Happy Halloween from Phin!

Enigma of a TOY

I could not figure out how to get the safety belt situated on the seat. Grandma Susie figured it out straight away!
Phin really seemed to enjoy the seat.
We played with the music and lights, and then took that part off and just let it vibrate (which I suspect feels similar to a car ride to him...)
What a happy day!

TUMMY TIME

At his doctor's appointment, everything was good - except - that I had not been giving Phin tummy time. See, he REALLY HATES it and, basically, I had to be TOLD to do it. So, here we go. Tummy time for Phin for THIRTY mintues a day (but not all at once!)

He started out quite happy on the floor.



Until he was turned over for Dr. prescribed "tummy time."
As you can see he REALLY hates it.




This is his rest between crying sessions:

Grandma Susie ENJOYS Phin

Phin's Daddy is away but he's still getting plenty of family love.
Phin's Grandma loves him so much that her boss (Terry) has told her that we should all move in with Grandma Susie because she's SO happy when we are here (and she has a baby to hold!)

Grandma Susie has been such a huge help!
Thanks a ton Grandma Susie!!!

COMO

I had to stay in Columbia an extra night so I could make the way to my doctor for updated shots to keep Phin healthy.



While I packed the car YET AGAIN to go back to the farm, Phin enjoyed his swing.

Phin is BIG

My little baby is in the 90th % for height and weight.
12lbs 9oz - it's pretty impressive seeing he just started out at 7lbs 15oz just a few weeks ago.

It's cold outside!

Phin went for his first autumn hayride.
His "disguise" was as a bumble bee.
It was really QUITE cold outside, so quickly, he got his disguise taken off and he was bundled up to stay warm!

BABY BEE

and then I checked the mail.

I told Grandma Susie and Aunt Annan that I wanted to make a costume for Phin for Halloween. My mom said "okay" and later that day I checked my mailbox and found this:
THANK YOU Grandma Susie!

Good Morning!

Wednesday

Moments after the picture below, Phin fell asleep (sitting up) in Grandma Susie's arms!



While in the big town, I stopped at the mall and went to Penny's - as I enjoy feeding my baby in the dressing rooms of Penny's - in each town I visit. (Columbia, KC, Overland Park, the Big Town...) After feeding Phin, I decided to take a moment to look around. I went to the kids area and looked at their clothing. YOU know me, I only shop the clearance racks. SEE the picture below. I paid THIRTY BUCKS for EVERYTHING for THIRTY DOLLARS! $30.00 (!!!!!)



We went on to the big town (Joplin) and visited Auntie Stephanie.
I do not have enough good things to say about Auntie. You see, she runs a daycare. When I got there, most of the children were down for nap time. When the started waking up, it was time for Phin to eat to I went to another room to feed him. After feeding him and doing a diaper change, I decided it was time to leave as the daycare was brimming with happy little faces. Auntie apologized to me that we could not sit down and talk. But see, I saw it differently. Auntie is one of my favorite people to sit and talk with - but today, the children were the priority. Phin for me and her little ones for her. I find that completely the way it SHOULD be! If we lived in Joplin (and I was looking for daycare), Auntie would be the person who I would have watch Phin. EVEN WHEN a friend from out of town visited, her priority was her kids! BRAVO AUNTIE!!!
(We will get together when Auntie isn't at work before I head back to Columbia! Hopefully, I will get to see Tesa too!)

Now, it's Phin's bedtime. Have sweet dreams baby!

Off to the big town!

Mommy makes Phin look like a smurf

with that hat!

...and then I did it!

matchy-matchy GREEN.
buuut, it was for good reason.
We did some family pictures.

Here are the rest!

Another picture with Phin & his Mama!

Out of respect for Daddy, Mama didn't dress in a GREEN sweater to match baby Phin.
BUT, I am going to take every single day I can to dress him up matchy-matchy, because one day he will be a big boy and won't let me pick his clothes anymore.
So, here's to mama and her cute baby boy!

Happy Friday!!!

Today, Aunt Annan & Cousin Given are on their way from Dallas to come and see Grandma Susie, Auntie Martha & Cousin Phin! We are all so very excited to see Aunt Annan and G-Bone. Phin is resting up!

IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

Last night, Grandma Susie and Mommy were under an electric blanket - and we did not realize how COLD the house was. When I woke Phin to eat, his hands and feet were freezing cold!
So now, my Phin is sporting a hat around the house!

Send Dan mail!!!

Academy of Military Science
ATTN: (student name)
400 I.G. Brown Drive
McGhee Tyson ANGB, TN 37777-6217

He touches both sides!

We now have to have Phin sleep "long ways" in the pack and play.
See what happens when we put him in "short ways" - he touches both sides!

My boy keeps growing and growing! We estimate he weighs around twelve pounds now. He's also so long now, he has to sleep in his pack and play the "long ways" because he's too long! (picture of that to come).

Spine = Fine

Upon arriving to the farm, Grandma Susie took Phin to the doctor (it's a family tradition) to make sure his little spine was in line. The doctor gave us the thumbs up!!!

