Tag: Teddy

Teddy | 5 Months

Teddy you are our little squirmer and talker! You are always on the move. You love to jump, “walk” in your walker and army crawl. You also learned how to say, “dada” this month and you LOVE to wake up around 5:00 am with a song in your heart — except you usually share it with the entire neighborhood.

You, as usual, are very vocal about your distaste for things like your carseat and being left alone for any amount of time even if I just walk into the kitchen. You have been tasting different foods this month and I think you’re finally ready to start trying some food! At first you always make a face as though you’re shocked and mad that we fed you, but then you seem to really enjoy whatever we give you.  You’re very excited about starting to try new foods and you often try to reach for whatever I’m eating or drinking. Your hand-eye coordination is really good! You even seem to understand the difference between food items and non-food items.

You continue to be the happiest and easiest baby in the world. Even when you got sick this month with a cold we would still smile and laugh constantly. You had so many fun adventures this month including your first camping trip! You were a trooper and even slept fairly well through the night.

You most definitely are going to start crawling this month and we are SO NOT READY! But, ready or not, HERE YOU COME!

*          *         *

Teddy is a champ. He’s always up for anything and boy have we tried a lot with him this month! Teddy had his first trip to San Luis Obispo this month and his first sink bath, he started saying his first word, he went on his first camping trip, and even went to the park for the first time! He is such a trooper and a dare devil. He’s fearless and comfortable doing just about anything. Some things make him apprehensive at first but once he gets going he loves whatever we throw at him.

His sleeping patterns this month have left much to be desired. He’s back to waking up every 4 hours and I am exhausted. When does the sleep come again? My brain needs it.

One thing that is amazing though is this kid’s ability to fall asleep anywhere (he gets it from his Dad for sure). In the middle of a noisy church service, a classroom, a starbucks or the beach, if this kid is tired there ain’t nothing gonna stop him from sleeping.

He still isn’t too fond of the adventure chair unless someone is sitting in the back with him. I don’t mind doing it, but on long car rides I’ve found myself getting pretty sick in the back so we’re at a point where we’re wondering if we should just let him be frustrated and figure it out or try something new. For the most part, Teddy is a super easy-go-lucky baby but when it comes to the adventure chair there is no changing his mind. He HATES it.

A few things he does love are his jumper and his walker. I LOVE it because he just goes and goes while I am cooking, doing dishes, or doing laundry. It sure beats caring around this 18 lb hunk of baby. That’s right, folks! 18 lbs.

This month Teddy was dedicated to the Lord at our church in Newbury Park. Almost all our family was able to make it up and it was a wonderful service. I remember seeing pictures and video of my brother, sister and I being dedicated and thinking how fun it would be when I had my own. I definitely teared up while we were up there with our extended family and church family lifting us up in prayer and praying blessing over Teddy’s life.

We chose 1 Samuel 1:27-28 as his life verse because it is the verse that came to me the day I found out I was pregnant. It also was the inspiration for his name because the verse explains that God was faithful to answer our prayers for a child and because of that we acknowledge that he is a gift from God and should be constantly given back to him, for his whole life. To say we are blessed seems to be the understatement of the century but we are. Here’s a link to the dedication video if you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet.

The craziest thing we did this month was a train ride from Riverside. The train was WAY better than driving because I could change his diaper and feed him whenever I needed to without having to pull over — but man, lugging around a stroller, bags, diaper bag, and an 18lb baby through Union Station is quite comical. I survived though and Teddy really enjoyed the ride.

Okay, I take it back. The CRAZIEST thing we did this month was take our 5 month old on a camping trip. EVERYONE thought we were crazy and brave. I just tried not to think about it. Being out here has been challenging and having a baby makes being a part of a community even harder because (surprise) it take a lot of work to get places and do things with a baby.

So, when our church announced that we were doing an all church camping trip, Alex and I resolved that we were going to make it happen. I am so glad we did. Teddy was fantastic and we had so much help and love shown to us on the trip. Did I mention how much I love our church family? Teddy does too, that’s for sure. He even ALMOST crawled to Miss Sarah, on the beach. This kid is not lacking in the love department at all.

What an amazing month it’s been so far. We never think it’s possible to love this little guy more, but every day we are in awe of how much more we love him. I think it’s been the craziest yet. Next month will be even crazier though because we’re attempting a move — with a baby! More on that in the future. Until then, here are a few favorite photos from our adventures this month with the Bubba Bear.

