That Aint Bad

     Today our sweet baby Marcus slept in until 8am!  He fell asleep last night around 7:30 while I was feeding him, so for you math majors out there, he slept 12 1/2 hours!  He woke up briefly at 4am, but was quick to go back to sleep when I slipped him a pacifier.  Man, this child is spoiling us! 
     So we got up around 8am and have had an amazing and productive day since.  The weather here in good ol' Asheville has been between 55-60 degrees today.  In my dad's words, "it's a gal-durn heat wave."  After Marcus took his morning nap, we packed him up and headed over to the Asheville Racquet Club to check out their new fitness facility.  We liked what we saw and will probably get a membership there on Monday.  It's nice because it's new, there aren't many people (yet), and they have free childcare (bonus!).  So with bathing-suit season right around the corner, Mama's gonna hit the gym a few times a week in preparation. 
     But that's the thing, is it REALLY right around the corner?  It's been so nice here that it seems like a little glimmer of hope, telling us that Spring is on it's way.  Uh, attention: we're still in JANUARY.  The bulk of our snow days at school last year were in February.  So even though coldness is still in our near future, we sure enjoyed today. 
     After the fitness center, we ate at one of our new favorite restaurants the, "Twisted Crepe."  If you're in the Asheville area, it's a great place to eat, and is definitely food that you can't just get anywhere.  Well, FRANCE, maybe, but if you don't want to travel that far, downtown Asheville has you covered. 
     When we got home, Marcus ate and then watched Carolina beat up on NC State with Daddy.  As soon as we smelled victory, Marcus and I went on a nice walk to enjoy the fresh air and Mark washed the car as well as changed the oil in his truck. 
     All that before 4pm?  That aint bad. :)

Carolina haters need not comment. :)

We just love those big blue eyes!

Two Quick Videos

In the "Feet" blog, I promised the video of Marcus playing with his feet after I changed his diaper one morning.  While I was looking at that video, I saw another PRECIOUS one of when I woke him up from a nap.  Now, before you start fussing at me for waking a baby up, he had slept TWO AND A HALF HOURS and it was time to eat again.  Either way, it's a cute video to show how he'll smile at Mark or I when we go get him out of his crib.  MOST OF THE TIME, he wakes up on his own, cooing or hollaring until we go get him.  Enjoy the videos! :)

A Visit from Grandad and Granny

     Last Saturday, Grandad and Granny came for a visit.  Marcus was in the floor happily enjoying tummy time when they arrived.  There wasn't a "Hey Leah," or "Hey Mark," but "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYY MARRRRR-CUUUUUUUSSSS!" in a high pitched squeal and they almost fell to the floor to join in on his level.  It was so funny.  By now, I'm used to it, but it's always makes me chuckle.  People sometimes ooh and ahh over him at church, then say, "Oh, hey, Leah," like they just realized I was there (even though I was the one holding him).   Mark or I neither one mind this because people are loving on our sweet baby, and he's a part of us. 
     So back to the grandparents...they drove into town, just for the day, to spend with Marcus, while Mark and I worked on the basement some.  They laid in the floor, took turns holding him, and they didn't seem to stop smiling the whole time.  Marcus was a happy boy, but definitely concentrated on their faces and voices, as they weren't as familiar as Mark's or mine.  Granny fed him and Grandad rocked him to sleep for one of his naps.  While he was awake and we ate lunch, they had to have Marcus right in front of them, so they could croon on his every movement in between chewing.  They spoiled him rotten, and once they left to go home, we paid for it in trying to put him to sleep without rocking him.  Oh well, they don't get the opportunity often, so what does a little spoiling hurt?  Not much at all. :)

Almost asleep

Aqua Duck is his new tummy time toy.  The water is inside so he doesn't get wet.

Face-plant

He laughs more every day.  It's the sweetest sound on Earth.

Our sweet little man.

Feet

"Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left.

Turn your feet from evil."

