On The Mend

Today was a much better day for Conner.  He woke up with a low grade fever, and skipped his morning nap.  But after some Motrin and some cuddle time,  we went to my parents house for a little while.  Uncle Bear was there, and gave Conner a very bad hair style.

We unsuccessfully tried to get Conner to nap in his Pack n Play in MuMaw and PuPaw's room.  It didn't go over well, so we had to cut our visit short.  He took a 2 hour nap when we got home though!  Hopefully tomorrow we will have our busy, busy, baby back!

This weekend we have some special visitors coming to see Conner.  His Grandma and Grandpa will be coming from Michigan.  I know he will be excited to see them.  Aunt Annie and Cousin Lex will also be down here next week.  It's going to be a busy time, but we will have lots of fun.  

This coming Sunday, we will be taking Conner to his first big party.  My sweet cousin Caroline is graduating from high school.  She has gone to the same school for 15 years, and her time there is coming to an end.  It's hard to believe she is moving onto college.  I remember the day she was born and holding her in the hospital.  Now she is holding my baby and is all grown up.  I know she is going to do great things and I can't wait to see her on Broadway one day!!!

Mother's Day followed by a sick day

Mother's Day was a very nice day!  I got to spend time with my brothers, parents, and of course my sweet Conner.  Graham couldn't be here though, and I really missed him.  Allen got me and my mom flowers, so now my whole house smells like lilies.

I also got some very pretty flowers earlier in the week from Great Aunt L, a massage from my mom, a massage from Graham, and a card from Great Aunt J.  Of course, my favorite gift of all was a big huge slobbery kiss from Conner.  I guess at 6 1/2 months old, it wasn't really a kiss.  He tried to eat my nose, but missed.  So, we'll call it a kiss by default.

Yesterday my mom and I took Conner to the mall for another trip around the merry-go-round.

When Graham finally got home yesterday, Conner and I were very happy.  He had been gone on a very long 5 day trip.  It is the longest he has been gone since the baby arrived.  There is always a period of adjustment for us all when Graham comes home from a trip.  We have a routine when he is here, and a different routine when he is away.  I dread the day when Conner starts to cry as his daddy leaves for work.

At about 9 p.m. last night, Conner woke up crying.  He had been asleep for about 2 hours, and this wake up was very unusual.  He was pitifully whimpering and clearly didn't feel well.  We gave him Tylenol, and after about an hour of being walked by his daddy, rocked and nursed by me, he finally fell back to sleep.  When he woke up this morning, I got him out of bed, and I knew immediately that he was sick.  He was burning up.  I took his temperature, and the poor little guy had a fever of 101.3.

We went to his trial Gymboree class on Friday, I signed up and paid for 3 months worth of classes, and wouldn't you know that he gets sick 4 days later.  Of course, this caused us to miss his first "real" Gymboree class today.  The doctor said his ears were clear, his chest sounded good, and the strep test came back negative.  Lets hope it's virus that goes away quickly!  His appointment was at 9:50 am, which is in the middle of nap time.  So 20 minutes after arriving, Conner goes into full meltdown mode.  While waiting on the doctor to come in, nothing would soothe my sick sweet boy.  Nursing failed, walking failed, rocking, holding, cuddling all failed.  Surprisingly...the one thing that worked (for a little while) was the pacifier.  He has not used his passie for months, but I always kept one in the diaper bag for a "just in case" moment.

Today has been a 3 nap day and hopefully after another Tylenol dose tonight, he will sleep through the night.  Wishful thinking, I'm sure, but I will keep you posted!!

A privilege, for sure.

My sweet Conner

Tomorrow is my first Mother's Day, and I'm really very excited.  The only thing that could make it better would be if Graham could be here with us.  But he will be off flying around the country, providing for his family.  I am forever grateful to him for working hard, allowing me to stay at home with our sweet child.  Being a mom is the greatest honor and privilege.  I know that each decision I make has an impact on that sweet baby's life.  It is such an incredible responsibility, and a job I take very seriously.  I want so much for his childhood to be happy and positive.  It melts my heart to see him smile, and I absolutely love that I have the ability to put that smile on his face.  I want to protect him from all things negative and stressful for as long as I can.

My hubby, my baby, and my best teacher in how to be a mom

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a mom.  Some people grow up dreaming of being a doctor, lawyer, fireman, teacher, or even a pilot. :)  But, I grew up wanting to be a mom.  Now that the day has come and my baby is here, I feel like I'm doing what I was always meant to do.  I wake up each day so happy and so fulfilled.  Of course, there are challenges, and not every moment is glorious, but when I lay down each night, I thank God for the blessings in my life.

