Let's Party!

Nicolaus' FirstBbirthady party was a success! It was just the right amount of people both for him and for mommy. The farm themed cake and cupcakes were a hit...especially with the birthday boy. Nicolaus loved it when everyone serenaded him with Happy Birthday and at first, of course, was more interested in the wrapping paper and balloons than any of the gifts. But he recieved some great presents with which he is already having loads of fun. Thank you family and friends for sharing this special day with us! We wish we could have spent more time visiting with everyone. Oh, and if you are wondering where John is...he was the one taking all the pictures!

"My First Haircut"

"Mommy and Daddy took me to a place with bright colored walls, cool music and strange looking chairs. I had been there before with Mommy, but this time I had to sit in the funny chair with Daddy and wear a long thing that covered my arms. Our cousin Tara came at me with sharp pointy things and started to cut my hair off! At first I didn't like it and we needed to take a break, but after both Mommy and Daddy got their hair cut Tara tried again and I was a big boy and let her finish. When we were done, I got a certificate and Mommy took my hair home in an envelope. Mommy and Daddy say I look like a big boy now...I'm just glad my hair doesn't tickle my ears any more!"

1 Year Old!

Happy Birthday to My Little Man!

* 21 lbs
* Now has 3 teeth
* Sleeps through the night consistently
* Enjoys his bedtime story
* Says Dog, Da-Da, Cat, Hat, That, Ball, Bath and moos like a cow
* Eats almost all regular food --no more baby food
* Drinks some milk and is down to 3 nursing sessions a day
* Loves vienna sausages and dried cranberries (not together)

* Can climb up stairs

* Loves going on walks with mommy
* Likes to roll around and be silly on Penny's bed
* Give's Penny hugs and kisses
* Throws his hands up in the air for "Touchdown!" when he sees a football player

We're in the 2nd Trimester!

How far along: 13 weeks

Total weight gain: + 2 lbs

Maternity clothes: Yes...just pants, and they're a little big but so much more comfy than my regular pants

Stretch marks: Not yet...I didn't get any with Nicolaus so hopefully I won't this time either

Sleep: Pretty well, but getting up to pee about twice a night

Movement: None yet

Food cravings/aversions: I've really been wanting meat this past week. I cannot drink as much coffee as I would like because it makes me very jittery

Gender guess: Girl...only because this pregnancy is completely different from the last

Belly button in or out: In

What I miss: Nothing really...maybe coffee

What I am looking forward to: feeling the baby move

Milestones: Hearing the heartbeat on doppler

Nicolaus' reaction: He doesn't have a clue!

Operation Wean Nicolaus - Day 8

The weaning process is going OK. He doesn't seem to miss the eliminated feeding, but he will not drink all the milk that I pour him as a replacement. It may just take some time for him to get used to the taste. John and I decided to eliminate his middle of the night feeding second. We are hoping this will help him sleep through the night as I think the only reason he wakes up is to feel the comfort of nursing. Last night was the first night and he didn't do too badly. He woke once around midnight and fell back asleep on his own after turning on his Sleepytime Seahorse. He woke again at 3:00 am, when I normally would nurse him. After 5 minutes of crying -- or should I say hysterics -- I went into his nursery, gave him his pacifier and turned on his Sleepytime Seahorse. After about 8 more minutes of crying, he fell back asleep and slept until 6:15 am. We shall see how tonight goes!

Halloween

Nicolaus' first Halloween was very low key. We stopped by our dear friend's Jason and Allison's house early in the afternoon since we wouldn't be able to make it to their party. Allison is a HUGE Halloween fan to put it mildly and had decorated their house and it looked great. From their we went to Aunt Steph and Uncle Will's for the evening. We enjoyed cheese and crackers, meatballs, and yummy Greek pizza. Nicolaus had a fun time chasing Izzy the cat around the house. Unlike our cat Roxy, Izzy actually plays with Nicolaus by teasing him, almost letting him catch her and then running away. The hit of the evening I have to say though was August's costume. If I hadn't seen her beforehand, I would have never believed it was her under all that green makeup! Nicolaus loved being in his Monkey costume. Hopefully we can find one just as cute next year when he will actually be able to go trick-or-treating.