Happy Thankgiving!!!

Fun with Papa

My family is in town for Thanksgiving this week. I had to go back to work today, but look at the afternoon greeting I got from Mom... Isaac enjoyed some bonding time with Papa! How sweet!

Well, Wouldya Look at That!

Aha! Yet another milestone! As if he had known how to do this all along, today Isaac took hold of his bottle all on his own.

One more small step toward independence... something I can't help but feel he is aiming for, being the already strongwilled child that he is...

Proud Momma! My little guy is growing up so fast!

The Week in Pictures

This week has flown by at work - just so busy. I'm so glad for the weekend because Dad gets here tomorrow, and Caleb & Anna get here on Saturday. What fun! So while I've been slaving away at work, Mom has been having so much fun with Isaac. One of my favorite things is that Mom has been emailing me pictures throughout the day, which I totally love. The quick little updates she sends with the pictures totally make my day! I inevitably share them with my friends at work who ooh and ahh over Isaac. "He's so cute!" "Look how big he's getting!" "What a charmer!" "Look at that smile!" They cry with delight. I just nod as if I knew it all along. Of course he's so cute! Of course he's a charmer! Of course he has the best smile!

The week started with Sunday football and Mom immediately seizing the opportunity to dress Isaac in his Chargers outfit since they happened to be one of the games showcased that afternoon.

Monday morning it was back to work, but I recieved Isaac's bright cheery wave from home saying, "Hi Mommy! I love you!"

Some conversation with Noni and Mr. MooCow. He's mighty tasty and often finds his ears or appendages in Isaac's mouth... need a bath, Mr. MooCow? Isaac's happy to oblige...

Livin' it up in the play gym while Noni folds Isaac's clothes.

Here we are practicing sitting up. It's a whole new perspective being so vertical! But watch out - when Isaac gets tired of it he tips over like a fallen tree. Timber!!

Looking more and more like Daddy! When Mom sent this one to me, I was taken aback at how much Isaac looks like Kevin in this picture. He has Kevin's eyes.

Bathtime with Daddy. So much fun! No one can make Isaac laugh as much as Kevin can.

Hooray, Mommy's home!!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Isaac says, "Look what I can do! I started to develop this skill a few weeks ago, but I'm getting better and better at it the more I practice..."

Party's Here - Noni's Back in Town

Mom flew into town on Tuesday, and we've just been having the greatest time. It's so good to see her again, and of course she's enraptured by Isaac. He has grown quite a bit since she saw him last! Now he can hold his head up and is very interactive. All the more fun for Noni! They have been getting a lot of quality time while I've been at work, and Isaac adores her right back. That's no surprise at all. :) Good thing for us she'll be here for the rest of the month!

Here are some pictures from this week...

So good on his tummy! Now he hangs out and looks around for a while instead of giving up right away and rolling over... which I'll have to show you. It's too cute!

He just loves his tongue! If it's not his paci or his fist, he's sucking on his own tongue. And he loves to show it to everyone he meets too.

Hanging out in the swing one morning

Look at that arm going! He just looooooves his play gym! Now he can grab his dangling friends and chew on their hanging appendages... what fun! With his newfound hand-eye coordination, everything is now ending up directly in Isaac's mouth.

Do you know how long I've been trying to get him to look in this mirror? He finally "discovered" it... and now he is so intrigued by his own reflection.

Playing patty cakes with Noni

Noni you are so much fun!

Sweet Dreams Where Are You?

So I’m looking for some advice, fellow moms. Isaac is a pretty resilient baby, and he seems to be handling my going back to work fairly well. He loves Mindy and gets a kick out of watching Addison buzz around all day long. And he loves the quality time with Daddy he’s been getting when he’s home with Kevin. There’s only one thing wrong lately - since I came back to work to be precise - Isaac wakes up several times through the night. He wakes up usually around an hour or so just after we have put him down. And then usually in the wee morning hours, sometimes every hour on the hour (like last night: 1am, 2am, 3am, 4:50am). And so far all he needs is some reassurance that he’s not alone. All it takes is one of us putting his paci back in his mouth and shushing him a little bit, and he’s out like a light. But then other times the only thing that will calm him is if we rock him or I bring him into bed with me. He’s not always interested in eating, just wants to be held and cuddled. He’ll seem to be asleep, but as soon as we put him back down he starts to cry again.

So I was reading up about infant sleep last night, and I discovered that it could be a number of things. Perhaps he is adjusting to not being with me every day. Or he isn’t getting enough sleep during the day. Or he could possibly be starting to teeth early. Maybe he’s going through a growth spurt or his sleeping patterns are changing. I’m not really sure, but it’s been two weeks of this, and I’m wondering if there’s anything I can do about it… I just feel bad for him and secretly hope that it’s not my fault because I’m leaving him during the day...

