A Wedding Whirlwind

The last few weeks have been a crazy whirlwind, filled with sickness, then family, then a wedding, and finally more socializing.  Needless to say, we've really been out of our regular routine, but we're starting to get back on track.  It's taken me quite a bit longer to kick this cold, but I think it's finally left my system (no thanks to a week of antibiotics, even).  Colin had it for a few days off and on as well, but he seems to be back to his healthy self.  He went almost another entire week without a poop, but prunes seemed to do the trick!  We had so much fun visiting with Brad, Lindsey, Amelia, Bishop, and Clive.  Bishop was especially excited to meet his new baby cousin, and it was so sweet to watch how he hugged, kissed, and gazed at Colin.  Jim and Sarah also came to town, and stayed with us, which was a lot of fun.  We all had fun getting to know each other better, and are already looking forward to a future visit to CA :)  Dad and Mary arrived last Friday to babysit Colin during all the wedding festivities, and even brought Colin to the church so he could be in a few family photos after the ceremony.  I had so much fun being a part of Ginna and Blake's special day.  We were pampered with hair and makeup, and even had matching outfits to wear while getting ready for the big event.  Ginna looked absolutely stunning, and I've never seen her happier!  She was beaming from ear to ear, and was truly so excited to walk down the aisle and marry the love of her life.  I really enjoyed spending time with all the out of town family and friends, and a good time was had by all.  John and Kimmie really outdid themselves with this gorgeous wedding, followed by dinners and cocktails at their house on Sunday and Monday, honoring the new couple and the Memorial Day holiday.  We've had so much fun over the last few days, but it feels really good to be back home and enjoying a familiar schedule.  Colin had a hard time adjusting, especially when it came to sleeping.  He's getting back on track now, and doing a better job of falling asleep on his own.  I'm also doing a better job of allowing him to figure it out without my help!  It's hard at times to listen to him cry in his crib, but I know in the long run this will help him when he realizes he can do it on his own.  I know babies thrive on a familiar routine and schedule, but I think this is definitely a trait that Colin inherited from me!  And now we can finally relax :)

 Here are a few photos of all the fun!

 

 

 

 

 

A Big Month!

Today Colin is 5 months old...and this past month has been filled with lots of milestones!  Colin is now trying some solid foods.  He started with rice cereal for about 2 weeks, but we discovered that it was causing some constipation, so we switched to pears - which he loved!  And boy oh boy, did they do the trick...we had quite a blowout last week that required a mid-day bath :)  So now that Colin is a bit more "regular," we added in some apples, which have proved to be another favorite.  It still takes a bit of convincing to get him to sit strapped into his high chair and to wear his bib.  I think if he had it his way, he'd rather just have food all over his face and clothes!  He's definitely got the hang of eating from a spoon now, and opens wide when he sees it coming.  We're excited to try out some other foods soon...I think we might go with sweet potatoes next! 

Colin is also "swaddle-free" for naps and bedtime!  He still wears his sleep sack in lieu of a blanket in his crib, but we fold the swaddle flaps around his torso.  He likes having his arms free, and will often scratch the bumpers with his nails (always with his left hand!).  Sometimes his busy fingers pull out his pacifier, but he's learning to get it back in his mouth - even if it's upside down :)  Colin has also discovered his feet recently, and always grabs his foot (again, left foot with left hand) while on the changing table.  It's like a new toy to play with!  We're also amazed when watching him play in his activity bouncer.  His feet can now touch the floor, and his tummy muscles are strong enough that he can lean forward to get to each object, and even pushes himself up into a standing position!  It's so cool to watch him interact with all the toys.  He pushes the buttons to play the songs, spins the rattle, and grabs the hanging animals with both hands.  His hand-eye coordination has developed so quickly in the past few weeks.  It's incredible to witness such growth right before our eyes. 

We also had our first family sickness.  It started with Marshall last weekend, and he was religious about taking his medicine around the clock, so he was able to kick it early.  I got it next, and it hit me pretty hard.  It was especially difficult to take care of a baby when I was feeling so run-down, and even harder to get him to sleep when I was hacking up a lung and my nose was dripping on his head!  We did the best we could to keep Colin shielded from it, but alas, the sniffles he did get.  Our poor baby was up most of that first night, just too stuffy-headed to sleep.  He ran a bit of a fever, got some infant Tylenol, and was soon feeling much better.  Neither he nor I are 100% yet, but luckily we're on the mend. 

Colin now weighs over 14 pounds, and is 25 inches long!  He's getting so big!!!  Here's the latest chalkboard wall photo.  Enjoy!

My 1st Mother's Day!

This past Sunday, we were invited to celebrate my very first Mother's Day in a special way.  Marshall's sister Ginna and her fiance Blake belong to a boat club on Lake Norman near where they have just moved.  They invited us along with Marshall's parents for brunch on the boat, including donuts, fruit, and champagne!  It was delightful.  The weather was perfect, and we all really enjoyed this outing.  We even dressed the part - all matching in red, navy, and blue nautical wear :)  Colin loved being on the boat and cruising around the lake.  There was a covered area for him to nap, but he was just too entranced with the new sights and sounds around him to sleep.  Marshall (and Colin!) gave me a beautiful necklace from Tiffanys - a sterling silver medallion made of tiny hearts.  It will always remind me of this special day, but my greatest gift ever is our little bundle of joy.  I love being a mother more than I could ever have imagined.  I'm so glad that my dream has finally come true, and I'm looking forward to many more special Mother's Days! 

Here's a cute family pic to commemorate the day!

Aunt Rose Visits

We had a very special guest yesterday...my Great Aunt Rose (and Colin's Great Great Aunt Rose)!  Aunt Rose is one of the most important people in my life.  Many of my wonderful childhood memories are attributed to this amazing woman.  We reminisced during our visit about the toys we used to play with together (my favorites were the Russian stacking dolls and ceramic zoo animals), and the books we loved to read over and over.  I cherished our walks together, and how she taught me to tap out songs with my finger on the piano.  In a previous blog, I wrote about a special book she gave me called "My Favorite Things."  This book sits on Colin's shelf and I read it to him often, so he can enjoy it - and eventually memorize it - as I once did.  It was so nice to be able to spend the day with Aunt Rose, and she loved playing with Colin and seeing our house.  I'm hoping we'll be able to get down to Florida soon so Colin can meet the rest of the Mackey clan!  Thank you for coming to visit us, Aunt Rose...we love you very much!!!

Meeting Uncle Drew and Aunt Rachel

Last weekend, Colin got to meet his Uncle Drew and Aunt Rachel!  They were so excited to see him and our new house, and Colin absolutely adored them...especially Uncle Drew, who could easily make him laugh at any moment!  Aunt Rachel was a total natural, and she had really missed her time around little ones.  We had a great visit with them.  Mom and Dave were also in town for the weekend as a stop on their journey to Delaware.  They stayed for 2 more nights on their way back down and left for home this morning.  We always love our visits with family! 

Colin had his 4 month doctor's appointment last week as well.  He weighed in at 13 lbs, 3 oz, and was 25 inches long!  He had a great checkup, and is meeting all the expected developmental milestones at this point.  He also did an amazing job with his vaccines...I didn't even realize they had given him the first shot (I was too busy trying to distract him with his GloWorm!).  The second shot was more painful, but Colin recovered quickly.  And THIS TIME I was ready with the infant Tylenol, which I gave him as soon as we got home and every 4 hours for the rest of the day.  He was certainly in much better spirits than the last time he had his shots!

Dr. Morris gave us the go-ahead to try out rice cereal, so Colin is now eating his first solid food!  It's taken a few tries for him to understand how to eat from a spoon, but I think we've (both Colin and Mommy!) got that hang of it now!  Nani Lynne bought him a few jars of baby food at the grocery store, so we're eager to try out apples, bananas, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes.  Once I know what he likes, I'll even attempt to make my own baby food.  Right now, we're just having fun making a mess in the high chair :)

Here are some photos of Colin's visit with Uncle Drew and Aunt Rachel:

 

...and with Nani Lynne and Pop Pop Dave:

 

...and eating rice cereal for the first time!