Happy Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

to a guy who is....

lovable...

huggable...

kissable...

squeezable...

wonderful.

To my husband... Austin Robert Hines.

Here he is folks... let's hope Denver grows up to be half this cute.

Laughter

Yes, this is 45 seconds of my son and I laughing.

Yes, I snort a few times.

I don't really expect you to watch this unless you are a grandparent or a doting aunt.

Enjoy!

Seasons

About a year ago, when I was still newly pregnant with Denver, I remember thinking, "I can't wait until I get a baby bump. Then everyone will know I'm pregnant, and I'll feel justified for having all these crummy feelings." A few short months later, I got what I asked for:

At about that time, I thought, "I can't wait until this baby is born. My feet and back ache, my belly itches, and I'd like to enjoy a glass of wine over dinner with my husband."

Then Denver was born.

I had a beautiful son, and I quickly began to think, "I can't wait until this child sleeps through the night. I can't wait until my body gets used to breastfeeeding...this hurts! I can't wait until my body recovers from birth so that I can exercise again."

Well, I got all those wishes.

And now I admit that I'm thinking, "I can't wait until Denver gets through this spit-up phase... I am constantly covered in spit-up. I can't wait until he's old enough to take a sippy-cup, because he WON'T take a bottle, so I give him EVERY feeding, which greatly limits my freedom."

Then I hear a quiet voice whisper, "Caitlin, cherish these moments. You won't always be covered in spit-up. You won't always nurse your son every time he's hungry. This is a season, just like pregnancy was a season, just like having a newborn was a season."

So tonight, when Denver starts crying for his mommy to hold him (because he has gotten quite picky about who is holding him past 8pm), I will choose to cherish that time with my son. I will choose joy in this season because I know that this is just a short season, and before I know it, my sweet boy will be in another season that brings its own challenges, but also its own tender moments. Like this one...

and this one...

Professor Grubbly-Plank

Yes, that's his newest nickname. And yes, he's still adorable.

What up gangsta?

reading the Bible

Bath time!

all clean

TOES...

...it's what's for dinner.

Baltic Amber Teething Necklace

We used a midwife instead of an OBGYN.

I gave birth in a bathtub.

Now I'm giving you another reason to think we're strange...

Our son is wearing a necklace.

Well, an amber teething necklace to be precise. This is not for him to chew on, but healing properties from the oils in the amber are released into the skin when worn around the neck, and it is supposed to help soothe the discomfort felt when teething. If you're interested, feel free to read more about it here. That is the site that we bought the necklace from.

I guess Denver is so "pretty" that he is often confused for a girl in public, so I'm not doing him any favors by making him wear jewelery. But I'd rather have a pretty boy who wears a necklace and sleeps soundly while teething than a screaming fussy macho man.

Anyway, I'll be keeping you updated on his teething journey and if this necklace really works or not.

Today is Day One. Let's hope for the best!

Four Months

Yesterday Denver had his four month checkup with his doctor. The Doc gave him an "A+" which was great news to us!

He is 26 1/2 inches long, which puts him in the 95th percentile for height. He weighs 16 pounds 2 ounces, which is the 90th percentile for weight.

In summary, we have a BIG, healthy baby boy.