Photo Friday!

Wow! I just noticed that it has been a whole week since I've posted anything! Sorry about that! This was my second week back to work part-time and it's been a bit hectic getting back into the swing of things. Since it's been so long since I've posted, I've got a bunch of cute pics for Photo Friday!!!

This past weekend we went to ATL again to visit my family and here are some cute pics from that trip.

Getting ready to go to lunch

First Trip to the Wing Joint - he slept through it, of course

All bundled up to go walk the dogs

This week we also went down to Birmingham to introduce Clay to my co-workers and go out to lunch with my good friends Heather, Kelcei, and Leigh. I just had to take pictures of the cute little outfit he wore down there!

He looks like a little man in this outfit!!

And yes, those are baby Chuck Taylors!!! I just had to get them!

Here's a random picture - Thugalicious Clay throwing up his gang signs

This is Clay and his best friend Braden. They are only 3 weeks apart and look how huge Clay is! And, no this isn't trick photography... He really is that much bigger!

Photo Friday!

Well, since everyone does "Wordless Wednesday", I'm going to somewhat copy with "Photo Friday"! Here's a cute picture of our little Auburn Tiger. He's about the only Auburn Tiger that's looking good these days :)!

WAR EAGLE!!!!!

I Need Your Help!!!

Mark and I are in a big disagreement over which picture of Clay needs to be on the Birth Announcement. Even though the picture of him in the racing tire is absolutely adorable, I determined that it wasn't good birth announcement material. Anyways, there's one REALLY cute picture that I want to use (I will not tell you which one so that I'm being fair), but Mark does not like it AT ALL. So I decided to take a poll to see what everyone else thought! Let me know which one you think would be the best for Clay's birth announcement.

Option #1

Option #2

Option #3

Option #4

He's Growing Up So Fast!!

Before this week we've had Clay sleeping in a co-sleeper right next to our bed. It's definitely been the best thing because as a new parent, you know I have to check him every so often to make sure he's still breathing. This week, I decided to see if he would sleep in his crib in his nursery. Let me just say... he's been great! Recently he's been having these bouts with fussiness at night. I asked the doctor about it at his appointment this past Monday and she said to feed him until he can't eat anymore during this time... even if it meant giving him some formula. She said that it's like he's "storing up reserves" to sleep longer. So Tuesday rolls around and I get a chance to go out with the girls. Mark gets to babysit - it's his first time to babysit long enough that he has to feed him. I left 2 bottles, only thinking he'd need 1 and came home to find that he had eaten the first one and almost all of the 2nd one! Well, let's just say the doctor knows what she's talking about! He slept for 7 hours straight! Since that worked, we've been doing it the last couple of nights and he's consistently sleeping for 6 or so hours, waking up to feed around 3:30 and then going back to sleep and waking up around 7:30 or 8:00! I cannot tell you how this has made a much happier mommy!!

Anyways... you know I have to include pictures of my big boy in his crib :)!!

Just waking up... not too happy!

Awake now!

A Few Quick Pics...

Just a few pictures of Clay in some cute outfits that he is QUICKLY about to outgrow! Enjoy!!

All I Can Say is WOW!!!

Sooo... we had our 1 month check up today and I was thinking my little milk monster would be weighing in at around a nice hefty 11 pounds. Well, I was WAY off! He clocked in at 12 pounds 1 ounce!! That's 2 1/2 pounds in 3 weeks (Yep, Melissa - I think he's going to surpass his girlfriend in about another week :)!!) ! The doctor said he's in the 87th percentile in weight and 84th percentile in height (he was 23 inches - up from 21 1/2 three weeks ago). He only eats 5 or 6 times a day - which is less than what the mean ole' lactation consultants say he should be eating. Could you imagine how much he would weigh if I was feeding him 8 - 12 times a day like they told me??!!!? The rest of the check up went well. I've been worried about the whole "flat head" thing since he has been favoring laying on one side of his head over the other, but she said it looked really good. We've been flip-flopping the way he lays in his bed and propping his back up so he turns his head a certain way to get equal time on both sides. He also had to get a Hep B vaccination... and he was not too happy about it! He did good, though - only cried for about a minute and was back to his normal happy self. I dread the next visit at 2 months! That's when he gets all the big vaccines!

And, of course, I had to include a couple of pictures I took of him today. He's wearing an especially adorable outfit, so I just HAD to do a photo shoot :)!

