6 months....almost a month late

I am FINALLY writing this post a MONTH late! Yikes! I am going to try and remember what all was going on in our lives a month ago; but I am sure I will leave something out. MUST get better at getting these posts done on time. My little guy is just growing WAY too fast. I say it every month, but I want him to stop growing. I don't know why God made babyhood only a year long..it is just not enough time. He literally changes every day. He learns something new every day. He is like a little sponge absorbing everything. I have been trying to slow down and really appreciate my time with him, because I know when he wakes up tomorrow he will be a little bit different. I know he will always be my baby, but I will never get this first year with my first born back. That makes this momma sad.

Anyway, back to a month ago...what was Cash doing???

Well, we traveled to Boston!!!! It was an amazing/busy/fun trip. Cash did wonderful on the drive(s). He actually got a little cold and ran a 101.5 fever a few days before we left so he was a tad cranky the first part of the week. We stopped in D.C. halfway and stayed with James and San for a night. That was not the most fun night. Our little babe wasn't feeling too well, and just could not get comfortable. He was sleeping in a pack in play in the room with us, and was just miserable sounding. He was awake at 2:00, 3:00, 4:00....I took him downstairs and nursed him twice and layed on the couch with him until 6:00. We went ahead and left because we were all just miserable. Frank and I were both coming down with the same cold/funk so the second stretch was not fun. Disposable diapers struck again too! I was using them for the ride since it would be a two day stretch (didn't want poop diapers marinating in the car..yuck!) We weren't five minutes on the highway when Cash started grunting. We pulled over at a truck stop and lifted him up...YOWZA!! Poop dropped on the assfault! SICK!!! I HATE DISPOSABLES!!! I am pretty sure that is what I yelled when I saw the mess. In a tag team effort we got Cash changed and cleaned the carseat best we could and tried again. The rest of the drive went well. We got to Boston around 4:00 that afternoon. Seeing Sue for the first time took all our troubles away. I just love that woman. Cash does too. I got some really great pictures of them seeing eachother for the first time since he was so tiny at Christmas. The weather wasn't the best while we were there, but we didn't mind. We got to go to my first Redsox game with Lee, Steve, J, and Ken while the grandparents babysat. We also celebrated Lee's birthday, Ken and my birthday, and had everyone over to meet Cash on Sunday. My birthday and Sunday were beautiful days so that is all we could ask for. It meant so much to Frank and I that everyone wanted to come to meet Cash. We just loved having everyone together. He is so loved. One thing is for sure..Cash likes his bed. He was fighting the cold the first part of the week and got an AWFUL diaper rash so that may have been why he was up every night; but it was not fun. I nursed him the first night, the second night I went in several times to give him his paci, and finally the third we let him cry for a bit. He didn't wake up anymore after that. His Nana was not a fan of us letting him cry. We found her several times lurking in the halls when he was crying. Ha! Leaving was another story. It was pretty much the most painful thing in the world leaving Sue. It felt like we were stealing her baby away. I cannot even think about it without crying. Frank and I both were just pitiful for a while. It is so hard saying goodbye to her. I know it is only going to get harder as Cash gets older too. I don't think he is going to want us taking him away from his Nana either. We try to cherish the times we have together, but sometimes they just aren't enough and we want more. We want Nana and the rest of our family with us all the time. The distance really does hurt more when you have children.

Well, the drive home went a lot smoother (except for a tick incident and the loss of a brand new tennis shoe somewhere around DC). Once we were home it was back to work for me and we started to settle back in to our routine. I had to work the entire weekend of Mother's Day, but Frank brought me breakfast in bed and really cute cards from him and Cash. He also got me pretty roses. Cash had just started sitting up pretty well on his own at that point. We just sat in our room and snuggled before I had to go back to work. A couple nights later,  Cash woke up every hour again in the night. He had a pretty good fever also, so I decided to take him in to the pediatrician. Besides the waking up all night, you really would not have known he was sick. I think the doctor thought I was an overly concerned mom too because of how happy my baby seemed. Then he took one look in his ears and said what I didn't want to hear...double ear infections/puss! Shucks! I really didn't want to have to put him on antibiotics, but we had to in order to get rid of the infection. We did a 10 day course of Amoxicillin, and he started feeling better pretty much the first day. We just hope this isn't one of many ear infections. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We were getting ready for my dad and stepmom to come visit so we wanted him to be feeling 100% when they got here.

They came in town and ended up staying a bit later than planned because my dad ended up in the hospital for a week with GI issues. Cash also got illness number 3 while they were here...HAND, FOOT, AND MOUTH DISEASE!!! Yucko!! The sitter told us it was going around so, of course, he got it. It is the weirdest little virus. We lucked out BIG TIME and he didn't get any blisters in his mouth, but he got some pretty nasty ones on his skin. My stepmom and I took him to the beach one day, and it was hot out so we took his clothes off. Thinking back, he was probably running a fever and that is why he got so hot. He started getting what we thought was his usual skin heat rash/eczema on the back of his neck/head and right where his diaper starts. The next day he started getting them in his diaper area and they started looking more like blisters. We knew then it wasn't just eczema. We thought it might be chicken pox instead because they weren't really on his hands and feet. I went ahead and took him back to the doctor anyway just to be sure (and I could get his ears checked again). He was due for his 6 month shots,but we held off until the next week so he would be all better before. They confirmed it was HFM and said his ears looked good. That made us feel better, and the blisters healed pretty quickly after that.

