Last week @ home

Well I have officially embarked upon my journey back to work.....man was I dreading it! How could I leave this adorable guy to go back and listen to people complain about their medications not being $4 and just being ungrateful for just about anything we have done for them! Just wanted to share some pictures of the little guy! We are getting more smiles each day! I have really enjoyed my days with him as he has become much more content and we have settled into our little routine...of course Mister fussy after 6 pm is still around which makes it hard to leave him during the day and come home in the evening so I am REALLY hoping that in the next few weeks he becomes less fussy in the evenings.....although if last night was a test it sure isn't looking good....poor Brad got home around 5 and C pretty much cried till I got home at 9:15 (I sure add the the chunkster also ate 12 OUNCES ....yes 12 ounces from 6-9 and was STILL hungry!!) I knew he was a cluster feeder and he always gives us a run for our money in the evening but 12 ounces is a LOT considering he normally consumes 4 ounces every 3 hours. (Where could he be storing all this food?!) I fed him once I got home from work and he then slept from 10-10 (a little help from the dryer...but still slept 12 hours!) So Brad was obviously doing something right! I sure missed C my first 2 days back and thought of him often. I knew he was in great hands and I am sure that made it easier (I also knew that nothing was really changing...Grandpa came to our house so I knew he would be swinging, going on walks, being held and it was a familiar environment so I really felt so comfortable with the set-up!) I am hoping I can keep up with the pumping at work but it sure was difficult I would enter the pumping session just knowing that I was going to come back to a nightmare and of course I would return and the totes (Rx's) were stacked higher than I am usually comfortable with but such is life and right now C is still the main priority and at the end of the night I checked 389 prescriptions from 9-9 and I did get just as much done. (just not as fast as I am used to!)

































































































Okay this picture deserves some explanation. Brad and I get a kick out of the fact that C is just so comfy in this swing..When he starts waking up he starts stretching and within minutes it can look like he is about to fall off the swing...don't worry we are always standing right there ready to scoop him up (and he does get buckled in but when we put him in their all swaddled up and sleeping he usually does not get buckled) anyways definitely a great memory to have of hour our little wiggle worm can scoot his way around in the swing!

10 Weeks

10 weeks...WOW! Well after having his 2 month check-up at the doctor and sleeping off those shots we underwent a few fussy days followed by what I think was a growth spurt...Man have we had one fussy baby. For the past 2 days C has been awake since 8 am and taken 1-2 30 minute cat naps and then spent the rest of the days screaming and up till 10 pm. I have tried all our normal tricks...the swing, car rides..this kid wasn't having any of it...he would be sorta calm on a walk but otherwise he has been screaming..well I of course wasn't thinking growth spurt the first day and a half so I am trying everything to calm my baby..once I did some googling and realized that he didn't have a fever, he wasn't teething...well it looks like my baby was just hungry! So after a marathon feeding session C slept 12 HOURS!!! That's right I probably checked on him every 30 minutes after his 8 hours of sleep. I couldn't even believe it. Then he napped for hours yesterday and slept 81/2 hours last night and is napping now...sooo I hoping the growth spurt is over...weighed him last night and looks like he is about 13 pounds...I mean can you please stop growing! I am loving each day with him (minus the lil growth spurt when I just didn't know what I was "doing wrong.") but he is so responsive to what mommy and daddy do now..we can act silly, sing him songs, carry him around and he is so intune with his surroundings...it's so fun! I love thinking that I am really entertaining him! But the really sad thing about this week is it's my last full week with little C before I return to the dreaded pharmacy...I mean I will be the first to admit I wasn't sure this mommy home all day thing would be for me (I am such a schedule person and thought I would like returning to my "normal" routine) well I just loooooove being his mommy and being the one to watch his every move...guess it is going to be much harder to return to work than I expected...I'm having some anxiety mostly about feeding. I probably started introducing the bottle too late so I am scared that I will be leaving Grandpa with a very tough couple of weeks of feeding C. I will continue to give him a bottle every day to make sure that he is somewhat prepared for my absence. I know he will adjust just find and I am sure it will be much harder on me than C. I just don't know how in the world I will have enough time at Walmart to excuse myself to get C's food ready for the next day. I am really hoping to breastfeed through his 3 months (which is only 2 weeks worth of pumping at work) but ideally I would have liked to continue this amazing nutrition and bonding with C long past that time...so I will take it day by day and try to not let it stress me out. I also didn't realize how responsible you feel for your baby's every action. I will constantly be thinking of C and hoping that he is behaving for Grandpa...I don't doubt what wonderful care and support he is going to provide but you can't help but hope and pray that your baby is not fussy and is behaving for their caregiver because you are their mommy and you feel responsible for their behavior...*weird feeling* but I feel it every time I leave him...I know he's always being well taken care of but I am always thinking "oh goodness ...please don't be screaming the whole time" I keep hearing that 3 months is a great turning point for the fussy baby so I am really hoping that whatever the cause of C's fussiness that it will resolve itself in the next few weeks..Brad and I just adore him and can't wait till whatever is causing him to be fussy will soon be gone so that we can see more of his precious little personality!

