Memorial Weekend

First of all, thanks to all the men and women who have graciously served our country and given us the freedom that we enjoy everyday. It's thanks to you and your families that we can celebrate life in this wonderful country!

Our Memorial weekend was rather low-key. Dave got 4 days off of work and it was really nice having him home. I was able to get some errands done Kyle-free (of course, they always seem to be to pick up things for the little man, but I'll take it!). We attempted to go out to dinner on Saturday night but it was another fail. Evenings just aren't his good time and there's not much we can do about it. I got to spend some time with my friend, Charity doing crafty things and enjoying lunch together. Kyle was coming down with a cold (as was Mom) so he was pretty well-behaved for Dad while I was out.

Sunday and Monday were spent sleeping. I've never seen Kyle sleep so much (not even on his first day of life!). Poor little man got the cold I've been battling. He's still eating and doesn't have a fever, so I think it's a pretty mild case. The extra sleep has been nice, but I really hope he feels better soon!

Kyle has been smiling and giggling lots more. It's not 100% reliable yet but we enjoy them when they do come!One of the only things I can do to help Kyle get better (besides nurse!) is letting him snuggle on me. I know it's what I love when I'm sick, so I hope it helps him feel better!

Dave's coworkers pitched together to buy Kyle several gifts. One of them was a Bumbo. Kyle's a bit too young for it yet, but we tried him out in it anyway. He's got pretty strong neck muscles for his age and actually enjoyed a good amount of time in the chair!Sequoia was curious about the new chair as well. Up until now, she has only sniffed the little man. She took it a step further this weekend when she licked him! She caught us totally off guard! I guess we will have to monitor her more closely-- I know dogs have clean mouths (relative to humans) but I don't want her getting in the habit of spreading germs to his face. It made for a hilarious picture if nothing else!

Dave's coworkers also purchased a high chair for Kyle (but as you recall, we had scored a pretty sweet deal on it a few days ago). We ended up exchanging it for his Jumperoo. You'll see this in action in a few months when he's big enough for it.The high chair fiasco continued this weekend, but after 1 more hour in the store on Sunday, it is finally resolved. Kyle isn't so sure about the high chair, but he's got time before he's really ready for it.

I had to sneak a photo of Sequoia and I into the mix. I know the dogs don't get as much blog-press recently, but rest assured they still get lots of love and attention. And lots of licks of Sonic ice cream. :)

I'll leave you with a few photos of playtime last night. It included tummy time, Bumbo exercise, and Eskimo kisses! Kyle is such fun!

Future Soccer Champ?

Well, the shirt doesn't lie. Kyle was born kickin.' Actually, he was quite the little kicker in-utero. So much that we nicknamed him Thumper until we settled on his real name! Here are photos from today's shoot with his soccer outfit and ball.

This playtime stuff is lots of fun!

His eyes definitely locked on the ball right away!

He loves the contrast of the black and white.

He really is enthralled with Sequoia... and loves her kisses!

... and now he's wondering why she left!

For whatever reason, Belle doesn't invoke the same reaction.

He loves to shake the ball to make it rattle.

Giggles for Daddy!

You can tell that Kyle loves his daddy. Dad's the silly monster that always invokes a cheerful response. Tonight, we captured his giggles on camera! I love how Kyle is starting to react and acknowledge us. It makes all the sleep deprivation more rewarding! Enjoy the photos of Kyle's adorable giggles!

Kyle is also getting very strong neck muscles. He can easily hold his head up for short periods of time now. He LOVES to look all around, too. His favorite item in the house are the blinds. Who knew?

He's becoming more curious about different shapes and smells, too. Dave enjoyed his hamburger tonight while holding a fussy Kyle. The little man was VERY interested in the yummy food Dad was consuming. Someday buddy!

Kyle's first hike!

It was a beautiful day for hiking and we wanted to introduce Kyle to our weekly summer tradition of exploring the Colorado trails. We stuck close to home and kept the distance short since we didn't know what to expect with Kyle.

