Fall fun

This weekend we took advantage of some amazing weather, and some local free fun at an orchard. Seems funny to do these family outings with just one child who could probably care less... but it was partly for me because I wanted to get pumpkins.  Turns out, I'm a pumpkin snob and did not want the lumpy bumpy odd shaped pumpkins there.  My proportional and beautifully colored pumpkins will be found soon...  Nevertheless, memories were made and I'm sure we'll go again!

Between being sleepy and sunny, Obi was clearly thrilled to be wedged between two pumpkins on prickly straw. 

Obi was kinda sleepy and loopy-- but he would not miss out on the tractor ride.  He loved it-- as much as a baby can love something :) 

Bad year for apple picking... spring frost and summer drought.  But the apple treats didn't disappoint.  Apple cider slushy, apple turnover, and caramel apples. 

I don't think I can snuggle him enough.  By the way-- he's 5 months old today!!!!

... And being 5 months old apparently means the perfect "tossing age" for dad. 

I think Obi likes it too!

funny baby

(Ok, I know I'm becoming the one who can't blog, post, comment, or whatever.... about anything but my baby.  But seriously, this baby is a large part of my life and he's adorable.  And you know you want to see it, right?? :)

He doesn't giggle, he grunts and growls. Is this the beginnings of raising a boy??

I don't know why Obi does this, but it's hilarious.  One thing that can typically ensure smiles and excitement is putting a blanket or something on his face and pulling it off quickly.  Lately, he's been doing this funny grunting thing where he holds his breath and acts like he's filling his diaper. And, that is quite possibly what he might be doing.  He went from having a few dirty diapers a day to now a few a week.  TMI? eh, baby poo is a part of my life now :)

Anyways, I feel like he only does this when he's super excited or trying to laugh.  I have almost an identical video of this from about a month ago where every time the blanket came off his face he got this look of shock and then did his little throat growl.

Funny funny child.  I'm loving this age, he gets a little more hilarious ever day!

the middle name-sake

Obi's middle name is Alan, after the grandpa he doesn't get to meet on this earth.  We visited Dad's grave on Labor Day and took some pictures.

This year was the 10 year mark.  A decade. Almost half my life.  Ughhh-- it's weird to think of it in those terms.  Last year I taught 10 year old kids who were so complex in their thoughts and lives... and all of what they know has occurred in the same time frame that my dad has been gone. 

It's hard.  Dad's first grandchild was born this year, and he has another daughter getting married this year....  Each milestone brings back that sting of death.  But then there's the joy when I look at life through the lens of hope.  And I rejoice in this hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint because God has poured out his love to us through the Holy Spirit.  (Love me some Romans 5 and excited for our church to go through that book this fall!)

It's fun to imagine what he'd be like as a grandpa and how he would just love to take an "Obi-nap" in the recliner.  I'm sure he'd be introduced to his first BB gun even before my little brother was.

Adapting to change was the theme of my teenage years.  And we all love change, right? This concept of "change" is something I've thought about a lot lately in reflecting on how much my life has changed with the arrival of a little crazy-haired boy. I've reflected, and sometimes mourned, my former way of life before Obi.  I've come to the conclusion that we would be robbing ourselves of God's blessings by not accepting "change."  God gives us the grace and the tools to adapt to change as it occurs in our life.
I'm so thankful for my family and just last weekend I was able to spend time with ALL my siblings in one place.  That doesn't happen a lot anymore since we've all had different changes in our lives.  But I love the moments when (even though a lot has changed) it seems like nothing has changed at all.  :)

"four - months - old!"

Sometimes we sit around the house and fist pump while chanting "Four - months- old!"  It gets some pretty good smiles out of him.  And it is an achievement!!  For me, not so much Obi.  He just had to grow-- and I had to grow him!  

15 1/2 pounds..... 75th percentile  (exact same percentile as his 2 month weight!)

26 inches long........85th percentile

16 1/2 inches head circumference...... 50th percentile

This is a good picture to show that from month 3 to 4... his hands are usually in his mouth.  

 And the next pictures show that this boy is beginning to move! 

Here he is lunging forward...

And opting for some tummy time with his bear.   

His hair is as great as ever.  Yesterday I cut the hair of BOTH of the boys in my house.  I had better actually learn how to do that well...  

He still just rolls from front to back.  From his back, he rolls to his side in a cuddle position when he sleeps, but doesn't get all the way over yet.  

Note to new parents....   Doctor's ask you a whole checklist of things that your child should be doing.  I'm pretty sure it's designed to make new parents worry and think the worst. Ha!   But, as with anything, I'm learning that all is OK :) 

And, well, Obi doesn't giggle.  I don't think.  I don't know what his giggle sounds like!  He does a breathy/gurgle/growl noise.  And he's squealed a couple times.  But I really don't think I'd say it's a giggle.  He will, I know.  But that was one of the "checklist items" that he didn't pass.  

It's funny how the things that made us go "Quick, look!" "Did you hear that??" ... are now just normal. The cooing, squealing, batting at toys... are just normal now! 

And here are the first four months...  I like watching his thighs grow :)

   

the hair

These are two different babies... 

