Weekend in review

This past week Colin had ventured with me to visit Arianna and Jen Garcia.

Then later in the week we had dinner with Theresa.

Friday night Joe and Cyndi Strzyz came to visit! We had a great time. The brought Colin some Air Jordan shoes and they are so cute on him, now he is stylin! While J+C were here we took a trip into DC for some walking and gawking of the Cherry Blossoms along with our 1,000 closest friends. It also happened to be the Kite Festival as well. It was great seeing all these families enjoying the cold spring day. After the tidal basin tour, we took a drive to Gravely Point so Eric and Joe could geek out while the passenger planes took off and landed over their heads.

On the fussy front with Colin I have gotten a lot of free advice, which has been much appreciated. Eric and I have now switched our parenting routine to consist of anticipating the fussy times and wearing or holding him to provide some security. I have been trying to mind what I eat to help out Colin on the digestion side. There have been shorter episodes and reduced wailing assaults on our ears. Thanks to everyone who has given some advice and shared that there are other babies who go through the same thing and that eventually they will grow out of it. I have included some videos so you can see the fussy to sleep, and a couple of hanging out videos. This week we will visit Nicole, Matt, and Millie in Fredericksburg for lunch. Also, Waiting on Angie's arrival this weekend! SO EXCITED! Enjoy your week! Amanda

7 Weeks old

Can you believe it? Time seems to be flying. Colin is as cute as ever. He is smiling a whole lot more frequently. We go to the doctor April 2nd so we will get an official update on his weight gain. He has officially grown out of his Newborn sizes, the pant legs come to his knees.
This past weekend we were visited by Gramma Meyer and Aunt Anna. We had a good time, Eric and I went to some bars in DC to watch some March Madness! It was great to see the game and meet up with some kickball buddies.

Saturday I was able to go and get a massage and then the whole bunch went to the Eastern Market and had some burgers at Good Stuff Eatery. Rufus really wanted to go but we had him stay at home. For dinner we grilled some steaks and had our dinner out on the deck. Saturday evening we watched Up in the Air while Colin slept.

Colin had been sleeping in a bassinet in our room, and he was actually up to about 5 hours of sleep between feedings. Then Sunday night I moved him to his crib, and he slept 3 hours between feedings. I hope that was temporary and that he goes back to 5 hour intervals. That has got to be the hardest part, any routines you think are establish change after you acknowledge any form of success=sleeping for 5 hours in a row. I am totally in love with my little boy, he is so adorable and I am having fun being here for every single minute. I just wish that Eric could be here for more of Colin's awake time where he isn't screaming. :) We are hoping to get past the witching hour evenings. (between 5-8 Colin has some crying fits) Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do! Here is the Picasa updated album.

With love, Amanda

Hanging out in his highchair/booster seat.

Sleeping angel.

For St. Patrick's Day we took a trip down to Fredericksburg to meet Nicole, Matt, and Millie at the Expo Center for a consignment sale. I was able to get some toys and a walker! They had a baby scale I was tempted to buy, and Nicole actually did, so we used it to see how much it said the babies weighed. Millie came in around 8 and Colin was around 11. If that scale is accurate then WOW! Then we had lunch at O'Charleys where Colin cried and fussed the whole time and I didn't get to finish my meal. Oh the joys of motherhood. :p

Hanging out by the dishwasher while I do some housework for our company's arrival. I was surprised how quickly this put him at peace, and then to sleep. Now Colin is at the stage where he wakes when the sound or motion stops.

Smiles and some babble!

For those of you who care I think his eyes may change away from blue, and when that happens I'll be sad. Hope you had a safe St. Patty's Day!

Love ya, Amanda

Thank the Lord for Babysitters!

This weekend Eric and I got ready for some date time away from Colin. This is the second time we have officially gone out without our little boy. The first time was when the Meyer Grandparents were visiting and we hung out with our Kickball team friends after the blizzard. This event was ShamRock Fest! Eric and I have attended this outdoor music and beer festival for several years now. It was a bit rainy and a bit chilly but it was a good time. I always enjoy spending time hanging with my husband! We had some beer and some cheese fries while listening to Mr. Greengenes and The Roots. It was awesome to be able to leave Colin in capable hands, and go out and have fun. I was getting to the point where I needed a short break, and I don't feel guilty! It was nice to not have to worry about Colin, although he was still on my mind. I do love that little guy! (Those of you who BF you also know you can never truly get away, your LD will always keep you in check.) I was physically relieved to get to the car, did a little pump and dump. After the music and fun we went over to Good Stuff Eatery since we were in the neighborhood. It was another fabulous experience, this time I actually saw Spike Mendelsohn grilling behind the counter. I was so star struck after just watching him compete on Iron Chef, March 7th. I asked the employee bagging the food orders if I could speak to Chef Spike and he said "Go on over there, he would love it!" I excused myself and gushed for a while to Chef Spike about how much I LOVE his food. He then shared with me that he was opening a pizza place next door, and I am looking forward to trying that fare when it opens. Those of you whom have visited we have probably taken you to Good Stuff Eatery since we love it so much. If anyone reading ever visits we will most likely take you too! On to some Colin news, which I know is the only reason a lot of you read this blog! :p Recently Colin has been a bit fussy, I am hoping it is only temporary. (Fussiness is contributing to my needing a break) It seems that wearing him in one of my contraptions really helps to soothe him and put him to sleep. This morning I fed Colin and he fell asleep so I laid him down and he woke up but was able to put himself back to sleep. I call that a small victory! On to spring news, our garden has a couple of residents making an appearance! I can't wait till my tulips and lilies bloom! Maybe I will be around this year to see the peak! (most years we are on a Spring Break adventure when my flowers bloom) This coming weekend we have Gramma Meyer and Aunt Anna visiting! I think that means Eric and I will be able to have another date night! Gotta keep the marriage thriving!
Love you all and miss you much!
Amanda

My baby is famous!

Check here!

Amanda

First Bath

Sorry this post is a bit delayed, but here is his first bath.
Amanda

Aunt Erin's Visit

This weekend Aunt Erin came for a visit. We all had a blast! All of us traveled to Cheeseburger in Paradise and took a long fast-paced walk on the rail trail. Mostly Erin and Colin hung out and spent time snuggling. Saturday we went to Connor Wackerle's birthday party and watched him wear his cake. Monday Nicole, Matt, Millie, and Mitch stopped by. Nicole and I went to a LLL meeting in La Plata. It was nice meeting other moms that live close by. Then Nicole helped me to get Colin into the sling she made me. I need a lot of practice, but it was nice to carry him in it on a walk with Rufus and Erin. The only big news is that we had a wonderful time hanging out with Aunt Erin. I miss her soooo much and wished she lived closer. I have already booked a flight to Indy so I can see my family and take a trip to Peoria to visit my grandfather and aunt Laura. Once you have a family, it makes you miss yours a lot more. Right now we are working on the details for Colin's Baptism. We will share that later. Hope everyone is doing great out there! The sun is making its appearance and that means the fish start to run, so Eric is out fishing his heart out whenever his schedule allows.
Love you, Amanda

P.S.
I also have begun using cloth diapers, a little bit. I also got him in the Moby Wrap too!

He's One Month Old!

Wow, a whole month has gone by! What a trip. Things around here have changed a lot. It takes a lot more time to get ready to leave the house. We are adjusting to the sleep schedule this little guy has for now, every 3 hours. The monotony of changing diapers gets to me in the evenings, thankfully that is when my reinforcement gets home. The feeding has gotten a lot better, less pain. I am trying to figure out how to do the whole bottle and pumping thing that will work for us. Colin has a lot more strength, grabs at things, makes eye contact, and I swear he has smiled at me at least twice this week! We are lucky with this little guy, and we love him very much. For those of you out there who are concerned about Eric, he has a natural talent in dealing with Colin. He works really hard to figure out what Colin is communicating needs wise, and he makes time to talk and cuddle with him every evening. What a pair, they are already couch potato buddies! We are expecting Erin, my sister, to visit this weekend! It should be a lot of fun, we shall post about that next week! Ta ta for now, Amanda