First Hat & Highchair

Dear Conor,

After your very first chiroprator appointment we met up with Grandma Janet to do some shopping in Freeport.  We had to find some clothes for our family pictures that were coming up.

While out shopping we saw the new LL Bean Boot truck and I just had to get a picture of it and I made your Grandma get in the picture!

After Grandma's picture we finished the shopping for adult clothes and decided to have a little fun looking at Conor clothes!  We stopped at the children's place outlet and had you try on a litlte straw fedora.  I texted Daddy a picture and he said to buy it but we didn't because it was scratchy and I didn't want it to itch you.

But, I did get your your first baseball cap!  I love this little hat on you and you love it too!  Grandma Janet bought you a matching onesie and so you are going to be the coolest kid on the block!

After shopping we were very hungry so we went to get something to eat.  Since the dinning area was on the top floor I decided that we would try you in a high chair.  You are still a little small for them without some type of padding but you enjoyed being at table level!

Having you in a high chair at the restaurant was a big step for both you and Mommy.  It made me realize that it was time to get you one for the house because you were ready to be part of meal time and not just an observer.  You are still my little baby but you are growing up and reaching BIG milestones!  To commemorate the occassion we asked the waitress for a cup for you - your first kids meal cup!

I promise that I will embrace all your BIG STEPS in life and I will support you every step of the way but little man - this first year is going by so very fast......I really wish I could hit pause once in a while.

xoxo
Mom

Adjustments

Dear Conor,

When you were born your Daddy and I promised that we would do everything that we could to make sure that you grew up to be a strong and healthy man.  So when Mommy noticed that the back of your head was looking flatter than what she considered 'normal' she began looking for ways to help fix it.

One thing that can be done is to get a helmet.  We talked to your doctor about this and she wanted to follow-up with you at your 6 month (really 7 month) appointment to see if we needed to go that route.  Mommy did some research and learned that there is a 2-3 month wait here in Maine to see a specialist and that by that time the helmet would do little good.  So, Mommy did some more research and learned that chiropractors can use adjustments and manipulations to massage the muscles of the scalp to relax them which allows your plates to shift back into a more circular (round) head shape.

Well, wouldn't you know - Neve's mom is a chiropractor and she has worked on many infants with flat heads so we went to see her for the first time on May 24, 2012.

checking your alignment and making little adjustments

You loved getting straightened!

At our first visit we learned that your jaw was very tense on one side (likely due to your tongue tie) and that your right hip was misaligned causing your leg to over rotate.  So, Miss Erika said she would continue to observe and make adjustments to those areas as well (while we love your crooked little smile I don't want you having jaw problems)! Your head was flat and you had little bulges behind each ear.

We have now seen Ms. Erika 4 times and your head is coming along nicely.  So nicely that you have graduated to biweekly visits.  Your leg/hip is also making improvements that we notice when you practice walking.  While you still occasionally step with your right foot over your left or you attempt to do two left steps before a right - when you do use your right foot it is most often going straight.

You have your next pediatric appointment in about a month so you will have had 2-3 more visits with Ms. Erika and it is my hope that we will have made enough progress that your Doctor will feel that a referral to the helmet doctor is not necessary!!!

xoxo
Mom

Our Cyber Stalker - So Happy for Her!

I have this Cyber Stalker - but since I have now met her in real life I don't think I can qualify her as a 'cyber' anything anymore - or can I since she seems to mostly stalk me in the cyber form (the blog, facebook.....).  Anyways, I don't think those particulars matter very much because she is (1) still a stalker and (2) I actually don't mind!

It's very flattering to think that someone is enjoying reading this blog and wants to know what is going on in our daily lives (though I am doing terribly at keeping up with this blog - I have so much to post about!).

About 2 weeks ago I got some amazing news about my Cyber Stalker.....I learned that she was expecting!  I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly happy I am for my C.S. and her husband (who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting but I hear that he once in a while might read this blog too - when prompted by the C.S.). 

While life was wonderful before the arrival of Conor, nothing could ever have prepared me for how complete and full like would feel with a small little person to call my own.

