Cat pheromones, really?

I thought I would share a little about my first "baby", our cat Ella.  She was basically my child for about 5 years.  My sister found her on our parent's street a few months after Marcus and I were married, and she quickly became the perfect addition to our new family.  Ella and I bonded right away, spending most of my time at home cuddled together.  We always had "momma-Ella time" when I would get home from work and nice long cuddles at night. 

baby Ella in her favorite sleeping spot

cuddles

Well, when I got pregnant things changed.  I swear she was the first to know about the pregnancy.  About a week before I knew I was pregnant she started avoiding me.  This continued through the pregnancy.  I went through major withdrawals :(  Once Walker was born, Ella was even more distant.  She rarely came close to me and spent all of her time in another room or with Marcus.  However, I was so busy with Walker that I honestly didn't notice...I know bad momma. 

Well, two weeks ago, Ella started throwing up and even having accidents right outside of her liter box.  She had never done this before, so I got pretty concerned.  I took  her into the vet where they did some blood work to check everything out.  Turns out Ella is "stressed" (really, they have a blood test for this :) ) because of Walker.  The vet gave me the options of giving her amitriptyline (an anti-depressant) or using pheromones.  I went with the pheromones.  It is a little bottle that looks like an air freshener that plugs into the wall.  She said to put it by her litter box and that it should help her calm down and "go back to her usual self."  I was beyond skeptical, but went ahead and spent the $40 on this magic bottle.  Crazy thing is, is that it actually works!!  I'm not kidding.  Ella is eating more, no more throwing up, cuddling with me, hanging out with everyone again, and even giving Walker the occasional nuzzle.  I am happy to have my two babies back and getting along.

At the vet (notice the huge scratch on my arm...she hates the vet)

3 months old

Another month has gone by and baby Walker is now officially an infant.  Crazy how fast time flies.  This month we have been pretty busy.  I am much more comfortable taking Walker places.  I feel like I can read his cues better and am able to stifle any fussing.  He is a calm baby and loves to be cuddled.  It is easy to let him just be passed around and loved on by others because he really enjoys the attention. 

Out of curiosity I weighed him on our home scale.  It said that he is about 16 1/2 lbs.  I sometimes feel like he is 50 lbs because my arms get so tired holding him.  He has been working on sitting up but still seems disinterested in rolling over.  He is much better at grabbing things and likes to put them in his mouth, however he doesn't reach for things yet.  Our routine is still a three hour rotation of eating, playing (1.5 hrs), napping (1.5 hrs) and then doing it all over again until bedtime.  We usually wake up around 7:00 and go to bed about 8:30.  He is still doing great at going to sleep, but this last week he has been waking up more during the night.  On average, he sleeps 9-2, then up again at 5, then again at 7.  I will be happy when he gets rid of the 2:00 wake up. 

Since it is almost summer (feels like it already is though), I looked into baby swim lessons.  My sister sent me some you tube video links of these precious babies swimming in the water.  I am a HUGE water person and have become very interested in swimming with Walker.  Anyway, I called about the lessons and they were all full and only take 6 months and older.  However, the lady was so nice and gave me some tips on how to get Walker prepared for swimming and how to hold his breath.  I have been practicing these things during bath time with him.  She said to pour small amounts of water on his face so he can learn to not be scared of the water and hold his breath.  Once he gets good at holding his breath I can start to dip him under...I think this will be awhile because I am still trying to be cautious of ear infections and am nervous about doing this.

New things for this month:
1) swimming in your baby pool and in the hot tub with mom (while it was not hot)
2) sleeping on your back in your crib instead of in your nap nanny
3) talking with your cousin Nora (one week older than Walker)
4) going to the farmer's market
5) going to your first wedding
6) our first mother's day
7) family bike rides
8) playing in your jumper (with mom's help and a pillow)
9) grabbing and shaking your rattle
10) eating/sucking your fingers and fist
11) you have learned how to scream, pout, and fuss for me to pay attention to you
12) went with Papa Jeff to his office to meet everyone
13) went to mom's work to meet her friends
14) had your first tornado storm party with the neighbors
15) you like to sing songs with me and dance

trying to lick the wind with your tounge

splashing in your pool

cheesy smile for the camera

sucking on your fist

giving me your pout face so I will feed you before it is time to eat

playing in your jumper, you love the purple hippo

you also really love tummy time

nap time for baby and mom

doing some chores with mom

waking up from a nap in your swing

6 Year Anniversary

Saturday, May 28th was our 6 year anniversary.  Yes, I know I am a little late on my blogging.  I always set out to do it and then get distracted.  I am so thankful for Marcus and his encouragement.  I feel like I have grown and changed so much these last 6 years.

Saturday was a very busy day with friends and family, so we decided to celebrate our anniversary on Sunday.  My parents were so wonderful and drove up to our house to watch Walker so we could go out to dinner.  Marcus and I got all dressed up and went to Ruth's Chris.  It was delicious and nice to get away just the two of us.  After we got home and put Walker to bed, we were also able to spend some nice time just the two of us hanging out on our patio and in the hot tub. 

unfortunately it is a little blurry

we rode in style in my mom's car

Saturday, however, was too much fun to not tell about.  Marcus, Derek, Alexia, and I rode our bikes to the Farmer's Market in Bentonville.  Marcus pulled Walker in his bike trailer on the way there and Derek pulled him on the way back.  I guess it is pretty challenging because Marcus said we are going to drive next time :)  We ate breakfast outside at the Station Cafe and walked around the square.  Alexia and I then went to a bridal shower for a cousin on the Walker side (marcus's mom's family).  Walker was a big hit and had everyone smiling.  That evening we had another celebration for a cousin's graduation.  Again, Walker did so well and everyone wanted to hold him.  He makes things easy and is so fun to be around.

this is the bike trailer

at the farmer's market

Crazy Storms

This spring has been filled with, what I think has been, a crazy amount of storms and tornadoes.  Storms have never really bothered me.  I usually just go hide out in our interior closet with a blanket and a book while Marcus watches the weather on tv or outside.  However, this is different now (one more thing since having a baby).  I am super paranoid and overly cautious about safety now that we have Walker to take care of. 

Sunday night was the first round of storms.  I kept Walker's same bedtime routine but instead of putting him to bed in his crib, we just cuddled together in the closet until Marcus said we were in the clear.  Monday night we had a "storm party" with our neighbors, Alexis (confusing I know) and Joel, and their two year old, Chayce.  We figured we would have more fun hiding in a closet with all of us then by ourselves in our separate closets.  Except, on Monday the weather was ok and closets were not needed.  Tuesday, the guys spent a lot of their work day discussing the next storm that was supposed to hit.  Our area had been put in a "high risk" zone by the national weather service.  I started to get really worried and nervous about the safety of our house and every time I checked facebook it was like the end of the world was coming.  So, we decided to have "storm party #2" and head to my parent's house.  My dad was out of town in Russia and my mom was working in Conway, so it worked out well for us to go camp out in their basement.  Our neighbors and their son packed up their car, while Marcus and I got Walker and Ella (yes, I brought my cat) ready to go.  It is amazing how much stuff I managed to "need" to bring along.  I kept having visions of the houses in Joplin and thinking "what would I need for the next week if our house was destroyed?"  Turns out that for me it was not that much, but for Walker it was a ton...and Ella required her own bag too. 

Bath time...the baby bath tub was not on my necessity list

checking out the weather on the cell phone

Chayce having some play time

enjoying time hanging out

watching the storms was a full time job for these two

It was actually pretty fun hanging out with our neighbors and spending an evening just relaxing and talking.  I am thankful that the storms were not severe and that we were safe.  However, I did not get any sleep and was glad to be home and able to nap with Walker. 

2 Months Old / My 1st Mother's Day

Well, Walker had his two month doctor visit and shots last week.  I was excited to see how he was progressing and hitting his milestones, but really nervous about the shots.  My mom was SO great by coming with me.  I needed more support than Walker :)  The doctor was fabulous.  He answered all of my questions (a very long list) and gave us goals to shoot for by four months.  We found out that Walker is 14lbs and 9oz, which is in the 95th percentile.  He is continuing to grow, but at least it is not a pound a week anymore.  He  is hitting all of his milestones and got a great report from the doctor.  The last part of the visit was the shots...I held Walker, while my mom comforted me.  The nurse was so quick with the shots it was amazing.  Walker only cried for a second and then he was ok.  I spent the rest of the day massaging his legs so they wouldn't get too sore and giving him lots of loves.  He never got a fever and was such a trooper.

2 months

2 months

After a walk

Friday night, Walker slept in his crib in his room for the first time.  The doctor encouraged me to put Walker in his own room to sleep, explaining that Walker is probably waking up during the night to eat because he smells me and food...seemed weird but I am not the doctor.  Anyway, Friday, Walker still woke up at 2:30 and 5.  However, on Saturday night and last night, he slept from 9-5 and then till 7:30.  I am excited about how easy the transition has been from the basinet to his own crib and hope that he continues to do well.

During nap time I heard laughing and went to go check on him.  This is how I found him :)

This weekend was also my frist mother's day.  It was easy for me to celebrate my mom and mother in law, but I kept forgetting that it was also a holiday for me now.  Walker gave me lots of loves and cuddles, and a beautiful necklace.  My parents gave me a digital picture frame.  I can't wait to get it going and just hope that it can hold all of the 100's of pictures I have taken.  The necklace is also personalized with charms that are special and meanignful to me.  My mother in law came up for the weekend to spend time with us and Walker.  Saturday we had a cookout with Derek and Alexia to celebrate my mother in law.  On Sunday, we went out to my parent's house for another cook out.  The only part of the day that was very "non-mother's day" was when Walker had a blow out in his diaper and I had to change it because Marcus was at work...yuck.

Being a mom is a special gift that I feel blessed to be a part of!  I received this in an email from Debbie Robbins, and think that it explains the blessing of motherhood better than I could.

Before I was a mom,

I never tripped over toys

or forgot the words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not

my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a mom,

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind

and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a mom,

I never held down a screaming child

so doctors could do tests,

or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin,

I never sat up late hours at night

watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because

I didn't want to put him down.

I never feld my heart break into a million pieces

when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew something so small

could affect my life so much.

I never know that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a mom.

Before I was a mom,

I didn't know the feeling of

having my heart outside of my body...

I didn't know how special it could feel

to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know the bond

between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small

could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a mom,

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night

every 10 minutes to make sure all was ok.

I had never known the warmth,

the joy,

the love,

the heartache,

the wonderment

or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

before I was a mom.

Walker's first Easter and a baby on a diet?

Happy Easter!

I know, this is cruel...



His Easter bunny present



We have been having a great time with Walker this month.  He is growing so fast and you can tell he is soaking up new information like a sponge.  He laughs and smiles all the time and makes the sweetest squeals and coos.  Two Fridays ago, April 15th, I called Walker's doctor's office and spoke to a nurse to check on his spitting up and reflux.  He had been fussing and having a lot of projectile spit-up (yuck and the main reason I cut my hair off).  The nurse recommended that we go ahead and set up an appointment to see the doctor.  Turns out, Walker is just fine and is actually probably over eating rather than reflux.  He weighed in at 13 lbs at 6 weeks old!  The pediatrician recommended that I put him on a schedule to only eat every 3 hours.  I had been feeding him when he seemed hungry, which was anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours.  After over a week at this schedule he is still fussy at about 2 1/2 hours and wants to eat.  I think he is just going to be a hungry boy :)

This month Walker went to his first Razorback event.  We went to the Saturday LSU baseball game.  Our friend was celebrating his birthday in the outfield and we thought we could at least stop by.  It was super windy so I wasn't planning on staying long, but we lucked out and got tickets for the Weichert (where Marcus works) box on the way to the game.  We were able to stay the entire time and see the Razorbacks pull of an amazing win.  Walker did so great and is already a big hog fan.

up in the box after the game

staying up late with pops

bath time with g-mama

Walker also had his first real baby-sitting experience this month.  Marcus and I wanted to go see Randy Rogers in concert one night and my parents were more than happy to watch Walker for us...and probably would have liked us to drop him off even earlier then we did. Marcus and I took Walker out to their house at about 7:30 and left around 8:15.  After the concert, I drove back out there and stayed at my parent's house the rest of the night so they wouldn't have to wake up and feed Walker.  He had a great time and I think was even a little sad to leave ;)  (Now, if you talk to my parents they may or may not mention the one page "tidbits of information"/instruction sheet that I might have left for them...but I will leave that up to them)

missed Camille :(

Nahna was able to visit

This Easter, we went to First United Methodist Church to attend my parent's Sunday school class.  I figured this would be a good way to have some fellowship without having to worry too much about Walker being disruptive (since he makes grunting noises 24/7).  It was fun to go and we always like seeing everyone there.  They were so kind and excited to see Walker.  After church, we went to my parent's for lunch and then out to the Necessary's for dinner.  I am not sure if anyone will remember that I was there because Walker got all of the attention...just kidding, but he was held and loved on by all.  It was an exhausting day filled with fun, love, family, friends, and great food.

So lets see, new things for this month:
- 1st Razorback game
- 1st overnight with a baby-sitter
- 1st Easter
- continuing to make noises (squeals, grunts, giggles, and coos) all the time
- really pushing up and holding head up during tummy time
- kicking and pushing off of with legs

- napped in crib for the first time

- consistent bedtime routine

- falls asleep for bedtime without assistance of rocking or nursing

- sleeping for 5-6 hours at night without waking

- met your great-great-grandmother Wilson

-outgrew 3 month clothes and are now wearing mostly 6 months

5 generations

Happy 1 month birthday Walker

Wow, what a month.  It has gone by so fast.  It is crazy to think that a month ago I was working in the schools with 35 kids and families.  I really thought it would be hard for me to stay at home and not work because I love my job, but it has been so easy for me to be home and with Walker all day.  I could stare at him for 24 hours straight and not get bored.  He is such a funny and animated little guy.

This month he has:
-had newborn pictures taken
-met many family members
-been to his doctor check-ups
-been to Arkansas Children's hospital
-had his first road trip (to little rock)
-stayed in his first hotel
-went on many walks
-rolled over
-gained over one pound in a week
-slept for four hours straight (only once though :) )
-pooped all over mom...twice in one day...
-worked on getting days and nights straight
-been to visit dad at work
-had his first lunch/play date with his cousin Nora
-had a sleepover with G-mama
-had your first bottle from dad

He has grown so much this month that I am excited, and kinda sad, to see how much he changes and grows in April.  He was 8lbs 6oz when he was born and as of Friday he ways 10lbs 13oz.  He loves to eat...
I can't wait to see his personality and all of the fun things he will learn to do.

first visit to the grandparent's

a walk around the dog park

pound it?

hello ladies

modeling his owl onesie

saying his prayers before bedtime

our typical morning conversations