Fall!

It's almost winter, so I should probably recap fall with our sweet boy before the seasons change. I can't believe in a couple of weeks I'll have 9 month old on my hands. Any minute he's going to start crawling and getting into everything. He's getting so big! And still the most precious baby boy :).

So here's what you've missed:

- Halloween! Sawyer was an adorable astronaut. We went to the fall festival and trick or treating. He did well, but I can't wait until next year when he can actually walk up and say "trick or treat".

- Sitting! Finally we have a sitter. Drew thought Sawyer would never sit, but within the last couple of weeks Sawyer proved him wrong. And with in the last week Sawyer figured out how to sit up on his own. He's so proud of himself every time he goes from lying on his stomach to sitting up.

- Eating! Slowly we are moving on from baby foods to "real food". Sure he's still eating baby food, but Sawyer is starting to master the whole chewing process. Green beans, bread, baked potato, cereal, small pieces of chicken...dinner time is becoming more and more fun!

- Thanksgiving! Sawyer made us his first art project of a foot/handprint turkey. So cute! It also gave me time to think about all I'm thankful for. We are so blessed with Sawyer. Even being born early and tiny, he has been healthy since day 1. Sure we've battled ear infections, but nothing compared to what I know others have gone through. He is such a happy easy going baby. Rarely does he cry, and when he does he's quickly soothed. Sawyer's smiles and laughs are infectious and can brighten any day. I'm totally smitten with my baby and can't wait to see what joy he continues to bring us.

October!

I can't believe that it has been 4 months since my last post!  Time has been flying by, though that is no good excuse for not keeping this blog updated.  Sawyer has grown so much in the last few months, and has really become an infant instead of a newborn baby.  He is still laid back and easy going, full of smiles and laughs.

A recap of all that's new:

He is rolling over from stomach to back and back to stomach with no problem.  He can roll the length of a room if he gets going!  h

He is trying to crawl, he can lift up on his knees and hands for a little bit.  He can army crawl some too.

He started eating food!  Right now just fruits, some veggies, and cereal.  Sawyer still doesn't know what to think of it, but he likes it for the most part.

We have TWO teeth!  One came in last week, the other broke through today.  Which means he has been a little on the fussy side.

Growing, growing, growing!  It's hard to believe he is 15 lbs 1 oz and 26 1/2 inches long!  He started out so tiny (4 lbs 7 oz!).

Mr. Personality!  He can cut looks, and make the best facial expressions.  It is so fun to see him take on his own personality.

Sleeping in his crib - Sawyer is still not sleeping through the night, but he is sleeping in his crib!  Feels like such a success.  While it was great having him in with us, we are all sleeping better now that he is in his own room.  :)

Working on sitting, not quite there yet.  But he LOVES to stand.  He wants you to hold him in a standing position all day.

Still the most beautiful baby boy I've ever seen. Granted I'm a little bias, but Sawyer gets more compliments when we're out and about then I can count.

Baby Must Haves (for me)

2 and half months in to this journey of being a mom, I've realized that babies don't need a whole lot, but there are plenty of things that make the job a whole lot easier.  Here are some of my personal baby must haves that Sawyer and I both enjoy:

Blankets for swaddling.  Sawyer loves being swaddled at bedtime.  As in won't sleep well without getting bundled up.  Now he prefers to have an arm (or both) out, but still loves a good swaddle.

Baby carrier.  I have both a wrap and a Beco Butterfly II.  Sawyer loves being in both.  It soothes him if he's being fussy and wants to be near me.  It allows me to get stuff done while keeping him happy.  Great for going shopping and not having to lug around the car seat/stroller.  I started using the wrap in the hospital since the nurses recommended holding him and keeping him close to my heart as much as possible.  I started being able to use the Beco once he hit 7 lbs.  Even Drew has worn Sawyer in the Beco.  So cute.

Activity mat.  Sawyer loves playing on his activity mat, whether it's swinging his arms at the toys or having some tummy time, the activity mat is a favorite!

Swing.  Great place to take a nap, hang out while mom cooks or is doing laundry, the swing was a great gift to receive!  Sawyer enjoys it and as taken many a nap in his.  Ours plays soothing music, and has a mobile with soothing lights.

Sure,  there are a lot of other things - bottles, pacifiers, diapers, etc that you need.  However these are somethings that aren't necessary for survival, but for sanity.

PS Sawyer is such a big boy - 9 lbs 10 oz at his last doctor's visit!  And he's outgrowing newborn clothes!  Whoa!