We had a great time with my stepmom (Yaya). We hated that my dad (Papaw) was sick, but luckily once he got out of the hospital he was actually able to stay a couple more days. We took them around Charleston and to Folly. Cash LOVED having someone to ride with him in the backseat all the time. He loved it so much that he no longer likes to ride in the car without his Yaya or Papaw in the back with him. This has made mommas life a little miserable at times. The sitter even said she sure can tell we have had family around a lot because someone doesn't like to be put down anymore. She is right. He is going through a little seperation anxiety phase. Hopfully once he gets the crawling thing down, that will wear off a bit.

When we finally made it to our appointment a few weeks late he weighed 19.13 and was 27.75 inches long. He was 75th percentile for both. Big boy! He did great with the THREE shots he had to get. He passed out right after them. That is it for the shots until one year so that is good. His ears still looked good at his check up (even though we are now battling another cold/cough). He broke out into his typical sensitive skin rash at the appointment because I used a baby wipe on his tummy when he woke up instead of the cloth. Within the hour that we were there his belly was covered in red bumpies. The doctor seemed a tad concerned, but I told him it was probably the wipes. The rash was gone by midday (so strange). We now call him Rashy Cashy. I think I own every skin cream known to man. I just hate when his poor skin gets like that. It is kind of hard to keep his diaper area from getting red considering he poops 6-10 times a day (no lie). Frank and I get so sick of cleaning poopy diapers some days.

What Cash can do at 6 months!

• He finally loves his tummy most of the time. He will sleep on his tummy and play with his toys on his tummy.
• He will roll and roll to wherever he wants to go. He doesn't really even try to use his legs to crawl. He just rolls. Ha!
• He is still eating EVERYTHING! He is practicing with his sippy cup too. We think the nuby soft tip cup is going to be the winner. He is so funny drinking out of it because it scares him sometimes when it comes fast. He doesn't like jar chicken or peas, but LOVES his momma's homemade. He knows what he likes.
• The one thing he does HATE is tofu. I tried it with several different things and he just doesn't like it.
• We started giving him little mum mum crackers (he loves them). I got them for in the car and he does really well with them.
• Still no teeth, but drools like a champ.
• He LOVES his jumpy! We even brought it with us to Boston because he loves it so much. He will just bounce and bounce.
• He lost most all his hair on the very top. He has a serious mullet now. The back is his original darker hair too, so the blonde coming in gives him a nice two toned look...LOVE IT!
• He is still the most smiley little thing. He will look at you very serious and then just break out into his priceless grin.
• He is usually happy as long as he isn't hungry or too tired.
• He is still sleeping through the night (unless we are out of town) and napping twice a day (9 or 930 and 1 or 130). He could probably use a later afternoon nap, but usually stays up.
• He has a silent giggle..it is like you can tell he is laughing, but no sound will come out.
• He does this high pitched scream when he is playing and will grunt when he wants more food. Pig!

He is still the BEST baby in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE! We still don't know how we got so lucky!

Happy 6 months my bald baby!

So big!!

Nana's face was priceless seeing you for the first time in a long time

You remembered her I think

Nothing like a boy and his Nana

She fed you almost every morning

We were letting your rash air out and you were scooting with your head and knees to get Sophie

Lee Lee's birthday!

All together for an Irish feast

All your great Aunts

JBar!!





Yaya came to visist..would never have known you were getting Hand Foot and Mouth that day



Papaw got to stay a little longer and were were so happy about it!

Papaw had so much fun with you.



5 months and counting!

There is no way you are five months old already little man! This makes your mommy very sad and happy all at once. I am so glad you are growing big and strong; changing every day....BUT...I want my tiny baby boy back at the same time. You are just getting so smart and independent! I just know if I close my eyes for too long you will be getting married! I wish I could slow time down just a tad. Of course I can't; so instead, I will just try to savor every second of your life. I will try to remember and cherish these times. This blog will really help I think.

What you are up to at 5 months!!

Well...you are just a rolly polly these days. Well, you roll on to your tummy and play for a bit. You will even roll on your tummy and sleep for a while some days. Other days/nights you will scream until someone comes and turns you over. Then, about an hour later; you will be back on your tummy screaming. When will you 1) realize you like your tummy and 2) realize you can always just roll right on back to where you came from. Ha! Silly boy.

You are an EATING MACHINE!!! You LOVE, LOVE your food. We can't even put you in your highchair unless the food is ready to go! If that food doesn't touch your lips within seconds you are screeching! ha! PIGGY! You are eating avacado, rice, oatmeal, pears, bananas, squash, peaches, sweet potatoes, and we will start a little mango this week. We will try pumpkin next week. Mommy is still making most of your food instead of buying jars. You have had a couple peaches/squash from these organic pouches. You seem to like them. I don't think you care as long as it is food!

You sure can poop now that you are eating food! You have always been a big pooper, but these days HOLY MOLY!!!! Things have changed around here with the cloth diapers. Daddy and mommy are embracing it though. Hopefully you will thank us one day for spraying/shaking poop into the toilet twelve times a day. Probably not though, right?

You tend to get rashes VERY easily. I hate that. I feel like you may be allergic to something at Mrs. Ines's house because you just seem extra red/irritated when I pick you up from her. She loves you, and I know she uses all gentle cleaing supplies so who knows. We have been able to keep it under control with calendula and aquaphor, CJs. Mommy ordered some Grandma Es because I heard it was good for cloth diapering so we will see how that works.

You could see exactly where the three parts of the toy whacked you!

Passed out after your eventful day at Mrs Ines's

Poor boy!

