This little dude turns 4 months old!

I love this baby more and more each day. He has been so much fun this month. Matthew is very active and is getting so strong. He loves to smile and laugh at people now, and is quite good at making friends in public places. He is talkative and funny and I can see his personality emerging already. He loves his daddy and it is so much fun to watch them interact together.

Here is what my little man is up to in his 4th month:

• Gives big smiles and laughs at anything you do
• Can still cry with the best of them
• Can roll over from his tummy to his back
• Is embracing tummy time more each day. Does a great push up.
• Is growing out of his Bumbo seat-- and seems to be getting close to sitting up
• Likes to grab at things and then put them in his mouth
• Is interested in toys
• Is balding, but is also sprouting blond hair and a has mini comb-over
• Likes to 'ride out' so he can see the world around him
• Is well-behaved in restaurants
• Doesn't like to pose for pictures but somehow smiles in many photos
• Goes down for naps with little fuss
• Loves to laugh at that baby in the mirror
• Thinks dancing is funny
• Loves to stand up
• Has finally decided he likes a pacifier
• Sucks his thumb
• Can ride in a big-boy stroller
• Has more baby friends than I have adult friends
• Can entertain himself in his jumperoo
• Is flexible when we are out and about
• Is content to sit on mommy or daddy's lap when out in public
• Has more cute clothes than he can possible wear- and is in 6mo clothes
• Hates when his mommy blogs on the computer with him in her lap-HATES!

Our second trip to hang with Cousin Noah

Alex had a very busy week of work and literally was going to be gone for the entire week except for two nights rest, so Matthew and I discussed it and decided we would head to North Carolina to see Aunt Lori and now 2-month old cousin Noah, and Uncle Dave when he was home from work.

We traveled much lighter this time and were experienced travelers now so I was confident I could handle the airport solo- or solo plus one very important companion. Lori borrowed a carseat and pack n play so Matthew was right at home- well he slept in the closet, but other than that I'm sure he felt quite comfy in his digs for the week.

With the boys being older we were able to be out and about more. We went for at least a walk a day with the boys and the dog, Rylee. We went to a park for an ill-fated picnic, but the weather was incredible. We went shopping and even made it to lunch one day. It was the fastest we've ever finished a meal since the peaceful sleepers decided to wake up just in time for the food to arrive. We even made it to a pumpkin patch for some cute pictures, then high-tailed it out of there before we were asked to buy a pumpkin that the 5 of us never could have carried out of there since they were all about 200lbs, I'm sure. It was so nice to spend the week with Lori, even if we did do lots of really everyday things... it was great doing those things with the coolest sister I know and the two most adorable babies on the planet!

Race for the Cure 2011

We participated in our second 5K in as many weeks. This one was really special for a few reasons. For one thing, we were able to do this with our entire family, including Granna and Maggie. And secondly, I was able to see answers to prayer in knowing my mom is a survivor of breast cancer and is here to see her grandkids grow up and be a part of their lives. She is so good with Matthew and Noah and they respond to her so well and love her so much.

Our team, the Rack Pack, is getting fewer in numbers but it is nice to still have our core together as we walk with the Shepherds and Duffs in memory of Becky, our dear friend who lost her battle almost 2 years ago.

It's so awesome to have best friends who have babies too!

Such a fun new dynamic to our friendships.

A busy weekend

Last weekend we jam-packed our days. It started with an early morning 5K walk to support our friend Anne, who is battling brain cancer. The walk was called Miles for Hope and Jocilyn and I walked with Matthew through downtown Clearwater and over the bridge to Clearwater beach. Our team, Anne's Angels, had over 100 members including this little cutie, who proudly wore his Anne's Angels onesie.

Then we went home and Matthew surprisingly went down super easy for a nap just in time for us to leave to a party. So we waited until he woke up and then it was off to Piper's 1st birthday party. She is one of the teacher babies, and has the hots for Matthew.

We saw our friends Ella, Cohen, Jane and Kate, and Cade there too, and met a new friend, Mrs. Sullivan, who is a retired McKitrick teacher and the grandmother of one of my favorite former students. She of course was just dying to hold this handsome devil, and he happily hung out with her for quite some time.

On Sunday Jenn and I threw a bridal shower for Bonnie and had a nice time with the girls. Matthew came with me to hang out while we got the party set up before Alex got home from work. Then right as things were nearing crunch time Matthew decided to blow out a diaper in Shepherd's bumbo, and in my efforts to clean him managed to get a nice long streak of poo all down my white capri pants. I called Alex and he brought me clean clothes and then he took Matthew home for some male bonding while we did girly things. They came back to Jenn's house in the afternoon and we had a nice time just hanging out with some of the party lingerers and some daddies and babies who were welcomed back into the house.

