Gibson: 4 Months

Our little guy is 4 months old!!!

 

He turned 4 months last Friday but I delayed this post as I wanted to include stats from our doc appointment... but they are not good!

Yesterday was the first visit that I was not able to make so Matt took Gibson alone... and now I wish that I had been able to go... apparently Gibson is NOT gaining weight the way that they would like him to... he went from 80% to under 20% over the last TWO months. His weight gain was a little UNDER 4 oz... When Matt called to give me the news I was SHOCKED! He takes 15-20 oz a day from a bottle while I'm at work and I feed him three times after work, before bed. I know that I have good milk production because my supply is actually OVER what he takes in a bottle each day.

Right after I got off the phone with Matt I called and talked to the nurse-on-call (because I was so worried). She said the fact that my milk production was so good made it even more unsettling because it could mean that there could be another reason for his "Failure to thrive." As a mother you never want to hear those words! I feel like I'm failing him as I'm his food source. We have to monitor him over the next three weeks and go back in for another official weigh-in with a doctor. I will also be taking him weekly for a weigh-in with a nurse to make sure that he doesn't loose any additional weight.

So that is my big update and I will keep you all posted... now for the fun stuff that Gibson has been doing over the last month.. things that would NEVER even make me think that he was "failing to thrive"...

• Feeding time has become "social hour" if I talk or move Gibson will stop eating to look up at me and smile/laugh! It is so cute... makes feeding go longer but totally worth it!
• An AMAZING sleeper still. Gibson goes down at 7:30 p.m. and wakes up around 8 a.m.
• Drools ALL THE TIME. I keep feeling around in his mouth but no teeth yet.
• Loves his toys! He will just sit and look at his toys for a good 20 minutes without fussing. He is starting to put them into his mouth as well. When he shakes them and they rattle he will just laugh and laugh.
• When he gets a bottle around lunch time (when I'm at work) he takes 10 OZ!!! His morning bottle is still 5 oz. (We will be increasing his morning to 10 also in an effort to gain... but we cannot force him to eat what we put in so we will see what happens.)
• Took TWO trips down to Georgia this month. One to celebrate his cousin's 4th birthday and one trip to pick up his big sister from summer camp! He is getting MUCH better at being in the car.
• Is such a HAPPY man! Just smiles and laughs all the time! Loves to have his neck kissed and his big sister knows just where his magic tickle spots are.
• Rolls over from his tummy to his back and can ALMOST roll back onto the tummy! STRONG MAN!
• Loves to "stand" assisted, of course. Might be time to break-out the jumper-roo

Hunter at 4 Months (p.s. - Hunter was 16.6 lbs at his 4 month appointment and Gibson is 13.75...)

Gibson:
3 Months
2 Months
1 Month

Baby Shower for Krista

My dear friend Krista is expecting her first child in August and I was so honored to host a baby shower to celebrate the pending arrival of her little man, Elijah.

Here are some photos from the event!

Guest were greeted with a custom poster that I had made just for the event

They also had an opportunity to guess when baby Elijah would make his grand appearance. We used a Cowboys calendar because that is the favorite team of his daddy! 

Special designated area for the special mama to open her gifts! 

We played the "Price is Right" game where guests guessed how much common baby items cost! A game that really seemed to put into perspective that babies are expensive! 

 And, or course, guests should only drink out of baby bottles at a shower!

Here is the dining room with yummy foods all set up... The runner going down the middle of the table is actually just a high quality wrapping paper (from Homegoods) that I folded and taped to run down the length on the dining table... 

I cleared all of our dishes out of the china cabinet and filled it with some sweets! 

Everyone loved watching Krista open up the little gifts for Elijah! Some of her facial expressions were priceless!!! 

 

Must read for every new Mom!!! Porn for New Moms

Great diaper wreath made by an extremely creative guest

Some Milkscreen so that mama can have her special juice 

 

And I had to throw in a gag gift... or rather a prank box...

Fun time had by all!!!

** Printables were done by On the Go Prints an etsy shop. I told the designer exactly what I wanted and she created custom listings for me in only days. She was so easy to work with, talented, and economical! I HIGHLY recommend using her. I know that I will be for all of my future party planning!

Thrifted Thursday #4

Today I'm going to share a quick project that I recently took on for the playroom.

We had a boring old wooden coffee table that we were not even using... so I decided to give it a  new purpose with some chalkboard paint. Now the kids have a playtable!

Anyone could find a cheap and scratched up table from a thrift store or garage sale and give it life! All it took was a quick sand and three coats with the chalkboard paint!!! so easy!

