One Month Old!

Here's my sweetie pie! I can't believe it's already been a month. But I guess that's how I'll feel at every milestone he reaches until.... well, forever! I love the tongue he's got going on in this pic.

Such a sweet smile. We like to think he's responding to us with his smiles, but who knows. To be honest, he smiles more at his dad. Don't know what that's all about. I think when he sees me he just wants nummies.

Here he is all stretched out on the table for his one month check up today. The serenity only lasted about two seconds until the doctor got that cold stethoscope on his chest! (By the way, I LOVE Kenmore Pediatrics! Thank you to everyone that suggested it! Even after I pulled out my big ol' list of questions, the doctor was so nice!) So here are his stats: he gained almost a pound since his last visit and is now up to 8lbs 4oz which is 25th percentile. He still measured 21 inches (she said it's hard to be accurate on length) and that is 50th percentile. And now for the head...ready for this...90th percentile!! We've got our own little bobble head. :) Guess you gotta give me props for birthing it, right?! :)

So, kind of random, but I remember my pediatrician's office having a big fish tank just like this! Must be somethin' about kids and fish, I don't know.

Ok, so here's the run down on what Collin's been up to this month!
He had his first bath at about two and half weeks. It took that long for his cord to fall off. He didn't like it at first, but once we got his arms under the water and a warm washcloth on his tummy, he loved it. This kid does NOT like to be cold in the slightest. I think that's why he hates getting his diaper changed so much. We have to keep the space heater on him when changing it.

I think he's a bit indignant that we're taking pictures of him bathing. It's ok kid, we made sure you were modest! :)

"Peace, dudes"

This was his first time out to dinner. I kept him bundled up and covered so no one would touch him. Am I a paranoid mother?

So sleeping rituals have been interesting. He sleeps pretty good at night, going a four hour stretch, then three hours, then two. If Trav doesn't have to go to an early class then he'll take him around 7 or 8 and give me an hour to sleep in. He doesn't love to nap during the day though. Well, I take that back, he'll nap tons if I'm holding him, but he won't go down for a nap on his own. Sigh. Thus, I have learned to do many things one handed. That, or I just don't get much done. More of the latter goes on until Trav gets home and takes him so I can clean, exercise, etc. How do single parents do it??!!

Ok, so Collin makes some pretty funny faces sometimes. Here's a few I've caught on camera....

He's mastered the "scowl". I wish I knew what he was thinking sometimes! Possibly, "Ok, enough with the pictures!"

I LOVE this face. When he gets mad, he stretches out his neck and lets out a wail then pouts that lip out like a champ. I seriously look forward to it. Such the drama king!

"Yes, can I help you". All milk drunk and sleepy. Poor guy has a bad case of baby acne that shows up in this picture but this is the face I sometimes get right after he's eaten. Check out that milk mustache!

"OMG! "

"Cheese!"

Blue Steel!

Ok, before you go calling Child Protective Services, let me explain! Yes, we duct tape our child. You see, he sleeps well when he's swaddled, but he's a wiggler, and can pop out of a swaddle quicker than you can say "sleep deprived!" I read in a book, that a small piece of tape can solve that problem, and it did! I guess when my mom was visiting, he was being really fussy, so Trav took him and swaddled him tight, and as he was handing him back to my mom, Collin, popped an arm up, and busted out of the swaddle, almost like he was saying "Ta Da!" Little Mister Houdini.

See, he likes it!

Down side is, you will find little pieces of tape all around our house, and sometimes there are casualties

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So, yes, the first month has been fun, exhausting, adventurous, stressful, happy, sad... you get the picture. He's such a good eater and loves his "pacer". He also loves to be held. My mom said that I was quite the snuggler as a baby. I would snuggle until I was sweaty, so I must have passed those genes on! He makes us laugh with his loud and long "toots". Always filling his diaper right after a clean one was put on. Of course. He has "fire hosed" himself in the face while I'm changing his diaper, four times. Trav finally witnessed it yesterday and couldn't even help me clean him up, he was laughing so hard. Which reminds me, while Trav was at church yesterday, I was feeding Collin, when he suddenly pulled away from me, hunched over and spewed milk out of his mouth and NOSE! I swear my heart stopped beating. It was such a scary experience for me, but when I told Trav the story, he started laughing! That is, until he realized I didn't think it was so funny. He's not insensitive, he just knows when to be truly worried, while I have heart attacks over sneezes. Not really, but you know what I mean. :)

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Easter Fun

We decided to have some friends over to enjoy Easter with us. Here are the Shaw's entertaining most of the kids in the group!

We had a yummy ham and potato dinner then decorated eggs to compete against each other in a contest. Trav's family has done this for a few years, and I was the reigning champion! You pair off and roll your egg at the other person's egg so that they collide. Only one egg will crack. Don't know why, but it's true, every time. So if your egg doesn't crack, you go on to the next round.

Trav got a good action shot of my turn. Unfortunately my luck didn't last this year, and I lost to Creed in the first round! :(

Trav beat Megan, but then lost in the next round.

Dave was the winner! He was hilarious. Before he rolled his egg in each round, he made sure that the "bomb" he drew on his egg was facing the front. I guess his strategy worked! He took home the ceramic egg "trophy" for the year.

Next game was ChUbBy BuNnY! Now, this is a game my mother always told me not to play (along with Red Rover)... why you ask? Because you will choke and die! (Dying was a common consequence my mother warned me of for many activities she didn't want us to participate in) Well, apparently she wasn't too far off. Apparently there have been two documented deaths due to playing Chubby Bunny. Luckily, we didn't add a third. Here is Trav with about 9 mallows in. Collin can't believe his father's talent!

Creed and Doug were hanging in there with about 11 marshmallows apiece, but Doug was the final winner with about 13 I think. Yes, he has a HUGE mouth! :)

Then we finished off the night with some dessert and (check out the fancy cake Rachel made).....

.... visiting. I just thought it was funny that Bron and Trav decided to pop a squat on the floor. What a fun Easter- let's do it again next year!