Group Projects

I would like to mention that I really dislike group projects. I tend to partner up with people who "are so excited and want to finish the project sooner rather than later!!". Can you guess what happens over the course of the project being due?

Luckily I have only had two group projects in the last few courses.

A Spoon and a Cup

These are two new things that were introduced into Bram's world this weekend. Bram got his first few sips of water from a sippy cup on Saturday. He wasn't quite sure what to do with the cup but has the hang of it today! He even grabs the handles to control the cup himself. Our hope is that by 6 months he will be able to drink his milk through the cup rather than have bottles (with assistance of course).

In a moment of desparation and sleep deprevation we decided to try feeding Bram some rice cereal. I was happy that we found a 100% organic whole grain variety and we gave it a try. It was a really fun and funny experience. Abram did not sleep any better with the 1/2 tablespoon of cereal he digested but we found out he really loves eating.

It is amazing at how fast time goes by. Right now Bram is sitting in a johnny jump up bouncing away holding his little stuffed frog (pictured in the last post). He is a funny guy!

Sweet Dreams

Bram loves to stand and try to move on his own (he is no where near this but he thinks he is!)

Bram trying to show me he is a big boy now and can sleep in his room alone!

Abram just went to sleep in his very own room. This is his first adventure sleeping overnight in his room. He has taken a few naps in there to get used to the environment. He really does like his room so I don't think he minds being in there...I am another story however. I was trying to wait until he slept longer stretches before we moved him over but I don't think that is ever going to happen and he is growing out of his bassinet. So, every couple hours I will be making the trek across the hallway to feed him. I am sure he will end up in his bassinet later in the evening but at least it's a step!

Date Night!

My mom is up visiting for a few days and wanted to watch Abram so Barry and I could have an evening out. It was our very first date night since he was born so we jumped at the opportunity! We tucked Bram into bed around 7:30 and left for sushi at Koyi in Minneapolis. Bram usually sleeps for about 3 to 4 hours on his first stretch so we were pretty sure we would be back before he even woke up. So, we ate some great sushi and then walked around downtown people watching for a while. We arrived back home around 10:30 thinking Abram would be starting to wake up for some milk. Turns out he just went to sleep about 20 minutes before...he woke up at 8:00 and stayed up the whole time we were gone! Apparently he knows it's party time when grandma's on duty!! But he was a good boy and he and grandma had fun playing. Barry and I also had a great night out. Although we did keep commenting on how it was strange to not have Abram with us.

Baby Well Check

Hmmm...I wonder what I am supposed to do with this?

Eat it? ...nope.

Ah ha! Read it!

Abram had his 4 month well check today. He is doing well! He weighed in at 13lb 3oz which is about the 25% so he is still a little peanut but is healthy and happy. He is now 25.5 inches tall which is 75%.

When you bring your child in for the well baby check they have you fill out a form that says "tell me about your child" with a block of space for free writing. I excitedly filled in all of Abram's feats knowing that he would be the most brilliant of 4 month olds the doctor has seen. I then flipped the paper over to check off the milestones they have preprinted for the months. Yep, everything I had written on the front was covered in the three and four month milestones on the back. So, he is right on track and I am like every mom in the world who thinks no one could be as advanced as her child. To be fair he did have 2 of the 5 month milestones down as well.

I have decided that I really like our doctor. She is very supportive and gives us the information we need. She is on board with our delayed vaccination schedule and told me about how she also cloth diapered her children back in the 80's.

My First Mother's Day

Today we celebrated my first Mother's Day. It was a good day even though I spent most of it in class. Barry and Abram started Mother's day yesterday evening since I had to be at class today. I came home to some pretty flowers and two homemade cards from the boys. I have had two wonderful dinners made for me and got to enjoy breakfast in bed before class today. Barry did a great job making me feel special!

Today is also the first Mother's day without my grandma. Periodically throughout the day I would think of memories of grandma. I know she would have loved Abram (especially because she loved Barry so much and Bram looks like a little Barry). I was also sad to think about my mom without a mother to celebrate with today.

To my mom, Thank you for being a wonderful mother and teaching me how to be a good mom to Abram!

The Baby

You can't really see it in the picture but we spent about 15 minutes today blowing the "spit bubbles" pictured above.

Just sitting up playing with my toys like a big boy!

It has come to my attention that I call Abram "the baby" or "baby" quite a lot. That really doesn't seem fair to him because he definitely has his own personality and is not just a baby.

Here are some of the things I have learned about my son:

-He loves when people are silly and will laugh out loud to silliness

-He will "talk" to you, especially after daycare when he is on the changing table. He expects empathy and understanding during these talks.

-He is active and alert to new things

-He is not a cuddler. I realized this when he was sick over the last two weeks. At one point he laid his head on my shoulder while I was holding him. It was then that I realized that he hasn't really ever done that. I cherished those two minutes with his head on my shoulder.

-He is STUBBORN. I think Barry and I could both win awards with our stubbornness so I don't know why Abram being stubborn was a surprise to me!

Abram amazes me every day with the new things that he learns. I am going to try very hard to help him develop his identity and stop using the generic term "baby".

Happy May Day

When I was little my mom and I would make May day baskets and fill them with candy to bring to our neighbors. May day baskets were given in secret so I would sneak up to the door, leave the basket on the doorstep, ring the bell, and run and hide so they wouldn't see me. I tend to forget about this memory until I realize that it is May day again and remember the tradition. I wonder if that is something I could start with my own children or if people would be too suspicious of a basket of candy anonymously left on their doorstep. I suppose it would depend on where I live...

It is also my nephew Caleb's birthday today! Happy 6th birthday Caleb!!!