Guess who is who??  

I'm on the left and Obi is on the right.  I was born at good pound more than Obi! 

But now you know where he got his amazing hair.  Random little known fact.... I was voted "best hair" of my high school class.  And now everyday I rock the mom-messy-bun look. Oh well....

I prayed for a baby with lots of hair.  And people wonder if God hears our prayers.... :)

I don't think I've gone out in public with Obi and not gotten a comment about his hair. Most people say, "What a lot of hair!" Some ask if she was born with all that hair. I say it's a boy and yes he was :)  Can boys not be beautiful?? sheeesh.  I think its funny when strangers ask  me if I had lots of heartburn. Which I sorta did, more reflux at night.  But probably not more than the average preggo. 

 Needless to saw, this head of hair attracts a lot of attention.  Sometimes Obi goes out in public under blankets or his car seat cover-up because I feel like I'm parading around a zoo animal by the amount of stares, smiles, comments, and petting he gets.  Just please step aside so I can reach the string cheese shelf, people. I feel like a celebrity shielding my child from the public eye. At least I didn't name him Blanket. 

Anyways...  I thought it'd be fun to do a post looking back on the almost 4 months of Obi hair. Here goes...

Here he is at just a few days old after his first at-home sponge bath. 

Then at 7 weeks old I started to realize that things are getting a little out of control...

Yes, baby mullet and sideburns to the max. 

More of a "little boy" look going on after that.  The length was still a little long. 

So at about 12 weeks, I decided to trim up the length on the sides.  And with that, went the dark ends since it's growing in blonde.

The towel of his hair clippings. 

He sits in the bumbo and watches TV when I trim his hair.  And I've ended up doing it over the course of a few days when I notice pieces that need a trim. 

We watched a lot of Olympics when his hair got trimmed. He has two little swirls in the back of his head. And not a hair has fallen out or rubbed off.  Despite the how adamant my neighbor lady was when Obi was a week old that "Oh, it'll all just fall out. Happens to every baby."   Nope, careful with those generalizations! 

This last picture was about a week ago at 15 weeks.  The top of his hair sticks up about 3 inches so it makes his head look huge.  However, at his 2 month appointment his head measured in the 35th percentile while his length and weight were both 75th percentile.

So there you have it.  My little hipster-hair, ombre-colored, stylish stickin adorable Obi :) 

how he rolls

This is what happened yesterday!  But he hasn't figured out that he can do it today. And he only rolls left.  I really didn't practice tummy time regularly... maybe a few times a week? and only for a few minutes before he'd get so mad at me.  "Lady, get me up! this is super uncomfortable and awkward!!" He always spits up when he's on his stomach. Now he enjoys it a lot more! Still spits up. 

 I did have witnesses before I grabbed the camera!  This is the first real milestone that daddy missed.  Of course, Obi did it again that evening with Ben-- but it still wasn't the first time.  It makes me, again, really thankful that Ben has a job he enjoys and I am able to be home with Obi.

 I feel like the 3 month turn has brought so many instant changes.  He's sucking on his hands and lots of other things are finding his mouth.  He's napping well.  And I suppose we've both had 3 months to figure that out too.  But he's getting up more during the night-- hoping that's a temporary growth spurt thing!! Really hoping that... I've tried it all (without feeding formula) ...evening cluster feeding, watching that he doesn't nap forever in the evening, the "dream feed", dream feed with a bottle, not feeding him when he wakes us (resulting in waking up in 2 hrs or waking up ready for the day at 5am). 

Though he's truly not horrible, night time sleeping is one of those issues where I need to put down the books (*cough* Baby Wise...) and tell myself that he's a baby.  My ultimate goal in raising this baby is not to get him to sleep through the night.  That is a goal and it will happen, I know, but it seems the more books I read and the more people I talk to about it-- the more "sleeping through the night" seems like the standard of enjoying my baby.  Mothers should not hear what their baby "should be doing."   (...Note to myself when talking to new mothers in the future... )

That darn comparison complex follows me wherever I go.

I really can handle getting up once in the night and I am always able to function on whatever sleep I'm allowed the night before. And as long as I'm doing the best I know how, Obi will do exactly what he's supposed to do. 

And even though my baby doesn't sleep 10 hrs straight at night.....  he is super strong :) We've almost never had to carefully watch supporting his neck/head.  He LOVES to stand.  I swear I am simply stabilizing him in this picture. 

 

Here's to rolling, standing, sleeping, eating, cooing, pooping, peeing, slobbering, and all the other baby things that go on in my house! 

loving it

When a baby gets past the "newborn needy" stage and a parent gets past the "I don't know what I'm doing" stage.... things get fun!  And I'm loving it.

And sometimes you need to do random things to make the day even more fun.  So Obi took a bath one afternoon.

I'm loving wrinkly baby bottoms. 

He's loving to kick in the water.

I'm loving the hair after bathtime.  Obi is not loving the pink towel. 

I'm loving dressing him up :)  And I'm loving 75cent totally impractical baby bath robes :)  

... and Obi is not loving the bathrobe.  Just keeping it real over here!