Teddy | 4 Months

Teddy, I know I say it all the time but you are just the best baby! You are so easy, friendly, cuddly and so darn sweet.  You make everyone feel like a million bucks with your sweet smile and you’re growing leaps and bounds. Your doctor says you have the biggest personality and you are so strong. He’s right! You are constantly on the move, squirming and scooting and rolling everywhere. You are getting very tired of your playmat and find it boring. You always have to exploring whatever I’m doing. It’s so sweet to watch you intensely taking in all my moves when I’m making dinner or doing dishes and playing with Boone.

You love to grab and pull. And you really love your puppy Boone. He dances around for you and you laugh. You started laughing some really deep laughs this month and it brings Daddy and I so much joy to hear it. Thank you so much for not growing up too fast — I love every moment I get to spend with you.

*         *          *

Teddy is now 15.25 lbs and well over 2 feet long now. He is usually in the 90th percentile for weight, but he’s dropped down to the 70th which the doctor said is probably because of all his moving around. He rolls everywhere and squirms all the time.

My favorite thing that Teddy has done more intentionally now is holding my hand and reaching for Daddy’s & my face. It is just the sweetest thing every time. He LOVES to intertwine his fingers with mine and he even finds it comforting while we drive in the car if he can hold my hand.

Some of Teddy’s favorite people are his grandparents. He LOVES to Facetime with them and we do it as often as we can.

Some new tricks Teddy learned this month was sitting up on his own. I still prop him with pillows but he sure has some strong abs! He can sit up all on his own from a reclined position. He’s using his strength any way he can, from turning over his play gym to throwing things, and kicking and grabbing. If he wants something he just goes for it!

Another thing he’s been up to this month is getting up on his knees while on his tummy. He is working so hard to crawl, but I think he’s still going to hold out until 6 months to actually do it.

Alex thinks that he’ll be crawling by the end of this month. We’ll see!

Teddy is also obsessed with his feet. He grabs them all the time, even in the bath, which makes it hard to keep him reclined. Once he’s fully sitting up on his own we will have to transition him to a bigger tub, that’s for sure! He can’t quite get his feet into his mouth yet, but he does everything he can to try. It is so amazing to see him trying to accomplish things on his own. I’m so proud!

Now, some new things Teddy is doing that are not so awesome… He has been waking up more during the night. The doctor said it’s probably because he’s so much more aware and that putting him in his own room soon would be a good idea. I agree! It’s like every sound wakes him up. And, he’s eating a lot more — which is most likely because he’s going through a growth spurt.

But, seriously will we ever get to sleep again??

The last thing that hasn’t been that awesome is Teddy’s lack of enthusiasm about the adventure chair. We started calling it that because we wanted him to like it and be excited for all our adventures. We were doing great there for a while, but now he seems to be very aware of the fact that he’s strapped in. He can’t grab for things as easily and he can’t reach his toes. He gets so frustrated! I hope that goes away soon because we drive a lot!

Overall though, this kid is amazing. He’s the best Teddy around. I can’t wait to hear his little voice in the next few months and see how he will continue to grow!

Until then, he are a few pictures from this month.

Happy 4 Months, Teddy!

A Weekend Away

This past weekend was the first time I’ve ever left Teddy over night. In the days leading up to it, people would ask, “How are you doing?” “Are you nervous?” And I would just say, “I’m trying not to think about it.”

Honestly, I felt if I dedicated any of my brain to thinking about leaving my baby over night and how he would cry without me and probably not be able to function I would either a) crawl into a ball and cry my eyes out and never leave his side or b) discover that the opposite was true and then do a).

I just decided to take it one step at a time.  I knew I was leaving him in eager grandparent hands who would probably pay him more attention then I ever do, so that helped make things easier.  And, I was only going to be 45 minutes away in Palm Springs.

After the drive down on Friday night my parents offered to let Teddy sleep in their room and they would bring him to me so he could get use to sleeping there and so I could get a good night’s sleep. It worked wonderfully.

I left early Saturday morning for the Bachelorette Brunch for Jeannemarie at the Mission Inn which was so lovely and tasty.  Then, since we couldn’t check into the timeshare until 4:00, Julie Ann and I went back to the house to see Teddy. Yes, I was already missing him and it had only been 4 hours. I got one last feeding in and we took off!

I picked up JM and we made the trip down to Palm Springs. We stopped by Julie Ann’s apartment and then hit up Ralphs for drinks, dinner, snacks, and trashy magazines. Some of JM’s friends that I invited came out too and we enjoyed an evening of girly drinks, crosswords, silly games, friends re-runs and pizza.  Then we soaked our feet in the spa and passed out on the couch around mid-night.

