LBB is a boy's boy...

100% boy.

Even at 4 months.

He would rather be in his diaper all day. He hates having to wear clothes. He adores playing in the sandbox. He especially adores getting sand all over his little toes and hands. He loves riding around (even in the house) in his little umbrella stroller while Daddy makes car noises. And he giggles up a storm when they play Spaceship. He likes to pretend he is hammering when he has a rattle in his hand. (This is especially noisy, and I'm sure bothersome, to other guests in a restaurant.)

He loves fishing shows. He loves boats. He loves tractors. He loves cars.

And he adores fish and species that live in water. Any kind really. But especially turtles.

His favorite toys right now are these stuffed monsters my mom made for him and anything that is underwater themed.

See, a boy's boy. I love that about him.

When we first found out we were going to have a boy, I have to admit a part of me was a little bummed. And when we decided that we weren't going to try to have any more kids, I got another wave of "Aw, I won't have a daughter now."

But, God knows what He is doing. I needed to be the mommy of a boy. I cherish each moment where I get to watch him being...well, the snips and snails and puppy dog tails type boy. :)

Wow...more than a 15 minute nap? No way!

LBB is peacefully sleeping right now.

Big deal, you say?

Oh, it is a big deal. :)

See, as of late, LBB has had a huge problem with sleeping. He doesn't want to do it. He takes 15 minute naps, stays awake for 3 hours, turns into a royal fussbucket, then sneaks in another 15 minute nap. So, you would think he'd sleep the night through, right?

Wrong.

Lately he's been waking up at least two times a night. Why, I don't know. Apparently he thinks Dear Sweet Hubby and I lead a very eventful life, when in reality, all we'd like to do is rest our heads on our nice fluffly pillows! :)

But today...ah, today.

Today seemed like it was going in the same direction that the past five days have gone. He woke up, albeit after a night with only one wake up in the middle, which I can totally handle. Then, he played. Ate. Played. Ate some more. Had some bananas and cereal. Then a little more bottle. And bam. He fell asleep in my arms...until, I moved.

Then he was awake and ready to go. 10 minutes, I thought? But I have so much mommy stuff to get done. Like unpacking. And grocery lists. And cleaning. All of which LBB seems to have little concern for. :)

But, I persevered. I put him in his crib with his mobile on. He lasted 5 minutes before he screamed bloody murder. I put him on the floor to roll and watch me while I did my grocery list. He started fussing within 10 minutes. I put him in his chair. Walked around with him, and then finally, sat on the couch, snuggled up (I had given in, I know) and within one minute he was sound asleep. So, there he slept (securely, I might add. I had my eye on my rolly little guy.) And slept.

It has to have been TWO hours! And he is just now waking up...

But I've got to say, this is the nicest gift he could have given me pre-Mother's Day!

Well, I'm off to cuddle LBB a little. Have a great day!!!

LBB is 4 Months Old!

*Just so you know, I originally started this post on the 10th...see how much of a procrastinator I am lately when it comes to this blog?*

Wow! My how time flies!



And it's been a crazy busy month...each moment more precious than the last and every single one of them flying by at the speed of sound. But, that's life I suppose. :) You just have to change your speed to match the rate the moments flee by, right? Who knows...for now I am just enjoying everything I can!



One big event this month for LBB and us is that we moved into our own place! We had been staying with my parents for a bit (thank you Mom and Dad!) while we transitioned from Old Town to New Town. And once we got comfortable, and the weather started getting warmer, we were ready to be back on our own. :)



Now if I could just finish unpacking these boxes. Phew.



But on to what LBB is up to this month!



At 4 months old, LBB:

• is a giggling fool! He is such a happy happy baby. (His doctor even said so at his appointment yesterday...he said LBB is one of the happiest babies he has ever seen. Aw, shucks...that's so nice!) He giggles when you play peekabo. He giggles when I make kissy noise. He giggles when you tickle him. And he giggles when we play "airplane" (more like reverse tummy tucks for mommy, but he loves it.)