~Proverbs 4:26 & 27~

     Mark and I have heard this verse for over a year now, but it all began with James MacDonald.  He preached a sermon about really THINKING and PONDERING about what you're doing and where you're going.  As I daily kiss Marcus' little feet, I recite this verse to him.  "Think about what you're doing son.  Keep these feet far away from evil...run from it."  Obviously, I pray that God will protect him from evil, but Marcus has the free will to make his own decisions.  So then my prayer becomes, "Lord, make Mark and I parents that direct him down the right paths and show us how to be the ones that lead the way." Who knew that something so cute as little FEET could make me go into all these thoughts and meditations with Jesus.  He's creative, huh?
     Back to feet, Marcus is now infatuated with his own.  In the mornings, when I change his diaper and clothes, he sometimes lays for 10 minutes at a time on the changing table just playing and adoring his own feet.  He can't yet put them in his mouth, but he sometimes grabs them.  He will flex and curl his toes, clap his feet together, and stretch his legs as far up in the air as he can.  It's so entertaining for me.  I even videoed it the other morning because I didn't want to "interrupt" him to put his clothes on yet.  I'll post that video sometime. 
     In other news, we had his 4 month doctor's appointment on Thursday afternoon and everything looks great.  I had tried measuring him myself the other day and thought he was between 28 and 29 inches long.  When I looked on my baby growth charts he was THROUGH THE ROOF, so I was slightly relieved when the nurse said he was 27 1/4 inches long.  He's still above the 97th percentile, but at least he's not a GIANT baby. He weighed 16 pounds and 8 1/2 ounces and that was the 75th percentile.  That too was a relief because he's chunking out a bit and I wanted to make sure I wasn't feeding him too much, etc.  As a mom, you worry about the dumbest stuff.  Since Marcus was just in his diaper, he was happily cooing and smiling at Dr. Love during the examination.  He stood Marcus up onto his feet and said, "oh, he's strong."  We think so, too, but don't really have anything to compare it to, so when Dr. Love said it, it reinforced our initial thoughts. 
     He said Marcus could begin teething any day now, but it could also be a few months, too.  Either way, Marcus now brings most things to his mouth and drools like a faucet.  He almost had his whole fist in his mouth the other day.  If baseball doesn't work out, maybe he can call Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and show them his amazing fist trick.  Dr. Love also said we could begin some solids, so last night (Friday) we gave him his first bowl of yummy rice cereal.  You can judge from the video and his face in the pictures if he liked it or not.  Also, note the amazing play-by-play commentary from Mark.  He might have another career in the future with broadcasting. 

 

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4 Months Old!

     Marcus is 4 months old today!  He shares this, "birthday" with Uncle TJ who's turning 26 today.  I'm sure TJ is much farther along in his rolling over skills, but that's Marcus' newest goal that he seems to be working on.  He rolled over again last night from his belly to his back but has yet to get from his back to his belly, although he's trying so hard.  I was in the floor trying to help him last night and I thought, "do I really want him to roll over yet?"  Mark and I both talked about how we'll just let him learn as he grows and not push too hard because he'll be into EVERYTHING before we know it.  I'm sure that once he gets mobile, it's time for me to put my game face on. 
     Marcus is continuing to drool all over everything and put his hands (and anything that he's holding) into his mouth.  You'll see in the pictures below that he was trying to eat the sign today.  He has teether toys and when he gets just a little bit older and eats some baby food type solids, I can pull out this cool new contraption called the Baby Safe Feeder.  You put a piece of fruit (usually frozen but it doesn't have to be) into a little mesh basket and it clicks into a ring type of holder.  It looks like a lollipop but babies can gnaw on it, get the juice out, and very teeny tiny pieces of fruit that they are able to swallow.  It's good for nutrition and teething help.  He has a doctor's appointment Thursday, so I'll ask when it would be a good time to introduce that.  I also plan on asking when we should introduce rice cereal or other liquids (like juice) to Marcus.  Again, I'm not trying to push him along too quickly, but I do want to make sure that we're doing all that we can, as the parents, to ensure the best growth and maturation as possible.
     We'll post again on Saturday and fill you in on what Dr. Love said (insert the band KISS' song, "Dr. Love" here - then raise your hand in the air and start banging your head like a rocker).  I'm curious, how many of you got that last part....

Life is precious, life is sweet

     Isn't God amazing?  I mean, think about it.  We were created in HIS image!  WE LOOK LIKE OUR DADDY!  I hope that our daily lives make Him smile because I was and still am so thankful for this life He's allowing me to live.  I know it's so cliche to say, "enjoy every second" because it's hard to enjoy being pooped on (literally...while I was changing his diaper) or when he's wailing his face off, but we should definitely TRY to enjoy these moments because these babies aren't getting younger!  They're growing up way too fast.  Mark and I finally understand what our parents have meant all these years when they've said that. 
     Take this morning, for example.  Marcus woke up around 5:30 crying (which he's been doing for the past 2 weeks for some reason).  I tried to soothe him with a pacifier but right when I got back in bed he made it LOUD and clear...that's not gonna cut it.  So I went back in there, picked him up, and rocked our sweet baby boy.  His one arm kept flailing around as he calmed down, so I just held his little hand and kept rocking.  Even though it was 5:30am and I was half awake, it was the sweetest moment.  I loved it.  I wanted to sing praises to God, but thought that might wake him up more, vs putting him back to sleep.  I started praying for the other mamas who were up with their babies.
     I find myself constantly praying for 3 mamas ALL THE TIME and then there's a long list of other mamas that I pray for throughout the day.  One friend, Melissa, had little Oliver 4 weeks before Marcus, another friend Pepper had sweet Channing 4 weeks after Marcus, and our dear friends Aaron and Erin Creasman just had a precious baby girl named Adelyn almost 2 weeks ago.  I feel like these ladies are going through what I'm going through on a daily basis since our children are so close in age.  They get to experience the same sweet blessings (and struggles) that I do week by week (notice I said, "get to," not "have to").  We can rely on each other and ask questions like, "Did your baby do this...?" or give encouragement like, "Girl, it'll get better."  I appreciate how God gives encouragement through fellow believers and in other ways like HIS WORD.
     Yesterday, Marcus and I visited Erin and Adelyn and has just the sweetest time there.  In the pictures you'll see below, he was smitten on her...Adelyn wasn't so excited about Marcus. :)  That may change over time, though.  Don't worry, we're not pushing it.  He can't date until he's 20 anyway.
      Finally, Marcus is really working HARD to roll over on his own.  When placed on his back, he can curl up on his side (usually his left) and work his hips over.  He just struggles with what to do with his left arm.  This morning, I put him on his side and he flipped right over to his belly, without me pulling his arm up!  So he's moving right along.  Below, you'll see a few pictures I took while he was working it out.

Here's Erin & I with our sweet babies. 

"There, there, baby girl.  I'll protect you."

Marcus: Almost 16 pounds.  Adelyn: Almost 8 pounds.

"Chicks dig the athletes."

"Hey Mama. This is easy."

First he arches his back.

Then he swings his hips over.

Then he tries to lick the quilt...I mean keep rolling.

And he's officially stuck and making some suffocating sounds.  Once I pull his left arm up, he flips right over.

Crying & A New Trick!