Any advice?

Mommy & Son Time

Out for a walk with my little buggaboo this evening. Isaac loves going for walks, and I'm happy to oblige since it's finally cooling off around here! Ah sweet fresh cool air, how I missed you... On another note, I remember when Isaac could barely see over the rim of this carrier, and now look at the little stinker!

So Snuggly

Don't you just want to squeeze him?

3 Months!

Isaac is three months old today, can you believe it? He seems to be bigger every morning, and watching him grow never gets old. It is so fun to see his personality developing along with his skills and discoveries. Strongwilled and decisive, curious and extroverted, cuddly and sensitive, mellow and easygoing. These are a couple of words that describe our Isaac.

bright eyed and so excited!

what a ham... he was laughing it up at something or other - look at that wrinkled little nose!

the photo shoot momentarily took the back seat as he remembered how much he loves his hands

that smile melts my heart!

Some milestones:

1) Hooray for sleeping through the night! He actually started sleeping through the night just after he turned 2 months (remember, I was hoping it wasn't a fluke?). It wasn't a fluke!

2) His vocabulary has expanded to "ah-goo" and other creative noises. Along with that he giggles and squeals with delight, which is the sweetest noise in the world! Logically I know he's just babbling, but a lot of times it seems like we really are having a conversation. That's one of my favorite things to do with him, and I know he loves it too!

3) Isaac has always been a very attentive baby, but his attention span is just growing all the more. He has amazing focus! Also because of his awareness, he seems really extroverted. He always wants to be where the people and the action are and will protest loudly if he feels left out!

4) He has more control of his head and can hold his head very steady on his own when he's sitting upright. He enjoys looking around as he turns his head to see what's going on.

5) He pushes himself up when he’s on his tummy and can hold his head up (until he gets tired, that is). He can roll over from front to back and does so whenever he decides that he’s done with tummy time. Sometimes he'll do it as soon as I put him down, little stinker!

6) Isaac loves his play gym and is getting really good at grasping objects. Whereas he used to sporadically bat at the dangling animals, now he has more control of his arms and can reach up and grab them intentionally. Watch out dangly earrings and hair!

7) He's still enamored with Mr. Worm… trusty sidekick!! But now he’s starting to enjoy holding onto Mr. Worm himself and finding all the things that make noise. It’s pretty cute.

8) He has discovered his feet, and if I put his feet within reach, he’ll grab them and hold on in amazement. Super cute to watch his eyes full of fascination at this newfound ability.

The Day After...

I can't say that I am surprised by the outcome of this year's election, but I am still disappointed. I woke up feeling heavy-hearted about the turnout and worried about what the future holds for our country and more particularly for our children. It's hard not to let fear and discouragement overcome after watching our "team" lose.

But I must echo my sister-in-law Julie's words, since she stated my sentiments better than I could.

"Certainly I am disappointed, but watching the whole thing unfold on TV last night it was evident that we were watching something very historically significant. I think that last night was a defining moment for an entire generation. I think we have a responsibility to pray for Obama that he would do what is in the best interest of the country and that God would protect us. I thought that John McCain’s concession speech was very heartfelt and poignant and I still have just as much respect for him as I did before. We have to rest in the fact that God is in control and has a purpose for Barack Obama becoming president."

I cried as I watched McCain’s speech last night, surprising even myself! I guess I didn’t realize how emotionally involved I had become in this whole thing… but Julie's words renew a sense of hope in my heart. It is a reminder to be fervent in prayer for the leaders of our country and for the future generation. Now more than ever I am being awakened to the importance of my involvement in the decisions our country makes, not only for our present time but more importantly for our children! I look at Isaac, and I wonder what the world will be like for him in the future… I have to fight the surge of fear that comes at the thought. I must remember to keep faith in the Lord, who is still seated on His throne, and also to no longer live with my head in the sand. No matter who is in the White House, God is still sovereign.

Did You Vote Today?

Isaac did!!

Well, not really, of course. But he did accompany Daddy to the polls and experienced his "first" election day. How patriotic!

Whew! With all this activity, I'm pooped!

Footsies

There are so many things about Isaac that we find endearing ... like his contagious smile, his bright eyes, his excited squeal, and ... his clammy feet? I don't know how but when his feet get cold they get downright wet! Eek. But I can't help but find it endearing because it's him. He has no idea how adorable he is!