You had your first daycare injury this past week. Mrs Ines said you were in the jumpy thing playing with one of the older kiddos. Somehow this toy with three little flapper pieces that on it got thrown at your head. The left side of your forhead/face looked pretty rough for a couple of days. Mommy and Daddy (and Mrs Ines) felt terrible. Such is life though. You will have your turn at hitting (and who knows what else) one day. We hope you don't, but are certain your younger sis/brother will get beat up on when they come. It was just hard to see your little face knowing we weren't there to help you when you cried.
You are FINALLY eating every four hours instead of three. We still have to give you a tad extra every now and then though. You eat 2-3 real food meals a day too depending on how much breastmilk you drink that day. I worry sometimes you aren't getting enough, but your growth/poopies show us you are. On the weekends and when you go to Mrs Ines you will drink about 7 ounces with each bottle and then you start spitting up a lot so I think you get too much then. Who knows!

Speaking of being a fatty..daddy weighed you about two weeks ago and you were 18 pounds!! HA! I need to weigh you again and see if that has changed. We measured you the other day, but I can't for the life of me remember how long you were. See, I do need this blog to remember. You are wearing most all 9 and some 12 months clothes! Crazy!

We have decided that you look like both of us. Well, you look a lot like your daddy and mommy's brother (Uncle Brent). It's like the perfect little mix. You have the Wilson smile and eyes we think and your daddy's nose, forhead. Who knows though! You change every day. It doesn't matter who you look like because you are perfect. I think we both want all the credit because you are just so darn handsome!

You are still sleeping through the night pretty good. You will wake up some nights at 2:30, 3:30, 5:30, 6:30....not fun! You just want your paci or to be flipped back over, but this is getting pretty old. Then one night you will just sleep all night. So funny! You are just keeping us on our toes.

You nap pretty well also. You wake around 7-7:30 usually and breastfeed. Then we go downstairs and you play while mommy makes your breakfast and some coffee. I feed you and you go down for a nap at 9. You usually last until 10:30 sometimes 11. You breastfeed and play until lunch at noon. We eat then it is nap time at 1. You give us trouble sometimes with this one, and don't go down until closer to 2. You usually last until 3 or 3:30 then breastfeed. We give you dinner sometimes if you seem hungry around 5 and then bath/bed at 6:30. We stay pretty busy with this schedule. We sometimes try to work in a run/walk the dogs, but it doesn't always happen. The days where we have errands to run are the funnest! ha! Busy, busy!

Speaking of busy, mommy has been having a pretty hard time with working nights/full time. We decided that it will be best if mommy cuts down to part time (2 nights a week). We are hoping/praying that this helps. It is just so hard working those 12 hour nights. I want to be the best mommy and wife I can, and I just feel like I am not myself when I do the three shifts. We will have to make some financial adjustments, but both feel it will be well worth it in the end. I know I can't get this time back, so I want to make the most of it. I think working part time will surely help.


We are gearing up to go on our first road trip next week. We are driving (with the dogs) to BOSTON!!! We are so excited to see all your daddy's family and friends! Everyone can't wait to meet you. The drive should be interesting. Luckily, we can split it up by stopping to see your Godfather in D.C. Please be a sweet boy for us!

Well...happy 5 months baby boy!!! It has been the best five months ever!

You learned how to blow rasberries! You will just giggle when mommy does it too!

All your friends!!

You are becoming so nosy and are starting to see those feet! I bet they will be in your mouth in a couple days!

LOVE this pic!!! Never could have dreamed how perfect you would look in this chair when I was painting it

How did this happen!!!?????

Well hello there sweet sir!

Boston boy!

This is mommy's brothers. You look like Brent (the smaller one). You have those same sparkly eyes and sweet smile!

You have A LOT of daddy in you too!

You aren't very nice to Ty! You will just fuss sometimes when he is trying to be your friend. We will have to work on that.

You are nice to Miller though..I think it is because he is smaller than you! You are a bully!

Holy Stomach Bug BATMAN!

So, here at the Conroy house, things were not so great yesterday (and the night before). Daddy Conroy came home with a nasty bug that ended up putting both of us on our behinds yesterday! His included the night before. As soon as he came home I just knew either I would get sick, or worse, Cash would. Luckily, so far, it was just me. Still keeping our fingers crossed that Cash stays well. So my hubs is the silliest man alive when he starts to not feel well. He just starts rattling off all the things it could be. I don't know if he does it because I am a nurse and DUH! I am supposed to be able to help him. He wants me to diagnose him just by looking at him. He is so funny that way. I am not the sweetest wifey when it comes to a sick hubby either (esp when I know for a FACT it is not the Dr. Pepper he just drank). I knew by looking at him Monday night that he had something bad, and that I could count on waking up with it as well. I was a tad grumpy too because I had just gotten done working three in a row (DID YOU HEAR ME??? THREE IN A ROW NIGHT SHIFT!!!) Shoot me now! I usually just start feeling human again the day after my shifts. That is....I get off Monday AM, go to bed at 9:00am, wake up at noon to a screaming child (that had just been blissfully sleeping two minutes before when daddy left for work), feed said child early, both take a snuggle nap, then wake up and usually straighten things up around the homestead, do laundry, prepare a nighttime bottle, feed "real food" to the boy, feed boob food again to the boy, take care of pups, etc, until Frank gets home for bath and bedtime. I usually don't make it past 9 or 10 before it is sleepy, dreamy time. Dreamland gets interrupted around 1am so I can fulfill my milk maid duties (since my child sucks down about 30 ounces of my "gold" while I am working/sleeping those three shifts). I always thought moms at work were freaks when it came to breastmilk. I was all, "why don't you just give them some darn formula already?" and now, I too, am a milk obsessed weirdo! For starters, it is FREE! The prices of formula are comparable to that of gas. You have to buy it, so why not make it cost you an arm and a leg. Since riding a bike/walking isn't an option for transportation we won't be saving any money in the gasoline department, so the least I can do is pump away so we aren't in the poor house by the time Cash starts drinking regular ole cows milk.

