Week 18

That's right folks, we've got an 18 week old on our hands!  If you want to check out what he's been doing recently, read previous posts here and here.  I've decided that blogging a little a few days a week is easier than writing a longer blog one day!  However, since my previous posts, we have a pretty good sitter.  He's not completely unsupported, but he is getting pretty close.  He can go for a little while before those oblique muscles give out on him!

Also, he stole my spot in bed beside Daddy Sunday morning!

Daddy's not usually awake during this time on Sundays, but due to the time change, he was!  Oh and a shout out to Sarah Corcoran for giving me the idea to prep Amos for the time change.  The week leading up to the time change, I just pushed his wake - up time back 15 minutes everyday, and by Sunday, we were right back on schedule!  YAY!

"Yep, I'm cute!"

GUESS WHAT...

I'm 4 months old!  

I know,  I can barely believe it either!

A lot has happened this month.  Amos did lots of traveling.  He started the month by going to an Arts and Craft fair with me, then had his first camping experience, followed by a trip to Lebanon, and finished the month by celebrating Halloween at the Snow's house.

New tricks - he's got them.  He learned how to grab a hold of things and put them in his mouth.  Now that's where everything goes!  After a month of practice, he's a crazy good roller.  He also has this neat turtle swimming move he likes to whip out!  He no longer frowns all the time.  We can get him to smile without much effort!  Also, early in the month, he rediscovered his voice!  I love hearing him talk!  He does a pretty good job at sitting in his boppy!  Sometimes his abs give out on him, and he heads for a slow face plant.  We also caught him, leaning against his exesaucer, completely supporting his own weight.

One of his most recent developments is laughing out loud.  The other night he carried on for a good 5 minutes just laughing.  (The video is posted here.)  He is also growling! Ha ha!  It mainly happens in the mornings, but it cracks us up!  And in an effort to offset his crazy rolling, Amos got some practice sleeping on his back.  The week started a little rough, but by Wednesday, he could go to sleep with minimal fuss and sleep for at least 45 minutes on his back.  He would then wake and fight sleep on and off for the rest of the night.  But 45 minutes is something!  He's now back to tummy sleeping, because he sleeps so much better that way!

He's still a good eater and nighttime sleeper!  That makes my life a lot easier!  This month has been a ton of fun!  I can't wait to see what happens next month.  The best is yet to come!

Mr. Smiley

Amos is soooo happy in the mornings - right after he finishes eating!  I feel very lucky that I am always the recipient of these smiles!

P.S. Check out this new hair growth!  He's got a nice layer of fuzz!

Ooooooo.... I'm 17 weeks old!

Highlights from the week:

I gotta spend some time on the farm in Lebanon with Grandma and Grandpa. While there, I got to meet some new people and catch up with some old friends, like my cousins Teigan and Emma!

We had lots of fun together!

Here I am in Grandma and Grandpa's house!

I’m staying up longer after my naps!  Pretty soon I won’t even need naps, right Mom?

Here I am in Emma's bed!  I really like the pink!

If you smile at me, I’ll smile back!  Mom and Dad really seem to like this.

I have a new toy to play with, thanks to my good friend Peter.  I haven’t really figured it out yet, but I do know how to chew on my finger!

I dressed up like a pumpkin for my very first Halloween.  Mom said I was the cutest pumpkin she ever saw!  I guess I’ll have to take her word for it.  

And Dad dressed up like…a crazy cowboy!  

I really like to grab a hold of things….and then put them in my mouth! Sometimes even my toes!

Last, but not least, I’m full of giggles these days!

My Little Pumpkin

For months I've been coming up with all these cheesy halloween costumes for Amos.  When it came down to it, I decided to take the easy road for this first Halloween.  I'll save all my other ideas for years down the road when I he'll really appreciate it!

Meet My Little Pumpkin...

Thanks Grandma for the new black pants!

"Be Thou My Vision"

Right after Amos was born, we chose “Be Thou My Vision” as his lullaby that we would sing to him before naps and bedtime.  This morning, as we were playing in his room, I started singing it to him with a big smile on my face.  He looked up at me and started smiling and “singing” right along.  I think he is going to take after his Daddy and be a singer!

Pirate Monkey and Bananas????

It’s been a crazy week, and I thought we needed some crazy material to remember it by.

Tuesday night, Amos discovered he had a voice!  He’s made lots of noises before this point, but on the way to friends house, and back, we were entertained with a constant, “Uh…uh…uhh,” from the back seat.  Our giggles from the front seat I’m sure egged on his nice, baby bass voice.  Although his favorite place to “talk” is in his car seat, we caught some “talking” on camera at home!

Thursday, Amos was a trooper!  Rachel Eden and I hit the road and headed to Springfield for some shopping!  I learned that Amos no longer sleeps in his car seat!  Not even during an hour-long drive home that is right in the middle of naptime!  That should make our 3-hour drive to Lebanon this weekend interesting!

Friday brought an unwelcomed visitor….the growth spurt!  Just as I was thought we were headed to a 3-½ hour schedule, Amos had other ideas.  Those ideas involved eating every 2 hours and waking up in the middle of the night!  It took three LONG days, but we are on the other side of it and back to sleeping through the night and 2 hour naps! Yea!

During the growth spurt, Amos kicked his rolling into gear.  He’s been at it off and on for about 3 weeks!  However, now I can barely put the kid on his stomach without him kicking/rolling onto his back!  Jason had to hold him down so that I could get the video camera to catch this roll!  We’re still working on rolling back over!

Amos had lots of visitors this week.  He got to see Nanny, Grammy, Gramps, Uncle Joe, Aunt Amelia and Cousin Josie!

The cousins!

Cute Rainbow Josie!

         

 

We love each other!

Here I am with Gramps!

I'm starting to chew on things...like my fingers!

Yep!

I'm getting better at sitting!

And I'm such a good boy in my exesaucer!

If you look very closely, you will see that...

...I'm standing all by myself.  That's right, just leaning on my exesaucer!