Good Morning Mama

Keegan has been an absolute super star these last two nights. He's been going to bed about 8pm and hasn't been waking up until about 6AM!!!! I don't know what we're doing, but I'll be doing whatever it is everynight as long as I need to in order to keep this up. The only problem is I've been waking up around 3am and wondering when he'll wake up. Rather than just go and check on him, I lay awake without getting much more sleep. Hopefully he'll keep it up and give me a chance to get adjusted to his new routine.

He's also been enjoying new food as part of his new routine. His favorite food so far is Sweet Potatoes. He also like applesauce, carrots and peaches. Mostly, he just likes food. Somedays we can't get it in his little bird mouth fast enough. And he'scertainly been eating enough. He weighs about 16 1/2 pounds and is just a week shy of being 6 months old. He's still in 3-6months clothes, so we'll see how much longer he takes to get into solid 6 month outfits.

He can juuuuust about sit up on his own and is really enjoying the new view he has. His favorite toy is a little stuffed cow that my friend Brittany got for him- we've named him Mason :) We're certainly having lots of fun with our little man!!

A Change in Diet

This last week we started introducing Keegan to formula in an effort to start making the diet transition. Drew and I had decided that we would nurse Keegan for six months, and then try switching to formula. So at daycare we started mixing half formula with the other half breast milk and he didn't have any issue gulping it all down.

So today, while we were out enjoying two different BBQs, we were running late on time to nurse him. So we measured out some formula, grabbed a bottle and hit the road. Keegan had three formula bottles today and did great. I'm just now hoping that the rumor is true that formula fed bebies sleep longer at night-how nice that would be.

While I'm not ready to be completely done nursing Keegan, I feel better knowing that the transistion will be easier for us all.

The Ending of an Era

After job after job after job of not being able to wear my nose ring, and usually forgetting to put it back in on the weekends, I have decided to say goodbye to my old friend. The nose ring is gone.

I got my nose pierced in my first, true, rebellious moment after moving out my parents house when I was 19. My folks were going to the Oregon coast for vacation so off to Red's Trading Post I went, thinking an extra hole in my body was a good idea. I was a brave little girl and didn't even cry. I even got a cherry flavored sucker afterwards for being so brave (not really, but that's what I'm saying here since I was only 19 at the time).

In the following weeks and months and years, people asked me if I paid money for my shiney buger, if I had a bug on my nose, if I had a cattle ring to switch it out with... I heard it all. But through all the teasing and jokes, I really enjoyed having my nose pierced. The rest of the hols I decided to put in my body in the yearrs since, not so much, but the nose I liked.

Recently, however, I've not been wearing it as much. I can't wear it to work (reasonable) and I rarely remember to put it back in once I get home and on the weekends. When I do remember to wear it, it makes me nose swell up form the lack of wearing and it just became a big hassle. After a few weeks in personal debate, I decided that I would lose the nose ring. I've had it for nine years, so being without it is somewhat weird. I use to wonder if I would wear it for my wedding, and when I became a mom, or this or that, but it just became a part of me and I never even considered how long I would actually keep it.

I feel like I'm saying goodbye to perhaps the last part of the rebellious, teenage child-like demeanor and moving onto the grown-up, professional part of my life. Drew even feels weird about me not having it- as he's only known me with it in. I think I'm pretty much done with adding extra jewels to my body, but a tatoo still might make an appearance someday... Only time will tell.

Keegan's First Love

This beautiful little girl is Carson, and she is Keegan's first girlfriend.

We met Carson and her mom and sisters at swim lessons and got to know bits and pieces about them over the last two weeks. Carson caught a glimpse of Keegan early on and never left his side, even in the pool, as long as we were all there. As soon as we would arrive, Carson would be calling out for her "baby" and she would plant herself on the towel next to Keegan as we changed him into his swim gear. Keegan got use to her and began to return the affection by reaching for her as we changed him and "tickling" her cute little knees. They would coo and caa at each other, speaaking their own little language oflove.

It was so precious to see them interact, and to truly see the affection they had for each other.We can only hope that Keegan has another chance to see his fishy sweetheart again next summer.

