Summertime and the livin' is breezy

Summertime in the stokes household used to consist of spending every day we could by the pool with alcoholic beverage in hand working on our tan for the beach.  This year I think we've made it to the pool once and we might have stayed two hours.  Our summertime has changed since the bug arrived  no more alcoholic beverages, for me at least, and no more just laying by the pool for hours on end.  I wouldn't change any of it though.  I love watching our little man learn about the world.  He even likes the water. We have so much more stuff to take to the pool though its funny.  Where as it used to be just just one bag now it's three and a cabana for the bug so he doesn't get burned.  It's just amazing how our life has changed and I can't wait to see what next summer has in store

Happy Father's Day!!

So today is Casey's first Father's Day!  It's hard to believe the geeky boy I fell in love with and married is now the father to our little bug.  I can imagine a lot of things in this life, but Casey being the dad that he is was something I never imagined.  I always knew he would be a good dad, but it was more in the I'm the fun dad way ya know?  I never imagined that he would be the loving caring father that he's become.  He's generous and thoughtful and truly delights in his son.  He lives to make his son smile or give his silent chuckle.  He works tirelessly at finding ways to calm our son down when he's pitching a fit, or when he's trying to get our son to take a bottle.  It amazes me the patience he shows to our son, patience I honestly didn't know he had.  He's so far surpassed what I had thought our little family would be like when we became parents, I feel over whelmed at times.  Especially considering that at times Casey did not have the best father figure.  I love the man my husband has become as a father and can't wait to watch him continue to grow as a father, husband, and leader of our home.  Happy first Father's Day Casey!! Noah and I couldn't do it without you. 

4 months old sqee!!

And by sqee I mean that is my sons newest noise, at a very ear piercing octave that he thinks is just great.  The rest of us not so much.  So, the bug is four months old today, and has changed soo much.  He can now roll over from his belly to his back!! He rolls both left and right, not all the time but he can do it.  I think the fact that he can roll both ways sometimes confuses him because he can't decide which way to go.  He also scooches himself around on his play mat.  He eats everything!! His toys, his hands, his carseat, my husbands nose, everything!! He's back to sleeping through the night, and wakes up anytime between 6:30-7:30.  He's still a snuggler, and he still has issues with taking a bottle.  Hopefully he gets it soon, July 7th is coming quick.  He smiles for us all the time but is still hesitant about sharing his smiles freely.  We also still have as of it to make it through life group and church without being called out cause he's having a meltdown.  He can wear 6 month clothes and weighs approximately 16 pounds and 5 ounces via a cat scale at the vet lol.  He grabs toys with both hands and can pull them towards his mouth, and let go of them and bat them away.  Traveling in his car seat is still hit or miss sometimes he does great other times we just scream and scream.  We leave for the beach Saturday so pray he develops a sudden mad love for his carseat.  Time to leave you with some pictures of my 4 MONTH OLD!!!

Boat naps are the best naps

I love summer!! And I love having these weekends off before I go back to work to enjoy summer.  I've been working weekends for almost 8 years and while most people say I've got it made only working two days a week, the trade off is I miss a lot.  Because most of the world does not work weekends.  So, these days off have been lovely, and by lovely I mean awesomely great!!  Noah has now been on his second boat ride of the summer, and we have officially been to the pool.  Casey and I are working very hard to help our son learn to love water at a young age, mainly because we are such water babies.  Plus I've been on boats since I was a little girl and its important to me my son have that same experience.  So, pretty days mean boat days or pool days.  Which my son has discovered means fabulous nap days.  He sleeps so peacefully it's amazing and then he wakes up and it's play time!  I'm so looking forward to watching my little man grow and discover things this summer I have to remember to tell myself to slow down and love the current moments as well.  So here's to life's current moments.

An adult day!!

