It was this time last year that we found out some extra special news. Vann was the size of a little seed in my tummy. I found out on this day last year that our baby we had prayed about was finally here and I was pregnant. Here's my favorite moment...

And now a year later, we have a bouncing, happy baby boy who is the greatest blessing we've been given. 

 

I'm 14 weeks. 

I smile big and do a little tiny laugh.

 If my paci falls out and it's close by, I can push it back in.

 

I suck down bottles if they are warm enough to my liking! Thanks Miss Kimberly for introducing Mom to a bottle warmer. I still prefer to be nursed. 

 I love to blow bubbles with my mouth. 

I am pulling myself up and about 45° away from sitting all the way up to 90° position. 

 

I like to play with bright colored objects. I really like the spiky ball from Carter's.

I am beginning to get a little bit better with tummy time. That used to really annoying. 

We took our family photos and I did excellent… Thank God they were only 20 minutes! 

 {Michele is awesome! Here's a sneak peek!}

I love car rides and probably fall asleep within five minutes down the road.

Hey friends! 

A cutie is in need of your help! 

If you are on Facebook, head on over HERE and place your vote for Vann the Man {240608}! 

You can vote once a day! Thanks for your help! 

Goodness time has flown by! It feels like we just found out we were pregnant, but that was nearly a year ago!

Eating: Vann is such a good eater. Ever since I took out dairy he has been a champ. I was really worried about him going to the sitter's house and not taking a bottle well. He does and I found out why...I wasn't warming it up warm enough. I brought a bottle over to our neighbor Christine's home on Saturday and Kimberly offered to warm it up in her bottle warmer. Vann took it without one second of hesitation. Guess what I bought at Target yesterday? A bottle warmer! I'm still nursing, but this is going to help us his frozen supply in the morning when we are on a tighter schedule. 

{Ava Kate will be here soon!}
Sleep: Vann has been sleeping through the night from 9 pm until 5:30/6 am for two-three weeks now! We give him a bath around 8, I nurse him, and he sleeps on Ryan while we watch a tv show before bed. Then, I swaddle him up and out him to bed. He snoozes the night away until he's hungry the next morning. I couldn't believe it the first time he did it and am so excited every morning when it happens again! 

Growing: He is a growing boy to say the least. Vann is wearing 3-6 month clothes and doesn't fit in his socks any more. We bought some larger ones yesterday. When I measured while he was playing last week, he was 24 inches long. He's in a size 2 diaper. 

Schedule: We are BabyWise fans for sure. I do have to say that I'm more lenient with the schedule than some of my friends in order to get out of the house. He is a cat napper. The naps he takes are 30 min to an hour. In the evening he eats around 4, then around 6:30 and the last one around 8:30. The cluster feedings keep him happy and are shorter than the others. This will fall off as he goes to a 4 hour schedule in a few months. 

Play: What a happy boy! He loves to be entertained. We do a mixture of bouncy chair, playmat, tummy time on his quilt, sitting in my lap and talking, taking walks in his stroller, and playing with his toys. He started grabbing toys and pulling them to his mouth.

We are so in love with our little man. We couldn't ask for a sweeter baby. His smiles fill us up. Thank you GOD for your blessings. 

I am linking up with sweet Kelly today on her Advice for Moms post. As a new mother I only have 12 weeks experience being the mom to the cutest little boy, but my advice may help even the most seasoned mama.

DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF!

This is not only true for new mamas but just women in general. We are made to be unique and that means our parenting style is going to be different than other mamas. It doesn't mean what we do is right or wrong, we use whatever works for our little one. The world is hard enough without us having to look at others and think "they have it all together", "why does my baby cry and theirs doesn't make a peep", "how come mine doesn't sleep through the night"...and doubt ourselves as moms. It's not worth it. We are all good at something and have talents that are special to us. Guess What? Your child thinks you are SUPER MOM! They know NO different!

GO WITH YOUR GUT!