My blessings

Happy Birthday

On May 5, 1920, my Nanny, Elvira Anne Conner Guyton, was born.  She would have been 91 years old today.  She was the funniest, wittiest person.  Two weeks before she passed away, I told her that I would name my child after her.  She would love knowing that I had a baby boy named Conner.  I can already see parts of her personality in him.  I know in my heart that she is watching over him and loving every minute of being his Great Nanny in Heaven.   It is funny the things you remember about a person.  She had an aloe plant in her bedroom in Kentucky.  She had cabbage patch dolls on her bed.  Her favorite grandchild was "Little Allen."  I know this because I would ask her.  I would say, "Nanny, who is your favorite grandchild?"  She would say, "You are."  Then I would ask, "Who is really your favorite?"  And she would respond, "Little Allen."  Every year for Christmas, she would give all of us grand kids McDonald's gift certificates as part of our gift.  For our birthdays, she and my Papa would give us a birthday card with a crisp, new $50 bill.  She taught us inappropriate songs and jokes.  She loved vodka tonics, bratwursts, cheesy peanut butter crackers, Hershey Bars, horses, the Kentucky Derby, and watching TV.  I really think she was the funniest person I've ever met.  She caught on to everything and didn't miss a beat.  Surprisingly, after having a stroke, she was still aware.  Even if she seemed out of it or asleep, she knew what was going on.  No one could ever beat her at Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, or Trivial Pursuit.   In the last few years of her life, I grew very close with my sweet Nanny.  She taught me so very much, and I love her more than I can ever describe.  

Coincidentally, today is also the birthday of a very dear, old friend that I lost 3 1/2 years ago.  I met Katie when I was 11 years old.  We met playing softball on the same team in middle school.  I will never forget when she asked me to come to her house after a game to play, and from that moment on we were great friends.  She was a wonderful person, and I miss her every day.  There is so much in my life that I wish she could be a part of and so much of her life that never happened, but should have.

Baby Blues

Conner has the most beautiful blue eyes!!  I was looking through pictures that I've take recently, and I just stared at his sweet face.  I can't get over how quickly he is growing.  He is losing that young baby look every day.  It makes me sad, but at the same time, he has really started to be a lot of fun!  His little personality shines through a little more every day.  I love how he looks at anyone who may be around him, and he just waits for them to meet his eyes and smile.  When we take him upstairs for a nap, he peers over the shoulder of whoever is carrying him, and holds his mouth open wide or smiles.  If someone walks behind, he laughs and giggles the whole way up.  

In the mornings when he wakes up, I open the door and start singing, "Where is Conner? Where is Conner," and through the cracks of his crib I can see him smile, and he will have his feet straight up in the air.  Today, Graham actually lowered his crib to the middle level.  He isn't crawling or getting up on his knees yet, but he tries.  I don't want his first time to be when he is alone in his crib and falls over the edge!  

Today, we were supposed to go to a Gymboree music class, but about 1 hour after his morning nap, he was acting really fussy.  So, he went down again, and we'll try again on Friday!  We have a busy few weeks coming up, and then in June, we are going to take Conner for his first trip to the beach!  I am really excited to play in the sand and in the pool with him!

The bad man is gone.

I suppose I was around 10 years old when I first heard the name Osama bin Laden.  I don't remember the exact moment, what I was doing, or where I was.  His name just trickled out of the news and over the years he made the headlines more and more.  He was a scary looking man with a dirty beard, and his name became synonymous with terror and evil.    Then on 9/11/01, I, like most Americans had his name seared into my mind and was terrified of him and what he would do next.

I don't know if the world is really a safer place with him gone.  We have been told that his influence and power has been weakend in the past few years.  Perhaps that is true.  But today I am relieved.  The "bad man" is gone, and my sweet Conner, along with his future sibling(s), will not have to fear him.

In the statement released by the Vatican, we are told that,  "In front of the death of man, a Christian never rejoices but rather reflects on the grave responsibility of each one in front of God and men, and hopes and commits himself so that every moment not be an occasion for hatred to grow but for peace."   Reading that made me reflect on what I want to teach Conner.  I don't want to be someone who rejoices in the death of anyone.  I don't believe in the death penalty and I don't think anyone should be able to to play god.  However, I do believe in self-defense and justice.  The vicitms of 9/11 now have some justice, and at least for today, the world is less one horrible monster and this "bad man" will not play a roll in my son's future.  For that I am thankful.

When the baby cries, his mommy cries too.