I only woke up twice in the night thinking that I had to feed Teddy or that he rolled out of his bed or something and I just prayed that he was being good. I got a few pictures and video from the grandparents which helped soothe the sting of missing him.

On Sunday we relaxed in the lazy river and ate out at Ruby’s. I think it helped that we were busy chatting away all day so I didn’t have to think about Teddy every two seconds and realize that he wasn’t with me.

Around 4 we left to head home and I couldn’t wait to smoother my little guy with kisses. I got to my parent’s house and there he was, totally fine and still alive!

He had such a wonderful weekend being entertained by Grandma and Grandpa and alllllll the people at their church. They even went over to Grammy and Pa’s house for lunch afterward. It made me so happy to know that he got to help create such fun and sweet memories with them and it all at once broke and filled my heart.

Sometimes it’s so hard to be away from family, especially as Teddy is growing so fast, but I know the Lord has us here for a reason and we are fully expecting and continuing to receive His blessings.

So, I survived! Goooo Teddy and Gooooo Mommy!!

Teddy | 2 Months

Teddy Boy! You’re two months old now, even though you look and act like you’re three months. You’re already lifting your head all over the place, talking (cooing), smiling and chuckling (you don’t really laugh, you have an old man chuckle). You make everyone smile who meets you and everyone always says what a beautiful baby you are. Honestly kid, you’re kind of one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen.

You are sweet and cuddly, just like mommy hoped you’d be. You don’t really like to be put down but you love laying on your changing table and wiggling.

One of your favorite times of day is the morning. Grandma says you’re a morning person just like your mommy. You smile and talk and talk for a good 30 minutes in the morning while you’re being changed and dressed. Grandma says though that mommy hated being changed and dressed.

Your other favorite time of day is bath time. You love being in the shower or in the tub. You just generally like water. Nana says that Daddy loved water as a baby. It really makes me smile that you’re so much a mix of the two of us.

You’re still very vocal in letting us know when you’re happy or upset and Mommy is getting pretty good at distinguishing between your cries.

Everyone loves you so much and you’re such a sweet boy.

* * *

Teddy is now 13.9 pounds and 24.5 inches long! The doctor said he is in the 90th percentile for pretty much everything. He had a growth spurt this month where he spent a few days just eating and sleeping. It kind of freaked me out at first and I thought he was sick, but he wasn’t ever fussy just very tired.  I have a hard time holding him on one arm because he’s so much longer!

This kid is already on the move. I often get asked, “Is he always that squirmy?”
Yes! He’s wiggling and moving all the time, even in his sleep. I put him down parallel in his crib and when I wake up for his middle-of-the-night feeding, he’s wiggled himself sideways so he’s perpendicular! I swear, this kid is going to be crawling by 4 months! I certainly hope not though because I’m not ready to start chasing after him.

I had my follow up appointment this month and received the all clear to begin exercising again. I’m not supposed to do anything too strenuous and I should refrain from doing ab exercises until he’s 10 weeks old. But, we get out almost every morning and walk about 2 miles. I’m now only 2 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight, Hooray! Now I’d like to start focus on building some muscle and getting my running back up to where it use to be because I need all the stamina I can get to keep up with Teddy.

I honestly love being a mom, especially Teddy’s Mom. Even with the lack of sleep and the times when I’m bouncing and swinging him close to me trying to get him to stop fussing saying over and over, “What do you want?!”

It’s weird to feel like my body and mind are not my own. Even when Alex and I went on our date night and Grandma watched him I found that I couldn’t turn my mommy-brain off. I think about him constantly. Not in a worrying sort of way, but in a way that I always want to know where he is, what he’s doing, and making sure he’s okay. I know that sounds like worrying, but it’s totally different. I just always want to be near him and see him. Sometimes I find myself eating breakfast in the rocking chair next to his crib so I can be in the same room. This baby love is intoxicating and consuming. I can’t ever turn it off! And I love it.

So many neat adventures happened this month too! Gigi Mary & Grandpa Primo drove out from Arizona to visit us so we took them to Summerland and Santa Barbara — so much fun! Mommy and Daddy got to go in a date night and we took full advantage. We saw a movie and grubbed on tons of food. We spent over $100 on one date night but it was totally worth it! Grandma (my mom) got to watch Teddy for the evening and she was in heaven.

