November 29, 2008

Babylegs!!


Recently I discovered a product called Babylegs and I instantly fell in love!! I bought them from a fun website I found called http://www.babysnazz.com/ and tried them out for the first time today. They are basically leg warmers for babies and one size fits most. They come in tons of different colors and patterns and are easy to put on and take off. They fit better than pants because they're fitted and, unlike pants, you don't have to take them off during diaper changes so baby's legs stay warm! They are also good for layering in the winter and they will be great for protecting Austin's knees when he starts to crawl around. They can also be used on the arms and will stretch as baby grows. I love them because now I can put Austin in all those cute onesies we have and I can put them on and take them off as the temperature changes.

Here's a picture of Austin modeling his new babylegs! He seems to like them too. :)

Any moms out there looking to try babylegs, visit http://www.babysnazz.com/contest/ to register to win 20 free pair!

Clemson v. PC












On Friday we went back to Clemson for another basketball game. Once again, Austin did very well! He was awake for most of the game and just sat back enjoyed the scenery. Luckily the weather was nice and it wasn't too cold so the whole experience was really great. It also helped that Clemson won the game!!

November 28, 2008

Over the river and through the woods....


...to Grandmama's house we go!

Baby's 1st Thanksgiving



For Thanksgiving this year we traveled to Columbia to visit with my family at my parent's house. Austin did great on the ride down to Columbia and on the way back. While everyone was eating, Grandma Susan couldn't stand to leave his side and entertained Austin in the living room. I had to go steal him away so that she would go sit down and enjoy all the great food she made!!

Aunt Catherine also enjoyed seeing Austin again. She was excited to get to feed him a bottle and was shocked at how quickly he can down 5 ozs. of breastmilk!!! She also had fun playing with him and they made faces at each other and really enjoyed their bonding time.


Austin really enjoyed all the attention from his family and finally pooped out in my Aunt's arms late afternoon and barely budged for over 2 hours!! She just held him and let him sleep on her because he just looked so comfortable.


We ended our Thanksgiving with quick stop at Grandpa Harris' where once again he was loved on and entertained by all his admirers! Austin really was the hit of the day and once again we were reminded that we are so very lucky to have such a great, easy-going baby!!!

...and this is what Ryan did Thanksgiving evening.... :)

Update on my little chunker!!

Ok, so everyone has been commenting on how big Austin is and Ryan and I have both noticed that he has really started to fill out lately. I know I just weighed him less than 2 weeks ago, but we decided to weigh him again today just to see if he had gained much. Well...to our surprise, little Austin now weighs 12 lbs. 5 oz.!!!! He's gained almost 3 lbs. in about 2 weeks! This now puts him in the 75-90th percentile for weight at his age.

We think that our little guy just had his 6 week growth spurt, which probably accounts for the weight gain, because he has been a great little eater lately and wanting to eat more often. Things will probably start to even out over the next few weeks, but I'm just glad to know that we have a healthy little boy on our hands! :)

November 26, 2008

My little chunker! :)




I think Austin's finally catching up in the weight percentiles. Take a look at my cute little chunk!! :) Don't you just want to eat those little cheeks!

When you're smilin'...

This week Austin started smiling for the first time! He started on Monday just raising the corners of his mouth a little when I was talking to him, but that night Ryan claimed he gave him a real smile. I didn't get to see him do it, but later on when I was holding him I finally saw him smile at me! Now it wasn't a real big gummy smile, but enough to melt my heart and let me know that he recognizes me.

I can't wait to get a picture of a big baby Austin smile...we've been trying every day and hope to post a picture soon!

November 21, 2008

Read This

The Hygiene Hypothesis: Are Cleanlier Lifestyles Causing More Allergies For Kids?

While staying germ-free can prevent the spread of disease and infections, leading a cleanlier lifestyle may be responsible for an increase in allergies among children.

“It’s called the hygiene hypothesis,” says Marc McMorris, M.D., a pediatric allergist at the University of Michigan Health System. “We’ve developed a cleanlier lifestyle, and our bodies no longer need to fight germs as much as they did in the past. As a result, the immune system has shifted away from fighting infection to developing more allergic tendencies.”

