A year in a post

So it's been a year. One wonderful year of not updating my blog, not reading anyone elses blog, not spending my day at a computer where those were the only thing that got me through parts of work. haha.
It's been one year (almost) since I started staying at home with Lincoln. It's been awesome. The first few months were really hard. I had a great next door neighbor who kept me busy and let me make friends with her friends. So from then on Lincoln and I have had play group dates, library time, pool dates, etc.
Now I could be amazing and pull out pictures from each and every event that took place over the year and add twenty new blog posts... or I could make this easy on myself and just start fresh. Maybe a little cliff notes version of what we have been up to.

So here it goes...
Last August I decided to sign up for a half marathon in December 2012. I did it. I loved it. I signed up for a Marathon to be done in March 2013 (before linc turned one). I did it. I semi loved it. I didn't sign up for anything else. :)

Lincoln turned one. He is amazing. He is brilliant. He is my very best little buddy and we have so much fun together. Now going into month 17, tantrums have started. They crack me up for the most part, other times I just have to walk away before the steam pours out of my ears. But either way, he pretty much rocks our world still!

John is awesome. Doing great at his job and works so very hard for our family. Super proud of what he does and sacrifices to let me be home with Lincoln all day. He is even great and knows when I need to NOT be home with Lincoln and will take over so I can have girl nights. He rocks at being a Dad! Whenever Lincoln and I get home and John is there, lincoln will immediately start looking around to find his dad. Dad is #1 in this house!

We still live in Tucson. Love our house. Love our friends. Love our family! I'll work on being a better blogger. :)

Here are some family pictures we took back in February/March (can't remember...)

Fascination

Ever wonder when we stop  becoming so fascinated with everything around us?

Lincoln is constantly trying to study and figure things out. It is so entertaining to watch him look at a new toy or be in a new room because you can just see the little wheels in his head turning.

The other day I put him in his crib so I could go get his bath started. I walk in and he is playing with his crib bumper but in the most serious and contemplative way.

So fun to watch this boy grow up!

Story Time

My friend called me the other morning to come to our local library's Story Time. I figured even though Lincoln might be a bit too small for it, we could still use the excuse to leave the house.

Um, I was wrong. Lincoln LOVED it! He was mesmerized by all the other kids and when they started doing singing time, he got so excited. He even learned to master sitting up while we were there. We have been working on this new development for a long time now so I was really excited to see him stay up for most of the time.

1/2 Birthday

Guess who turned 6 months?

Can you even believe it? I can't. I really wonder why my life is on fast forward right now! Everything seems to go by in a flash these days.

He is developing such a funny personality. He is really easy going and overall just plain happy!

Here are his stats:

27.4 inches long (77%)

16 pounds (27%)

• He loves his food. Apples, bananas, squash, avocado, pees, and pears. Those are the foods he has had so far and loves each and every one. 
• He still fights his bottle. I am trying to introduce a sippy cup but that is still a work in progress.
• Talks all day long.
• Still a thumb sucker but tends to do it only when he getting sleepy.
• Loves Rebel. He will visually follow her where ever she goes.
• Rolls all over the place. He can't be left along for too long cause this kid will roll himself across the room in just a few seconds.
• Loves to be sung to. If he ever gets fussy, all I have to do is start singing. He will settle down pretty quickly. His favorite tune is "Give Said the Little Stream". 

Overall he is growing up far too quickly. Love my little munchkin so much!!

SAHM

It's official- I am a Stay At Home Mom.

It is a little strange to not wake up and think about what awaits me in terms of emails, student appointments, course evaluations, etc.

I will miss work and I already do. I miss my friends that I saw every day. I miss feeling validated in the projects I do and the work that I completed each day. It was nice to have a personal identity outside of wife and mom. But you know what, I have the rest of my life to work. I am sure that I will go back once my kids are older so for now, I am going to embrace it!

Now I wake up and think, what will lincoln and I get to do today. Having had the first 5 months of his life go by in a flash, I am excited to be with him and watch him grow up and learn new things. He is such an independent baby which makes getting things done around the house easy, but I want him to know that he has a mom and dad that just love to get on the floor and play with him. Give him some snuggles when he needs it and knows that we are around. Never thought that I would mind having a baby be ok on his own- it's good and all, but sometimes a little dependence is ok too!
Not to mention that my house can get some attention paid to it that has been lacking in the last 2 years. I mean, have you ever looked at your baseboards? What about the vents in each room? Gross.

Oh and I signed up for a half marathon. As I have posted before, running and I have a love/hate relationship. Right now, we hate each other. But slowly, we are working through our differences and will be best friends in a month or so.

