Denver's Baby Book

Denver is now 7 months old and I'm embarrassed to say that I just now sat down to start working on his baby book.

Well, that's not entirely true. I tried to work on it right after his birth but I decided that I didn't like it so I wanted to start over. I didn't buy a traditional baby book because I wasn't thrilled with any of the ones that I had seen. I decided that I wanted to make some sort of digital scrapbook so I turned to www.mixbook.com and decided to start from scratch.

They have so many templates and backgrounds that it's a bit overwhelming but I decided to start with a blank canvas and see what I could come up with on my own.

This time around, I have more of an idea of where I want to go with this book and what I want the "end product" to be.

I'm so excited with how much I've been able to get done today (28 pages) and how many ideas I've had about other pages.

These pictures are awful. I was too lazy to do a screen capture and so I just took a pic of my computer, with my phone.

Here are some previews of what I've been working on...



Pumpkin Patch pictures!



Halloween & Carving Denver's first pumpkin



Denver's Christmas Pictures



First trip to see Santa



First trip to see the Bluebonnets

I decided that I'd find or create backgrounds to match the pictures instead of keeping a general theme throughout the whole book. I'm thrilled with the fact that you can use pictures as backgrounds (like I did with the bluebonnet pages).

On every page, I've include the date and what happened that day and how Denver reacted - like a regular baby book would.

My goal is to have it done for his 1st birthday party. Wish me luck!

Stomach Bug

Well, Denver got sick again this morning and woke up with a cough so I called the Drs office and got him appointment for this morning.

He threw up again this morning so I got him all cleaned up and bathed and then he wanted to go back to sleep so I just put him down in our bed.




This is how he sleeps now - on his side. Isn't he sweet? I just hate when my boy doesn't feel well.

D took him to the Dr while I stayed with Marleigh. The Dr said that he just had a stomach bug that has been going around our area and it is sometimes hard to tell teething babies have something because so many of them have some of the same symptoms while they are teething.
He also said that his cough was due to a weakened immune system because of the bug. He said that his lungs are still weak and we'll probably have issues like this for awhile when Denver gets sick.

He gave us something for his stomach and told us to start breathing treatments again until Denver stops wheezing.

He took his medicine at lunch time and he still acted like he didn't feel well but he didn't get sick any more and he played a little.




They "talked" for awhile.




He had to get close to tell her a secret I guess. Every day, they seem to get a little closer. At first, she didn't want anything to do with him but she smiles and "talks" to him more everyday. It is so cute to watch them together!

This weekend is going to be pretty low key so that Denver can take his medicine and rest. Hopefully, we can get him to feeling better soon!

A Day In the Life

One of my favorite things about keeping Marleigh every day is that not only do I get to spend so much time with her, but I get to see Matthew.

I take him to school every morning and today the sun was exceptionally bright - it was hard to see. He told me he was going to keep his eyes closed because it was so bright. I asked him if he wanted to wear my sunglasses and he said "sure" so he put them on and I told him that at the next stop sign, I was taking a picture.

This just makes me laugh! Oh, I love that little boy. He told me "they practically almost fit" so I told him I'd make sure they stayed in the car in case he needed to use them again! Silly kid!
We went to my house today (I had left Denver at home sleeping with his dad - we had a long night last night) and the babies played in Denver's bed awhile.

Then we had new diapers all around, baby Denver got dressed and it was off to eat breakfast!
Marleigh ate her breakfast and was chilling in the bumbo when we sat down to feed Denver his oatmeal. He was fussing the whole time but kept wanting bites so I kept feeding him. With just two bites left, he looked at me and threw up every where and then his face turned a little red and he threw up again.
I took Marleigh (in the bumbo) and sat her on the bathroom floor while I got Denver in the bathtub to clean him up. We got all cleaned up, new clothes, diapers all around and the high chair taken apart and in the washing machine.
They played in his bed for a bit and then everyone started fussing - must be time for morning naps!
I got Marleigh asleep in Denver's bed and moved Denver to his rocker in the living room. He fussed and fussed until a very nervous mama gave him some milk - he drank 7 ounces and kept it all down (thank goodness).
After about another half hour of fussing and rubbing on his gums, he fell asleep. Look at the clock - oh, look at that it's only 9:30am!
After naps and new diapers, we played on the couch for awhile. Denver just loves sitting with Marleigh and she's starting to tolerate him! :)

After playing a bit it's time for lunch. Marleigh drinks milk and then when she gets done I let her sit up awhile while I feed Denver. He eats a veggie and a fruit and then about half an hour later, he wants to drink a little milk.
We play for a bit, read a story, have some tummy time and then it's time for nap #2. I get Marleigh asleep first because it doesn't take as long as getting Denver to sleep. I finally get him to sleep and get ready to fix some lunch for myself. On a typical day, I get my lunch fixed and sit down and one of them starts fussing. Some days I can get them settled back down so I can sit & eat lunch. Other days, it doesn't work like that. More time than not Marleigh starts fussing and then Denver starts getting restless. He's not a very sound sleeper a lot of the times. By the time I get her settled down and back to sleep, he's awake and fussing.

When they get up, time for new diapers, and snack time for Denver. After his snack, I usually cuddle with Marleigh while Denver plays in the bouncer and then the excersaucer. When he starts fussing to her out, I put Marleigh in her swing and I sit in the floor and play with Denver. Sometimes we do baby gymnastics and sometimes we just play with toys.
About that time they both hit their fussy time and they both fuss while I fix their afternoon bottles. I get them both fed, and both changed and put Marleigh in the chair to sit up while I put Denver in the walker to play.
Then, it's time to make sure all of our toys are picked up, blankets are folded and put up, bottles are washed & drying and Denver's bag is packed to go home or Marleigh's - depending on what house we are at.

This week has been VERY challenging - mostly on my patience and sanity. We've had one very fussy, whiny, little boy who can't get any relief from this teething nonsense and a little girl who is starting to throw major fits before each nap and then again in late afternoon - just for good measure.

So we've had a lot of crying and fussing all around. I hope that next week is nicer to all of us!


I'm normally very, very particular about the things that Denver eats but because I am weak - when he went after a cheeto I was eating, I let him have it. He chewed on it awhile and managed to eat about half of it and then because he's the sweetest kid ever - he put the other half in Marleigh's lap! :)
I'm going to believe he was sharing and not getting rid of the nasty, soggy end ;)

He also gave her his keys and then slid down to lay on her - silly kid.
The rest of the afternoon was much like the beginning (without the vomit) and after a meltdown this sweet girl was so exhausted she couldn't wait for Aunt Morgan to take her to bed and fell asleep right where she sat!

This has to be the cutest thing I've seen lately!
I felt bad for the way she was laying so picked her up to move her to the bed which woke her up and made her mad so then we had a meltdown. I'm not sure it was sympathy or frustration but Denver kept looking at her and then had a meltdown of his own!
See why it's so frustrating when people say stay at home moms don't do anything?

Teething Sucks!

Denver's mouth is really bothering him. His gums are so tight and swollen and he has been so cranky the last few days. He isn't sleeping really soundly because he keeps waking through the night because of teething pain. So, he's extra cranky in the morning after breakfast. He needs a nap so bad but he is restless and grouchy so it's been taking a lot longer to get him to sleep and although I'd rather him lay in the bed or in a swing - this week I've let him sleep whereever he will actually sleep. After almost an hour of fussing and fighting it - I rocked him to sleep. He woke up about 5 minutes later fighting me, so I put him down in this boppy pillow in the recliner next to me. He rolled on to his side and slept so soundly for a little over an hour. This little face cracks me up. He hasn't smiled a bunch this week - you can tell he doesn't feel good, but I can't help but kiss all over those cheeks! Oh, how I love that little boy. I introduced him to this little drum this week, and he loves chewing on the drumsticks more than anything. Occasionally, he'll actually hit the drum with them! After nap time, I take the kids into Marleigh's room for new diapers and then it's usually time for Marleigh to eat. Denver is now getting into everything, so to make sure I can keep him out of stuff, I put him in her bed. He has a hard time seeing me, so he figured out he can bend down a little and stick his face up to the bars and see me between them. He thinks it's so funny, he'll just laugh and laugh. I'm hoping Denver can get over some of these teething issues so that he can get back to being his normal happy self.

