26 week pictures

This week I have two 26 week pictures to share. 

On Monday we believe Chase was having teething pain and as a result was rebelling against naps. We got a call from daycare that Chase had been very fussy all day and hadn't slept at all. That entire day I believe he only napped for 30 minutes.  When I got home from work that day, I found Chase in his swaddle blanket smiling at me as he refused to fall asleep.

It was time to take the weekly pictures, so we just carried him to the couch and got the weekly picture above.  I knew I wanted a picture in normal clothes, so we attempted to get another picture.  But we are starting to come across an issue.

This...

Since he's seen them since week 1, we think he is obsessed with white paper folded in half.  Solution, two weekly signs.  One to distract, one for the picture.  Sometimes the distraction paper made it into the pictures.

NOOO...don't touch the good one!!

Once we were able to get the sign out of the pictures, he paid attention to the camera again.

Weekend Pictures

As I was looking through the camera tonight, I noticed I had lots of pictures to share.  I thought I should post tonight since I know tomorrow night will be busy.

Our first big event of the weekend was Chase trying his rice cereal for the first time.  I planned out the day when I first woke up that morning.  As the time for the cereal got closer, I kept pushing the time back.  I think I originally wanted him to eat the cereal at like 4, but I kept finding an excuse to push it back further and further.  Drew thinks it was because I didn't want my baby to not be a little baby anymore.  He may have been a little right.  Finally at 5:30, we were all ready.  Cereal was prepared according to the directions on the package, video camera was on the tripod perfectly directed to the Bumbo seat set in the middle of the floor, and camera was nearby ready to go.

At first Chase was OBSESSED with his new bib.  He barely even paid attention to the food because he was too busy trying to eat the bib!  I tried putting the food on my finger at first (as suggested by various baby books), but that didn't work because the consistency of the cereal per the directions made it very runny.  I then used the baby spoon, but then Chase wanted to grab the spoon.  Then he wanted to grab the bowl.  Then he wanted to eat the bib again.  In summary, he loved the whole experience, except for the actual cereal.  The cereal he didn't care for too much.  It would go in the mouth and then out of the mouth.  We were very surprised since he's a great eater and because the daycare teachers think the H in his middle name stands for "Hungry"!

(Also, still trying to figure out how to upload video from our video camera to the computer.  Once we get a chance to play around with this more, we'll upload our video).

Intrigued by the bib, spoon, and bowl.

Not so sure about the cereal.

Yep, definitely not liking the cereal.

He's happy that we're all done!

Round two: On Sunday we tried cereal again, but I made it a little thicker.  The end result did not change.

Afterwards, we gave him a bubble bath.

Then after Chase went to bed tonight, I made homemade baby food!  I decided I would try sweet potatoes first.  He's scheduled to try a new food on Wednesday (as we have to wait 4 days to try another food since we tried rice cereal on Saturday).  I think I'm going to write a whole dedicated post later in the week about my baby food making experience.  I would rather wait and see what Chase thinks about it, before I decide whether or not it was successful.  But as a preview, I thought I would share my "before" and "after" pictures.  :)

Happy 6 Month Birthday!!

Chase turned 6 months old today!!  As such, I thought it would be appropriate to post a picture of him today in his "birthday suit"!!

25

Sorry this post is later than normal this week.  My only excuse is that work has been crazy and I'm dog tired by the time Chase gets to bed around 8.  I can't count the number of times I've gone to bed since I've returned to work with my contacts in, teeth unbrushed, and face unwashed...sometimes I don't even have enough energy to change into my pajamas.  It's just awful!  Don't even get me started on the number of times I've gone to work with my hair unwashed...something UNHEARD OF pre-Chase!

Anyway, Chase is now 25 weeks old.  This past week, we've slowly been introducing formula to Chase.  I have mixed emotions about ending nursing after 6 months.  At the beginning, it was just awful, but it got a lot easier after about a month or so.  Now, it's such a part of my routine, that I think I'm going to miss it when it's over.  But, the time commitment to continue is just becoming a little too great and now just seems like a good time move on and to phase in formula.  Also, solids start this Saturday!  I'm hoping all these dietary changes don't totally hurt his poor stomach!  I'm also not looking forward to the changes soon to come in his diapers (I know! I know!  Too much information.  But I got a preview of the diapers to come when babysitting our youngest nephew and it was not pretty...lol!!).