But more and more each day we are getting smiles like this that melt our hearts!!















But Mr. Serious can't help but give us more of these looks on a regular basis















C has been so good about taking his reflux medicine. We really think it is helping because when I tried to wean him off of it ...the reflux and fussiness after eating seemed worse.

















His hands are always up by his face but now he can wipe his little eyes and stuff both fists in his mouth and it is adorable















Yawns are just precious!















He was laying flat against the headrest and I look over and he has literally sprung himself out of the seat with his head it was hilarious...















Our favorite daily activity is taking C on walks..it's when he looks the most peaceful and mommy and daddy love getting him outside















He really behaves for diaper changes and I hope it stays that way














His favorite time of the day to go "cycling" Brad and I joke that he is always biking the tour de France. He serious kicks and kicks those legs like no other...we joke that it's because of those spinning classes that I took every day while he was in my tummy














He always looks up at us..amazing how he knows our voices















He's thinking where you guys taking me.















This was before his shots at his 2 month doctor appointment...look how peaceful he wasn't aware that he was going to receive 4 shots















This is his first time that he discovered himself in the mirror. He just loved it. Now I will sit him in front of the mirror while I brush my teeth and he is so entertained.

Well since C screamed bloody murder after his 4 shots we couldn't really get his whole outfit back on so this is how he came home...and after hours of sleeping he was ready to show off those scooby doo band-aids

2 MONTHS

My little C! ....Where have the last 2 months gone??! I am soo grateful for the 2 months that I have gotten to spend with you. It is amazing how different you are from one short month ago. You used to feel so fragile and now you are rounding out. Your face is so expressive now. You have grown in length and have really started to fill out all of your clothes. You nurse like a little champ and I love knowing that you are healthy and growing. I literally haven't left your side for more than 3 hours since you were born! I can't even take my eyes off of you. Even when daddy is changing you or keeping you occupied I find myself gravitating towards him and you so that I don't even miss out on a moment of your life!...I can't get enough of you! Although the first month was a giant learning and evolving process for us...you really have just melted my heart each day of your existence. Although you are still the most serious baby you are just adorable and I find myself just mesmerized by your cuteness!



Sometimes I think you should be a lot older than you are and I find myself expecting all of these changes overnight...then I remember you are just a tiny little baby and that we have many months and years for you to evolve into a little man. Althogh you won't remember these times when you were so tiny, I am so grateful that you are healthy, happy, and well loved...and that you have spent almost your whole life in my arms being loved more than you will ever know!....I feel so lucky!