The body’s immune system is designed to fight infection (bacterial, viral and parasites), but also recognizes foreign substances as allergens.

With the advent of vaccines, however, the immune system is no longer taxed with fighting off life-threatening diseases such as polio and measles. And thanks to antibiotics, the immune system is no longer burdened to the extent it was in the past, with fighting common bacterial infections.

Even our homes have changed how our immune system functions. Air tight doors and windows – designed to save energy – have created an increased concentration of indoor allergens.
Plus, McMorris says, today’s family is smaller, which lessens children’s exposure to germs and infections. Families with three or more children – a more common family dynamic 20 or 30 years ago – tend to have fewer allergies because more children mean more germs and greater exposure to bacteria and viruses.

“The natural immune system does not have as much to do as it did 50 years ago because we’ve increased our efforts to protect our children from dirt and germs,” says McMorris.

“Allergies are on the rise because our society has changed the way we live. As a result, people with allergies are having children with others who have allergies, which in turn creates a natural increase in the prevalence of allergies in our society.”

Allergies are a reaction by the body's immune system to foreign substances – pollen, mold, animal dander, dust and dust mites, insect stings and certain foods – that it deems harmful.

So, is there a way to find a balance in our super clean world?
According to McMorris, finding a balance between healthy living and clean living may be a challenge.

“We all try to do our best with our children,” he notes. “We certainly should not step back in time and stop immunizing our children against deadly diseases. But we should use more common sense. While we should keep our houses clean, we need to be diligent about changing our furnace filters and keeping allergens like mold out of attics and basements.”

Ultimately, McMorris advises parents to just let kids be kids. Let them play outside and with friends, and don’t worry about them coming into contact with dirt and germs – but always be cautious with children with life-threatening food allergies, he cautions.

Other good articles:
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002421.html
http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_section_details.asp?text_id=3441&channel_id=145&relation_id=25921

November 20, 2008

Baby's 1st Basketball Game!












Last night we took Austin to Clemson for his 1st basketball game! He slept through the first half and woke up a little for the second. He did great and didn't start fussing until we got in the car to go home. We were a little more cramped than usual and Ryan had to restrict his loud cheering and clapping...but we did pretty well overall and had a great time! The game was also great because Clemson played very well and beat Wofford 93-40!! We'll probably take him back to the game next Friday when Clemson plays PC. :)

November 19, 2008

Austin the dalmation!

Smiling or just gas?


Update on the sleep

It seems that once I'd reached my wits end with regards to getting Austin to sleep, things turned around almost immediately and he's been sleeping like a champ! (knock on wood!!) For the past week Austin has been sleeping at least 3 and sometimes 4 hours at a time during the night and he goes down with hardly any fuss! I started feeding him about 4.5 oz. before bedtime to make sure his tummy is nice and full, then I make sure he burps and I sit him upright in my arms for about 10 minutes to make sure his meal settles and he doesn't have problems spitting up. I feed him in our bedroom while sitting up in our bed and keep it nice and dim and play his lullaby CD to help calm him down. When it's time to put him in his crib I give him his pacifier and lay him down gently. I also turn on a noisemaker that simulates a heartbeat sound and put it beside his crib.

Sometimes he's still awake when I lay him down or he wakes up when I move him, but once I turn the lamp out and as long as the CD is still playing he will usually settle down on his own and drift off to sleep! Sometimes his pacifier falls out and he'll start to whine a little bit, but a lot of times if I leave him to whine for about 5 minutes he will eventually calm down on his own. Other times I just have to pop it back in his mouth and he's happy and calm again and goes right to sleep!

I think he's finally getting use to being out in the world and away from the womb. I can only hope this good sleeping trend lasts through the toddler years!

November 18, 2008

Infringer's Win!


Tonight Ryan and his softball team, the Infringers, won the championship after fighting their way back from the losers bracket. They played three games in a row tonight and won them all to take home the winning trophy!! Congratulations guys, y'all deserve it!

