A Day in Cole's Life @ 3 Months

Happy 3 months to you Cole Man!  Here's what your 3 month birthday looked like on July 4, 2013.

We got into Great Bend the night before and you hoot-owled until 11 pm.  Luckily, Abuela had her pack-n-play all set up and ready for you to crash out in her scrapbook room.  We started hearing you fuss a little after 7 and came to check on you.  You had rotated 90 degress like usual and had also houdini-ed your way out of your swaddler.

 We got you up to change your booty and start your morning feeding in bed with me while Dad headed outside with Abuelo to start their house siding project.  Around 8ish both you and Mom went back to sleep.

At 9 we both woke up for the day and headed outside to check on the men and their project. They are slaving away and then make a Sutherland's run.  Then GGG arrives to see you.  I hand you off to her and get myself ready for the day.

Once I'm ready I get your clothes set out for the day and one of your grandmas dresses you in one of your new 4th of July outfits. At 10:45 you are ready to eat again so we hang out and watch some TV while you eat.

By 11:20 you've finished your lunch and Abuela takes you for cuddles. Around 11:45 Aunt Angie and the boys arrive and Angie gives you a bag FULL of cute new outfits for you to wear. I also get my birthday present a bit early- it's the adult version of a sippy cup for "adult juice" ;)

Dad and Abuelo take a break from their siding project around noon so me, Dad, Angie, and all the boys head to the firework stand.  Right after we leave you decide to throw up on GGG when Abuela is handing you over- right down her shirt. Then you decide it's naptime with GGG..

The firework place in GB is HUGE and it's crazy packed.  Dad is like a kid in a candy store and we spend around $35 on lots of fun stuff for later tonight!  Not too bad considering your Dad wanted one of everything.  He can't wait until you both get to blow stuff up together when you are older.

 We get home a little after 12:30 and have lunch.  Abuelo grilled out hamburgers and hotdogs and your grandmas put together a huge spread of delicious food.  You're still sleeping with GGG and don't mind the lunch commotion.

After we all finish lunch we head outside so the boys can start the firework fun.  Dad, cousins Jeramie, Jordan, Joshua, and their friend Derek all enjoy fireworks like typical boys.  All I know is their fun included duct tape, storm drains, water, and who knows what else they thought up.

GGG tries to bring you out to enjoy the firework but one of the really loud booms scares you so she takes you back inside.  Notice your 4th of July bib from Angie?  Thank goodness she got that for you cause you really needed it- you were having a very drooly day.

We all enjoy sitting outside watching the boys.  It's actually a very pretty July afternoon- out of the ordinary for hot and windy GB!

We're not quite sure who was having more fun with the fireworks- your cousins or your Dad.

Around 2 you decide you're hungry again but fall asleep after feeding for awhile.  I try laying you down but you wake back up after 5 minutes and are happy and playful so I take you back outside.  This time the fireworks aren't bothering you. You hang out with cousin Jeramie after he made you some smoke bomb art on the sidewalk.  We of course have to take your picture with it... it's just like Jeryn's pics from her first 4th of July.

A little after 3 we all head inside for Jordan's birthday celebration.  He's a firecracker baby and has a 4th birthday like you- but yours is April and his is July.

Angie and the boys head back home and around 3:30 you fall asleep with Abuela.  I go to our bedroom to take some allergy medicine for my horrible chigger bites and while browsing on my phone accidentally fall asleep.  I end up falling asleep from 4-5:30 and it felt awesome.  Mommy needs naps sometimes too I guess.  While we're all napping, Daddy and Abuelo start re-siding the house again.

 Dad got a new toolbelt that weekend and is obsessed with it.  He only raved about it a few times ;)  Hopefully you'll like tools and projects as much as your Dad does- I don't think you'll have a choice!

Around 6:15 you finally woke up- your schedule was already completely shot.  But that's what vacation and grandparents' houses are for :) I feed you your dinner and we watch TV while everyone is outside.

7:00 we all hang out on the deck and the men get cleaned up from their day of work.  They made great progress taking the deck off the house and tearing off all the old siding on the side and back of the house.

We set up props to take your pictures in Abuela's flowers.  She has pictures of all the grandkids in this same spot.

We of course have to get a picture of our family of 5 on your first 4th of July.

We all eat dinner at 8:00 while you hang out.  Then I feed you your late dinner at 8:30.  At 9:00 we all load up and head outside of town for the GB fireworks show.  We waited about an hour for the show to start so Abuela played with you and you hammed it up for all of us.

 We all wondered how you would do with the loud booms from the fireworks but you took it like a champ and they actually didn't scare you.  We could see your little eyes follow and watch the fireworks light up the sky.  I tried to take a picture of you watching them but my flash ended up making you look terrified.  You weren't scared but we thought the picture was pretty funny.

The show got even more exciting when the falling embers caught the nearby fields on fire.  There were 3 fires total but the fire crew was ready and quickly got them out.

 About halfway through the show you fell asleep in Abuela's arms.  She had you all wrapped up in your blanket which we kept on you when we put you in your carseat to leave.  You looked like you were wearing a bonnet or a cloak or something.

We got back to the house around 10:40 but the 4th of July was far from over... we had to do our own show!  Abuelo, Abuela, and you sat in lawnchairs at the edge of the driveway while Dad set off the majority of the fireworks.  I set off a few myself that I had picked out at the firework store that day.  The best one of the night was a fountain I chose because its name was "Keg Party".  Best $3 fountain I've ever bought, no lie.  We really wished we would've saved it for the finale it was so good.

Dad almost had a mishap that involved a blooming flower flying into you guys in your lawn chairs.  He lit it, threw it, and the wind caught it and carried it right above you guys sitting down.  Thank goodness Abuela covered you up in her lap and Abuelo hopped up to bat it out of the way.  Dad definitely got a stern look from Mom on that one!

We bought sparklers this year specifically so that we could figure out how to set my camera to capture sparkler writing of your name.  After a few tries we got it down!

Abuela did this one.

 Abuelo's creation- I'll let him tell you what this one is ;)

Dad said he couldn't do backwards cursive so he went with a star.

After a fun-filled day we all headed back inside and headed to bed a little after midnight.  I'm pretty sure you had a wonderful first 4th of July thanks to your grandparents showing you a great GB 4th!

Cole 3 months

Where oh where has this time gone?!?  Seriously. Little man, your first year is 25% finished already and that blows my mind.  You are the sweetest, happiest, most entertaining little person and we're so lucky to have you.  We find it hard to remember what life was like before you because you are the center of our world.  Happy 3 months baby boy!

Height: 24.5 inches
Weight: 15.4 pounds
Head: 17 inches
*no percentile because no dr. appt this month

Diapers: In the size 2s now... making momma sad :(

Clothes: 3 months and 3-6 months in clothes and pj's, medium in swaddlers and sleep sacks.

Food: You eat for about 30 minutes every 3 hours during the day and will sleep through the night without having to be fed.  I still love nursing with you- it's such a special time between us that I wouldn't trade for anything.  We are so grateful that you are able to breastfeed.  I know it's not for everyone and some women aren't able to... but for us it's going wonderful.  At our 2 month appointment Dr. Rita said to feel free to start giving you rice cereal at about 3 1/2 months.  Dad's excited about it whereas I'm on the fence.  I love seeing you do new things but that also means that you're growing up too fast for me!  Stop it mister!

Sleep: We are so thankful and blessed that you have slept through the night since you were about a month old. You go down around 9 pm and will wake up between 7-8 am.  Your morning nap is around 9:30 and it's usually just 45 min-1 hour.  I usually take this nap with you holding you either on the couch or bringing you back into me and Dad's bed.  I love the cuddle time. Your afternoon nap is anywhere from 1-2 o'clock and it normally lasts a couple hours.  This last week we started trying to see how you did with sleep sacks instead of swaddlers since you are such a mover in the swaddler. You are still moving ALL the time in your sleep and it's always counterclockwise.  We bought a pool noodle and put it under your crib sheet to use as a "bumper" to try and prevent you from rotating.  Now you just shimmy down the noodle but at least you're not banging your head into the crib rails. Right now you just wear the sleep sack for naps and we still swaddle you at night.  You sleep much better all snug in your swaddler so we don't want to take it away from you just yet.

Milestones and Firsts:
-Can sit propped up and observe what's going on around the room.  You prefer sitting up instead of being held like a baby now so that you can watch things :(
-Started sleeping in sleep sacks
-Your first time being left by both Mom and Dad so we could have a date night at the Kenny Chesney concert.  You had so much fun with your cousin Jeryn, Aunt Ashley, and Uncle Jerad. 
-You set off your first Chinese lanterns- a surprise we did with the Olivier side of your family for Dad's 30th birthday.
-You had your first "man night" with Dad so that Mom could go to a friend's bachelorette party.  You guys hit up Lowe's and Walmart, visited some neighbors, took a bath, and went to bed.  Glad both of my boys had fun although I hated being away from you!
-We celebrated Dad's first Father's Day with doughnuts in bed, Deanna Rose Farmstead, New York Dawg Pound for lunch, and shopping at Home Depot and Lowe's.
-Grabbing all sorts of things- toys, blankets, hair, necklaces, etc.  Dad loves that he can now hand you a toy and you'll wave it back and forth... and then put it in your mouth.
-You now drool like a dog and blow bubbles.  Some outfits only last a few hours before you soak through them and it's time for a wardrobe change. No teeth or anything yet... just a lot of drool.
-Your arm hair and leg hair came in this last month- very blonde and very hard to see. Your eyelashes also got longer and your eyebrows darkened up just a smidge. 

