Month 3!

September 19th-October 18th

Are you kidding me?!?!

Is this the cutest face you have ever seen!!!!

Our friends Rocky and Nina just bought a new house, so we went over for Sunday dinner. Nina's parents "Dus and The Jet" joined us! The food was delicious and their home is gorgeous, 4 bedrooms for just the two of them...hmmmmmm!

9/19/11

Today was kind of rainy but we headed to Mommy and Me anyway. I'm so glad we did. I have been feeling a little lost lately with how fussy Q has been, but seems like most women are in the same boat.  Glad to know I'm not the only one feeling this way. Maybe he is not really that fussy, maybe this is just how babies act.  We haven't really been around that many babies, so who knows.  After class we took a trip to Babies r Us, which they conveniently located right across the street from the hospital...seriously...why wouldn't we go shopping there after class?!? I bought a new swing for Q, one that is portable so we can take it with us.  He LOVES to be in his swing!

9/20/11

Hardest day ever!!!

Quinten started crying today and I'm not sure if he stopped:(

I took his temp...nothing! 

Luckily Q has a doctor appointment in a few days so we can talk to Dr. Walter about it.

It makes me so sad when I can't figure out what is bothering him.  I put him in the bjorn, grabbed a pumpkin latte and started walking. We walked around the neighborhood for over an hour.  It seemed to calm him and he took a pretty good nap.  The neighbors probably thought I was a crazy lady because I was just wandering around with no planned route. At the end of the day, I'm not sure who was more exhausted Q or me.  Walking like this will definitely help me get back in shape thats for sure..

When I finally came downstairs after getting him down for bed, I was pleasantly surprised with chicken marsala, butternut squash ravioli and a glass of pinot grigio...thanks Chef Jay!

Good way to end a tough day!

He slept right through me taking the bjorn off:)

 Although we didn't sleep much last night, we had a big day ahead of us!

I had to go to the doctor for my flu shot and had planned on stopping by Springton to visit my co-workers. Before we left I gave Quinten a nice warm bath and fed him. Well he must have still been exhausted from the day before.  He slept through my doctor visit and most of our school visit.

Quinten woke up after about a 3 hour nap, just in time for Meg to feed and burp him!

It was good practice for her.  She is expecting her first baby in just 2 short months.

Yeah, another play pal for Q!

Well Quinten made up for not sleeping to good last night.  He slept from 10:00pm-2:45am got up to eat and then from 3:15am-7:00am.
Best night sleep ever! Let's hope it lasts!
Honestly, even with getting up as much as we do.  We are very lucky that Quinn falls right back asleep after he eats. He seems to be a good sleeper, just wakes up a lot.
I love living in Delaware, but after having Quinten I really miss being close to my mom and dad, luckily we have been seeing a lot of them. We headed back up to the Poconos the weekend of the 23rd.  Andi, Scott and the kids made a trip up from West Palm for Aiden's Christening. This was probably the worst drive we have ever had up, eva! It was very rainy and took 3 hours. Being the smart mommy I am (ha! how quickly it changes, yesterday I was the worst!) I gave my little angel baby a warm bath before the ride and he slept the entire way! We enjoyed Saturday with my parents and Sunday we were off to the baptism.  I think my dad was a little anxious about us taking the baby with us.  He thought he would get to fussy and cry in church.  Well, did Quinten our precious little angel ever prove him wrong.  He was SO well behaved, he didn't make a peep all through the service and the luncheon that followed. He seemed to love the lights in church, maybe he'll have to start going with GM Jeanne on Sundays.  He also slept the entire way back to Wilmington. Is my angel baby back for good!?!?

NOPE!
We went to Mommy and Me and Q was the fussiest I have ever seen.  His gas was out of control and it was keeping him from his nap. Overtired Quinn = Very unhappy Quinn.  It is AMAZING how a sweet, precious, darling, little boy could let out the sounds of an old man!
I wish I could figure you out.  It seems like you are done eating, cry for more, but won't drink any.

Trip to the hospital:(
We went to Dupont Children's Hospital today (9/27/11) for Quinten's upper GI test.  Jason and I felt like we were at the movie theater.  As soon as you walk in they have fresh popcorn popping and a barista in the lobby?!? Seriously how hard is it to tell your kid no to that...or your forever hungry wife;) We weren't suppose to feed Q for 4 hours before the test...yeah, right...he eats every 1 1/2 hours..well of course we I ended up cheating some, 2 hours and 45 minutes is long enough...it was only to ensure that he would drink the barium and he did just fine.  I was extremely apprehensive about the test. But once we got there it wasn't scary at all.  They even put a baby hospital gown on Q...very cute (wish we had a picture) but honestly he is cute in everything!
It was sad to think of the little babies that were sick and had to stay in the hospital:( and we were thankful to hear good results and get out of there.
Passed that delicious buttery smell again:p

First trip to the Zoo!
Andi is in town for work again and this time Scott and the kids came with her.  So Scott, me, Ainslie, Aiden and Quinten headed to the Philly Zoo.  Scott and I were both kicking ourselves for forgetting our bjiorns, not bad for me to carry around little Q, but Aiden is practically a teenager he is so big! Quinn was cranky at first. He doesn't totally love the jogging stroller yet, but once he ate, he slept most of the day. My Goddaughter, Ainslie, had fun feeding the animals and riding on a camel.

Q practicing his baby yoga!

Best buds already!

Not sure who is having more fun Scott or Ainslie!
After a looooong day at the zoo, I'm not sure who was ready for bedtime more me or Quinn.  Unfortunately, he got me up 6 times throughout the night...fortunately he is SOOO stinking cute when I come in his room and he gives me that big gummy grin, it makes it a whole lot easier to keep going!
Ainslie's bday was in August but since Kara and I couldn't celebrate with her we decided to throw her a party while they were in PA.
Jason and I made Mickey Mouse cupcakes for the party!
She They LOVE Disney;)

 "Can someone please tell my mommy to take this stupid hat off of me?"

"Much better!"

Party Animal!

10/2/11

This was the first really cold day! Quinn and I had a lazy Sunday morning, while Jason went to the gym.   We ran errands in the afternoon, food shopping and lunch at Panara. Quinn did a great job being out and about. We are going to give a more structured bed time a try...I need more sleep! We gave Quinten a bath, put on his ceiling projector while he got his baby massage, fed him, and read Goodnight Moon. 

It worked!

Quinten slept 4 hours ate and then slept another 3 1/2! We will try the bed routine again...

Night two of good sleep! 5 hours and then 2 1/2 more! Housten we have lift off!

The bedtime routine really seems to have helped us all sleep better.  We started it a little earlier and it seems to work even better. Now we have to work on napping!

We took a long walk around Brandywine Park today with our neighbor Lisa and her son Finn. We met at the mommy and me class.  Very cool to have met somebody that lives so close with a baby near the same age.  We have a LOT in common, kind of freaky!

10/7/11

We headed to the beach for a pre-anniversary weekend!

The weather was absolutely beautiful. We spent Saturday walking around shopping.  Quinten LOVES being carried in the Baby Bjorn. We went to the Greenman for lunch, one of our favorite eateries in Rehoboth, delicious! We took Callie to the beach to play and laid Q in the sand for the first time. He seemed to like it!

Kathy and Mark came up, from Annapolis, to visit before they set sail for the winter!
Quinten went to the Starboard for his first Bloody Sunday!
I enjoyed the eggs delmarva, Kathy snuggled with Quinn,
while Jason and Mark took advantage of the make your own Bloody Mary Bar!

Q bellying up to the bar!

10-10-11

I can't believe it has been one year already!

My parents had given us a segway tour of the museum district in Philly for Christmas and there hadn't been a good time to use it before now. It was SO much fun! We may have to purchase these in the future!!!

Grandma Jeanne came down Sunday night wearing her "Grandma on Duty" sweatshirt ready to babysit!
It was the longest Jason and I had been away from Quinn.  We all did great! My mom got Q to drink from a bottle which he is NOT a fan of and take a two hour nap. When we got home, Quinten and I took  a walk with my mom to get pumpkin lattes (my favorite thing about fall!) We showed Grandma how much Q likes bath time and once he fell asleep, Jason and I went out for a nice tapas dinner!
This was SUCH an amazing day!!!

10/18/11

Quinten turns 3 months old!

Quinten gained about 2 lbs. this month. He now weighs 12.7lbs.

3 new things Quinten did this month...
1. Smile socially, the smiles have been coming more and more.
2. Coos, so have the noises coming out of this little guy. It is amazing how one little sound can make our day!
3. Kicks his legs...it seems like Q can't be still for more than a second.  His legs are constantly in motion...maybe he will be a runner, kicker, swimmer???

3 things Quinten loves at 3 months...
1. His fish mobile on his crib & ceiling fans, even when Q is in the saddest of moods he smiles when he sees his fish! (Thanks Tucker and Michelle) We could save a LOT of money on toys and just buy lots of ceiling fans.  Luckily we have one in every room...in both houses!
2. His changing table, Quinten LOVES to be on his changing table.  He loves it even more if I ask him if he has stinky pants...I know strange, but he smiles every time:)
3. Taking a nap in the Baby Bjorn. When I'm having a hard time getting him to take his afternoon nap.  The bjorn always comes to the rescue!

Something that helped me a LOT this month was I started going back to yoga.
Even though I worked out throughout my pregnancy, I couldn't take yoga classes because of the heat.  Practicing at home just isn't the same.
It gives me a chance to stay balanced and have V time and it gives the boys a chance to bond.
Plus the studio is next to a burrito place and Jason loves when I come home with dinner!
~Namaste

Quinn's 2nd month!

August 19 - September 18

Did I really say this was easy?!?!

Because Quinten was about 4 weeks early, he spent his first month mostly sleeping...
well, he WOKE UP!!!

This month was much more difficult.  

We went to the doctor on August 23rd and Quinten weighed 7lbs. 13 oz. the boy has turned into an eating machine.

Quinten and I met Sue and Candace, friends from work, for lunch today (8/24/11).  This was our first restaurant experience.  It was quite successful! Quinten slept in his car seat while we ate, but was much happier when the girls were holding and fussing all over him. It seems strange for them to be talking about starting the new school year. I can't believe I still have 3 months to stay home with my little boyfriend!
8/25/11
Today was our first trip to the MALL! WAHOO! I feel like I haven't bought myself anything (besides stretchy yoga pants and big shirts) in soooo long. We beelined right for my favorite store..Anthropologie, but because I am not down to my normal weight yet, I held off on getting anything.  We spent the majority of our time in Nordstrom feeding and changing diapers. The sales people there are so helpful and friendly.  The girls in the shoe department even offered to babysit Q while I shopped. YEAH RIGHT, like that would ever happen! I did manage to find myself a swanky pair of new shoes. Our day was filled with a few firsts: using the elevator, nursing in public, and using the restroom for the first time with a stroller.  Seems silly but you really have to coordinate shopping with where you can take these little pitstops. Again, Nordstrom wins hands down with the availability and cleanliness of their mommy rooms! Just another reason to shop there:)

8/31/11
Andi was up from West Palm this week for work. Her and Kara came over to visit. It is so nice to get another mommy's opinion on some of the obstacles we have come across. Quinten has been groaning so loud,  we sometimes think he will wake up the neighbors.  Andi suggested we try mylicon drops for gas...boy what a difference! She has been such a huge help and support for us. She brought a TON of adorable outfits from Baby Gap for Q and introduced him to the binky!

Of course Callie needed some Andi love too!

 8/31/11
I went out to dinner with my girlfriend Kelie without Quinten!
This was my first time out without him or Jason.  Boy was it strange! We just went right down the street from our house to Toscana.  I found it so difficult to concentrate on the conversation, even more so than usual! And all I wanted to talk about was the baby.  The boys did great at home, I knew they would.  And I didn't do so bad either, only 3 texts in an hour and a half to see how they were doing.
Oh, by the way, I wore my new shoes;)

Labor Day Weekend!
Well it took a LOT longer to pack the four of us up than expected, so we didn't head down to the beach until Friday morning. We spent the day around the house unpacking and sitting outside in the sun.  Our friends Matt, Jen, Britt, Cathy and Beta all stopped by to meet Quinten for the first time. Cathy and Jen fell in love at first sight...it's hard not to!

Beta and Cathy

We enjoyed a relaxing weekend of watching movies, getting take out and taking trips to the beach (mostly for Callie to run around and play with other dogs). It was sunny, but cool and breezy.  The sound of the waves crashing, quickly put Quinten to sleep and he missed most of the excitement.

Quinten seemed a LOT fussier than usual this weekend:(

Uncle Michael (Jason's brother) came to visit today (9/6/11) from Connecticut. It was a nice visit. He was very tired after the long drive. We ordered sushi from Mikimotos, which was quite yummy. Quinten is still fussing quite a bit and we are I am not getting much sleep at night. What happened to my angel baby?!?

We went to the doctor. He seems to think the recent increase in fussiness is due to acid reflux. Because Q is so small, the flap that keeps everything in his belly didn't fully develop yet.  The doctor said this was common and not to worry ourselves too much about it. We are researching and trying many things to help Quinten feel more comfortable. When he is upset he enjoys going for walks outside and the sound of a vacuum (proof that he is MY child). We learned this secret from our new friends down the street.

I'm getting used to going "bumming" (a word my GM LaBracio would use for shopping) with Quinten by myself.  It is fun get out of the house (I sort of felt like I was on house arrest when he was still to small to go out), roll him around in his stroller and show off how cute he is!  Everyone is so nice when you have a baby. I don't remember this many people ever smiling at me, I'd like to think maybe I just didn't notice them as much. We have mastered opening a door while pushing a stroller through, opening and closing the stroller without looking like a total jackass novice and getting the car seat in and out of the Pathfinder.

First trip to the Poconos
Jason had to head to Baltimore for the night for work (9/13/11) so I packed up the kids and headed for the hills to my parents. Quinn slept almost the whole way (2 1/2 hours). I gave him a bath and fed him before we left so he was nice and comfy! I wish I could say the same for Callie, she is not a fan of riding in cars. Towards the end of the trip Quinten started to get fussy, he was ready to eat as soon as we got there.
So was I!
My mom had a delicious spread of quiche, strawberry salad, too many deserts to list and chocolate wine! (yes you heard correctly CHOCOLATE WINE) Oh, I made these yummy new muffins, all you do is add a box of cake mix, a can of pumpkin and 1/4 cup of water...delish!

My Aunt Laura, cousin Gina and her daughter Ella (10 months old) were there too! 

We had the BEST visit ever!

Ella could not get enough of Quinten or Callie, it was absolutely adorable.  I can't wait  until Quinn gets a little bigger and they can actually play on their cousin playdates!

 Callie kissing Ella ...

Ella kissing Quinten!

After Aunt Laura, Gina and Ella left, Grandpa Bud came home from a long day of fishing at Lake Wallenpaupack. Here is his catch of the day, which we later had for dinner!

He couldn't wait to hold and feed Quinten. My mom and I found this adorable. I don't know if I ever saw him hold a baby before...at least not with that look of love in his eyes!

Unfortunately, Quinten became fussy and that Grandpa did not love as much!
We enjoyed the night and next day in the Poconos and GM & GP held and kissed Quinn as much as possible.

Kara came to visit (9/18/11) Quinten got to meet her crazy dog Max for the first time! Max and Callie played while Kara and I caught up and fussed over Q!

This month was crazy! It was filled with many firsts, for all of us.  Somedays I felt like a pro and everything fell into place and somedays I felt like I was the worst mother in the world. But we all survived! Each day is definitely a learning experience and has its own challenges and excitements. Something that really helped me through it was the Mommy and Me class that our hospital offers. Quinten and I started going every Monday for 2 hours.  We meet up with other moms with babies 1-10 weeks.  It has helped a lot to hear that other women are going through the same things I am.  It has also helped that I have such an amazing husband.  When it is apparent that I have had a rough day...by the fact that it is 5:00pm and I'm still in my pjs, with spit up on my shirt and my hair in a disheveled bun and he hugs me and tells me I look pretty, it makes all the hard stuff I went through in the day fade quickly away!
A glass of Malbec doesn't hurt either;)

9/18/11

2 Months already!!!

Quinten had his 2 month wellness check up.
The doctor said it is apparent that he is an eating machine:)
He gained almost another 3lbs!
He now weighs 10.8lbs is 22 inches long and his head is 38 cm.
He officially made the growth charts reaching 25% in all areas!

He was such a big boy. He had to get some shots and did very well.

He looked so tough with his camo, skull and bones and snoopy bandaid!

2 things Quinten loves at 2 months...
1. His swing, he is just starting to look up at the mobile and mirror.  He would spend hours in that thing if we let him...but I couldn't go to long without holding him:)
2. Dancing with Daddy! Jason puts old videos of Chubby Checker on the computer and look out!
Jason also found a video of red, black and white moving shapes that Q love to look at!

It's okay for Callie to watch him while we go out for dinner right???
KIDDING!!!!!!!

Q's first Month

July 18th - August 18th

We are the luckiest people, Quinten is an angel baby.  He is an excellent sleeper!

This parenting thing is pretty easy so far...

Quinten has a variety of sleep positions!

Just like Grandpa Bud:)

 He must have been smelling something stinky!

One of our favorites!

Wednesday 7/27/11 Jason went back to work.  Luckily Donna, Phoebe, Liz, Jen and her daughter, Paige, came to visit us (girls from work). They brought LOTS of yummy treats and we had a VERY relaxing afternoon lounging around, laughing and eating!

Donna feeding Quinten

The next day two more friends from work came, Meg and Alexis. They brought a delicious apple crumb cake from Alexis' family's bakery that didn't stand a chance in this house!

Friday Great Grandma Mel and Gramps came to visit!

And Saturday Grandma Kathy and Mark came!

We took advantage of having Jason's mom Kathy here and went out for the first time without Quinten.
Of course our trip out was to Babies r US!
We also stopped and picked up some delicious water ice.  YUMMY!
Kathy made us enchiladas for dinner and I enjoyed my first glass of wine in 10 months!
Even more YUMMY!!!

By Sunday we were wiped so me, Jason, Quinten and Callie enjoyed a very lazy day!
On Monday when Jason went to work, the kids and I enjoyed another lazy day!

 Best buds already!

GM Jeanne took the bus to Philly on Tuesday and stayed with us until Saturday.

She loves Quinten so much and couldn't get enough of him!  On Friday night, we again took advantage of having a babysitter and walked down the street to Scratch Magoo's!

Saturday morning I took my mom up to meet Kara so they could drive back up to the Poconos together.

When I got home, our house was filled with people.

Jason's brother, Paul, his wife, Jody, and their kids Trisha and Paul were there. As well as, Kathy and Mark. Everyone was very excited to meet Quinten! I think Aunt Jody was the most excited to finally be an Aunt!!!

We had a BBQ in the back yard and enjoyed the sunshine.

By Sunday I was exhausted.  I stayed in bed a little later than usual.  When I came downstairs everyone was headed back to Connecticut...it was just the 4 of us again!

8/15/11
Jason had to go to North Carolina for a work trip this week.  This worried me for many reasons.  GM Jeanne came down to keep us company.  We took our first outing other than the doctor's office.  Our trip was to Target of course and to lunch!  It was a very hot day...figuring out the car seat and stroller is going to take some getting used to...I was exhausted after 2 hours!

For such a little guy, Quinten sure does get a LOT of mail. This month he even received his social security card. Gramps (Jay's dad) seems to be a shopaholic! LOVE IT!
This week Q received this stylish burp cloth with his name embroidered on it (Thanks Paul & Marie)!

8/18/11
1 Month Old!!!

I picked Jason up from the airport and we went to lunch (Washington Ale House) while my mom watched Quinten. It is unbelievable that a month has gone by already.  It was filled with excitement, a lot of firsts (mostly for me and Jason) and lots of visitors. Somedays it seems like we can't remember life without Quinten. He has changed SO much in such a short time.  We are looking forward to the days, months, years to come, but will definitely miss him being a tiny peanut.  I feel very lucky that he came early! We got to spend even more time with him and watch him grow even more!
Quinten was born 5lbs. 5oz. and 19 inches long
He is now 7lbs. 13 1/2oz. and 21 inches long.
His head is 37 cm:)

1 thing Quinten loves at 1 month...
is sleeping anywhere and everywhere.  It seems like we have quite a little sleeper.  He spent the first few nights in our room, but quickly moved to his own crib!

Quinn's first week home!

When Quinten arrived home for the first time he was greeted by GM and GP Kurash, Grandma Kathy and Mark, and of course our dog Callie!

Everyone took turns holding, kissing and loving our new little man!

 It didn't take long for Callie to become Quinten's biggest fan!

 or daddy!

On Friday, Quinn went to the doctor for his first check up.  He maintained his discharge weight of 5 lbs.  We celebrated by having a sushi dinner! (First time in 9 months...YUMMY!)

First at home bath...

Quinten LOVES the water...maybe a future surfer:)

We had a fun filled weekend! 

Saturday night Nina and Rocky came over with an Indian dinner for us!

Quinten slept in his pack and play while we ate:)

 Quinn taking in the new world around him. (Thanks Gina, Lennie and Ella for the playmat!)

 On Sunday, Kara, Lynn, Nancy, Steph, Chris & Ryleigh came to visit.

 Who do you think Quinten looks like?

Tired after a very full weekend!