Over the past several weeks, Conner has been waking up 10-15 min after being put down at night.  He often times does this during his nap times and is easy to get back to sleep, but it's mainly an issue at nighttime.  After waking for an occasional middle of the night feeding, he has no problem going back to sleep. And that is after sleeping for 8+ hours straight.  Sometimes he wakes, talks for a while, then goes back to sleep on his own.  But the initial bedtime for some reason has developed into a struggle with lots of tears.   As I posted previously, we have been using the Weissbluth method of sleep training.  We have been doing the graduated extinction method.  He cries for 5 min, then we comfort him.  If he cries again, we let him go 10 min, then we comfort him, and so on.  Well, I couldn't take it anymore.  After the last crying session that lasted 15 min last night, I went upstairs and rocked him and nursed him back to sleep.  Tonight he woke once, I comforted him, and he went back to sleep.  Then he woke again, and I let him cry...this time he went to sleep after 12 min.  I hate it that my sweet baby is crying himself to sleep.  This has to be one of the toughest aspects of being a parent during this stage of a child's life.

Conner had horrible reflux for his first 4 months of life.  During his 2nd month, he was officially diagnosed and he began medication, Prevacid and Zantac.  Starting at about 4 months, the reflux seemed to be getting better, so we started cutting back on his medicine significantly.  Then at his 6 month appointment, we agreed with the doctor to cut his medicine out all together.  I have noticed recently more spitting up/vomiting, so last night I gave him his medicine again.  If I am going to let him cry, I have to be sure it is for no reason other than wanting to stay up.

Except for the difficult bedtime, today was a wonderful day.  Graham got home last night after a 4 day trip and got to spend most of the day with us before having to go back to work.  This morning, I was able to have a little mommy time and went to get a pedicure.  Conner got to have his daddy for a couple hours and went to play outside.  Conner and I played on the floor for a while, after Graham left, and he sat up for about 3 min without me holding him up.



Then before bath time tonight, we played a game of peek-a-boo.  He was so very cute, pulling the shirt over his eyes.

Easter, and stuff.

Easter was a good day.  It would have been a great day had Graham been able to be here on Conner's first Easter, but it was good nonetheless.  Conner and I started out the day just hanging out, the two of us.  I like mornings like that.  He is such a sweet, cuddly boy in the mornings.  Then we went to church.  That was a bit of an adventure.  I thought church started at 11, but it started at 11:30.  Fifteen minutes after the service started, Conner decided that he had enough and it was time to go home.  We were there long enough for me to get a very good picture of him and his Uncle Bear.

Great Aunt Janice stopped by the other night to bring Conner an Easter gift.  It is a very cute bib.

Over the past few days, Conner has been disinterested in eating food.  He likes apples and oatmeal, and not a lot more.  I made some new batches of food for him, and we will keep trying.  This time it was sweet potatoes, avocados, and prunes. 

I really enjoy making his food.  Most of the feedback I get from others is positive in regards to making Conner's food.  Some people have commented that I will get sick of dealing with it, and in 6 months I will be buying the pre-made stuff.  That may be true, but for now I have the time and the desire to make it.  I'm sure when another baby comes along, it will be different.  One of the advantages of being the first, I suppose.

Checking in

Grandma Welsh left today.  She had a great visit with her grandson, and I think Conner really enjoyed his time with her.  On Tuesday, Conner graduated from his Chicco car seat to his big boy convertible seat.

We decided to go with Britax and his Grandma and Grandpa so generously bought it for him.  I can't believe how quickly he is growing or how big he is getting!  He is still my sweet baby though.

On Tuesday, I had an appointment with the doctor who delivered Conner.  Since it has been 6 months, it was time for me to go in for my annual check up.  They were all so happy to see me and so excited to see pictures of our handsome boy.  It is so nice to have a doctor and nurses who really care.  They called me back, and the nurse I've gotten to know really well saw that it was me and gave me a big hug.  I really miss seeing them all!  For 10 months, I saw them so frequently that they became friends, and once Conner came, our visits ended.

Grandma sat with Conner while I went to my appointment, and as I was laying there on the table waiting for Dr. Marcus, I actually started to doze off.  You know you are a tired momma when going to the gyno  is relaxing.

Tuesday morning, before my doctors appointment, we took Conner to story time at Barnes and Noble.  He was the most well behaved baby there!  :)


On Wednesday, we took Conner on his first carousel ride.

He was very cute and liked all the mirrors and colors.  The music left me wishing we were in Disney World, and not North Point Mall.  I knew Mickey wasn't near when the The Black Eyed Peas started playing as we were spinning around, but it was still fun.