So...back to the stomach bug of 2012! Being sick with a child is NO FUN!!! I repeat, NO FUN!!! Frank and I have never once been sick at the same time until now. Of course we would get sick together for the first time when we have a baby to take care of. Isn't that how it always works out? We also had to get our firstborn (Amelia) to the vet because she has had some serious UTI issues as of late. They needed to bring her in and do a cysto to get sterile urine. We could have rescheduled, but it needed to be taken care of. Poor girl has been scooting around for months trying to relieve the burning I am sure she is having in her womanly parts! Gross! So, while Frank went to the store to stock up on gatorade and other essentials (he said he needed the CRAB diet....what he thought was carrots, rice, apples, and bananas...carrots?? I don't think so). He, of course, bought all of those things including rice like he was going to eat an entire box of rice or something. He didn't eat any rice! Mostly, he just downed 25 gatorades. Cash and I hung out in my room for most of the day.....napping and "playing", napping and "playing". It wasn't too bad, but still no fun at all. I am pretty sure he was thinking..."why are we still in this dark room? I want to go for a walk or see the daylight!" We did get up around 2:00 and I went on a cleaning/disinfecting rampage while Frank took Weeza and Cash on a walk. We also gave little Cash his first taste of bananas! He seemed to like them. Cash got to go to bed about thirty minutes earlier than usual because neither of us had the patience to deal with evening fussy time for too long. It really was a no fun day, but we survived! Now we are just praying and watching Cash like a hawk to see if he is going to be the next victim. I really hope not. I would much rather be sick for a week than him get it. The stomach bug is no fun for anyone; especially a four month old.

The good news is we survived! Things could have been so much worse. It was only for a day and we are super thankful for that. Being sick sure did make us wish we were closer to family. We would have loved for Nana Sue to come over and rescue us. She would have had the chicken soup over in five seconds flat; and taken Cash so we wouldn't risk getting him sick and could get some rest. That would be the dream. We know she was thinking about us and that is all that matters.

Today we are much better. Frank is off at work while Cash and I hang out. We need to go to the store later and run some errands. For now, we just got done eating banana and rice cereal. We started feeding Cash over the weekend and he is doing great so far. He just makes the funniest faces. He isn't the best at keeping it in his mouth, but he is learning. We are having fun too, and that is all that matters. He still seems to want to breastfeed every three hours, but that is ok. Real food is just extra anyway. His poops have for sure changed since we started food. YIKES! They are chunkier and pretty smelly! So nasty! We will keep doing bananas and start avacado this week. We will try oatmeal cereal next also. So that is what is going on in the Conroy household this Easter week. We are going to try to go to a little breakfast with the Easter bunny thing at the YMCA Saturday before I have to go to work. Really bummed that we won't be able to go to church Sunday morning. We haven't been able to go since I went back to work. I hate that. We loved our Sundays before. It was so good to go and hear the message as a family every week. Frank will probably start going soon with Cash; even when I can't go because of work. He is just waiting until he is ready to go to the nursery.

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend; and that we all remember why we celebrate. The easter bunny and candy are all fun, but the real reason is so much more important. God made the ultimate sacrifice by giving his only Son to die on the cross for all our sins. He did just that, and three days later, Jesus rose again!!! Because of this, if we believe, we can have everlasting life in Heaven one day. Oh, happy day!!!! That will be such a happy day!

Happy Easter!!!!

You are 4 months old little one!!!

This was on his actual four month birthday 3/23/12

Time really does fly when you are having fun!!! I CANNOT believe you are already four months old! I just finished making your 0-3 month photobook and I almost had a meltdown because it really is sad how fast you are growing. Everyone says it passes in a blink of the eye! It sure does. Every stage is more and more fun watching you learn and grow, but it does make me sad to see how tiny you were just a few months ago. You are such a sweet boy, and have become so "talkative" and smiley in the past few weeks. You grin with your ENTIRE body! If we go out of your line of vision and come back, you just smile ear to ear. Your mommy and daddy love when you smile at us. You pretty much smile at everyone, but you do give most people the once over very seriously before you bust out with your HUGE, gorgeous, gummy grin! I rememeber watching you sleep in those early days and whenever you started dreaming your little eyes would flutter and your lips would draw up into the sweetest little grin. We couldn't wait for you to give us a real smile. It makes our hearts skip a beat everytime you flash that smile.

I know everyone thinks there baby is the cutest baby alive, but your daddy and I know you are. At least to us (and all your extended family). You are just so animated. Your little eyebrows still arch all the time, and you just light up when you talk. It is like it takes everything in you to make those sweet sounds. You just coo and ahh all the time now. You really do seem to think you know what you are saying. You are most talkative in the AM right after you eat and between five and six. I know I say this everytime I do an update on you, but your mommy and daddy fall more and more in love with you every second. We look at you and can't believe you are ours. You are so perfectly made by God. I hope you always know how loved you are. I also hope you always keep your sweet spirit that is already so evident. It is a joy and a blessing to be your parents. We thank God every day for choosing us to be your mommy and daddy. If I never accomplish anything else in this life it won't matter because you are enough. You are everything.

