Table Manners

Rowan's new favorite toy is his spoon. I think he likes biting on the cool metal while he's teething. We plan on giving him a little solid food next week. Maybe we'll let him try his hand at feeding himself (the mess will make for such cute pictures:).

Gimme Gimme!

Rowan now fusses if you take a toy away from him (or if he drops a toy from his feeding chair). It's actually kind of cute right now (give us a couple weeks...). I'm not sure what kind of developmental milestone this signifies, but it's definitely a change!

Bath Time!

Rowan just loves bath time! He's quite the expert splasher, often sending water flying out onto the bathroom floor. He has absolutely no fear of the water, which makes holding on to him rather tough (he'd dive right under the water if I let him!).

Me and My Little Buddy

Teething Time

Rowan started cutting his first tooth this past weekend! You can see the red area with the whitish spot in photo. Today, we could actually feel the sharp little tooth poking through. Luckily, he hasn't been too fussy during the process.

Up North

Rowan had his first weekend visit to the cabin this past weekend. Unfortunately, I neglected to take pictures of the cabin itself (it's gorgeous!!). I promise to take some next time and post them. Kyle took Rowan on a little hike around the association. He had fun looking around for awhile and then he fell right asleep!

He slept really well at the cabin (we think he's going through his six-month growth spurt) and had lots of fun playing with everyone. He also started to cut his first tooth while we were there (see teething post). We'll have many more fun days to come at the cabin this summer!

Babble On

Just a quick note to let you know that Rowan can make new noises!! Of course, he's been making noises for a long time, but just last night he added some new ones (I'm constantly amazed by how suddenly he can change!). Kyle and I looked at each other in astonishment when Rowan made a noise that sounded like elbaheeoh (kind of like albino, actually:). Now today he's been going mmmbaaa baa baa and nnnnnngaaa gaaaa. Cool, eh?

We're spending the weekend up at the cabin (our first time there since it was just framed in). I'm so excited to see it! We'll get to see how Rowan does for a whole weekend away from the usual routine of home.

My Sweetie

Getting Ready to Crawl

Rowan is getting better and better at scooting. Now, he can lift his whole lower body off the ground and push himself forward!

His positions are becoming more "crawl like" every day.

Now, we just have to install that gate for our stairs! He might not crawl for awhile, but we better be prepared.

Ready for the Cabin!

Grandma Michelle bought Rowan a little fishing hat for his summer fun up at the cabin. So cute!!

A Day Out With Mom and Heidi

Last week, Heidi and I took Rowan to Sambol, an Indian restaurant in Eagan. We brought along his little feeding chair and he played with toys happily through our lunch.

After lunch, we went to Barnes and Noble. Rowan fell asleep on Heidi's lap while she read magazines. It was so cute I had to take a picture before venturing off to look at the parenting books.

When I came back, Heidi was asleep too!! That first trimester will get ya!

Five Months!

Sorry for posting this a week late! Rowan had his five-month birthday on March 12. His favorite activities now are rolling (front to back, back to front, ALL THE TIME!). He also loves to double roll, which helps him actually move across the floor. He can do a full push up and even get his whole lower body off the ground. He's getting better at sitting every day and loves to play in his little feeding chair (which we've also brought along to restaurants -- it works great!). He squeels and blows bubbles with his drool.

He had his third doctor appointment recently. He weighs 15 pounds and measures 26.75 inches long. He's in the 35th percentile for weight and the 90th for height (long, lean and very healthy, his pediatrician says). Because he's so long and lean, we have the hardest time finding clothes that fit well. He's too long for his 3-6 month clothes, but too thin for his 6-9 month clothes. Grandma Michelle recently discovered some good finds at Gymboree, though (they have great pants that fit!). And when she told the saleswoman that she has another grandbaby on the way, the saleswoman hooked her up with a Gymboree card and told her about all the upcoming sales (I bet grandmas are their easiest sales:).

Muscle Man

Rowan can almost push himself all the way up on his knees. He can get his entire lower body off the ground! He's getting more and more moble every day (with rolling and twisting and a little scooting). I'm getting scared!

Baby Attack!

Rowan loves to grab my hair and dive into my neck for "kisses." We affectionately refer to these episodes as "baby attacks!"

Play and Rest

Rowan was playing with his head resting on one of his fuzzy dice (so I, of course, broke out the camera). Then, actually put his head down to rest for about 15 seconds. So funny!

Trying a Cup

I've tried giving Rowan a little expressed breastmilk in a cup a couple of times over the past week. I can't keep the valve in (the thing that makes it spill-proof) because he hasn't learned that, when it's in, he needs to suck on the spout to get the milk out. So, it's a bit messy. But he did drink a little (with a lot of help from mom -- he can't handle the cup alone without a total milk mess). We'll keep practicing. He now knows that the milk comes out of the spout, so that's a start!

New Car Seat

We installed Rowan's convertable car seat last weekend. He's been a little too tall for the infant carrier for a couple of weeks now. He likes not being so cooped up. Now when he falls asleep in the car, however, we have to wake him up to get him out of the seat. Gone are the days when we could just carry his little seat with us wherever we went.

Because it can get pretty bright in the car, we tried some infant sunglasses on Rowan. He wasn't really impressed. At first, he refused to open his eyes. I think he might get used to them with some practice, but we might just get our back windows tinted instead!

