First Solid Foods!

Aside from a taste of applesauce last month when he had to get some Culterelle probiotics to ease an upset tummy, Nolan's only solid food experience has been a little bit of rice cereal over the past couple weeks. Overall, his response to the rice cereal has been less than enthusiastic. So, last night we added some organic sweet potatoes into the rice cereal to see if that would increase his interest a little. The result... not so much!!! He is just not having any of the spoon yet. His tongue is definitely in the way and it just makes him fussy when you try to fit it in his mouth. Not to mention he automatically spits everything out! I think we will take a hiatus from the solids and revisit this after our trip to Florida!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!

Happy 22nd Anniversary to two wonderful parents!!! I love you guys!

Out of Town Anxiety

How can I leave this face?!

Unfortunately I don't have a choice. :( I have to go to Houston next week for THREE days. This will not be my first overnight trip away from Nolan, but it WILL be my first time to go an ENTIRE day without seeing him. It is breaking my heart to think about it. He and I have been together since Day 1, so leaving him just breaks my heart. I wish I could pack him up and bring him along!

Mommy's Little Green Bean

Aunt Teresa, Uncle Curt, Aunt Steph, and Uncle Cory... Nolan has a question!

"He's perfect!"

I took Nolan to the pediatrician yesterday for his four-month check-up and shots. Dr. McReady checked him out and asked me loads of questions before giving his diagnosis... "He's perfect!" she exclaimed. Music to Mommy's ears! Not only is he "perfect," he's also getting BIG! At four months and few days, Nolan weighed in at 13lb 14.5oz (75th percentile), was 24 inches tall (50th percentile), and has a head circumference of 16in (50th percentile). She said he is growing right on target and looks very healthy! We had no doubts that was the case given his appetite lately.

The doc also told us it is now time to start introducing some solid foods into Nolan's life. We are starting with rice cereal, which we tried out last night. Nolan was not such a big fan, but I think that had more to do with his dislike of the spoon! We will try again this evening though and see if it goes down a little easier for him. In two more weeks, we get to start giving him veggies! I plan to make all of his food in the food processor, so I guess it is time to get started. It's so hard to believe we are already to this point. I wish I could freeze time!

Nolan was such a good boy for the doctor. He smiled at her and gave her some great coos and laughs. He showed off during the tummy time and even blew some spit bubbles just for her! He also had a potty accident as Mommy was changing his diaper right on the examining table... but we'll forget about that part! :)

When it was time for his shots Nolan put on a brave face... until he felt the needles. Then, he screamed until Mommy was able to pick him up. He was settled in about 30 seconds though and ready to take a nap! After all, it is pretty exhausting being "perfect!"

My First Mother's Day

Sunday was my first Mother's Day as a real mommy (not just a dog mommy), and it was a very nice day. It started out with Chris bringing me coffee and a very pretty fruit plate to bed. Nolan joined us and he gave me my presents... a box of Jellybath (a new product I've been dying to try) and an adorable silver necklace with Nolan's name on it! They both got me very sweet cards too. After we got moving, we had a yummy (fattening) breakfast at Cracker Barrel followed by a great massage with Mom at Massage Envy. Then we headed to Chris's family party to visit with his mom, grandma, and aunt. On our way home we stopped by my Aunt Randee's house to see her and Grandma Sandy. We were exhausted when we finally got home, but I made sure to take some photos of Nolan for his four-month birthday and of course some Mommy and Nolan pics for Mother's Day! It was a busy day!!!

I can't put into words how blessed I am. I have the absolute best mom in this world. She is such a beautiful strong woman, and I look up to her so much. She has been by my side from day one, and knows me better than anyone else. Being her daughter is such a privilege. Now that I get the great joy of being mommy to Nolan, I get to see my mom be "Grandma" too. She fills that role with as much love and grace as she has as "Mom." Nolan is a lucky little boy to have her in his life. I know he will figure that out on his own though.

So, Ma Harper/Granny Mocha, thanks for being the best Mom and Grandma. You make our world such a beautiful happy place. We love you with all our hearts.

