{ Five Months. Really! }

(Click here for last months picture)

Wow, it's so hard to believe our baby boy is already 5 months old! I know I say this every month but man oh man does the time just fly by. This time last year we were still wrapping our heads around the idea that we were pregnant and now we have a living breathing adorable baby boy who somehow manages to wriggle deeper and deeper into our hearts every day.

Lincoln is so full of personality.  Since he was little I've said that you never walk into the room and wonder if he is in there.  If he's happy he's laughing and cooing and babbling and if he's not happy he's definitely vocal about that too!  He's a very social little guy and happy to meet new people and faces.  He knows his name now and will (usually) turn toward you when you say it.

Lincoln is also a little giggler.  If you catch him in the right mood and do something funny you are rewarded with adorable little baby giggles.  It's pretty great :-)

He's started reaching for you when he wants you to pick him up.  When he looks at you with those big blue eyes and stretches his arms up there's no choice but to scoop him up.  His cuteness and charisma are just overwhelming and leaving him there just isn't an option.

Link has had a few bites of food.  We're waiting until he's closer to six months to really start solids so that his gut is more mature but he's charmed a few bites out of us here and there.  He just seems SO interested in eating.  Hopefully that means he'll be a good, non-picky lil eater. 

Breastfeeding is still going great; I just love nursing Lincoln.  It is our time to just relax and be close and I wouldn't trade it for the world.  He is getting more and more distracted when eating though and when he gets distracted he tends to bite.  With his two little teeth that has been, um, interesting.  I'm getting better at recognizing when he's not paying attention or losing interest though so it's improving.  Nursing in public had been going great since he was just a few weeks old but recently Lincoln has been on a hooter hider strike.  I think he hates being covered up where he can't see what's going on in the room.  I'm all about breastfeeding in public (I even nursed him as we walked through the corn maze!) but even I won't do it without covering up so we have nursed in the car a lot as well as giving him pumped milk in a bottle.  As long as he eats I'm happy, but it will be a sad day when he stops nursing.

My favorite time to nurse him is in the middle of the night.  It feels like there is no one else in the world while we rock and nurse.  He usually reaches up and strokes my face while he eats.  I like to think he's saying "You're my mom.  I love you and your face." 

He has a new favorite toy - Curious George.  My friend Emily sent it to Lincoln when he was first born and recently Lincoln has developed a certain affinity for him.  I think he likes George's little hands and feet - they are the perfect size and shape for chewing on.  I don't know how long Lincoln will continue to favor George but I can definitely see this being a long-term relationship.

Link is pretty amused by the simple things in life.  He loves boxes, coffee sleeves, drawstrings, leaves, wax paper, and envelopes.  I love watching him explore these everyday items, usually by chewing on them.  Though it can be a challenge to try to keep him from actually eating them.

We've been reading to Lincoln since he was just a few weeks old.  As best I can tell, he loves it.  He can be
a busy busy boy rolling all over and playing but when we lay down to read with him he seems to mellow out and just focus on the book and our voices.  I have always loved to read and I hope that by starting early we are fostering a love of books in him that will stick around for the rest of his life.

Although young, our son has developed musical tastes already.  Since he was just a few weeks old he has absolutely loved "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele.  I had her CD in my car shortly after he was born and we realized that whenever he was upset if we played this song he would immediately stop crying and be happy.  I don't know if it's her voice, the beat, the music, the extra noise, or perhaps some combination but something about that song just resonates with him and he calms right down.  It's just ridiculous how quickly it works.  Within about 15-20 seconds he can go from a full on tantrum to just chilling in his carseat.  That same CD is still in my car and while I actually really like Adele's music I am SO SICK of that song.  But hey, if I have to listen to one song over and over and over and over and over and over and over again at least it's one I used to and may again someday like.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Lincoln has started driving.  Boy this kid is growing up fast!  Seems like just a few months ago that we brought him home from the hospital.

Lincoln is just so much fun and such a joy to be around.  Overall he is a pretty easy going kiddo and we are so blessed by him each day.  We love our little buddy more than words can say!

{ Three Months }

(Click here for last month's picture)

I started this post back when Lincoln was actually turning three months old.  I figured I'd better come back to finish and post it now that he's almost four months old!

