Sunday, June 21, 2015

Dear Jess,

Dear Papa,


I didn't think I could love you more than I did, but as soon as our little guy came into the world that's exactly what happened--I fell more in love with you.  I have love watching you morph into this amazing dad. Watching you with our son makes my heart smile and I am beyond happy. The way you "shot gun" him, talk and look at him, and take him in your arms make me smile. He already loves you so much and I can imagine he will fall more in love with you just like I have.





We used to talk about what we would be like as parents. You had never been around babies much, but  watching you interact with Taz no one would ever know that. You became a dad the moment you held him in the hospital and I feel so blessed to get to watch you grow as a dad.  You take time to learn all about the new aspects/skills of being a dad (changing a diaper, giving a bath, feeding a bottle).





You have a calmness about you as a father that makes me a better mom. You took care of both of us the first month of his life and I couldn't be more thankful. You took time to listen to me, encourage me, and love on me during those hard times. You took countless trips to the store, different restaurants, and market so I could stay home and rest/take care of Taz. You got up for feedings in the middle of the night to make sure I was comfortable. You became a pro at changing diapers and always offer to help whenever you can. My favorite parts of the day were when you were by my side.





You do so much for our little family and are such a hard worker.  I know the time away from us has been hard, but not a day went by that we didn't think of you and talk about you. Taz knows you were working hard for our family and we appreciate it. We are so happy to be back as a family and celebrate your first Father's Day!



We love you desperately!  OJ!

Meggo and Taz

Friday, June 19, 2015

3 Months


Three Months 
June 19, 2015 





Height: 

Weight: 16 pounds (roughly, based on my scale) 


Chunky thighs are the cutest 

Likes: 
  • Being read to. He will smile and coo when he is read to. He especially likes the book Planes Go  and all the fun sounds that go with it. 
  • The Magic Sleep Suit.  If he is upset and I put him in this he starts to smile, not much later he is asleep.  
  • Bathtime.  He kicks and moves all around.
  • His mirror on the activity mat.  He will smile and coo at it all day long.
  • Traveling...this kid is a trooper.  He seems to like being in his carseat and road trips. 
  • He loves his activity mat, and just the other day I changed it up a little by putting him in his gumbo seat.  He saw the swinging toys from a whole different perspective. He caught on about how to hit the toys pretty quickly. 
  • Being outside, whether it is a stroller ride, sitting out on the porch, or just plain being outside. 
Chilling with Justin and Whitney 

Dislikes:
  • Napping for longer than an hour.  Although he is beginning to nap in his crib. 
  • When we are in the car he does not like to be stopped! 
  • Waking up from naps, he gets a big ole cry face on and has a killer scream.


Milestones:
  • He is getting even better at holding his head up and looking all around.
  • Using his voice. Sometimes he squeals and coos to himself for thirty minutes. 
  • Lifting his legs up (kinda like a sit up). 
  • He's getting close to rolling over (back to front).  

Doing some work with Poppy

Justin admiring Taz 
Sleep
  • Began taking naps in his sleep suit in his crib.  Not every time, but he is getting better. 
  • We are getting into a more set schedule, although it is still very loose.
  • Bedtime is around 8:30-9:00.  After bouncing him or rocking him to sleep he sleeps until around 4-5 AM (with a dreamfeed when I go to bed). 
  • Wake up around 7:00 and get the day started.  



Favorite Moments: 
  • We took a trip up to NoVa and it was so fun to watch Justin and Whitney with him.  They loved him so much.  Every time he cried Justin would say "Paci, paci!" and try to put a paci in Taz's mouth. 
  • Having all my friends (Katie Ro, Jess and Kevin, MDH, Shannon, and Suzanne) meet him. 
  • Reading to and playing with him. He is so much more alert and interactive and it is so fun. 
  • Rocking him to sleep, I know I will probably regret it later, but right now I am enjoying it. 
  • When I nurse him he puts his hand on his head and pats it, then looks up at me and smiles.  
  • When I put him on my leg and he gets really excited, he pedals his legs like he is on a bike.  For some reason this makes me laugh so much. 

MDH and the babies

Hanging with some of the cousins

Pics to Remember: 





Mommy's Thoughts: 
We have made it to the 3rd month and Jess is coming home!  I totally underestimated how hard it would be to have Taz alone for so long.  Of course I had help from mom and dad, but that didn't make it easier. I think it was harder emotionally because I wanted Jess to see all the little things he does on a daily basis.  I missed telling Jess (face to face) all about our day and watching Jess and Taz together.  

It's amazing how fast he is growing!  Each week I feel like he is a different little boy.  His face looks so "grown up" to me.  The changes happen so gradually that if I didn't look back at pictures or talk about it I wouldn't even notice. He adds to his repertoire each day and in my opinion gets cuter and cuter.  

Being a mom gets better and better each day.  Our days don't consist of much, basically just hanging out and me staring at him all day. :)  I love watching him grow and wonder what his little personality will be like. He is very easy going and happy most the time, but I think he has a stubborn streak in him because when he wants something he lets you know and does so loudly! He seems to have a sense of humor because he laughs and coos at all my jokes. :) 


Thursday, June 4, 2015

Growing Each Day...


Taz is getting much more coordinated with his movements each day.  He has started to work his core by lifting both his legs at the same time. He also has learned how to scoot/push himself up on the mat. Just today I was eating breakfast and he went from the bottom of the mat to off the mat in a matter of moments. Every day it is a joy to watch him grow and learn.


Taz is also finding his voice.  He often coos and is starting to squeal.  It is the cutest sound in the world. I always wonder what he is trying to say and communicate to us. Most of the time I can figure it out with his facial expressions. 

Round Here...

Reading with Grammy is one of his favorite things to do

Practicing his smile

Laying around with Wil.

Each morning I bring Taz into mom and dad's room and lay him on the bed.  He takes his time waking up and is all smiles.  Poppy plays with him and always gets a grin.  I snapped this picture when they were both still sleeping. 

Taz met Jess and Kevin, he loved the tree top swing. 

Tax took a little poolside nap. 
This boy loves his baths! 

If you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.
Just hanging around. 
Adding to the chunks...

Taz just being his cool self.