Visit from the Vance's





Whitney & Travis came to Greenville today and while Travis was out helping Ryan and his softball team play in the championship game, Whitney and I hung out and played with Austin and Lucy! We went to dinner at McAlister's and Austin got fussy for the first time while out in public. Luckily the restaurant was pretty empty and I was able to soothe my little guy before things got out of hand. We really enjoyed our visit from the Vances and can't wait to see them again!

November 17, 2008

Lunch with the babies & Bondurants!












Today we met up with Stefania and Charley for lunch downtown and brought our sleepy little bundles to show off! I think we're already talking about an arranged marriage between Austin & Sofia, too bad neither could open their eyes long enough to get a glimpse of their future spouse! :)

November 15, 2008

Happy 1 month birthday, Austin!












Austin turned 1 month old today and there was no better way to spend his 1 month birthday than with Aunt Keri and Jessica! They drove up from Columbia to come visit and spend time with me and Austin. We went to lunch downtown and Austin was wonderful, as usual! Aunt Keri even seemed to get a bit of baby fever and held him all afternoon and even volunteered to change his diaper, twice!! :) We really enjoyed their visit and Austin and I both got pouty when they had to leave! :)

November 14, 2008

Our growing boy

With Austin turning 1 month old tomorrow I decided to try and weigh and measure him to see how much he's grown in the past month. At birth he was 18 inches and 7lbs. 9oz. and at his 2 week visit he was 21 inches and 8lbs. 7 oz. (we think they measured him wrong at the hospital, how does a baby grow 2 inches in a few days?!) Well, today he measured 22 inches and was 9lbs. 6oz. This means that his length is in the 50-75th percentile and his weight is in the 25-50th percentile. For anyone who doesn't understand percentiles, if Austin was in the 25th percentile for weight, for instance, it means that he weighs as much as or more than 25% of babys who are 1 month old.

I can't wait to see the professional stats and hear what the Dr. says when we go back to the pediatrician in December!

November 13, 2008

Tummy Time!



Tummy time is important for babies because it helps them strengthen their neck muscles and learn to support their head better. Austin loves his tummy time, as you can see, but sometimes he just likes to use his boppy as a pillow! :)

November 12, 2008

Baby tears

Austin cried his first real tears this morning. It's so much harder on me to see him cry now that he is starting to cry real tears, so we both ended up crying tears together!

Austin is 4 weeks old today!

Austin only minutes old!

Wow! I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks!! I feel like he just got here yesterday, but at the same time I feel like he's been here forever! Yeah, that doesn't make any sense, I know...I just can't picture my life anymore without him! He really has made my days happier and eventhough my life has become much more complicated, I actually feel less stressed out now than before! If I'm ever having a bad day I just have to look at him and all my worries just melt away. He really is such a special boy and an amazing blessing from God!!

Austin 4 weeks old!

November 11, 2008

The "honeymoon" is over!

Just when I thought we were on a schedule and that Austin was going to be one of those wonderful babies who started sleeping through the night by a month old...I was proven wrong!! Just in the past several days or so we have been really struggling with bedtime. We can't keep him awake during the day and at night he's ready to take on the world! It really started getting worse this weekend and luckily I had Ryan to help out so we could both at least get a few hours of sleep. However, Sunday night Austin was determined to watch the sunrise and it's gotten so bad that Ryan has had to move upstairs to the guest bedroom in order to get some sleep so he can be rested and prepared for a long week at work.

We've tried everything we can think of to get Austin to sleep at night and even attempted the Ferber method of just letting him "cry it out" with occasional soothing. We've tried side and belly sleeping, which work to an extent except for the fact that belly sleeping is the #1 cause of SIDS and I just don't feel comfortable letting him sleep all night like that. He likes his side too, but eventually he rolls over onto his belly or back, so that is short-lived. I've even tried giving him a relaxing bath and baby massage before bedtime but it seemed to wake him up even more! The pacifier helps soothe him to sleep, but when he starts to drift off, it falls out of his mouth and he whines until I get up and pop it back in...of course then it falls out again 5 minutes later and the cycle is repeated. Last night, I fed him, read Goodnight Moon (twice) and turned on some soothing lullabies. He drifted off to sleep in my arms quickly, but an attempt to move him to his crib woke him up and we had to start over again.

