Vital statistics

Nolan had his 4 month check-up today. Here is the important information every new parent wants to hear about their kid, according to the dr.:




Height = 25 1/2 inches (75%)
Weight = 14 lbs 8 oz. (60%)
Head circumference = 16 1/2 inches (50%)

He is doing all the things a 4 month old should be doing, plus some. We talked about feeding him rice cereal, and the dr. recommended we wait to as close to 6 months as possible, as long as he's full and satisfied with his bottle feedings. We're going to wait and see how he does over the next few weeks. He has great range of motion to his left side with his head now, but is having a little bit of an issue looking to the right. Nolan was pretty tired by the time the exam came around, so the dr. seemed to think he was just being stubborn. Adam and I watched him tonight and he was looking both ways with his head just fine. I'm taking him to the chiropractor on Friday, so I guess we'll wait and see what she thinks. He fell asleep between his exam and when the nurse came in to give him his shots, so he was quite surprised to find the nurse giving him a liquid dose of a shot, and then 1 shot in each leg. He cried pretty bad, but as soon as I picked him up he cuddled right in and fell back asleep. The dr. noted how relaxed and happy he is - and he really is like that most of the time!

I had him off his routine most of the weekend. I drove up to my mom and dad's house with him on Friday night. I helped my mom set up a new user account on her computer and then install her i-pod. On Saturday morning me, Nolan, my mom and sister Gina drove to Alexandria to meet up with my other sister's Paulette and Christianne for a little wedding dress shopping for Paulette. She's getting married next June and she wanted to buy her wedding dress before school starts. She found an awesome dress that looks spectacular on her! Me, Gina and Christianne tried on bridesmaid dresses and were lukcy enough to find one we all liked and looked good on us. Nolan hung out with all the ladies at both bridal stores and was fantastic. He felt a lot better after he filled his pants at the first store! Saturday evening Adam and I had a wedding reception and we brought Nolan along. We drove seperate because we weren't sure how he would do. I left around 10 and brought him home, and then he decided to stay up and play until midnight. I was exhausted, but what can you do? I was so happy when he finally went to sleep! Adam was super nice and let me sleep in on Sunday. I needed it! Sunday afternoon was spent at Ellen and Greg's.

Oh, good news on the car front. The CRV is back and running like a champ. Apparantly it needed a software update. Strange, but whatever. We love the new car and all the room it has for our stuff.

This weekend we're heading down to St. James for the annual cabin party with our friends. We're really looking forward to it!

The Booger

So, I’ve begun to understand the meaning of “true” love with Nolan… Of course, having Nolan has been an awesome experience-you feel an immediate sense of purpose and responsibility the second he shows himself to the world. But, the feeling that really overtakes you more and more everyday is the way you feel when you’re the first person to say “Good Morning” and the last person to say “Good Night” to someone day after day. Again, that’s all fine and dandy. But love, true love (say it like in the Princess Bride it’s a lot more fun!) can only be expressed as you try to suck a booger out of your kids’ nose…especially when what you thought was going to be a simple process ends up being the biggest, slimiest thing you’ve ever seen. Rather than being mortified at what just came out of Nolan’s nasal cavities, I laugh, do a mini fist pump with him because of the amazing feat he just completed and carry on with the whole morning routine-that’s love I guess, huh? Sometime’s what you think is a little ice cube becomes a huge iceberg-of boogers. Fatherhood is hilarious! Have a great week everybody! Adam

4 months ago . . .

