Getting back on track

So its been a couple of weeks or a month since I have updated, all I can say is that it had been a joy to watch you grow up. The week of Thanksgiving you rolled over. Now you will not stop rolling over, if you are on your back you want to be on your stomach. You haven't figured out the front to back thing yet but I can't wait to see start rolling around the house.

Yesterday you started to hold your bottle. You haven't figured out how to lift it up to get milk out of it. I can see it in your eyes that you are ready to be a toddler, you want to always be a part of everything that we do, even if it is just sitting in your bouncer making noises.

I am still happy that you and I get to spend time together and have quiet moments. You are still the highlight of my life. The last month had been busy getting the basement remodeled but you and I still got to spend time just you and I.

Week Fourteen

Week Fourteen has been a fun week, more of your personality is showing and your a laughing more (it is possible.) You will laugh looking at yourself in the mirror. It is funny to see you work yourself into a laughing fit. The grape juice is working and that makes your mom and I happy, you are still starting solids in two weeks.

You must be hitting a growth spurt because all you want to do is eat. If we are 5 minutes past three hours you start demanding food and start getting cranky and crying. You are also starting to fight going to sleep. When you are tired you get fussy and will fight sleep, when you finally fall asleep you are out for a couple of hours.

I can't wait until you and I get to start going places together. I was at lowes and saw the dads and their young sons getting items for working on their house. I sure do hope you are handy and like to work on projects.

It was Halloween this week, originally we were going to be Mario and Luigi with your mom being Princess Peach. We changed at the last minute and went as Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and you as Superman. You (I mean me) got a good haul of candy, your mom didn't buy enough candy so we had to use what you got. We are already planning costumes for next year, they will be awesome.

Christmas is coming and I need to remind myself that you will only be 5 months old and I can't buy you big toys. Speaking of toys you are starting to hold toys and grip things on your own.

Toby is still waiting for you guys to be best friends. He is still trying to sleep in your room and loves to lick anything he can. I think both Toby and I can't wait for you start crawling, talking and walking until then though we love every minute we get to spend with you. My most treasured memories so far are you sleeping in my arms or seeing your face light up when you see me.

Catching up

So it has been a couple of weeks and life has been busy. Week Eleven started out with blessing you, what an experience that was. Your grandma randall wrote it down and I hope you will read it when you are older. Also during that week you had to go see Dr Colin for not pooping. How my life has changed that I am worried about poop. We are starting you on solids in November. Dr Colin couldn't see anything wrong so we have to assist you in pooping, not a fun job. You are still a happy baby and laugh and giggle.

We are getting ready for halloween and your costume awesome. Originally you were going to be luigi, I was going to be mario and mom princess peach but that changed to superman for you, clark kent for me and lois lane for mom. We will start working on next years costume in a couple of weeks.

The other weeks have been the same with you being a happy baby and laughing any chance you get, also you have started smiling when you see mom or I. You are also a flirt, any chance you get you flirt. We were out to dinner and a lady in the booth behind us leaned over and told us you cute of a baby you were and you started to flirt with her.

You have started sleeping through the night which I have to admit is great. Now we are getting ready to feed you rice cereal in two weeks.

Week Ten

Week Ten brought a lot of fun times, you started laughing by yourself as well as starting to baby talk. You will have conversations with us when we ask you questions. You are still a happy baby and a joy in our lives. Your eyes are expressive and seem to tell a whole story just by looking at them. You have found your hand to suck on when your pull your binky out. I have a picture up at my desk where your entire left hand is in your mouth. You are still working on the whole pooping issue and we had to give you white grape juice. Not to be gross but I think your mom would love it if you pooped everyday or at least every other day.

You and I still have our moments when we are watching television and I have you next to me. You fall asleep most of the times. I like those moments.

Week Nine

So Week Nine started off with you being a happy baby and starting to laugh. I have watched that video close to a hundred times over the past week. Your laugh melts my heart and I can't get enough of it. Sadly your week didn't end so great, on Friday you hadn't had a poopy diaper in over a week and we had to try and get you to poop. Long story short we succeeded in getting a poopy diaper (twice actually.) You know get to have diluted white grape juice a couple of times to get you regular again. You were constantly having to pass gas and would get all worked up to toot just a little.

As of last night you were doing better and have started to return to normal. I am excited to see your development... if only you wouldn't pull your binky out of your mouth.

Week Eight

Man is time flying by, you are eight weeks old yesterday. We took you in for your doctors appointment and you are doing great. You weighed 11 pounds 2 ounces and about 23 inches, this puts you right in the 50th percentile in weight and length. You seem to be developing right on schedule, cooing whenever we talk to you and smile any chance you get.

