Six Month Check Up

I took Alex this evening for his 6 month check up. I was looking forward to seeing how much he weighed, but totally dreading the shots. Breaks my heart to hear him scream like that.

We get into the room and the nurse comes in. She had bright colorful clothes on and was talking to him in this funny high pitched voice which he loved. Alex is quite the little charmer now. He will give you these big smiles and gets this certain look with his eyes. Of course he turned on his little charm tonight. He has us both laughing. Nurse even said what a little ham he is.

She weighed him and measured him. He is 14 pounds 15 ounces and about 26 inches long. Doctor came in and said he's still in the 10th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for height. Said he's perfectly healthy, but to go ahead and increase his baby food and move him onto the next stage of baby food. So another new step we get to take!!!! :)

First Haircut!

I took Alex to get his first haircut on Saturday! His hair had gotten so long. It was over his ears! Too long for a little boy.

He did great! Since he's quite the little wiggle worm I was afraid he would be all over the place and worried he would get cut. He squirmed a little bit, but not too much. I kept him busy by making silly faces which he loved. I just love his new look. So cute!

6 Months Old

Alex is 6 months old today. Wow time is going by so fast! It's hard to believe that just 6 months ago this adorable boy was brought into this world.

He is changing so much. He's very observant. I love to watch the expressions on his face when he has discovered something new. Recently he discovered his feet! He grabs hold of them and rolls from side to side. He hasn't quite rolled over on his own yet, but he's getting close.

One of his latest things is scooting. He has a bald spot on the back of his head from where he has rubbed the hair off from scooting. He uses his head and feet to scoot on his back. It's funny to watch.

I have found his ticklish spots and he has the cutest belly laugh. Oh I just love his smiles. Every evening I can't wait to get off work to go pick him up. If I've had a tough day just one smile from him changes it all!

Monday is his next check up. Excited to see how much he weighs, but poor little guy has to have shots. Will post an update then!

Mother's Day

Yesterday was my first Mother's Day and I was so excited for it. Although I didn't have any special plans or any big surprises I did have the perfect gift.... Alex. He woke up in the best mood. He was all smiles and laughing. That has got to be the happiest I have ever seen him in the morning. It was the perfect start to my day.

We had a quiet day. Went to the park for awhile since it was such a beautiful day. Then came home and played with toys. We practiced sitting and trying to roll over. He is getting so close!

Also congrats to two of my friends. They both had beautiful girls on Mother's Day! Very exciting.

Can't wait until next year. I know he will be running everywhere then and maybe if it's nice I can take him somewhere really fun!!

5 months

Alex is 5 months today. I'm amazed every day at how much he is changing. He's starting to laugh some, talk more, and make lots of funny faces. He loves to stick his tongue out at me and then give me a big smile. I think he may be a little ornery when he gets older!

I have him on a great routine. Every evening when we get home I play with him for awhile, then we do bath time (which he likes now), and then feeding. He loves his baby food! He gets so excited when I put him in the high chair. His arms and legs start flailing and he has big smiles. He makes funny sounds and sometimes sticks his tongue out at me. It's so cute. He's doing very well eating off the spoon now. He's quite demanding and smacks his little hand on the tray if I don't keep up with him. Little stinker. After feeding I take him for a walk and then rock him to sleep. He does great at night. He wakes up once around 3 to 4 am wanting his pacifier and then goes right back to sleep. I no longer keep the monitor in my room. It made weird sounds anyways and made me feel like I was in the movie Signs...lol.

Alex has such a calm demeanor about him. He's very happy and cuddly. I am so thankful that he is mine and I look forward to all the fun times we will have together.

A Year Ago

It dawned on me last night that yesterday May 2 was the day last year I found out I was pregnant. I can't believe a year has gone by this fast. So many things have happened and changed in my life this past year. One positive would be Alex. He has brought so much joy to me. I love you little man!

The Crib

I decided it was finally time for Alex to sleep in his crib. This was hard for me as I love having him so close to me. He has been sleeping in his bassinet. Since he's such a great sleeper I knew that I needed to do this now before it was too late.

He did great! I did not. I must of checked on him a dozen times. Although I have a baby monitor and not to mention a small house I still worried about him. Can you tell I'm a first time mom or what? lol

Funny now that he has lots of room he wiggles all over the place. Each time I checked on him he was in a different spot. He also kicks off the blanket every time I cover him up. So I would gently move him so he wasn't smashed up against the edge or wherever he ended up and cover him again. Of course he slept right through it.

So I made it through my first night without him and actually got a little sleep!

Happy Easter!!

Yesterday I took Alex to get his picture taken with the Easter Bunny. I have to say this is the funniest bunny I have ever seen. We call him discount bunny! LOL Anyways it was cute and of course Alex didn't scream. He is such a laid back baby.

We also got to try baby food for the first time. Yea!! I gave him some sweet potatoes. He liked them, but wasn't quite sure how to get the food off the spoon correctly so it was funny at first. Then he got mad because he was hungry. We will keep working on it until he gets the hand of it.

Hope everyone has a great Easter!!!

Four month check up

Alex is four months now. I can't believe how fast the time is going. Before I know it he will be running everywhere and into everything!

He's changing so much every week. I love the smiles and coos that I get from him. Every evening I rush to the sitters after work to get him. I can't wait to see that smile of his when I pick him up. Even in the mornings (for the most part) he wakes up smiling which makes me just melt. He has me so wrapped around his finger! I'm very lucky to have such a loveable happy baby.

Yesterday we went to the doctor for his check up. Little man has only gained 12 ounces in a month since his last checkup. Doctor said he was hoping he would have gained more than that. He weighs 12 pounds 12 ounces. Alex is in the 10th percentile for weight and 25th percentile for height. I really had thought he had gained more than that. He has a very good appetite. Doctor said he isn't too concerned because he's healthy. He told me to go ahead and start him early on the fruits and vegetables. Said that will help him gain a little more weight. He stated he wasn't too surprised at how small he is. He was so tiny when he was born.

Of course he screamed his head off after his shots. He stuck out his bottom lip and it looked like he gave the nurse a little glare. The face he made was priceless! Poor little man.

He didn't react to the shots very well. I had a VERY long night with him. He was pretty much fussy all night. He just wanted to be held. I can't complain too much because he's a great sleeper normally and I never mind holding him! :)

15 weeks already!

My little one is almost 15 weeks. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He changes everyday and amazes me with how quickly he's learning.

Alex has the best smiles. He is a very happy baby. I'm very lucky with how mellow he is. He's not a very fussy baby. He lets you know what he needs and then he is content.

He is cooing and making so many noises. He has started to mimick us now. If you stick your tongue out at him or make a funny noise he tries to do it back which is so funny!

He loves music and when I turn it on he's moving his little arms and legs. He will smile and talk along with the music. It's very cute to watch.

So here's the best part (Sorry Julie and Jenny). He's sleeping through the night! No more late night feedings. He wakes up a couple of times wanting his pacifier and then goes back to sleep after I put it in his mouth. He's also quite the little snorer too...LOL.

I will post more pictures soon!

Getting a Routine

I know my sister Jenny(maybe Julie too!) will want to push me when she reads what I'm about to post.........Alex slept through the night...almost.

Alex is starting to do very well at night. Every so often he gets up for a feeding. For the most part he usually just wants his pacifier and he goes right back to sleep. Since he's been sick I haven't been able to put him on his back so he sleeps in his bouncy seat next to my bed. Last night he only woke up a couple of times and that was to get his pacifier and then he went right back to sleep. In fact the past two nights have been that way. Now I'm hoping I don't jinx myself by posting this!

Sweet dreams little man!

Three months old

Alex is now three months old! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I have more pictures of him, but unfortunately my camera won't upload the pictures for some reason. This picture is actually from my cell phone. I love this picture!

Alex has changed so much this past month. He is now smiling, cooing, and responding to us. He loves to constantly be moving. I think once he learns how to walk I'm going to be very busy. He has learned how to roll over and when on his tummy he is already trying to scoot.

I love that he can focus on me now. He watches me and smiles back when I make silly faces. Of course he's probably laughing at me and wondering what is wrong with me...lol.

