We have had a good few days before my final weekend before I return to work.  We had Ian’s 3 month photos taken by a friend Pam who took our engagement pictures.  Ian behaved really well with taking a nap in the middle.  Pam is still working on the shots, so I will post them soon.  I was able to get the following shot the next day before we headed out for Easter.  We headed to our normal Easter dinner with a number of family friends.  There was another little one there as well, Lily who was born about 6 weeks after Ian.  She is a little smaller than Ian at 7 lbs, so we had the guys switch for a little while.  Here is Ian on Easter with his Easter ‘shoes’ and the boys switching places…

Happy Easter!!

Trading places

The Monday after Easter I headed back to work.  I am on a project in Bridgewater, NJ and Shaun is staying home with Ian.  I leave Monday mornings and come home Thursday nights.  Shaun and Ian will come to visit most Tuesday hopefully as I have a corporate apt instead of a hotel.  Here are some pictures of the apartment…

kitchen

Living Room

Bedroom

It was sad to say goodbye to my boys.  Work has been tough, but that is more due to the fact that the project is still in the deployment phase and are working crazy hours.  I stayed most days until 7 pm and did some work from the apartment.  It was a tough week back, but I think it will get better, I hope

I did get a nice surprise when I got home on Thursday, beyond Ian’s great smiles.  Shaun went out to get us some food while I put Ian to bed and then he lit some candles for us.  After we ate, he brought a dessert surprise… he had gotten the William Penn Inn to make small version of our wedding cake to share.  It was a big surprise and wonderful homecoming.  I told him that he was going to have to spoil me like this every time I come home

The Cake

On Friday we took Ian to his 3 month appt.  He weighs 13 lbs and is 25 inches long.  The doctor was happy with how he was doing and felt that his head strength was good.  He asked about how much formula he was drinking and asked if he was eating his hands (Yes) and drooling (yep!).  Based on his assessment, he said we could start feeding him some rice cereal once a day.  So on Saturday we tried and he did pretty well.  We had to keep the spoon in his mouth a little to kick off his swallowing, like it was a bottle nipple.  He finished his food each night and still had a bottle a little while later.  Here is a pic of him eating…

First feeding

Ian has been doing better at sleeping as well.  He has been going down between 8:30 and 9 pm each night and sleeping until anywhere between 3 am to 6 am.  He seemed to be sleeping more when I was not there.  Hopefully he will continue to sleep more and more through the night.

Here is one last picture of Ian and Stanley!!!  Hope you have a good week!

My 2 boys

We headed out on March 17th, St Patty’s Day.  Here is a picture of Ian wearing his green in the car seat during our frist day.  

McCutie enjoying the ride

 We made it as far as Cleveland.  We are pretty sure that Ian was going through a growth spurt at this time since he slept the whole way.  I was concerned that he wouldn’t sleep in the hotels, but he did well, as you can see in the next picture.  He did get us up most days around 5 am, but it made for an early start beating the traffic.  The second day we we decided to go farther and made it to Iowa City, Iowa.  

Hanging out in Cleveland

The third day we made it all the way to Sioux City, Iowa.  My Grandma has moved into the assisted living portion of her community, but still has her condo as well.  We ended up staying in the condo which was nice since we didn’t have to worry about waking up hotel neighbors.  We also had access to a fridge, microwave, tv, etc.  We went to see my Grandma that day and she thought we were coming the following day, so she was very happy to see us and of course meet Ian.  Overall for 96 she is doing well.  We spent a lot of time talking about my Dad and Grandpa Andy.  She seems happy in her new digs and has numerous friends coming to visit.  My uncle and aunt are working on getting the condo ready to sell which hopefully will be soon.  Here are a few pictures of Ian with Great Grandma Ad… 

Hi Great Grandma

3 generations of Anderls

We did do a few other things in Sioux City while we were there.  Sioux City has a museum dedicated to Lewis and Clark that was built for the anniversary of the expeditions a few years back.  I had been there before, but thought Shaun would enjoy visiting.  They have a number of exhibits about what life was like on the expedition and how they handle medicine and the death of the only member of the party during the trip which occurred in Sioux City.  The other big thing we did was go to my Dad’s favorite tavern… Miles Tavern for some charlie boys.  Charlie boys are the best loosemeat sandwich you could get.  Although we did have a schooner of beer in honor of my dad, Ian is a little young, we did get 8 sandwiches each that we took back with us to eat over the next few days.  Below is a picture taken at the museum in front of the statue of Lewis, Clark and their dog Seaman and a picture of Ian next to his first charlie boy. 

Lewis, Clark and Seaman with Shaun and Ian

Ian's first Charlie Boy

I did forget to mention that Ian slept through the museum and as you can see the trip to get and eat the Charlie Boys.  He was a tired boy at the start of the trip.  

After a few days in Iowa we headed north to Minnesota.  On the way up though we saw a lot of swollen rivers.  It seems that the snow melt in Iowa and Minnesota was fast this year and thus all the rivers are flooding.  At one point there were sandbags on the road so that the river would not come onto the road.  It was crazy.  Hopefully they have gone down by now. 

We stayed with our family friend Susan and her kids for the week that we were in the twin cities.  It was nice to have a place to stay for multiple nights and Ian was entertained by her kids, Katie, Cara and Cameron.  They helped us alot!  We also got to see other family friends – Donnie, Jolyn for lunch one day and then my Aunt and Uncle Jim and Jean for dinner another night.  Susan’s parents, Don and Judy came down on Thursday.  Judy helped with Ian while Shaun and Don put together a trampoline for the kids.  It was a nice break and Ian got to meet a lot of new people.  Here are a few pictures of Ian with Susan’s girls, Ian with Judy and then with my Aunt Jean and special introduction. 

Cara, Katie and Ian

Judy with a happy Ian!

Jean helping Ian to meet Annie Hall

After spending a number of days in Minnesota, we decided to head south again to Northwood, IA where my Mom grew up.  My Aunt Jan was nice enough to be the home base.  My cousin Cindy came up from Fort Dodge and then my cousin Chris, Patti and their kids Rachael and Derek came down from Minnesota.  We had a great time catching up while unfortunately watching Northern Iowa lose.  The next day Chris was nice enough to drive us around the area to point out old family farms and places of interest.  We also were able to see my Great Aunt Nora whom I had not seen in many years.  That night we went to what most people in my family believe is the best steakhouse in the world, the Northwestern Steakhouse in Mason City, IA!  They have an amazing steak with greek seasoning that melts in your mouth.  If you are ever in Iowa, make a stop here!  Here is a picture of our dinner… 

Best Steak - Northwestern Steak House!

We then started our trip home.  We left Iowa around 7 am and made it to South Bend by early evening.  We then headed out the next morning and made it to the cabin for the night.  Shaun was able to get his new brush cutter put together and we were able to play scrabble before heading home the next day.  It was a great trip and I can’t believe it was only 2 weeks ago we got home.  Here is one last picture from the cabin of Ian taking his first swing ride… 

Ian on the swing!

Thank you for everyone who came to visit us or hosted us!  We had a great time!!!

We also took Ian to the cabin for the first time.  We headed up early on Friday morning and got there around 1.  We have been lucky so far that Ian likes to sleep in the car.  He slept the whole way up and didn’t fuss until after we got everything into the cabin.  We did learn a few things about having him at the cabin… bring lots of water to feed him and wash the bottles, we create a lot more trash, and bring in as many lights as possible when changing him.  We didn’t get to do too much at the cabin as it was raining all weekend, but Shaun and Stanley did get to take a few walks.  Ian seemed to enjoy looking at the lanterns when they were burning and the cool patterns in the pine ceiling.   We are looking forward to going back.  Here are a few pics…

Sleeping by the fire

Boys on the couch

Have a good week and Happy St Patty’s Day!

His 2 month weight was 10 lbs 14 oz and he is 23 1/2 inches long.  I didn’t get the percentiles from the doctor, but according to the web, he is in the 37th percentile for weight and 71st percentile for length.  So he continues to be long and lean.

Here are some 2 month pictures of Ian:

The week started out well with a nice play date with my friend Joanna and her two daughters.  Ian did pretty well, sleeping and eating the whole time.  We headed home as he was getting fussy.  Tuesday my Mom came over to watch Ian while Shaun and I ran some errands including getting a cargo topper for the Rav so we have more room for the trips to the cabin and our upcoming trip to Minnesota and Iowa.   I was also able to meet some friends for dinner on Tuesday and had sushi for the first time since last May!!!

Wednesday started well, Shaun and I had an appointment about life insurance, so Mom watched Ian again.  When we got home the rest of our week was set… Ian vomited.  we checked his temperature and it was fine.  So we called the doctor and they again said watch him… it was probably our formula switch. 

Thursday he did pretty well for most of the day, but vomited again that evening.  Then around 2 am, I started to get sick.  Shaun took Ian downstairs and of course, then Ian started to get sick.  Shaun was up most of the night caring for Ian while I was upstairs being sick. 

This was one of the hardest times as a Mom since I knew Ian was not doing well and I couldn’t help since I was so sick myself.  Shaun took Ian to the doctor on Friday morning.  They agreed he had a stomach virus and recommended feeding him 1 an hour switching between formula and pedilite to keep him hydrated.  We called in reinforcements, my Mom, so Shaun could get some sleep and help.  It was hard for them to have Ian eat slowly, but he did well and I was feeling better Friday evening and was able to help.  We took shifts over night, but Ian did sleep from 8 until 2.

Saturday was a little better, Ian seemed more awake, but still did vomit twice which may be due to us overfeeding him.  He didn’t sleep as well last night and I hope he sleeps more today.  Also I hope no more vomit!  We head back to the doctor tomorrow for his 2 month visit, crazy how fast it goes.  He will be getting at least 4 shots tomorrow!

We didn’t get many pictures this week, but here is one with Stanley, Ian and I hanging out…

My kids

There are a number of deer who live in our neighborhood.  I have seen up to 7 at one time crossing the street… no chicken joke here   This week a few have been spending time in the ditch and yards right around us.  Here are some pictures of them checking out Stanley and Stanley checking them out…

Want to play with me?

Do you want to join me on this side of the fence?

Hope you have a good week.  I will try to take some 2 month photos today and tomorrow to post as well!

After my doctor’s appt on Monday, Miranda brought her nephew Liam over for a ‘play date’.  At this point, the picture below shows the amount of playing involved, but the adults had fun catching up.  Liam’s mom Alicia also stopped by to meet Ian and we caught up about being new Moms.  Hopefully once Shaun starts staying home, he and Miranda will have more play dates with the boys.

Hi Dude

On Tuesday I had my first nervous mother call to the doctor.  Ian was sitting in his bouncy chair and started to vomit.  It basically came spilling out of his mouth, but he smiled after it happened.  I called the nurse at the doctor’s office and their basic advice was to wait and see what happens.   so I sent Shaun out to get some Pedilyte in case it happened again and of course, he ate fine the rest of the night and no more vomiting.  The next day he seemed a little congested and coughing, so I called the nurse again.  She suggested we come in, so since Shaun had to go to NY, my Mom came over to go to the doctor’s office with me.  The doctor basically said we were keeping the house too warm (70 degrees) and it was too dry for him.  So he suggested that we turn down the temp during the day (68 degrees) and at night (65 degrees) and start giving him some saline solution.  We have done both and it has seemed to help a little.  I am still a little nervous he may have some sensitivity to his formula, so we are going to try the Soy version.  Last night he slept much better and only woke up once to feed.  Hopefully this is a trend

We did have another play date over the weekend.  Nathan and Sammi along with their parents came up from Baltimore.  The boys basically spent no time together since they switched off sleeping, so no pictures there.  But we do have a picture of the snow baby Sammi and I made outside.  If you notice the purple hat, that is a Vikings hat that I am pretty sure was used in Minnesota to build snowmen!

Here is also a picture of Shaun, Ian and I which we don’t get often since one of us is usually taking the picture…

And finally, Ian did have a few family firsts on Saturday.  He helped his Dad win at Scrabble which is the McAdams family game and then watched (slept through) Star Wars with his Mom!!!

Did I spell that correctly?

Have a good week!!!

Although the weekend did not go as planned… few trees were cut down due to issues with the 3 chain saws (one broke and two need to be sharpened).  But we do have water now at the cabin….

Well top

Pump and Water - Yippie!!!

How does it taste?

Although it is not going into the cabin directly, the well allows us to have water for the toilet, dishes, shower and overall  use without having to bring it in with us.  This is very helpful since we will not have as much room in the Rav to be able to take Ian, Stanley and all of our necessities for the weekend.

I still have not been to the cabin since September and hoping to head up in March or April depending on the weather.  We are getting another 8 – 12 inches of snow today and tomorrow. 

Hope you are having a good week!

This was a weekend of firsts for Ian and I…

Friday was my first outing without Ian that didn’t involve shopping or the doctor’s office.  Grandma Ruth came over to stay with him.  I then went out with two friends, Sonja and Kathy, for dinner and then to a charity event.  A local charity, Indian Creek foundation, brought Alton Brown from the food network in to give a demo and lecture.  They held it in a large church in Souderton that probably sits over 1500 people.  They provided him a kitchen on the stage and then he spoke and cooked for almost 2 hours.  He was hilarious, making fun of himself, some of the other chefs at the food network and people in the audience.  He took numerous questions and it was a great night!!  I will admit that when I left I was nervous for how Ian would be, but Mom said he was good and was not very fussy.  I will have to try it again!

He attended his first birthday party on Saturday.  Hannah and Ellie turned 3 last week and John and Lisa had some family and friends over to celebrate.  Three years have gone so fast and they have grown up so fast.   It is amazing how fast they move… as you can see below it is difficult to get them to sit for pictures.  I was worried about how Ian would do for a few hours away from home and its familiarity.  He did really well.  He slept through most of the day and did well being passed around a little.  It probably helped that on Friday he didn’t sleep very much and slept a lot on Saturday.  Here are some pictures from the party….

This was the best picture of all of us we could get!

Ian and Mom enjoying the party

Ian looking over Karen's shoulder

Ian hanging with Lisa

Birthday Cupcakes

Another first for the weekend was that Grandma Ruth and I took Ian to church.  He did really well… though my arm was tired by the end of service.  I did have to take him out to the lobby a couple of times to rock him to sleep.  He seemed to enjoy the music.  I didn’t take any pictures, sorry.

The last picture I wanted to share is from what I find very cute about Ian.  When he poops, you know it.  He begins to scrunch up his face and grunts.  At times his face gets a little red as well.  I have been trying to get a picture of it for weeks and finally got it.  The face is so cute and it is nice to get a warning when he is going to go…

I am working on it Mom

Look at my arse

Today has been a very relaxed Valentine’s day.  Shaun made breakfast and we just have been watching Olympics and trying to explain to Ian all of the different sports going on.  I asked him to please not to try the luge or ski jumping, we will see what happens.  Here is a picture that I thought was cool… he was in his playmat doing tummy time and watching himself in the mirror…

Who is that handsome fella?

Finally we did get about 15 inches more of snow Tuesday night and all day Wednesday.  Shaun had to get more gas for the snowblower on Thursday to be able to handle it.  Each time it snows it seems like that is the day I am supposed to get my hair cut, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it does not show this Thursday.  Right now they are calling for 3 to 6 inches of more snow on Monday night into Tuesday.  It has by far be the most snowy winter I remember in PA for a long time.  Here are some pictures taken Tuesday night.  There was a few more inches that fell after I took these…

Between the snow and being able to watch the Olympics, this has been a nice maternity leave.  I have 6 more weeks off, the time is flying by.  We have set some time in March to try to go to Minnesota and Iowa as long as the weather is good, email me if you want some information about dates and where we will be.

Have a great week!!!  Enjoy the Olympics if you are watching!

Weight – 9 lbs 7 oz and in the 50th percentile (that is a 1 lb 5 oz gain in the last 2 weeks)

Height – 22 3/4 inches and in the 90th percentile (this is why he is growing out of the newborn clothes)

Head size – 14 15/16 inches and between the 25th and 50th percentile

Shaun and Ian getting ready for the big weigh in

Helping Ian stay warm

I also wanted to publish a photo of Ian watching the Super Bowl and it actually includes a picture of me since I am usually the photographer.  Ian made it until about 9:00 pm before falling asleep, but of course as soon as I took him up to bed, it woke up and didn’t actually go to sleep until 11 pm after more food.

Ian's shocked at the Saint's comeback!

Keep your fingers crossed we don’t get additional snow this week, the snowblower is really getting its workout   At the moment it looks like we may get 11 more inches on Wednesday.