So....enough with the crazy, mushy, mommy talk! Today you had your four month check bright and early! You scored an A+ as usual. You weighed in at 15.10 ounces and were 25.7 inches long. Your noggin was 43cm. You are in the 75th percentile in all areas. Daddy thinks you are a bit longer because you didn't want to stretch your little leg to get measured. You were too busy being a ham! The doctor said you are growing right on target and look PERFECT! Of course we already knew that! You do have a little rash going on in your chubby neck and chest from heat/drool/friction. The doctor suggested loading you up with Aquaphor and using hydrocortisone two times/day. That will hopefully help. You have such sensitive skin and it is really hard to get in your chunky neck. You luckily don't mind us digging in there to lube you up and wash you. You are so laid back that way. You will just let us do anything to you. Speaking of that, you were happy as a clam the entire appointment...then..WHAM.....stabbed in your thigh...TWICE! The first was such a shock you just stared wide eyed then WHAM again!!!! HOLY HANK!!!! You were like..."save me PLEASE!!!" It was pitiful! You calmed pretty easy and we dressed you and scidadled outa there! You were out like a light in two seconds flat in the car. Mommy gave you Tylenol right before the shots and twice more today. You may have felt a tad warm but don't seem bothered by them at all. You actually just woke up at 4:45 after napping almost three hours!!! You have become the super napper mommy knew you could be this past week! HOORRAAY!!! The doctor also suggested we start a little rice cereal so we will hopefully do that soon. We aren't in too big of a rush since you do have your ENTIRE life to eat food, and you are doing fine for now with just breastmilk. Food is just extra the first year anyhow. Mommy has to work pretty much every weekend in April, and of course, mommy and daddy want to feed you together for the first time. We will wait until we have a morning together to get the show on the road. We ordered a book and your highchair and a couple other feeding "accersories" off Amazon this week so we will be all set to go. We (mommy) are going to make your food instead of jar food so that should be interesting. Mommy is really becoming quite the crunchy little momma with breastfeeding, cloth diapers, making baby food, and buying all organic or "green" cleaning products (except the occasional bleach for the toilets and bathroom areas you don't "swim" in) Ha!

What are you up to these days CASH!!!???

• Well, you LOVE TV!! I know...bad, bad momma! I can't help it. You like your "shows" man! Actually, as I am typing this you are happy as a clam watching Dora and playing on your playmat. I am pretty sure Dora just said they were going to cocaine island too! I hope I am wrong. We only let you "watch" after you eat/play in the AM so we can get a cup of coffee and feed/let out the dogs and in the evening you like to play on your mat and watch for about ten-twenty minutes or so. We don't always just leave you playing alone on the mat though! We do hang out with you 95% of your waking hours. Can you tell I feel judged? Ha!
• Your fav shows are Baby Einstein, Dora, Bubbleguppies, Fanklin and Friends, and Team Umizumi (sp?) Actually, I think these are your dad's favorite shows (and Weeza likes them ALL)!
• You like to sit in your bumbo like a big boy and play.
• You put EVERYTHING in your mouth including your best buddy, Miller's arm. Anna sat him next to you and you went to town. He didn't seem to mind even though you chomp pretty hard when I let you get a hold of my finger. Poor Miller.
• You can even almost get your paci in your mouth. You get all cross eyed trying to master it. It is so funny. I will be super happy when you learn that trick.
• You think you can hold your bottle by yourself. You don't know that you need to hold it up high so you don't suck air though so we help you.
• You like to sit in our laps while we type on the computer (what you are doing now...see he doesn't just watch tv!) What did parents do without technology?
• You have started to notice your bulldog sisters the past few days. Mostly just Weeza because she is ALWAYS in your face! You look at her like WTH??? Ha! Hopefully you will become best buds!
• You still eat every three hours during the day starting at around 7-7:30 when you wake up on your own. You will sometimes cry out around 4 or 5 (very rarely). You just want your paci then it is right back to dreamland. You have started talking to your imaginary friends around 6:30, but don't get upset for a while. It is so nice to be woken up to sweet sounds rather than ear piercing "I AM DIEING OF STARVATION" noises!
• You haven't required too much "extra" feedings lately and that has been nice on mommy! I think it may be because when you go to Mrs. Ines's house she sometimes gives you an extra bottle. You don't mind it!
• You seem to really like Mrs. Ines and she likes you. She is so great. Every time we go to take/pick you up it is so calm at her house. I don't know how she keeps all you kiddos in line. She is a saint. We are so lucky to have her right in the neighborhood.
• You are super close to rolling over. You get those legs going and try to kick yourself over. Too bad you will probably just be mad when you figure out you are on your tummy. Ha! You were trying to roll off the table today at the doctor.
• You are still a pooping machine! It has become mostly just once or twice a day though. We usually only have to change your clothes once every few days too so that is nice. The blowouts aren't has frequent with the cloth that is for sure.
• We love cloth!!!
• You still LOVE your bathtime. We still bathe you in the big tub. You have a little mesh seat we use because you are a tad heavy to just hold in now. You like to sit up in the tub and "stand" (with a lot of assistance) on the side. Pretty soon you will be sitting in there without help
• You love to go on walks/jogs. Mommy is trying to become a runner and you are helping her by loving the stroller! The BOB is still mommy's most prized baby purchase! A MUST!
• You go night night after your bath and BIG bottle at 7 or 8 and sleep until 7 then nap at least once a day for a good stretch. It is usually for two or even three hours around 11 or sometimes 2 if we aren't home for the AM nap. You usually still catnap for about 45 minutes to an hour at 8:30 or 9 and sometimes in the evenings between 5 and 6. We realized you need to be home in your bed for a good nap once a day so you stay our happy, sweet boy. You will usually wake up after about thirty minutes to an hour and want your paci then go back to sleep for another hour or so. Such a good boy!
• You are wearing 6-9 month clothes. Such a big boy.
• You love to read! You will just sit in our lap and look at the book. We also like to let you hear your nursery rhyme book your Nana, Grandpa, and Aunts made you! We don't want you to forget what a Boston accent sounds like!
• Your hair is still a dark blonde, but seems to be lightening up even more. I think it will be the same color as your dads for sure. You do look just like him.
• You still love your swing as long as it is facing the TV. You could care less about the mirror on it anymore, and if I put it where you couldn't see the TV you would NOT LIKE IT! ADDICTED MUTCH!
• You try to sit up in your car seat and play with your little toy! We are in trouble when you learn how to crawl!
• You seem to love your mommy. When I am zipping around doing stuff and daddy has you; you just watch me like a hawk. I secretly LOVE this! I hope you will always love me this much.
• Speaking of loving me; sometimes you just don't want me to put you down for one second. It is so funny. If you can't see me you get so upset. Sometimes if you can hear me you are ok for a minute. So funny.

