Duncan 3 and 4 months

I can hardly believe this little boy is 4 months old.  Time is flying by.  Duncan was quite a fussy baby, but has really turned a corner and is so chill and content for the most part now.  He is such a joy and just refreshing for me right now.  I love this stage where they begin to interact with you.  Here is a little bit of what he is doing lately.  

3Months:
Sleeps - still does not love naps unless it is a quick cat nap on the go or on his tummy

-More and more content and chill 

-Loves to smile

-Started cooing (Caroline loves this) 

-Feeding schedule is 7am, 10, 2pm, 5, and 8pm. (We are close to making the bed time earlier as he is so -sleepy by 7pm typically)

-Wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes 

-Started "playing" with his toys that hang in bouncy seat and car seat
-Loves his paci

Some other favorite pics at 3 months.

4Months:

14 lbs and 6oz.  27 inches long 

Sleep - Around 3.5 months he started napping more in his bed instead of always on the go/little cat naps.  He will still nap on the go for the most part which is very helpful some days, but if we are home for a nap time, he will go down in his bed.  If we are home, he takes a morning nap about 9, mid day nap around 11:45 or noon (usually takes this one on the go), afternoon nap about 2 and then one more cat nap about 6pm.  

He eats at 7, 10, 1 or 2(depending on the day), 4, and 7.  We are in the process of unswaddling for sleeping right now and transitioning to the sleep sack.  We are doing one arm at a time, so far so good with the first arm out.    

-still so smiley

-has found his toes/feet

-loves rolling side to side, but not rolling all over yet

-can grab toys and put in his mouth

-really likes cuddling with a lovey 

-sitting in the bumbo some

Duncan 1 and 2 months

I am playing major catch up on the little man, but I am determined to document as much as I can this first year with our sweet boy.  I wanted to put these two posts together because I love the comparison.  In month 1 D looks half asleep and by month 2 it is like he woke up to check out whats going on in the world!  

(Bullet points below are for me and totally random.  Duncan is almost 3 months as I write and I am trying to go back and remember as I type). 

Stats at 1 month:

10 lbs (50%) and 23.75 in. (98%)

• My most alert baby 
• Loves to sleep on his tummy (we do this during the day for naps as we have a pack in play downstairs in the den)
• Sadly, doesn't get a bath very often, but thankfully babies smell good anyway
• From the start could take 3-4 hour stretches at night
• The first month I had a hard time getting little man to go back to sleep after a feeding in the middle of the night - never usually crying just awake
• He spits up the least of any of my kids
• He kicks and moves more than I remember the girls doing 
• Takes a bottle great
• Loves his paci
• He lives in a carseat, stroller, baby bjorn, or the pack in play
• He gained above his birth weight pretty quickly so I stopped waking him up for feedings in the middle of the night early on (probably around 2 weeks).  At some point towards the end of that month he would do a 4-5 hour stretch.

Stats at 2 months:
12lbs 10oz (50%) and 24.50 in (98%)

• Still alert and awake lots during the day - He lives on "cat naps."
• Around 3-8 weeks I felt like he was pretty fussy during the day too (due to being tired and on the go so much). 
• At 2 months, He would typically take a 6 hour stretch at night.  I fed him around 9:30pm, put him down, and he would wake up around 3 or 3:30, feed him, and then go back down until about 6:30am.  
• Started grinning and smiling around 8 weeks
• He seemed to be a little more predictable and into a small routine by 8 weeks
• More content when awake once we got past 8 weeks or so
• When we have gone out of town he loves sleeping in the moses basket, so I put that in his crib to sleep inside 
• Went to Birmingham and to the lake Hartwell for the first time 
• Loves to push up against my legs and "stand" when I hold him facing me 
• Still has a good amount of hair, but has lost lots compared to birth

First Few Weeks

A look into the first few weeks at home with Duncan.  

P.S. Just started using blogger app on my phone and that is now officially the only way I will be getting any posts on here!  So easy and quick! 

A blue bow! 

Sisters welcome little brother home!

1 week old and lounging at the pool on Memorial day.

Caroline wrapped up preschool for the year on 5/21 

We spent a lot of time here the first couple weeks

My little helpers

Sweet little grin

Helper #1 and second mom

Helper #2 and up to no good :)

Could not have made it without grandparent's help!

The many faces of Duncan

Nothing sweeter

(wearing one of John's shirts as a baby).

It's a BOY!

John "Duncan" Phelps 

was born Monday, May 20 at 11:11am

7lbs 15oz and 21in.  

We are so in love with our little man!  

Here is a little recap of the day Duncan arrived. 

This is Monday morning about 8:15am.  Mom was already in town (thank goodness)!  While I was making the girls breakfast I started to feel some contractions about every 10 mins.  When we took this pic I had only had about 3-4 and had not even called John to come home from work.  I think I was a little in denial that I was actually in labor.  

Soon after this picture, we put Annie down for a nap, C started watching Sesame Street and I went to pack my bags as the contractions continued.  And I did call John to come home!

John got home about 9 and mom snapped a quick picture in between contractions.  We headed for the hospital about 9:15.  At that point, my contractions were every 6-7 mins.  

Checked into the hospital about 9:45am.  John sweetly tried to tell the L&D nurses I have pretty fast labors (aka speed this up lady).  She didn't really "get it" until I told her my L&D nurse with Annie delivered Annie because the doctor didn't make it to the room in time.  Needless to say, they got things going pretty quickly after that and the on call doctor did not go very far.    

I had just enough time to get my epidural and let it set in. 

Then, baby brother arrived at 11:11am - exactly 3 hours after I had been playing in the playhouse with the girls.  Not exactly what I was expecting for the day, but a wonderful surprise! 

We were also pretty shocked to hear, "It's a boy!" 

I think we just assumed girl since that is all we knew.  It still feels surreal sometimes to say, he, him, boy, etc.  

Below are a few more pics from Duncan's first day and meeting some family.  

Mimi

Papa

Yaya

Aunt Josephine

Little baby blue hat...I still love seeing blue around our house! 

Big sisters! 

The girls were really excited!  Especially Caroline as she had been saying for about a month that the baby was for sure going to be a boy.  She said she really wanted a brother because she already had a sister.  She is still in love with him and loves knowing exactly where he is at all times and what he is doing.  Annie has been a trooper and not really missed a beat.  Most of the time, she is oblivious and the rest of the time, she just yells "baby!" when she hears him cry or doesn't know where he is.   

These pics were also some of my favorite from the hospital.  It was a bit chaotic in the that small room keeping both girls entertained and not running around like crazy.  

It is still chaotic at home (and will continue to be, I'm sure), but thankfully we have a little more space to give each other! 

In the next post, I will put up pictures of our first couple weeks at home so far.