It’s almost hard to imagine life before Nolan since he’s now been here with us for 4 months! Oh wait, I do remember a few things – motorcycle rides, long walks after work, laying out in the sun without interruption – but I digress:) He is turning in to such a little man! We can tell he’s putting on weight, but he’s getting so long that he’s starting to look a little skinny. I know, it’s deceiving when all you see is his little round head, but really, he’s getting skinny! He plays with his toes all the time now, and likes to roll back and forth from side to side. He doesn’t spend a lot of time on his tummy, primarily because he uses his legs to prop himself up and then he flips on to his back. His voice is still a cute little baby voice, but you can hear that it sounds different – maybe a little more scratchy? He still sucks on his hands and thumb all the time, and the drooling is getting worse. We are convinced he’s teething a little bit. Last night he was so uncomfortable and whiny because of his teeth that we had to give him baby Tylenol. He giggles a little more each week, and it’s so funny to hear his laugh develop into a deep belly laugh! Nolan is sleeping through the night without a dream feed most nights, depending on when we give him his last bottle. It is so good to be able to get 6-8 hours of good sleep a night! If he does wake up it’s usually for a diaper change and then he goes right back to sleep. He’s a pretty laid back kid, and I know we’re very lucky. Julie, our daycare provider, continues to tell us what a great kid he is, and how he’s so easy going. He takes either a 3 hour nap in the morning or afternoon, followed by another one hour nap at the opposite time of day. It’s incredible the amount of sleep babies need. I kinda wish that could be me some days! I think back to when he was a tiny newborn and it seems like it was a long time ago. We’re so blessed that he’s healthy and happy!

This last week has been pretty busy. Adam and I are both still trying to get our workouts in after work, but I think we’re finding out it only really works if one of us works out each night. My nights are Monday and Thursday at this point. I’m sure it will get easier as Nolan gets older, right? We were in Mankato for a baby shower for me and Nolan hosted by my aunts this past weekend. None of them had met Nolan yet so it was fun to show him off. Of course he was a perfect baby the whole time we were there. I think he likes all of the attention from the ladies (just like his dad!). Nolan got a ton of cool new gifts – super cute clothes, a doorway exerciser thing, toys, and a new exersaucer. He is one spoiled kid. After the shower Eric and Brian babysat Nolan for us so we could go car shopping. Yes, it’s true. Eric and Brian not only watched Nolan, but they also were watching Emma, Allie, Lalayna and Lola at the same time. At one point they said they looked at each other, looked and the kids, and realized they were outnumbered! Luckily Christianne and Gina got home from their pedicures an hour later to help out, although they did a great job with the kids. Back to car shopping – yes, we decided it was time to get ride of the Jetta. It had almost 110,000 miles on it and we were very squished in it. It was such a fun car to drive, but for a family of 3 it was not very practical! The most frustrating thing about car shopping was that we really had no idea what kind of vehicle we wanted to get. I kept thinking it shouldn’t be this hard to figure out! After we got back from car shopping we hung out at Christianne and Brian’s house. On Sunday we had a family reunion with my dad’s side of the family at a park in Mankato. We hadn’t all gotten together since my grandma passed away over a year ago, so it was time. We had so much fun catching up, and especially watching all the little kids run around. The picture I posted is of all the cousins and the kids. I really hope it’s something we do every year!

We didn’t buy a car last weekend, but we did yesterday! We got a super good deal on a brand new 2009 black Honda CRV. It is going to be a much more practical car for us, especially with all of Nolan’s stuff we have to haul around. The only really big bummer is that we now have 86 miles on it and 3 service lights are on. Honestly, I didn’t sign up to have a brand new vehicle with issues! We’re taking it in to get looked at tomorrow, and depending on what happens we may return it and get a different new one. We’ll see. I just want a vehicle with no problems. Is that so much to ask? I'm trying to think positive thoughts!

Before I sign off I want to give a shout out to my sister Christianne and congratulate her on her first day back to work! Everything is finally back to normal in the world again!

Where does the time go?