I can't believe it has already been three months since I first heard my baby boy's precious first cry.  Not all the cries since then have been so precious but oh how we love our Baby Lincoln.  He continues to astound and amaze us with of his new tricks and his ever evolving little personality.

He is laughing out loud now which might just be the cutest sound I've ever heard.  He cracks up at funny faces, espcially when you cross your eyes.  He loves it when you talk to him, too.  It doesn't matter what you say, but if your attention is focused on him he just eats it up.  He's starting to babble and try to talk back now too.  I'm sure we'll be having long philosophical discussions any day now ;-)

Play time is getting more and more fun as Lincoln has gotten mobile and is getting better at reaching and grabbing for his toys.  He can roll belly-to-back and back-to-belly and doesn't hesitate to use these new found skills to pursue his toys.  I like to put a little toy next to him when he's on his tummy and watch him try to figure out how to get it - sometimes he figures it out and rolls over to get it, other times he just gets frustrated and cries until Mama rescues him.

Bath time is getting to be more fun, too. Lincoln likes to check out the handsome baby in the mirror and try to get him wet with lots of splashing.  He usually succeeds.

Lincoln found his feet a few weeks ago and they just might be his new favorite toy.  He loves to hold onto his feet and toes - especially when he's being changed.  I think this is quite a helpful new skill/hobby.  The funny thing about this, though, is that if he is wearning footie jammies he seems to forget that his feet are there.  But once you take his legs and feet out of the jammies he happily reaches for his long lost toes.

Quite by accident we discovered a fun new game I like to call 'Tick Tock'.  I hold Lincoln at arms length in front of me and swing him side to side like a pendulum.   He lights up and gives me a big gummy grin every time.

When he turned 12 weeks old we decided it was time to start putting Lincoln to bed in his crib in his own room.  I knew it would be harder for me than it would be for him, but with my return to work looming in the very near future I knew it was best for all of us.  Plus I knew if I didn't bite the bullet and just do it I would have a teenager curling up in the bassinet next to our bed someday ;-)  Luckily the transition went well and he sleeps great in his crib!  I sleep better too which is of course a plus.

Nursing is still going great. There have been a few minor hiccups along the road (I don't reccommend getting a milk blister. Ever.), but breasfeeding is one of my favorite times with him. I'm really going to miss that during the day when I go back to work but I know it will be so nice to be able to come home and have that special time with him. Call me crazy but I'm actually looking forward to those middle of the night feeds when I sit in the rocking chair in his room, hold him close, and fill up his belly so that he can get back to sleep and dream about whatever it is 3 month olds dream about. (Milk? Toys? Boobs? Who knows...)

A few more random thoughts about this month that I don't want to forget:

We joke that we'll never know when Lincoln is teething because he is such a drooly and fussy boy. If he was more mobile he would leave a little trail of drool behind him (think Slimer from Ghost Busters).

His little fingernails grow so fast - I have to cut them at least once a week - but his little toenails grow so slowly. I have only had to cut them once so far - once! Babies are weird.

But they are oh so wonderful.

We love Lincoln more than we could ever have imagined. We can't wait to watch him learn and grow and change into a big boy but simultaneously we want time to stop so he'll stay little forever. Since we obviously can't do that we're trying to savor each day and soak up all of his adorable baby-ness while we can. He is just the best thing ever.

{ Little Fish }

We went swimming Labor Day weekend for the first time in several weeks and Lincoln was such a great little swimmer!  He was kicking his feet and having a ball.  The water was cold since the sun had already started setting but he didn't seem to mind a bit.  His love of the water has steadily increased over the summer.  He's definitely a water baby.  I'm sure he'll be doing backflips off the diving board in no time ;-)

Here is a video of Link swimming.  I tried to figure out how to trim it down to just the first 30 seconds or so but was unsuccessful so you get to enjoy the entire 2 minute cinematic masterpiece :-)  Lucky for you YouTube now lets you edit your videos!  Enjoy!

{ Did ya miss me? }

My mom says she has lots to post about but just hasn't had the time these last few weeks.  She went back to work and life's been a little hectic.

She's excited to tell you all about my baptism, what I've been up to now that I'm three months old, how much fun we had seeing hot air balloons and going swimming, and about my new friend Lillian.

Hopefully she'll get posting this weekend so you can all stay in the loop of my exciting life!

{ It's Official! }

Lincoln rolled over (tummy to back) for the first time almost two weeks ago (on July 28th).  I was SO excited I could hardly stand it.  I spent days and days trying to get him to replicate it, hoping it wasn't a fluke.  He didn't do it for about five or so more days but since then has been showing off pretty regularly.  I finally caught it on video yesterday.

Enjoy!

Oh, and last week I was trying to capture Lincoln rolling over (unfortunately he didn't want to participate) and Scout got a little jealous of his camera time.  This video cracks me up.

{ One Friend Two Friends Old Friend New Friend }

A few weeks ago Lincoln, Casey and I got the chance to meet up with an old friend of mine from nursing school and her husband.  They were in town for a few days and we're so glad they freed up a few hours for us so we could catch up a bit.  It had been over five years since Teresa and I had seen each other!    We all went out for a real Idaho treat - ice cream potatoes at Westside Drive In.  The dessert was fantastic and the company delightful.  It was great to see you, Wileys!

Then this past week Lincoln and I got together with my friend Teresa and her son Jefferson for lunch.  Lincoln is just a few weeks older than Jefferson and since they've known each other for months and months in utero we decided it was about time they met in person.  It was so nice to chat with another new mama and to introduce the boys.  Plus Bardenay has awesome food.  We sat the kiddos on our laps facing each other and they just stared at each other - it was so cute!  We're looking forward to our next meet up with Teresa and Jefferson =)

{ Sunday Funday }

It's been a great day!  Church, naps (for Mommy & Link), lunch with the Babendures, then swimming and dinner with my fam, bath time, and now snuggling with my sleeping boy.

Life is good =)



{ Roly Poly }

Lincoln had a great time chillin' at the gym today.  Right after I shot this video I flipped him over for tummy time and no more than 5 seconds later he rolled right back over!  I could hardly belive it - my baby rolled over!  I'm such a mom, I know, but I am just so excited and proud of my little guy.  Go Lincoln go!

{ Zoo }

Lincoln had his first outing to the zoo yesterday!  Grape Grandma has been wanting to take Lincoln to go see the butterfly exhibit at the zoo and the weather was just perfect for it yesterday.



Grape Grandma with The Bubs

Before hitting the butterfly display we wandered around the rest of the zoo.  Holy cow has it changed since I was a kid!!!  Not that it wasn't a nice zoo before but they've really outdone themselves over the last 20 years.  I was utterly impressed.  I can't wait until Lincoln is a little bit older and can enjoy it more.  Heck, I'm glad I have a kid now so that I have an excuse to visit more often.

The butterfly exhibit was just stunning.  There were hundreds and hundreds of butterflies fluttering around showing off their beautiful wings.  Poor Link pooped out and fell asleep just as we got there so he missed out on the show.  Hopefully he'll be able to stay awake long enough next time to catch the stunning display.

Thanks Grape Grandma for treating us to the zoo!  And thanks Grant Sessie and Katie for coming with us!

{ Growing Boy }

(Click here for last month's picture)

Has another whole month gone by already?!?  Seriously someone slow this train down, my baby is growing too fast!  He had his two month appointment last week (9 days early) and his doc says everything is looking great!  Lincoln is healthy, happy, and hitting all of his milestones.  He weighed 12lb 3oz (65th percentile) and was 23 7/8 inches long (95th percentile).  So he's a tall slender boy - he definitely didn't get that from my side of the family!  (He's so long that when he was only 5 weeks old we had to move the straps up to the next slot in his carseat.)  While he was at the doctor he got all his 2 month vaccines.  Our poor buddy didn't tolerate them very well.  The pokes themselves, of course, made him cry and then he just felt crummy the whole rest of the day.  He didn't eat for several hours (SO unlike my boy), had a fever, and was so irritable.  But both Lincoln and Mommy survived and he was back to his normal self by the next day.

Lincoln is growing and changing so much every day.  Mornings are when he is at his happiest.  Casey and I aren't sure how two night owls ended up a morning person but his little morning smiles, giggles and coos help to make our groggy mornings not only more bearable but actually enjoyable.

Lincoln is getting more and more verbal every week.  He babbles often and if he's really excited about something (usually a toy on his baby gym) he'll let out a squeal of delight.  It's so cute.  He has started batting at toys, too.  His movements are becoming intentional and more coordinated so he can entertain himself for quite awhile.  One of his favorite ways to use this new skill is to suck on his hands.  He's always loved having his hands up by his face and mouth but now that he has more coordination he loves trying to stuff as much of his little fist in his mouth as he can.  He's started rubbing his eyes when he's sleepy too.  The cuteness just doesn't end!

Tummy time still isn't Link's favorite activity but he's tolerating it for a little bit longer each day.  While in McCall we discovered that he loves looking at himself in the mirror, so we bought a full length mirror and put it horizontally against the living room wall and face him toward it for tummy time.  He likes this version of tummy time much better. I think he likes having a friend to do it with  =)

Lincoln is generally a happy kiddo for most of the day, but the one thing he hates is going to sleep.  He'll protest a little during the day before succumbing to a nap, but in the evening he puts up quite a fight.  (I think he doesn't want to miss out on all the fun he thinks we have without him.  Little does he know he is our new primary source of fun.)  We have tried all sorts of ways to calm him down and lull him to sleep but we've discovered that the best way to get him to sleep is to swing him in his carseat.  Casey has spent countless hours swinging that stubborn boy back and forth back and forth until he finally gives in and goes to sleep.  It's pretty much the exact same motion as his swing but with more gusto.  We decided we need an industrial swing =)   But until someone invents one Casey's getting a nightly workout.  Once Lincoln is finally asleep for the evening he does great the rest of the night.  He'll usually wake up after a 4-7 hour stretch to nurse and then goes right back to sleep.  I'd far rather have a fussy baby all evening and get some good solid sleep than to have a happy baby in the evening and be woken up multiple times at night.

Bath time is getting to be more fun now that we can use his baby tub.   Lincoln's umbilical cord stump took FOREVER to fall off so we sponge bathed him for weeks and weeks.  The first several times we bathed him in his little whale tub he cried but we've progressed to tolerance and now occasional enjoyment.  I'm hoping for full on squealing and giggling in the coming months.

Breastfeeding is still going really well.  Lincoln loves to eat and I love that I can provide him with everything he needs,  I love having that time to bond with him throughout the day, too.  I was really looking forward to breastfeeding when I was pregnant and now I know why.  It is simply one of the most amazing experiences ever.

We are just loving life with our lil guy and are pretty much in constant wonder of this little person that has come into our life.  He is just the best thing ever.

{ Oompa Loompa }

I'm still working on finishing up the posts on McCall and camping so I thought I'd tide you over with this litte gem:

{ Smiley Boy }

{ Water Baby }

We took Lincoln to the pool for the first time this week.  I thought it would be fun to see what he thought of the water and he has these adorable little trunks and swim shirt I've been dying to put him in.  Oh, and some adorable little red sunglasses.  He actually did great splashing around and enjoying the water from my lap.  (Although in the only pictures we captured he was screaming his head off.  He did get happier with his toes in the water, I promise.)  We held him up and dipped his little feets in the water and he didn't seem to mind.  But oh how he HATED those red sunglasses.  I think he didn't like that they made the world dark and/or having that strap around his head.  But he looked so cute in them so of course we left them on long enough to snap a few pictures.  Poor kiddo.  I'm hoping he likes the water and his shades a little more next year...

Other random updates:

Lincoln has slept 6 hours straight for 5 of the last 7 nights.  What a good boy!  Mommy and Daddy love this!  The other nights he slept at least 3-4 hours.  Wohoo! 

He has started crying real tears when he cries. It makes his wails so much more pathetic!  I hate it when he's sad  =(


From birth Lincoln has sneezed two or three or four times in a row. I had never heard him sneeze only once. This past week he has had a few solo sneezes. Not particularly exciting I know, but it's something new and I don't want to forget about those cute little sneezing fits he had when he was little.

I'm proud of myself that in Lincoln's first month of life I managed to read an entire non-baby related book and made a festive patriotic shirt for Lincoln for the Fourth of July.  Go me!