Babe in the Big D

Christmas is right around the corner! We took our holiday card picture last night and have them on order to arrive Friday. This past weekend Cyndi came to visit and we had a great time at Tracy & Oliver's 1st Annual Cookie Exchange. We got a lot of ideas for the 2nd annual exchange and Cyndi is planning to make it a tradition too. Although next year we are going to also do the White Rock 1/2 Marathon the same weekend as the cookie exchange - talk about a fun way to carb load. Cyndi, Oliver and I spent a good 2 hours at Central Market on Monday playing around and refilling coffee samples. They have a new cafe so after we went to Luby's for a snack we had lunch at Central Market.

We did a downtown Dallas tour on Sunday to see the Grassy Knoll, book depository and the Neiman's Christmas tree!

Oliver has been having really bad reflux the last couple of weeks. We went back to the doctor last week and she has given him prevacid in addition to his twice daily zantac. It seems to be working well. He weighed in at 14lbs 12.5oz last week.

Last Tuesday Oliver slept from 7:30 to 4:30!!!!!!!!!!! He repeated this several nights in a row. We are all three feeling so much better with this much needed sleep. Last night was a different story, but we are hopeful it will continue.

Last week Beth, Oliver and I went to see Twilight. They wheel in a changing table and leave the lights up a little for the babies. There were non-baby people in the theater also, that I am not sure they were aware it was a Crybaby Matinee. Oliver stared at Beth eating popcorn for 30 minutes and then he fell asleep in the Maya wrap on my chest. He woke up crying during the last 10 minutes - during the prom scene! I have been craving a mushroom ravioli dinner since the movie.

On Thanksgiving Oliver attended his first Turkey Trot. I was surprised I was able to run the entire 3.1 miles. I had to earn the coconut cream pie that I made.

Enjoy the new November pictures on the website! It is snowing in Dallas! I wanted to take Oliver outside to take a picture but it is too cold. He is making all sorts of noises right now and he is supposed to be asleep.

Goodnight Tuesday.

Seb took this amazing picture on Satuday of Oliver - I wish Seb had more time to spend on the pictures because he is really talented.

Whew the weekend went by too fast again!  Last Friday I was backing my car out of the garage to get the oil changed.   I somehow clipped the edge of the garage door on my front bumper.   The garage door wouldn't shut, so I got out of the car and Seb started tapping on the second floor window wondering what was going on.   We got the garage door sensors bent back into place and the damage to my bumper is estimated at $1,250.00.  Which is ridiculous because it is barely damaged.   Ugh  I looked on line for parts at 2am this morning while nursing Oliver and they were like $300 so I just need to find a more reasonable place to do the labor.  

Tomorrow we are having a play date at a friends house since we don't meet with the Mommy and Me group.  Friday morning Oliver and I went for a jog with Gretel and Ella.  It was sooooooo cold, high 30's.  I had Oliver bundled up he barely bent to get into his car seat.  I had layers of blankets in the stroller and he was as happy as could be (or maybe the smile was just a little frozen on him) jk.

Wednesday we are going to see the movie "Twilight" with Beth.  The independent theater here has a Crybaby Matinee for people with babies, so they can cry, nurse, etc. 

We are on the search for a Christmas tree.  We haven't spent Christmas at home in a while so we don't have a big tree.  I don't think I will be hitting the day after Thanksgiving sales with Oliver.   I am okay with risking my own life in a stampede at Target for a goodie bag, but now that I have a child I have to re-think events like that.

It is going to be a busy week!  I have my grocery list ready for tomorrow to get our Thanksgiving meal components (including brown n' serves :).   I am making a coconut cream pie because I bought all of the ingredients to make one I just haven't had the time.

Today we read "Put Me In The Zoo" and Oliver looked at all of the pictures in the book and enjoyed it.

We are trying some new techniques with night nursing, because he likes to remain attached to me all night long.  We have had some nights where he sleeps for 6 hours and then last night he wanted to nurse every other hour.  One night at a time :)

Gobble!!! Gobble !!!

The time is going by so quickly and Oliver is getting sooooo big!!!!   I keep thinking his 6 month clothes fit him only because of his big cloth diaper butt however, he seems to fill them out all over!

Last week we went to Oliver's 1st yoga class (Itsy Bitsy Yoga).  He really enjoyed it!  After the baby yoga the babies are relaxed and the instructor has us place them on a yoga mat (I brought some toys) and the babies entertain themselves while the moms do post natal yoga and a 20 minute core workout.   It is great because you can see them the entire time in the big mirrored wall.   I had to stop to feed him but it was a great workout.    After yoga I met one of my friends and her baby Ella at the Dallas Arboretum for a nice walk.