A Baby's Life

I love watching Keegan explore the things around him. He has so many toys and animals that he plays with on a daily basis, that watching him is always entertaining. He looks on with such wonder and amazement, such innocence. His current favorite toy is his exersaucer with all the farm animals on it. The horse sways back and forth and the sheep and cow move back and forth, and the chickens dance- my personal favorite. He is so simply entertained; I love it.

He makes the most wonderful noises. Everyone says he seems so chill and easy- he really is. He hardly ever cries or fusses, and he just sits and studies people most of the time. Weh he wakes up from sleeping he never cries, but I can hear him over the monitor talking to himself. He cracks himsself up! When he gets really interested in something he doesn't shut up- my kind of boy :)

I love taking him with me when I run errands. I put him in a little backpack and he gets to look around and see what'sgoing on- he loves it. And mostly I think he loves that so many people (mostly women) come up to him and make goo-goo eyes at him. I won't be able to keep the girls off of him!

Mostly, I love looking at him and wondering what's in store for him; what kind of adventures he'll go on. I love watching him as he sees things for the first time- to see his perception of what I already know. I get to see so many things all over again through him. He teaches me so much, and yet, I know I still have so much to learn.

Swim Lessons

This last week was Keegan's first week of swim lessons. We found a private program that let us enroll our 5 month old in a two week, eight night program that meets for 30 minutes each session. One parent and baby are allowed in the pool per family and we work on floating, kicking, reaching for toys in front of the baby, going under water, and blowing bubbles. While Keegan is the youngest participant by far, he is doing an amazing job. He doesn't scare easily and he really seems to be opening up to try things more and more each night.

The first night I dunked him under water three times and he only got upset once. The last two nights we dunked him a few more times and he ddin't seemed phased in the slightest. I try to help him kick his legs and tonight he appeared to do it on his own. We have him chase a little plastic Nemo fish around and he'll reach for it with his hands and kicked towards it tonight. He really likes the water and Drew and I are enjoying watching him take in the experience. We have one more week of classes and then we're on our own at our community pool. A few more weeks of practice and I'm sure Keegy will be swimming laps!!

The Days Fly By

I can't believe that it's already the first of August. I know everyone says that, but this summer/year is seriously flying by. And we have so many things to show for it.

First of all, Keegan is a week shy of being 5 months old!! He is sleeping so well at night and only gets up once (most nights). He takes good naps at daycare and loves playing with his toys there. After seeing how much he loved his exer-saucer at school, we got him one with, what else, farm animals on it. He loves the "spinning chicken" toy on it and laughs at me whenever I make the chicken noise. He can roll over in both directions and is wonderful at holding his head up. He can also lay on his stomach and reach for items in front of him. He is constantly trying to sit up in his carseat, so I know he's just itchin' to be sitting up full time. Once and a while I put him in his Bumbo seat and he really seems to like it. He's chewing on everything he can get his mouth on, which leads me to believe that he's getting ready to cut a tooth- CRAZY!!!

Most excitingly, he is in his first week of SWIMMING LESSONS!!! Last night was his first night and he did better than I thought he would. He didn't really even freak out when we dunked him under water ( I think I had a harder time with that than he did). We helped him kick his legs and he did great. Tonight, he did even better with going under water and did it a few more times tonight than last night. He floated on his back tonight (with help) and after the initial getting his ears wet, he did just fine putting his head back in the water. His favorite part is when he gets a pool toy (tonight was a plastic Nemo fish) and proceeds to put it right in his mouth!! I can't wait to see what he can do at the end of our two week session, as I know he'll love being in the water as much as his parentals! Don't worry, pictures are coming :)

Drew has officially lost control of the Man Cave, as it has been overtaken by baby toys. A swing, a bouncer, a saucer, blankets, toys.... The list goes on and on. Who knew that a baby needed so much stuff? Well, I know he doesn't NEED it, but he has so much fun playing with all of it.

The rest of our summer is going well. Drew and I are busy at work. I have lots of fun summer field trips to take my residents on and will hopefully get to take my little family along to join in on the fun. We try to spend some time each week in the yard, but the "warm" weather makes it a little tough to be out there too long. We're hoping to get it in good enough shape to get our patio extended and some kind of patio covering up this coming spring.

Mostly, I love my life right now. I couldn't ask for anything more. My boys keep me entertained and happy and I am blessed everyday to have them sharing in my journey. I only hope that I can impact upon thier lives as they have mine.