Field Trip!

Yesterday, Dustin took the day off of school to help me work in my classroom. I am moving back to 5th grade this year (yay!!!) but that means moving classrooms. It's amazing how many educational materials one can collect in only two years of teaching!

Beanie on the rug :)

Hey mom!

When we arrived at school, we spent the first 20 minutes in the office showing Beanie off to all of my coworkers who had also gone in early to get things done. He received many compliments :)  Afterward, we headed straight to my new room. We had visited previously this summer briefly to simply throw the many boxes of things into the new room. Today was part two, unpacking and organizing.

The Brains AND Brawn of the operation

Classroom library before...

...and after! :)

We worked in shifts for most of the day. Beanie did not sleep as much as we had counted on so he required a little entertainment. He did a good job considering we worked in the room for nearly 5 hours. In fact, I think he only had one minor meltdown!

Cat-nap!

After Dust got most of the heavy lifting out of the way, I got to work on organizing my desk, filing cabinets, etc.

Meanwhile, the boys enjoyed Daddy-Baby time :)

Hard at work ;)

Dustin working on strengthening Beans left neck muscles...such a chiropractor!

At about 3:15, we called it a day. We could only ask so much of Beanie in one day! We headed to a pizza place right near my school. Dustin really likes it but because I work in Tampa, he rarely gets the chance to eat here. Anyway, we seized the opportunity.

Daddy and Bean

When we got their, Bean was not very happy. Dustin and I passed him back and forth to keep him quiet. Eventually, I ended up holding him and Dustin ended up with my salad...

It didn't take long for Beanie to fall asleep and when he did, I put him in his carseat. Of course, he immediately woke up but was happy that mommy was next to him :)

Sleepy baby!

We finished our dinner and headed for home. It was a nice family day and I am so thankful for my boys' help!

If you look closely, you can see all three of us!!

We finished the day with a nice walk in the neighborhood...Bean LOVES going for walks :)

Yawn!

I am so blessed :)

SLEEP!! :)

Last night, I fed Beanie, changed him, and put him down in his bassinet at 11:15 PM. Once he was asleep, Dustin and I did all of the nightly preparations on our "baby checklist." This makes nights go much smoother. These things include making sure the changing table is ready for a middle of the night change, the rocking chair is clear of all stuffed animals and the spitty blanket is ready to use for burping. Lastly, we prepare bottles in the amount of milk that he will need, as he prefers bottles in the night when he is tired. Due to a recent growth spurt, I decided to up the amount of food to 5 oz. during the night and 4 oz. during the day. Last night was the first time we gave him 5 oz. and I was sure that this was the right move as he is getting bigger and the doctor mentioned upping the feedings at approximately 2 months.

"Dad thinks I'm rad"

I took the first bottle out of the refrigerator, 5 oz. of breastmilk, and sat it on my nightstand. It would slowly come to room temperature and be perfect by the time Beanie woke up. Dustin and I shut off the lights, locked doors, and hopped in to bed.

The next thing I knew, I heard Xavier grunting and whining. I reached for his passy but it did not satisfy him. I turned on the music and the mobile in his bassinet but he continued to whimper. I checked my phone to see if he might be hungry yet, not noticing that their was light coming in through the blinds. 6:30AM. What? I checked it again as it registered. Beanie had just slept through the whole night! My first instinct was to shove Dustin excitedly and screech. But first, I grabbed the bottle. I had taken it out of the fridge at 11:15...7 hours ago. I smelled it and sure enough, it was spoiled :( 5 oz. ruined. Any mommy who nurses and pumps knows how upsetting this is...but I couldn't help but be excited for this night of rest. I ran to the kitchen for another bottle and Bean didn't even seem to mind that it was cold. He was HUNGRY!

While I fed Bean in bed, I nudged Dustin and shared the exciting news. Bean had slept all night.7 hours! How exciting. Apparently I was more excited than he was because he rolled right back over and was snoring within seconds. After feeding and changing baby, I put him back down, but couldn't sleep. I immediately texted my mom, sisters and even updated my facebook status. Beanie had slept all night. I still couldn't believe it!

