it's been sooooo long.

I can't believe I've been so slack about posting. Penn is now 14 weeks and changing everyday. He is growing so fast and he is sooooo much fun. We are loving interacting with him. He makes me smile everyday when he smiles at me! He has the cutest cackle and grins everytime he sees me. He follows David and I with his eyes whenever we move around the house. He does not miss a beat and wants to be a part of everything.

So I can say with great joy that the 3 month mark has passed and I have a happy baby! Everyone says the first 3 months are the hardest and boy are they right. We have gotten on a great routine and Penn is just a happy baby now.  I will say that last week we started on sleep training. It has not been easy, but it needed to be done. Penn was used to be held to fall asleep and was completely unable to put himself back to sleep. I did lots of reading and talking to friends and decided we were ready! I started with naptime because that was where we were having the hardest time. Penn's naps lasted no longer than 30 min unless he was sleeping on someone or in the stroller. I mean you could set a clock to the minute. Needless to say he was waking up still tired and fussy. My goal was and still is to leave him in the crib for at least 1hr and 15 min for each nap period. I can say that as of today his naps are at least 1 hr and some have been 2 hrs!! YAY!!! He is also falling asleep within minutes if not seconds of being put in the crib awake. I am so proud of him! After I felt good about naps and falling asleep I decided to start with nighttime. Penn had a habit (probably my fault) of waking up between 2:30 and 3:30. I used to give him the pacy and then I was feeding him. I had trained him to wake up. Last night was the first night he slept through on his own. I did not go in his room at all. He can totally put himself back to sleep with a little help from his thumb. I know I may regret it later, but at least he can get back to sleep without my assistance. Things aren't perfected, but can you really ever say that they are. I know just as soon as it gets good, he'll start teething!

2 months old!!

I have been such a slacker!! The last month has been so fun with Penn, but also really difficult! Penn was finally started on Prevacid for his reflux and we switched him to Alimentum (hypoallergenic) formula and he is doing much better now! I am so thankful that he no longer is in pain. Now we are just working on breaking some habits that were formed. Since Penn screamed so much in pain we held him all day long and bounced, walked, rocked and anything else you can think of to calm him down so now that is all he wants to do. He has a hard time putting himself to sleep during the day and only likes to cat nap which makes for a fussy baby! I'm determined to get his naps better this week, so keep me in your prayers.

Penn is a whopping 12 lbs. 12 oz.! That's right, he is a big boy. We are really having fun watching him grow and discover new things. He loves to play on his playmat or swing in the swing. He talks and laughs and coos at the lights and toys on his mat and when he gets excited he kicks his legs and rolls side to side. So much fun!! My favorite time is early in the morning when he wakes up! He is so happy in the mornings and gives me the biggest smiles.

On the other hand, he has got the bottom lip figured out. He can stick that lip out so far and it is the cutest thing in the world. I have got to get a picture of it.

We also have fun with our neighbors Lauren and Lilly who come to play quite often. Lilly is 6 weeks older than Penn and she is just adorable!

6 weeks old

Time is flying!! The last week has been full of first for Penn. As of last friday night he started sleeping in his crib and has been doing great! We have also been working on getting his reflux under control. Penn has been on Zantac for 1 week today and seems to be doing much better. His days are getting on a better sleep/wake schedule and we are getting a bedtime routine started. I'm so glad my little man is feeling better. There's no worse feeling in the world than seeing him upset and not being able to help him.

Hanging with Dad before bed

sleeping in his crib for the first time

I was finally able to get Penn out this week all by myself. This is a big deal. I have had major anxiety about him screaming the whole time, which before the reflux meds it was the reality. He did such a good job letting me run errands.

Some of my favorite time with him is out on our stroller rides in the mornings. He is such a happy baby in the morning and I love just talking and singing to him on our walks. Everyday is getting better and better and he is such a joy in our lives.

5 weeks

So, I have to be honest, the last few weeks have been pretty long. The frustration of not knowing what has been going on with Penn has definitely been overwhelming at times. In the last week we have changed his formula to a soy base vs. milk based and I thought it was helping, but then he is still fussy most of the day. Thankfully our nights are pretty good, but the days are full of fussiness. You know it's bad when you go to the Pediatrician's office and the triage nurse that answers the phone says this must be Penn. I think I have called everyday for the last few weeks and if you think that's bad, I have called my mom 5 times more. Our trip to the dr. this morning did come with some sort of a diagnosis though, good or bad. Penn has reflux. No wonder he's been so fussy. He does not have good sleep patterns throughout the day and has tons of congestion which are both signs of reflux. We have a rx med to start asap so please pray that he will have some relief. I hate to know that he has been in so much pain over the last few weeks and I didn't know what it was. Being a mom is such a struggle of knowing what to do and trial and error.
While there have been many trying times, when he is content and happy it makes every moment worth it. He has the cutest, biggest smile and makes the best cooing sounds in the world. I just love when he looks at me and smiles, it's the best feeling in the whole world. Also, while we think he has reflux and most reflux babies don't gain weight, he is the complete opposite. Thankfully, this boy is growing like a weed, so at least I know he is getting nourishment. At 5 weeks old today he weighs 9lb 12 oz!!

4 weeks old!!

One month ago today, the sweetest baby boy changed my life forever!! I can't believe it's been a month already. We are having so much fun and Penn is really starting to be alert and notice his surroundings. He loves his swing and watches the butterflies go round and round. He is starting to make noises and give us a little smile when we read to him or play with him. He is also really growing. I wish I knew how much he weighs but he is officially out of his newborn clothes this week and some of his 0-3 months are too short. He's going to be tall like his daddy.

1st Mother's Day

What a blessing to know the joy of being a mother. Waking up Sunday morning and thinking about how my life has changed over the last few weeks was overwhelming. Not to mention to make this day even more special Penn was dedicated at church on Mother's Day. We are so thankful for the gift of this little angel in our lives.
Gigi, Papa, Mimi, Bill, Aunt Anna and Great Grandmother Hot were all there for his dedication and to spend the afternoon celebrating. Like any new crazy mother, I forgot to charge the battery on my camera and didn't realize it until we were on our way to church. So the pics I have are from afterwards, but I do have a video of his dedication.

Our new family!!

Gigi Love!!

Papa Love

Bill and Mimi

3 weeks old

We've made it to 3 weeks and each day is full of new surprises. We are learning so much about this little guy and just praying for each day. I have found my patience tested this week, with lack of sleep and going crazy stuck inside this house. Luckily I have amazing family that has helped me so much.
Penn is starting to make cute little noises and really being so alert to his surroundings. Our days are full of reading books, scooting on the floor, changing diapers and eating. We did manage to go for our first stroller ride today. It was so nice to get out and he slept the whole time. I'm hoping this is a good sign that he will like his stroller and my long walks.
Please continue to pray for us as we are both adjusting. God has been so good and blessed us with such an amazing little boy!!