Cutie Pie

Sitting in My High Chair

We put together Rowan's little feeding chair this past weekend. He won't start solids yet for another month, but he loves to play in the chair! He's learning all about the drop it, pick it up game.

Sweet Faces

Beautiful Day!

Kyle came home a little early from work so that we could take advantage of the beautiful weather with a family walk outside (Rowan's first since last fall). Rowan had a great time looking at all of the kids and the dogs and the trees. His cheeks looked nice and rosy when returned home and he had that great, "I've been having fun outside in the fresh air," smell.

Sitting Stronger Every Day

Although he still needs the boppy to catch some sideways falls, Rowan is becoming a really good sitter. His balance gets better every day. One of his favorite games now is playing "catch" with his soft dice (it's really more a game of him dropping the dice and me giving it back to him, but catch sounds so much more fun).

Uh...Mom...This Shirt Is Too Small!

What can I say?...time to do laundry. Three-quarter length sleeves are "in" for spring, right?

Silly and Salivating

Why talk when you can just blow spit bubbles all day? Rowan just loves to stick out his tongue and make wet razzing noises with his drool. He started doing it a few weeks ago, but it has suddenly eclipsed all other forms of communication. Get too close to him and you're sure to get sprayed!

Hey Ladies

I'm cute. I'm cuddly. And I only drool a little when I kiss.

Check me out!

Rowan can sit...

...but only for a bit. Take your hands off of him for a few seconds and he'll go tumbling over! But he can hold him self up on his arms for short amounts of time. I feel like his changes are coming so fast in the last few weeks!

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's...

...just Rowan, flying away on his tummy. I love the drool trail leading from his lip to the blanket!

Fun With Dishes!

Rowan has so much fun playing on his tummy! Anything can become an exciting toy, even some basic plastic bowls. He pulls them in, pushes them away, brings them to his mouth and even squirms to get closer to them when they're out of reach.

Flashbacks

Heidi and I after Rowan's birth

Heidi Sue announced to everyone that she's pregnant today, and I'm getting all sappy about how fast things change (I am my mother's daughter, after all). It's hard to believe that just last year I was in her shoes, excitedly and anxiously telling everyone I was going to be a mommy. At the time, I don't think I had any idea how much my life would change. In fact, it's been hard for me to even remember what life was like before Rowan came along (although my gradually decreasing waistline is helping with that a bit:).

Seeing Heidi start out on her own adventure is bringing back a lot of memories. Heidi was, of course, the first person in my family that I told about my pregnancy (I'm pretty sure she would have killed me had that not been the case). I remember waiting anxiously at the airport for Heidi and Corey to arrive back from their honeymoon. Heidi saw me and immediately knew something was up!! Once she knew, it was all she could do to keep the big news a secret (she's not very good with secrets). She kept asking, "Aren't you so impressed that I haven't told anyone?! I haven't even told someone and made them promise to pretend that they don't know!"

As the weeks went on, she became my personal health advisor. I tend to stress out and over-analyze things, so I need a level-headed person to keep me steady ("Heidi, I feel a little pain in my rib cage, do you think I could have pregnancy-induced gall bladder disease? I read about it on the Internet and, apparently, it's more common than you'd think.")

And don't forget about the clothes. She had Rowan decked out for his first three months before I had even purchased my first maternity outfit! She brought me little presents on what I soon termed "morbid milestones." She showed up at twelve weeks with a present because my risk of miscarriage dropped significantly. Then there was another present during the first week my baby would have a chance of surviving outside the womb. I had to keep reminding myself that she's a labor and delivery nurse, not a greeting-card writer.

Then when it came time for the big event -- birth! -- Heidi was with me every step along the way. She helped me believe that if I trusted in my body and my baby, I could get through labor without medications or interventions. Kyle and I have said many times that we would never have been as calm and confident without Heidi guiding us through the process.

After Rowan was born, I never saw someone so excited to be an auntie! She even loved changing Rowan's diapers! We still affectionately refer to her as "Heidi diapy change" because she leaps at the chance to clean his little bum to this day. And Rowan loooooovvves her! His face lights up completely when she sings "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." He giggles wildly when she bounces him in front of a mirror, making goofy noises and faces. And he falls asleep so easily in her arms when she sways back and forth to a lullaby.

She's been there -- supporting us and loving us -- through it all. She hugged me when I started crying after trying on a pair of pants just four weeks after giving birth (why she let me shop for pants that early is another matter entirely). She came over early in the morning on her way home from working a night shift to be with Rowan so that I could sleep in a little. She brought us food and diapers and anything else we needed, but were too busy or exhausted to get for ourselves in those early weeks.

She was, and is, everything an amazing sister should be, and I only hope that I can be as good to her in the months ahead as she has been to me.

I love you Heidi! You will be an awesome mother! You have soooooooo many wonderful things ahead of you!! I can't wait to support you every step along the way.

Rowan, brand new, in Heidi's arms

They're Pregnant!

Yay! Rowan will have a little buddy cousin in October (the best month to be born, right?). We can't wait!!

So Fun!

Rowan is becoming more and more fun every day. Although he still loves to be held much of the time, he also enjoys playing independently. Kyle and I watched him inch-worm his way across a blanket the other day to get to a toy! He also enjoys tummy time more and more now that he can "fly" (balance on his tummy with his hands off the floor), bring toys to his mouth and twist and roll.

Cute Hat!