More fun adventures - Botanical Gardens

So Friday Nathan and I met Stacy and Ethan to go for a walk. Stacy and I were in childbirth & breastfeeding classes together. Then after our boys were born, 12 days apart, we saw each other at breast feeding support group and in the community. After all these occasions of meeting we exchanged numbers and will start meeting to walk and do other things as the boys get older. Oh - we also live very near one another!
Saturday Nathan and I went with Rebecca (our friend from home group) to the Botanical Gardens. This was a site of Denver I had never seen so I was very excited. Nathan was good as always and snoozed a lot in his stroller as we walked all over the gardens. Rebecca and I had a great time looking and chatting! Also - you know you've lived in a place for a while when you start to see people you know out & about. I ran into Paul, a photographer we contract with through JWU, and his family!
While Nathan and I were out having fun, Jason was home tearing down our back fence and weeding. He also got the Corvette out and washed. He was able to take it out for a spin and will drive it tonight to his Mason meeting. Then he'll have to put her back up for the winter!
At this same time, Grandma Wanda was at a Tot Trade......for 7 hours.....only getting through 2 rows!!! She found lots of goodies for her Nathan!
Sunday we went to church and out to eat. We got a second kitchen faucet in hopes it will be our last! Nathan and I cat napped until Jason got Nathan so I could really take a nap. It was heavenly.
Nathan has also slept through the night for the last 3 nights, so we are sending up prayers that he is back on schedule and will continue sleeping through the night. Those 3 weeks of him not - about did me in!!
Today I go for a follow-up CT on my chest in hopes we can get to the bottom of this 2 year cough!

Threw a photo of Jason off to Masons in here - so you know I still keep him around! :)

Shots & Anniversary

There is so much going on this week that you get two new blogs!

First of all Nathan got his 4 month shots on Tuesday - Jason went with us this time. Nathan was fine for the physical check-up but cried when they gave him the 5 shots in his legs! He weighed 15.71/2 pounds (50th percentile) was 26 inches long (75th percentile) and his head was 42cm. The doctor said his growth was great and that he looked perfect. He even showed her how he can roll over on her examining table. She also said he was ready to start solid foods (rice cereal) when I was. So he cried a little and napped a little, got some Tylenol and napped a little more and then started screaming around 8:30 pm until 10:00pm and woke up all during the night! So we are a little tired this morning.

Secondly, today, Jason and I celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary. The traditional gift was glass - so we finished up one of the glasses for our stemware. This gift was a little more for me, so I got him the modern gift - leather! I bought him two leather belts that he can interchange all his belt buckles on. Nathan then got him a Masonic belt buckle to wear on it. This is all a surprise for tonight!

We also have Nathan's 4 month photos - that are now over 2 weeks old - but you can see how much he's growing in them! What a cutie!

Girls' Weekend and other stuff

Friday night Jason took Nathan to the Masonic lodge to show him off. Of course he was as good as could be! Jason was the proud papa!

Saturday my friend Karen arrived (13 weeks pregnant!) and she Nathan and I had a day out. We started with a USC alum "viewing party" to watch the game. Once we realized there was no food - or food to purchase, we made our exit to have lunch. Once home again we chilled out and caught up with one another until time for church. Church was followed by dinner out. That evening we went through maternity clothes - hoping to get another use out of some of mine I acquired during my pregnancy.

Sunday we had a lazy morning and then Jason watched Nathan while Karen and I had a little one-on-one girl time. We had lunch and then Karen cut 12 inches off her hair to donate to Locks of Love! From there I had a pedicure which was heavenly and she had a manicure. We did some domestic shopping and headed back home. That night the four of us had a picnic in our den and watched a movie.

Monday Nathan got to play hookie from daycare and stayed home with Karen. That evening after work the three of us went to see Nathan's day care and then the four of us went out to eat.

Tuesday Karen and I left the house at 4:30am to get her to the airport on time. With Nathan not sleeping through the night for the last 2.5 weeks I'm literally about to drop!

Testicles - Scrotum... What's the difference?!?!

Pictures: First pictures of Nathan naked! Then Nathan drooling in his swing, not sure he's happy in the swing and finally laughing!

