11 weeks update

Well....with just one week left on my maternity leave, I can safely say: "Everyone was right!" ...about everything. All the cliches are true...."it's the hardest job you'll ever love"; "just when you think it can't get any better, it does", and the list goes on and on.

Xander and I have had a great 11 weeks together at home. We were blessed to have Simon and many other family members with us for much of the time too. Next week, we begin our transition into daycare. One day I'll stay and watch his 'classroom' while he hangs out and meets his 'teacher.' Then one day I'll actually leave him there for a couple of hours. The hope is that it'll make d-day less stressful for me. I'm quite she he'll be fine!

We spent last weekend in Kansas City with some good friends. He barely noticed when I wasn't around. Of course Auntie Julie and Anne are pros at babies, but still....you'd hope your kid might give a whimper when you've been gone for a while. Julie got some good one-on-one time with him to share the ways of the world as seen here:

Then he got to hang out with Lincoln, who is two weeks younger. X shared some insights as to what the next two weeks have to offer. Here they are chatting it up:

Lori, Grandma Nadine and I finally got around to finishing up his letters for his room. I got uber crafty and actually put some hanging thingys on the back of them this week and hung them up. I think they look pretty darn good:

SO - the big return to work will be bitter sweet in a week. I am excited to get back into the groove of working but sad to miss the sweet moments with X at home. Some of my favorite times with him are just as he's waking from a good nap...as seen here:

After a good 10 minute stretching session (don't we all need those in the mornings?), he's super happy and chills with me for a while...before he realizes he's hungry:

At 11 weeks, he's still coooing often...and even a bit on cue now....and he's holding his head up longer. He seems to hate the carseat less...and may even enjoy it at times. He's getting on a more regular schedule of eating, playing and napping. He seems to be able to see and focus in on things better and better each day. He smiles often and even laughs here and there. I guess it won't be long until he's trying to sit up by himself....geeze Louise!

Videos - happy baby

This morning X was in a good mood....just hanging out in his crib. I could hardly believe it. I turned on the Baby Einstein music thingy and started talking to him, and he started cooing and smiling. So I busted out one of his stuffed animals and tried to capture it. Obviously it's better in person, but this video does a decent job of showing off some of his new tricks. I'm still working on getting a peek-a-boo video....his cutest trick these days by far!

8 week update....almost

We are not technically up to 8 weeks yet, but I figured we are close enough to call it that!

XYZ is doing great, and I am still enjoying my time at home with him. Though, I must admit, some days are harder than others. I have to hand it to full-time stay-at-home moms....babies are a lot of work. They say 'it takes a village,' and man are they right!

Just Monday I woke up with a stomach bug. It wasn't terrible, and I probably could have survived the day alone, but Simon decided to just stay home with me instead. Man, what a lifesaver (aka - stress reliever!) Just having the extra hands around to hold X definitely helped me feel better.

Over the past couple of weeks we have:

• started to smile
• started to look at people/things more directly
• almost rolled over
• eaten an enormous amount :)
• slept for a couple of 5-6 hour stretches
• had some longer stretches of happy awake time

We have our 8-week check up next week, and I am curious to see how much he weighs. I hopped on the scale with him last week, and I guesstimate he's 13 something. Ca-razy!

We are headed to the beach this weekend to visit with Nanny one last time before I head back to work....for which I have mixed emotions. As one mom told me: 'you have to come back to work in order to rest.' I can believe that. I'm already fantasizing about going to the pumping room and just napping! 

Luckily his daycare is going to let us bring him in the week before I head back to work and do a couple of test runs with him. I will definitely take them up on this offer. They've already called twice just to check in on him (and I'm sure to make sure we're still coming), but so far, they all seem very sweet, so hopefully I won't have too much anxiety when I have to leave him there all day that first week.

Some photos from since our last update:

One of Simon's favorites: Alphabet Man...saving the world from bad spelling

 A gift from Allie to her 'Sweetie'

I think it's a real smile....

Our 1/2 Canadian snuggler...

6 Week Update

Well, we are six weeks into life with XYZ and still alive and well! Xander is getting bigger and bigger. I can't believe some women have to go back to work at this point. I mean, I'm just now getting comfortable with him at home and looking forward to our days together, so I can't imagine having to throw a new change into our routine already. I'm blessed to work for a company that not only has to honor FMLA, but a company that also provides me with a paycheck during the majority of that time.

X has had a big week this past week. Mamina has been in town from Canada, and we've been eating like champions! We've also done our fair share of shopping, walking and visiting with friends. Today we even got to Skype with our family in Dubai!