Lordy me!!! I think that is enough for today. I would say I will be better about updated, but we know that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Working full time, cooking, cleaning, running errands, crafting, (barely), and working out makes for one busy momma! No complaints here though! I LOVE IT! It is the BEST life! Now for pics of the most handsome man I know!

Holy HANK...that is a hairy human!

Funny little ones!

Action shot with the drool!

Smiling with his ENTIRE body!

Enough with the flash Mom!

Irish lovebug!



You light up our lives little boy!

Going Back Is Hard to Do

So, the time has come! The day I have dreaded most, and at times forgot that would ever happen. I must return to work! To say this makes me sad is an understatement. I have been extremely blessed with what will be almost 15 weeks of time with my precious boy, but somehow that is still not enough. I am also extremely blessed in the fact that I don't have to return to a 9-5 5 days a week, but somehow that is still not enough. Finally, I am also blessed to have found what I believe will be a great place for him to be cared for right in our neighborhood, but somehow still....NOT ENOUGH! I want to be with him every second of every day. I want to be the one to feed him, play with him, teach him, and watch him grow EVERY single day. For almost four months I have spent every moment of his waking life (except for 1-3 hours every now and then) with him, caring for him, and loving him. That is where I want to be. I want to be the one ALL THE TIME! My heart aches that what I want can not be. I need to return to work. I need to make my "own" money. I need to be around others, and do something other than care for him. In the beginining staying at home felt VERY lonely. We have been so blessed to have had family here with us for his birth and all the holidays, and we traveled to see the rest of our family. When all the family first left, and the holidays were over, I was lonely and sad and bored even. This was the first time since I have started working that I have not worked for more than two weeks at a time. But as time has gone on, Cash and I have gotten into a groove. We stay pretty busy. I get to see my friends when I want to see them. I can make appointments, etc. without having to think about when I will sleep. I take him to the gym with me. I take him to the grocery with me. We play, we take walks, we walk around Target and pretend like we can afford to buy things. We get to go to church as a family every weekend because I don't have to worry about work. We skype with Nana, we take no less than 100,000 pictures and videos a day, and send them to family. We have a good time and I don't want it to end. But, alas all good things must come to an end! Lucky for both of us, me going back to work will not be too much of a change. I will be working most Sunday and Thursday nights and weekends every now and then. Frank will be here on those weekends, and that time with his son will be wonderful for both baby and daddy. Mommy will be sleeping instead of hovering over, and Frank will find his own groove with Cash. They will have fun...just the boys. On Mondays and Fridays I will sleep while Cash goes to Mrs. Ines's house to play and learn with the other kiddos. He will be just down the street, and I will be fine.

I will keep telling myself that I will be fine until I really am fine......

I will cherish these first almost four months of my baby boy's life, and the time where I was the one who cared for him every day. We will adjust and be just fine. If I had it my way he would stay 4 months old forever, and I would make what I make at work every week without working. That would be the life. I know I sound like I am probably complaining. It's not like I have to work all day every day. I realize that, and am so thankful I decided to become a nurse so that I can work full time and still be home the majority of the time. I might be a little sleep deprived, but that's ok. I can do it. And after I get a few checks in the bank, Cash and I can mosey around Target AND actually buy some things. Ha!

So if anyone reads this silly blog; can you send up a little prayer for mommy on Sunday at 6:00pm? I will be heading to work for the first time. Cash will only be awake for two more hours before he goes down for night, but when I come home in the AM he will be one day older, and already have had a bottle instead of me feeding him his first meal of the day. I know it is silly, but that makes me sad. I know that when I walk in the door and see his sweet gummy grin everything will be just fine. We will be fine.

So, for now I am going to cherish my last few days as a pretend SAHM, and remember how lucky I am to have had these past four months to learn how to be a mommy. They have been the BEST months.

I love you sweet boy, and will always be thinking of you even when we are apart.

You are 12 weeks little man!

12 weeks old!