Speaking of diapers, we've now moved to size 2-3 Swaddlers.  Another sign that he's not a little baby anymore - size 2-3 is as large as our beloved Swaddlers go!  We've got another 5 pounds before Drew and I have serious talks about what diaper we will become loyal to next! :)

We don't have any significant milestones to report this week and we don't have many pictures from this week either.  The reason for that is we just bought a brand new video camera.  Oh boy - it's fancy!  It's high-def and has a huge hard drive, so we can record at anytime without having to worry about taping over anything or running out of room!  We need to find some time to figure out how to upload the video to the computer, so you can all see Chase's first bites of cereal from Saturday!  I'm just a little too excited about this rice cereal!

Picture time!

Chase is now starting to show small signs of beginning to sit up.  We are still probably a good month or so away.

Coming up in my post next week - my adventures in making homemade baby food!

Twenty-four weeks and a Miracle!

I CAN.NOT.BELIEVE we are already at 24 weeks!  Chase is just growing up so fast.

It's been another busy week in our household.  Just moments after I posted the blog last Monday, a stomach virus swept through our house.  Drew got his chance first and he was ill through Tuesday night.  I knew around noon that Tuesday, that I was coming down with it, but it didn't really hit me until Tuesday night.  It took me through Thursday night before I came out of my funk.  But a miracle occurred!  Somehow even with our nasty germs all over the house, Chase remained perfectly healthy!  We washed our hands almost constantly last week, but even so, I can't believe that he didn't pick up that virus somehow.  I'm so, so, so thankful!  I want to give big thanks to my mom for helping get Chase to daycare on Wednesday and Thursday when I was barely able to leave the bed!

Chase's latest favorite things include:
1) His feet - He started liking his feet about 2 weeks ago.  Now, when he is lying on his back, more than likely I will see his legs sticking in the air and his hands trying to grab them in an effort to get those feet near his mouth!

2) Spitting and sucking his lower lip- This is something that started about a week ago.  Chase loves to spit now.  This isn't like spitting across the room or anything, but he puckers his lips together and then you hear the distinctive sound of spit coming out of his mouth.  This has the potential of getting old pretty quick, but right now we find it ridiculous and funny - especially when we are driving in the car and hear that distinctive sound no less than 5 times on a simple drive to Target!  He's also started sucking on his lower lip - which is so cute!  I must snap a picture of this soon!

3) Anything that isn't his - Chase is getting to that stage where whatever someone has in their hands is interesting to him.  A remote control, a glass of water, a tissue - it doesn't matter!  If he sees it in your hands, his eyes are tracking it and his arms are reaching for it.  I'm afraid I might have influenced him to like something that isn't healthy.  He is OBSESSED with my Diet Coke cans.  He LOVES them.  He reaches out for those silly cans and if I humor him and let him grab on, he tries to move the can to his mouth so he can suck the bottom.  At first, I kind of found this hilarious.  Now, I'm beginning to think, it's a little scary!

Picture time...

23!

It's been another eventful week! 

Chase had his second ear infection last Thursday (same ear - the right one).  We probably should have known something was up when he woke up at 1 and 3am the night before (since he usually is a terrific night sleeper), but again we got a phone call from the daycare saying his temperature was 100.5  Our regular doctor doesn't work on Thursday, so we visited with a lady doctor in another office.  I think Chase was smitten.  He was smiling at her and giving her googlie eyes.  I can admit it...I was jealous! :)  One of his teachers at daycare said that Chase loves the girls as much as his milk - and that is saying A LOT! 

The experience of giving him the pink medicine is different now that he has gotten a little bit older.  For one, he thinks the syringe is now a play toy.  I have to fight him from grabbing it and pulling it away when I'm giving him the medicine.  Also, I don't know if there is a difference in the taste in the Walgreens brand vs. Kroger brand of pink stuff, but he likes to spit the Kroger pink stuff out!  I think he has spit out at least a third of the medicine I've given him! I don't know if he thinks it's gross or if he's just playing.  I'm just hoping he's getting and keeping enough down!

Over the past week (besides rolling over!- see previous post), we've noticed that Chase has been talking more around others (not just us), enjoying bathtime much more (kicking his feet and splashing water all over!), and laughing more and more.  I will have to create another post when I get more time about some of the things that make him laugh (usually silly songs we make up based on the tune's of popular songs).