He is such a good baby. He's pretty mellow and doesn't cry a lot. He lets us know what he needs and then he is satisfied. We're still working on the sleeping routine at night, but I can't complain too much. He sleeps better than some other kids I know (hint.....Drew!).

I'm looking forward to warm weather so I can take him outside. Spring please come soon!

Second Month Check Up

Today was Alex's second month check up. I knew that he was going to have several shots and was not looking forward to that. Poor little guy.

I picked him up from the sitter after work. Fortunately his doctor has evening appointments so I don't have to miss work. He was sound asleep. I knew that wouldn't last for long.

We got to the doctor's office and got in pretty quickly. The nurse weighed him and to my suprise he is 10 pounds!! I knew that he had filled out some since he has been 100% on formula, but I didn't think he had gained three pounds that quickly. Doctor said he has caught up to what his birth weight would have been had he not been a month early. All I can say is thank god he was early or that would have hurt like hell...lol.

The doctor then did his examination on Alex which ended up being funny. As soon as he took off his diaper he peed everywhere. It was like the huggies commercial! I quickly covered him up and his doctor laughed and said it must be Alex's way of getting even with him for what's going to happen next. It's shot time. He got three shots and a liquid dropper of medicine. I have never heard him scream like that. It was awful! I felt so bad for him. Again.... I'm your typical first time mom because it upset me so much to see him upset. The nurse smiled at me and said it would get easier as he gets older. I quickly scooped him up and comforted him. All in all he did very well. By the time we got home, got changed, and fed he was back to his normal self. He is such a good baby!

Next check up is in two months. Which means more shots!!!

First day back....

Today was my first day back to work. I knew after 8 weeks it was going to be hard, but I didn't realize how hard it would be. I barely slept at all last night as it hit me that I was going to be away from my little one for 11 hours every day.

It's funny how I used to shake my head at the women I worked with when they came back from maternity leave. I couldn't believe what the big deal was. I didn't understand why they were so upset. I mean didn't they want a break from a baby that cries, throws up, and poops all the time? Now I know. All those things don't phase me. It doesn't bother me when Alex spits up all over the time. Or even pees on me..lol. He's my baby and I love taking care of him.

So after a restless night it was time to get ready. Ryan was off today so at least my first day back he wasn't at the sitter. Still... it was hard to let him go. I must have kissed him good bye 10 times. I'm still not sure why I wore make up as I cried most of it off on the car ride to work. I look great by the time I got to work :)

Although Ryan is great with Alex I called him multiple times throughout the day. He would laugh at me and tell me I had nothing to worry about. Which of course I knew I didn't.

Finally it was time to leave and I couldn't wait to get home! I walked through the door and snatched him up right away. Fortunately he was awake and was smiling and cooing. That just made my day!

Tomorrow he goes to the sitter. I really like the ladies that are watching him, but am still dreading the long hours that he will have to be there. I know as time goes on this will get easier for me. As most people say I'm the typical first time mom.

Introducing.....Alex Ryan Dunn

I gave birth to Alex Ryan Dunn on December 5, 2008. My due date was January 5, 2009 so imagine my surprise when my water broke and he came early! He weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces and was 19 inches long.

I never knew how I would feel about becoming a mother. When I was pregnant I worried about would I be a good mother and would I love him right away like others told me they did with their children. When I saw him for the first time a flood of emotions ran through me. He was so beautiful! When the nurse laid him in my arms I looked at his little face and instantly fell in love. I knew then that I would do everything I could to protect him and make him happy.

It had been a long time since I have been around a baby and I worried about would I know what to do. Everyone told me my maternal instincts would kick in. They were right. I learned very quickly what his cries meant and how to soothe him. My favorite time with him is very early in the morning, rocking him in the chair, and him looking into my eyes.

He has grown so much since I have brought him home from the hospital. He amazes me everyday. He is starting to hold his head up, focus on my face, cooing, and smiling. The first smile melted my heart. Even if it was 3 am and I hadn't had any sleep in several days.

He makes Ryan and I laugh everyday with a funny face or sound he makes. I'm very lucky to have Ryan in my life. He is a wonderful father. He has no problem making bottles, feeding him, changing poopy diapers, and taking turns getting up with him on his nights off. I love to watch them play together.