5 Months Old

5 Months Old

My Little Giraffe on Halloween

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  Ours was very busy but great.  I was nervous about how Ramey would handle such a long and eventful day, but he did great.  At 11, we went to the Harrison family Thanksgiving at Mamaw's (Harry's grandmother) retirement home.  Aunt Janie and the family rented out the little building at Copperlake and we had 31 people there for Thanksgiving.  I had to quadruple my green bean casserole recipe to have enough.  Ramey did great and loved looking around at everyone and being passed around and seeing new faces.  He started to get a little cranky since he needed his nap, but refused to nap since so much was going on around him and he didn't want to miss anything.  I put him in the moby wrap and almost got him to sleep but he still fought it.  He wasn't fussy anymore once I had him wrapped up but still no sleep.  We left around 2 and as soon as the car door shut he was asleep.  We came home and I fed him and he fell asleep on me for 2 hours. Then once he woke up, I fed him and we headed to Nini's house in Moore.  We had a good time there with the whole Wilson family and Uncle Tom's side of the family.  Then we came back home and Ramey again crashed as soon as we got in the car.  It was a great day and a wonderful first Thanksgiving for our little turkey!

I am LOVING being a stay at home mom! I am so glad that I am able to stay home with my little guy.  We read books, practice rolling over (lol), play with toys, go on walks when it is nice, run errands, and have lots of play dates.  We try to have a play date a week!  So if you want to have a play date, let me know!

Ramey is now rolling over!!!! He went first from back to tummy.  Normally babies go from tummy to back first.  But he goes mostly from tummy to back.  He has only done back to tummy a few times.  But now that he knows he can flip back to his back when he wants he likes tummy time.  He likes to play with his toys when he is on his tummy because he can see all of the toys out in front of him and can grab whichever one he wants.  He definitely has a little mind of his own.  If we are sitting on the couch, he will lean over and grunt and groan and stretch as far as he can to get a certain toy.  If I had him a different toy he will complain until he gets the one he wants.

He has been sleeping in his swing during the days and I decided that after Thanksgiving we would work on getting him to sleep in his mini-crib in our room since we had a few days with nothing scheduled so we could just work on sleep!  Well the first day, it took about 45 minutes for his first nap. He wasn't crying but just whining.  I would go in every 5 minutes to let him know it was okay to go to sleep and he finally went to sleep.  The 2nd nap of the day only took 9 minutes! But the 3rd nap took an hour.  The next day, the first nap too 17 minutes, then 8 minutes, then 2 minutes!!! Then today was even better!  I couldn't believe it.  His first nap took 2 minutes, then 2 minutes, then 1 minute!  Hopefully it keeps going this well.  I try to keep everything the same so he knows exactly what is going to happen and knows what to expect.  I read somewhere that some people do alot of activities and then just expect the babies to go straight to sleep.  So you need to do a wind down activity.  So we go into my bedroom and read a book or two to let him know that the nap is coming.  Hopefully when we move him to his own room at 6 months it goes this well.

Ramey has been doing great sleeping at night.  He goes to sleep at 8, dream feeds at 10:30 then has been sleeping until 7:15!  He sometimes still wakes up around 4:30 or 5:30 and eats and if he does then he sleeps until 8:30.  He did have the "4 month sleep regression" and was waking up every 2 hours or so and we could sing and rock him back to sleep after about 15 minutes.  That went on for a couple of weeks but now he is back to being a good sleeper, thank goodness.  But I think he is teething now, so he gets a little cranky for no reason during the day.

And I'm still exclusively breastfeeding!!! I am very proud of myself because it hasn't always been easy but this little guy hasn't had a drop of formula!  My goal is a year, but anything past 6 months I will be very happy with!

At our 4th month well-baby appointment, we decided we needed to get an ultrasound to check to see if Ramey's spinal cord was tethered. Well we had our appointment and Ramey HATED the ultrasound.  He was screaming and crying the hardest he has ever cried.  I was just hoping they got an image that they could see if it was tethered or not because he was squirming so much.  The doctor called me on Monday, his ultrasound was on a Friday, and let me know that he was perfect and that we didn't have to worry about that ever again!  Glad to have it done and over with!

I saw some cute pictures on Pinterest that made me want to have a little Christmas photo shoot.  Here are some of the pictures we took!  I love how they turned out but I think I will have my dad take some because he has a really nice fancy camera and is a great photographer!

My sister and Ryan are new homeowners!!! They built a new home in Deer Creek and moved in on November 17th!  We are very excited because they are only 5 minutes away and even has a spot in their house where Ramey's mini crib is going to go once he is in his crib in his room at our house.  What a great Auntie and Uncle.


Here is our monthly list...

5 Months

November 25, 2012

15 lbs- from our home scale

Shakes head back and forth while fighting to go to sleep

Talk and moans when falling asleep in his swing or carseat

Grabs for feet and loves rolling to the side started on November 12th

Rolls over!!!!

From back to tummy on November 13^th- a few times only

From tummy to back on November 16^th – all the time!

Started reaching for people on November 16^th

Grandma was the first one he reached for!

Grabs for toys and yells about it if he doesn’t get the toy he wants

Teething- bottom two teeth

Very interested in people food and tries to grab whatever is in our hands

Sucks on Mommy’s chin and nose

Still loves Jay (formerly known as Dottie and Sophie the Giraffe)

Laughs a lot without being tickled

Laughs at silly voices, when we yell, when we run at him, when he rubs on cheeks

Loves his taggie blanket

Bounces a lot in activity center

Likes his ball with the holes in it because it is so easy to grab

Eats very quickly (15 minutes)

Has started not liking getting dressed but is fine once he is clothed

Loves Ellie and smiles at her when she walks by

Gets very mad if Ellie is close and he isn’t petting her

Still loves the tv

Put up his first Christmas ornament

Was a perfect angel at both Thanksgivings

Loves being wrapped in the Moby Wrap and if he is upset will immediately calm down once his 2^nd leg is secure

Likes to play with a toy in the bath tub

Doesn’t like getting his nighttime massage anymore

 Old but here it is... My Little Giraffe on Halloween

Ramey's Top 12 and Meredith's Top 10 Baby Items and Products

I thought I would write a post today about my top favorite things for me and top favorite things for Ramey for the first 4 1/2 months.  I recently found a couple of these lists on pinterest AFTER I had Ramey and had already bought alot of stuff and would have loved to see what someone I actually know liked and used the most.  Also, if you don't have little ones but need baby shower gifts, I've done all of the work for you!

I will do Ramey's list first because it is more fun.

Ramey's Top 12

1. Fisher-Price Cradle Swing My Little Snug-a-bunny 

Ramey LOVES his swing.  He takes at least 2 naps a day in his swing.  I need to get him to take naps in his bed but the swing works great for now.  But I will be transitioning him to his bed in the next couple of weeks.  But he will fall asleep in his swing in about 5 minutes.  It can swing side to side or forward and backwards.  It plays music that isn't annoying and the music turns off after 20 minutes.  It also has a mirror on the underside that he likes to look at himself in and a bird mobile that goes around.  I have just now started to put on classical music on my ipod instead of the music from the swing because I love classical and would rather listen to the ipod.

2. Vulli Sophie the Giraffe

This little toy is amazing.  It is for babies 0-12 months.  It is a teether but they can use it way before they are teething.  It is made of soft rubber.  Is very easy for them to grab onto in many different spots and squeaks when they squeeze it.  Ramey will suck on it for 30 minutes and loves playing with it when we are driving in the car.  We had to rename it because my parents dog is Sophie.  So we changed it to Dottie and then thought that sounds too much like Daddy, so now he is Jay because it has the same sound at the beginning as giraffe and because it will be easy for him to say too.  Sophie is not cheap for a small teether toy ($20) but definitely worth the money.

3. Baby Einstein Musical Motion Activity Jumper

We just started using this in the last month because they need to have very good neck control before they can play in it.  This is an activity center and jumper in one.  When Katherine, my little sister, was a baby she went insane when we put her in the jumper that would hang in a doorway.  Well those aren't safe or recommended anymore, so this is great for the jumping.  Plus all of the toys on the outside keep Ramey entertained and his little brain going.  He loves to jump in his thing.  The only problem is his little legs don't touch the ground, so we put a little padding underneath to help him reach so he can bounce.  There is even a little diagram on the top to show you how much their feet should touch.  As they grow you can make it higher off the ground so it should last a long time.

4. Infantino Vintage Twist and Fold Activity Gym

This is another one you can use when they are still teeny tiny babies.  Ramey loved this when he was a month or two and would bat at the toys.  Now I put him on his tummy most of the time when he is in it.   There are little loops on the outside of the toy that you can connect the hanging toys to so when he is on tummy time there are toys for him to play with too.  Plus the mat is all fun designs and color so it is visually stimulating.

5. Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Soother

This attaches to his crib and little cartoon sea creatures float by while classical music is playing.  You can have it play music only or you can have the sea creatures lit up but not moving while the music is on or floating by with the music.  There is also a button at the bottom that he can hit with his feet or hands to turn it on!  He did this one night after I turned it on at 3:00am to help him go back to sleep and he literally hit it 20 times.  Off on off on off on over and over and over, lol.  There is also a remote control so I could turn it off (or on) when he kept turning it off and on keeping us all awake.

6. Chronicle Puppet Books

So I LOVE books.  Especially children's books.  And board books are great for kids but these are board books and puppets in one!  There is a little puppet in the middle and you put just one finger through it and then each page has a cut out circle for the puppet, if that makes sense.  They have these are Barnes and Noble, but if you order them online you have alot more options and with your 2nd order you get a discount. They have them for most holidays and then tons and tons of different animals.  I got a spider one with my Citrus Lane box that I get every month and then Aunt Kali just got us a turkey one for Thanksgiving.  And I bought 4 more for Ramey for Christmas (shh, don't tell him!)  He loves them because he can chew on them very easily and it keeps him engaged in the book because the page is actually moving because your finger is in the puppet.  Plus they are small so they fit great into the diaper bag.

7. LeachCo Podster Sling-Style Infant Lounger

We use the lounger every day.  Ramey loves his lounger because he can sit in it and relax and not have to hold his head up but can still be sitting up and looking around.  It is inclined so it is great after he eats because it keeps him upright so he doesn't spit up as much.  We also use it while I am cooking because he can still see me and watch what I am doing.  Plus it is adjustable to change while he grows.  I like this better than propping him up with the boppy because in the boppy he slides down (especially when he was really little).  But in the LeachCo he is just craddled in the sling. LOVE THIS!

8.  Halo Cotton Swaddle Sleepsack

We use this every night when Ramey goes to sleep.  Ramey never liked having his arms swaddled but liked when the rest of his body was swaddled, but I could never get a great swaddle that way.  The swaddle sleepsack allows you to have their arms swaddled or arms out and just their body swaddled.  The sleep sack part is great because Ramey likes to kick his legs like a crazy and can still do that while having his middle nice and snug.  They also make this in fleece but it hasn't been cold enough for us to need it yet.  At night he wears this and also a long sleeve onsie to keep his arms warm since they are not in the swaddle.  When he was brand new, he wore the long sleeve shirts with built in mittens to keep his hands warm and to keep him from scratching his face.  Now he loves to suck on his hands so the kind without mittens is what we use.

9. Rattles

If it rattles or squeaks and he can grab it, he likes it.  But right now his favorite one is a little puppy, Harry thinks it looks like a bear, from Mud Pie Baby.  It is really soft with various textures and color patterns on it.  It also has a clear ring with little balls in it on one hand of the puppy and a circle and star ring on his other hand.  Also, if you pull on the top ring and let go it vibrates.  If Ramey isn't playing with Jay the Giraffe, he has this puppy.  This is also nice to throw in the diaper bag or for him to play with in the car.

10. Jack Johnson CD (his favorites are on Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George)

I already had a lot of Jack Johnson songs on my ipod but once we realized Ramey would immediately calm down when he heard Jack, I bought some more.  I mean it is like magic!  Even on the days he gets shots when he is so grumpy and sad, if I put on Jack, he just calms right down.  I have a cd in my car and the playlist I made is on my phone and both ipods.  We love Jack Johnson!

11. Baby D Drops

Now Ramey doesn't love these (he could careless) but he HATED what we used before, so I think this should be on the list.  Breastfeed babies don't get enough vitamin D in breastmilk.  Since babies aren't in the sun alot, they need a supplement.  Before, I gave him the stuff in a big dropper that he would choke on and was super sweet and sticky.  He hated it and always spit it up.  So we started using Baby D Drops.  It is just one drop you put on your nipple or on a pacifier.  That is it.  The only thing is you have to make sure you don't do more than one drop or that is double what they need and make sure you buy the BABY D drops and not the 1 drop vitamin D drops for adults because we need more than babies.  But I just put one drop on at the same feeding each day and voila, done with that for the day!

12. Ellie

Ramey is OBSESSED with Ellie.  He is always looking around for her and wants to touch her.  If he is laying on the bed, he cranes his neck around to see her (she is normally up there with us).  He will watch her walk across the room and smile at her when he sees her.  Poor Ellie doesn't know what to do about it though.  She is interested in him but when he tries to pet her, he always comes away with clumps of dog hair in his hands but she never seems to mind, but I'm sure she doesn't like getting her hair pulled out.  There was one day, Ramey was having some major tummy pains and I couldn't calm him down at all.  Jack wasn't even working.  So we went into the bedroom and I called Ellie to come jump on the bed.  Right away he calmed down and started petting Ellie.  So everyone needs to go buy a dog to entertain your little one!

Meredith's Top 10

1.  Moby Wrap

I LOVE my Moby Wrap.  Today I was wearing Ramey in the Moby Wrap and was able to fold and hang up the laundry and make dinner in the crock pot (don't worry it wasn't on and I just had to dump everything in)!  There is no way I could have been holding him with just my arms and done both of those things.  Plus he likes being in the wrap.  I also have the Beco Gemini soft shell carrier, but he doesn't like that as much at this point.  We really like the Moby Wrap.  This is a picture of him when he was about 6 weeks old and sleeping in the Moby.

2. Boppy Pillow

I use the boppy every time I nurse.  It is so wonderful because you don't have to use your arms to hold up the little one at all.  I don't know what I would do at night without my boppy.  I am so tired when he wakes up to eat in the middle of the night that I'm sure my arms wouldn't keep him up to eat.  I have 2 covers for it because it does get spit up on it and I can have one in the wash and put the other one on.  The boppy is a definite must have if you nurse and it is great to help hold the baby too.

3. Angel Care Movement and Sound Monitor

I love this monitor because it gives me peace of mind knowing he is still breathing.  That sounds silly but it is so hard to tell if they are breathing when they are so tiny and this monitor will sound if the baby stops breathing/no movement after 20 seconds.  Now they make a video monitor that goes along with the movement monitor.  I wish I had that but they didn't have that when we bought ours.  It also displays the temperature in the room.  Our house has horrible heating and air so it can feel fine in the living room and be freezing in our room where he is asleep.  So it is good to know what the actual temperature in his room is so we can turn the fan on or turn up the heater for the house.

4. All Purpose Nipple Ointment

(My ointment doesn't come in a little tube, but this was the best picture I could find)

This is a prescription to use if you are having any problems with your nipples when you are breastfeeding.  It is amazing.  When I got thrush, this is what I used, but like the name says, it is all-purpose.  I didn't like the Lanolin because it was so thick and sticky.  This stuff isn't like that at all.  Harry told me about it when I was having some pain so I called my doctor and she gave me a prescription.  If you plan on breastfeeding or are breastfeeding, you should definitely get some of this stuff!

5.  Nursing Sleep Bras

Best invention ever!  These are basically just sports bras but with a criss cross design in the front so it is easy to nurse.  I'm not going to lie... this is the bra I wear all day if I don't leave the house.  They are so comfy and make nursing so much easier than a regular nursing bra with the clips.

6. Pampers Swaddlers (for the day)

These are my favorite diapers.  In the beginning I bought a lot of different kinds in small packs to try them all out.  We wanted to use the cheapest and best kind we could find.  These were by far my favorite.  They aren't the cheapest, but I think they are worth it.  I like that they have the wetness indicator so you know if they baby has peed and I don't think they smell funky like some of the other diapers.  Plus they are soft and have some give.  Some are very stiff.

7. Pampers Baby Dry (for the night)

We use these for the night time because they can hold pee for up to 12 hours.  When Ramey sleeps from 8pm-7am, the last thing I want waking him up is his diaper.  So far we haven't had any leaks with these!  There isn't a wetness indicator like with the Swaddlers but we don't need it when he wears them for so long it is obvious.

8. Walgreens Premium Sensitive Baby Wipes

We also tried a lot of different baby wipes.  We accidentally tried these.  Someone got these for Harry at his work baby shower when he was still with Walgreens.  They obviously did their shopping right before the shower, lol.  Anyways, these are always buy 2 for $4.00, very cheap in baby wipe world.  They are thick and always have enough moisture on each wipe.  We also really like the packaging.  It is in the plastic crinkle paper packaging, but with a hard plastic top where the wipes come out, so it clicks shut so they won't dry out.

9.  Waterproof Multi-use Pads

Ramey is still sleeping in our room, so we change him on our bed.  There have been many messes and accidents but our bedspread is still clean because we put down a waterproof pad down on the bed like a changing table.  We always change him on the pad and then if poop or pee gets on it, we just throw it in the washer and use another one of the pads the next time.  Then at night time, we just fold it up and put it on the dresser until we need it again.  It is about the size of a changing table cushion.

10.  Medela Pump in Style Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump

I love this pump.  It has a lot of power and comes with quite a few extras (bottles, nipples, battery pack if you need to pump where you can't plug it in, etc.)  I don't pump every day, but when I do it is nice to have such a great pump.  You definitely get what you pay for.  If you are going to be working and want to pump, you are going to need a nice pump.  I would recommend this one.  This is the one that the lactation consultant recommended to me.  And if you are in OKC/Edmond, I bought mine at the Mercy Pharmacy for like $50 cheaper than anywhere else.

 Hope this list helps someone!  Thanks for reading!

4 Months Old...

Photo by Art and Soul Photography by Angel Porch

Well our little guy is 4 months old!  It is seriously going way too fast.  On the evening that he turned 4 months, October 25th, I was nursing him in the bedroom after his bath and the lullaby playlist I made was playing and only the lamp was on. It was so peaceful and perfect.  A song came on that I always thought was sweet but hadn't really listened to all of the words.  Well here they are:

Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)
The version on my playlist is by Haley Gibby but I guess Billy Joel originally sang it but I 
hadn't ever heard his version.  

Goodnight, my angel
Time to close your eyes
And save these questions for another day
I think I know what you've been asking me
I think you know what I've been trying to say
I promised I would never leave you
And you should always know
Wherever you may go
No matter where you are
I never will be far away

Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to sleep
And still so many things I want to say
Remember all the songs you sang for me
When we went sailing on an emerald bay
And like a boat out on the ocean
I'm rocking you to sleep
The water's dark and deep
Inside this ancient heart
You'll always be a part of me

Goodnight, my angel
Now it's time to dream
And dream how wonderful your life will be
Someday your child may cry
And if you sing this lullabye
Then in your heart
There will always be a part of me

Someday we'll all be gone
But lullabyes go on and on...
They never die
That's how you
And I
Will be

So this song is on and I'm nursing and just bawling my eyes out!  And Harry comes in to see if Ramey is done eating and ready for his bedtime story and says "are you crying?" and I said, "yeah" and he said "because you love him so much?" and I said "yeah."
I just don't know how we got so lucky to have such a happy and healthy little boy.

Today, October 29th, we had our 4 month well baby check up and shots.  Harry got to go with us this time because he works at such an amazing place!  Ramey did good.  He started crying before the shots even happened because Harry was holding him down and he is a mover and a shaker.  He is always waving his arms and kicking his legs.  So the fact that he was restrained wasn't making him happy and then he got the shots which made him even more mad.  But he stopped crying before we had even gotten out of the room.  I did give him some Tylenol before the shots this time which I think helped, thank you to those who suggested it!  He fell asleep in the car but woke up when we got home, but didn't seem to be in any pain.  I nursed him and then he was sleepy because he didn't get his good morning nap (normally 1.5-2 hours- I still have to wake him from most of his naps to eat!)  So he ate and went right to sleep in his swing.  He is sleeping as I type.

Dr. Adair said he is perfect!  He weighs 13.13 lbs up from 10.4 lbs at his 2 month and still the 25%.  His height is 24.5 inches up from 22 inches- (31% now from 25%.) And his head circumference is 41cm up from 38cm- (15% now from 10%.)  So he is just growing right along.  I asked her about his head shape because I want to make sure it isn't getting flat on the back or anything and she said his head shape is perfect, lol.

We have always kept an eye on his butt crack because it is hairy.  He obviously has alot of hair, but his back and butt crack have always been hairy too.  She said we would keep an eye on it.  She said before it is almost like God is pointing and saying "look here."  Well this time she was checking his butt and noticed that it is also looking a little crooked which could mean his spinal cord is tethered.  So just to be safe, we are going to get an ultra sound and check it out.  It isn't that big of a deal if it is.  Just a little simply surgery when they are little.  If it goes undetected and isn't noticed for a long time then he could have long term side effects from it, but that is why we are looking at it now so if it is tethered, we can fix it now.

In other news, Ramey has gotten so good at grabbing things and putting them in his mouth.  Everything goes straight to his mouth.  Sometimes he thinks he has a good grip on something and tries to bring it up to his mouth and it is just his hand and he gets pissed.  But he does like to suck on his hands during most of his waking hours.  

Like I said earlier, he still sleeps alot.  He goes to bed around 8:00pm.  I dream feed him at 10:30 and he will sleep until 5 or 6 then go back to sleep after I feed him and not wake up for the day until 7:30-8:30am.  Then he will be up for about an hour to an hour and a half then go back to sleep for 1.5-2 hours when I wake him up to eat again.  He will normally take another good nap after his next feed but then the other nap or two may or may not happen.  It kind of depends if we run errands or not and what is going on. But even if he doesn't sleep he is just the happiest little guy!  He can miss his morning and first afternoon nap and still be smiling and happy- but with really red eyes and eyebrows.

Still no rolling over for him though.  He will roll to his side from his back and if I start to help him roll over from back to front or front to back he will do most of it on his own with a little push, but hasn't done it himself yet.  I have a feeling it will happen soon, but he hates to be on his stomach so much and spits up almost every time I put him on his stomach, he just doesn't do alot of tummy time.  He will lay on my stomach and has great head control and loves to stand up and sit on my lap but does not like tummy time.     

We try to read lots of books (we could definitely do more though).  Here is a picture of Ramey "reading."  We got this cute little book in one of my Citrus Lane boxes that I was talking about in my last blog post. You put your finger in the little puppet in the middle and it goes through to each page, if that makes sense. Ramey loves his Little Spider book because it is really easy to put in his mouth.

Here is a picture of us reading at my mom and dad's house.

Here is a picture of Ramey holding his bottle.  He is still exclusively breastfeed but we put breastmilk in a bottle occasionally so he knows how to drink out of a bottle and so I can be gone for more than 3 hours if I need to be.  So far I haven't found a nipple he won't take.  But I've only tried 3 different kinds.  But as long as he will take one kind, I'm good with that.  We had just bought a few different ones before he was born in case he was picky.  Which he is not at all.  Same with pacifiers, he will take whatever paci you put in his mouth.  He is a pretty laid back and easy going guy.

