Give me an "S"

Give me an "L"; Give me an "E"; Give me another "E"; Give me a "P"! What does that spell??? (pause for dramatic effect) ..............................SLEEP!

Ladies and Gentlemen last night marked 6 hours of sequential sleep! Lights out at 11:30pm and we had to wake the little guy up at 5:30am! Though I am still struggling with this awful cold I can hear the Heavenly Choir! I have no clue if this was a fluke, but I'll relish in this little glimpse of what could-be!

A Week of Bliss

Look at that big boy sitting up my himself!!!! He's getting stronger and stronger EVERY DAY! He's even starting to push up on his hands and is scooting backwards during tummy time. I hear this in the normal progression towards crawling....oh my gosh, crawling! Didn't I just have him? Didn't we just bring him home from the hospital? Is it really time to babyproof? He's going to go off to college before we know it, maybe next week at this rate! When are we supposed to do FAFSA?

This past week was my Spring Break from school and it was amazing. Having all of the Guise kids on Spring Break was just icing. I finally was home, for an extended length, with Connor without dealing with the "c" word, jaundice, and choking episodes. We spent a week of blissful mommy-Connor time, and the bonding time was priceless. What a precious gift I was given in him. He is certainly a full time job, and I think the salary is so very tempting!

During Spring Break we celebrated Kaitlyn's Birthday, with a party, Casey's Birthday, and our 4 year Anniversary. What a week! Throw a Bridal Shower in there for my dear friend Heather and you can call my life a carnival ride. Somewhere amidst all of the excitement I developed a severe cold/Sinusitis and found myself going to the doctor's office today. My party favor from that was a shot and a prescription! I've seen better party favors...hopefully they will make me better, mommy's just can't get sick!

Major milestone of the week was placing Connor in his own crib to sleep at night. He has officially been sleeping in his room and in his crib for a week. It's been hard for Tim and I to adjust to, but Connor has done fine! The random sounds coming from the monitor keep me alert and awake, but I'm sure I'll get used to them over time. I just keep telling myself there are no aliens in Connor's room, I think I've seen "Signs" one too many times. That also means "Paranormal Activity 2" is certainly off of the list. Make that any movie about little ones that has any slightly scary or sad twist, and that now includes "Hook".....the carriage rolling away from mommy just gets me. Oh gosh!

YAY Disney!

'We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together." ~Walt Disney

If you know us, you would know we are BIG Disney people. We love Mickey, we love Walt, and we love a good day in the parks. How can you not get excited walking down Main Street, USA? Spring has Sprung and for part of the break we took a family trip up to the parks. Connor enjoyed himself so much more this trip. He spent a lot of time in his carrier and enjoyed looking at everything! He is only 5 months old and has already been to the happiest place on Earth....twice! This trip was even better than the last trip, and I can't wait for each time in the future because it will only get better.

Connor also is an avid fan of Disney Junior, previously known as Playhouse Disney. He can be in the middle of a REM cycle and when the Special Agent Oso theme song comes on, he is wide awake! He just loves that Oso Bear! "Special Alert! Special Alert!" We can even calm him down with the song. He also loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and yes he knows the secret password. We sing the "hot dog" song to make him happy in his car seat! Oh the things we do! I do not mind looking ridiculous for the happiness of my little Connor. Let's be real, when have I ever cared if I looked ridiculous? I just have a better excuse now! Just wait until he's a teenager! ::I digress:: Recently while supervising his Oso time (not that I watch or anything) they have started running montages of Disney movie clips set to Poems that have been voiced-over by celebrities. Little did I know I would end up in tears after watching one voiced by Jennifer Gardner (it is definitely worth a youtube watch). Please enjoy:

Mother’s Song: A Traditional Lullaby

My heart is like a fountain true

That flows and flows with love to you.

As chirps the lark unto the tree

So chirps my pretty babe to me.

There’s not a rose where e’er I seek

As comely as my baby’s cheek.

There’s not a comb of honey bees

So full of sweets as babe to me.

There’s not a star that shines on high

That’s brighter than my baby’s eye.

There’s not a boat upon the sea

Can dance as baby does to me.

No silk was ever spun so fine

As is the hair of baby mine.