Pictures from the week...

Not the happiest face in the world, but looking like a big boy in his Batman shirt and jeans

Rolling over!

First off, I have no pictures to prove this, but on Saturday Chase rolled over from his tummy to his back!  Yay!!  He has been getting close to rolling over a lot this past week.  On Thursday he got right on the brink of rolling over, but then gave up.  Drew gave him a motivational "push" that day to make him go all the way.  On Saturday though, he went all the way over on his own.

He won't actually do this for either Drew or I yet, but he did it 3 times for his Nini on Saturday morning.  The first time he did it, I was in the shower and Drew missed it because he was running to get the video camera (which was dead by the way!!).  The second time we both missed it again.  Then the third time, I saw it, but Drew was outside installing a carseat.  So as of today, poor Drew has yet to see Chase rollover.  So sad!

Here is a picture of him after his big accomplishment!

After rolling over, he also decided he would also start sucking his thumb like a "big boy" instead of just sucking on all of his fingers. :)

Twenty-two weeks

Hello again.  Time for another update!

No major milestones to report this week.  Pretty much each week he's just getting more alert and more coordinated.  He's rolling from side to side, but not yet all the way over.  While lying on his back, however, I notice that he's scooting and turning from the original place he was put in, so he's starting to get a smidge mobile!  He's "talking" more.  All of a sudden, he'll just starting babbling and cooing.  It almost sounds as if he's singing to us.  I also noticed something else over the past week or so - a trait that he picked up from his father.  When Chase is tired, he'll rub both of his eyes with his hands.  Although that doesn't really sound very significant, I totally see Drew in him when he does this!

He's also starting to become more and more interested in Weezie.  When Weez is standing near him, he'll reach his hand out towards her collar or her face. Weez responds by vigorously licking Chase's hand.  Chase will just stare at his hand being licked entranced until the moment that Weez then sneaks a few licks on his face. 

Sunday afternoon, Chase turned 5 months old.  We did an unofficial weigh-in to document the occassion.  He weighed 16 lbs even.  According to this website, that puts Chase in the 45th percentile in weight to age.

Here are some pictures from our fun weekend.

We put Chase in the little bouncy seat and had fun watching him jump up and down.  At first though, his hand went in the wrong spot!

Then he was doing a little jig...

Petting Weez...

Saying hello to the camera...

Now Weezie saying hello to the camera!

Both saying hi!

Loving life...

Since solid foods are now less than a month away, we finally put the high chair together.  Here, Chase is modeling for you in the chair!  His momma loves the little owl pattern!

On to the 22 week pictures.

I'm totally in love with this little boy!

Twenty-one weeks

Chase just completed his twenty first week of life.  Chase is just growing up before our eyes and each day we are just amazed by the new things he can do and laugh at the silly things he does.  This past week, Chase has been loving his Sophie and his Whoozit.  In fact, he throws a little tantrum now when his Sophie falls out of his reach or when he can't quite get her feet or her face in his mouth!!  Earlier this evening, Chase blew a few of his first raspberries and sticking out his tongue.  We got a big kick out of that.  He also talks when we drive in the car, but only when the radio is on.  Over the past couple of weeks, he's begun doing "crunches" when in his carseat and lying in our laps.  He's just itching to sit up.  During our latest tummy time sessions, he can roll from his back to his side, but can't quite make it to his tummy.  When he starts out on his tummy, he just stays on his tummy, but he's been lifting his head really high and scanning the room around him.

This week Chase went to his first baby shower for his future BFF Walter.  Chase gave Walter his first pair of BabyLegs.  We can't wait to see him in them.  Of course, since I bought baby Walt some Legs, I had to buy Chase a pair as well.  Oh, they are precious!  They are football legs!  He wore them on Sunday and then again today!

Here are some other pictures from the week.

Also, if anyone reading this can recommend a good photographer in the Memphis area please let me know!  I'm wanting to finally have some professional pictures taken of Chase sometime over the next month or so.  I'm kind of wishing I had some professional newborn pictures taken during his first two weeks since he has changed so much since then, so I definitely want to make sure I get some pictures taken before he becomes an older baby.  Thanks in advance for any suggestions!