We went to the pumpkin patch in Piedmont a couple of weeks ago.  We didn't need a big and fancy pumpkin patch- plus the one I wanted to go to wasn't open on Tuesday when we wanted to go.  So my Aunt Shelley suggested the Piedmont Pumpkin Patch.  There were really cute photo opps and it was free and the pumpkins were priced really well.  Cheap if you ask me!  And they had some great huge pumpkins!!!  Harry had gotten allergy tested that day so he came home and we went!  Mom came with us and Dad met his there.  Aunt Shelley came to and brought my god-brother Landon.  Then my other god-brother (her other son) got dropped off there after school.  My Aunt Linda heard we were there so she came and then Uncle Scott heard we were there so he came too!  It was a great time!

People still ask where Ramey got all of his hair or who does he look like?  Well we finally got a baby picture of Harry and it explains alot!

                  This is Harry.  I don't know the age.    This is Ramey.  Almost 4 months in this pic.

Here is our monthly Ramey sheet.  Harry and I make this list together on the night he turns a new month older.  It is more for us than you guys, lol.  Once he is 12 months, I am going to take his month pictures and these facts and put them into a shutterfly album.  That is why some info is repeated from earlier in the blog post.  Just fyi.

4 Months

October 25, 2012

Weight: 13.3 lbs- 25%

Height: 24.5 inches- 31%

Head Circumference:  41 cm- 15%

He loves to blow bubbles with spit.

Loves waking up in the morning.  Is very smiley and happy!

Has stopped pooping every day.  Will go every other day or more days without going!

Loves when Daddy blows on his tummy.  Laughs very hard then gets hiccups!

Loves to play “Pretty Mama” with Mommy.  I take his hands and rub them down my cheeks and say “Pretty Mama” and he laughs.

Has started bouncing in his Baby Einstein activity center.  He really likes to play with the toys on it too.

Loves chewing and holding Dottie. (Sophie the Giraffe)

Likes to hold books and try to put them in his mouth.  Especially his Little Spider book.  He sucks on the spider. (Daddy thinks the spider looks like a penis)

Still cranes his neck to watch the tv.  It can’t be on at all during the day.  Sometimes Mommy has it on when nursing, but has to turn it off once Ramey realizes it is on and would rather watch tv than eat.

Gets very upset when there is no more milk left in Mommy.  (I started to take more Fenugreek pills and even made some "Lactation Cookies."  They have some ingredients that make you produce more milk. Now he is a happy boy again when he eats.  He was going through a growth spurt and just needed more milk!)

Likes tummy time if he is looking at Ellie or the tv.

Watches Ellie wherever she is.  But if she moves to fast, it scares him.

Still likes his activity mat.  We have started doing tummy time on there with some of the toys hanging above him because he can keep his body more upright and can actually grab them while lying on his tummy.

Sleeps until 5am or 6am for his middle of the night feed.  Then gets up between 7:30-8:30.

Did great for our family portraits.   They were in the middle of naptime and he didn’t sleep a wink on the ride to Norman.

Does great during baths and now gets his hair washed while he sits in the tub.  Tonight, he decided that he wanted to sit up while Daddy tried to wash his hair and got a face full of water, which he didn’t love.

He plays with a toy turtle when Daddy washes his hair.

Still sleeps in his swing or on someone during the day.  But mainly in his swing

Loves grunting and blowing bubbles.

Grabs any and everything and puts it in his mouth.

Still loves Jack Johnson and Edith Piaf.  

(I'm trying to get him to like Taylor Swift too, so we can get the new album!)

Hates to be hot.  He would much rather be cold.  If he even gets a little hot, he will complain and then is fine once you remove his pants, socks, or blanket.  I guess I'm going to have a hot natured child.  I'm always cold (except when I was pregnant... maybe that is why he hates being hot! lol)

I think that is all for now!  Have a great week and thanks for reading!

And I'll post some pictures after Halloween!

One more picture.  This is Harry's favorite picture of Ramey so far!

3 Months Old

Happy 3 Month Birthday, Ramey!

I can't believe Ramey is already 3 months old.  I know people say that time flies but oh my gosh!  Wasn't I just finding out I was pregnant?

Sunday was my birthday and it was a great day!  I slept in!  Harry got up with Ramey and gave him a bottle of breast milk (pretty proud he still hasn't had a drop of formula!) and I slept until 8:15!  Not really sleeping in by my old standards but it is better than 7.  I know that I can't really complain with 7 either because some babies wake up at 5:30 or 6, but my little guy is like his Mama and Daddy and likes his sleep!

After I slept in, lol, we went to our neighborhood park.  All 4 of us.  Ramey was perfect and Ellie was a mess.  She wined and barked and pulled on the leash the whole time.  But we got to the park and were about to sit down at a bench by the pond and then I thought with all of this West Nile stuff going on, better safe than sorry, so we just kept walking.  Well the path that goes between the 2 ponds was flooded and we didn't want to go back were we just were so we kept walking because we hadn't even gone the whole way before and it was a nice day so we decided to do it.  Well.... after about 30 minutes of walking we came out at the front of the neighborhood!  Then had to walk all the way back to our house, so after about 45 minutes we were back home and we were walking pretty briskly too.  I never intended to work out on my birthday! So we were all pretty tired when we got back home.  Ellie collapsed on the tile, Ramey fell right to sleep in his swing, Harry went straight to his Lazy-E-Boy and I fell onto the couch.

