four months!

Age: four months
Stats: weight- 16 lbs 13 oz (75 %ile)
         length 25 1/2 inches (75 %ile)
Clothes:  You are mostly out of all of your 3 month clothes now! We have switched over all of your onesies to the 6 month ones which snap much easier at the bottom! Some of your pajamas are still 3 months. I have to say that your pajamas with the footies are my favorite on you. There is just nothing more adorable than you in your cozy pajamas.
Favorite Activities: You are liking tummy time a little more and are learning to roll over onto your tummy like a pro! One thing you also like is being outside! We have started meeting Daddy at Starbucks on his day off right when we are done at Stroller Strides. You love to sit on the patio with us and watch the people and look all around you. Bear also loves this time because he gets lots of love from the people who pass by. On a side note: If we ever go anywhere with both you and Bear, it never fails that Bear gets all the compliments and you barely get noticed. This always make me and Daddy laugh because we think you are the cutest. Of course we love Bear with all our hearts too. We think we might make him a Facebook Fan Page.
Least Favorite Activities: You still aren't too keen on clothing changes, although you are getting better at it. You had to get a few more shots at your 4 month appointment and that wasn't too pleasant. You did much better than the 2 month shots afterwards though. It always breaks my heart to see those little bandaids on your fat little legs.
Favorite Memory this Month:  One day you were laying on your play mat and Bear came over to lay by you and me. It was so funny because you just started stroking his paw and really observing him and he just laid there and didn't move. I think you were trying to figure him out : ) Everyone always asks how Bear is liking you and it just makes my heart to happy that he is so gentle around you. We always knew he would be a great big brother.
Signature Moves:  You have really started blowing raspberries lately! You are finding your voice more and more and it is such a joy to watch you "communicate" with us.
A few pics from this month...

We sent this to all our friends at Leawood on their first day.

 You managed to sneak one of your arms out of your swaddle sack during your nap...

 I'll eat you up, I love you so.

 One of our Starbucks Fridays with Daddy!!

 During the night you managed to get BOTH your arms out of your swaddle sack...needless to say we stopped swaddling you shortly after this.

 This is what Bear does at our Starbucks Fridays...pretty pathetic huh?

 Brothers.

 You attended your first wedding! Uncle Ron and Aunt Lori got married. We went and sat in the very back incase we needed to make a quick escape. Daddy fed you throughout the ceremony and you did great! You looked so handsome too : ) 

 One day we went and helped Lindsi with her daycare. Your friend Reagan was there so we snapped a pic together! You and Reagan are only a few days apart. 

 This month we also started going to MOPS. You didn't do so well in the nursery during the first meeting but the second one you did great. All the ladies love rocking you and snuggling you.

 This month you have also discovered the TV. You love to look at the moving bright colors...I set you down here one day for a second and came back  and you were just watching TV! It made me laugh a lot. 

 I clipped your nails one day and this happened...it looks much worse than it was! Just cut one a little too short...luckily I don't think you even noticed. 

 Sophie the Giraffe goes almost everywhere with us...including the doctor! You are all stripped down waiting for your checkup! 

three months

Age: three months
Stats: weight- 15.8 lbs
Clothes: You are still wearing your 3 month onesies, although they are getting a little snug. For rompers you are wearing 3-6 months. Just last week, I went through your clothes and put all your newborn things in a tub. I may or may not have cried when that happened.
Favorite Activities: You love to "play"! Each day we follow a routine...Eat.Play.Sleep. During the play time we rotate from your bouncy seats, to the activity mat and just recently you have started sitting up in the Bumbo chair. You absolutely love laying on the activity mat and "talking" to the baby in the mirror. One day, I think he might have offended you because you were happy as a clam and then all of a sudden just let out this big cry. You also love to talk to anyone who will listen! You have been cooing and making all kinds of sounds these days. You will sit and talk to mommy and daddy for a long time! We always tell you to "tell us all your stories". I wonder if one day you will be a preacher like Daddy.
Least Favorite Activities: Two words...Tummy Time. This is probably your least favorite time of the day. However, you are getting much better at holding your head up! I try to leave you on your tummy for short amounts of time throughout the day and you are always quick to let me know when you have had enough.
Favorite Memory this Month:  I was rocking you to sleep for a nap one day and you let out a full on laugh. You have chuckled in your sleep a few times but this was a full on laugh with a big smile on your face. It was so funny because I started to cry when it happened! I was just so proud of you. So there we were...you laughing and me crying haha : )
Signature Moves:  You still love sticking out that bottom lip when you are sad. You have also started blowing raspberries which is pretty funny! Daddy taught you to do this and he is pretty proud of that!