Until next time...

Prunes and Peas

Because I posted yesterday that Conner wasn't rolling over from his stomach to his back, he decided to prove me wrong. I laid him on his back while I did some work in the kitchen. And when I checked on him, he was on his tummy. He popped his head up, looked at me, smiled, then put his face down. I walked back to the kitchen and when I checked again, he was on his back! We celebrated with lots of cheering. He was very proud of himself. I'm sure he has done it before in his crib, or even on the floor when I wasn't looking. But now I know for sure that he has figured it out. The small things that make a momma smile.
Last week, Graham and I got Conner a Fisher Price swing to hang from the garage door frame. It isn't a swing set or a playground, but it works and Conner loves it!

I put him in the swing after he ate a late lunch of prunes. NOT a good idea. He went from the swing, to his car seat, then to a grocery cart seat at Wally World. After walking into the store, he proceeded to throw up the prunes. Definitely not a pleasant sight. And it of course is the one day I didn't bring the diaper bag. It was also Conner's first time sitting in the grocery cart like a big boy. I wanted to take a picture, but was too focused on getting in and out of the store quickly and without any more mess.

The newest addition to the menu for my little man was peas.

His response to eating them was less than enthusiastic. I suppose that after blowing his lunch in Walmart, mashed green peas probably wasn't what he was hoping to see in his dinner bowl. He sure looks cute with them all over his face though!

Grandma Welsh comes tomorrow for a visit, and I know she is excited about seeing her grandson. I was very lucky by having the opportunity to be close to all 4 of my grandparents, and I am so thankful that Conner will have that same opportunity.

I am taking Conner on a date tomorrow with a younger woman. We are meeting an old friend of mine for lunch, and she will be bringing her brand new baby girl. I have known her momma since I was in elementary school, and I can't wait to meet her little angel. We were kids together, and now we have babies! Man, I am feeling old!!

Good night!

Six Months

For sometime now, I have wanted to start a blog. It won't be a literary masterpiece or a thrilling read like some blogs I follow. But Conner is growing up so quickly and changing every day, and I wanted to chronicle our life and document as much as I can. Hopefully, it will be something that he can read and enjoy one day. I set a goal of starting it by the time he was 6 mos. old. That day is today. It has been a wonderful six months. He started this life weighing 8 lbs. 14 oz. and was 21.5 in. long.




At the doctor earlier this week he weighed in at a whopping 24 lbs. 4.5 oz., and was 29.5 in. long.



Needless to say he is growing like a weed and doesn't miss a meal. He is a very active baby and really wants to be mobile. I, however, am not rushing that day. I am fully aware of how life changes once a baby is on the go. His sleeping habits are something that Graham and I are so proud of. Starting at about 6 weeks, we really started a routine with Conner, and our hard work has paid off. The first six weeks were somewhat of a struggle, because he had colic and a bad case of reflux. But once colic passed and we figured out a medication to help with the reflux, we could get down to teaching him good sleep habits. We loosley following the book by Marc Weissbluth, titled "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." In that book, he says that we teach our children healthy eating habits, appropriate ways to socialize, how to behave in public, and we should teach them healthy sleeping habits as well. That made sense to me. Right now, Conner goes to bed between 6:30 and 7:30 pm each night. He takes 3 naps a day. Of course, it's not a flawless process by any means, but I'm happy with where we are. There are still some tears when he initally lays down, and oftentimes we cuddle him or I nurse him to sleep. Of course, that is a sin according the book, but letting him cry for an hour just isn't something I'm willing to do. And I have to be honest...I enjoy that time with him. I know that too shall pass, and it makes me a little sad. Most of the time he sleeps for at least 9 hours straight, sometimes 11 or 12. He wakes for good between 6:45 and 7:30 am. Graham and I love it when he decides to stay in bed until 8, but that is a rare occassion.

He has figured out how to roll over onto his stomach, and has been doing that for a couple months now. but has not figured out how to roll back over yet. Most of the time in the morning we find him like this:



He started eating solid foods about a month ago. It's been met with lukewarm approval by Conner. So far he has had rice cereal, oatmeal, apples, avocado, sweet potatoes, and prunes. I have been making most of his baby food. It is easy to do and makes me feel good knowing that he isn't getting processed junk. He likes avocados and prunes the best, but doesn't really LOVE anything.

Conner is the light of our lives. He is so loved by his extended family and has many visitors. Having him is a dream come true and although I look forward to watching him grow, I find myself wanting to slow down the hours and days, to keep him little for just a little longer. More pictures and stories to follow...