Teddy’s biggest adventure this month was going “swimming” for the first time! He loved it and really took to the water. He also had his first trip to the beach for the sunset. He liked it, but fell asleep shortly after we arrived.

Then, Mommy, Teddy, Grandma, and Boone headed down to Riverside for more adventures. We visited The Ferards (or Ferarbs) at their house, Jeannemarie and Chris in their new apartment, The Bakers in their new house, Aunt Amber, Uncle Chris, Julian and Emmy, met some new friends Hazel, Miss Pam and Lincoln, then went to Nana and Papa’s for a yummy steak dinner, had a slumber party at Auntie Am’s house with Tenley and Camden, drove to visit Uncle Thomas and Aunt Julie Ann in their new place, met some missionary friends from Japan, and then had lunch with Grammy and Pa at their house after church! It was a full week and very fun. Teddy was a trooper in the car and I even mastered pumping and feeding him while driving down to La Quinta to visit Julie Ann and Thomas at their new place. We were gone 5 whole days and it was too much for Daddy (he’s still complaining about it). He missed us so much that after his class on Saturday he drove all the way out to see Teddy and me and we couldn’t have been happier to see him. 5 days was just TOO LONG!

We shared very some special times over the week, waking up Grandma and Grandpa in the mornings and bath times with both sets of Grandparents. That was really special to me because some of my favorite memories are times with my Grandma and Grandpa so I know the pictures and video will mean so much to Teddy when he’s older. Teddy gave everyone smiles and was very talkative. We truly are blessed by this little guy and all the family and friends who love him.

I can’t wait to see how Teddy will continue to grow and change over this next month. Until then, here are a few favorite moments from this one.

Teddy’s Birth Video

After two months, it’s finally finished! Alex and I have fought sleep depravation to finish this video because we knew if we didn’t do it now, it would never be done! There was so much more that we wanted to add to Teddy’s video and the director’s cut is over 20 minutes long. We spared you readers that and made it under 11 mins. We hope you enjoy!

*Side Note: The song at the end of this video is actually the song that Teddy came into the world by. The anesthesiologist let us play my iPhone over the system in the operating room so I didn’t have to wear headphones and could experience the birth. So, as you can imagine, it’s even more special to us now.

Eat, Sleep, Poop. Repeat.

Welcome to newbornhood! All Teddy seemed to do for the first four weeks was eat, sleep, poop, and repeat. I was starting to feel that new mommy feeling of being his caretaker or just a cow. Don’t get me wrong, I am head-over-heels in love with this little guy! But, when all you do is feed and change this little squishy, cute blob you start to think of yourself as nothing but a “provider of nourishment and cleanliness”.

Teddy started off sleeping 5 hours in the hospital and being “awake” for about an hour in between. The nurses told me to wake him every three hours to feed him but OH NO, this kid was NOT having it. He would fuss and cry until I swaddled him and put him to sleep. So, I decided to forget it and just let the little guy do whatever he wanted. I started timing his feeding and eating schedule and boy, was that awesome for the first week. Then, after that it became stressful as I tried to regulate a routine and he wasn’t having it — yet again. Back to letting the kid do whatever he wants. Clearly, I’m not the one in charge here.

Now, 6 weeks later, I’m the boss again! He’s so much more alert now and I can help keep him entertained during his awake time until it’s truly time for a nap. For the most part, his schedule is as follows:

6:30am – 8:30am — AWAKE TIME! Mommy is half awake from the night’s “festivities”, but I usually can drag myself out of bed, get dressed and take the little one and the pup for a walk.
8:30am – 9:00am — Quick nap. He’s usually napping once we have arrived at our destination (Starbucks or Breakfast Cafe) and on the way back home.
9:00am – 10:00am — Awake Time. Teddy usually wakes up once we’re arrived at home and we play for a while before he gets really tired and zonks out for his morning nap.
10:00am – 12:00pm — Morning nap. Sometimes I let him sleep a little longer depending on how his “quick nap” was.
12:00pm – 2:00pm — AWAKE TIME! We play and explore and then relax in the rocking chair while Teddy “tells me stories” from his adventures of the day.
2:00pm – 4:00pm — Afternoon nap. This is my favorite one, because I can usually clean (The house, the dishes, myself. Whatever is in most desperate need at the time), write, sleep, or catch a show on TV.
4:00pm – 6:00pm — AWAKE TIME! This is the best because he’s wide awake for when Daddy comes home. We talk and talk with Daddy until we pass out.
6:00pm – 7:00pm — Quick nap. Sometimes this doesn’t really happen, since this is during Teddy’s fussy time. This is usually when Mommy and Daddy get to eat and talk like adults instead of in high “princess” voices.
7:00pm – 8:00pm — Awake time. Usually Daddy is doing homework, so Mommy and Teddy have some play time.
8:00pm – 9:00pm — Bedtime Routine. Teddy gets a bath twice a week, but even if we don’t bathe him he’s a pretty sweaty little guy, so we wipe him down with the warm cloth and do lotion and jammies. Then Mommy feeds him and either Mommy or Daddy rocks him until he’s asleep.

