Smiles and other stuff

Well, now I know why people hire a nanny to live in with them. My mom (Gramma Marilyn) just left after a week of nighttime feedings, wonderful meals, and great company. The support was amazing and I was very sad to see her go :( Plus, she's just fun to be around! It was great timing, then, that Payton chose that week to start smiling! Believe it or not, his smiles come when I change his diaper and pull the string on his stuffed elephant (it plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). I posted some pics of his grins as well as one of my mom kissing her grandson, and Winston kissing his brother (which he does all the time!).

Overall, things are going good. P-dog is going for longer stretches of sleeping at night hwich is great. I long for the day he sleeps 8 hours! 1 more month of maternity leave and then it's back to work which should be interesting!

We might go to Seattle this week so I'm hoping I can post some pics my sis takes of Payton next (they will be 10X better than anything I can post).

First outing at the beach!

This weekend we went to Salt Creek for our first outing as a family. The weather was great and after an hour, we were finally out the door. I think I'm getting better at figuring out what to bring for the dog, the baby, Ryan, and me. It's definitely worth the effort when you are sitting on the sand getting some much needed fresh air and away from the laundry, dishes, bills, etc.

Winnie LOVED the sand and playing with his Dad. Payton sat under an umbrella and was very taken by the sound of the crashing waves. He did great and I can't wait until he's old enough to swim in the water and uncover rocks to look at the crabs and other fun stuff in the tide pools.

This week Gramma (my mom) is here and she did 3 night shifts for me so I could sleep. I slept more last night than I have in MONTHS! It's great to have her here and Payton sure loves his Grammy. OH! And Payton officially smiled at me today. Now I just have to capture it on camera....stay tuned!

Mother's Day Weekend

Well, I have to say it was weird to be celebrated on Mother's Day! I called my Mom to wish her a happy day and she said Happy Mother's Day to me! That was quite surreal, but awesome as well. I was hoping Payton would smile for me as my gift but not yet! I am still holding out with my camera in hand. I promise to upload a pic when he does!

Payton's Aunties were in town this weekend and they got to spend a lot of quality time with him. Ryan and I actually go to go on a date on Saturday night (sushi and the Wizard of Oz!). It was fun and I only called to check on Payton once throughout the night so I think that's pretty good. We had to give him formula that night because he's a hungry little monster and outeating what I can produce (is outeating a word? it is now!). Aunt Shanny was so funny with him. She didn't want to let him go :) I can't wait until he gets older and starts interacting with everyone and talking. I'm sure he'll come up with some fun nicknames for everyone in the family.

Payton was dedicated to our church on Sunday. The whole family came out and stood up front with us. It was really special and I was so proud of Payton. He didn't cry and had the sweetest look on his face when Pastor Dennis held him and prayed for him. We are so excited to have found our church and raise him up in such a loving environment.

Hoping for smiles this week! :)

A great weekend in Seattle!

We just returned from a wonderful weekend in Seattle and Payton's first road trip :) It was definitely a new experience to pack for a family...Ryan and me, the dog, and the baby, but it was well worth it. Gramma and Grampa Wilson got to spend a lot of quality time holding their Grandson (especially when he was crying as mom was nowhere to be seen..ha ha). Winston spent his weekend terrorizing his Aunties (the Bassett Hounds, Margie and Morning). Uncle Jim got to meet his nephew as well! Check out the pic of Gramma with Payton looking at her...she was sooo helpful! Nothing like having Mom, who I have MUCH RESPECT for, to help out.

We also spent some quality time with our great friends at Matt and Darcy's pad. Payton did great until about 8 pm when he got quite fussy. It was sooo nice to see everyone and I got to drink a beer! I've been craving a fizzy beer for months. Yum. I included a fun pic of my girls and a great one of Paige with Payton. Love you guys!

Payton also met his Auntie Elma on Sunday and his Auntie Shane on Monday :) All in all it was a GREAT trip and we can't wait to come back soon. Sequim is where we are planted but the City does have a lot to offer...like TARGET!

As for news on Payton, I think we had a breakthrough or perhaps a 'duh' moment that we figured out. He's not getting enough to eat! My lactation specialist kept saying that he needed 60 CCs of milk (2 ounces) but he was always so fussy after an hour of breastfeeding so we fed him as much as he could drink last night (about 80 CCs) and EUREKA, he fell right asleep with a little smile on his face. He still woke up every 2 hours last night and I continued to feed him extra, and then he'd go right back to bed. AND, he slept all nigth in his cradle for the first time. This is very encouraging to me and I know he's just going to keep gaining weight. Of course, I will track his progress here!

Well, that's it for now. Happy Tuesday!
Shannon