I have a full week of work under my belt, and I have to say last week went better than I expected. My sore feet were the only bummer of the week. Not wearing 2 – 3 inch heels for 14+ weeks has really done a number on my feet! Adam and I really pulled it together and managed to get out the door every day at 7. Nolan is developing a habit of waking up between 4 and 4:30 because he needs a diaper change. The good news is that after that happens he usually (and I emphasize usually) goes back to sleep until at least 6. Today Adam had to wake him up at 7, so apparently he needed the sleep! Nolan’s first 2 days at daycare went really well – he was a perfect baby, according to Julie. He had a more difficult time on Wednesday and Thursday morning, probably because he was waking up last week around 4 or 4:30 and not really falling back to sleep! Julie got to see his angry side, which includes inconsolable crying, a purple face and sweating. He did take good afternoon naps – who wouldn’t after not sleeping for that long? Overall though, he is a very content baby and I think he likes it at daycare. He gets lots of one on one attention from Julie because he’s the only infant. Every time we picked him up last week he was being held, and he always comes home with a clean diaper. He also developed a new skill last week, but it only comes when he’s sleeping. When I went to get him out of bed Wednesday morning he was laying on his tummy. We always put him to sleep on his back and we’ve noticed he’s becoming a side sleeper. Well, from his side sleep he’s figured out how to turn over to his belly! Julie said she noticed right away last week that he was really close to turning from his back to belly, and he finally did it during nap last week, too. Another fun development is that Nolan is using his exersaucer. It’s pretty funny to watch him. Once he figured out he could jump in it there was no stopping him!

My sister Gina and her family were in town this weekend. My brother-in-law Eric was hosting a bachelor party for his brother Justin, so Adam and Eric were gone all day Saturday for the festivities. Gina and I took the kids to the MN Zoo Saturday morning. We got there right at 9, and it was so nice to be able to walk around and actually get right up to the glass or exhibit to see the animals! The bears were active and walking around, and we were able to see one of the giraffes really close. Nolan slept through most of it again (in his Baby Bjorn). Allie and Emma really liked the new playground and “swimming”, which was nothing more than running around in the water that spouts out of the ground. Actually, I think Emma’s favorite part was the picnic we had in the parking lot! Gina was super nice and babysat Nolan for me Saturday evening so I could attend a surprise birthday party for my friend Melissa. I think it was a bit challenging having all 3 kids, especially since Nolan had one of his crying spells! But, she survived until I got home at 9:30. Yesterday we celebrated Gina’s birthday with a birthday brunch and cake, and they left around 10:30. Adam and I had a relaxing day at home, and then had Ellen and Greg over for dinner.

This week is pretty quiet, other than softball on Wednesday. Nolan’s bedtime is starting to get a little earlier and he’s usually in bed by 7:45, so Adam and I are able to enjoy some time together after we both work out!

The pictures I’ve attached are from Nolan’s 3 month professional pictures. He’s changed quite a bit since then, but I wanted to make sure I shared them.

And the grade is an A+

Today was Nolan's first day at daycare. Surprisingly everything went smoothly today - except for the fact he started to wake up at 4 a.m.! Other than that minor glitch Adam and I were both able to get ready, take care of Nolan, gather his things for daycare, and be out the door at 7 a.m. Nolan gave Julie lots of smiles when we dropped him off. It was kinda weird to leave him behind, especially after being with him basically 24/7 for the last 15 weeks. But I didn't cry, probably because I feel really good about leaving him with Julie all day. As Adam and I were leaving Julie asked if it was okay if she called us at work, because there is usually something that comes up that needs clarification. We told she most certainly could, but neither of us heard from her all day. When we picked him up a little after 4:30 we received a glowing report from Julie. Nolan was fantastic! He slept for almost 3 hours in the morning, and took a couple of short snoozes in the afternoon. By the time we got him home he was ready for another nap and slept for another hour! Bedtime also came a little earlier tonight - 7:45. And it only took him about 5 minutes to fall asleep. Apparantly daycare is exhausting! I'm very proud of Nolan for being such a good little boy. He made both me and Adam very proud today! Julie also gave us a compliment - that Nolan is one of the cutest, most laid back babies she's watched, and she doesn't think there will be any problems with him that aren't easily fixed. Yeah for good reports from daycare! I managed to make it through most of the day at work without feeling too tired, but I did start to crash around 3. It's quite an adjustment being at work, only because I was getting used to spending Nolan's naptimes laying out in the sun napping, or catching up on all my tv shows. Just like anything else I'll get back in to my routine soon, I'm sure.