Hopefully, this becomes the new norm and last night wasn't just a fluke. Fingers crossed!!! :)

Anniversary Outing :)

Wednesday, July 25, was our 3rd wedding anniversary. Time flies. We were not planning on having a baby this soon, but clearly God had control of the situation because Beanie has made both of us happier than we ever knew possible :)

We couldn't celebrate on Wednesday due to Dustin's class schedule. He had class from 8AM-7PM so we decided that we would wait until the weekend when we had more time to enjoy each others (and Bean's) company. We planned a trip to Tampa and decided to treat ourselves to our favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory. Being the considerate people that we are, we planned to go right when they opened so that if Beanie had a momentary meltdown, there wouldn't be as many patrons affected :)

On Saturday, Xavier woke up around 7:30 so Dust got up with him and let me sleep an extra hour (our weekend norm). Then Dustin ran to the gym while Bean and I got ready. By the time Dustin got home, Bean and I were ready for our anniversary date! Dust showered and dressed quickly, we packed the diaper bag, and off we went!

3 years :)

We arrived before the restaurant opened (we are both very punctual people) so we walked around the mall that is connected. With some of the extra time, we went to the jewelry store and got my ring cleaned. We spent the remaining 15 minutes or so walking past stores that we normally would have shopped in...before we had another little mouth to feed :)

<3

We walked back around to the restaurant just in time for them to open the doors. Apparently other parents had the same bright idea that we did because every party that was waiting to be seated was accompanied by a small child :)

While I would like to write about how nice and enjoyable our lunch was, I can't because I would be lying. Taking a child to a restaurant is not always a smart idea. Now, don't get me wrong, Beanie behaved brilliantly! He sat nicely in his carseat until he quietly dozed off. The spoiled little brat at the table beside us, however, was a joke. She screamed from the moment they were seated. Her mother made excuses that she was hungry. Not surprisingly, when her food came, the screaming did not subside. At one point I got up to use the restroom, and when I walked past her, she slapped my shins. Yes...I said shins...because at this point, she was laying on the ground, screaming...shin height. She was a hot mess.

Her grandmother was not much better. She brought two dogs with her into a Four-Star restaurant and was passing out fliers to random people promoting diabetes awareness. Dustin and I both agree that Diabetes is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly. There is a time and a place, however, and that time nor place is at our anniversary luncheon at The Cheesecake Factory......

pretending not to be annoyed.. :)

All joking aside, we really did have a good time. While we didn't enjoy our neighbors, we did enjoy each other! And it's amazing how a delicious lunch and a decadent piece of cheesecake can turn a meal around. Dustin ordered the Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo followed by the Blueberry White Truffle cheescake. I had my usual Louisiana Chicken pasta, followed by the Pina Colada cheesecake. They were scrumptious!

After lunch, we headed to a fish store in Tampa that Dustin rarely gets to visit. He had birthday money that his mom had sent him (thanks Deneen!) and it was burning a hole in his pocket. We put bean in the stroller and had a nice time walking around looking at all the aquariums, both on display and for sale. Bean really enjoyed this. He is mesmerized by Dustin's tank at home and this experience was like an overload!

I promise he was more interested than he looks...

Mommy and Bean!

My favorite people in the whole world!

Dust ended up buying some "Texas Holy Rock" for his tank...a rather boring purchase in my opinion. Afterwards, we hopped in the car and headed back over the bridge toward one last fish store. Bean had fallen asleep by the time we were there so I opted to stay in the car with him while Dust ran in to look at a fish he had had his eye on for a while. He purchased two new fish and off we were again.

Ready to go home!

When we got home, we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening curled up on the couch relaxing and watching the olympics. Beanie was intrigued! It was not as eventful as anniversaries past, but it was perfect.

I love my little family :)

Ruff!

\

Watching the Olympics in my Bumbo!