Four Months Old Already!

Well it doesn't seem possible, but today Nolan is FOUR MONTHS OLD! Where oh where has the time gone? It seems just yesterday Chris and I were in the hospital holding this tiny bundle wondering how in the world we were going to take care of him properly! My we've come a long way in four months... and so has our precious little boy! In fact, here are a few things Nolan has learned during his four months of life (outside of Mommy's belly):

1. His neck is strong and holds his head up with no trouble now. It is nice to carry him around without fear he is going to flop his neck back!

2. Nolan rolled over from tummy to back three times this week! He HATES tummy time, so the motivation is pretty strong!

3. He responds to Mommy when I call his name from across the room.

4. Giggle, giggle, cackle, cackle!!! That's all Nolan does when he sees his Granny. He is in love with her, and I don't blame him she is pretty great! :)

5. He definitely has developed his "social smile" for just about anyone who smiles at him. Let me tell you, it melts my heart when I see it too!

6. Though it doesn't happen every time, Nolan can remove and replace his binky all on his own now. Most of time when his binky falls though, he prefers to just stuff his thumb (or entire hand) into his mouth.

7. He LOVES soft textured fabrics and his crinkle-sounding toys.

8. Our future soccer star can't seem to stop kicking his little chubby legs.

9. Did I mention CHUBBY legs? That boy has really filled out over the past month. He was a little on the skinny side, but no longer! He seems to have rubber bands wrapped around his wrists and thighs these days! LOVE IT!

10. Mmmmm... MILK!!! Nolan is an eating machine these days. He DEMANDS his bottle of milk every two to three hours. You better have it ready to go when he wants it or look out! Thankfully, he will start getting rice cereal after his next doc visit on Wednesday, so that should hopefully curb his appetite a bit. He's a growin' boy!!!

11. We are so lucky that Nolan is a great sleeper. Once we place him in the swaddle, he sleeps through the night every night. We are so fortunate that he's been a sleeping champ since he brought him home.

12. Hair today, gone tomorrow! What happened to those beautiful locks Nolan used to sport?! They are a thing of the past these days as Nolan has a bald ring that wraps around the back of his head from one ear to the other. The hair on top has thinned quite a bit too. No more faux-hawk until the next round of hair grows in!

13. Nolan's eyes have almost made the full transition to brown just like Mommy's eyes! Thank goodness he got SOMETHING of mine! :)

14. He has almost outgrown all of his 0-3month clothing. As I cleaned out his closet and put the things that no longer fit away... I definitely got a little choked up! These days he's mainly wearing 3-6month clothing... which thanks to several shopping sprees he has plenty of!

As you can see, we've had a great time getting to know our little man over these four months. Since his arrival everything in life is just a little sweeter. We are blessed beyond measure!

Feliz Cumpleanos Poppy!

Nolan put on his favorite Cubs onesie in honor of his Poppy's birthday!

Earaches are NO FUN!

I had to take our little man to the doctor this morning. He spent the past couple days sneezing and coughing, so we were on the look out for another ear infection. Sure enough yesterday he spent the day with his Grandma fussing and tugging on his left ear. We were sure it was another ear infection, so I took off work this morning and got him the doctor. Fortunately, the doc checked him out and said his ears look good. He did comment on the size of his tiny ear canals and said the problem is likely allergies (due to the season) and any time he gets any nasal congestion it will probably cause some discomfort in his little ears. So... we are very happy he is infection free, but still sad that the little guy has any pain whatsoever!

We also learned today that our little man is not so little anymore! He weighed 13lbs 11oz! He has almost doubled in size since birth! Now that is quite an accomplishment!!! He is also teething which explains the constant drool. The doctor said this is common from 3 to 4 months of age, but he probably won't actually cut any teeth until he about 6 months of age. So, we've still got some time hopefully! Speaking of time... has anyone figured out how we can slow it down a little?? Since Nolan arrived it seems to be passing so quickly!