Speaking of birthdays....we were able to get out for my birthday a few weeks back. Lori and our faux mom-in-law tag-teamed babysitting for us. We were home by 9:30, but it was fun to get out with friends for the evening. I even had 2 whole glasses of wine....while over a 4-hour period....so I didn't pass out! :)

Our Christmas was fun too. Nanny and Mamina were in town, so X was barely set down. We spent most of our celebrating at Lori's house, but we did make it to the Erwins the Sunday before. Here we are:

 

 

  

With all this help around, I've finally ventured back to the road. I've gotten a couple of good 30-minute runs under my belt, which have been refreshing. It's nice to be able to push myself a little again. I know, I know, I'm not pushing myself too hard, and I am listening to my body, but it's been nice.

 

We have the luxury of having a babysitter (Mamina) in house for New Year's, so we will take advantage of our situation and head out to a little get together Monday night for that. I think we'll be able to make it to midnight....wish us luck!

 

 

Thankful Timing

While Simon and I can't take credit for planning the timing of XYZ's birth to be at such a perfect time of year, I am especially thankful for it. Here are some things I'm thankful for:

• it's dark when I want to go to bed these days....7-8 p.m.
• it's light when I need to be awake....5-6 a.m.
• we live in the South, and even though it's only 50 degrees, if you stand in the sun, it's almost 70!
• Simon gets multiple 'free' days off with the holidays
• my mom gets several 'free' days off too
• with the new calendar year, Simon's vacation time starts over in January, so he can stay home some if I need him
• extended family has time off too

XYZ had his first road trip yesterday with the Erwin clan. We headed to Columbia to visit Grandpa Manny and his Kelley cousins. He did great in the backseat with Lily and Allie...they make good babysitters already. Note the acute need for another male int this family (that's a lot of estrogen):

X especially enjoyed hanging with his youngest cousin...she's older and wiser, so she is teaching him a lot:

Simon's mom arrived last night, and she's already got dinner cooking on the stove (it's noonish as I type this)! I've been able to sleep until 8 a.m., go to the grocery store alone, AND she and Simon are out on a walk with X right now, but I'm not even tired enough to attempt a nap...I really don't know what to do! She's here for 12 days, so I'm sure by the end of the visit I will have figured out what to do with all this free time again.

4 Weeks Down

Well, I can hardly believe what I am typing....lil XYZ is 4 weeks old today. Was it really 4 whole weeks ago that I woke up and thought, "hmmm, did I just pee in my pjs?"

After watching the terrible news about what happened in Connecticut, I'm sure we're all hugging our babies a little tighter these days....and seriously considering home schooling even more than ever! (Wonder if I could get my sister's family to move to Charlotte for this....Kim, don't you want to hang with your two sisters EVERY DAY?)

Anywho....this is also my birthday weekend....and possibly the first birthday in 35 years where I haven't reminded people one month in advance that Dec. 16 is coming up! I suppose being totally consumed with another life will do that for you. I mean how could you think of your own birthday when this little guy is smiling at you?

 

 

The past 4 weeks have seen a lot of change already. XYZ is starting to get a little more regular...sleeping and pooing. Although once I think I have one sleep pattern figured out, he goes and changes it. Again, this whole 'child rearing' thing is definitely a team sport. The week had caught up with me yesterday, and by the time Simon was home from work, I was exhausted. Luckily, Simon is a champ, and I went to bed at 7 and got 7 whole hours of uninterrupted sleep.....CRAZY! I feel like a new woman this morning.

 

On a side note...I thought I'd share this hilarious photo of what our Sunday afternoons look like as I mention them often. We are hanging at the Erwin's house.....and no, that's not XYZ in my lap....he's been confiscated by his faux grandma. But I get my hair done by Lily, a warm lap from Charlene (the dog) and baby rearing lessons with the doll from Allie. Sundays are big days for the Zora family!

 

 

At home....Day 3 Alone

So today marks my third day home alone with X. As you can assume by the fact that I am typing this, we are doing well. We have had quite the adventure over the past two weeks.

Nanny was here for our first week home from the hospital, which was great. Simon and I could get up in the morning, eat something and then go back to bed knowing X was in good hands.

Then it was just me and Simon for week 2. Simon was off Monday through Wednesday, which ended up being fantastic since our plumbing decided to explode Monday! OK, it didn't really so much explode as overflow. I'm sure if I'd been home alone, I would have just called 911 and said "please send someone, anyone to come help me!" Luckily Simon was here and handled the situation.

Here are some photos from our first 2 weeks at home:

 

 

X and I spent the past weekend out with the "Ladies Who Lunch" - dinner Saturday night and stamping Sunday afternoon. He was a trooper for both outings. Hopefully he will continue to be a trooper, and I can continue to get out of the house at least once a day!