One Month Old Already!!

I can't believe my baby is a month old today! Everyone always says that they grow up so fast... and they were right! It's amazing how much he's grown and changed in just the last few weeks! His 1 month check up is Monday and I'm curious to see how much the little milk monster weighs. I bet he's clocking in at around 11 pounds... wouldn't be surprised if it's closer to 11 1/2 by Monday! When I carry him around, he definitely doesn't feel like a newborn. He's slowly starting to get on a little schedule. He's been going to bed around 8 or 9 and then sleeps for a good 5 or 6 hours! I will then feed him and he'll go back to sleep and usually sleeps for around 4 more hours... so we are getting a decent amount of sleep at night! He also takes a good 3 hour nap in the morning - thank goodnes, or I would NEVER take a shower. He loves to take a bath in his "big boy" bathtub... it's really just one of those plastic toddler tubs, but I think he likes it because he gets to sit in the water and stay warm. He's started noticing things like his mobile and all the toys that hang from his play yard. He will also stick his tongue out when I stick mine out at him! He LOVES his swing... I sometimes feel guilty leaving him in it for long periods of time, but that's sometimes the only way he will sleep!

I also can't believe that in less than 2 weeks, I will be going back to work part time! I work out of the house, so I'll still be here with him. Hopefully he'll still be taking some good naps. I don't go back to work full-time until December 1st, so I've got a little more time before he's a big boy and starts daycare.

Anyways, here are some pictures I've taken in the last few days. Enjoy!

Check out his little outfit with the shoes! Looks like a little old man!

I Just Had to Share...

This cute little picture!

First Time for Everything!

Wow! I never realized how exhausting one little baby could be - hence why I haven't posted anything in over a week! I'll try to do better!

This week has been a week of "firsts"... starting off with Baby Clay's first trip out of town. We decided last minute to go to Atlanta over the weekend and visit family and friends. Mark had to be in ATL early Monday morning for work, so we decided Friday night to head over there on Saturday and spend some time at my parent's new place. We had plans to leave around 9 in the morning... but Clay had other plans for us. So about 12:00 we were finally pulling out of our driveway! The car was packed down... Mark is now threatening me with getting the "infamous mini-van" because we had no more room in the car. Clay did great on the car ride over there and back. He slept the whole time! Besides hanging out with the family, we went over to our friend's, Tony and Melissa, house to introduce them to Clay. Clay also got to meet his girlfriend, Caroline, although he slept through the introduction.

Another first that happened this week is Clay rolled over all by himself!! I couldn't believe it! We've been playing this little game where he lays on his stomach on my chest while I'm in the recliner and he can roll from side to side by himself, but I was curious to see if he could actually roll over while laying on the floor. So... while we were doing "tummy time" on his play mat, I showed him how to roll over a couple of times to his back - lo and behold... he did it all by himself! He's such a genius :)!

Clay also got to meet his first little friend last night! Our friends, Tony and Marsha, had their little boy a couple of days ago and we went to visit. He was a few weeks early and weighed a good 6 1/2 pounds. We put them side by side and took some pictures - Clay looks like a 3 month old next to his little friend! (Once I get those pics, I'll post them.) I'm so excited for little Clay to have a friend that will be so close in age (they are only 3 weeks apart!). We are also building a house right next door to their's, so they will be able to spend lots of time together!

Some other firsts we had this week are his first trip out to eat (he did so well, we've taken him out with us 4 times now!!), his first bottle (Woo Hoo!! Time for girl's night out!!), and the first REAL smile that he gave to his mommy (daddy actually got his very first real smile). It's amazing how much changes in such a short time!

As far as my recovery, it's going great! I'm still a little sore and I'm trying to not overdo things, but I am now able to walk my normal route around the neighborhood (with baby and dog in tow, of course). I weighed myself the other day - and WOO HOO!!! - I am 1/2 pound below my pre-pregnancy weight!!!! I still have that terrible saggy belly, which I hope goes away soon! On my next (and last) kid, I will request the doctor do a tummy tuck during the c-section :)!

Anyways... I can't believe my little baby is almost a month old!! It's amazing how time flies and how fast they change!

Below are some recent pictures...

First Road Trip - Sound Asleep

Soooo over the Road Trip!

Sleeping with Daddy

Somewhat of a smile

Pondering Life...

Playing on his play mat