Side note... I think Matthew thinks the bumbo is a toilet. He blows out the biggest poops when he sits in there! I have cleaned out that thing no fewer than 4 times (although someone, either Jenn or Sean cleaned it out for me this time as Matthew had nastiness running down his legs)!

Matthew meets Wade Fenton

The Fentons welcomed their first child, Wade Robert Fenton, on September 16, 2011. We went to meet baby Wade last week and took new mama Chelsea some yummy lactation cookies. Wade's daddy Robert is one of my best friends and has been since college. After he met Chelsea he became even more desirable to hang out with! No doubt our friendship revolves around two of my favorite things- sports and the Gators, and now we can add my NEWEST favorite thing... BABIES! I know with Matthew and Wade being only 3 months apart that they will grow up playing together while we watch Gator games or play Ultimate Frisbee together, and someday hopefully we'll watch and cheer when our boys are finally doing the playing of the sports.

Here are these two young buddies, Matthew and Wade hanging out in the pack n play.

Here are the proud daddies, holding each other's baby.

And holding Wade almost makes me ready to have another tiny baby... although I realize they only stay so tiny for about a month!

Our BEST DAY yet!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011 was our best day so far. We didn't do anything super fun or spectacular but it was a lot of things that all fell into place in the same day. We did NORMAL things that people do that we have not been able to do for a while. Matthew was in great spirits all day. Here's what we did:

• Went for 2 walks with Matthew and Maggie.
• Matthew took a short morning nap and two sizeable afternoon naps- put down awake in crib and just fell asleep without much fuss (this is what really made our day!).
• Alex was able to hit up Publix
• We went to meet a new friend
• Alex made a great lunch
• I went to the gym and actually lifted a weight for the first time in who knows how long, ran on the eliptical, and hit some racquetballs.
• I got TWO showers in one day!
• I went to tutor and Alex babysat
• Matthew rolled over for the first time- of course when I was gone tutoring
• I came home to Alex's dinner- London Broil, which Matthew let us eat together!
• Alex made it to the gym to play racquetball with friends and later went running with Maggie
• We actually made time for each other and did a little somethin-somethin
• Matthew enjoyed playing in his new bouncer

Matthew's first visit to Boca Raton

We went to Boca for the first time since adding Matthew to our family. We were also headed down there to get Maggie, who had been there visiting Halo since early August. After our last road trip to St. Augustine we decided to try to travel at night. So we gave Matthew a bath and made like it was bed time and then left around 7:30. Naturally, our boy was a champ and slept the whole way. We did the same thing coming back and it worked too.

We do what we usually do when in Boca- hang out, eat, sleep, eat some more, watch some TV. We went to our favorite breakfast place, the Original House of Pancakes. Matthew was asleep through the ordering process, but decided he wanted to be part of the action just as the food arrived. Luckily, he was happy and just wanted to see what was going on. As we were leaving the woman in the booth behind us was making eyes at him and he was smiling and laughing at her, and then did the same with the woman in the next booth over. This was his first time he really laughed at a stranger, or interacted with one at all for that matter. By the time we exited the restaurant Matthew had interacted with about every woman in the shop. He was quite a flirt and all the old ladies found him just delicious!

Here he is flirting with a woman on our way out of the restaurant

The next night we went to a mexican restaurant. I asked for a table in the back in case Matthew became fussy or needed to be fed. This restaurant was HUGE and had about 50 empty tables, with about 4 tables occupied. They took us to a tiny 4 person table and said that we wouldn't be able to put the carseat on the aisle due to code violations so we'd have to squeeze the carseat in between 2 chairs. I asked if we could sit at one of the many 6 seater tables, and she said they save those for parties greater than 4 people. HELLO!? We have 5 people- Matthew is in fact, a person!, who takes up more space than most with all his gear. She huffed and puffed acting like she was doing us a huge favor. I mentioned to her that it was Sunday afternoon at 4:30 and the place was empty. Oh well- I of course got my way and ended up nursing him hoping to spite her. The old ladies there for the early bird special at the table next to us thought he was just precious.

Alex and I also made it out to our first movie since Matthew was born. We haven't done a night time babysitter yet, but a late afternoon show worked out well. Matthew stayed with both grandparents, who thoroughly entertained him. They sang to him and played with him, and took him for a walk outside- of course, to show him off to the neighbors. He took a bottle and held it himself (with some support) for the first time. He even went down for a nap sans tears. They took lots of video, and it was the cutest thing and helped put my fears about leaving him with others to ease a bit seeing that he was happy without us, actually he looked a lot happier than he was with us previously-- he cried for a bit in the afternoon.

Alex's parents have been stocking up on baby gear since about a year before I got pregnant. I think they have more toys than we do. Here are some pictures of Matthew enjoying his time in Boca.