Five months old :)

My sweet little dude,

Lately it seems that I blink my eyes and a week has flown by - the time is just going so fast and your fifth month was no exception - especially with the holidays and mommy's work and photography. You seem to learn something new every day now - you are "talking" up a storm - you don't make any sense most of the time but you love to sit and babble to your toys or daddy or I - you know how to raise your voice as well when you want something and don't think we are getting it or doing it fast enough :P You love to chew on anything you can get your hands on - especially your keys and love to watch tv in your swing in the living room and poker in bed with daddy. Daddy claims the voices on the poker shows are soothing to you :P

Thank you for all of the happiness you bring to our lives - we both love you so much and love to see you smile and laugh and learn and grow.

Love,

Mommy

Here is your five month bear pic (4 month on top, 5 month on bottom):

Four Months Old :)

Little mister,

Mommy didn't get a chance to write to you on your actual birthday and now the details of the month are kind of fuzzy but I do know that the biggest change for you this month was that mommy went back to work and you started spending every day with daddy. I was a little nervous about leaving you since you don't always eat well from a bottle but you did a great job and hardly gave daddy a hard time. At your 4 month check up you weighed 16 lbs 10 oz and were 26 inches tall - you're a big boy! You did a little better with your shots this time - I think they're much harder on mommy and daddy than they are on you.

It is so much fun watching you grow and learn new things - daddy and I love you so much.

-Mommy

Here's your 4 month bear pic (3 month on top, 4 month on bottom):

Three months old :)

My little love bug,

It is true what they say, "the days are long but the years are short" - I can hardly believe how quickly three months have flown by, especially when some of the nights seem to last for eternity when you wake up every hour or two! For the most part you have settled into a better sleep routine - I give you a bath around 8:30 and then feed you and you fall asleep around 9:30 or so. Sometimes you will sleep all the way until 6:00 and other times you wake up sometime in the middle - around 2:00 or 3:00. Either way I am happy that you have stopped waking up every few hours like you were in the past :)

You are just the sweetest little guy - always smiling when daddy or I walk in the room. You have gotten used to your bouncy seat and will sit in there for quite awhile if you have a full belly and just talk away or suck on your fist. You have started showing an interest in some of your toys as well, especially your plastic keys and can pick them up out of your lap and get them to your mouth. Your hand eye coordination is developing nicely and I'm hoping your toys will entertain you more in the coming months. You also love your little green security blanket from Aunt Rhonda - you finger the fabric and try to stuff the whole thing in your mouth. You have gotten used to being in your car seat as well and will even fall asleep most car rides. You go out running errands with mommy quite frequently and do very well - you even seem to enjoy Target as you always wake up when I put your seat in the cart :) You are wearing 9 month clothes now - you have grown so quickly! I can hardly believe you were a tiny newborn just three months ago.

My favorite thing that you have learned this month is how to laugh. You just think your daddy is the funniest guy around - you lay on your changing table and laugh and smile away while he talks to you - it is the cutest thing I have ever seen or heard. I will be going back to work very soon and will miss you so much - I have gotten used to spending my days with you and watching you grow and learn. Luckily daddy has secured a job that will allow him to stay home with you. I must admit I am a bit jealous of the bond that you will surely grow with him however I feel so blessed that you will be in such good care and I won't worry as much about you while I am gone. You have certainly turned our lives upside down little guy in a good way - I am so happy being your mommy.

Here are a couple of pictures taken on your three month birthday . . .



and of course your bear pic:


Two month pic on top, three month on bottom :)

Two months old :)

My sweet boy,

Yet another month has flown by and you have grown and changed so much in the past few weeks. At your two month well check you weighed 13 lbs 10 oz and were 23 3/4 inches - a big boy! You also had your first set of shots which of course you hated. You calmed down very quickly after the injections but had a hard time the rest of the evening and the next day. This is something I will dread every time - it just hurts my heart so much to see you in any pain. We struggled a bit with your tummy this month but the doctor prescribed Prevacid and you seem to be responding very well to it - I'm hoping you don't grow up to have mommy's sensitive belly. You are such a strong boy - you can hold your neck up steady for quite a long time - even your doctor commented on that. You are also started to push up with your legs while we are holding you almost as if you are trying to stand up already! You have found your voice and will lay on your changing table "talking" up a storm - it is the cutest thing I have ever heard. You love watching the movement and colors on the tv and you definetly recognize voices as you perk up as soon as you hear your daddy or I talking. You smile in response to us as well :) You track very well - following objects placed in your line of sight or me or daddy if we are close to you in a room. You are becoming a much better sleeper - waking up only once or twice a night now to eat. I am so amazed at all you have learned in just a few short weeks - I can't wait to see what developments the next month brings. While I can't wait until you are big enough to interact with us more, a part of me wants to bottle you up just as you are - you are just growing way too fast.

You had quite an eventful month - you were baptized the day after your one month birthday, spent a week getting to know your cousin Abigail while your grandpa was baby-sitting her for the week, got a new tummy time play mat that you love, attended the wedding of a friend of mommy and the 60th wedding anniversary dinner of great grandpa and grandma Lanoye, met baby Abigail and baby Blake who will hopefully become playmates of yours, took your first trip to the lake and first trip to the beach (although you didn't even make it to the sand at either place :P), took a trip to San Clemente to meet some good friends of mommys and then on to San Diego to spend a week with daddy while he was working, and of course had lots of little photo shoots with mommy :) You spent lots of your days with your abuelita and she finally had to go home on your two month birthday - I know you will both miss each other very much.

In two months you have changed our lives immensely - I can't even remember what my life was like before you and I don't want to. I love you more than I ever imagined it was possible to love someone . . .

Mommy

Here are a couple pics that were taken on your two month birthday . . .




and a comparison of your one and two month pics with your bear - you are much chunkier now :)

One month old :)

My dearest Christian,

I can hardly believe a month has flown by since we first held you in our arms. We waited nine long months to meet you and boy were you worth the wait. Your daddy and I both love you so much and have so many hopes and dreams for you - most importantly that you are always happy and healthy. You are a good baby, rarely crying unless you are hungry or tired. You aren't on much of a schedule yet - you sleep most of the day and wake up two or three times at night to eat. I have noticed that you are awake for longer periods between feedings during the day though and shorter periods after your nightime feedings. You are almost ten pounds already and have grown three inches since birth - you have outgrown all of your newborn clothes and some of your 0-3 month. You are drinking 3-4 ounces of milk every 2-3 hours. Seems like you are always hungry but I know you're just a growing boy :)

You spend your awake hours staring at your abuelita as she talks and sings to you in spanish - she's so in love with you as well and would hold you 24 hours a day if she didn't have to sleep. You spend the evenings alternating between rocking with Grandma Janet or sitting propped up on Grandpa's knees and love laying in bed with daddy when he gets home from work. You are starting to coo a bit, especially while you're getting your diaper changed which you are finally getting used to - you cried during most diaper and clothing changes up until recently. You are also starting to smile a bit and have the most adorable dimple in your cheek. You are a great sport while mommy takes your picture three or four times a week. You are such a strong little guy already - holding your head up steady for 10-20 seconds while on your belly on the boppy - tummy time should be a breeze for you.

You are growing and changing so much every day. I can't wait to see your little personality unfold.

Love,

Mommy

A couple of pics taken on your month birthday :)


With your soccer ball from cousin Brian - he thinks you have great potential :)

Your one month pic with your bear - I'll take one every month to show your growth!

The best birthday present :)

I'm way behind on posting since the little guy is already a month old but I'm determined to post in order and haven't had time to go back and catch up on all of my pics until now. Just two days after we brought Christian home from the hospital it was Joe's birthday! We went to dinner with my family and then had cake for him back at the house - I felt bad that we didn't do more, like he got kind of ripped off this year because we were so busy with the baby - Christian and I will have to make it up to him next year with an extra special celebration :)



A pic from earlier that same day - I love his eyes here :)