I carried him on my chest in our carrier and he immediately fell asleep. He always loves to snuggle so close to mommy. I was glad that the bumpy ride of hiking put him right to sleep.

The girls very much enjoyed the outing too. They've gotten a lot of neighborhood walks recently, but this was their first hike of the summer as well. It was a really fun afternoon with our entire family of 5! Don't we make a cute family?

Sometimes you just laugh...

Our traditional Saturday night out didn't go quite as well as past ones have. We took Kyle out to Olive Garden and for every dinner we've done in the past, he has slept right through it. Today was a bit different. We got through salad before he became extremely fussy. We ended up eating our main meal in shifts while the other did everything in their power to soothe him. I hate being that parent with a crying baby, but what can you do? We cut the meal short and hoped that putting him back in the car would rock him to sleep.

Kyle up several hours past his bedtime enjoying a much deserved bath

We had to make (what we thought would be) a quick stop at Babie's R Us to pick up a high chair on sale. The stores inventory was incorrect and they did not have the high chair in stock. They offered to order it for us and have it shipped to our us. Long story short, about 2 hours later of CONSTANT crying from Kyle, 1 feeding in the bathroom, some very stern vocalizations of frustration and 3 associates and 3 transactions later, we *finally* made it out of the store. It was a complete nightmare! Poor Kyle was up well past his bedtime at this point and his parents were plain exhausted of trying to soothe him. Needless to say, we got the $180 high chair for $20 when all was said and done. As we drove home just beat from the ordeal, we chose to laugh it off. What else can you do but laugh in a situation like this? If nothing else, it made for a memory!

Doctor Day

Kyle was diagnosed with Colic a few weeks ago and we've grown to anticipate the 3+ hour cry fests that ensue each morning and evening, but yesterday and today were especially difficult. He cried for the majority of the day and for several hours at night. He got far less sleep than is usual or needed for his age. So, as worried first time parents, we called the Ped. They were able to see him right away.

The homemade blanket in the background is thanks to Great Aunt Patty-- it's even got a rocket on it. Kyle loves it!

They weighed him, did the usual physical, checked his eyes, ears, and throat for infection, and took his temperature. Everything came back perfect. He has gained 2.5 pounds in the last month and is at 10.5 lbs! They like to see 1-2 lbs each month, so he's doing very well!

The doctor said that it didn't seem like Kyle is suffering from reflux but that colic tends to peak around this time and usually will go away by 3 or 4 months. Unfortunately, these trying scream fests days are what we will have to endure for the next couple of months. At least we were reassured that he's healthy and developing just fine.

The one thing we have grown to count on to settle him is bath time. I think if he could sit in a bath tub all day, he'd be a happy camper. Mom too I think!!

A Hard Working Boy

Today, Kyle entered the work-force. Ok well, not really, but he did get to visit Mom and Dad's work today. He went with me in the pouring rain to watch Dad race in the annual LM 5k. Dave placed 4th with a time of 20 minutes even. Pretty good considering the HUGE hills of this course and the fact that baby duties have prevented him from training as he usually would. A bunch of our friends got to meet him too!

In the afternoon, Kyle joined me in going to my group's off-site staff meeting. He wasn't on his best behavior (angelic compared to what could've gone down though!) so I ended up missing most of the charts presented, but it was nice for the group to get to meet him. It was my first time nursing in a bathroom, so that was a fun experience-- ha!

Today's Photo Shoot

A Kyle photo shoot seems to becoming a daily tradition... here are Wednesday's wonderful shots:

Top Dog

Uncle Mike and Kim sent Kyle this really cute Bull Dog outfit from babyGap. Hard to believe he already fits into it! Kyle's funny noises and gestures caught Sequoia's attention today. Pretty precious if you ask me!

More Alert!

Kyle is now over a month old and he spends much more of his day (and sometimes nights, unfortunately) alert and awake. He's beginning to make lots of different faces and noises. Here are a few of them: