What have I done, HELP!!

I thought Andrew was only going 2 hours between feedings at night because he was hungry but I've recently discovered that's not the case. He just does not like sleeping in his crib. Yesterday he consistently went 3 - 4 hours between feedings and slept like a champ. He naps great during the day if he's in the swing, the baby bjorne, or sleeping with me in my arms. Once I put him in his bed, 2 hours max. Now what do I do??? Anytime I try putting him in his crib to nap he sleeps maybe 30 minutes then he's up. I tried letting him cry it out the other day. He screamed for 18 minutes, fell asleep for 20, then was up screaming again. It's a vicious cycle. It's 5 am and he's in his swing because it has only been 1 1/2 hours since I fed him last, I'm not going to feed him again this soon but I can't stand listening to him cry when I'm so tired. I need some advice, PLEASE!!

Hallelujah! He loves the swing!

Not that I don't LOVE to hold my child but all day every day was getting a little tiresome. My house was a wreck, my butt was literally bruised from sitting with him, and honestly I was going a little crazy. The swing is heaven sent. He naps so well in it too. Between the swing and figuring out how to pump so Dan can help out with one of the night feedings, I'm feeling a whole lot better about life.

This is for all you Andrew lovers out there. And yes, I do take WAY too many pictures of this dude.

Dan's Happy 29th!

We celebrated Dan's 29th bday at the beginning of the month. His bday fell on Labor Day this year which made for a fun day. Dan is a very easy man to please. I got him his very own yoga mat, block, and strap (the only thing he asked for) and some workout DVD's (P90X, if you've ever heard of it). He was thrilled. He even let me take some pictures while he tested it out. Now that's a secure man and a strong Warrior 2.

Now.....Cobra!

Good job Dan, nice form.

Andrew's gift was being so cute and wearing this onesie. It says, "My dadda is #1". So true.

Later that afternoon we headed over to his parents house for a great swim party and BBQ with the family.

Such a mature 29 year old. Andrew had a nice relaxing time too. And our nephew Jake made sure no food went to waste. Yeah, his plate is the empty one across the table.
We topped it off with the most delicious chocolate chip bundt cake, if I do say so myself.
For all those who don't personally know Dan, I'm sorry for you. He's something special. We'll finish off this bday post with the top 10 reasons I LOVE this man.

10. Nothing is more important to him than our family.

9. He finds so much joy in living simply and makes a real effort to do so.

8. He's extremely kind and sensitive in a very masculine way, a very attractive quality.

7. He's a fantastic dad. Not only is he incredibly helpful with the boy but he literally jumps out of bed when I wake him up in the middle of the night to help. It's actually quite funny to watch .

6. If you need someone to help out, he's the one to call. He's always willing.

5. He knows how to pull up his sleeves and get to work and really enjoys the process. It's not uncommon for him to come home covered in dirt, dust, stain, saw dust, you name it.

4. He's incredibly positive and optimistic. His common phrase of "well, what's the worst that could happen" helps us put problems into perspective. They don't seem to be as big of a deal when you look at it that way.

3. He is very calm and logical. It's very mellowing for me (if that's a word).

2. He is the most amazing communicator. He can talk me down from a freak out like you wouldn't believe.

1. He makes me laugh every day.

Love you babe, happy 29th!

Our Chubby Child

Andrew had his 2nd appointment with the pediatrician on Friday. He weighed in at 9 lbs 11 oz! So basically in the last 14 days he has gained 22 ounces. He is starting to look so chubby to me now. Rolls EVERYWHERE!

Daddy's little helper

This little man LOVES his daddy and this dad just can't get enough of his boy. You think you love someone and then you see them as a dad. Wow, that takes it to a new level. I'm amazed at how natural Dan is with Andrew. I guess it can be attributed to the many nieces and nephews he has but he seems at such ease with this little guy. Dan is really good at figuring out ways to calm him down. He's continually informing me on new techniques. My favorite is this one...Too bad it's only dad's finger that gets this kind of reaction. I either have to feed him or go searching for the binky. I guess we both have our ways.
Evenings seem to be when Andrew gets a bit fussy and Dan has been a champ during those times. He takes the boy and lets me go take a bath. I've never really been a bath kind of girl but after having a baby, man that feels nice. What a good man.
Having Andrew in our home has now taken weekends to a whole new level. Instead of trying to be ultra productive I've mellowed out quite a bit and now can enjoy lazy Saturdays a whole lot more. Yesterday, we lied in bed with the boy until about 10am then made breakfast around 11:30am. I didn't get out of my PJs until about 3:30pm. Come to think of it, I don't think I stepped outside our house all day. I never would have been okay with that before. I would have felt like such a bum. But now I have a purpose to the laziness, holding and hanging out with my baby.

Dan doesn't mind this change one bit. He has always been somewhat annoyed with my need to get 'r' done on Saturdays. He's loving the fact that he can actually relax on his day off. Not to mention all the guilt-free TV he gets to watch throughout the week as long as he's holding the boy. Are you getting the idea that I'm a little crazy about time management? Well, I still am but I think I'm getting less extreme, which is a really good thing for everyone. I'm learning a thing or two from this man I married. Enjoy the moments, he does this well.

Family Photos

We sure like this kiddo.

Thanks Joc!

Grandma Judy

Andrew sure likes when Grandma Judy stops by to visit...

Drew-Bob, will it stick??

Thank you to Andrew's Uncle Sean for coming up with the nickname Drew-Bob (Andrew Robert). Could be fun, let's hope he doesn't turn out to be as hillbilly as it sounds.

I also got a kick out of this comparison of Drew-Bob and his cousin Tilly who happens to be 5 days older than him. For Tilly's sake I hope she grows into those frog legs before Andrew learns the rules to steamroller.
Andrew - Tilly
Tilly - Andrew