Friday was such a fun and relaxing family day, although it did feel like we were in the car most of the day. We started our day at the MN Zoo. Nolan slept through most of it, but Adam and I really enjoyed it. My favorite part was the giraffes! We enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at the zoo before heading home. Nolan slept in the car, and while we were home had a great time smiling, laughing, and almost rolling over from his back to his tummy. He is so close to being able to do it, but his shoulder keeps getting in his way. He also started using his legs to push himself forward while laying on his tummy, almost like he's trying to crawl. While this is an exciting development, I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for him to be mobile yet! After a few hours at home it was time to get changed for the Twin's game. Nolan did really well for being only 3 1/2 months old. I should say he did really well until the Twin's starting scoring some runs. The crowd noise woke him up from his sleep and he got really scared. It was so loud I could hardly hear him crying - but I could sure see his sweaty red face! Yes, when Nolan gets really upset sweat beads up on his head. Strange to see that on a baby! We were with our friends Lance and Jennie and their little boy Will, who is 5 1/2 months old. Will did a bit better than Nolan, meaning he slept through the crowd noise. We made it at the game until the 7th inning. Good thing we didn't stay until the end, because the end of the game occurred at about 12:10 a.m.! It was super fun to take Nolan, but Adam and I agreed that we won't take him back for a little while. At least until he's more comfortable with loud noises!

On Saturday for the 4th we were in Albertville at a pool party. Nolan again was a trooper and did really well all day. He loved being in the water, but it really tired him out. He not only slept for 3 1/2 hours in the afternoon at the poolside, but he fell asleep while I was holding on to him in the pool! The other kids loved being around him, especially Ben and Rhonda's girls. We didn't get to see any fireworks due to Nolan sleeping and the decibel level, but we certainly heard them going off around the lakes. Maybe next year will be Nolan's first exposure to fireworks!

Hopefully the rest of this week will go as smoothly as today did. But if it doesn't we'll just roll with the punches!

Back to work

It's official - I went back to work this week. So what if it was only for 2 days! I think everyone was happy to see me, and by the looks of my ever expanding meeting and project list I think my co-workers are happy to have me back, too! I'm definitely looking forward to being a member of the working world again. I didn't cry being away from Nolan, but I did have some guilt on Tuesday, as my last meeting of the day ran a 1/2 hour later than expected and I didn't get home until after 5. I was anticipating being home by 4:30, so I had guilt that I was away from him for more than 10 hours. Once he starts daycare his normal schedule will be 7:10 - 4:30 or 4:45. I think the hardest part of going back to work will be for Adam and I to figure out how we're both going to get ready for work, get Nolan ready for daycare and be out the door at 7:10 a.m. every day. There will be some bumps along the road next week, I'm sure. But, everyone else seems to figure it out so I'm sure we will, too. Just like everything else with a baby it will just take some getting used to!

Yesterday Nolan had a chiropractic appointment. It's amazing to see the improvements he's made in just 6 visits. He used to scream bloody murder - yesterday he didn't even cry! His neck is so much better, and the adjustments held up for over a week and half. We go back again at the end of this month for a check-up, and from there he shouldn't need to go anymore. Nolan also has his 4 month check-up the same week as his next chiropractic appointment, so it will be interesting to see what his pediatrician says about his neck movement.

Nolan has definitely found his feet as an object to play with, as you can see in the video post. He is constantly kicking his legs and trying to grab his feet. We added the bumbo chair to our arsenal of toys this week, too. He holds his head up really well and likes sitting in the chair, especially when Adam and I are eating dinner and he can be eye level with us! His voice is continuing to get louder and louder, too. Sometimes I feel like he's shouting at me!

Adam and I purchased a membership to the MN Zoo, so tomorrow is going to be our first family trip to the zoo. Nolan isn't going to remember a thing, but it's really more for us. I haven't been to the zoo since 1983 - the summer my youngest sister was born. I think it's time I go back! We're also going to the Twin's game tomorrow night. Nolan has 4 MN Twin's outfits to wear that are all 3-6 months, so we need to get him to a few games to wear his gear! On Saturday we're going to a pool party, and Sunday we're counting the offering at church, and then probably laying low to recuperate from our busy weekend.

Nolan and I just returned from a walk. It's amazing to me, but the cottonwood trees are still dropping cotton all over the place. Our yard, once again, is covered in cotton.