This past week your mom started work again and Aunt Kathryn started watching you. All of her kids were so excited to get to see you every week. You stuck your tongue out at Owen and he thought you were being mean. I guess even this young we need to teach you manners - just kidding about that. Lauren is worried about you getting enough to eat or sleep. She just wants to hold you all the time.

Your cousin Cooper came over this weekend and was a good kid that wanted to say hi and hold you. It is easy to see that Cooper is excited to have a cousin and that he cares about you.

The last couple of nights you have started sleeping longer and longer, last night you slept from 9 until 5 this morning. Your mom was thinking back to week two or three when you stayed up all night, we thought a good night sleep was never going to be ours again. You have been a good kid and sleep through the night. When you fuss it is only for a few moments and then you are happy again or asleep. I truly feel blessed that you are an easy baby- I know that I might be jinxing us but I have to say how happy I am that I get to enjoy my time with you and not have to calm you down.

Week Seven

This past week you have started to become a lot more expressive. It has made me think how quickly the past two months had gone. I was talking to Uncle James and he was saying how he would love for Caleb to be a newborn again so he could just hold him. I told him that I can't wait go for you to start becoming more interactive. I started thinking how quickly time goes by, less than a year ago we put or house under contract, bought Toby, and found out we were having a baby. This past year has flown by and I find it hard to remember the day to day. This is why I wanted to start this journal.

This past week you started to smile and show us how happy a baby you are. Your smile has continued to grow, you eyes are showing the joy you give everyone who knows you. My favorite time of the day is still our time each night when i get you ready for bed. I think you look forward to this time as well, we were at Grandma Browns birthday party Friday night and your mom fed you before we came home. At home, I put you in pajamas and you started trying to find the bottle.

Fall is in the air and you are sleeping longer each night with the cooler temperatures. Your mom is going back to work this week, your Aunt Kathryn is excited to watch you. I weighed you this week and you were 11 pound, you have started to outgrow your newborn clothes and we are getting into the next size of clothing.

I hope that when we look back on your childhood we are able to remember more than just the big holidays and events, but more of the day to day joy.With that being said I can't wait to start playing with you, helping you learn what is right and wrong, the importance of service, and the joy of family.

Week Six

So yesterday was your six week birthday and all I can say is how astonished I am at how much you have changed. Your hair has decided be that it was going to stop falling out half way back. You look a little goofy with peach fuzz up front and long hair in back. You have been putting on weight and seem to be a happy baby. You are starting to get more expressive and have even started to laugh. Your smile is getting bigger and bigger.

We had quite an adventure this week trimming your nails. I missed your nail and cut the tip of your finger, I will admit that I drew first blood not your mom. It took about ten minutes to get it to stop and then we realized they don't make baby sized finger bandages. We had to improvise and use bandages, tape and gauze. You were not happy about not being able to ball up your fist for a couple days. Your finger is fine and two days later there was only a tiny scab.

We are getting ready for your mom to go back to work, it is less than 10 days away. We are lucky that your Aunt Kathryn can watch you. We are still trying to get go you on a schedule, some nights you sleep through the night and others you are up every 3 hours to eat.

We went out of town for Labor Day to Grandma and Grandpa Randall's house. You haven't been able to do much down here other than sleep and be held by Grandma.

I have to still say that you are such a blessing in our lives, everyday it just gets better and better. I can't wait until we can start having bigger adventures as you grow up. I am going to let your mom post pictures of you on the family blog and this will just be about your life through my eyes.

Week Five

So week five started out with you sleeping through most of the night. We started bottle feeding you at night, this is the part of the day that I love the most. It is just you and I. You have started to get more expressive, here at work I have five pictures of the faces you make. You went on your first road trip this past week to visit Grandma and Grandpa Randall. Your mom has been feeling a little stir crazy staying at home. It isn't that she doesn't love being a mom, but it is just you, her and Toby. That means only one person that can talk and everyone else just sits there. You have had a couple of nights where you will fall asleep at 9:30 and sleep until 4:30, your mom loves being able to sleep most of the night. You have started to lose your hair and look just a little goofy since you either have long hair in back or short up front. You are our little mullet kid - I have suggested to your mom you start listening to 80's hair bands.

Week Four

So the weeks are flying by, you already look different than you did those first couple of days. You have started to add some baby fat and you have a double chin any fat guy would be proud of. You are starting to smile, which is one of the things in my life I could never get sick of seeing. You have struck a couple of poses like "The Thinker" and "Blue Steel." It is such a joy to watch you grow up and have it happen in weeks not years. You are starting to get on a schedule which makes raising you that much better. Also you have started to lose your hair. Male pattern baldness is never pretty even on a baby. You have also started to use your arms more and will grip my arm while I am holding your pacifier in your mouth. Toby has finally gotten used to the fact that you are in the family. He will come up when you are in the bouncer and he knows that he can only lick your feet, this doesn't stop him from giving you kisses when he can though. I think Toby is excited for when he can roam the house with you. Your mom and I are trying to make sure that Toby knows what he can and can't do with you so we won't have to worry as much.

Week Three

So what can i say Week Three was the start of a trying week for us. It started off pretty well with you starting to sleep through the night. It ended with you deciding that midnight was your bed time. If we could only shift your clock about 4 hours backwards we would all be loving life. Toby has started to get used to having you around. I think taking him on walks with you at night is helping him know that we still want him around.

On Sunday you fell asleep while I was watching TV with you, we both woke up when you spit up and covered my shirt. I guess the first time you should spit up on me should be a good one. Other than that you have just been a little sleeper. We weighed you on Sunday and you weighed 8 lbs 5 oz so you must be doing alright in the eating department. Mom thinks you have hit a growth spurt.

You are still making faces with the best of them and it is funny to watch you yawn, I swear your whole face is taken up by your mouth when you yawn. Also you have been getting the hiccups a lot. I will have to get them on video because I can't help but laugh whenever you get them.

Toby still comes to find you whenever you cry. He has also learned that if he puts his paws up on the bed he can lean into your bassinet and try to lick you. I think he just wants you to start crawling so he can lick you whenever he wants.

Week Two

This second week has gone by rather quickly. We are trying to settle into a routine so we can get things done around the house. For the most part you have been a great little baby. You sleep, eat and chill pretty good for not being an adult. We had your "official doctor's appointment" on Friday. The circumcision cap had to be removed by Colin. You gained 8 ounces which is pretty amazing since most newborns will drop in weight. Also you grew an inch, at the hospital you were 19 inches long. However, you measured 21 inches. The nurse said that you were missed measured at the hospital and it should have been 20 inches at birth. While I was getting you dressed at the end of the appointment I brushed up against your umbilical cord and it was hanging on by a thread - literally. Colin had to get a scalpel to cut the last little bit free. Good thing we were at the doctor's office, I was getting rather squeamish.

Toby has started to get jealous and is reverting back to bad behavior. We are still trying to find a balance of life, work, relaxing and Toby time. We are going to start taking you and Toby for walks, hopefully this will make him feel like part of the family still. We will have to see how it works. Toby is still really curios about who you are and why we pay attention to you, obviously you don't move, make noise, or really do a lot at the moment. Unlike Toby who just wants to play fetch or bark really loudly when he thinks it is either too quiet or we aren't paying attention to him.

The last two nights you haven't wanted to sleep a lot so we have spent a lot of time just rocking you in our arms. It isn't that you are crying, just being fussy and not wanting to sleep. When I try to put the pacifier in your mouth you will either ball up your arms to block me or shake your head from side to side. I usually win the fight and get the pacifier in your mouth so you start to fall asleep. I still can't believe that you are finally a part of our family and that each week you change. I hope and pray that you don't grow up while I am still trying to figure out how to be a dad.

The start

The first week:

Marcus,

I am hoping that I will keep writing in this every week while you are growing up. I want you to know of the adventures that we have while you are growing up. The first week has gone over to quickly. I am back at work now and can't wait to get home to spend time with you and your mom. You have been a joy in my life from the beginning. You have been a happy baby that loves to be held and makes the greatest faces. I will put some of the pictures up when I get them from your Uncle Scotty. At first I was scared that you and Toby wouldn't get along too well. Thankfully, Toby seems to love you. He comes up to you and sniffs whenever he can and tries to give you a tongue bath. He also comes running whenever he hears you cry and will sit in the room until you have calmed down. When we put you in the bassinet to take a nap he comes in and sleeps in front of your bassinet. I have to say that I couldn't be prouder than I am right now. Your first week has been pretty uneventful with - except your circumcision and the subsequent falling off of the ring and your umbilical cord starting to fall off. You had your mom panicking Sunday morning trying to figure out what should or shouldn't be falling off. You already like watching TV with me, and will just lay on the couch. We finished most of your room, there is finishing the windowsills, cutting the blinds to length, and putting up the rest of decorations. I figured since you are sleeping in our room that you don't mind the work that still needs to be done.

I am hoping to put a post up a week, I figured if I put up more than that it might just be how many times I had to change your diaper or that it smelled like KFC (mom ate KFC for lunch and nursed you and it smelled just like the 11 secret herbs and spices.)