• Mommy got on the scale with you and looks like you are around 14 pounds!!! Wow!!!
• You are smiling ALL THE TIME these days! You just grin and grin when you see mommy or daddy....or really any new face after you check them out for a second.
• Mommy thinks she heard a small chuckle the other day...we know it is close bc you will smile with your mouth WIDE open sometimes and you look like you want to giggle so bad.
• You are starting to do MUCH better at tummy time now that you can hold yourself up better. You pretty much can hold up your entire chest and head, but you do tire easily and get frustrated.
• You will roll over onto your back during tummy time sometimes. Seems more like your head makes you topple over! ha!
• You are sleeping from around 730 or 8pm to 6 or 7am. You did start waking this week around 1-3. All you want is your paci and you go right back to dreamland.
• We still bathe you each night around 7 and give you your HUGE bottle (7-8 ounces) of mixed breastmilk and formula.
• You have even sometimes needed a little "extra" if you are really hungry. BIG BOY!
• I think you are having a growth spurt this week because you have seemed really hungry throughout the day and are wanting that extra at night.
• Your day routine is pretty lax but mommy has been trying to do more naps in your crib.
• You used to REFUSE to nap in there, but this past weekend decided it was ok. You even fell right to sleep a couple times.
• You MUST have your paci to nap! We don't always swaddle you for naps either. You seems to like to be cozy with blankies around you. (and mommy just watches you on the monitor like a freak).
• You like to have your face covered with a blankie to nap (another cause for concern for mommy) and if being held MUST be held tight and close.
• You fight naps sometimes like a WILD beast, but have seemed a lot better about that this week.
• On the go is the way you like it! You will sleep so well in the car (once we get going) and in the sling/stroller...as long as we keep it moving!
• You wake up to eat between 6-7, then eat at 10, 1, 4, snack at 5, and big bottle at bedtime at 730. You prefer to breastfeed and then require a bottle after for at least two of your feedings during the day (usually the 10 and1). If mommy doesn't give you the extra bottle you will not nap well and usually want to eat between feeds. Mommy doesn't mind because you are such a happy baby when you are full!
• When mommy goes in to get you in the mornings you are usually sideways in the bed! Swaddled and all, but somehow turn completely sideways! It is crazy.
• If I don't wait too long to pick you up after a nap, you will see me and just smile so sweet. If I wait too long you will scream because you are STARVING! ha!
• You do seem gassy sometimes and the gripe water seems to help with that.
• You are still BLOWING it out pretty much after EVERY feed during the day. We moved up to size two diapers at 10 weeks and they seem to contain the mess a ton better. It was getting pretty old Mr!
• Mommy has now taken apart and washed the carseat twice and your bouncy chair twice..swing once! Not fun! We have put burp cloths in all your seats now to try to help with that. Luckily, we haven't had any major events since we got home from Memphis (where you went through four outfits in one day).
• You started "talking" last week too. You will just coo and coo. You also make the sweetest ah noise too. If we say hi to you, you sound like you say it back sometimes. So sweet!
• We have also realized that Baby Einstein is like baby CRACK!!! YOU LOVE IT! You actually seem to like all cartoons, but the baby Einstein will make you stop crying instantly. We try not to let you watch tv too much. Only when we need to shower or eat and you aren't napping. ha!
• Your big sister, Weeza, loves some Baby Einstein too! ha! She has never paid the tv any attention until now. She is mesmorized just like you!
• You still don't grab at things too much, but do seem to notice toys more. You have found your hands and LOVE to put your entire hand in your mouth (and even gag yourself at times).
• You only spit up a little when you guzzle too much down too fast!
• Your hair and eyes seems to be getting lighter. We are pretty sure your eyes will be blue, but still can't tell if your hair wants to be blonde or a little red! We are pulling for red!
• You usually nap around 830 or 9 until 10, around 11 or 12 until 1, and around 2 or 3 until 4. I try to not let you sleep more than thirty minutes after 5 since you will be going to bed at 730. You will usually catnap around 630.
• You seem to get cranky around the evenings. I think your body is just getting ready for the long stretch of sleep.
• You still LOVE your bath as long as you aren't too hungry. If mommy doesnt give you the 5pm "snack" feed you scream bloody murder until that bottle touches your lips.

There are no words to express how much your mommy and daddy love you. You are the most perfect baby in the whole world! I wish we could stop time and keep you this way forever, but I know you must keep growing. God surely blessed us when he chose us to parent you!

Love you....forever and always!

So....I need to get it together

My sweet,  sweet boy will be 12 weeks on Wednesday, Feb 15.... 12 WEEKS!!!!! That makes me sad and happy all in one! I cannot believe how fast time has flown. And of course, my last post was when he was two weeks old. I am so mad at myself for that because this his how I am going to log about his growth and changes; and here we are at almost three months and I haven't recorded a single memory. Of course I remember some things, but in just reading my last post (when he was two weeks old) I was brought back to his early days!!! Boy has he changed since then! So, so much!! He is such a BIG boy now. Our infant days are behind us and we have a full flegged BABE on our hands! He really is such a sweet, sweet baby. We are so darn lucky for that. He started sleeping through the night right around six weeks. He just kind of gradually did it on his own. He started out going from 9-2 around two weeks then stretched that out to 3 until around five weeks. It then became 4 and 5, and then WAM...6am!!! We didn't even have to do any "cry it out" nights or anything. We are so lucky for that because I don't know if I would have been able to do it. He is so pitiful when he gets upset and NOTHING seems to settle him but eating! I know that sometimes they wake even when they are not hungry or wet, but the few times he has had "bad" nights it has been because he was hungry. By his 2 month check he was sleeping through the night regularly. He had grown A TON by then too. He weighed in at 11.11 (75th percentile) and was 24.25 inches long (95th percentile)! His little head had grown too...15 inches (only 0.5 bigger). WOW!!! We knew he was getting big because he was eating soo much, but I didn't think he was almost 12 pounds! Dad guessed better than mommy. He knew he was at least 11 and mommy was thinking more like 10. At his one month appointment (at 3 weeks) he was only 8.14 and 22.75 inches so he did A LOT of growing in 5 weeks. He was so funny at his one month appointment...peed EVERYWHERE while being weighed. HA!!! He used to always pee when his diaper was off. He hasn't been doing that anymore luckily...but....he sure does like to poop through his diapers. More on that later! It seems like the week of Christmas he did ALL that growing. He was still wearing all his newborn stuff that week and I was actually feeling like we were running out of clothes because everything seemed so big. His auntie Leandra actually went and bought him some more newborn clothes too. He wore those for about a week and WAM...0-3 months fit! Those fit for about  2 weeks and now we have been in all 3-6 since around 9 weeks. He is just so long so some things are too short for his long legs.

