Five Months...

How is time flying by so fast?! I know I say it in every month's post, but I truly feel like Watson is changing so much every day. He is at such a fun age - we love watching his sweet little personality bloom more and more each day. He is an incredibly content, happy, and easy baby - we are truly blessed beyond measure.

We did not have a 5 month appointment, so we do not have W's weight and height for this month.
Size diaper: 2
Size clothes: 6 months (some 6-9 months)
Eating: 6oz 4 times a day, sometimes 7oz. We have started adding some rice cereal to his bottle since spoon feeding it did not go over so well with his little tummy. We are going to start that back up this month, though, so that he can be ready for actual baby food at 6 months.
Sleeping: 11-12 hours at night. Napping two times a day, about 1-2 hours each. He almost always falls asleep in the early evening before his nighttime bottle as well, but I wouldn't exactly call this a full nap..maybe a cat nap :)

To say that we have an active baby is quite the understatement! This boy LOVES to roll all over the floor and scoot himself around. If one of his toys is out of his reach, he is bound and determined to get to it...and always manages to do so! He almost always rolls immediately to his tummy when you lay him on the floor, but the past week or so he has found his feet and decided that he loves having a built in paci. Not his thumb, as you would think...but his toes. Yes, his toes. He is trying so hard to sit up on his own. If he is in his swing, bouncy, car seat...anything that has him in a reclining position, he tries so hard to sit up. Graham and I always joke about how strong his little abs must be with the positions he holds :) He was doing pretty well in the bumbo seat, but the past week or so he has decided that he does not like it...at all...always calls for some tears.


Watson love, love, loved his Johnny Jump Up! I put him in it for the first time and he squealed, laughed and smiled the entire time. So precious!!! He plays so hard in this that it always calls for a nice long nap :) Win for both of us!

We tried starting some rice cereal at the beginning of the month, but it did not go over so well so we took him off of it. We are having such a difficult time getting his reflux under control. He is on a different medicine for it now, but it does not seem to be helping much at all. If anyone has ANY suggestions, please let me know!!! We are so fortunate that he is not a fussy reflux baby, but it is just constant spit up. All. Day. Long.

He still talks, smiles, laughs, and squeals all the time - I love the sweet noises that he makes...they melt my heart! He loves toys, rattles, stuffed animals and books..and does not like for something that he is playing with to be taken away from him!

Watson's first Thanksgiving was so much fun. We stayed in Birmingham and spent the day with my parents and my mom's side of the family. Watson and Abby showed up in matching outfits (this was not planned, actually) so we had to get lots of pictures of them together :)

This past week (I feel like I keep saying that...guess it has been a week of changes for our little man!) Watson began responding to his name. He always gets such a surprised look on his face when he turns towards you...always good for a laugh from his parents!

W met Santa for the first time this week - as you can tell from the picture, he wasn't too impressed :) (Don't mind the fact that it looks like he has on capris...Santa's elves were really rushing things along so I couldn't fix his little outfit before the picture was taken...)

This just might be my most favorite picture...ever. Our friend Jared was shooting some pics for us to use on our Christmas card - I had looked on pinterest (of course) for some picture ideas and dad decided to jump in on this one. I love this man so much - he can make me laugh just about harder than anyone. So thankful for him and the wonderful dad and Poppa that he is to his grandchildren!

It has been such a wonderful month with our precious boy. We could not be more in love with him! This is such a special time of the year and it is our prayer that even from 5 months of age, Watson will know and believe that Christmas time is not about Santa or gifts or Christmas trees, but about the miracle birth and precious gift of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We hope that you and your family have a joy filled Christmas and a very happy new year!

Merry Christmas!

Four months...

This month has brought so many changes in our precious little boy - he is growing up so much, I can't believe it! He is incredibly alert and aware these days - he always seems to keep a close eye on me...probably because I'm always singing and dancing for him?! Hey...I'll do anything to see that big gummy smile :)

W got an A+ at his 4 month check up...

Weight: 15lbs, 9 oz
Height: 25in (though she said there was some discretion here in the way this was measured because he has definitely grown more than 1in in the past 2 months)
Size diaper: 2
Size clothes: 3-6 mos
Eating: 6oz 4-5 times a day
Sleeping: 10-12 hours at night with an occasional middle of the night bottle, napping 2-3 times a day...W is very consistent with is morning and midday nap (though the length varies), but his late afternoon nap is hit or miss. Sometimes he can't stay awake, other times he is wide awake. Still, though, he is sleeping great at night so I'll take it! Daylight Savings was quite the adjustment for us...for a good couple of weeks he was waking up at 4 or 5 pretty confused whether he wanted to go back to sleep or not. That has finally worked itself out!

We stopped swaddling at 3 1/2 months and transitioned in to the sleep sack. Such a big boy! It was a pretty rough transition, but he loves having his arms free now. For whatever reason, this was so hard for me to take him out of the swaddle...I feel like that was the first big change from the newborn stage to infancy!


W babbles, laughs and smiles all day...he is the most content baby which Graham and I are incredibly thankful for. He has started doing some full out belly laughs which is precious :) We love to sing and dance...it pretty much guarantees smiles and laughs...from both of us!

He has been working so hard on rolling over...he usually lands on his side. He did, however, right before he turned 4 months, roll from his tummy to his back. He is also rolling over from his back to his tummy, but cannot quite figure out what to do with his shoulder once he is over...I have a feeling he will figure it out soon!

I love to watch him play with little rattles and toys now. He is so active when playing on his play mat and in his swing. What used to be a place to where he would sleep is now a place where he plays with the mobile the whole time with an occasional nap. We are trying to get used to napping in the crib, though...so I've tried to get him out of the swing before he falls asleep.

We pulled out the Bumbo seat for the first time and Watson was not sure what to think! He has pretty good head control but is still a little wobbly after a while, so he can only sit it in for a few minutes at a time.

Halloween was in Watsons fourth month as well. He was the cutest pumpkin in the world :) We stayed at home to pass out candy on Halloween night, but he did get to dress up for the trick-or-treat party at Student Life. I cannot believe I actually had a child in this parade this year...after sitting through it for 3 years I was now walking around with my own baby...so crazy!

Of all the things Watson enjoys right now, I think his absolute favorite is chewing on his hands... this boy LOVES to have his hands in his mouth. In fact, he will put anything he can get his hands on into his mouth. We already see that we are going to have to be extremely careful of anything sitting around the house that he can reach!!

It has been a wonderful month. Graham and I always say that we never knew our hearts could love like this. What an incredible blessing and joy it is to be a parent. We praise God for putting Watson, His child, in to our family and in to our responsibility. May He guide us daily as we strive to be examples of Him to our sweet boy!


This month, on November 8, Graham and I were able to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. I am beyond thankful for Graham and the incredible husband, father, and man of God that he is. The way that he loves, provides for, and takes care of me and Watson is something that I appreciate more than he will ever know. It has been a wonderful three years...I look forward to many, many, many more!

Paleo...

Graham and I have turned a new leaf: eating healthy at home. We never ate all that unhealthy, but there was much more processed food in the pantry/fridge than veggies and fruit. So now, a common term around the house is Paleo. This diet consists of lean meats, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds...pretty much lots of protein and no dairy, carbs, or gluten. Gluten is already out of the picture for our meals, so all we had to cut out was dairy and carbs. Now before I go any further, let me explain that we are not adhering strictly to the Paleo diet at all times...we still eat out normal meals where we get plenty of carbs and dairy, but thought we could make a small change by just eating healthy at home and then making wise choices when eating out. This pretty much means I spend much more time in the produce section of the grocery store, rather than the chip/cracker/pasta aisle. So far every meal has been a success! Our taste buds are being stretched, but so far so good! Below are some of the meals I have made so far. If you are like my sister who wants to throw up every time I tell her what I am making for dinner (I blame that on her pregnancy, though!)...just trust me...the meals have really been good!

Sun-dried tomato chicken bake...Chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes with the seasoned oil, garlic, seasonings

Cauliflower rice...Cauliflower, celery, onion and seasonings sauteed in olive oil

Collard greens...Greens, red pepper flakes, garlic, olive oil

Portabella-Chicken sandwich with baked sweet potato chips

Stuffed zucchini and squash...ground beef, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, seasonings, zucchini

Roasted garlic brussels sprouts

There are many good websites out there with Paleo recipes - some of the recipes are a little too out there for us, but you can usually find some good ones mixed in! Here are the sites I have been using:

- www.paleodietlifestyle.com
- www.thecookingphotographer.com
- www.elanaspantry.com
- www.everydaypaleo.com
- www.multiplydelicious.com

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Three months...