Two Months

Sawyer turned two months just in time for Mother's Day.  He is getting bigger and bigger, and it is so neat to watch all the developments.

Over the last month:

• He's sleeping longer stretches at night.  He's getting at least one 4 hour stretch in each night.  Which helps Drew since he's on duty all night.
• Smiling and laughing more and more.  Won't do it on command for the camera, but gives lots of smiles to us and Grandma and Granddaddy.
• Eating more and more.  Drinks a about 3-4 oz during at least one of his feedings.  The doctor says he's a very efficient eater.
• Doubled his birth weight!  Almost 9 lbs!  
• With that he is starting to push the limits of some of his newborn clothes.  Some of his footed outfits are getting tight.
• I started back to work, still on 3rd shift.  The going to work isn't as hard as having to go to sleep when I get home.  
• Still loves being swaddled.  Wrap him up in a blanket and he's good to go.
• Loves being worn either in a wrap or in our Beco carrier.

Thoughts on Pregnancy & Newborns

Can't believe 8 weeks has flown by so fast! Being out of town and then starting back to work, I haven't updated like I've wanted to. I wanted to jot down some thoughts on pregnancy and the first few weeks of being a mom before I forget.

I was so fortunate to have an easy pregnancy. Sure there were some uncomfortable times and the three hour glucose test sucked, but overall everything was smooth sailing. And each milestone of pregnancy; hearing the heartbeat, finding out "its a boy", the first movements, all so special. I have to admit I've always wanted kids, but until a little over a year ago, the thought of being preggers scared me. Then not only did I want to get pregnant, but wanted to give birth naturally. Who would have thought? And it wasn't that bad! Labor and delivery was hard, but not unbearable. It definitely wasn't the horrifying thing people make it out to be. I think that's what scared me about getting pregnant. Am I ready to do it again tomorrow? No! But will I do it again? Absolutely! Especially since Sawyer was the end result :)

Although I'm no pro, there is a lot I've learned about being a mom. The first being don't beat yourself up if something doesn't go how you wanted/planned. For example I had made up in my mind that I was going to exclusively breast feed until about 6 months or whenever we introduced solids. However Sawyer coming early and being so tiny changed that, and my body didn't help matters. I had some tears of frustration and sadness, but then told myself, it may not be how I wanted, but Sawyer is getting fed and is growing. Which is most important. I'm sure there are more of those moments to come, when I'll have to give into my preconceived notions and do what is best in that moment for Sawyer.

I also learned that I'm a lot more crunchy/hippie then I would have thought. Natural birth, cloth diapers, baby wearing, etc. So glad I made those choices! Right now, I'm especially loving baby wearing. Sawyer loves the wrap and the Beco, probably because he loves snuggling close. They have kept me sane several times!

The most important thing I've learned through all of this is how quickly you fall absolutely in love with your baby. Not that I didn't expect to be head over heels, I've loved Sawyer since I first found out I was expecting. But the absolute heart bursting emotion the moment he was placed on my chest, I was almost unprepared for. It truly is a love like no other. And everyday, no matter how much (or little) sleep, or how much he cries (thankfully rarely) that love continues to grow.

One Month Reflections

The last month has been amazing, and absolutely tiring!  My goal was to give weekly updates, but maybe that will happen in the future.  Sawyer is awesome!  Being a mom is awesome!

He is pretty laid back, easily soothed by cuddles and holding him close to your heart.
He loves to be swaddled and the woombie is my new friend.
Sawyer left the hospital at 4 lbs 2 oz, and although he hasn't been weighed by a doctor in a couple of weeks, he is a little over 6 lbs by our house method of Drew weighing himself then weighing himself while holding Sawyer.
Still eating every 2 hours, but over the past week we have transitioned from finger feeding to a bottle!  Success!
He also has bulked up enough to be out of preemie clothes, and into newborns!
He is slowly starting to give smiles in response our efforts, can't wait till they don't require so much effort!  Sawyer tracks things well, and is starting to give lots of eye contact.
He enjoys tummy time, and if you provide a hand for him to push off of, he will army crawl/scoot the length of a blanket.

Can't wait to see what the next month brings!

1 week to go?

This past Sunday would have been my 1 week to go post.  I probably would have talked about being uncomfortable and how ready I was to get this baby out of me.  Instead though I am two weeks in to the awesome adventure of being a mom.  The love and joy I felt when Sawyer was born has only continued to grow and I look forward to all that's ahead.

And since I promised in my last post, here are some pictures from the hospital: