Another day in paradise

David and I had a busy day today with a handful of visitors, lots of phone calls from friends and family, and almost no napping. Neither one of us. And everyone knows how we love (and need!) our little naps.

I think I just fell asleep at the end of that last sentence.

Despite the fact that we were less than well rested, it was a great day.

David has really begun to develop a personality. He is a fellow of extremes: happy, gurgling, and laughing one minute, shrieking with gusto the next. And remember when I lamented the fact that at most times he would rather not be held? Well, these days it is quite the opposite. He even prefers my arms over his beloved swing. In a way, this does warm my heart, but it sure makes folding laundry a bit more challenging.

He loves listening to books and watching his colorful toys. He's even branched out from his traditional favorites. Some of the playthings that he seemed to ignore a mere week ago now fascinate him to no end. Here he is studying a toy I hung on his carrier handle. He really did work that thing over. It entertained him quite effectively during the last third of an almost hour-long walk we took on Monday. The look on his face is priceless.

It was so nice to see him enjoy the outdoors. Even after our walk he sat on the patio with me and watched (or rather, listened to) Cory mow the lawn.

And speaking of priceless looks, just try to look at this photo without chuckling. I think he was sleeping with his eyes open (or what it appears to be in this photo, "eye", LOL):

I was delighted that he tolerated his front carrier for about 15 minutes on Wednesday. Hopefully that thing will be great for outings in the near future. To be honest, I think it frustrates him to not be able to look out and take in the sights, and his view is obviously limited while facing me. We'll be able to turn him around in it soon enough.

More updates soon, I promise. Have a happy day!

What's new?

I am writing this today with a freshness of spirit and attitude. The dreary weather can't even get me down on this wonderful Sunday morning. You see, I actually accomplished eight hours of sleep last night. Not consecutively of course, but eight total hours of glorious slumber. And as you can tell by David's perky little face he is feeling quite rested, too.

He went down at about 11:30 pm last night after a relaxing evening at home with dinner (Outback takeout - yum!) and a movie (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). He didn't wake me up fussing until close to 4:30am, went back to sleep by 5:30am, then slept until close to 8. So refreshing! I keep reading how newborns typically have a "difficult period" sometime between 6 and 8 weeks of age. We'll see if we can dodge that bullet.

David and I were reclusive hermits this week, and it was sort of wonderful. Lots of lounging, reading, relaxing, and quiet observation of each other. Whenever I worry that I'm not doing enough with him (going enough places, doing enough activities, etc), I thank my lucky stars that we have these days together where time doesn't really matter, and nothing is something. Does that make sense? So, if we do lots of nothing all day, then that's perfectly OK. The memories of those hours filled with nothingness are the times that I will look back upon someday and treasure the most. Life will never be this simple again.

Other updates this week:

1. David's hair seems to be coming back in. He never lost the last bit of his "horseshoe". The top of his head has the most adorable peach fuzz. Once again, I think it has a touch of red...


2. He is now outgrowing most of his newborn clothes. He can barely stretch out fully while in his footie PJs. We're about retire several of these cute little outfits (sniff). He can now fit into some of the bigger items he has, such as the most adorable Old Navy jumper he is wearing today. He still seems to be between sizes. They need a size newborn-and-a-1/2!


3. He loves to sit on our laps while facing forward, and be carried this way around the house. The traditional cradle hold is becoming more and more unacceptable. So much to see and do!


4. Outright smiles and laughs continue to be elicited by our faces, as well as by his mobile, his favorite picture, and the bedroom ceiling fan light (?).


5. He is becoming more tolerant of traveling in his carrier and being outside. We actually went on an hour-plus walk on Zionsville's Rail Trail yesterday. Beautiful!

Happy Sunday! Hope you get a chance to enjoy doing nothing sometime soon...

Giving the dogs some press time...

I've been feeling pretty guilty about neglecting Casper & Sammy since David blasted onto the scene, so while out the other day I went on a little Petco shopping spree. Picked up a new bed for Sammy, some delicious snacks from the treat bar, and, after long and careful consideration of the cost, a couple of stuffable rubber Kong bones. Neither one has ever been a big chewer (thank goodness), but they do enjoy the occasional peanut-butter stuffed hard bone. Had to trash those the other day though when Casper cut his tongue while voraciously gnawing on one of them (big mess, I tell you). I wanted to provide them with some safer entertainment while I am so thoroughly distracted these days.

I thought I was doing them both a big favor yesterday morning when I stuffed their new bones with treats and waited for them to go to town on them. Sammy ate the exposed portions of the treats, then sat with his bone in front of him, apparently confused, for about an hour. No attempt to go after the remaining treats in the recesses of the bone's cavities. That's right, a dog that doesn't know what to do with a chew toy. Go figure.

Casper totally "got" the concept, fishing out both treats from his bone, then proceeding to take Sammy's from under his nose and finish it off, too.

Don't feel too sorry for Sammy, he didn't put up a fight. At least he loves his new bed. He'd probably rather be sleeping than chewing, anyway.

The pics are here!

A few years ago, I reconnected with my best friend from elementary school. (Thanks, Facebook!) After several emails back and forth, we finally met up for lunch over the holidays. It was a "lunch" that started at 1 pm and didn't wrap until dinner time, and that we were both quite literally sore from laughing the next day. Needless to say, we re-discovered why we had become friends so easily as little girls.

During our marathon Olive Garden lunch date, she offered to have her husband, a professional photographer, take pictures of little David upon his arrival. And so, during their latest visit to Indiana, we had a photo shoot in our living room. A very funny one, to say the least. Let's just say that David was sans diaper for a good part of it and... well... you do the math.

The resulting images are wonderful. See them here. I'm so pleased to have these photos to treasure, as David has already changed so much. (They were taken March 26th, I believe). Mike is an amazing photographer (here's his website) and a fantastic person. We had a ball with him and Sabrina that day.

Enjoy your Monday!

16 things i'm afraid i'll forget...

Before I get to today's topic, I must share some pictures that Cory took this morning. Yes, we have created the proverbial "morning person". No matter how tired I am in the morning, he makes it easy to get up and face the day. Check out what I mean:

I've lamented enough about how I'm not managing any scrapbooking right now. Considering the fact that one day I will find the time, I decided to list all of the little things about David and our life right now that I'm afraid I'll forget.

1. He always smells like Dreft laundry detergent, and I love it. I bet that scent will always remind me of these days...


2. His favorite thing to look at is the black and white sofa-sized framed picture of 1930s Chicago hanging above the living room couch. It even calms him when he is screaming. Go figure.


3. Just this week, he seems to have discovered that he has a tongue. He lolls it, sticks it out, rolls it around, chews on it. Funny.


4. He still has the hairline of Frank Barone, Ron Howard, or Carl Brizzi. Take your pick.


5. A few of his favorite sounds are the hair dryer, the vaccuum, and the traffic on I-65. Bridgett and I discovered the latter while at the Edinburgh Outlet this past Thursday. If he cried inside a store, we just had to step outside where the hum of the traffic lulled him to sleep in no time.


6. He still wears newborn-sized diapers. No butt on this little guy. I've been buying one pack at a time, thinking that each will be the last before he graduates to size 1. That's been going on for weeks. Don't get me wrong, I'm really in no hurry.


7. He likes Bob Marley and Collective Soul, just like Mommy. He even likes it when I sing "Three Little Birds". Something must be wrong with him (those who have heard me sing will know what I'm talking about).


8. He has to be in just the right mood for his paci. He may go days without it. But sometimes it is the only thing that will keep him calm. The little dude definitly knows what he wants.


9. Most of the time he would prefer not to be held. This hurt my feelings at first, but I'm getting over it.


10. Something tells me he's going to be a redhead. Time will tell if I'm right.


11. Two words: Buddha belly.


12. He sleeps every night wrapped in his Swaddle Me sleeper and to the chorus of his Womb Sounds Bear. This may sound like product placement advertising, but it is true. Don't know what we would do without either of those things.


13. After a few experimental brownie trials, I am sad to report that he definitely does not like chocolate. Can we have a moment of silence, please...


14. He wore my favorite outfit for the last time on Thursday: his "I love Mommy" onsie with matching doggie-print pants. I will keep them both forever.


15. When he cries, and I mean really wails, he wrinkles his brow up so tight that a line across his forehead blanches, making him look like he has a giant white unibrow.


16. He is so ingrained in my life now that I can't even remember what I pictured he would look and be like. Strange how the imagination works, isn't it?

That's all for now, although I could go on forever. Happy Saturday...

Meeting Granddad and a Little Scrapiness...

Four generations of the Calvert clan gathered together for the first time this past Monday when Mom bravely volunteered to escort David and I down to meet my almost-93-year-old Granddad. Despite a few snags, it was a great day (and David's first real road trip, I might add). Although David cooperatively slept through the whole thing (except the last leg of the journey, but that's another story...), Granddad sure enjoyed meeting the little guy. Saw a lot of smiles from him. So glad those two had a chance to come face to face.

Not much else has changed since last post. He continues to smile more and more, treating me to a coo as well here and there. Even smiled and cooed at his beloved mobile yesterday - he had been screaming so I went to change him, and as soon as he got a glimpse of it, he was happy. Kind of gave me a bit of a complex (he likes an inanimate object more than me - aarg !!!) Sleeping well at night for the most part, even made it for an almost 6-hour stretch last night. His head control is amazing. When I put him up to my shoulder he looks around, taking it all in. I still marvel at the speed by which each day passes, and how doing practically nothing can be so fulfilling.

I actually finished a few layouts yesterday (scrapbooking, what's that??). Here I am with so much to scrap about, but so little time. It's not that I don't have the time per se, just very little time with two free hands, which page-making requires. I am currently trying to finish up the last few assignments from Cathy Zielske's "Design Your Life" course at Big Picture Scrapbooking. the class actually wrapped up weeks ago, but I am determined to finish the album before I move on to other things. Although the design of the page below is not mine (it's based on a sketch with an assigned color scheme and theme), I love how it turned out:

One of these days, I hope to get back to making original layouts. So much has happened in the past 5 weeks, and I simply can't let those memories go undocumented. Something tells me I won't let that happen.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Two milestones...

Things are changing around here by the day.

David slept in his crib last night for the first time, and slept like a champ. Actually fell asleep on his own, with a little help from the "womb sounds" teddy bear he got from Noah for Christmas. I must admit, I felt a little sad thinking of him all alone in that room. It took me awhile to tear myself away from his bedside and settle down myself. He handled it better than I did, for sure.

When I woke up at 2:30 am to complete silence (he last nursed at 10:30 pm and almost always wakes up around that time for a feeding), Cory and I both catapulted out of bed and ran into his room where we found him contentedly snoring away. He finally woke up fussing and hungry at about 3:15, which I easily heard over the monitor. I fed him and put him back to bed where he drifted off again on his own. I sure hope last night wasn't a fluke. We'll see how tonight goes!

On to David's second milestone: bottle-feeding.

Dr. Buroker recently suggested we introduce a bottle soon in anticipation for my return to work in the coming weeks. We decided today was as good as any, so Cory gave it a try before breakfast. David caught right on, and didn't seem to mind a bit. It was nice for Cory to have the opportunity to share in feeding time, but I confess I was a tad jealous (crazy, I know).

David had his one-month doctor visit on Friday. He is now 9 lbs, 8.5 oz and 22.5 inches long. Growing like a weed!

I'll try to add more pictures to Picasa tommorow... have a great day!

We're all smiles...

David and I were lying on the bed this morning, spending time with Cory while he got ready for work, when a magical thing happened. David smiled. Not bad-gas smiling or goofy-half-asleep smiling, but actual I'm-happy-and-I'm-going-to-show-it smiling.

Amazing.

All it took was a full tummy, a dry diaper, a good night's sleep, and some super silly baby talk from me, and he looked right into my eyes while cracking the widest of grins. And more than once, I might add. I yelled for Cory to come confirm my smile sighting, and he was treated to a few, too. So funny how such a simple thing can bring on such joy. Happy day!

And in other David news...

Know how I mentioned he might be shedding his gorgeous mane? Well, a few days ago that hypothesis was proven when I began to find clumps of soft baby hair on his linens, and some of it (ok, lots!!) even came out in my hands. His little bare spots morphed almost overnight into giant bald patches. The overall effect is similar to that of male pattern baldness. What??? Is there such thing as baby pattern baldness? If so, I think I have a textbook case on my hands. In case you don't believe me, check it out (this photo is from yesterday):

Cory says it brings to mind Ron Howard. And I have to agree. The classic horseshoe hairline of an aging, balding man. And, even with that, he's still the cutest baby I've ever seen...

And, speaking of cute, here is a photo montage of David's sleeping faces (took these yesterday, too).

Have a happy day!

Happy (belated) Easter!

The weather was gorgeous yesterday for David's first Easter, nothing but sunshine and warmth. We spent the afternoon with family, and did a little relaxing at home in the evening with Patt. Nope, no chocolate bunnies or jelly beans yet for the little guy, there will be plenty of time for that in the future. But he did get his very own egg, thoughtfully created especially for him by his new cousins, Noah, Alec, and Levi.

The three of us continue to settle into a routine. Business is booming for Cory, which is both a blessing and a curse. The unseasonably warm weather has created a windfall of phone calls and estimates. You know how it goes, gotta make hay while the sun shines, but I know he'd rather be at home with us. I truly appreciate how hard he works for our family.

David is now sleeping for four hour stretches at night (yay!). Thankfully, he settles right back to sleep after his 3:30 am feeding (unfortunately, though, sometimes I do not). He is gaining head control by leaps and bounds everyday; soon he'll be looking around even more than he is now. We did notice yesterday that he seems to be shedding his luxurious mane of hair. No worries, if he loses it all then he'll be able to wear the "Short, Bald, and Handsome" onsie that I picked up before he was born, back when I assumed he would sport a dome like his Daddy, LOL.

As for me, I'm getting better at interpreting David's cries and fusses, feeling more confident in my ability to soothe him. Despite that newfound confidence, I am still overwhelmed by the thought of returning to work in 4 short weeks, especially considering it takes me 3 hours or so to get ready for the day.

On the bright side, I have mastered one-handed typing (which I am doing right now). Now, if I could just perfect one-handed scrapbooking...

Have a happy Monday!