Wow, I cannot believe that Watson is already three months old! Time is flying by and our precious buddy is growing so fast! We have had a wonderful month. I feel so incredibly blessed to stay at home every day with Watson - being a mommy is definitely a full-time job, but the best in the world!

I don't have weight/height stats for this month because our next appointment is not until 4 months, but little man has definitely grown!

Size diaper: 1
Eating: 4-6 oz 4-5 times a day
Sleeping: 9-11 hours at night, napping about 3 times a day for 1-2 hours (if and when deciding to nap...) Still swaddling at night (though he is breaking free of them almost every morning)
Size clothes: 0-3 months, 3 months, and some 3-6 months

Here are some pictures from the past month...

My favorite moment of each day is getting Watson up in the morning. He always flashes a huge smile and kicks his legs like he is so excited when he sees us in the morning! As I said above, he is really beginning to break out of the swaddle (as you can see below...) Still trying to figure out what to do with this because he definitely sleeps best while swaddled. For anyone who may be looking for a swaddle, I HIGHLY recommend the Miracle Blanket. Watson loves it - he will not fall asleep in any of the other kind!

On Graham's birthday we went for a family hike at Moss Rock Preserve. The weather was beautiful and Watson loved it! I bought this Baby Bjorn carrier this past month and it has been incredibly useful already!

Watson does great during tummy time for about 3 minutes, then it is all screams from there! He can hold is head up for a good amount of time and is pushing up really well on his arms. He is trying so hard to roll over...his little legs are about there, but his upper body is still pretty stationary. I have a feeling it will happen soon, though!

Both Great-Grandfathers were able to spend some time with Watson this month. This is precious time for me as I know how rare it can be for someone to meet two of their great-grandfathers!

Still loving the swing - though we are transitioning from napping in the swing to in the crib. I can't blame him for wanting to sleep here though...look how cozy he is!

The 21st was also Graham's 30th birthday! We had such a fun day celebrating Graham and the incredible husband and father that he is to me and Watson. The night of his birthday we went to eat at Melting Pot - this was our fist time there and we both loved it! Thanks so much to my mom for keeping Watson so Graham and I could have a date night!

Still such a mama's boy...and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

Our little angel, Abby, turned 2 last weekend! We had a blast at the park for her birthday party!

Two months...

I absolutely love watching Watson grow and develop his little personality more and more every day! It is amazing how much he changes from week to week!

At two months Watson is...

Smiling all the time! He is especially smiley in the morning when he wakes up. There is nothing better than seeing his sweet smiles first thing in the morning!

Still loving the car seat...as long as it is moving :) We go on walks every day which he loves. He usually sleeps through them, but sometimes stays awake to look around. Either way he seems very content!

All about some mommy-time! When I found out I was having a boy, everyone told me that there is nothing quite like the way a little boy loves his mommy. I am seeing that more and more everyday...and loving every second of it :)

I would say Watson smiles most with Graham. He absolutely loves his daddy, and I love watching them together! It melts my heart to be in another room and hear the conversations that Graham has with Watson...nothing sweeter than that :)
Cooing all the time. I LOVE to hear him "talk" all day! He will lay on his play mat and coo and smile for forever..he loves it! (When he is on his back..still not so much a fan of tummy-time, but doing great at holding that head up regardless!)

Loving being read to every day. He will lay there and stare at the pictures and coo and smile as I read to him. Such sweet times in the mornings :)

Sleeping great! Watson sleeps anywhere from 8-10 hours a night. We are truly blessed with a great sleeper! For about the last two weeks he has decided that he is not interested in napping...which calls for some pretty fussy and overtired afternoons for him...but with as great as he is sleeping at night, we'll deal with the fussy afternoons! When he decides to, he will take about 3 naps that are 1-2 hours each day.

Two month stats:
Weight: 12lbs, 8 oz
Height: 24in
Size diaper: 1
Eating: 3-5 oz 5-6 times a day
Sleeping: 8-10 hours at night (most nights...still an occasional night of waking up once in the middle of the night), napping about 3 times a day for 1-2 hours (if and when deciding to nap...)
Size clothes: 0-3 months