6 Month Checkup

Bryce had his 6 month checkup this morning. I've got to be honest - he's not as fat as I thought! He weighs 19 lbs. 10 oz., which is about the 95%ile in weight. Ok, so he's a little fat, but he weighs less than I thought he did. But he also grew height-wise! He's 27.5" tall, which is the 75%ile. Previously, he has always been at the 50%ile in height, so he's had a little growth spurt. (For the record, there was a GIANT 9 month old there today. He weighed 28 lbs and was a good 6 inches or so taller than Bryce. He's off the charts, whereas Bryce is just on the high side of normal!)

The doctor was very impressed with his almost-sitting and passing of objects back and forth between his hands. Actually, I'm not sure that she REALLY was impressed, but she makes you feel like she is, and that's what counts.

Tooth #3

Tooth #3 is on its way! The corner of a top tooth just broke the skin. Bryce didn't have any trouble when he was getting his two bottom teeth, but I think these top ones hurt a bit more. This is where I give a shout out to infant Tylanol.

We finally took our Christmas card picture yesterday, so those will be going out this week. Better late than never, I suppose! Bryce has a big smile in the picture we chose. Duncan is making a funny face, but I guess we've moved to the point that a good picture of Bryce is more important than a good one of Dunc. Poor puppy!

Christmas Pictures

We took Bryce to get Christmas pictures done last week. Is it just me, or does he look 5 YEARS old?! Enjoy!

5 Months and counting...

Can't believe Bryce is over 5 months already. Here's a few updated pictures.


My new walker! My feet are just a blur, they are moving so fast!


Superman!


Who me?!

November Hiatus

Well, I guess I've been on a blogging hiatus this month. We were fully recovered from the binge-eating and -drinking we did in Mexico, only to repeat that scenario last week at Thanksgiving.

Alex's grandpa, Trit, passed away last week. The funeral was Tuesday and Wednesday in Pensacola. It was a very hard time for all with the holidays coming up, but it was really good to see his extended family that we hadn't seen in several years. I've always contended that funerals are more about the (living) family reuniting and spending time together than it is about mourning the departed. Sad that it takes such a significant event to get the family together, though.

On a lighter note, we took family pictures for my side of the family on Saturday. (As a humerous side note, the last time we did family pictures, my youngest sister was in 3rd grade. Now she's a sophomore in college!) Unfortunately, it rained. And was 35 degrees. I'm not sure how good the pics will turn out, but I'll definitely post the link when we get them back.

Also this past weekend, we decorated the house for Christmas! It's taking me a lot longer to do this year than in the past. With the new house, I have to decide where everything is going to go, etc. At the old house, I had my routine down pat. I could go from nothing to Christmas in a few hours flat! There's still some work to be done both inside and out, but the tree is up! Bryce was taking a nap when we put it up and decorated. When he woke up, I told him we had a surprise for him. I brought him out to see the tree, and his eyes lit up! Babies love lots of lights and bright, shiny things. Christmas with Alex was great, but it's going to be tons more fun from here on out. :)

Viva la Mexico!

Cabo was incredible. The weather was perfect, and the wedding was beautiful. I already want to plan the next trip down there! Here's a few pictures.

Wedding day!

The new happy family

Incredibly large waves! You normally can't swim on the beach because of the undertow, but waves of this size were not the usual.

Sunset catamaran cruise

Pumpkin Patch

Our trip to the pumpkin patch on Saturday was definitely more for mom and dad than for our little punkin. He really wasn't interested at all, but we ended up getting a few good pictures.

Hey mom, what's bigger? My cheeks or this pumpkin?

Uh, guys? What's going on here?

Finally - a pic of the teeth!

Check out these two pearly whites! Note: No children were harmed in the taking of this photo - although it may look like we pinned him down. :)

Elvis has left the building!

Here's a couple of pics of the adorable Elvis costume. We got so many compliments at the party last night!

And then there were two...

Tooth #2 is coming in alongside its brother. You can just barely see it coming through the gum now. Again, I tried for pictures last night, but he just won't hold still long enough to get one in focus.


On another note, this picture of Alex and big brudder Duncan is adorable. Duncan laid his head on Alex's arm while they were watching TV together.

5 years and counting...

Happy Anniversary, Alex! Can't believe it's been 5 years already. I am looking forward to at least 50 more!

Life's a Beach

My husband took Bryce to Pensacola over the weekend to see his grandparents. Bryce was good on the plane again (and this time there was a 3 hour delay). Everyone enjoyed meeting the little guy for the first time, and Uncle Frank couldn't understand how Alex got such a good baby. No payback this time around, I guess.

Bryce also went to the beach for the first time! Alex said that Bryce was laughing out loud when he had to blow the sand off his feet. (By the way - check out the rolls in those legs! Could you just eat him up?!)

Jaws

Bryce has a tooth! I can't believe it. One of his little bottom teeth has broken through the gum, so you can just see the top of it. I am trying desperately to get a picture, but it's not easy. Maybe I can take a pic while he's sleeping tonight.

He also had his 4 month checkup yesterday. He's 25 inches (50%), 16 lb 8 oz. (80%). He's growing so fast!

Fat Chance

I knew there was a fat chance in getting all of those household projects done over the weekend, but I did really try. Let's recap the list, shall we?

• Costco trip Will do tonight
• Paint the doors in the kitchen Nope
• Wallpaper the dining room 50% complete. Should have included line item for "Strip Existing Wallpaper in the dining room", which is now 100% complete. Ugh
• Put pictures in Bryce's 12 Month frame (we are a third of the way through the first year, and it's still bare) Nope
• Run to the Crate and Barrel outlet to pick up some more serving dishes for the party Nope
• Address party invitations and mail Addresses done. Not mailed yet
• Make the kitchen bench seats, which also means a trip to Hobby Lobby for fabric Complete!

As I said, valiant effort. But still much to do...

Home Alone

Today begins my first weekend being home alone without the husband or the baby. (They are in FL visiting grandparents.) This has not ever happened since we had Bryce, so I'm anxious to see how it goes. I have these grandiose ideas of completing every house project I have been putting off for the last 4 months, but those may give way to sleeping in and catching up on Tivo. Here's the list of things to accomplish in the next 48 hours:

• Costco trip
• Paint the doors in the kitchen
• Wallpaper the dining room
• Put pictures in Bryce's 12 Month frame (we are a third of the way through the first year, and it's still bare)
• Run to the Crate and Barrel outlet to pick up some more serving dishes for the party
• Address party invitations and mail
• Make the kitchen bench seats, which also means a trip to Hobby Lobby for fabric

Hey, I SAID it was a grandiose list. Hopefully I will get half this stuff done! I'll keep you posted...

"Look at his hair" Hit Counter

You know how websites have a counter that displays how many times the page has been viewed? Well, there's a new addition to my blog: how many times I hear "Look at that baby's hair!" while walking through public places. Yesterday's count in the Phoenix airport: 5

We had a great trip to Phoenix. Bryce was so good on the plane, too. What a relief! The weather was beautiful (80 degrees, not a cloud in the sky), and the wedding was so pretty and fun. Also, Bryce went swimming for the first time, and he loved it!

Bryce's dressy wedding outfit was cute. Cuter than on the hanger. And thank goodness it had pants and a cardigan because it got cold on Saturday night. I'll let you be the judge of it:

No Girls Allowed

I am going to start an all boys' clothing store called "No Girls Allowed".

My idea is prompted by the fact that I have been searching all week for a cute, dressy outfit for Bryce to wear to my cousin's wedding this weekend. (Which is in Phoenix, where it's still 95 degrees) Every store I've been to has approximately 85% girls clothes, 15% boys. And of that 15%, 14.5% of it is sports-themed. In addition, the few dressy things they have are usually dorky. You know... peter pan color, balloon legged, girly gathers across the chest, etc. I don't necessarily want him to look like a rough-and-tumble little boy, but I would like him to at least be identifiable as a boy!

My last ditch attempt at something appropriate and cute was Chocolate Soup. I did find something there, but I wouldn't say I'm totally crazy about it. It'll have to do. Check back for pictures next week.

Weigh In

Bryce went to the doctor this morning for a rash on his forehead. (No worries - will go away on its own.) But they did weigh him... he tipped the scales at 16 lbs 9 oz. My little butterball!

Couch Potato

Bryce's new thing is watching TV. Like father, like son, I guess. When he gets tired of tummy time and Baby E (that's Baby Einstein), we watch TV together. Last weekend, he and I cuddled on the couch to watch some Austin Powers. I know, probably not the most educational show for the 3 month old, but funny none the less. He does watch Sesame Street at Nana's house, though.

Bumbo seat and cute pictures

Here's something I've been wondering about.... what happens when your child outgrows the Bumbo seat (his thighs get stuck - you pick him up and the whole seat comes with him!), but he can't sit up yet? I guess he'll have to be propped up in the Boppy pillow. Good thing that is expandable!!

Here's a couple of cute recent pictures. He only wore the sunglasses for a few minutes, but gosh, he was cute in them!!

Tivo should be online

You know what I wish? That I could program my Tivo from my computer. I always think of shows I want to see when I'm away from home. Then when I get home, my mind is blank. I wish I could login to my Tivo from any internet location and tell it to record.

I thought of this because one of my friends is going to see the Oprah show tomorrow! I want to Tivo it so I can see her on TV, but I know I will forget to set it up tonight.

I'm sure there's some way you can setup your Tivo to work this way... but I have no idea how.

Common Boat Ramp Courtesy

Yesterday was a frustrating day at the lake. Please indulge me this tirade...

It seemed like a normal day at the lake, until we had to pull the boat out of the water. I dropped Alex off at the marina to get the truck, and I pulled the boat around to the boat ramp. These are our normal duties, and we are both quick and efficient. However, it seems we were unaware it was Idiot Day at Lake Grapevine.

• There was a small fishing boat, family of 4, and their 2 golden retrievers parked on the side of the ramp. (Mind you, only 1 boat can be launched at a time right now because of the flooding, so it's a tight squeeze to begin with.) The dogs were playing fetch in the water, so the trucks, trailers and boats all had to dodge them.
• After several sucessful boat launches, a white Expedition backs down the ramp. No boat headed over to it. After 5 minutes, the Expedition is still sitting there, waiting for its boat. I noticed the bumpers on the trailer defined it as belonging to a Ski Nautique boat. I look around me (as I am endlessly circling waiting for Alex's turn on the ramp and baking in the sun), and there is no Nautique boat among the 5 that were patiently waiting for their trailer. Another 5 minutes go by, and I finally see the Nautique rounding the corner. I am close to them on my 50th lap around the marina and ask "Are you waiting for a white Expedition?" "Why, yes" she answered, like I was psychic or something. I replied "He's been waiting for you on the ramp for 10 minutes!" Apparently she had gone out for one last little spin after she dropped him off to get the truck. (More on women boaters in a moment.)
• At long last, Alex backed down the trailer. I pulled the boat on, he latched it, and we were out. Total elapsed time: 4 minutes, tops. I even got an attaboy from the fishing family: "I give you a 10 for boat parking!" I replied, "Yeah, I don't see how it's that hard."

Finally, women boaters... this scenario did not occur yesterday; however, I've seen it enough times that I feel compelled to include it today. For some reason, a large proportion of women feel that they cannot drive a boat. In fact, they do nothing with the boat but ride beside their husbands. I understand there are women who feel their sole responsibility is to be Arm Candy. So, it's to the husbands that I say "Do not buy a boat then!" What happens is this.... the husband pulls the boat up to the boat ramp, and jumps out to get the car. The child of said Arm Candy then has the responsibility of standing in the water to hold the boat until Daddy comes down with the trailer, thus taking up an entire lane of the boat ramp. (You can see this is especially a problem when only 1.5 lanes of the ramp are open to begin with.) After Daddy brings down the trailer, he then gets back in the boat, drives it onto the trailer, gets out, hooks it up, etc etc etc. before finally pulling the boat out of the water. All the while, the Arm Candy wife works on her tan, oblivious to the other 10 boats trying to also get out of the water in a timely fashion.

Men: Either teach your wife to drive the boat, or don't buy one.

Arm Candy: You are giving women a bad name. We can drive boats, too. In fact, we can drive them very well with a little practice. This is not one of those soley Y chromosome things, such as mowing the lawn. ;)

First Haircut!

Yes, another post that pertains to Bryce's hair.

He had his first haircut on Saturday... at 12 weeks old! Just trimmed up his bangs, over his ears, and in the back. Then Daddy decided that she didn't take enough off, so he got out the clippers when we got home to take off a little more! Adorable.

Bad Mom Day #1

Yesterday was my first day as a bad mother. I'm sure there will be many more to come, but here's a recap of yesterday's bad mom activities....

• While clipping Bryce's nails, I cut his finger. It didn't appear to hurt him, but it wouldn't stop bleeding. In fact, I had to change his outfit after his nap because he had little blood spots all over it.
• I dressed him in his "Going to Grandma's" onesie to meet my parents for lunch. I noticed it was a little tight, but didn't realize why until we got there. It was a Newborn size. Meaning for 5-8 pounders. Well, he's about 14 lbs. Poor kid. He just had to suck it in until we got home.
• The bathtub water was a little too warm. He didn't complain at all, but his skin was pink when he got out.

Sorry, little man. I'm doing the best I can. Let's just say that we are growing together. Hopefully by the time you move out in 18 years, I won't still be cutting you with fingernail clippers. :)

Welcome Derek!

Bryce got a new cousin today. Actually, I'm not sure what the techinal term is... it's my husband's cousin's new little boy. (I'm sure this is the situation where you use "twice removed" or something like that? Who knows.) Derek Edward was born this morning at 4:30 am, 6 lb even and 19". Can't wait to meet you!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

First, I'd like to dedicate this post to Joanna. She was appalled that I had a video camera, but had yet to use it by the time Bryce was 10 weeks old. (How much video can you take of a sleeping baby?!) Well, Jo, here you go. I busted out the ol' video cam at 11 weeks 6 days. And just in time, too, because Bryce rolled over for the first time!!

The day before the Big Roll (yesterday), he looked pretty close to going over. So, I got out the video camera, charged up the batteries, and began reading the instruction manual. This morning, I put him on his blanket for some tummy time, and within 2 minutes, he had rolled over! In fact he did it one more time before I was able to get the video camera rolling. At first I thought it was an accident, but 3 rolls definitely means he knows what he's doing. Enjoy!

Little Man's stats

He's growing like a weed... Actually, I think the saying should be "Growing like a puppy". You know how puppies mature into an adult within the first year of life? I think that's what's going to happen to Bryce.

At birth, he was 6 lbs 13 oz and 19" long. At two weeks, he was 7 lbs 15 oz and 20". At two months, he's a whopping 13 lbs 5 oz and 23". Incredible. He's at the 90th percentile in weight, but only the 50th percentile in height. I guess that makes him a short, fat man. :)

Copycat

Two of my friends have started this blogging thing... as a reader, it's a great way for me to stay in touch with what's going on in their lives. So what the heck? I'm on the bandwagon.

I'm a new working mom with an 11 week old son, Bryce. I've been a consultant for 7 years, which I love. My husband is in sales for a consumer electronics company, which he loves. Now we have a (human) son, that you guessed it, we love. Bryce also has an adorable "big brudder" cocker spaniel named Duncan, whom we also love.

I'll start with an explanation of my blog's title, "Look at that hair!" These are the words that are spoken by everyone who has come in contact with my son. "Look at all that hair!" "Wow, check out his hair!" "I wish I had that much hair!" (spoken by most men, young and old) In fact, I'm not sure that anyone can say they actually know what Bryce's face looks like, because their eyes stop at the hair.

I will say, though, that the hair plays a large part in Bryce's life. Washing it is a big job. Also, we have a "hair drying chair", aka the Bumbo seat. After his bath, Bryce sits in the bumbo seat to have his hair combed and styled. Then he remains in the hair drying chair until his hair is completely dry. This is an essential step, really... otherwise, he'll have a lion's mane within an hour. (I have to admit that the lion's mane is adorable - sometimes I purposely skip the bumbo seat just to see it stick up all over his head!)

One more thing I should explain... I'll be signing all my posts as the "Swedish Nanny". The reason is this... my husband is of Italian descent, which means he has olive skin, dark hair, dark eyes, etc. I, however, am of Scandanavian descent, which means paler skin, green eyes, and blonde hair. When I was pregnant, I would say that the baby had no chance of looking like me at all... those Italian genes are way too strong. That's when my mom said I would look like the baby's Swedish Nanny. (Turns out Bryce does actually look like me feature-wise, but has his dad's coloring. A handsome combination, I might add!)