Since I'm not sure how public the news is about my C.S. I won't name her by name but I wanted her to know that I am so very excited for her and I can't wait to hear more about things (and of course now she will have to start a blog!).

                 CONGRATS CYBER STALKER!!!  I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN :)

Happy First Father's Day Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to an incredible first time Dad!

xoxo

Conor and Hunter

Riding in a Cart

Today was a BIG day for Conor!  Today was the first time that he ever rode in the front seat of a shopping cart at a store.

We used to go to BJs all the time when we first moved here but we stopped going when Josh changed his eating habits.  But, we wanted to go again to see if things had changed or if there were items there that we could use now that Conor is in the picture.  We are still undecided but it was the perfect place to let Conor try sitting in the cart as you need both hands to pick up the GIGANTIC boxes!

Handsome boy in the cart!

Wow - look at me!

Conor did really well in the cart and so his Dad bought him a book all about fruits as a reward for being such a trooper today (before BJs we had gone to two other stores so it had been a long afternoon for Conor!).

My little boy is growing up so fast!

On a side note - a women thought Conor was a girl.  He was in a different outfit than you see here (we had a little leakage before getting to NJs) which was much more boyish - it was brown and white checked with a surfboard and woody on it in yellow and aqua - not very feminine.  Oh well!

xoxo
Erin

Five Months!

Dear Conor,

I know I say this everytime but I can't believe that you are already 5 months old!  This last month has been full of changes for you.  You learned to roll over and you have gotten very good at it (though sometimes your trailing arm gets stuck under you and you get a little feisty). You finally let me film you rolling over on Mother's Day.

In your wise old age you have also started loving books.  You like to try to turn the pages on your own and you love being read to.  We have a few favorites which are Chicka Chicka ABC, Moo Baa La La La, Wheels on the Bus, The Very Hungy Catepillar, and One the Night you were Born!

As you can see from the above picture this past month you have started sitting up all by yourself!  You did this just like you have done everything.  You decided one day that you wanted to sit and sit you did and we haven't looked back since.  You prefer to sit over laying at any given moment and that has made it tough for your Daddy and I because we still have to watch you carefully since once in a while you still topple to the side or to the back.  So we still use your sitting chair when we have to leave the room.

Notice the hand in your mouth - you are teething something fierce little man and we have had to help you out with teething medications and your amber necklace in hopes of helping your little mouth feel better during this terrible time.

You also have had milestones that I couldn't quite catch on camera.  You love to grunt!  It seems to be a little boy thing because all your friend's moms say that their little boys went through this phase at your age as well.  You also have found your feet and you like to touch your toes and you watch them wiggle all the time.  You are also working on controlling your arms and legs.  You watch your legs and then you make them move up and down and your eyes grow wide...you are at such an amazing age right now....you are truly discovering the world around you starting with YOU!

What else have you been doing?  You have been laughing!  You love to laugh and while it takes a bit to get you going once you start laughing you love it!

Photographing you at 5 months was difficult because you certainly were not as content to sit there and not move as you have been in the past.  In fact, we took twice as many pictures this time around to get these few cute ones!

Its been a wonderful journey with you so far little man - see how much you've grown!

xoxo
Mom

Time is Ticking Away

Where has the month of May gone?  I feel as though it was May 1st just a few days ago and now Memorial Day is breathing down our backs!

I have been very busy with work as has Josh but we have managed to squeeze in some fun.  We have played in the yard, planted flowers and some vegetable plants and also had another playdate with Little Gordon.  We met L.G. and his family in Portsmouth and walked around the little town and then had lunch The Oar House.  They allowed Hunter to sit on their deck which was one of the reasons we ate there.

L.G. and Conor both sat in high chairs for the first time!

The Dads and their Dad-Gear and Hunter strolling ahead

Little Gordon and Conor talking

and talking.....

Conor not impressed that L.G. can put his foot on the chair

It was so very nice to see our good friends again!  Its always fun to see the changing relationship between the two boys - now they are able to interact with each other and reach for each other and even do a little conversing! 

Can't wait to see you guys again soon!!

xoxo
Erin