Nighttime is a whole other animal. Teddy has been pretty consistent with his sleeping at night. He wakes up every three to four hours. The other night though, he slept for 6 hours before waking up! I couldn’t believe it. I woke up at 1:30am, fully expecting him to be awake but NOPE! He slept until 3:30am. Absolutely GLORIOUS. I thought for sure we had gone into a different cycle.

Guess again. I guess we REALLY know who’s boss.

Teddy | 1 Month

This first month with Teddy has been quite an adventure! He is already crazy strong, lifting and turning his head all over the place and I SWEAR he is smiling already. He’s generally a happy baby and is very alert. He doesn’t like his eating and sleeping times to be uninterrupted though and he can be very vocal in letting you know when he’s disappointed.

We’ve been joking that he’s a bit bipolar because we will be cooing one minute and literally in seconds screaming his head off. He seems to have to be fed before liking his diaper changed, but that has already lead to some unfortunate accidents for Daddy. He’s been peed and pooped on quite a few times already. Just this week he had to change Teddy’s diaper three times in a row before leaving for work and gave up on the last one when he soiled it again!

Teddy is in excellent shape according to the doctor (who we love!). He’s in the 90th percentile for height and weight and 60th for head circumference. He’s very active and eating well. We go in next month for his shots and I am not looking forward to it. I haven’t even brought it up to Teddy yet — maybe we’ll just let it be a surprise.

We’ve had so many wonderful visitors this first month from down south, across town and out of town; and we have many more people to visit this coming month. We love all the love and help we’ve been receiving! My mom stayed with us the first week and was such a huge help. I don’t know how we would have survived without her tracking my medications and helping me remember which side I fed the baby on last. Then, Alex had to go back to work and I was alone for the first time with Teddy. It was really hard and he wouldn’t let me put him down. Alex came home at lunch and we drove to Oxnard just to get the baby to sleep. I ran into Target to buy a Moby wrap and some batteries while Alex drove around the parking lot. It was quite comical. After that, we had more visitors! Debbie and Wil came for a few days and helped me again — this time taking Teddy so I could meet Alex for lunch. It really has been a blessing with all these visitors.

This month we also had lots to celebrate. We celebrated Daddy’s birthday and Daddy’s first Father’s Day. Teddy got him a framed picture and a card. Mommy got him a massage and Starbucks.Teddy also pooped all over himself and our comforter so horribly that we had to shower him off and the comforter was unsalvageable — so we made another trip to Target for a new comforter!

I also drove down to Riverside (with Teddy BY MYSELF) for Aunt Julie Ann’s bachelorette party where Amy and I tore it up as mommies with babies at the party. The boys had fun!

But, the biggest adventure this month was Aunt Julie Ann and Uncle Thomas’ wedding! It was Teddy’s first major road trip excursion. He was a champ and didn’t mind the car ride as long as he was full. I think Mommy and Daddy had a harder time with the whole trip than Teddy did.

I was in the wedding so Daddy flew solo for the day! I had two bags of pumped milk for him and even picked out Teddy’s outfit. We forgot the milk was in the car so it spoiled and Teddy peed and pooped all over his outfit before the ceremony even started. Poor Daddy! Luckily I was able to nurse him quickly after family pictures and before formals, but he was still hungry. Aunty Amy to the rescue with her liquid gold! I wonder if Teddy will mind if I mention in my speech at HIS wedding that he drank some bottled milk from his mother-in-law? Too much? Too weird? A mamas gotta do what a mamas gotta do! And thank God for friends like Amy who have liquid gold on tap.

Overall, this month has been crazy and amazing and wonderful! I love being a mother and Alex is a fantastic Daddy. Teddy is a great baby and I’m sure this next month we’ll figure out the whole sleeping through the night thing. Right, Teddy?

Here are a few of my favorites from this month: