This Thanksgiving

. . . we're thankful for this little guy.

Our Week

We had quite the week in the our little home. It began innocently enough - Monday we went to work and returned home with the dude. That night, though, as I was cooking dinner (and the gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup at that) it hit like a brick wall - the stomach flu. Ick. Ick. Ick. I spent my first night not in the same room as Justin, and it was not a fun one. I hate being sick nearly as much as I hate working out.

I stayed home the next day, only to get a call from Daycare that Justin possibly had pinkeye and he needed to be picked up grreeeaaattt. I called Baby Daddy, who picked him up, and made an appt. with a Dr. in his pediatrician's office. Baby Daddy came home, reported that he also felt ill, napped for awhile, and took him to the doctor where crappy drops were procured. (Justin has had a teary/sometimes 'goopy' eye for a few weeks - the pediatrician commented on it at his two month appt. We have NEVER seen even a little color in his eye [besides those handsome blues]). So, Mitch comes home and gets more sick. Luckily, the Little Dude was spared from the sickness.

Saturday we celebrated Auntie Em's birthday, and today we spent a relaxing, though busy, day at home. We attempted some tummy time . Justin's version of tummy time means being put on his stomach, struggling and grunting for a bit while trying to lift his butt in the air, then giving up and sucking on his hand. He tries to raise his head maybe 50% of the time. We took 193 pictures to use for our Christmas Card (though 15 were of Izzers) - because having a baby means people now care to receive holiday mail. Baby Daddy let me put up Christmas decorations even though he's vehemently against Christmas before Thanksgiving. He only did it because we're uber busy until Christmas - don't give him too much credit ;) Pictures will be posted once we find a Hallmark that doesn't suck.

The photo above is of our little model showing off his handmade sweater. It amazes me that someone actually made that sweater - Thanks Stacia! It fits him perfectly now.

3 Months

It sounds cliche, but I cannot believe that Justin is already 3 months old. He has changed sooooo much in the past few weeks. Here's a little update of our Little Dude:

* (Knock on Wood) - The biggest change has been the improvement in Justin's fussiness/colic. He had one pseudo-fussy evening in the past nine, which is amazing! He has been such a happy baby lately, only fussing when he needs something (i.e. FOOD).

* He is still our big Little Dude and currently weighs 14 lbs. 3 oz. He is wearing all of his 3-6 month clothes (6-9 month under-onesies), and Mommy hopes they will last through Christmas. He is in size 2 diapers.

* Justin loves his Mam pacifiers. Unfortunately, so does Izzers, and she has ruined two in the past few weeks.

* Justin LOVES to watch TV. Two weekends ago he started watching the Hawkeye game (at least this is what Baby Daddy says, though I will admit that he seems to pay more attention when football is on), and now he turns his head toward the TV, often even when eating.

* His sleeping patterns have, well, lacked a pattern. He has started falling asleep around 9:30 each night. He usually wakes up once a night - between 1 and 3, sometimes twice - around 1 and 4, and last night he slept straight from 9-5 :) Naps are inconsistent - sometimes he naps a few times during the day, once during others.

* Justin eats 4 oz. every 3ish hours, and still gets some breastmilk each day. Mommy is so glad that feeding time is no longer stressful for you :)

* He is working towards rolling over, popping onto his side often.

* Justin's favorite toys are his activity mat (i.e. The Octopus), his mobile, and once in awhile his bouncy seat (he likes the light that changes colors at the top).

* He is becoming quite vocal - laughing, cooing, even squealing once in awhile. He has laughed at peekaboo once, and laughed at blowing on his tummy as well.

* He is less of a frog, and loves to move and kick his legs as much as he can - We think he is going to be quite the mover when he figures it all out.

* Justin still looks like his daddy, though I've been told that as he is 'filling out', he is starting to resemble me - gee, thanks ;)

Happy 3 Month Birthday J.Frog! We are looking forward to you meeting more of your family in the next month for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Postpartum Check-in #1

In Justin's Baptism post, I alluded to the fact that I, like many women who have just had a baby, am unsatisfied with my postpartum body. And by unsatisfied, I mean hating it. So, I've decided to do something about it. And you, my dear reader(s), get to hear about it, because actually having to admit publicly if I am making any progress, or admitting to shortfalls, may help keep me on track. Oh, and Baby Daddy is joining me in this - he has been complaining about his postpartum body for years . . .

So, the dirt - When pregnant with Justin I gained nearly 40 pounds. Yeppers. ouch. 40. and Justin was only 7 of that. Not that I am complaining about that . . . at all. Thus far, I have lost 25 pounds. Now you may be thinking, 'Why Bonnie, that means you have 15 pounds to lose'. Wrong, dear reader(s), wrong. Unfortunately, this lady found out she was pregnant right before the holiday season, which lead to a virtual pigout at each family celebration - 'One piece of pie for me, one piece for Baby Hunt'. Repeat. So, I gained a few pounds before the first prenatal weigh-in. Thus, my weight loss goal is 20 pounds, which would put be back in my set-range. And also back in my normal clothes. Yes, this German lady carries extra weight in her chest and hips - surprising, I know - which means that my clothes STILL DO NOT FIT. Seriously - this is ridiculous. I refuse to buy larger clothes, not because I have a problem with a larger number, but because I do not want to spend the money on a new wardrobe.

You should also know that I despise exercising. Some people find it relaxing, or energizing, or even fun - that's not me. I kick and scream when forced with the idea. But we just got an elliptical, so Baby Daddy tells me that I have to use it. Though I tell him he has to stop eating the peanut butter, and it's still in the cupboard . . . so this won't be easy.

Now that I am thoroughly embarrassed, I will summarize - goal: lose 20 pounds, quickly but in a healthy manner (don't worry mom and dad ;) ), fit into regular clothes, eat less processed food, exercise more. And let you lovely people know how we're doing. Because you care, or at least I will be embarrassed if you ask me about it later and I have to admit that I had two doughnuts and a hamburger for lunch.

No longer 7 pounds . . .

Meet my competition . . .

'The Octopus'

The Octopus resides at the top of Justin's activity mat, and we refer to is as Justin's Girlfriend, because when he sees her, he does this . . .

. . . nearly instantly. He coos, smiles, and laughs up a storm. But not with other animals, or lights - just this octopus. I am slightly jealous of a stuffed object right now.

Some other things happening of late (AKA: Where Baby Momma brags on her handsome):

The most adorable hat ever - everyone says so :) We have been bundling Justin for his trek to daycare.

Justin is doing really well at holding his head up. He is quite the strong boy. (Here they were watching the Iowa game last Saturday.) We will be using the bumbo seat more in the next few weeks. What do you think - does he still look like Baby Daddy?

The three grandbabies together for Halloween. I used to think Annabanana was big - now not so much. The little dude is 11 weeks here, compared to Annabanana's 6 months.

In other news, Justin's fussiness/colic has not been as bad the past few days (here's hoping I don't jinx anything by saying this). I really wish it would continue to improve. He's such a happy little guy when he's not in pain.