Likes:
-You love when we do airplane- whether it's doing it with you on our shins or holding you in the sky to bench press you.  You think it's especially funny when we hit "turbulence."
-Standing up.  My word that's all you want to do.  If you have a surface to stand on and then bounce yourself up and down you will.  That's the only way you'll burp now too which makes it really fun when your spit up becomes a stream and you nail whatever is in your path- usually me.
-You became SO ticklish this last month.  Your most ticklish spots are under your chin, your belly, and your armpits.  We love love love tickling you because it brings out your cute little chuckles. -"This Little Piggy" on your toes makes you cackle and belly laugh like none other.  It's my favorite way to get you laughing.
-Talking up a storm with your sounds, coos, and squeals.  You are a vocal little guy, especially in the mornings.
-Your two favorite songs are the cups song from Pitch Perfect and Darius Rucker's wagon wheel song.  Those two calm you down better than any other ones we sing.
-Dancing in our laps.  Your go to moves right now that you enjoy the most would be the fist pump and the twist.  We do those ones for you.  The only move you have down on your own is the stomp.
-Splashing in the bathtub really increased this last month.  We have been bathing you in the infant tub on the kitchen counter by the sink but here lately you have been kicking and flailing like crazy and sending water everywhere.  Pretty sure your kitchen bath days are about over.
-You really loved your hands this month.  You'd watch them while you were holding something and then drop that object to put them in your mouth.  You try hard as you can to put them both in your mouth but it just doesn't work out so you usually just gnaw on your thumb and pointer finger.  You just gnaw on them though, you don't really suck on them.

Dislikes:
-You HATE not being fed on time and have no patience when it's chowtime.  You no longer have a cute newborn cry- it's a very demanding/ticked off cry that let's us know you mean business.  You have two cries- a tired one and a hungry one.  The hungry cry is the one that turns you red in the face and makes you gag yourself cause you're crying so hard.  You'll plant your feet, lift yourself up and arch your back while screaming. We think it's kinda funny cause you are instantly fine when you start to eat like all has been forgotten :)
-You are over the bouncy seat.  I can't remember the last time you actually sat in it without crying.  Definitely not where you like to hang out.
-The car not moving.  We could literally stop at a stop sign for only three seconds and you instantly cry when we stop and are fine the second we move.  

Mom's Favorite Moments:
It's a tie between two this month.
1. During our nursing sessions you will stop eating, lean back, and give me the biggest, sweetest, gummiest grins in the world.  We'll just lock eyes and smile at one another.  Then you pick right back up and continue eating.  It is the sweetest look that instantly makes me melt and feel like your most favorite person.
2. Being able to tickle you and get those first deep belly laughs was awesome.  So far I'm the one that can get you to giggle the most but I'm sure Dad will eventually take over in that category.  Dads are always the best ticklers!

 Dad's Favorite Moments (in Dad's words):

 For this month I loved the fact that we got our first father-son trip into Lowe's. I know to some people it wouldn't be a big deal, but if you know me I live in Lowe's and Home Depot. I have a feeling we will be making many many many more trips into the hardware stores. Your Mom has seen all the pictures of Grandpa and I when I was a kid working along side of him. Cole, hopefully we can make these same memories from when I was growing up, and this first trip to Lowe's only starts it off on the right foot.

Dear July

Dear July,

Normally you and I are BFFs. I've always looked forward to your arrival- 4th of July, my birthday, our anniversary, summer fun, etc. But this year is a completely different story.  This year your arrival means it's my last month at home with my sweet boy.  Yes, yes... I know I've been fortunate to have April, May, June, and now July with Cole Man.  But I'd really appreciate it if you could just slow time down and we'll skip back to June.  Ok?  And one more thing... you can tell August she's dead to me and we'd rather not see her this year. Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely,
Kala and Cole

PS- Shantel, I hope this small post will do until his monthly update ;)