2 Month Stats:

• Weight- 12 lb 2 oz (60% --up from 9 lb 12 oz)
• Height- 24 inches (87%--- up from 23 in)
• You now wear size 1 diapers
• You are wearing some 0-3 month clothes (although you are outgrowing most of them), you can fit perfectly in plain 3 month clothes and I have just washed and pulled out your 3-6 month clothes (I guess you will not be fitting into your 3 month Easter outfits ooops!)
• You loooove the swing. In the beginning it would calm you momentarily then one day you fell asleep in it ...and now poof it is your favorite location to take naps....buuut the music turns off every 10 minutes and I literally must jump off the couch and get to it before it shuts off in order to keep you in your sweet slumber
• When you fall asleep you often fall asleep with your hands frozen in mid air. It might be the cutest thing
• You have officially started to smile (at first it was just a few here and there but now every morning when I change your diaper and I make silly faces at you ...you give me a few smiles...now you don't go overboard and let's make it clear that if it's past 4:00 no one will get a smile out of you...but in the mornings you definitely crack a few smiles
• You have started to get into a little bit of a routine. Normally you wake up for the day between 8-10:00 and you will eat and then proceed to eat every 3 hours. Every now and then you may get fussy and want to eat more frequently but generally until about 5:00 you eat every 3 hours. Then at 5:00 you become very fussy and nothing makes you very happy. It seems like you cluster feed in the evenings and it becomes a nonstop process from about 7-11 ...then you are out for the night till about 4-5:30...mommy is happy about this sleep
• You normally take 1 long nap (3 hours) or just little cat naps (30 minutes or so)...so you still don't sleep much during the day but I am enjoying your night slumber
• You love going on walks and we have been taking you out almost every day now that it's a little warmer
• When you fall asleep your head almost always falls to the left (well your right...either way it's soo cute)
• This past month you suffered some pretty bad baby acne and some cradle cap...sorry C you'll be all cleared up in no time
• When nursing sometimes you will just break into a big ole smile and then you go right back to eating...it is soooo adorable and I just want to eat you up when I see that precious little smile
• When you start crying ...it seems to get louder and then your face turns bright red and if it's time for a nap ...it gets painfully sad to hear you cry but I know after that terrible last loud cry you will be out for the count..and almost always after that last terribly loud cry you are out
• You still don't like taking a paci (it seems like we can get you to take it for 5 minutes or so and then you realize that there is no milk coming out and you spit it out...then if we try to give it to you again you get realllly mad)
• You sleep on the dryer in your carrier practically every night. When it shuts off at night you continue to sleep but once I feed you around 5 and put you back on the dryer you wake up if I don't keep it going..so here I am in the ligthest sleep hopping over to the dryer every 35 minutes...we love you!)
• You love baths
• You love car rides
• Daddy tries to give you a bottle once a day to get you used to taking a bottle
• You have great head control and often times you head butt us or slam your head into our shoulder
• You love sucking on your whole fist

6-8 weeks

I have always heard that at about 6 weeks your baby starts behaving better and "things" get easier. I never quite understood how this could be possible when at 4 weeks I was still getting little sleep and dealing with a very fussy baby. I kept thinking yeah right that just seems too good to be true. Well I sure don't know what it is about that 6 week mark...is it that mommy has recovered or become less sleep deprived? Or do you become more in tune with your baby's behavior? Does the baby start settling down? I am not sure what happened...but motherhood has gotten muuuuuch easier. The more time that passes the more settled Crawford has become. We have had 2 8 hour stretches of sleep, last night he slept NINE hours, and usually he is sleeping about 5-7 hours the first stretch of the evening...let's just say I feel very fortunate...even after 6 hours of initial rest I feel sooo much better and much more prepared to meet all of C's needs. He has also started showing some personality...now he still is Mr. Serious the majority of the time...but we have been having conversations with him letting him know that it's okay to let loose and relax...he's been responding with smiles and he even tries to talk and tell us what's on his mind but he usually just can't get much out! I just looove being his mom! I am starting to have pre-going back to work anxiety. I always thought I could stay home with C all the time because I would run out of things to do and be bored...YEAH RIGHT! This is so rewarding and I just love all of the bonding we have had. I am going to miss every second away from him. I finally feel like a normal person again (minus the fact that we still haven't been out in public...but I'm trying to protect C because all over the news they are talking about the overwhelming amount of flu cases right now and I just don't want to risk getting him sick right now). I wanted to share C's personality with you all...the following pics were taken within in a 5 minute period and just show how much reaction I can now get out of C! I love it!


























































































I'm still trying hard to keep this paci in his mouth...not much success...Nana and Granpa have a much better track record with getting him to take a paci...with me he sucks for about 5 minutes realizes that no milk is coming out and then spits it out and gets VERY angry if you continue to try and give it to him.



















I mean I just adore this outfit...too bad by the time I dressed him in this outfit it was waaay too small. the bottom of the outfit cut off at his knees...he is growing soo big...that hat is 0-6 months...guess he has a big head too!







































Mister Serious!




















Gotta love the diaper genie!














Getting ready for a walk a couple weeks ago...I have a feeling this newborn outfit would not come close to fitting him any longer!














Looking at mommy...love that he can really hold a gaze...it's so entertaining to watch him stare at things...he'll hold the gaze forever!

We have been working on his grasp lately. We love trying to get him to hold onto things...However, it's usually us putting things in his hands and he doesn't even realize he is holding onto them...not yet at least!

Smiling at Daddy!

He makes this face a lot!

Joe and Jess came over for a visit and brought C a piggy bank, a golf hat (of course he is going to love this), and a place to put his first lock of hair and his first tooth! Thanks guys!

My first pampering weekend...got a mani/pedi, my hair done, and dinner out with The Harris' and the Riveras at Sassafras...feels great to get out for a bit!