First Sippy Cup!

The Easter Bunny brought Denver his first sippy cup and we tried it out for the first time today.




I was pleasantly surprised that he took right to it. The difficult part is finding something he'll actually drink out of it. I don't want to put milk in it yet and he won't drink plain water. I don't like the idea of giving him sugary juices but for now, juice was the best idea I could come up with.

I put 2 ounces of apple juice and 4 ounces of water in it and he seemed to like that pretty well.

Getting him to hold it is going to be the struggle. He thinks it's a lot more fun just to bang it on the table, high chair, floor, etc.

Until then, we're having fun with him trying to learn!

Bluebonnets

Spring in Texas is marked by the appearance of bluebonnets. D & I look forward to them every year although we've only managed to go to The Bluebonnet Festival and take pictures in them once.

We always look forward to seeing all the pictures of our friends' children in the bluebonnets & couldn't wait to take Denver to see them and take pictures!

He had to get ready by taking a nap first!



He woke up, got dressed and away we went.



He got sick in the car and so we stopped and he sat up front with me and got cleaned up while Dad cleaned up the carseat.

We got everything cleaned up and away we went!

He fell asleep on the way there and we had to wake him to get him out of the car so he was a little out of sorts during our visit but here are some pics nonetheless!


First, he wanted to eat them.



Then for a while he just sat and stared at them.



Then he just looked at us like "what is all of this?"



He was very interested in trying to get a hold of a few of them.

He wanted to pick them so badly!



We didn't let him pick any (or rip them out of the ground is more like it) so he just bent them over and played with them in his lap.

We never could get him to smile but it was so fun to watch him trying to figure them out.

He loved the wind blowing in his face on the way back to the car. It was so cute because he got so tickled he was just laughing and laughing!

After the bluebonnets we stopped at Chili's for a late lunch and he ha a blast! He's a people watcher for sure.



He sat beside daddy for awhile and Daddy fed him his lunch.



Isn't he the sweetest little guy?

After lunch we headed to a little bookstore that I like to sell my books at. You get a store credit to buy more used books so I used some of the credit to buy Denver a few books. We're in desperate need of a new bookcase - this little guy's is filling up fast!

7 months

Denver is 7 months old today! Where has the time gone??? I wanted to write down a few things to remember what he was up to at this age... Denver, You are changing so much every day and I'm so proud of you and grateful that I get to spend so much time with you! You weigh 23 pounds and 1 1/2 ounces. You wear 6-9 and 9 month clothes and 9 month pajamas. You wear size 3 diapers. You still wake to eat once a night. You drink 7 ounces of milk, every 5 hours. You eat a container of fruit and oatmeal every morning, a vegetable and a fruit for lunch and a dinner and dessert at supper time. You get up at 6:30 and go to bed at 8. You love to look around and people watch. You are so nosy! You love to be cuddled and loved on. You smile and laugh all day long! Your favorite snack is Strawberry & Beet puffs. You are working so hard to feed yourself at snack time and have had a few very successful days. You sit on your own, very well. You now take your baths in the big bathtub (this makes your mommy very, very nervous). You are struggling with separation anxiety. You can pull yourself up to a kneeling position in your crib. You chew on anything that gets even remotely close to your mouth. You now have 2 teeth! Your favorite toys light up and make sound! You say "mama" ALL the time! When you get mad, you rip off your pacifier clip and throw it down. You have quite a temper. You love being around other children. You are a very busy, inquisitive and happy little boy and your dad and I are so proud of you and love you so much!