Matthew meets more family

We went to Raleigh for 5 days to stay with Aunt Lori, Uncle Dave, and cousin Noah. Granna and Jackie were also in town and we saw Uncle Marc and Aunt Amber for the first time in nearly 2 years! We also met up with Uncle George and Aunt Kelly a few times over the weekend.

Matthew did a great job on his first two flights. He was awake when we were walking through the airport and was so interested in all he saw as we walked through the terminal and went to the front of the line for security. He flew for free on my lap and slept most of the time on the plane, so he didn't get to meet the pilot or get wings this time. I found it amusing when my tall husband took Matthew to the tiny airplane bathroom to change a diaper. Fifteen minutes later they emerged and I asked Alex how he fit in there and he said it was tight, and changed Matthew while holding him upright. I would have paid good money to see how that diaper change went down.

We spent most of our days kinda like we do here. Sleeping and eating a lot, going for a few walks, doing exercises and tummy time, and just spending quality time with family. One day we went to a park and spent a few hours throwing the frisbee, and Matthew slept through the whole thing. Matthew adjusted well for being out of his element and slept well into the night throughout the trip. He was slightly fussier than he has been normally, but all in all, had a great trip.

Here are some cute pictures of Matthew and Noah together. Lori's friend Susan, who is an amateur photographer was kind enough to come over on our last day and take some pictures with her nice camera. I can't wait to see what she captured.

Amber and Marc brought us some ADORABLE clothes. When Matthew is a 6-9 month old baby (or a 4-5 month old baby the way he's growing) he will be very well dressed!

Our return flight was insane. I'll make a long story short. Our flight that was scheduled to leave NC at 8:00pm was delayed due to bad weather in the northeast until 9:30, then 11:00, then 11:50, then 12:15, then 1:00, then 1:10, and we finally took off at 1:35am and landed in Tampa a little after 3:00. Thankfully the flight was not completely full so we were able to keep Matthew is his car seat on the plane. Matthew slept through the whole thing following his bath time and woke up to make smiles at me while we were waiting at baggage claim. We got home at 4:00 and Alex went to work two hours later, and never slept because he wasn't sure he'd wake up. I was nervous for him to drive an hour to work that morning, but he made it there and made it through the shift, and we are back to normal at home now.

All in all a nice trip, and I can't wait to see everyone again whenever that may be. I am really excited to see Noah again because I know from experiencing Matthew that he will be so different and such a big boy the next time I see him. And I can't wait to see Lori again because she is a great mom!

Mr. Matt is 2 months old!

My sweet little baby is growing like a weed. We love him more and more each day and find that he is constantly making us laugh, even if we can only make him laugh sometimes! He went to the Dr. today for his two month check up and first round of immunizations. He now weighs 12lb 6oz (75th), is 22.5 in long (50th) and has a head circumference of 15in (25th). He checks out healthy as a horse. In fact, the pediatrician even called him perfect today.

So how has this month been... well it is a tale of two halves. The first half of this month Matthew was a very uncomfortable and cranky baby. He had really bad gas pains, was only happy for a few minutes following feeds and then he would cry unless daddy or I did some major magic. He slept well at least, but usually only if we did something tricky to get him to fall asleep... like take a walk in the stroller or carry him in the baby bjorn or drive somewhere.

But in the last two weeks we have a whole new baby. First we discovered Gripe Water which is like a magic herbal remedy in a bottle. Matthew was able to sleep at night without constantly grunting and pulling up his legs in pain. He is happier when awake and doesn't require such trickery to keep happy. Also his digestive system is maturing and he is taking less gripe water each day. He sleeps in longer stretches at night and in the last 3 days has began taking real naps in a real crib without props to fall asleep. We just lay him down at the first sight of tiredness and he may complain a little bit but quickly settles in and falls asleep. We are better able to keep our 3 hour feed, play, sleep schedule. Matthew also has learned to take a bottle from his daddy which is rewarding for Alex and gives me a feeling of relief that-- when ready-- I'll be able to leave him with people. He also will take the pacifier at times which helps settle him down when he is getting fussy. Matthew has been content when we leave the house. We have been on several playdates, trips to the mall and other stores, out to eat, and to the ultimate frisbee field. Matthew is getting strong. He holds his head up, does baby sit-ups and little push-ups, and tracks interesting things around the room with his eyes. He has even started smiling and cooing, something I was desperately waiting for so that I would know my baby is gaining a sense of comfort about himself and his world. His smiles are the highlight of my mornings!

Here are some of his cutest shots from his second month.

Hanging at the frisbee field, sleeping the whole time

Checking out the clouds during our evening walks

All ready for Chelsea's baby shower

Hanging with the teacher babies; Anthony, Cohen, and Jack

My heart is so full

We were overjoyed when Lori called at 3:27 in the morning to tell me she was headed to the hospital to have her baby boy. Later in the morning on August 1, 2011 my sweet sis and her husband, Dave, welcomed Noah David Tyus into the world and added one more sweet boy to the family. He weighed 8 pounds 13 oz and was 21 inches long. He is adorable and I am so overjoyed that Matthew has a cousin. We pray each night for Aunt Lori and our baby cousin and we are so blessed that he made it into this world happy and healthy and that Lori had a smooth delivery.

We will fly to North Carolina in exactly two weeks and I can hardly wait for each day to pass. I am so happy for my sister because I know how much of a sweet and precious blessing a new baby is and I am so excited to see her because this is a life experience that must be shared with a sister, especially one as great as mine.

Did he get it from his mama?

I asked my mom to bring my baby album over to compare my baby pictures with ones of Matthew. I think we have similar faces and some mannerisms. I think Matthew has my nose and mouth, and baby cheeks. See what you think?

Bath Time

Nap time

Snuggling

Love from mommy

Pissed off!

Mr. Smiles and Coos

When you sleep this well you wake up feeling refreshed!

We had a really fun evening with Matthew tonight. He spent a good 20 minutes smiling and babbling at us tonight. This was the first time I felt he really interacted with us where he was initiating as much of the communication as we were. This made my heart so happy because he has been an uncomfortable and cranky boy lately and I was so sad that my baby seemed to not be enjoying his life. These sweet little moments make all the effort we put in all day completely worth it.

How can you not love this face? Matthew's first smiles at 6 weeks. These were the best we could capture, but he even laughed at us (the second picture). Mommy is funny after all! Now I will wait for the morning he greets me with a smile!

Who is a big boy?

Matthew is over 6 weeks old now and he is changing so fast. He spends longer stretches of the day awake and looks all around at the things in the room. He coos a little and is starting to anticipate routines. He interacts more with the people around him. He is becoming strong and can hold his head pretty well, even sits in a Bumbo. Last night he slept in his longest stretches, only waking me once at 2:30 and then slept until 7:30. It was great and then he had a nice day today because he was better rested. He still has some cranky times, like when he is gassy and trying to poop, but hopefully the crying has peaked and he is on his way to being a more comfortable and content baby. We have been able to get out of the house a few times, which he does pretty well with. We have been to Frisbee twice, a couple playdates, and over to friends' houses. The picture below is Matthew looking at his favorite spot on the wall. A lamp casts a shadow that he will stare at for quite a while... very fascinating!

My mom finally returned home from her trip after being away for almost a month. It is nice to have her home because I love watching her be a grandmom to Matthew... she knows all the good songs and games to play with him!

Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.

Look who turns one month today!

It is hard to believe that our baby has been with us for a month already! He has grown so much. He has gained 3 pounds and is almost 9.5 pounds now and 21 inches long. He is able to wear some 0-3 month clothes. He tracks things with his eyes, likes to do his baby exercises, is working on head control and building his core muscles. He enjoys a warm bath, is a good eater, and is a good sleeper when mommy and daddy can keep him on a schedule.

We didn't do anything super spectacular today because it rained from the second the day started. Most of the day was spent napping, with today being Matthew's best day so far in terms of going down for naps, sticking to a normal feeding schedule, and being happy and alert when in between naps and meals.

Here he is, enjoying his bath as a one month old! See how alert and content he is!