter every night while I make dinner and wash dishes. His latest thing is cuddling his little "lovey" and bringing his fists and whatever else he has in his hands up to his mouth.

And although there aren't many pictures yet to prove it, Kyle seems to enjoy being close to his mommy. Needless to say, that makes me very happy!! :)

Water Baby!!

If you were a fly on the wall during Shmu's shower time, you'd hear some of the following weirdness...

"Water Baby... da nah na, da nah na... Water Baby...!!" Another repetitive chant we seem to love is, "Clean the Shmu, clean the Shmu, clean the, clean the, clean the Shmu!!" Our poor neighbors!

Were we to listen to ourselves giving our son a shower or bath, we'd probably think we were weird or annoying. Either one shows just how different things are now that we are parents. Well, I guess we were pretty weird anyways. Now we've just got a reason (or excuse) to be! :)

Here are some shower pics that show Kyle in his element!

Captain

Kyle's shirt says, "Captain Adorable" :)

The ballerina.

It's happened! Kyle has his first crush!

Of course, we're not serious. But, while reading a new, touch and feel Halloween babies book GG brought for Kyle, we noticed that Kyle had eyes only for the little ballerina.There were plenty of other girls to choose from: a flower, a princess, a pig, to name a few. Kyle didn't give those girls a second glance. He continued to stare and smile only at the lovely ballerina! This went on for about 15 minutes. He stared at the ballerina for fifteen minutes!!! And he kept smiling and cooing at her. I couldn't turn the page while he was so obviously entranced, but as soon as he was done I went to tell Rudy. After hearing the news, Ru gave Kyle a high-five and congratulated his boy on the good choice he had made. At first I thought the whole thing was cute. Then, I started thinking about when Kyle will really have eyes for another female besides his mommy... that wasn't so cute.

Here's a picture of Grammie, Kyle and the ballerina.

Nap time with Daddy

You know how people pretend to be sleeping for the sake of a good picture? Well, there was no pretending here. Ru was taking a nap and Shmu was just going down for one, so I laid him down next to daddy. Then, after a little while, Rudy realized Shmu was there and stuck out his hand to touch him. Kyle grabbed on to one of Ru's fingers and I ran for the camera. Kyle held on for a while, until he got squirmy again. Ahh... so cute!

Our little Houdini!

Shmu's outgrown many of his swaddling blankets and now it takes a master swaddler (daddy) to keep him in one. Kyle keeps us constantly entertained or irritated (depending on the hour of the day/night) with his grunts and stretches. He initially loves to be swaddled, but sometime during his sleep he always seems to change his mind. This is how he looked the other day, nearly taking his jammies off in the process!

So, because Kyle is a real mover, we've realized that although he still fits in his bassinet, he scoots himself all around and it isn't safe anymore for him to sleep in. (The mattress doesn't fit snuggly and there are places where he could suffocate.) We captured this picture to celebrate his official graduation into his big bed! (Ok, he's been in his crib for over a month, but we finally accepted the fact that he's not going to sleep in the bassinet "just one last time" and we (I) need to embrace the idea that he is indeed growing up.) Although I generally drag my heals when it comes to accepting this sort of thing .... if it means having more space in the house, I'm all for it!
Here's papa tearing down the bassinet, with Shmu looking on. Big boy!!!

MOPS

Today was my first day in MOPS. It stands for Mothers of Preschoolers. (Don't ask me why they name it that when women are encouraged to go if they have any young child 0 to 5ish.) Anyways, I have known about MOPS for years and have always wondered if that would be anything I would ever be able to be a part of. I've been super excited about joining this fall because it's just another opportunity I'm able to soak up while staying home. Most MOPS groups are during the day and if I were working, I'd really be missing out.

This MOPS group meets at my church, though anyone can attend, and consists of about 65 women who are broken up into small groups to enjoy a brunch, topical speaker, craft time and good conversations around the table.

This first week, we had to bring some pictures of our family and share a little bit about ourselves. When it was time for me to share my Shmu pictures, I missed him SOO much I couldn't bear to look at the them as they were passed around. Shmu stays home with dad for now. I'm still very leery about putting him in the MOPPETS program (childcare). I'm told this is a "first child/new mom" thing and I'll get over it by the second baby. Whatever the reason, I've got to do what's most comfortable for me and so far that means Shmu stays either me or Ru.

Speaking of which, during the program I got a text from Ru stating that the newborn diapers we had Kyle in just weren't able to hold all the poo and he had a huge blowout! (They were on sale and could technically still fit him according to his weight... but I knew it'd be pushing it.) It was so bad, Shmu had to be taken directly to the shower. I was prepared to come home to a whirlwind of a house, but when I got home, father and son were peacefully snuggled together and whatever disaster I had evaded was completely cleaned up and taken care of! Good job, Ru!!

Although I missed Kyle terribly, it was nice to be out of the house and around other women who share this new phase we are in. Yeah, for being a stay at home mom!!! Have I mentioned I LOVE it??? :) It just keeps getting better and better!

Thank you, Gina!!

Daily I find myself amazed at how God continues to faithfully provide for us with many little blessings. Today we had a huge blessing come to us in the form of Grandma Gina!! Kyle and I absolutely LOVE having Gina come for visits. Her trips always mean a ton of blessings. First and foremost, we enjoy spending time with her and growing closer. Then, if we aren't getting a ton of things done around the house, we are running errands that would otherwise be more stressful if we were to do them on our own. Today, we ran to Costco, Target and Trader Joe's. Gina blesses us each visit with groceries and many other things we need. It is humbling to receive so many blessings in one day and we are so thankful for her unselfish love!

After dinner we ran another errand and got a few things we really needed as well as Shmu's Halloween costume!!!! :) He'll be a dragon!! It couldn't be more perfect and suits him completely. At 7wks old gestation, we posted our ultrasound picture of Shmu and Auntie Michelle thought he looked like a dragon. Then, every time mommy felt like throwing up (quite constantly), we talked about how our little dragon was spitting fireballs on me. So, the name stuck and we've been looking for anything dragon for him ever since. We will be in Illinois for Kyle's first holiday and we are excited to go trick-or-treating with our cousin Donovan! It's super exciting to anticipate it now that he'll be decked out in his own, ADORABLE costume! Can't wait to show you and post pictures!

Thank you, Gina, for your continued support and love. We really, really appreciate your visits and enjoy your company.

Love you.

Auntie Michelle

Thanks Michelle, for coming over on Sunday! I'm so glad we got to capture some of Kyle's smiles on video. Thanks for helping me bake, play with Shmu and for your company in general. Come again, soon!! We miss you!

Here's Ru and Michelle picking and poking at Shmu. Poor little fella! :)

Mommy, Daddy and Mr. Binks

All Kyle really needs in life is Mommy, Daddy and Mr. Binks! Ok, maybe the swing helps and the vacuum friend as well as the swaddle. Mr. Giraffe is turning out to be quite a good friend, too. But realistically speaking, Kyle's world is still quite small.

Today, I was thinking about just how little he needs to be a satisfied baby boy. On the other hand, very little can also set the guy off! If Mr. Binks were to leave his mouth, for example ... now, that'd be traumatic!

Kyle's world in a nutshell...

Mom

Dad

and Mr. Binks

= happy little boy!!

And another little video...

Kyle's 1st trip to Sea World!

Not the amusement park, but to one of Ru's favorite surf spots. He calls it Sea World because there's always a lot of sea life swimming out there. It's not uncommon for him to surf with the dolphins, seals and fish. Once, he even saw a whale in the distance.

I've always liked going with Rudy when he wants to surf at a reasonable hour. Taking Shmu this time was even better! He slept through half of it and enjoyed some Tummy Time on our blanket as well as looking out at the bright world around him. I couldn't help imagining what it will be like to watch my man and my little boy out in the water together. Here are some pictures of our latest adventure.

We can't help but take these car seat shots. We think he looks so cute in his little seat with his big boy shoes. Besides, it's a way for us to see his growth, in how he fills it out over time.

This is all the stuff we had to carry out to the water. Walking back at high noon, the hot sand made the load feel much heavier!


Our view of daddy and the waves.

All set up and ready for fun. While Shmu slept, mommy got to lay out and daddy got to surf. Everyone was happy!! :)

Snapshots of the average day.

Sometime in the morning, mommy takes a shower while Shmu lays patiently on the bathroom floor. He enjoys staring at the bright lights above our mirror and generally gives mom ample time to get dressed and ready as well. We talk to each other and he looks over in my direction as I get ready.

Then, in the afternoon, after Shmu's longer nap, we have learning time. Shmu enjoys this (reading books, listening to classical music and staring at eye stim cards) for about 15 minutes before getting bored. :)

Then, the best part of our day... we hear daddy on his skateboard coming down the alley and we rush to the balcony to see him. Shmu can sense my excitement and looks pretty curious as his eyes lock in on his father. Ru says that's the highlight of his day. We open the door for dad or meet him in the garage where he puts his skateboard and go for a short walk around the neighborhood. Shmu LOVES these walks and Ru calls him our little explorer. His curious eyes never seem to stop soaking it all in.

This video was taken after our learning time, but I'm still holding up an eye stim card to the left hand side (to explain the distraction). He was getting kind of sleepy by this point, but we still wanted to share a video for GG.

Here daddy's showing Shmu a big garbage truck that is coming up the street. So exciting!

Then, as it starts to get a little chilly, we head indoors and Ru attempts to study.

Then, just before Shmu goes to bed for the night (ha, ha!) we give him a bath. I love his face in this picture. So calm and trusting.

The kicking starts and we crack up at his many expressions. Notice Kyle's fists in this picture. He tends to be quite serious about certain things and can get a little intense! :)

Of course, there's much more I could capture about our days, but these were just a few shots we really like. Our days are really happy ones. Thank you, Shmu, for bringing us so much joy! :)