His two month check up went well. He was so pitiful during/after his shots though! Seeing him get stuck made me so sad. I feel bad for all the babies I have to stick at work, and seeing my own child go through that makes me even more sad. He was so happy the entire appointment and then HELLO!!! His scream was just pitiful, and his little whimper after was even worse. He was pretty pitiful that day as well. I gave Tylenol throughout the day and evening. I never took his temp, but he felt warm to me. He is also usually such a PIG, but that day didn't seem as hungry. He woke up the following AM at 3:30 starving. I fed him and then he woke up again for the day at 6:00am. He seemed much better the next day. We will have more shots at his 4 month check. So sad! Hopefully he will do well with those. The doctor did notice that his left hip was still "clicking" on exam when she rotated it. That should be gone by that age. She wanted us to get an ultrasound of his little hips just to be sure. We did that the following week and everything looked normal. We will see if he still has the click at his four month check. I noticed it after she told me, but have not felt it lately.

So Christmas was AMAZING! Having all Frank's family stay with us was just PERFECT. It got a little crazy at times. We had two air mattresses in our room at one point. I told my soon to be brother in law, Ken that if he saw my lamp on to not look up because that meant the boobies were out. Cash was still getting up around 3-4 at the the time to feed. He made sure to keep his eyes covered whenever the light was on. We just spent the week hanging out and cuddling Cash. I even ventured out and left Cash with his grandparents for a couple hours to have a drink with Frank and his sisters. It was a GREAT time! Leandra's boyfriend came in town and they stayed through the new year. They rented a hotel on the beach. Frank's best friend (and Cash's Godfather) came in town with his wife (and two crazy dogs) for NYE. We had a blast that weekend. We went downtown on NYE (during the day) and had a yummy lunch at Leaf. Cash had a MASSIVE blowout in his carseat. I picked him up and could see it on everyone's faces on the patio that he was covered in poop. I took him to the car to clean him up and feed him then returned to enjoy my lunch with everyone. ha! I was a pro already! We drove out to Lee and Steve's hotel after because it was such a beautiful day. Nothing like taking your five week old baby to the beach on NYE. We rang in the new year hanging out at the house watching all the crazy dogs play. It was great. The next day we went and toured Middleton Place plantation with everyone. I think it was 70 degrees that day. Crazy! We were there last spring with Nicole and Luca and it wasn't even that warm. It was surreal remembering Frank pushing Luca's stroller around that place not even a year ago, and there we were with our very own stroller and baby. Who would have thunk it??? We had to say goodbye the following day to everyone. I cried like a baby (again) when Lee left!!! It was just so nice to have everyone's company. Cash started smiling intentionally that week as well. It was so sweet to see him smile at Lee. I am so happy she got to see that before she left. He pretty much would only smile at her at that point. We did everything in our power to get the tiniest grin from that boy then. He was a little stingy with his smiles at that point. Nowadays, he is a grinning machine. He is VERY close to full on giggling as well.

Once everyone left it was just me and the babes for a while. I was pretty lonely at first. I think having everyone around all day made the days of just me and Cash seem too quiet. My friend Anna was busy birthing her baby Miller too so I didn't get to see her. Now that Miller has been here for six weeks, we have been busy visiting her and her coming to visit us weekly. It is so nice to have a friend going through the same things as me. Miller is so sweet, and I just know Cash and him are destined to be best buds! My friend Jackie keeps me busy too. She is my workout partner. Her family is the sweetest. I just love her little girl Gabby and Gabby loves her some Cash. She even spent the night one night and hung out with Frank, Cash, and I. Jackie has kept Cash for me while I went to the doc and will again this week so I can go to a work thing. She loves her some Cash too!

Since this post is more like a book; I am going to end it here. I am actually going to do another post for his 12 weeks and what we have been up to. I am PROMISING myself that I will at least do one post a week about Cash because I feel like I am forgetting so much. I know it is silly. He has to grow, but I just want to remember when he was my little baby. It is all still going by too fast. I will be returning to work in less than three short weeks. I can't even think about it without wanting to cry. I am lucky that I will for the most part still be able to be with Cash, but I wish I could be rich and continue my stay at home mom stint. I keep telling myself it will be good for me to get out, but don't believe it. I want to be here with him and not tired from working all night. Such is life.....suck it up, right? It will be fine!


I will leave this ridiculously LONG post with some pictures from his 1 month and 2 month photo shoot! My sweet boy has grown so much! I love him more every day!

Tiny Reindeer boy!

he has changed so much!

Becoming my big baby!