How awesome is your So-Cal Baby??

Just had to share these great pictures that Noah's dad took of him yesterday....
Absolutely too cool!

4 Month Check-Up

Noah had a great visit today with Dr. Savitt! At the doctors office he was excellent-he didn't cry until his 3rd shot and while he was being examined he was a doll! Dr. Savitt was very complimentary of Noah's behavior. However, he warned us that behavior can change when he is 6 months old. ..I don't think so...Noah is my little angel and I bet he stays that way FOREVER!!
In this photo Noah is being weighed...he weighed a whopping 15 pounds and 8 ounces! He is 25 1/4 inches long and has a head circumference of 43 centimeters. His weight, length, and head circumference are all in the 75th percentile. I am very excited about how healthy my little man is! Noah is developmentally ready to digest rice cereal now and Dr. Savitt said we can start feeding it to him when we think it is appropriate. I think we will wait because Noah just doesn't seem hungry enough. They say that when a baby is eating 10 times a day and still seems hungry then it is time to introduce the cereal. Until then I just think it is unnecessary for him...our goal is to keep him healthy and that is just what we will do!

This video is of Noah playing with paper on the exam table while waiting for his turn.

This video is of Noah during his examination...notice how great he is.

The last video of his appointment is of the dreaded immunization shots. He was very brave but at the 4th shot he began screaming and turned red...check it out!

Because Noah was such a wonderful and brave young baby boy we decided to go walk the strand in order to reward him! He seemed to enjoy it the best he could...he was tired and a little groggy from the baby Tylenol that he took after his shots!

Since we were in the neighborhood we also decided to stop by Uncle's house. Noah woke up from his nap with a great big smile!

Last but definitely not least was when Aunt Wendy went to feed Noah, Noah took hold all by himself! Check it out!!!

Trip to Granny's

This weekend Noah was lucky enough to go and visit his Granny and Auntie. Noah loves his trip to see his Granny and Auntie! It helped me too because I had to do some deep cleaning to do at home and I didn't want Noah to be around all those chemicals, luckily Granny and Auntie don't mind watching Noah!! Here are a few great pictures! What's the matter sugar? We were getting ready to go!

He loves the toys at Granny's house!

Hanging on to Granny!!

Mama, I love them!

Jumping for Joy!

Last week Noah was delighted to receive his Jumperoo by Fisher-Price. He seems to really enjoy it! It allows him to sit by himself. The chair rotates 360 degrees and there are activities on all sides of the entertainment set. He isn't tall enough to really bounce up and down and move himself around just yet but he pays close attention to the lights and the lizard that you can spin. This was an excellent buy!

Thinking Reasonable

Noah and I have been talking, okay, mostly I have been talking to Noah about his first birthday party. Things just aren't sitting right with me. I can't stop thinking that this is his first birthday party and he just won't remember it. Albeit he will be able to see the photos, I still just do not believe that this is the birthday to go to extremes. I rather wait until he is older and can really move around, form memories, have friends, etc. to go all out. Somebody else said you should invite a lot of people because it means more gifts for Noah, this is true. But I could save all the money on making an elaborate party and buy those gifts myself.
I have also been doing some reading and a lot of people say to try and keep the party only an hour long because the babies get tired and cranky. They also say that the birthday babies really, really love and enjoy all the attention. So, mama needs to settle down and think what is the best thing for her baby. At this point I am thinking that a small little picnic is the way to go. Perhaps I will still have an extensive guess list but I think I will keep it simple, find a closer park, have some finger foods (prepared at home and brought along) and cupcakes (in lieu of cake because it is easier to distribute and the kids love them-and I will have a cupcake stand for display so we have something to take a picture of!), and a pinata. On the invites I will make the party last 1 and a half hours and if people want to stay longer, it's a park so go ahead! I think this will just make everything a lot less stressful and thus more enjoyable for me and Noah. Because as I am sure you were all thinking anyways, no matter what, as long as Noah is loved (which he is extensively everyday anyways) he is going to be happy. And because now I see how much Noah loves being outside-having it in a park seems essential. Pray for no rain and I am sure all will go well.

Busy, Busy, Baby Boy

In no particular order...here is what Noah has been up to:
Hours of entertainment with his new socks:
Noah now sports sock and wrist rattles. He loves them! He will move and shake them and has now begun holding on to the elephant and monkey that he finds in place of his toes. This was a great purchase because it encourages independent play and helps with hand control!

Making a run for the border

We had to make a quick trip to the border and on the way home we decided to stop for a little free entertainment. We went to Balboa Park and walked around admiring the architecture and looking at various gardens. Noah seemed to enjoy himself but we didn't stay long because it was very HOT!

First trip to the park

We went to Harbor Park and found an ideal space under a big tree. Noah loved being outside, looking around, and relaxing. Since his first trip we have been taking Noah out more to enjoy the tree's, fresh breeze, and warm sunlight.Shedding a few tears

Of course everyday is not a perfect day-he is a baby! But even sadden, Noah is absolutely the most adorable little man I have ever seen!

Practicing being a big boy

I am anxiously awaiting Noah's 4 month appointment. Mostly I am excited to see how much he has grown and to hear Dr. Savitt say, "You can start feeding him cereal." Woo-Hoo! I have been doing some research and to encourage his big boy eating it is suggested that he hold his own silverware and sit with us while we eat. So far, so good. He seems interested in what we are eating and is able to grasp his silverware. I had to take away his baby fork because he almost poked himself in the eye!

B is for Bath

Noah loves his bath! I can't wait until I can introduce him to the pool and the ocean!!

Visit to Granny's

Noah and I trekked over to Granny's house and Noah had a fantastic time. He was able to receive lots of love and tender care from his Granny and Auntie Jac. No pictures because I forgot the camera but next time!

The 4 B's or Magic?

As far as I can tell the 4 B's are a hit. Every night at about 6:30 I start Noah's bath. I wash his hair, his body from the front, let him splash a little, flip him over, wash his back, rinse the back of his hair better, give his feet an extra scrubbing (they sweat a lot during the day), take out the infant anchor and let out some water then let Noah kick around for a little while. I take him out of the tub around 7, dry him off, lather him with baby lotion, dress him, and prop him up. Then it is bottle time. He eats while I read him a story. I brush his gums one more time (they really have me paranoid about babies having decaying teeth because they have a bottle too close to bedtime) and then we are almost done. I pick him up and give him a great big kiss, say "I love you," and put him down. He is out like a light! A light shines down from heaven and angels sing...okay not really but hey, I get pretty excited because it is only 7:30. It is fantastic! I have some pictures from our nightly routine but am a little too tired to break out the camera and upload...I will post them in the next few days. The only downside-he sleeps through the night for 9-10 hours. 9 hours have him waking up at 4, 10 hours at 5. A little too early for me-luckily he usually falls right back to sleep after his bottle. I have thought about trying to keep him up longer but that just isn't his schedule. He seems to be like his mom-I go to bed early and so does he!
My next goal is to get a routine for naps. I don't really have a routine for them and he still seems to heavily rely on my rocking him. I've been doing some research but most of it is directed at bedtime not naps. I will continue my search as I am not sure if I need to let him cry it out again. It is just heart wrenching and I wonder if it can be avoided. I will see...and let you know as soon as I do.