Before our trip to the park

Sweet baby with me on my bday

Then Harry's sister came over to hang out for a little bit then after she left our friends Ison and Ashley came over before they headed back to Fort Worth.  They really should move back here!
Then we went to dinner with Mom, Dad, Kat and Ryan at The Wedge.  My favorite.  Ramey fell asleep in his carrier after about 10 minutes and slept the whole time and it was so loud in there.  He is such a good little guy.
Then we came home and had a ribbon cake from Raspberries n Creme.
Oh and I almost forgot!  My parents got us tickets to the Civic Center for the season for my birthday and Harry got me a Timmy and Leslie diaper bag!  I am such a pack rat I felt like my other diaper bag was already too small, so I needed a bigger one and this one is so pretty too!  Harry also surprised me with a freezer!  I told him that we needed an extra freezer because ours is always busting at the seams and I would like to do the "prepare ahead meals" that you freeze then just throw everything into the pan/pot but we have no room for that in our freezer.  Plus I want to make baby food and have breastmilk to store, lol.  So he really spoiled me this year!

New Diaper Bag

Then right before bed Ramey gave me a great present too!  Our first huge blowout all over Mommy!  We were just sitting on the couch and he was sitting in my lap just talking away to me and then....
you know.  We had had a couple of times were it comes out the top or something but this was out of control!  So thank you little man for that wonderful present.  It might have been so bad that we actually took a picture to document it.
Then that night he gave us a real present.  He went to bed at 8:15.  I dreamfeed him at 10:30 and then he didn't wake up until 6:10 for his middle of the night feeding and went back to sleep until 7:50!  I think he was so tired because we had so much activity yesterday that he didn't get his good long 1 1/2 to 2 hour naps throughout the day.  Again, he loves his sleep!

Last weekend we had our 10 year high school reunion.  That morning/afternoon one of our classmates had a picnic for everyone at Hafer Park with catering by Steve's Rib.  Maybe 50? people came.  It was pretty fun and good to see everyone that came and their kids!  Ramey however, was the only baby there that was in a bad mood! Lol.  Like I said, he likes his sleep so if he goes over his hour limit on awake time he gets cranky.  So Harry put him on his chest and rocked him to sleep and he fell asleep until we left at 1:00.

Ramey ready for the picnic and wearing shoes for the first time!

At the picnic

Then Kali or Mrs. Clark, lol, came over with her sweet hubby and they babysat Ramey for the evening part.  The reunion was downtown at the Bricktown Brewery.  I would say maybe 100-125? people were there.  It was alot of fun seeing everyone.  It was really weird because it was like no time had really passed and we were all just back hanging out with the same people we have known since elementary school and middle school!
Harry had a little too much fun, so we had to leave earlier than I would have wanted but it was so good to see everyone!  And the consensus is that we should have a 15 year reunion because 10 years is too far away for another one!

Last week I got my first Citrus Lane box!  You pay $25 a month a get a box of goodies specifically for your babies age and gender.  The products have nothing to do with citrus, that is what my mom thought.  That is just the name of the company.  But they are products that you might be amazing but you might not buy on your own because you haven't heard of the company or because you already have something that works and you are use to it.
This month I got a precious organic bunny teether toy, a bib, a little kit that goes in your diaper bag (with little baggies for diapers, bandaids, diaper rash cream, hand sanitizer, a one time use thermometer, and some other things- 25 items), California Baby diaper rash cream, lotion and shampoo and wash, and a little laundry detergent packet that you use in a sink if there is poop explosion when you are out and about and don't want the stain to set in.
I was very happy with my first Citrus Lane box and can't wait for my next one!  If you want to sign up you can do a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription.  If you do, use my code so I can get money to use for more boxes then other people can do the same for you!  Here is the link!
http://www.citruslane.com/invitedby/Meredith.Harrison

Now that Ramey and I have a pretty good routine/schedule down I feel like I can actually do stuff around the house and get out more with him.  I had lunch with 2 of my early childhood education girls from OU last week in Moore.  This week we have a play-date with one of my sorority sisters and her little ones!

It will also be my goal, and if I put it on here I have to do it, to make one pinterest recipe a week and do one pinterest project/craft/something!
Last week I made a crock pot beer chicken and it was delicious!  Also, if you do Weight Watchers it is 3 points.

Here is the recipe:
CROCK POT BEER CHICKEN

2LBS SKINLESS, BONELESS CHICKEN BREASTS 
1 BOTTLE OR CAN OF YOUR FAVORITE BEER (I did a wheat beer because it is the only kind I sort of like.  I don't like beer)
1 TSP SALT 
1 TSP GARLIC POWDER 
1 TBSP DRIED OREGANO 
1/2 TSP BLACK PEPPER 
COOK IN CROCK POT 6-7HRS

I also cleaned the washer with the tips on pinterest and washed my towels with a baking soda and vinegar recipe from pinterest.  I'm not sure they smell that much better but they weren't bad before.
I have 3 pinterest recipes planned for this week and I will let you know how they go!