• is a flirt. I hate to say that! I really do...but he sees a girl, and Mr. Sparkly Eyes and Big Smile comes out. He'll tilt his head a bit, smle, and charm any lady he sees. I'm going to have to keep my eye on this little guy. LOL!


• discovered Spongebob Squarepants. I know...I was the mom who wasn't going to let my kids watch tv until they were 3. But...a little bit a day isn't going to hurt him...and it sure makes him happy. He laughs when Spongebob laughs, screams when appropriate, and sits there in awe the rest of the time. It's quite amusing!


• loves to be read to! We go to the library on a regular basis, and I can't have enough books handy! We easily go through 5 or 6 books in a sitting. And we've made a nightly routine...before bed, we read one story out of his storybook Bible, one other new story, and Bear Snores On.


• loves listening to music. And making music.


• imitates sounds back to us. You say "hi", and he sometimes tries to copy. It's adorable. *I have to add...he has actually started saying "hi" occasionally. At first I thought it was a fluke, but then he did it to dear sweet hubby as well. Crazy, huh?


• is working very hard on grasping with both hands. He will sit in the tub and try very hard to grab this starfish toy he has. He recently figured out how to use his feet to help him in the task. Such a resourceful boy!


• loves to be outside. Loves to go for walks. And loves to kick a soccer ball back and forth with his PaPa and Auntie.


• is starting to scoot just a bit. I put him down for tummy time and he will scoot 3 or 4 inches towards me!
• And he rolls from back to tummy! We are actively working on tummy to back...and he's slowly catching on.
• loves to color. Serious. I give him those crayola beginners crayons, lightly hold his hand on top to help teach him how to grasp, and Bam! An adorable piece of artwork unfolds. He's a little Picasso.
• And at his last appointment, he weighed in at 18 lbs. Such a big boy still! He is wearing NINE month clothes, and even some 12 months...but it's funny. He is so short that in order to wear shorts that don't look like pants, we have to get him 6 month size...it's a tad snug in the waist, but not too bad! LOL!

Well, that's it for now...I know there is more...but since I procrastinated, I forgot half of what I wrote. I am really going to try to get better. I am. I promise. ;)

PLEASE FORGIVE ME...

...but life happens fast, you know?

And at the end of the day, I'd rather say I spent those precious moments enjoying LBB's giggles and being his mommy than blogging about it.

So forgive me for my lack of blogging. That doesn't mean that I don't intend to ever write in here again, however. I still love writing here, and I can honestly say I have 3 or 5 blog topics cross my mind on a daily basis. However, I don't beat myself up if I don't actually write them down. :)

But, I will try to post when the urge hits me. I'm sure you know where I am coming from.

Anyways, now that I've apologized to you :), onward with a thought I had last night as I rocked LBB to sleep.

Dear sweet hubby and I have been married for almost 6 years. And for the majority of those years, we couldn't wait to have kids (there was a brief moment where we crazily thought we didn't ever want kids, but it just turned out to be fear.) We waited somewhat patiently for God's timing. :)

And now that LBB is here, there are moments when I can't even believe that I am a mommy. It takes my breath away. And it's the small things that make me stop and think about it...like when he falls asleep and puts his hand on my chest. Or when he smiles. Or when he giggles. All that patience was definetly worth what we have been blessed with.

That's all I have today.

MOMMY CONFIDENCE AND A BEDTIME STORY

It's funny what a few days will do for a mommy's self confidence.

I feel like I'm really getting this down pat. I'm understanding that while experts, are well, experts, I'm Mommy and that means a whole lot more. After all...who knows LBB better-the experts or me. And while their books are great and all, there is a lot to be said about doing what feels right.

Take, for example, this whole sleep thing. I checked out a book that had a lot of rave reviews. And while it had it's good points that I definitely am implementing in our lives, I know at the end of the day that I'm the one sitting here with LBB. Not some doctor. :) And once I figured out what we need now and want in the future, all this became a lot easier. Now it's just about tweaking the little quirks in LBB's sleep routine. Whew. That is one big sigh of relief. As for now, I'm ok with rocking and cuddling LBB to sleep...as long as once he is asleep, I can lay him down and he stays asleep. And you know what...once I decided that, I realized this whole thing isn't so daunting.