He's not really a fussy baby so I don't think it's gas or colic. When he does cry we can soothe him pretty easily by holding him, changing him or giving him the pacifier. If I could stay up all night and hold him and pop in that passy every time it falls out, we'd be great...but I'm running on fumes right now and need some relief!! Does anyone have any suggestions or tried and true methods on getting a newborn to fall asleep at night? I just ordered a book from Amazon.com called "The No-Cry Sleep Solution"and I hope it comes in soon. I didn't think I'd have to resort to parenting books, but I'm desperate and need some advice. :)

November 8, 2008

Nap time!


Isn't he just too adoreable!!

Baby's Outing

On Thursday, Austin and I decided to go out and run some errands, just the two of us. We went to PetSmart first to get some food and toys for the other 3 babies at home. I had to use the stroller for the first time by myself and surprisingly it was easier than I could have imagined. I can't say enough about our amazing stroller and car seat combo by Maxi Cosi and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone out there looking for one!! Austin was great in PetSmart as I strolled him around the store all cozy in his car seat. We were only in there for a few minutes and actually ran into a woman strolling around her 6 month old twins. I was thinking to myself the whole time, "thank God we only had 1!"

After PetSmart we went to Publix for a little grocery shopping. We were just about out of food at the house because we hadn't done any grocery shopping since before Austin was born and we were all in need of a nice, hot, homecooked meal. Since I couldn't use the stroller at the grocery store and the carrier took up all the room in the shopping cart, I decided to try out the Baby Bjorn for the first time. Austin is just big enough now to fit in it and we tried it out at the house for awhile to make sure he didn't mind it. Again, it was a lot easier to manage than I thought it would be and he seemed pretty content all strapped in. The only problem we encountered was that my shirt kept getting pulled down by the weight of the carrier and with my "well-endowed" chest, poor Austin's head kept getting caught between my cleavage. I had to keep leaning forward and supporting his head with my hand to make sure he didn't suffocate in my chest! I guess I learned that in the future I need to wear tighter and higher cut tops when sporting the Baby Bjorn!

Grocery shopping was a little more difficult than the PetSmart trip and I felt anxious the entire time and terrified he was going to start screaming before I made it to the checkout line. The good thing about shopping at Publix is that their staff is always so nice and helpful!! They unloaded my cart and took my groceries to the car for me and were even happy to do so! I actually prefer Bi-Lo, but I always had to bag my own groceries there because they were always understaffed. Of course, this wasn't a big deal pre-baby!

Overall our outing went well, but of course I was stressed out the entire time and felt like our little 2 hour trip had lasted the entire day! I certainly took for granted how easy it was to get up and go before. I think from now on I may save the big grocery shopping trips to the weekends when dad is home to babysit!

November 5, 2008

Milestone!

This morning when Austin woke up I put him in the bed with me so I could feed him and we cuddle for a few minutes before we started our day. After his meal it didn't take long for him to spit up all over his outfit which made him pretty mad. I changed his clothes and we laid in bed for a few moments but he still didn't calm down. So, I leaned over him and started singing, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey..." He quieted down almost immediately and started moving his head around and looking for me. We finally made some eye contact (or as much eye contact you can hope for from a 3 week old) and I think he almost smiled (or maybe just passed some gas). Either way, it seems as if he can recognize my voice and at least to a certain extent, it soothes him. I never thought my singing could soothe anyone, but at least it will be several years before he recognizes that mommy is tone deaf!

November 3, 2008

Good color?

Today Austin and I went out together for the 1st time by ourselves. We went to Publix to pick up a few things and then to Subway for lunch. (Ohhh how I missed Subway when I was pregnant!!!) He was a great little boy and barely made a peep the entire time. I was so nervous that he was going to have a fit while in Publix or I wasn't going to be able to get the car seat in or out by myself. Luckily everything went smoothly, but it was definitely a bit tougher than before.

Anyway, while at Publix I had several women come up and talk to me and admire Austin and ask questions and they all said that he had "great color." I've also heard other people comment on his color in many of his pictures. This made me wonder...what exactly does it mean to have "great color?" What color are most newborns? What would be bad color? Can anyone explain this to me???

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