So Thursday Casey and I went on our first official post baby date!!! I know, I know so very long overdue , but what's a gal to do ya know?  We didn't even have to pay for our evening out!! It was free courtesy of our lovely employer and Casey being nominated for an award. So, for an entire evening we were just two adults dressed up and having fun.  My mom stayed with the bug and said he did great, we were worried about a meltdown because it was going to be his first night going to bed with a bottle.  Mom said he whimpered and kept giving her looks of this isn't right, but he did it and fell asleep and slept basically the whole night!!! Amazing yes I know, granted it did result in me having to pump but so did our night out.  There was a definite difference in how the girls filled out the dress in the beginning and how they looked at the end.  I'm so thankful that Casey and I have parents we can trust with our little bug.  Being nurses our schedules don't really coincide with day care hours, so it's nice to have people we trust to help us out.  That being said Casey and I are now looking forward to future successful date nights.  Next big hurdle, four month shots and a car ride to Florida.  Say some prayers people this is going to be exciting!!

Things no one tells you

Ok, so in this adventure called motherhood I've learned a few things, probably not as many as other moms who've been doing it longer, but here goes.  Your boobs may not go back to their normal size no matter what people say.  You will need a new bathing suit top, but count yourself lucky if you don't need new bottoms.  Whatever ideas you had of your maternity leave being a time where you can work on that banging mommy body forget it, because your child will wake up the minute you start and Zumba via the wii with your child is only so cool for so long.  Also, your child will not only have toe jam but finger jam as well, and if your baby is slightly chunky with some rolls you can expect both knee and arm pit jam as well.  I'm pretty sure I could feed a third world country with the amount of jam I've found  in between my sons crevices.  Do not make any plans they will be thrown asunder the moment they enter your head.  Plan to fly by the seat of your pants as soon as your wee one is happy go!! Because that happy baby can become unhappy at any moment, and be prepared to leave when that happens.  If you breast feed get used to having to feed anywhere whether it be an actual mothers lounge (so NICE!!), a toilet seat ( not so nice!), the back or front seat of a car, or in public by the pool under your cover.  The girls as we like to call them are no longer yours to make your favorite outfit look cute.  They exist solely to provide sustenance to your little person whenever they decide they need it.  There is not a one size fits all baby carrier, at least not for my little man. He fit great in the carrier as a newborn, not so much as a 3 almost 4 month old, his legs are to short, so be prepared to have multiples of things even if you think that's silly.

Boat days and summer breezes

My sone smells like sunshine today.  I've decided I love the smell of sunshine on my baby.  With the weather getting warmer comes one of mine and Casey's favorite things boat days!! My parents bought a house boat few years back and Casey and I love to take advantage of a good boat day such as today.  We don't get them very often working weekends so we've decided to take full advantage of my maternity leave and squeeze in as many as possible.  Plus, we want the bug to become a boat/water bug.  Today was his second trip out on the boat, but we're gonna call it his first real boat ride cause he mainly slept through the other one.  This one he was more awake for, and much more playful.  He had squiggle time on the top deck in a lounger, helped the cap'n drive the boat, had squiggle time below deck, and even took a good nap on said lounger!! All in all it was a wonderful day, full of sunshine breezes, laughter and family.  A better day couldn't have been had and I feel very blessed to be able to do this, and have a child who will be able to do this long after me. On a totally different note we have have found the answer to the screaming in the cars eat dilemma.  It was very hard for me to go places because I hate listening to my son scream bloody murder, it's just not my happy place.  So, this most recent time traveling to dalton I had covered him with a blanket because it was chilly that morning.  We always start our travels asleep, but invariably we wake up usually before we even make to the interstate.  So, as usual he woke up, but lo and behold we made it to dalton without a single scream.  How you ask, the blanket!! He just played with it the whole ride, chewed on it, threw it around with his feet it was amazing!! Well I can't cover him with a blanket all summer, enter the taggie blanket!! An amazing invention.  My mom made him one and he just grabs it and chews it and just smiles and drools as we drive down the road.  He also like music with a good beat and the redcoat band playing glory, glory Dixieland, he loves the trombone solo.