INCOMING...

S-Man doesn't just have ONE tooth coming in, but TWO! He has been such a trooper and even though he must be going through a lot of pain, he is enduring it well and still is happy as usual.

Other things that Simon is up to:

He's not 'into' his baby food. He wants to eat what we are eating. We are working our way up to a burger....starting with slices of apple, small pieces of bread and dry cereal

His new high chair. Simon loves to be at the same level when we eat a meal.

Simon loves going for walks in the backpack. Simon is going to be an outdoors person. He just loves being outside and enjoying nature.

Simon likes to read (well, he likes to be read to).
Books Simon likes right now:
Elmo goes to the Zoo
Farm Tails
Madeline

Loving sucking on his feet. We'll see how long that lasts.

"Talking"

Water - Simon is fascinated with water. Whenever we pass the bathroom, he wants to go in and just watch the water come out of the faucet. He loves playing in the tub. And he just loves to drink water. He has his own water bottle now. He's ecstatic.

Blowing spit bubbles

Playing with big kids

Spiderman


He's getting so big so fast! We are so grateful for this guy and for the blessing that he is in our lives!

Traditional Mall Visit

We don't go to the mall very often, but when we do, we always stop at Brookstone to sit in the massage chairs. I think we both wish the other was a professional masseuse. This time, Simon got a little sad that he didn't get to sit in the nice massage chair like his dad. Dad sure was enjoying it though!

(Sorry about the poor quality shot. It was taken by my phone and I was in a hurry to get the shot.)

These Days

Simon is doing really well with his sleeping. Last night he slept straight through the night from 10pm to 6am without waking up once.

Simon is getting so big so fast.

Some of the things that he is doing these days:

SITTING UP by himself most of the time
LOVING his jumperoo. Even though he isn't quite tall enough to touch the floor, he is still able to jump by using his tip, tip tippy toes. He can do some serious jumping.
LOVING to laugh. He has a deep baby laugh that just makes my heart melt.
YEARNS to drink water and other things he can't right now. He is mesmerized by glasses or bottles that we drink from.
PEOPLE WATCHING. Just like his mom.
LOVING TO BE WITH PEOPLE, especially other kids. He is going to be a very social little boy.
NOT liking his vegetables. Fruits only, please.


Oh how we love our little boy.

Lesson learned

Being a parent really teaches a person a lot about a lot of things. I’m sure this is old news for all of you ‘veterans’ out there.

Now that I am a parent, I am constantly reminded of and taught about the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father. As you know, we are working with Simon on his sleeping. It hasn’t been easy on any of us, but we know that it will be the best for him in the long run. In order for him to learn to soothe himself, we have to leave him alone. It kills me to do that, but we know he can do it.

It would just be so easy to pick him up and snuggle with him when he cries and then we could just fall asleep together. But I know that letting him figure it all out is the best for him.

Last night, he was having a rough night. We knew he was tired, but he was fussier than usual and was really having a hard time staying asleep. He had been doing so well with waking up only one time and then going right back to sleep! We knew something was wrong because of the way he was crying. We put the pieces together and we realized that he was having some tummy problems. At that point, Rob picked him up and held him and just soothed him. He patted Simon’s back to help him feel better. After a nice release of gas from both ends, Simon looked at Rob and then put his sleepy and relieved head on Rob’s shoulder. At the point that he couldn’t do it by himself anymore, his dad had come in and helped him. He needed that extra little bit of help to make it through the night.

Heavenly Father knows what is best for us. He gives us the opportunity to learn and grow. Sometimes it isn’t the most pleasant experience. I don’t imagine that it is easy for Him to see his child crying or upset or feeling down or just feeling like they can’t do it. But, at the point that we feel like we can’t do it anymore, He steps in and takes the burden.

I’m grateful to know that.

6 month Check In

Simon went in for his 6 month check up last week. He is a head turner wherever we go...Simon has a way of charming everyone that sees his sweet face. Strangers will stop to say "hi' or to comment on his yummy cheeks. A few weeks back, our family went to a local restaurant for dinner. Simon and I left the table after dinner and left Rob to pay the check. By the time Rob came to meet us in the lobby, 2 ladies knew Simon by name and as we left, they were waving and saying "Goodbye, Simon...It was nice to meet you!" Who cares about his mom or his dad. It's all about Simon.
The doctor's office was no exception. Simon made some new friends, including some patients and some doctors and nurses that day.

Oh yeah, his visit went great. Simon is doing wonderful!
6 month stats: 16 lbs 2 oz, 25 inches tall.

P.S. Simon is continuing to do better with his sleep! He woke up just a couple of times last night, but went right back to sleep! Gooooooooooooo Simon!

To Sleep or Not to Sleep...That is the question

We decided that a three day weekend was as good a time as any to help Simon learn to sleep. He has always done a good job, but in the last few weeks, he's had a bit of a hard time. These days, he will usually take two 30 minute naps a day. This would be great for any adult, but for this little man who is growing so quickly, it's really not enough. We know this because he gets a little fussy and Simon is usually a really chill guy. The poor kid wants so much to NOT miss a thing, that he has a hard time going down for a nap, or to bed for the night for that matter.

We began on Friday night and are continuing our quest to help this little guy get better sleep. So far, so good. You can do it, Simon!