How big is Quinten???

SOOOOOOOO Big!!!

Quinten is getting better and better at sitting up (against the couch) and holding his head up.

It is amazing to think just a few short months ago you could football hold this peanut on your forearm.

Quinten actually enjoying tummy time. He wasn't such a fan at first.
The mirror and Sophie have been a big help with this!

Watching Sunday football with daddy!

Riding in the big boy car seat for the first time in Mommy's car!
We went to Terrain to meet Sue.
Q enjoyed his first campfire while we were there!

Let's hope mommy can be a big girl when I return to work tomorrow:(

Quinten's 4th month

October 19 - November 18
We've had a very busy month!

Q is talking up a storm!
As it gets a little cooler outside we have been putting hats on Quinn. They look SO adorable on him.  My mom and I had picked up this pumpkin hat, long before Q came along and he wears it everywhere we go. People really seem to get a kick out of themselves when they say,
 "aw look at the little pumpkin!"

We went to Millsboro Pumpkin Patch, it was PACKED!!! Truth be told we went soley for the apple cider donuts! Delish!
We did get some apples which Chef Jay turned into a lovely apple pie. We even managed to pick out a pumpkin which he later carved into Quinn's first Jack-o-Lantern!

Somebody's ready for Trick or Treaters!

We went to our friends Lisa and Finn's house for a Halloween playdate!
I think the playdate was more for the mommies to catch up and enjoy our pumpkin lattes:p
Finn slept and Quinn should have been sleeping.
Our friends Kelie and Michael and their twins, Elle and Gianna, came trick or treating to our house later in the day.
Callie enjoyed chasing these fabulous cats around the house!

Snow for Halloween?!?
My cousin Gina's daughter, Ella, is turning 1 and they were planning a costume party. Of course the mere idea of dressing up for Halloween got me and Jason excited. And to think now we have this great accessory...a baby! How can we incorporate him into our crazy costume ideas?
Popeye, Olive Oyl and Swee Pea of course!
And if you know Jay and I well, it's not Halloween unless we make our on costumes so I got my Suzy Homemaker on and got to work!

Unfortunately for Gina and Ella the weather was not cooperating with their plans and the party was postponed and then cancelled:(
Since GM & GP had planned on seeing Q at the party...you guessed it, back to the Poconos!

Who do you think is having more fun here?

 GM tired Q out!

 Check out the smirk on "Grandpa's sidekick's" face...trouble!

GP Bud and the kids!
We all love visiting, but being home is nice, even Quinten thought so.
As soon as we got home, I put him in his crib and from downstairs Jason could hear his squeals and first signs of real laughter...the fish!
He really was HAPPY to be back in his room.

11/8/11
Quinten and I met my girlfriends, Nancy, and Liza for lunch today at Potbelly's (yummy salad).
Quinten was so good (thank goodness for the ceiling fan) and it was awesome to catch up with both of them. Liza and I hadn't seen each other since right after college.
All of the talking must have tired Q out because he was asleep before we left the parking garage.

Today was the first day he started to hold onto a few toys.
As you can see he wasn't letting anyone take his Sophie the giraffe!
The next day we met Kelie at Terrain, one of my very favorite places. It is so peaceful there and I knew Q would enjoy the day.

Quinn flirting with Kelie

11/11/11
(Happy Bday AL)
Jason had off today and we had a jam packed day!
Callie went to the vet first thing in the morning.  She has always been a very lean dog and the vet always compliments what a nice job we are doing...until now!
As soon as Dr. Coogan walked in the examining room his exact words were...
"somebody's getting chunky!"
105.5 lbs.
I guess with me being home all day she has been getting many more cookies than she used to, plus we don't want her to feel like she has taken the back seat now that Quinn is around.
String bean diet it is, sorry Cal!
After the vet, it was my turn to go to the dentist.  The boys dropped me off and got the truck washed. Then it was off to visit Quinten's school. Although he doesn't start until January we wanted to take him in a few times before that to meet the teachers and see how he would do.
It is so crazy to think we have been on the list for this school since April, way before Q ever came along!
He seems to be very curious. He was looking all around, smiling, and taking it all in.
Quinten is already a very observant little boy!
After leaving the school, my parents met us at the house and we all headed for the beach!

Jason's dad, Paul, also headed down to spend the weekend with us.
It was the annual closing of the Starboard.

GM & GP babysat while Jay, Paul and I met up with some friends. It was fun to get out but we spent the majority of the night showing off pictures of Q!
Mom and I did manage to get some outlet shopping in, while the guys entertained Quinten.

Guy Time!

Quinten sitting like a big boy in his beach rocking chair.
Thanks Aunt Rae!

Again, happy to be home with his friends!

 Having tummy time with his other ocean friends (Thanks Donna!)

We went to the doctor November 1st. Both the lactation consultant and Dr. Walter were shocked that I was still feeding Q so many times throughout the day.
(Shocked that he wanted to eat and that I wasn't a walking zombie after 4 months of keeping up with this. Does this doctor need glasses?!? I sure feel like a zombie. Chapstick and mascara work wonders! As my mom would say, "it's all about the presentation!"
The doctor explained that we have a VERY smart little boy (which of course we all already knew, duh!)
He said that Quinn had taught himself that by only eating a little bit (1.5 oz at a time) the reflux wouldn't be bad. The problem with that was he gets hungry often and can't sleep for long periods of time. Dr. Walter suggested we try Prevacid.  Although I am not a fan of medicine (especially for my little angel baby) we are less fans of him being in any kind of discomfort.
We go back to the doctor on the 18th.

November 14th - November 18th
MY ANGEL BABY IS BACK!!!!
This is my last week at home with Quinten. Jason is staying home with him until Christmas break, which makes me going back to work a lot easier. I look forward to getting back to my students and having more adult conversations throughout my day.  But I know I am going to miss my little boyfriend like crazy!
I can't believe he is 4 months old already. Most days flew by us so quickly.  I definitely tried to enjoy every second of being with him, even when he was being Mr. Fussy Pants! I am SO thankful for the time I had home with him.
I said to Jason about two weeks ago that I wish we were slackers.
Both being overachievers, I think we tried to over prepare before Quinten came. Of course we both wanted to be the best possible parents we could be, we read and reread so many books.
The problem with that is most books contradict one another and all babies are different.  I sometimes forgot that I am the best possible mommy for Quinten because I love him so much!
At the beginning of the month I called my mom, on one of my marathon walks.  I was stressing because the only way Q was taking a long nap was when I was holding him and the books say you shouldn't do that. Some of the best advice she ever gave me was, "first of all the people who write those books probably don't even have babies! And second is it important to you for Quinn to nap on his own?"
I decided right then NO!

I had 2 more weeks home with him and I want to hold him every possible second I could.  In just a few short months he will be squirming all over and probably won't want me to hold him this much.
Once I admitted that to myself, I put the books on a shelf and a complete calmness came over me and Quinten.
We have had the best two weeks! Running errands, visiting my school and typing this blog.
As you can see Quinn likes to lay across my lap while I type and stretch his neck to look at the pictures on his wall, his ABC blanket and yup...his fish!

We went to the doctor this morning.  Quinten now weighs 13.4lbs!!!
Can you say meatball???
No wonder I had to get cortizone shots in my wrist last week from picking him up!
The HUGE news is...
He jumped from the 25 percentile to the 60th in length, in just 2 months.
He grew 3 inches and is now 25 inches long.
Dr. Walter said, Quinten probably had 2 growth spurts during that time, which also could have accounted for some of the fussiness.
His head circumference is 41 1/2 cm which is in the 40%
The newest medicine seems to be really helping and Quinten has been
SUCH a HAPPY BABY!
He had to get a few shots but did great and his blue camo bandaids just coincidentally happen to match the outfit he had on:)

4 new things Quinten does at 4 months...

1. Quinten is "talking" more and more everyday, we can sit and have conversations for quite awhile. 

2. Not only does he like to talk but he seems to love the sound of mommy and daddy's voices. When Jason gets home after work, Q's head whips around to get a glimpse of his daddy!

3. Towards the end of the month Q started to let out his first sounds of laughter. Of course as soon as we hear him, we start laughing which only makes him more excited! Things that make him laugh the most are when people make funny noises at him, kissing his neck and yup...the fish!

4. Q's favorite new toy...his hands. Not only did he realize they are at the end of his arms but he loves to hold them together and sucking on them is even better! He can't seem to get enough of his hands.

4 things Quinten loves at 4 months...

1. He loves when you sing to him some of his favorites are "You are My Sunshine,"(especially at nap time) "If your Happy and You Know It" and "Shout" (Tears for Fears, HA!)

2. Quinten continues to love bath time.  He gets a bath and baby massage every night before bed and he really seems to relax and enjoy himself.  (I guess once he figures out that he can kick his legs and splash the water, it won't be as soothing).

3. Although he hasn't found them on his own yet, Quinten loves when you kiss and pretend to eat his toes:) He lets out little squeals when you call him stinky feet:p

4. His room, Quinten LOVES LOVES LOVES his room! Whether he is looking at his fish mobile, his ABC blanket or the pictures on his wall, he LOVES it!

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