7 Weeks Old!!

Cute pictures of a 7 week old bean :)

Click "Read More" to see more pics :)

Birthday Dinner =)

Sunday was Dustin's birthday. Even though we had already had a mini-surprise session in the car previously in the week, we also wanted to make him a special birthday dinner! When I asked what he wanted me to make him, his only criteria was that he wanted me to make something new, preferably some sort of pasta or sandwich. Beanie and I got to work looking up new recipes. We decided on Pastitsio. It is basically a Greek Lasagna. Dustin is always trying new/weird meals at restaurants so I thought I'd get creative. Here is the recipe in case you are interested! 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe/index.html


Anyway, I worked on this meal for 3 hours....that's right...THREE HOURS! I love cooking but this was a little extreme. At one point, I had all four burners and the oven going...but it was worth it because it was his birthday dinner :)

Beanie in his birthday hat helping Mama!

After slaving in the hot kitchen for what seemed like an entire day, the dish was done. It was the moment of truth. I was a little nervous because the recipe called for cinnamon and nutmeg, both of which Dustin hates. I was beginning to regret my decision just as I was plating our dinner.

Pastitsio and Iced Tea :)

As we sat down to dinner, I poured tea into both of our glasses and waited for him to taste it. He liked it! Praise the Lord! I hadn't wasted the entire day! I began to dig in...and then stopped. Apparently, I'm not a fan of Pastitsio. The dish that had sounded so delicious to me turned out to be not so delicious. I decided it wasn't worth the calories and gave my portion to Dustin ;) I was disappointed but decided it wasn't a waste because he really enjoyed it. He ate quite a bit, which isn't surprising if you know Dustin. The chances of me making it again, however, are very slim (unless of course he wants it next year for his birthday :)

He ate quite a bit...

As Dustin ate, I sat and enjoyed his company. I drank more tea than usual because I was not eating the dinner. In fact, I had not had that much caffeine in a LONG time. Consequently, neither had beanie and the following day he was up for nearly 12 hours straight!!!! Ooops!

We ended the night with donuts...he insisted on donuts rather than a cake and who was I to argue with the birthday boy?

Overall, I think that 26 was a success :) Happy Birthday Dust!!! We love you!

Routines and Milestones :)

So Beanie has been a pretty good sleeper from day one. The second night in the hospital and the first night at home were horrendous but after that, he got good at snoozin :) Obviously we have a hairy night every now and then, but on average, he only wakes one or two times. Dustin has been super dad and is really good at helping me at night, especially on the weekends. Usually Bean wakes up around 7AM to eat and play and on the weekends, Dust will get up with him and let me sleep in. He's pretty awesome :)

Good Sleeper :)

Bean still sleeps roughly 18 hours a day, but he is becoming more and more alert. He has been able to follow us with his eyes for a few weeks but he is getting better at it all the time. He notices when we enter the room, when Midnight is around, when the TV is on, his food source ;) and when we make loud noises. We are getting to know what he likes and he dislikes. For example, he HATES his changing table and almost always throws a fit when I put him on it but if I change him anywhere else, he is totally relaxed. He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his swing (Thanks Ruth!!!!) and his mobile. He loves the "soundscapes" channel and we turn it on for him in the morning so that he can nap or play listening to the soothing music. He is such a good baby and I am so thankful for that.

Hanging out in my swing :)

Annoyed with the changing table...

I am still waiting for the morning that I can wake up, run to the computer, and blog about how Beanie slept the whole night! In the meantime I'll just be grateful that he is happy, healthy, and isn't up all night :)

Hi!

L<3ve

:)

Besides sleeping good and becoming more alert, Bean has changed in other ways this week. He started drooling constantly. In fact, I have to wipe him down before nearly every picture. The little black spots on his tongue that I was super worried about last week went away, too.

Notice the drool and no black spots :)

Bean is now wearing size 3 month clothes, barely. It won't be long before he is in 3-6 months clothes. When we go in public, people are shocked at the fact that he is only 6 1/2 weeks old. He now weighs 13 lbs and is 24 inches long :)I think that many people at home will be surprised to see just what a big boy he is! He is now wearing size two diapers...so sad :( He went through one box of newborns before he graduated to size ones. After one box of size ones, he is already onto size twos. He is getting too big, too fast!

Also this week, Dustin noticed that Bean had a little red pointer finger. When we looked closer, we realized it was due to a hang nail. We (Dust) had clipped his nails slightly crooked and it resulted in a hang nail. I began to google what we could do for it (I panicked per usual). When I found a website that explained it could be a hair tourniquate and could result in loss of finger, Dustin told me to chill out and stop googling haha. I called my mom, a nurse, and she said to put a little neosporin on it. We did, and sure enough the next morning it looked much better.