     It's never easy to hear your child cry.  For the first few weeks of Marcus' life, I CRIED, when he cried.  I had no idea that it would have such a profound impact on me to hear this little guy in distress or pain.  Well, now that we hear some type of crying on a daily basis (hello...he's a baby), you get a little more used to it...or so I thought.  Last night, putting Marcus to bed, he cried, inconsolably for almost an hour straight.  The only time he wasn't crying was when he was in my arms and I was rocking or singing to him.  We don't usually give him a pacifier at night, but then again, he usually is in the swaddle-me, so it's the beginnings of a different process, I realize.  He typically gets a pacifier when we put him down for a nap, but last night, every time I laid him down, he opened his mouth wide, like a little birdie, waiting for his pacifier.  This might be sending him mixed signals, so Mark and I discussed it and thought it'd be best to not give him a pacifier for naps OR bedtime.  We'll only use it, sparingly, during the day when he gets fussy or is gnawing excessively on his fist, etc.  He usually takes 3 naps during the day, two shorter ones, and one longer one.  Both his morning naps were around an hour.  He's played with his daddy and I all day, so I know he's tired.  I put him down for a nap, covered him up to his waist, and the put his love bunny in his arms.  I kissed him and said, "night night" and here came the most pitiful squalls you've ever heard.  This is his new, "sad" cry, vs the "mad," "tired," or "in pain" cries, all of which have a different sound, pitch, and rhythm.  He's definitely getting to the age where he recognizes Mark and I, so we can't go into his room while he's sleeping like we used to, in fear that he'll open up his eyes and see us.  Before, he could do that and go right back to sleep, but once he sees us, it's ON!  He's wide awake in full "pick-me-up" mode.  Ok, so back to today's nap.  Marcus continued his pitiful wail for almost 10 minutes.  I set our kitchen timer so I wouldn't go back in there before it went off.  And what do you know?  He stopped crying and fell fast asleep before the timer went off!  It seems like an ETERNITY when he's crying, but if I step back and think logically about it, it makes a lot more sense for him to learn to go to sleep without it.  What if we lost it?  What if we forgot it at home?  What if he gets attached and wants this thing 24/7?  I know these are all neurotic thoughts, but in the end, the pacifier is just that...a tool that temporarily pacifier it's occupier.  We just don't want it to be a crutch that he uses to fall asleep, that's all.  Then again, we don't want him to be a thumb-sucker but that's a WHOLE other story.....


     Oh yeah, I forgot!  Amongst telling you all about my guilt-stained emotions of hearing him cry, I forgot to tell you that he ROLLED OVER for the first time this week.  On Monday night, Mark had Marcus in the floor on his stomach.  He was showing him how to tip over and roll onto his back.  They went through this a few times, Mark right there beside him, me watching from the kitchen table.  Then all of a sudden, Mark put him back on his belly to where he was head up, looking around, and he slowly tipped over and rolled onto his back!  It was awesome!  Watching this little boy do new things is better than tv!  It's the only time he's done it so far, but man, it was great to see.  And great that Mark and I both were here to witness it together. 

     Sorry for being so wordy today.  I have lots of pent-up information just BURSTING out to tell you when I blog.  :)

Even though it had snowed outside, we had a photoshoot before taking a warm bath.

"Oh, hello Mommy!"

He makes holding his head up look easy nowadays.

Here's his sheepish grin.

We woke up to 6 inches of snow Monday morning.  That didn't stop Mark from going to work, though!

Winter Wonderland

Mark shoveled 3 driveways and Marcus watched with great intensity.

There's a song by Phillips, Craig, and Dean that says, "I (Mark) want to be just like You (God) because he (Marcus) wants to be like me."  Mark is working to be more like our Lord because Marcus is watching, and will hopefully grow up to be like Mark.  Following in his footsteps, just like Mark followed his dad's.

Monday night Mark was working in the floor with Marcus.

Here he is, holding his head up, ready to tilt.

And here he is once he rolled over.  This wasn't the actual roll, but I took this picture after Mark, "tipped" him over and showed him how to do it again.  When he actually DID roll over, he smiled with delight as we cheered.

I used the tripod I got for Christmas to set up & take this picture of Marcus and I while Mark was at work.  Marcus got this great snow suit from his Canadian grandparents and it kept him nice and warm for the picture.

Sitting up like a big boy in his bumbo chair...still loves that glow worm.

Here's a picture of how Marcus is starting to swing his hips back and forth, trying to roll ONTO his belly.  He gets pretty far, but can't quite figure out what to do with his arms.  It gets stuck every time he almost does it (so far, that is.)