Since I didn't post Lincoln's 5 month update, I will do so now (even though his 6 months is just a week away!):

• Sleeps through the night! Like, lay down to bed at 7:30 and doesn't make a peep until 7am. Most of the time when he wakes up he plays a little in his crib and falls back to sleep until 8:30 or 9am. SWEET!!
• Mr. Chatter. Talks up a storm and coo's all the time. Starting to get that wonderful belly laugh on a regular basis. When he is really excited about something he does a loud screech of delight. Most wonderful sound in the world.
• Hates the gym. I teach two classes right now, and when he comes, he screams like he is being tortured. By the time the hour is up, I go in there and his eyes are red, face is blotchy, and is doing the pitiful baby gasps for air between the sobs. :( Tough hour on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
• Started solid foods. Eats rice cereal mixed in with banana's, or avocado, or squash, or pee's. Squash and Avocado or his favorites.
• Is just as sweet as can be. He loves to cuddle, play, be sung to, etc. 

This little boy is such a lover. He is tricking me into thinking that having another baby wouldn't be so bad (another baby in a few years that is). Now if only I can forget about the 9 months that took him getting here, maybe the idea of adding another would be more appealing. :)

Life... could you slow down, please!

The last 72 hours of our life have been crazy. Lot's of changes going on in the Powell home.

Most importantly, Lincoln got his two bottom teeth in. Found out while I was Face Timing with my parents and Linc starting chewing on my hand. Didn't feel as gummy as it use to! Not only does my boy have TEETH now, but John just called and said he has officially rolled from his back to stomach. Whhhhaaaat? Where is my baby going in such a hurry? Can he please stay small for a little longer. I just can't believe it.

Happy 4 months

I can't believe my little linc is 4 months old. He is such a peach and I love love love him to pieces. Some of the fun things he is currently doing:

• Talking. Like crazy!! He will even wake up in the morning and just chat with himself for a while. Sometimes he falls back asleep and sometimes he makes sure to get loud enough for someone to come in and get him. And when you do, he greets you with the biggest smile and starts kicking around like you are the best thing since sliced bread.
• Rolls over! He started rolling over almost a month ago (3 months) and now is a common occurance. He is getting really close to rolling from him back to his tummy. Right now he just gets stuck on his side and flips back over.
• Laughs. He smiles and coo's all the time, but if you are special (which mommy usually is, right?) he will let out the sweetest little belly laugh. It is my favorite!
• Hates eating. Seriously, hates it. Couldn't nurse... even with help of multiple lactation consultants. At first he was better with a bottle, so I pumped for 4 months and gave it to him that way. Lately he is starting to hate his bottle. Regardless of the formula, breast milk, bottle type, etc. It's getting super frustrating. I am ready to start introducing cereal cause the sooner he is done with the bottle, the happier I will be. Even if I have baby food in my hair!
• Sleeps like a champ! He was taking three long naps during the day and sleeping from 7:30pm until I woke him at 5:30 (when I get up for work). But now, he moved to 2 decent naps and a short cat nap in the evening and goes to bed around 7:30 and sleeps until 7:00, 7:30, or sometimes later. Love it!
• Loves swimming. I take him swimming at my In-Law's house and he loves the water. I put him under for the first time last weekend and it shocked him a bit but he didn't cry! I hope he loves the water as much as his mom!
• Perfectly content to entertain himself. He can sit in his little bouncer seat or on his floor mat and just laugh and talk to himself. He is perfectly happy!

I can't believe how fast he is growing. I wish I could go back to myself in the first two months with him and just tell myself to stop stressing out and enjoy the time cause it's going by way too fast. I hope I don't have such a hard time with future (far. far. far. into the future) babies. I really struggled with lincoln in the beginning and it makes me sad that I was so focused on weight, nursing, schedules, etc., that I didn't really appreciate the time off I had with him. Good lesson to learn for the future!

That's what they are made for

Thumbs!! 

They are made for sucking, right? Well Lincoln seems to think so. I tried so hard to get him to take a Pacifier over the last few months. He took one for a little bit but mostly if you held it in. But now, no Pacifier. Only thumb, please! It is pretty convenient for when he goes to bed though. We lay him down and in goes his thumb and off to sleep he goes.
We have had to start letting him cry it out. It breaks my heart! I hate it! But I want a good sleeper who doesn't need us rocking him to sleep for thirty minutes each night. So we get out loves and cuddles in and then I lay him down and let him fuss. He won't fuss for long but it's still a heartbreaking thing to hear from our little munchkin!

P.S: Lincoln is three months now! I will do a little 3 month update soon.

P.S.S: I start teaching again tonight! I am super excited but nervous. I still have a lot of weight to loose (which is why I am excited to start teaching again) and it will be hard being in front of a large group when I feel this out of shape and uncomfortable in my own skin. But I know with a little hard work it will come off!

The Missing Linc

You know when people say that they can't remember what life was like before a baby? Well, I remember, but I wouldn't want to change having linc our life for anything!!

Overall, he is a very happy little guy. Hardly fusses unless he is hungry or tired. The mornings are my favorite time with him. I wake him up when I get up in the morning so we can have some time together before I go to work. I will lay him on a blanket in the living room and hear him talk to the fan and windows for 30 minutes or so while I am getting dressed! It's my favorite sound in the world. Even Rebel comes walking by just to check him out.

The past few days he has been more chatty than usual. I think he has found his voice... just after he found the fascinating world of HANDS!

I recorded this mornings little chat but can't get it uploaded for some reason. Hopefully I can figure it out and then you all can enjoy ;)