Hunter and Matt both seem to love it

Stuffed Peppers

Today I'm going to share a SUPER yummy dinner that I made last night and the best part was that it only took 20 minutes! Which for a working mama of three that is key!

I decided that this week I'm going to ONLY make recipes that I have pinned! I feel like I'm always finding yummy recipes and I NEVER MAKE THEM! so for the first night I made Sausage, Goat Cheese, and Arugula stuffed Peppers. Via
 
I did make a few tweaks however... I added more sausage & more goat cheese then the original recipe called for.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium Red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Package (5 links) sausage of your choice, casings removed
• 8 ounces goat cheese, softened
• 2 large handfuls of arugula (about 1½ ounces)
• Salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1½ tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 400º.
• Place the peppers on a baking sheet and set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until it browns, crumbling with a wooden spoon as it cooks. (If needed, drain the sausage before continuing.)
• Once the sausage has browned, reduce heat to low and stir in the arugula and goat cheese until the cheese has melted and the arugula is wilted. Taste and add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, if desired.
   
  
  
• Spoon the filling into the peppers and sprinkle each half with Parmesan.
  
  
  
  
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the peppers have softened slightly. Serve immediately.
  
  

Prayers are needed

My heart is just broken today and I reach out to everyone for big prayers for my dear family. A few people have made comments about my frequent, as of late, visits to Savannah... and the reason for such visits were to spend as much time as possible with my big brother Alan and his AMAZING family.

Today my brother will be checking into a Federal Prison Camp for the next few years as a result of a white collar crime that was committed 5+ years ago. He has been sentenced to 38 months and as a husband and father of two young children THAT IS A LONG TIME. With "good behavior" he should get out earlier but still it is going to be a tough road.

Fortunately, he will be near his hometown so visits can be made in a weekly basis and it is a minimum security camp as opposed to a higher security facility. Even with frequent visits though this will be a HUGE adjustment for him and I know that tonight will be a hard one as he will be alone in his new reality.

My heart breaks the most today though for his wife and children. This sentence is also ultimately a huge punishment for them. With a minimum of two years without their loved one they will likely be changed forever from this experience. The sentence also means that they will be transitioning to a single paycheck household on a teachers salary...

Our family has really come together during this time and we are doing everything that we can do to be there for them. When standing outside of the courthouse immediately following the sentencing my first reaction was that I needed to move to Savannah to be their for my sister-in-law and the two children... Matt quickly made me see that it would be unrealistic to move so instead I've requested two days every month that he is away so that I can make the trip to Savannah and help the family for 4 days.

Both my brother and Sister-in-law have repeated the statement that they will not allow for this experience to define their entire lives and I agree 100% the judge said it perfectly “You have done good in your life and will in the future." We just need big prayers to get through the next few years.

Thrifted Thursday #3

I'm so excited to share another great thrift store find! A few weeks ago at my local Salvation Army I spotted this little gem for only $4.99

The table was originally from target and looked a little rough around the edges but I knew that this would be the perfect side table for little Elijah's nursery. All it needed was some gray spray paint

and light blue paint on the top! (had all materials on hand)

I cannot wait for this to go by the chair in his nursery! What an easy update at a GREAT price!

Hunter at 22 Months

I need a pause button in my life right now! At 22 months Hunter is just so darn cute and I really want to just keep him this age (well except when he is throwing a fit). Actually tantrums and all I will take it!

His vocabulary is just growing by leaps and bounds every day. If fact over the weekend he learned how to say "Spiderman" of course it sounds like "byeman" or "myman" SUPER CUTE!

Here are some highlights:

• 16 teeth WOW!!! Hunter went from 8 teeth to 16 in two months.  
• Loves to brush his hair
• Can sit for an hour and pour water from one cup into another. This boy is going to be an engineer.
• Still loves being both a big and little brother. He absolutely adores his siblings.
• When he falls down he will typically get right back up with a big old smile. Park boys are tough! No crying in this family.
• First words each morning continue to be waff and if we toast anything the second he hears that thing pop up he runs into the kitchen screaming WAFFFFF
• Is very good at utilizing a spoon to eat his yogurt in the mornings.
• The only way we can get him to eat dinner is if we put only two bites of something on his plate once he tries it he is game for a whole plate... but it you fill his plate from the start he will NOT EVEN TRY IT! what an odd little man.
• Loves tickles from his daddy and being thrown in the air
• He is a pro at making animal noises
• Just started liking puzzles
• Still enjoys bath time but he WILL NOT sit down in the tub. He is terrified if we try to get him to sit and will just scream and scream. It breaks my heart to hear.
• He has a special bond with Sophie. She is so patient with him as he climbs all over the poor girl!

Here are some photos from the last two months.. since I was a slacker and didn't post last month.