Mommy confidence is a good thing...to borrow the words of one famous maven of homekeeping. :)

Speaking of bedtime routines and good things...as we get this thing down pat, we are really learning what makes LBB sleepy. And last night, about 1/2 hour before his usual bedtime, we started a bedtime routine. We used bits and pieces of things that we know help him get sleepy...like cuddles with a soft warm blankie, a little lullaby music in the background (he loves this Asian Dreamland CD we found at the library), socks on his hands (the minute his hands get chilly, the kid is awake. It's really the strangest thing, and socks stay on as opposed to baby mits!), and his favorite bedtime book.

Which is.... (drumroll please) .....

Bear Snores On

If I time it just right and catch him before he is overtired, LBB will be sound asleep about 3 pages before the end of the book. It's got the perfect mix of quiet noises (those perfect places where you get to whisper), cute story lines, good even rhythm, beautiful pictures, and a story line that doesn't get old. (We've been reading it to him since the day we got home from the hospital.)

I just thought I'd share...it's easily become a family favorite. Everynight, I read, LBB cuddles, and Dear Sweet Hubby is in charge of sound effects (like when the popcorn pops...it's pretty cute!)

*Oh, and just in case you were wondering...the bedtime routine worked like a charm. And then he was out like a light. :) *

LBB AT 3 MONTHS!

My LBB is 3 months old now! (As of Saturday, that is.)

So, what is new with him?

Well, let's see:

• He started giggling! At first it was pretty rare...but as the days go on, we're figuring out what tickles LBB's funny bone. And I've gotta tell you, we'll do anything to make him giggle. I love hearing that precious sound!!!!
• He can do raspberries. He was sitting with my dad (his PaPa) and they were talking away...and all of a sudden LBB decided a raspberry was the perfect input for the conversation. I love watching LBB try to get a raspberry out...you can tell when one is coming because his lips get all pursed together and he keeps attempting to make the noise. And every so often, he is successful!!!!
• He's sleeping through the night on a very regular basis...it's nice sleeping for more than a few hours at a time, I have to admit! Now if we can just get a nap schedule down and an earlier bedtime, we'll be doing great!!!!
• He's been to the zoo, the aquarium, and three different states in these past three months. Isn't that insane?
• He's still growing like a weed...most clothes are now 6 months. Wow! But I do think he is levelling off. We'll see at his 4 month checkup!
• He loves to cuddle. He loves to be read to. And he loves to play in his Exersaucer.
• Bathtime is still one of his favorite times...and he is beginning to splash around lots when he is in there!!!!

That's all I can think of right now...but I know there is more. However, LBB is getting a little fussy and I can smell a diaper that needs to be changed. :)

IT'S LIKE PULLING TEETH

I'm really trying to get LBB into a routine of at least taking a nap longer than 20 minutes each day. LBB has other plans.

Don't get me wrong...he sleeps great at night. All the way through, in fact. And he'll sleep for hours in my arms if I am completely quiet. But the minute there is a noise or he is put down to sleep, he's up within minutes.

My mom says let him cry it out. And I really do want him to start being able to sleep during the day like most babies do...however, hearing him cry is torture. I am getting better, but LBB has now discovered that since crying doesn't get him picked up all the time, he is going to start screaming.

Yes, you read that right. Screaming at the top of his lungs screaming. I didn't think an almost 3 month old could scream that loud. But he does. And it's not like there is anything wrong...he'll have been fed, changed, swaddled, burped, and all that good bedtime stuff. He'll fall sound asleep in my arms. But the moment his head touches the crib mattress...he starts to stir.

I'm exasperated and worn out. He's cranky and worn out. And while I know this is all a short passing phase (I hope) I want to make sure that I am helping him to learn how to sleep properly and all that stuff.

*sigh*

Any suggestions?