My baby smells more sweet to me

Than smells in spring the Elder Tree.

A little fish swims in the well

So in my heart does baby dwell.

A little flower blows on the tree

My baby is the flower to me.

Ten Thousand parks where deer do run,

Ten Thousand roses in the sun,

Ten Thousand pearls beneath the sea,

My babe more precious is to me.

5 Months Old

My how the time flies!!! Our little dot is truly turning into a little boy who is ever so curious about life, and loves to grab things. His giggles and coos never get old, and he loves to talk to everyone just to let them know he's still there. His 3-6 Month clothes are starting to get too small, and we are almost ready to put him exclusively in 6 month clothing. They fit him perfectly length wise, but his waist isn't quite big enough to fill it out. He gets better and better every day at his walker, and his tummy time is lasting a little longer as well. He can sit with support, and is doing a great job with eating his oats at his dinner feeding. He'll be sprinting before we know it!

He has officially slept without being in his car seat for 2 weeks. I have a wedge placed in his bassinet and he has taken well to being a little more flat. Now to move him to his crib. We attempted this on Monday night and I don't think Tim or I was ready for it. The moment I saw that the bassinet wasn't next to my side of the bed I lost it. I did well with his nightly routine, and was even able to place him into his crib and walk back into our room. At that point I proceeded to cry some more and with tears on my cheeks I watched the monitor for the next 20 minutes. At that point Tim and I made a joint decision that we weren't ready, and maybe we should attempt this in steps. First step, move bassinet to the foot of our bed....check. Second step, have him start taking naps in his crib....check. Third step, for his bed time (before 10:30pm feeding) put him in crib.....working on it. I never imagined he would still be in our room this long, but with his reflux and his special monitor all bets were off. He had no problem being in his crib, it was daddy and I that weren't ready.

We introduced Connor to the water in a new way this past week as well. He got dunked! We spent some swimming time in mom's big jacuzzi tub and it was interesting for all of us! He had fun learning how to splash, and especially liked it when he got mommy in the face! Dunking him under the water was interesting and I personally wasn't a fan of his reaction. I know it was pure shock and he was fine, but it wasn't my favorite. I look forward to the day when I can tell him to hold his breath and he can anticipate what is to come. We made sure he enjoyed his time in the water and it was an overall good experience. We are a family of water babies and he was inducted into the hall of fame.

Connor also came to our Second Annual AWK8 Softball Game. He was there to cheer on mommy's team and watch daddy pitch. He was such a good boy for grandma, and though mommy's team lost it was a beautiful and slightly comical day we all got to spend together.

I still can't believe we are one month away from the half-year mark. These months have been life changing. His growth and gains have been incredible. Connor is AH-MAZING!

Mommy's little fan!
Splash time is fun!
What a big boy!

Sowing his Wild Oats

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. —-Adelle Davis

Little by little we have added a bit of Gerber's Oats Cereal to Connor's bottle in the evening. Now, I was too afraid to even try a whole tablespoon (given Connor's belly problems) so I've only been putting in a few teaspoons, but that all changed this past weekend. Connor's Great Grandparents (the Hebebrands) came into town and we had a fun family night introducing a new thicker mixture of oats to Connor. He took to it immediately! He had been showing signs of interest over the past week, opening his mouth and licking his lips while we all ate. This little boy knew just what to do when that spoon came up to his mouth. He opened wide and took everything that was given too him. He would even get frustrated if I didn't bring him a scoop fast enough. He finished the prepared 2 oz like a champ, and was ready for the remaining bottle waiting for him. He loved it! Since then I have been able to prepare some oats for him at his 5:30/6pm feeding. He takes about 3 1/2 oz and loves it. Daddy had his first try at it tonight and they had so much fun together!
We figured teeth = food! Boy did he love it!

Here's a good shot of his new pearly whites. The doctor said they are growing in well, and we are still shaking our heads at how early it is. Thankfully he was at the end of his cold by Saturday morning and feeling like his sweet baby self. As he finished his cold I caught it. Mommy is still trying to get over these sniffles! I love having him back to "normal" and amazingly he slept really well this weekend. We actually got to 5am one night! That's the second time EVER! Way to go Connor, you're such a big boy!