4-months and then some....

Samuel is 4 months and 10 days old. I apologize that it is just tonight that I am updating our blog but we were on our trip to the Bahamas. More to come in another post about our great adventure! Last week before we left Samuel had his 4-month appointment. This is the point that they hope your child has doubled his birth weight as a major milestone. Well as everyone guessed it Sam not only achieved but surpassed that. He weighed 16lbs, WOW!! That wasn't the end of it, Samuel is 25.5 inches long and his head circumference was 17 inches. He is still in the 75% for his weight, now there for his height and in the 50% for his head which really amazed me, I thought for sure those big cheeks and triple chin contributed more to his weight than it did. He also had 2 more shots which we were prepared for, I had given him Tylenol before we went in and it really helped. He still cried but after a few minutes he went into his car seat and passed out for an hour and woke up his happy old self.

The pediatrician told us Sam is right on track and clearly eating well. I was hopeful at this appointment she would tell us that we could begin to add some rice cereal to his menu options but no such luck. She feels because he is doing so well with his weight and health she would like us to put it off as long as possible, or until 6 months. I know it is an old wives tale, but I was hopeful that the rice cereal would help Samuel sleep a little better. He is still waking up for 2 feedings a night and sometimes wakes up one additional time. Samuel has yet to sleep through the night, even Sandra Bullock said today in People magazine Louie has slept through the night twice and he is a month younger than Sam! I know I need to be patient and it will come with time.

On the sleep note she told us Sam has now entered the age of learning and can begin to associate certain things and events (ex. if he cries and we answer, he will learn to cry more so we come quicker) so when he wakes at night if it is not time to feed, we are supposed to let him cry (for as long as we can handle it.) She promised if we are strict about it he should fall into a pattern quickly. Now that we are back from our trip we are going to begin trying it, and see what happens. I pray that he learns quickly and that my heart can endure these few days. We also hope it works quickly because Ben's mother is coming (but just in case we told her to bring some ear plugs to get through the nights.)

Overall all is good with Samuel and the rest of the Levy's. I will try and get pictures and info up about our trip this weekend.

Bitter Sweet

This week was the beginning of the end or as I am trying to look at it, a new beginning. I went back to work this week. While I don't think I have done anything harder in my life I did in fact leave Samuel with a good friend of mine. Erica is one of the best mothers I know, and I trust her completely which made leaving Sam even possible, but no less difficult. She almost had to push me out the door, with a box of tissue just so I would go to work. The days were actually pretty good, it felt good to challenge myself in a work environment again. With all of that, I still texted Erica all the time. From what she said Samuel was an angel, here is a picture of him with Luke one of her sons. He loves her boys!!

Her boys played with Sam, told him stories and truly entertained him for the entire time! Ever since Sam was with them he has begun talking more and more. Sam has always been a good babbler but it has been taken to the next level since he listened to Luke and Jack. Even with how difficult it was, I am so lucky to have 7 more weeks to actually bridge back into full-time work which is such a blessing. I am hoping and believing that with each passing day I work it will get a little easier.

During my time at home we have been doing LOTS of tummy time. Now that Sam can roll over back to his stomach he wants to be there all the time and he has begun to reach out for things especially on his gym mat (depth perception is not a skill we have learned yet) and really lift up. I try to hold things out for him to look at and grab, but what he really likes is to look at pictures in his books, here he is looking at Little Red Riding Hood.

Then this weekend we made our 1st trip up to Omaha. We had a great time. Samuel was able to meet so many of mom and dads friends, and see the city where his Dad grew up. Sam was a perfect little guy all weekend even with moving his schedule. It was so fun to watch him see all of these new places and people, it seemed like with each new place his eyes got bigger and bigger. We were also curious how Sam would sleep in a new place and he did great. Both nights he fell asleep on his own right on schedule! And just like our last trip he slept almost the entire car ride. Looks like we have a good little traveler which is good for mom and dad since we love to travel. Here is Sam in his finest digs for our friends wedding, being a ladies man!

And me with my little man.

Tootsie Roll

Samuel rolled over today, not from his stomach to his back but from his back to his stomach and then back. It all started a week or so ago when Sam began trying to reach his pacifier with his mouth when it would fall out. Since half the time he has his pacifier he is swaddled he is trying to find other ways to get the pacifier with no hands (not that he could get it if his hands were free.) This went on for a little while and then he realized that turning like that was kinda fun, and so he did it more often, and then today it happened. I was sending some emails while Sam played in his activity gym and his pacifier must have fallen out, but he was preoccupied with all of the other gadgets in his gym. Then he tried to see other gadgets and slowly worked his way over. It was so cute, because he seemed very surprise that he was now on his stomach with no help. Then after a few minutes he turned back to his back and then back again. He is my tootsie roll. I always feel better when Ben sees it too so that I know it happened, and when Ben came in from mowing the yard tonight he did it again. So for now we have a little roller or a tootsie roll.

Kansas City has been having some great weather and we are definitely trying to take advantage of it. Taking lots of walks outside and on Sunday Sam sat with me outside as I pulled weeds. It is so great to be able to get outside more, and he seems to really like it. But with the warm weather I have had to start putting shoes on the little guy, yes for the last few months if he went outside he always had socks on but rarely shoes especially if he was going to stay in his car seat. The warm bundle always kept him warm without needing the shoes. Here is a picture with him in shoes, it really makes him look like a big kid! He is also wearing his wrist rattles which currently only serve as another item for him to put in his mouth.

Good-Bye Friend....Thanks for the Ride

This weekend we had to say good-bye to Samuel's favorite sleeping place, his swing. In the past we didn't always buckle him in because he didn't move around, but in the last few weeks he has become a moving machine. Due to all the movement we began buckling him in, but when he is swaddled the buckle doesn't fit, yes its true a 3.5 month old does not fit in his swing! We were only using the swing for naps these days but during his 3rd nap on Thursday I came in and saw what no mother ever wants to see. No he was still in his swing, but in a very different position than I had left him. That was all we needed to put an end to our naps in the swing. He is doing okay taking his naps in his crib, but it is definitely a change. Here is a picture of Samuel only 6-days old in his swing (hasn't he changed, he was so tan and his hair was so dark!)
Samuel's 3-month pictures were on Wednesday and we can't wait to see how they turn out. Ben has been sick for almost a week and on Wednesday Sam began to show signs of being sick as well. While Julie was at the house, Sam did not smile, frown, cry or pretty much do anything. He was so lathargic, we think Julie could have done anything and he would have just sat there. While the pictures won't show the smiles we see each day, it definitely will document his 1st cold.

The this weekend we had our 1st Easter together, and while it was just the 3 of us and we miss our families so much on holidays it was a great day. Samuel was a perfect angel at mass, and so content during the day. It was such a gorgeous day we tried to spend time outside. He loves being outside and just looking around. He gets big smiles when the wind blows across his face.

And today marks 10 days until I have to go back to work. When I started my maternity leave I felt like it was going to be such a long time before I had to go back, but it has truly gone by in the blink of an eye. Each time I start to think about it my heart races a little bit, and I hold Samuel just a little bit tighter. While I only have to go back for 2 days a week until June, missing just a few days with him seems awful. But I know many mothers (mine included) had to go back to work and it didn't change a thing. I look forward to reading more than nursery rhymes and children's stories, and having the challenges work brings. The balance will come with time and we are so thankful that until Ben is done with school a good friend and Ben's mom will be here to help!

Samuel in his Easter Best!

Sam and I outside the house, and as usual he has his hands in his mouth.