4 months old

I don't know how it is possible, but Conor turned 4 months old on Wednesday. In some ways, it seems like he's been part of our family for as long as our family has existed, but it also feels like he was just born. He continually proves to be a very happy baby (unless Eric is holding him when he's hungry; when that happens, take cover!!) and has a laid-back personality. Conor seems to interact with his surroundings more and more each day. He has taken to playing in our exersaucer (thanks for the hand-me-down, Troy & Staci!) and loves to laugh at the silly things his big sister does to entertain him. He can roll over (both directions), but tends to push himself around in a circle more than anything when on the floor.

On Wednesday, Conor had a routine checkup and was given a clean bill of health by his doctor; she was very happy to see how well he's growing (14 lbs, 8.5 oz) and that he's reached the milestones for his age (rolling over, grabbing at things, cooing, etc.). Of course, it does a mother proud to hear that her kids are doing what they should when they should! She did refer him to Children's Hospital, though, to see if they can do anything to help his acid reflux/barfing issue. It definitely would be nice to get that under control, but even if they do, I doubt we'll stop calling him "barfy boy" and singing the barfy boy theme song! It is just such a catchy tune. :)

I love this picture

Doughnut Muffins

Once again, Ree posted a recipe I couldn't resist trying and I am SOOO glad I did! These little muffins are a snap to make and turn out beautifully! Eric and I quickly gave them our thumbs up last night. The cinnamon sugar topping makes these babies beyond delicious. (OK, the butter doesn't hurt, either!)

This morning, I gave one to Annika. As I handed it to her, I said, "See what Mommy made last night? Would you like one?" While eying the baked goodness in her hands, she replied, "Ohhh! You made this? All by yourself?" She then proceeded to lick the cinnamon sugar off of the muffin, tell me that the muffin was then broken, and request a new muffin. That's my girl!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/muffins-that-taste-like-doughnuts/

I made some regular-sized muffins and then made mini muffins with the remaining batter. The mini muffins are a perfect one-bite sample of Heaven!

Conor's first art project

The kids' day care has a website that enables parents to log on and view pictures of their kids and keep up on school/classroom activities. Two days ago, Conor came home with a few blue paint splotches on his shirt. It was the result of his first art project. The infants got to paint on braille paper. Apparently, Conor had a rip-roaring good time. His teacher's comments are next to his picture below.

Not the easiest day

This morning started of waaaay too early for my liking. Conor woke up at 3:20 in a great mood and ready to start his day. His mama, on the other hand, would have preferred to sleep until the alarm clock went off at 5:00. Oh well, we don't always get what we want. A little before 4:00, Annika fell out of bed and scared the beejeezus out of herself. Eric and I both rushed to her (Eric from our room, me from upstairs where I'd been hanging out with Conor); she was fine, but definitely unhappy with the way things had played out. We got her back in bed; I knew I was up for the day. So, I logged on to work and got some stuff done. OK, I guess there's one advantage to being up before the rest of humanity - I got some work done in relative peace and quiet. Conor just sat on my lap and cooed or hung out on my shoulder while chewing on my shirt as I typed away. It was actually quite pleasant.

On an up note to our morning, Conor showed the he now can roll from his back to his tummy. Such a big boy!

Rockin' and Rollin'

OK, not so much rockin', but we definitely have rollin'. Conor rolled over for the first time yesterday while hanging out with his day care buddies. His teacher said that Conor rolled from his tummy to his back. Way to go, big guy!!!!

Forget Sleepless in Seattle, We're Now Sweaty in Seattle

When I got in my car after work yesterday, the exterior temperature was 95 degrees. For those of us who are used to soggy Seattle that tends to hover around the 50s and 60s, 97 is REALLY FREAKING HOT!! Needless to say, we were all pretty darned overheated in our non-air conditioned house last night. Fortunately, our basement did offer some respite from the heat, but even our basement got a bit warm. Just when I thought we were miserably hot, I realized our poor pets are in the same heat, but were wearing really thick fur coats... poor guys! :(

As I ventured out during lunch today, the car informed me that it was only 87 degrees. Did I really write ONLY 87 degrees? Holy moly, my brain must be melting....

On an up note, we're looking forward to seeing some of our San Diego family members tonight. My brother-in-law, Randy, and our nephew, Robert, are currently en route from Sagle, ID to Seattle. Tomorrow, they'll continue on their road trip back to San Diego. Sorry guys, we don't believe in A/C here! It might be a bit warmer than you're used to. ;)

Pioneer Woman Strikes Again

Oh Ree, why must you post such amazingly tempting recipes??

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/blackberry-cheesecake/

Today's a new day

Yesterday was my first day back in the office. Thus, it was Conor's first day at day care. It was a rough day. My maternal instinct and my need to earn a pay check weren't exactly compatible yesterday. There were tears. Conor was fine. Annika was fine. Mommy was not so fine. It all boiled down to I didn't want to leave my baby.

I called the day care at 10 and hoped to hear, "he's doing great!" I didn't. I heard that he wouldn't take a bottle. I also heard him screaming ... from the next room. It broke my heart and my will to earn a pay check. Every ounce of my being wanted to be right there with him to fix the problem. It was time to check my resolve... which was pretty pathetic, if I do say so myself. At noon, I grabbed my keys and purse and headed over to the day care. I laughed when I walked into his classroom and saw his teacher standing in front of the sink with Conor; she was waiting for him to barf because he'd already proven himself as a gold medal barfer. That's our boy!! I swooped him up and fed him ... ahhh! We were both relieved. After eating lunch, Conor fell asleep in my arms; I was one happy mama at that point.

Our sweet lamb was so tired from his first day at "school", that he slept from 6 PM until 1 AM. He completely skipped his 9 PM feeding. We were up again a little before 5 for another feeding and for me to start my early morning work shift.

Glad we're looking at a 4-day weekend. It'll be wonderful to be with the kids all day for a few days straight. Counting down!!