Daddy called today!

and asked if we could send one family picture for his room.
So, after church, Grandma Susie, Phin, Maggie and I tried our best to get a good one for Daddy.
The last picture won (but doesn't Grandma Susie look SO CUTE!!!)

COOKIE TIME

Grandma made cookies for church
and Phin tried to help himself to some dough!
He was laying on the green blanket on the bar and all of a sudden I noticed his hand pounding the cookie dough on the cookie sheet. You see, he doesn't have his grabbing down yet - but it proves for certain that he's a "costley" grand baby!

My boyz!

This is how big my boy was:
This is how big he is as of today.


Daddy is going away for his "work vacation"
and so Phin & Mommy are going to go the "the farm" for our VA-CA(tion) for a while too.

This is Daddy's and Phin's last picture for a few weeks - so we wanted to capture it quick before we all went our separate ways!

FOR FAMILY MEMBERS (and close friends):
If you want to write to Dan, here is the address where he can be reached:

Academy of Military Science
ATTN: (student name)
400 I.G. Brown Drive
McGhee Tyson ANGB, TN 37777-6217

I am sure he would love to hear from you!

What a difference three weeks makes!

September 12th was his first rock out session.
and he was a little shaky sitting there.
Today, October 7th was his second rock out. He was a ROCK STAR!
He loved it for about ten minutes and then he wanted his mama!
My baby is getting sooo big!




(ALSO, Nicki - Are you going to be at the farm during the time Phin and I will be there? You have not gotten to meet him yet!)

But, even so, he's still my little baby.

My baby is getting BIG!

Phin's jammies are size 0-3months.
His feet fill the jammie feet.
Soon, we will have to move to the 3-6 month jammies.
Remember, Phin is only 8.5 weeks old right now!

Here's a picture of the big boy!
(this isn't the BEST picture, but he's awake - so we are using it for Lea Ann!!!)

:)

I am a woman in love...

and these are the things I see and want to share with you.
Phin enjoys is sock monkey as much as cousin Given!

It's getting cold outside and so we have started putting him in not only a pair of jammies - but also a sleep sack - as a "cover."

When he was born, his eye lashes were clear. Lately, they have become colored. I wonder how it happens. I know they didn't fall out and re-grow. I know that they are not 1/2 clear and 1/2 black... It seems that his eye lashes get longer and longer each day.

Today is Oct 2, 2008

Today Phin looks like this:

One month ago, Phin looked like this:
Two months ago, Phin looked like this:



The last four weeks have been a whirlwind!
We got through the gas-gas-gas issue.
(The pediatrician told me it could be milk products and or cabbage/broccoli.)
Phin has gone on walks in the neighborhood, he's been present for his first birthday party (Daddy) and he's been FED in a Penny's dressing room (or two)!
Phin has continued to grow and in the last few days, he's started RECOGNIZING items.
He SEES his mobile in his crib. He SEES my face and smiles back at me.
Phin has, at times, decided to take his hand or finger instead of his Soother (pacifier).

There are still days where I only get 1.5 hours of sleep about three times through the night, but I am not even mad about it. Maggie is a little hooker who "keeps the bed warm for me"

(note that he HEAD is ON MY PILLOW!!!) Even with Maggie and a sometimes gassy baby, I am completely content and happy.
In the middle of this month, I was at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. There was a woman and man there waiting for their prescription to be ready. Of course, they bent their heads into Phin's seat as he lay there sleeping. He was dressed in white and jeans so the lady asked me if I had a boy or girl. The conversation when on - at her insistence. You see, she had just had surgery on her arm. She does daycare for two toddler girls while her husband is a rancher. (There was also a 93year old man there who looked to be in the early 80's who was also a rancher...) The lady told me about how right now she keeps two girls and her heart is just breaking as she is unable to keep them for two weeks while her arm heals. She said that the last day she watched them, it was like the little girls knew she was going to be gone for awhile. She said they cuddled up to her and stroked her face and the whole story made her start to get a little weepy. I was a little surprised at her reaction - but more so - so very sorry for the mothers. The mothers who have to leave their babies with this day care lady - who obviously does a good job with their children - but also gets to have those special moments with THEIR children.
I can not imagine being away from Phin all day long. It would completely rip my heart from my chest. We had to travel about 1.5 hours to a doctor's appointment a couple weeks ago. Phin was in his car seat for the ride, and then in his daddy's arms while I was seeing the doctor. Then we visited Grandmother Allen and she held him and then, back to the car seat for the ride home. Phin was "with" me the whole time... but when we got home, I could hardly wait to get him into the house to hold him because I missed him so very badly from not holding him at all that day.
Before I had Phin, I really wanted a baby. I could not imagine my life without a baby... but now that I have him, I am really not sure how I lived without him.

Last, on the day of his birth, Phin's Grandpa Routier brought us a "It's a boy!" balloon. I liked having it in the hospital room - exclaiming our great blessing. Phin is two months old today, and HERE is the balloon! AMAZING.