Poor Baby!

As I mentioned last week, Beanie had a very slight case of cradle cap. In order to get rid of it, you simple brush a fine toothed comb through his hair after a bath or lotioning. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of doing this is hair loss. This week, we began to notice that Beanie was losing some of his cute strawberry-blonde hair :'( The cradle cap was located mostly on the top of his head so that is where the hair loss has occurred. I keep telling myself it was bound to fall out anyway so I'm trying not to dwell.

Still so cute :)

haha I love this one!

:'(

Lastly, this week was super exciting for us. Bean began to smile!!!! He has smiled while sleeping or passing gas since birth, but this week, he started "socially smiling." He also is cooing and playing when I put him on the floor to play more. He has smiled at me two different times and at midnight several times. He is so cute when he smiles and he has a dimple! It is funny because only one side has a dimple, just like me :) Unfortunately, I haven't caught one of these "social" smiles on camera yet, but I am working on it! In the meantime, here is an "almost" smile to hold you over :). 

I clicked the camera too late :(

Freak out #872

My 6 week postpartum appointment was scheduled for last Tuesday. I was dreading it, to say the least. That morning, I got up extra early to make sure I had time to get myself and beanie ready, feed him, pump, eat breakfast....the list goes on and on. Right before we left, I fed him one more time to ensure good behavior at the doctor's office :) When I was feeding him, I noticed little black spots on his tongue.

I.Freaked.Out.

I immediately called the pediatrician. The receptionist asked if we were able to be there in 15 minutes...someone had just cancelled. I took the appointment and called Dustin on the way. He opted to stay at school and assured me that everything would be fine. As I drove to the doctor, I ran a list through my head of other worries that I had had since our last visit. Dry skin, perhaps a mild case of cradle cap? Spitting up and dirty diapers only once a day...were we reverting back to our old problem of not getting enough food? I jotted it all down. I was ready.

<3

When we arrived, I took a moment in the waiting room to call my OBGYN and let them know that something had come up and I needed to reschedule. Shortly, Xavier's name was called and off we went.

First, the nurse took him back to the scale. He weighed 12 lbs. 10 oz. He had gained an entire pound in 10 days!!! (Clearly, there was no reason to be worried about the spitting up and diaper situation). We went into the little room and waited for the doctor. When she arrived, she spent several minutes answering my questions and assuring me that the spitting up was not an issue. She also gave me several tips to prevent it in the future, all of which have worked wonders! Also, she told me that it was normal for the messy diapers to slow down at this point. She was impressed with his weight gain and applauded our great efforts toward breastfeeding. We were doing great!

Little Piggy!

After checking him over, she took out a tongue compressor and opened Bean's mouth. He was not pleased. She was able to get a good look despite his cries of outrage. After asking me a few questions, she diagnosed it as thrush and wrote him a prescription for a solution. I must mention that it was very obvious that she was unsure of this diagnosis. Her speech and body language let me know that she was making an educated guess. We made a follow up appointment and were on our way. I left, but was not confident in her diagnosis. I had heard of thrush as one of my friends had just gone through this with her baby. I did not have any rashes and the residue in his mouth was black not white. I called Dustin (who had been bombarding me with texts the whole time we were at the doctor) and told him what went on. He also disagreed. I held off giving Bean the solution until Dustin could further research the issue.

After speaking with several of his professors, both of which were pediatric doctors, he convinced me to bring Bean into his school so that they could have a look. The first two were not familiar with it, however, the last one was able to identify it. It was a simple bacteria. It occurs when the baby cannot slosh off the food properly because their tongue hairs have not shed yet. It was nothing to worry about. Whewww! I felt so much better...and was very glad we had not administered the prescription for nothing. We were told to brush his little tongue with a fine bristled tooth brush and he would be good as new!

Chill out Mommy, I'm fine!

6 Weeks Old!!

Cute pictures of a 6 week old Bean :)

Click "Read More" to see more pics :)