Of course you are going to be bombarded with new advice everywhere you go and even where you least expect it. Just this weekend my mom, sis, aunt, Vann, and I were at the Country Living Festival. Vann was bundled in two blankets, had a footie sleep and play outfit on, a sweatshirt on, and a hat. This lady on a scooter rolls up and tells me I need to put mittens on his hands...UM REALLY. It takes all I have to look back at her with a smile and kindly say that he is fine and his hands are tucked in the blanket. Another one asked his age and I told her 2.5 months. She said she wouldn't have him out in public because he'd get sick. I replied that nursing along with his vaccines are an amazing thing and he's probably more protected than we were at the moment. My point...I am his mama. I carried him and know him better than any other person on this planet. When I hold him he knows he is safe and loved. People are going to continue giving me advice their opinion for years and years to come. I am not going to know it all and will ask my mom and friends who have been through that season of life and take the others with a grain (a large grain) of salt.

WONDER WEEKS!

Just when I get our schedule down it seems like something changes...well IT DOES! Vann's growing and changing by the second! Danielle told me about Wonder Weeks and it's RIGHT ON! Yesterday was day 1 of his third big change. He started showing signs a couple of days ago...change in his appetite, more clingy, etc. I remembered to go check the app and sure enough another Wonder Week. It's backed up by research and helps me as a mom have even more patience! Download it...it's FREE! There's even an awesome book that you can get on your phone, Kindle, and in print.  

WATCH THIS and FEEL GOOD ABOUT BEING A MAMA!

I hope you will head over to Kelly's Korner and read the other ladies posts. I learn so much through blogs and it's so neat to reach out to these other women and allow them to answer your questions.

Happy FRIDAY!

On Oct 10th Ryan and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. Since it was a Thursday we ordered food from one of our favorite Japanese restaurants and enjoyed a night with our boy. 

Our little boy is growing up so fast. I know everyone with kiddos says that, but now I know it's true! Sad, but true.

His personality is SHINING through. We had to work through a few kinks earlier on this month, but now it seems that parenting is going a lot smoother.

Every. Single. Night. from 3 weeks until 7 weeks he would cry from around 5:30 - 8 pm. We chalked it up to everything and then came to the conclusion that it was colic. Well, one night Mom babysat and said she thought it was his tummy. It was hard to tell once the crying started because it got so intense. I started focusing in on what I was eating and did away with all wheat, soy, dairy, and corn. So, now I eat rice, veggies, fruit, almond milk, and proteins. We also started using Little Tummy's Gas Drops. I now know my nutrition was the cause of crying for 4 weeks, but since it was healthy I didn't think twice. I am glad Mama mentioned his tummy. Now, we enjoy our evenings. Ryan kept thinking Vann disliked him since the crying started when he got home. Yeah right, he loves his daddy. I found that I can eat wheat and corn and it doesn't upset Vann. Hopefully I can add dairy back in soon!

 {Vann's first trip to a restaurant - six weeks old}

Week 7 also brought in a strict schedule. I should have started day 1, but I was all into La Leche League: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I love that book, but I am going back to work in November and that's not going to work with the in-home daycare he's going to. Baby Wise has worked right into our lives. It's been helpful to see the reasoning behind a schedule and the wonderful benefits it provides Vann and the rest of us! He is sleeping much better at night. I call 10 pm to 5/6 am a success! Right? YIPPEE! The first night it happened, I rolled over and woke Ryan up with an excited, "HE SLEPT TIL 5!" I felt like a NEW person!

His smile is perfect! It's a huge toothless grin and I love it. My heart becomes a puddle each time it happens! He loves to coo and squeal. He can lay on his tummy and pick his head up and move it from side to side in a very controlled motion. He loves to listen to music. His favorite is the album "Sing Over Me: Worship Songs". They are beautiful praise songs that sound like lullabies. Mom recommended it and I am so thankful she did. He has discovered his hands and feet. He swats at things with his hands and gets them to his mouth to suck on. 

At his 2 month appointment he weighed 12 lbs and 6 oz and was 23.5 inches long! He was a champ and got all of his shots. After doing research, talking with several mamas, and speaking I our doctor (who we love and trust), we decided to follow his immunization schedule. The nurse was incredible and gave them in less than 30 seconds, Vann screamed, but as soon as I picked him up he was fine and back to smiling at Auntie E and me! 

{Ryan's uncle sketched Vann's photo! What a talent!}

{snuggling with Aunt Kayla}