On Friday I met my other friend and her baby Ella at the Katy Trail for my first jog.  We did a walk / jog and it felt so great.  I was most concerned about the stability of my sports bra LOL.   Oliver fell asleep during the jog.  

We have been having some rough nights with feedings and sleeping.  Oliver has been consistently going to bed around 7:00-7:30PM.   He wakes up around 1-1:30 and nurses and then goes back to sleep usually.  We have had several nights where he just wants to nurse from 1am - 5am.  I am able to sleep off an on and so does he.   Last night he was fussy and didn't go to bed until about 7:45-8PM.   He woke up this morning at 4!!!!!!!!!!  He went back to sleep at 5:30!!!   I was so excited I made the coffee and decided it would be a good time to FINALLY post.

Last Friday we went to the City Lights downtown to see the Neiman Marcus building / tree lighting and Santa's arrival.  It was so exciting to see Oliver's BIG EYES taking in all of the lights.   It brought back some memories of last years lighting because we knew we were pregnant and we saw other babies in the crowd and talked about how "next year" we woould have our baby there.   It was chilly and super windy so we bundled Oliver up and Seb carried him in the Bjorn.  The line to see Santa was really long, so we are going to go back to Neiman's and see Santa on a less busy day.  The holiday tree theme this year is recycling.   I wasn't feeling good so we missed the Alzheimer's Walk at the Dallas Zoo on Saturday.  It was going to be Oliver's first trip to the zoo and it is also one of our annual events.

I went to the Dallas Library a couple weeks ago to get a library card, I need to get a card for Oliver for future story time.

Yesterday we had a pot luck in my Mommy and Me group.  I made cinnamon rolls that didn't have good second rise.  I just put a little extra frosting on them.  Last week MacIntosh who is 12 months old crawled over to Oliver and squawed in Oliver's face.  Oliver got the biggest pouty bottom lip and started to tear up because it scared him.   Yesterday Mac crawled over and his mom told him to be gentle with Oliver so he slowly scooted back and tried to sit on Oliver's head.  I can't imagine Oliver crawling around like that.

The holidays are almost here, I haven't figured out if I am going to brine the turkey this year.  We are going to do the annual Turkey Trot.  I am hosting a cookie exchange this year, I wanted to do one last year so bad but I was pregnant and exhausted feeling.  I am planning to do a prosecco bar and some fancy appetizers.   I am also excited because Cyndi is coming to the cookie party!!! It will be a good reason for me to get the holiday decorations up before Christmas. 

I better get another cup of coffee before the baby wakes up!!!!!

 Yes, I still know how to type.  And I'm thinking we must have the most patriotic baby in the nation.  First he was born on the 4th of July, and now he turns 4 months on Election Day!

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 Above are some photos from the Mommy and Me picnic at the Arboretum. You'll have to wade through lesser cute babies, but you'll find plenty of our shining star.

Monday was Oliver's four month well child appointment. He got all his measurements, and then one vaccine. We space out his immunizations and limit them to know more than one at a time. It just isn't worth any of the potential risks when we can have him protected on a more conservative schedule. As an example, it is now routine to immunize newborns during their first day of life against Hepatitis B. Now call me crazy, but it doesn't make much sense to me to immunize and infant against disease that is transmitted by unsafe sex or sharing IV needles. See, I think that can wait until he's a bit older; but that's just me.

Now back to his stats:

Weight: 13 pounds, 7 oz (9 oz away from doubling his birth weight!)

Length: 25.5 inches

Head Circumference: 40 cm

In terms of his growth charts, he is in the 75th percentile for his height and25th percentile for weight. Long and lanky.

What really made my day was when his pediatrician called him a "daddy's boy" after I scooped him up for some comforting and he immediately stopped crying. We're buddies.  Our physician's closing prescription is always, "hold him, spoil him, love him." 

I've missed Oliver so much the past couple of weeks. I've been putting in 60 hour weeks at work lately, and I feel like I barely get any time with him. At least we get to reconnect at night since we cosleep.  I don't get that bond that Tracy share with feeding, so we try to let me feed him some expressed breast milk about once a week.

I'm still dumbfounded how many changes every day brings in the life of a child. Sharing this with Tracy has been the most awe inspiring thing I've ever done. I couldn't imagine my life any other way. I feel so blessed and surrounded by love. My child knows he is loved and that's the best feeling in the world.

Oliver went to his first Halloween Party yesterday and he was dressed as a cute skeleton.   Below are some pics.  I am also attaching a video of his first laugh - it is a video of a video so the quality is poor but you can still hear it.

I have so much to post about but it is getting late.  Hope you enjoy the pics and the video.

This is a pic from the Dallas Arboretum