Now all things Ramey!
Since my last post Ramey hasn't laughed that much.   On the 10th he had his first laugh and has laughed once or twice since then but on Saturday Katherine was over and he wouldn't stop laughing!  He loves his Aunt Kaprine so much!  She was holding him and kind of bouncing his arms and making a sound and I was doing a monkey sound, which always makes him smile really big and he just laughed and laughed.  We got alot of it on video because he was doing it so much!
Katherine has been amazing and comes over to babysit for an hour or two so I can run errands without have to lug him around with me.
He LOVES to suck on his hands and prefers it to his paci most of the time.  I will give him his paci and he will almost immediately spit it out and put his hand up there instead.  But oh my gosh, he sucks on his hand so loudly!  You can hear it on the other side of the house.  My house isn't big, but that is some serious sucking!
He also loves to watch tv and it has become a problem.  I am a bit of a researcher and I was thinking that there is no way tv is good for babies eyes.  Well I found a few different things that said an hour of tv a day, which we would never let him watch that much but that is besides the point, can cause ADD, ADHD and even autism.  I can understand the ADD and ADHD but I am still a little skeptical on the autism.  Anyways, with the changing pictures and flashing colors all the time it gets their little brains wired for all of that stimulus and then they need that stimulation or expect it all the time.  Before when he wasn't aware of his surrounding as much I would have it on but now if he is awake and not nursing I don't have it on at all because he cranes his neck around and tries to watch it.  It really is crazy how much he loves it and tries to watch.  We have gotten a couple of good pictures of him doing it.
I also found things that said even the baby dvds, like Baby Einstein or Baby Genius, aren't good for them either.  So I might let him watch one of those for 10-15 minutes occasionally because he does love it and smiles when he is watching but not like I would have before I read the things about ADD and
ADHD.

TV problem

TV problem

 \

He doesn't HATE tummy time like he used to.  He actually even laughed at me about an hour ago when we were doing tummy time!  Major improvement!  There have been a couple of times that he gets so mad that he almost rolls over because his little legs get going so much.  But he is getting stronger every time and doesn't start to get mad about it as quickly.
He is also getting so much better at sitting up without as much support.  He sits on my lap and I have my arm around his back and don't have to support his head at all and barely have to use my arm to keep him upright.  He occasionally goes forward and Katherine, my OT sister, says it is because his back muscles aren't as strong yet.  It is nice having her OT, occupationally therapy, knowledge because she shows me things I can do to make his muscles stronger or points out things he is doing that mean he is progressing like he should (things I don't even know exist).  I told her that she can come over every day to work with him on OT things and make him laugh, lol.  But really, come on over Sissy!

 Eating his hand 

 Long Lashes

 Sooner Born and Sooner Bred

Teaching him right

 Crazy hair after his bath

 Crazy clean hair

3 Months Old

September 25, 2012

Hates getting hair washed, previously loved it!

LOVES bath time and smiles during

Really laughed for the first time at Aunt Kaprine and Mommy

Loves when Daddy bicycles his legs

Loves the falling game with Mommy

Goes insane on his activity mat with all 4 limbs going at once

Doesn’t mind his carseat anymore and falls asleep in it

Has begun having Poop Explosions!  Was having them every morning until we switched to a size 2 diaper at night time

Loves smiling at Daddy, Mommy, Boompa, Grandma, Aunt Kaprine, Uncle Ryan,  

Aunt Laurie, and Aunt Kali

Likes to watch people walk across the room

Likes to look at Ellie and smile at her

Is obsessed with watching the tv.  Which we don’t let him do.

Doesn’t like being held in the cradle position.  Must be standing or sitting up.  But will stay in the cradle position to “chat” with Mama after he has eaten and just stopped.

Had his bedtime moved up to 8:15 because he was falling asleep before we put him in bed.  Bath at 7:45 if it is bath night.  Start night time routine at 8:00.  Down by 8:15. Dream feeds at 10:30  then up again between 4 and 5.  The day after Mommy’s birthday he slept until 6:10!

Rarely, if ever, pees on us anymore.

Still dislikes tummy time but will tolerate it longer but likes tummy time on the boppy.

Likes reading books and will hold and touch the books while we read.

Smiles and waves arm at toys in front of him.  Especially the little monkey rattle.

Still loves sleeping in his swing and on mommy or daddy.

Holds mommy’s hands and can pull himself up with not too much help.

Can totally support his head and is good at sitting on laps with very little support to stay upright.

Watches the fan until he falls asleep in his swing.

Thanks for reading!

Have a great week!