The outtakes:

 Bear wanted to know what we were doing...

 Dear Cormac,
You are growing a changing so much each day. I am so thankful that I get to be here with you each day even though it has been a learning curve for both of us. School is starting and it has been a little sad for me coming to the realization that my life is very different now. I wouldn't trade any of these moments with you for anything...but I am missing that adult interaction sometimes : ) Talking to you has been fun though! We can carry on a conversation for quite a long time. You love to coo and smile when we talk to you and it is the sweetest thing. You have also just started grabbing things with your hands. You can hold on to some things for a short time. Speaking of your hands...you found them this month! You love putting your hands into your mouth. It is so funny because you will hold both of your hands and bring them to your mouth at the same time...it takes so much effort and concentration!

Here a few pictures from this month!

Sitting up in the bumbo for the first time! 

 We got out sophie for you to chew on and somebody thought it was for him...

 Apparently you didn't want your picture taken this day.

 You like to snuggle with  Daddy in the mornings after you eat. It is the sweetest thing...you will just talk and talk to him. 

 I forgot to include this last month...but you got your two month shots. It was a sad day for both of us! 

Chewing on those hands...are you going to be at thumb sucker?

Your very first pair of TOMS...can't wait until you can wear them!

Bear is really such a good big brother to you. He loves to walk by and give you a little lick on your head somewhere. He also loves to come lay by you on the floor.

Cormac Lain,
I don't know how it is possible for me to love you more each day...but I do. You make us laugh and bring such joy to our lives. The Lord has truly blessed us. We love you more than words could  ever say.
Love,
Momma and Daddy

two months

Age: two months
Stats: weight- 13lb 10oz (75%ile)
length-  24in (90th %ile)
Clothes: Well, hulk baby can definitely not fit into anymore newborn clothes. He wears all 0-3 months, 3 months, and once even a shirt that was 3-6 months (it was a little big on him). 
Favorite Activities: We got a new little bouncy seat from Grandma's house that he LOVES. When he kicks his legs it bounces and he thinks that is great. He will also stare at the toys that hang from it for quite a long time. Cormac also loves staring and talking to some of the art I hung right above his changing table. When he is in a happy mood we can lay him on the bed and he will just "talk" and smile at us which is the SWEETEST thing in the whole world. Sometimes when we are talking to him he will be moving his mouth while he watches us like he wants to figure this whole thing out and talk back.
Least Favorite Activities: Cormac still doesn't like anything that fits in the category of "why are you messing with me?" which includes: going in his torture seat car seat, changing clothes, sometimes diaper changes. He will also let us know when he is bored and wants to stop doing whatever he is doing. For example, if he plays on the play mat for awhile...he will let me know when he has had ENOUGH : )
Favorite Memory this Month:  I think it might have been right after he finished eating one night and Chris and I were just talking and smiling at him and Cormac just kept looking at us with these "sketchy" eyes and moving his eyes side to side. Almost like he was thinking "who are you and what have you done with my parents??" We both laughed pretty hard at that one!
Signature Moves:  Still loves sticking out that bottom lip when he is upset. Earlier this week he was upset and I was holding him and smiling and talking to him and it was so funny because he couldn't decide if  he wanted to smile or pout. He kept going back and forth which was just cracking us up!
Mom's Proudest Moment: I absolutely love when I smile really big at Cormac and he reciprocates with a great big smile. It is probably one of the best things in life. I also am completely  loving rocking him to sleep. It is so sweet the way he will just stare up at me as I sing to him, like it is the most beautiful song he has ever heard.


the outtakes...

Dear Cormac, 
You are changing and growing so much each and every day! I feel like we are getting a better handle on our daily routine/schedule which is such a relief for mommy! On most days we get up and go workout at Stroller Strides. You sometimes think that is pretty great and sometimes you just fuss through the whole class. Luckily, all the other mommies don't mind! When we come home you like to eat right away then play for a while. After that you usually take a long afternoon nap. It is in the evening, around dinner time, your seem to get a little fussy still. Sometimes you will take a little "cat nap" (don't tell Bear : ) After dinner we usually give you a bath and then put you to bed. You are starting to like your bath time more and more! You have had lots of babysitters this month which you have loved too! Your grandparents and aunts/uncles love watching you and that is nice because sometimes mom and dad get to go out and have a date. You are also sleeping MUCH better! Usually we put you to bed between 8 and 9pm, give you a "dream feed" between 10-11pm and then you don't usually wake up until 4 or 5am. We're getting there!
Here are a few pictures from this month...

 You fell asleep while daddy was preaching...

 Taking your "Nazarene nap" with Daddy...

 You celebrated your first 4th of July!

 I almost cried when I dressed you in this...you looked like such a big boy!

 We have started calling you the "pout pout fish" after this book...you still love sticking out that bottom lip!

 One day I was trying to soothe you like this and you fell right asleep!

 I propped you up here for a minute and when I came back to check on you, you had your arm on the pillow like this. It made me laugh so much! I think all you needed was a cold beer soda and a pizza!

Cormac Lain, you are such a joy. We count it such a blessing to be your parents and know that we love you more than words could ever say.

one month

 

Age: one month!
Stats: 11lbs 2 oz (83 percentile)
Clothes: Most of his newborn clothes don't fit anymore...so sad! We are now in all 0-3 month.
Favorite Activities: Eat, Sleep, Repeat...sometimes he will play on his activity mat. He loves to stare up at the toys. He also loves staring at bright lights and our ceiling fans haha. Chris and I will say "the liiiighhtt" (the claw) like those little aliens from Toy Story.
Least Favorite Activities: Middle of the night diaper changes, going in his torture seat car seat,
Signature Moves:  Oh that bottom lip. Cormac was LITERALLY born crying with his  bottom lip sticking out. He is a pouter  for sure.  

Mom's Proudest Moment:   Aside from his birth of course...There have been a few times when I am smiling and talking to him and he will smile back. It's pretty sweet. Also, he  is such a listener! He will just stare at me and try to move his mouth when I am talking to him. It's like he is trying so hard to understand what I am saying and talk back to me.
Dad's Proudest Moment: Chris said his proudest moment was definitely the moment he was born...such an amazing experience.

The outtakes...

apparently this one month photo shoot was pretty exhausting!

it was pretty funny with both of us trying to get Cormac to cooperate. It's a miracle we actually got  one good picture!

Dear Cormac,
I can't believe it has already been a month since you were born. In so many ways this feels like the longest and shortest month of my life. Who knew we could survive on such little sleep?! You have had a very busy first month of your life. Just two weeks after you were born we packed  up our whole  house and moved to Texas! Your grandparents and aunts/uncles are very glad about this  but it was very hard to say goodbye to our life in Kansas City. Before we moved you got to meet all my teacher friends at a luncheon at my school. When we walked in everyone clapped and cheered : ) So many people wanted to hold you and all said how cute you were. Everywhere we go people can't get over your red hair! Daddy calls you his little "ginger". You also had your  very first airplane ride at only two weeks old. We decided it would be better than the10+ hours of riding in the car from KC to  Texas. You did GREAT and slept almost the whole time while I was a nervous wreck! I was so afraid your ears would  hurt but they didn't. Now that we are all settled in our new home we are learning a little more about each other. I am trying to figure out your "routine" a little more each day. You seem to have a fussy time  in the evenings...but apparently this is normal for babies your age. We  have been walking at the park almost every morning and you really like that. Sometimes you will stay awake and look around but most of the time you just sleep in your stroller. We love you more than you will ever know. I can't wait to see how much you grow and change this month!
Love,
momma and daddy

A Few Firsts...

The days following Cormac's birth were quite eventful! He had so many "firsts".
First time being held by Uncle Taylor...

 First time being held by "the skipper" : )

 First visit to the doctor...

 First time being worn by daddy in the baby ergo...

 First time to smile and catch it on camera...

 First bath time...did not like it one bit...screamed the ENTIRE time.

 First time going to church...also his dedication Sunday.

Cormac's Birth Story

*Disclaimer* This post is extremely long. It is mostly for my memories : )

It all started on the morning of Friday, May 10th when we went for a checkup at the doctor. We had been hoping that Dr. Finkle would say, "congrats...you are in labor and need to go to the hospital right now!" Unfortunately she did not say that. She did however tell us that she would be surprised if we didn't have a baby before the weekend was over. She also told us that she could do a little procedure that could induce labor that night. We decided to let her do the procedure  and left the office excited that we would probably be seeing her again later that night! We did also decide to induce Monday morning if Cormac had yet to make his big debut...

As soon as we left we called both sets of grandparents and told them they should head up to Kansas City because we would most likely be meeting our  little guy very soon. Chris and I rushed home and started cleaning and doing some laundry. We also called Dick to come pick up Bear for the doggie farm. Within a few hours we had everything taken care of and were ready to head to the hospital at any minute. We decided it might be our last good meal for a few days so we went to Red Robin and had some amazing burgers. We also hit up Costco for a few things. It's pretty funny the looks you get when you are a gigantic pregnant lady due at any minute.

The day progressed into the evening and we were still waiting for any signs of labor. I was having a few contractions (mostly in my back) but nothing consistent. Finally it came bedtime, so we reluctantly climbed into bed just sure we would be waking up soon in labor. Well, we both woke up on Saturday morning no closer to our baby. We did however now have both of our families in town. We went for lunch at the Bass Pro seafood restaurant and did some walking around the path there...trying to walk the baby out. On Saturday night we all had dinner in our apartment together. Everyone said good night with the hopes that once again we would wake in the night and head to the hospital.

Sunday was Mother's Day and we still had no baby. We went to church and had Mexican food for lunch. I ate spicy salsa and did more walking around with Jenny and Dianna that afternoon. We went down to Summit Fair for some shopping. And once again the day passed with no signs of active labor. That night was hard to sleep knowing that we were going in to induce the next morning. I was filled with excitement, anxiety and some fear. Mostly excited to finally meet our sweet son and fear of the unknown.

We woke up at 5:15 and started getting ready to go. Chris took one final picture of my big baby belly...

and off we went! When we got to the hospital I got to put on the lovely hospital gown and get all hooked up to all sort of monitors and my i.v. We turned on the Today Show (my fav) and I remember thinking how strange it was to be doing something to trivial when in just a matter of hours we would be meeting our son.  We also met our WONDERFUL nurse Melissa. She will forever be in our hearts.

As the day progressed they started me on pitocin and around noon Dr. Finkle came and broke my water. Everyone kept saying how great my labor was going. I was definitely having contractions but they still felt manageable to me. Finally around 2pm and 8 cm...I was ready for my epidural. A very nice anesthesiologist came and put it in. I was a little worried about this hurting but it was fine! All throughout the day our families came and checked on us.  We also recieved many encouraging text messages from our  sweet friends. Finally around 4pm, Melissa said I was at 10 cm and that it was time to start pushing. Dr. Finkle finished up her office visits and came straight over to the hospital. After such an easy labor, I had in my mind that this would be a piece of cake! Ha! Little did I know, I was in for the workout of a lifetime. Right before I started pushing we asked Dr.Finkle what her guess was for Cormac's weight...she guessed somewhere around 6lbs. I told her my guess...9lbs 7oz. She said that if he was that big she would retire...hmm  : )

After 2 hours of pushing we finally met Cormac. Our sweet nurse Melissa was so helpful during those long two hours. For a lot of the pushing she held one end of a towel while I held the other and we did "tug of war" to help me push. My arms were sore for days!  He had a rough time getting out due to his size, 9lbs 15 oz, and because his shoulder got stuck. Dr. Finkle wasn't sure if I was pushing correctly and had my epidural turned off but he wasn't coming because he was stuck. Ouch! I remember thinking to myself, "why does this hurt so much??!!" No one told me they were turning off the epidural...sneaky!

 

I was only able to hold him for a few short minutes before I had to be taken back to the operating room. I was losing too much blood and Dr. Finkle needed to get me taken care of. That whole process was somewhat of a blur as they put me back on my epidural and gave me more drugs so she could do surgery. Finally around 8pm, I was all sewed up and was able to go back to my room and really meet sweet Cormac. Chris, such a good daddy, did "skin to skin" with him since I wasn't able to. 

 

 Later that night, one of the nurses came in and gave Cormac his first bath. He screamed bloody murder the whole time, but smelled so good when it was over! It was quite a long night for everyone but we were so glad he was finally here. 

Here are a few more pictures of those first few days...

Getting weighed right  after birth

 Getting checked out by the peditrician. He said, "Congratulations...you gave birth to a 3 month old!" haha He also said that Cormac was "perfect".

 Headed home!!

 

Chris was such a good daddy driving home. I asked him what he was thinking (wish I would have gotten this on video) and he said, "I just wish all these other drivers weren't on the road!"