There are rarely dull moments anymore! Friday and Monday I worked making student ID's for new and returning students. Sunday I was at a location for our "Urban Safari" handing out clues to the next location - this was done to help our new students learn about a few hot spots in Denver.

Friday while I was working check-in I got a call from daycare that Nathan was cranky and that his right testicle was swollen and larger than the left - no I'm not kidding. So I called the nurse and she said the swelling could be anything from a hernia to fluid - but since he was grumpy to bring him in. So in the cold and drizzle I took Nathan to a 5:15pm appointment where I saw the nurse, the physician assistant, the nurse again, the physician assistant again and a pediatrician we'd not seen before. An hour and a half later the verdict was that Nathan was fine. He had what was called "hydra seal" and it was so slight they were amazed the daycare noticed it - I don't know that I would have! Also the testicles were fine.....the scrotum was a little swollen. The tubes that the testicles descend from seal off around 6-9 months, until then fluid can get into the scrotum - this is what happened. Nathan was very patient as everyone listened to his chest and back, took his blood oxygen levels, looked in his ears, nose & throat and DIAPER! Oh - he weighed 14.14 - so not as heavy as I thought he was.

Saturday was still chilly and Jason was still getting over his cold. We spent most of the day around the house catching up on some cleaning and organizing and of course spending time with Nathan!

Sunday Jason took Nathan to his first Mason's breakfast at 7am. Mommy fed him and then slept in while they were gone! Jason said Nathan could not have been any better or any cuter. He let the men hold him and smiled at them. He cuddled into them playing shy - and when the food came Jason put him in his car seat and he went to sleep! I'm not sure it would happen this perfectly for me.....but I'm glad that Daddy got to show off his big boy! That afternoon I went to work (see above) and Nathan and Daddy spent several hours together playing and doing boy stuff - especially since Nathan didn't want to be put down most of the day and didn't really sleep again until later!

Last night when Jason went to his Mason meeting I got my one on one time with Nathan! :)

This week we are counting down to a visit from my good friend, Karen, from Columbia, SC. You'll have to log on next week to see all the fun things we planned!

Professional Pictures from 3 months.....

I was able to copy these from the websites - so I can share them and keep them forever! Enjoy!

Nathan is 4 months old - and can roll over!

Pictures: First 4 are Nathan at 4 months (with monkey and crib toy that he loves). #5 is at Elitch Gardens right before he fell asleep during the dog show. #6-#8 is our church service - the large building to the right is our North Campus church. #9 is Nathan matching his frog blanket!

Today Nathan turns 4 months old and last night he "officially" rolled over. He's been doing a 3/4 roll, but his arm kept getting in the way - so we didn't count it. Last night full 100% from back to stomach! We are super proud of him!
We had a busy weekend. Saturday was Jason's company day at Elitch Gardens (Six Flags) so we spent about 4 hours there before heading over to "Taste of Colorado" for about an hour. We came home to relax and for Jason to watch the Clemson game. Sunday our church had our "Celebration Service" where both locations and all 6 services were combined into one. We had it outdoors this year and took our tent for our home group to sit under. Thankfully they still had the nursery indoors so Nathan chilled out inside while we were outside. That afternoon we walked over to our neighbor's for a cookout and had a great time meeting and talking with new people - until the rain drove us home. Finally on Monday we chilled. We went out once for lunch and groceries and then stayed in the rest of the day getting ready for the work week.
We have a suspicion that Nathan has our allergies, but we're praying he doesn't! After being outdoors he had red eyes and a rash on his check. Then the next morning - congestion and a little cough without fever. My cough is awful right now so I'm trying to get in to see my allergist. Maybe it's just something in the air..... or he got another cold from daycare. Not sure.
Thursday I will go for my screening to become a milk donor to "Mother's Milk" and make my first donation. I will be donating a minimum of 150 ounces to be used for sick or preemie babies that their mommies are not able to produce milk or not enough. I had a talk with Nathan beforehand and he said as long as he got what he needed I could help other babies. We're trying to teach service early. I must have pretty good milk since Nathan is probably 16 or more pounds and has officially outgrown the bassinet - even I can't deny it anymore!
So that was our exciting Labor Day weekend. We loved having 3 1/2 days together. Every weekend should be 3 days!