Connor is now 5 months old!  Wow, how time flys!  Just a year ago he was a tiny little peanut in my belly and Anthony was having his open-heart surgery!  Now Connor is a fat, little man and Anthony is training for an Ironman.  I do know that Connor is not little but he is my "little man" and he is fat... so he is my fat, little man!  While we are on the topic, I absolutely LOVE baby fat (on him, not me).  Is there anything cuter than rolls and rolls of baby fat?  I am so thankful to have a healthy, growing baby boy but he is just growing too fast!!  He wears mostly 9-12 month clothes and a few 6 month items that are not quite skin tight yet that I just can't seem to pack away.  I keep telling myself that this has to slow down soon or we will be in 2T clothes at his 1st birthday and that is just wrong.  Either way, I still can't believe that he is ours and we are so so so so blessed to be his parents.

Connor is now rolling over from his belly to his back and seems to be quite coordinated despite his size!  He still LOVES his hands and plays with them all day long!  This is partially due to the tiny little tooth and is peeking out of his bottom gums!  It doesn't seem to bother him but it does cause a lot of drool!  He likes to play on both his tummy and back as well as in his exersaucer.  He reaches for toys in front of him and usually tries to put them in his mouth.  He is quite the chatterbox, especially in the morning. I like to think he is telling me all about his dreams from the night.  If you smile at him you are almost guaranteed to get a smile in return, that is, unless you are holding a camera/ phone and you will only get a blank stare!  He is already a little ticklish and will squirm and squeal if tickled under the arms.  The best part of my day is to laugh at him and get a laugh in return!

We started feeding him rice cereal in the evenings and he has grown to like it.  At first he didn't know what to do with the food in his mouth and usually just spit it out but now he can down a whole bowl in 5 minutes!  I think we will start some veggies in the next few weeks.

Connor is still a great sleeper.  He goes down around 8pm and usually wakes around 5 or 6am to eat and then goes back to sleep until 7:30 or so.  He has a pretty good routine of naps and feedings during the day but is pretty flexible if we are out and about running errands.

Connor is such a joy and we are so in love with him!  Here are a few pictures from this month!

I simply can't believe that Connor is already 4 months old!  How did this happen so quick?  He continues to steal my heart everyday with his sweet smile and laughs.  He has developed a little smirk that he saves for the right moment and I just can't get enough of him!  Anthony says he would pay a million dollars just to see Connor smile... good thing we get it for free! It amazes me in how much I love him and I can't bear to think of anything or anyone hurting my little guy.

At his 4 month appointment Connor weighed an astounding 18 pounds 4 ounces (97th percentile) and was 25 1/2 inches long (80th percentile).  The doctor and nurses couldn't stop loving on him and all his rolls.  He went from smiling and giggling to tears and screams when the nurse gave him his shots.  It just breaks my heart to see him like that and I won't tell you who had more tears in their eyes.  The doctor said that we can start giving him some rice cereal anytime between now and 6 months but we can hold off until as long as he is satisfied by straight breast milk.

Connor enjoys playing both on his tummy and back.  When on his tummy he scoots around and would be close to crawling if he could lift his belly off the floor (have you seen the size of that belly?!?!).  He really gets his legs and arms going... It's so cute!  He loves to kick and wave arms around when laying on his back.  He kicks his legs side to side and starting to get his hips over to try to roll.  His favorite things to play with are his hands!  He usually has at least one in his mouth and tries to get his whole fist in there.  He is just starting to get interested in little toys he can hold and I suspect that he will play with them in the next month.

He is still exclusively drinking breastmilk.  I am really pleased that we have been able to keep this up since I've gone back to work.  He has no trouble switching from taking a bottle at the babysitters and nursing at home with me.  While at home we use cloth diapers Bum genius and use disposable
diapers when we go out and while he is at day care.  I found this great brand Nature babycare which I love.  They are made from all natural products, are environmentally friendly and chlorine-free!  We have had no problems with diaper rash after switching to these and I recommend them to everyone!  

Here are some pictures from the last month of my favorite little man.

Connor is 3 1/2 months old now and just the absolute love of my life (well him and his daddy).  I am not sure exactly how much he weighs but probably around 17 pounds (possibly more!!).  Honestly, I don't really want to weigh him because it reminds me that my baby is growing up.  Can't I just have a cute, sweet, cuddly baby forever?

In mid December he started sleeping through the night but now he sleeps a good 10 hours straight each night!!  Every once in a while he will wake up around 2 or 3am but goes right back to sleep when I pop his paci back in his mouth!  I consider myself a lucky, well rested momma and thank him every morning for being such a good sleeper.  He takes 2-3 naps during the day that usually last 1-2 hours each.

I am still exclusively feeding Connor breast milk.  He nurses every 3-4 hours during the day and eats about 5 oz each time.  I am so thankful that my milk supply is keeping up with this hungry growing boy!

The first week in Janurary I started back at work.  I am working part time, 3 days a week.  It went much, much better than I thought and we are managing quite well!  He is going to a home day care run by a sweet stay at home momma named Dana.  Connor seems to love her and is always in a good mood when I pick him up at the end of the day.  I pump everyday at lunch and leave it with her to give Connor the next day.   After work and on my days off I can't get enough of my little man :)

Connor is smiling all the time and just started laughing!  He smiles a lot, except when I get the camera out and then he is Mr. Serious.  It cracks me up every time.  Maybe he thinks only his visitors should get to see that sweet, sweet smile.  He still loves bath time.  One night he was pretty fussy and we couldn't get him to calm down, so into the bath tub he went and  Ta-da!  He was all smiles!

We are overly blessed by this little man and overjoyed to be his parents!  Can't wait to see what the next few months have in store for us!

We had a wonderful 1st Christmas with Connor!  My parents had a full house for the week as Patrick, his dog and the three of us and our dog all moved into 304 Garden Grove for the week.  Sarah, Clint and their 2 boys also spent the night on Christmas Eve so we could all be together!  Mom was in Grammy heaven (i think!).  It was so fun watching Brooks discover all the fun toys Santa brought and we had a extra Christmas surprise... IT SNOWED!!!  This is very rare occurrence in north Texas and to have a white Christmas was special!

 pops reading the night before christmas

 look connor!  its snowing!

 go 'noles!

 cousins

 santa brought a pirate ship!

Our little man isn't so little anymore!

     Last week at his 2 month appointment he weighed 15 pounds (97+%) and was 22 1/2 inches long (40%)!   The doctor was pleased with his growth and said "he looks absolutely perfect".  I am hoping his weight gain slows a little bit so I can enjoy a "little" baby a while longer.

     His left arm is doing great and is just as active and strong as his right.  Connor is able to hold his head up pretty well on his own and loves stretching out and kicking his arms and legs around!

We went to Oklahoma City for Thanksgiving and were away from home for 10 days.  Connor got to meet a lot of our friends and family and was really well behaved.  Thanks to Anthony's mom "Cici" we were able to go out a couple times without the baby!

     Connor is such a good baby. We have been able to take him most anywhere and he rarely cries in public.  We have been able to go out to dinner, shopping and even went to a Christmas concert put on by the Houston Symphony.  He is starting to sleep through the night and sleeps from 6 to 8 1/2 hours straight!  This makes for a very happy and rested Mommy!

     Sarah, Clint and Brooks welcomed little Bennett Payson into the world in November and we are all able to be at the hospital to meet him!  Connor is excited to have a cousin his age with whom he will cause lots of trouble!

     I am going back to work part-time in the new year and am already dreading leaving my little guy but I am also looking forward to seeing patients again :) We found a great home daycare that Connor will attend 3 days a week.

 

Our precious Connor is 6 weeks old and the most darling baby.  He is truly a gift from God and we couldn't be more thankful for him.  I think back on my pregnancy and how he literally GREW inside me for those 9 long months.  I obviously knew that at the time but seeing the end product is just amazing.  Every little pain and discomfort was absolutely worth it and part of a miracle.  He is perfect and I often pinch myself just to make sure this is all real.

Connor is growing so fast.  He weighs around 12 1/2 pounds and is quite chunky!  His belly is big and already has arm and leg rolls!  You would never believe he was in the NICU for the first 10 days of his life or that we wasn't allowed to eat for the first 5 days.  His left arm is almost 100%.  He moves it all around but it is just a little weaker than the right but gets stronger all the time.  During tummy time, Connor is starting to hold his head up and rotates it side to side.

We went to Dallas last weekend and Connor slept the whole 3 hour drive!  My mom threw a little sip and see for our friends there to meet him.  He slept the entire time and the rest of the day.  Poor little guy was worn out!  He still eats about every 3 hours during the day but is starting to stretch out night feedings and giving me 4-6 hours of straight sleep!

I am feeling great and am fully recovered from the c-section.  I started running again this week and am slowing getting back in shape.  My goal is to run a half marathon in the spring.  Anthony is in full force Ironman training.  He wakes up early to train and fits in workouts during his lunch break so that he gets to spend time with Connor and me in the evenings.  In the morning, Anthony gets Connor from his crib and loves on him before his morning feeding and hardly puts him down in the evenings.  It is so sweet to see them together!

We are heading to Dallas this Friday to meet our new nephew/cousin.  Sarah's c-section is at noon and we are so excited to meet the 3rd little boy cousin!  After that we are heading to Oklahoma City for the week of Thanksgiving. We are happy that all our friends and family are going to meet Connor.

Thanks again for all the prayers, messages and texts!  Hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather.  I am taking advantage of my little baby heater named Connor and spend much of the day snuggling with him :)

Connor had his one month appointment yesterday and he gained 3 pounds in two weeks!  He is 11 pounds 4 ounces.  I guess all those hours we spend nursing are paying off!  He is in the 94th percentile for weight and 50th for height.  Anthony is disappointed with his height and his hopes for Connor to be an Olympic swimmer.

Connor is moving his left hand and wrist!!  It's an answer to all our prayers!  I knew it would just take time for the nerves to heal but seeing that cute little hand open up for the first time brought tears to my eyes!  It is still not as strong as the right we are hopeful that it will be soon.  While the doctor was examining Connor yesterday he commented on how strong his legs are and of course Anthony's response was "he's going to be a great cyclist".  God help this child if he doesn't love all things triathlon!

The blood clot is GONE!!!  We went for another ultrasound 2 weeks ago and the blood clot in his brachial plexus was no where to be found.  The doctors thought this would take up to 6 weeks and we would have to continue to give him the blood thinner shots twice a day until it was gone.  Thankfully we don't have to give those shots anymore it just broke my heart every time the tiny needle poked his leg.  Thank you all so much for the prayers they have truly been answered!

Here are a few pictures from the past couple weeks!