Thumb Sucker?!?!

Yesterday I look over & Drake has his thumb in his mouth!!! I immediately pulled it out, but a little later he was doing it again!

At first he was just chewing on it, but then he was actually sucking on it. I wondered if this would happen as he is not a huge fan of the paci. He will take it for sleeping, but that's about it. 

Today, the thumb was much more frequent. It is always his left. 

It is kind of funny because as he is trying to figure it out he keeps poking himself in the eye & getting slobber all over his face!

If I had a choice I don't particularly want him to suck his thumb & I by all means will not encourage it. But if I have learned anything in this Mommy role it is to roll with the punches. It's not the end of the world!

Return of the Spike

So the day after I took the pictures of Drake's "comb over" I gave him a bath & spiked it back up! When he was first born & for many weeks it did really do it on it's own, but now it is too long & just falls to the side. :( So needless to say we are having a long spike. On my to-do list this week is his 1st hair cut!

Return of the spike! 

With double chins & watery eyes :)

This poor baby & his allergies, I hope we can find out what the culpret is soon. 

With the weather being a little bit cooler Drake is getting to wear some of his "big boy" pants! 

The last pictures is super cute!! This is how he wants to be held majority of the time, standing up! But since I am typically the one taking the pictures, he has to be sitting down. Luckily Daddy was home to snap some pictures of him tonight!

16 Weeks!

Drake turned 16 weeks old this past Wednesday (8/19)!

It seems like he just joined us, but at the same time when I think about it being August & that he was born in April it seems like a long time. I don't know what I did with out this little one in my life. I always knew I wanted to be a Mother, but I had no idea the emotion I would feel. He is so amazing! I feel like a part of me that was missing before has been filled & is over flowing. I will admit being a Mom is the hardest job I have ever had to do, but I would not take back one single second of it! I just can't get enough of him! I honestly hope this feeling never goes away! To top it off he is a part of the person I Love very much & have chosen to spend & share my life with! I can't believe we created him!

"What Mom?"

Since day one he has been amazed with the circles on our Boppy. He looks & grabs for them multiple times a day. I don't know what I would do without that pillow. We use it for feedings (nursing & bottle), napping, cuddling, helping him to sit up, to lounge on & talk to Mom, etc.

Big Boy!

This is how we use it on the couch to help him sit up on the couch. He thinks he is big stuff!

Moby Wrap

What a great invention! I know this has been around a while now, but I had never heard of it & I am so glad I discovered this amazing piece of fabric (literally). It is basically a very long piece of fabric that is then wrapped around the upper body to wear your baby. It is like using a carrier, but much more comfortably for both Mom & baby. We used our wrap out & about for the first time last Wednesday as we ventured to the grocery store. It worked great! Drake got his way as to him it is like I am holding him & I was able to use my hands. It is going to take some practice because I still feel like I need to support him in it. I also am going to have to remember to dress him in just a onsie when we are going to be using it, my hot baby gets sweaty really quickly.

Kind of a weird picture in I know, but I was trying to show how it works. This is called the "front facing hold". When we were at the store I had him facing me because he had fallen asleep in the car & I was hoping he would continue his nap. No such luck, but he was tired enough he tolerated me carrying him like that.

Look at my chunky monkey! I can't believe how big he has gotten! Don't mind his "comb over". I gave him a bath the next day & brought the spike back even though it really is too long!

I LOVE his face in this picture!! I think I am going to kiss this poor kids face off!

That's another fun thing he does (he's been doing it for a while). If we make a kissing sound he will give us kisses! The classic open mouth kiss, but a kiss non the less! He even did it to Dustin the other night & then made a funny face, I think because of his scartchy facial hair. I don't blame him, I don't like it either!

The Dogs

Oh, The Dogs!

They are doing great! They are a bit bored during the day with 99% of my attention being on Drake. I do try very hard to give them attention & do things with them, but finding the time is a bit interesting. We try to take them to Pete & Mac's a few times a month to play & get their energy out. They absolutely LOVE it!! Especially Kenzie, we walk in the door & she goes absolutely insane!

Scout is such a good & sweet dog! He has really taken to Drake & is protective of him. He lays in the nursery when we are in there & if he is crying & I don't hear him right away he will come get me. If someone else is holding him he will come to me & then back to them as if he is saying "you need to get him". It amazes me how smart dogs are. Man, I love that dog!

So all dogs have their flaws. If begging is the one thing they do I can handle it. It does get a bit annoying when they are following you around the house or drooling a fountain on our leg while you are sitting at the table & their head is resting on your thigh. But what can you do, just like all relationships you have to pick your battles.

This picture is a bit blurry but it is Scout, Kenzie & our friend Mike's dog Corona playing in our backyard. All we have to do is say "Corona's coming over" & they both go nuts! They run from the back door to the front door a million times until she gets to the house. :)

Our "other kiddos".

They may as well be, they are just as much work as Drake. :)

Last week when we were going to bed Kenzie decided she wanted to get under our bed. She used to get under there all the time when we first brought her home, well she has grown a lot since then. I think she still thinks she is little though! My side of the bed is only a foot or so away from the wall & she can push against the wall to get under there. But then she couldn't get out! She ended up spending the entire night under the bed! She never whined or anything, just kept quite & slept. She had her head sticking out by Scout, I guess that's all she needed. The next morning Dustin had to lift the bed up for her to get out, crazy dog! She keeps us entertained that's for sure!

15 Weeks

This brings us to the present!!!

This week has been a week for new things! 

Last Friday night Drake stayed at my parents house overnight for the 1st time. He did really good, except for bedtime. He likes to be with his parents at bedtime! But he slept good thru the night & was happy the next day to play! They enjoyed having him, hopefully it will just get better & better!

I am also sad to say that his hair has gotten long & is no longer spikey. :( He looks like a different baby with his hair combed to the side, still cute though! He for sure needs a hair cut & I am thinking about having them cut it short on top so I can spike it. I know it isn't the same when it doesn't do it on its own, but it fits his personality better than combed hair. We shall see.

He is getting closer & closer to sleeping through the night! He goes to bed between 8:00 & 9:00 pm & sleeps for 8 to 9 hours before waking up! He then will eat & go back down for another 3 to 4 hours. At that point if I bring him in bed with me & let him nurse his breakfast feeding there he will go back to sleep for another 2 to 4 hours! That is good sleeping!! It is great, especially when I have to work. I bet in the next month or so he will be sleeping all the way through.

For about 2 weeks now he has been drooling like crazy!! He also pulls EVERYTHING to his mouth. Before he was just sucking on things he put in his mouth, now he is actually chewing on them. This morning he was chewing on his tongue! I feel his gums everyday, they are hard, but nothing is coming thru. Today was the first day he has actually been fussy. He also had several loose stools. So I am wondering if a little tooth is going to pop on thru soon. 

We tried out the Bumbo again this week & he likes it much more now! 

And we tried our jumper again & he likes it too! He is still just a touch too short, but with the help of a folded blanket he can touch with his entire foot. He doesn't jump or move around, but he likes the toys. His favorite is the sunshine, yet again with eyeballs. 

I Love these 2 pictures!

Talking to Wally, again. I think it might be his best friend. :) Besides Mommy of course. 

14 Weeks

Drake & Mommy!!

The outfit Drake has on in this picture has a really cute hat that that goes with it. Dustin's Mom got some really cute pictures of him with the hat on. Next time she is here (end of next week, I think) I will have to post them! I think it might be our next portrait outfit, not sure. 

This is how you will find us much of the time lately. With me back at work (nights of course) & Drake only taking naps if I hold him. We don't get a lot done around the house, but we do get our sleep in!

Typical site. Me playing with Drake, Kitty &/or Elway on top of the couch & Kenzie where she isn't supposed to be. This is her new favorite spot. 

13 Weeks

Drake still loves his swing!

Unfortunately he has decided Mom makes a better napping place than his swing. I LOVE the snuggle time, but I sure got a heck of a lot more done when he took his naps in his swing!

Not sure what this face is, but look I can hold my toys!

How many chins do you have son?

Bath time!

Yes in the kitchen sink. He wasn't really enjoying the bathtub so I decided to try the sink. It was much better for both of us!

13 Weeks Continued

How can you not fall in love with that sweet face!

Sleepy boy riding in the car. Mom even sat in the backseat this day, a special treat!

One thing he got from me is that lazy eyelid, except mine is my right eye. Sorry Bub!

It is a little hard to tell in this picture. But he is wanting to sit up on his own. Used to we could put him in the corner of the couch & that would be good enough, now he wants to sit up, not lean back! 

Morning Play!

See that frog in the left corner. Yep another favorite toy with eyeballs! :)

Talking to his toys & holding one in his right hand. 

I can't believe how fast they grow & change!

12 Weeks

At 12 weeks he laughed out loud for the 1st time!! I love it when babies laugh, it is always that deep down belly laugh! 

Nakie Boy!! I can't believe how big he is!! Look at all that chunkiness!

Flirting with Mommy. He can still do that!

Trying out our jumper. He is still a little small for it. We will try again in a few weeks.

I know the big eyes again. He was very intently checking out that catipillar, but I swear it is the flash. :)

Testing out the travel swing at Nana & Pop's. I think he likes it! 

I bought it off craigs list new in the box!