Almost 3 Months!

Baby Charlie is 1 week away from being 3 months old - I can't  believe how fast time goes!  Month 2 was filled with lots of exciting stuff - smiles, laughs,the first signs of rolling over, pool parties, music class, concerts, baseball games, dance parties with mommy, brunch with his girlfriends and officially meeting all the great-grandparents.

Charlie is such a happy little man - he loves to smile at us and talk to us (basically gurgle) and we think it is such a rewarding feeling.  Although we are not sure what he is trying to say, we can definitely tell it is something good because when he talks, his eyes are smiling and bright!     I wish I could bottle up the feeling I have when I look at him - it makes me so happy and proud

But lets talk about music class...  Each week I take him to Whole Foods where they have different music programs for kids.  I get very excited for this class because I wait in anticipation to see how he will react to the music and all the other kids/babies around him.  However, Charlie loves to sleep during the class and then wakes up right when it ends - not what I had in mind for him!  So,  last week I had the genius idea of waking him up when we got to class by giving him a bottle while we listened to the music.  There we were, rockin' out to Itsy Bitsy Spider and I feel something warm running down my leg and I was quite confused.  I look down to find a "gift" from his diaper all over my leg.  He had a major diaper explosion that was getting all over the both of us.  I sat there for a minute completely stunned thinking "what does a mom do in this situation"    I had to act quick before the smell traveled to other people around us, so I discreetly cleaned us up the best that I could and got the heck out of there so I could go finish the clean up in the car.  (in the meantime, he was just smiling away which made me laugh)  I was very proud of how calm I remained during this "emergency"  and I would like to thank Charlie for that - he has definitely made me realize the meaning of the phrase "just roll with it" I have a feeling Charlie and I will be "rolling with it" a lot!!

2 Months Old

Brunch with the Zeta Ladies and their babies (and babies on the way!)

Great Grandma Arducant

Great Grandpa and Grandma Amato

Great Grandma Amato

Great Grandpa Amato

Great Grandma Hamilton

Sip & See Party at Grandma Sue's House

Pool Party at Maelin's House

Play Time - always a family affair!

I can roll over! 

Happy Baby :)

I love to smile :)

 

7 Weeks...

Here we are, 7 weeks into Charlie's life - we can't believe how fast the time is going, everyday he does something new and he is growing by the minute!  At his 1 month appointment, he already weighed 11 lbs 15 oz !  He is our little chunky monkey :)

These past few weeks have been very busy for Charlie - he went on his first vacation to Florida, (traveling with him was very easy - thanks for all the tips Kyla!) he went to the zoo for the first time with Mommy, Maelin and Aunt Crissy, (Charlie and Maelin had no idea they were at the zoo because they slept the entire time) he attended his first "grown-up" party  with Mommy and Daddy's friends, (congrats Katie & Michael!) he had his first "work experience" when he and Mommy went to visit Daddy at the office, (he was definitely a hit among Daddy's co-workers) and he is a frequent visitor to the gym day care while Mommy works out (again, he has no clue he is there because he tends to sleep the entire time)

Each day with Charlie is so amazing - he is awake for most of the day now and he is definitely more active -  he loves to move his arms and legs every which way, he has found his voice and makes the cutest sounds, and he has started to smile.  Our favorite part of the day with Charlie is the morning - he wakes up "talking" to himself and when we go into his room to get him up, he is so smiley and happy - it is the perfect way to start our day.

Until our next update...

Love,
Jenny, Steve & Charlie

1 Month Old

I love my bath time

Chillin' by the pool in Florida

Dipping my toes in the pool with Daddy

Dipping my toes in the ocean with Mommy

I am so big!

Baby Charlie is Here!

CHARLES KEVIN HAMILTON

MARCH 26, 2011

2:14pm

8lbs 7oz ; 21 3/4 inches

We obviously are a little late in updating our blog with the arrival of our baby boy, Charlie.  But, we have been soaking up every moment with him and just can't get enough.  Each moment is so special and we can't believe 3 weeks have gone by already!  It has been an amazing 3 weeks and we have embraced parent hood and welcomed this tiny little human into our lives and our hearts.  He is the best thing that has happened to us and we are having so much fun.   Charlie has had quite the personality from day 1 - he definitely knows what he wants and is not afraid to let us know when he wants or needs something :)  He is a great eater and sleeper and he is always very alert when he is awake.  He is getting stronger and stronger as the days go by and we are amazed at all he can do already.  He loves to stare at his mommy and daddy and hold our fingers and reach for our faces.  He is also getting really good at picking his head up during tummy time and he loves when we introduce new toys to him.  Each day something new happens with Charlie and we wait in anticipation for what it may be! 

4 Days Old

1 Week Old

1 Week Old

2 Weeks Old

3 Weeks Old

Going Home Outfit

My First Day Home

My dog, Kenadee

My dog, Bosee

Tummy Time!  [ it's a family affair :) ]

Sleeping like Mommy

My cousin Maelin  - we were both hungry!

My first golf lesson with Daddy - he really wore me out!

I am not sure how I feel about stuffed animals yet...

Still no baby...

St. Patrick's Day has come and gone and here we are still waiting for Baby H to arrive.  Jenny is officially almost two days past her due date and she is still feeling pretty good.  Yesterday, we went to go see Little Maelin Hood in hopes that she would convince Baby H to come out . . . but no luck.  So today we walked 3 miles to the store and in hopes that it would loosen some stuff up.  We'll see.....

5 Days to Go?!?

So, I am the worst "blogger" ever!  I have not updated our blog since the beginning of December - oops!  Since December, we have been busy preparing for the arrival of our Baby Boy, enjoying our last days of "Jenny + Steve" and thinking of all the great memories ahead as we start our family.   I will sum up all the stuff we have been doing these past few weeks and maybe it will justify my lack of blogging :)

• Celebrated Christmas
• Finished the nursery
• Baby Showers
• Annual Amato Family Ski Trip - Snowmass, CO  (of course I did not ski, but Baby H and I did hike 2,000 vertical feet - pretty good for being 7 1/2 months pregnant!  We also snowshoed with Daddy when he took a break from skiing) 
• Knee surgeries for both of our dogs (don't ask!)
• Welcoming our niece!!!  Maelin Olivia Hood 3.10.11

We are now down to the final countdown - 5 days until "D-Day"  We can't believe how fast these past 40 weeks have gone and we are so excited to meet our little guy! 

Will he be a St. Patty's Day Baby as planned???  Stay tuned.......

Christmas 2010

Baby H's Room

Baby H's Room

Kenadee & Bosee are ready for their little brother!

1st Family Ski Trip

Great Grandpa John & Great Uncle John

Baby H's Cousin - Maelin Olivia Hood!  She can't wait to meet him :)







The 1st Parenting Class

This past weekend, Steve and I attended our first parenting class:  Infant/Child CPR & Safety.  We can't believe we are already at this point in the process but I am already 6 months pregnant so it makes sense - right?!  I have been certified in Infant/Child  and Adult CPR since I have been 14 because of life guarding and teaching spin, so I knew the CPR part would just be a review and I would breeze right through this class.   However, when the video started playing and they were showing real-life examples of infant CPR, I started crying!  (thank you hormones)  All I kept thinking about was something happening to our little boy and having to use what we were learning in class.  Is this normal to think these thoughts?  I am not sure,  but I can tell you that my "protective mommy-mode" set in while we were in this class!  I noticed my hands were on my belly for most of the class and 'I kept thinking I have to do everything I can to keep him safe now and for the rest of his life.'  And I was also thinking, 'I hope no one in this class can tell I have been crying over a CPR video' :) 

Overall the class was very informative;  we also learned all about child safety around our house and how to install the car seat in the car.  Who knew you have to take your car and car seat to get inspected by a "professional car-seat checker" after you attempt to put it your car yourself!?!   We will definitely be doing this! 

Making Room for Baby H!

As we are getting closer and closer to the arrival of our baby boy, we are making room at home for him and and it definitely looks like I am making room for him in my belly!  I feel huge these days and I think I am getting bigger by the minute!  My friend Carol and I were working out last weekend (her baby girl will be here New Years Eve!) and she asked me if I felt big and I said "oh yeah" and she told me to just wait, because I will look back at this time later in pregnancy and  think I look small!  I am not sure where this baby is going to go because I feel like  I am stretched out to the max!  But the good news is he is healthy and growing and I feel awesome; I am still able to run, spin and attend Pilate classes and even though I am slower than normal, I am still able to do it :)  So, as I continue to make room for the little guy, Steve and I have been making room in our home and hearts for him...

The past few weekends have been filled with baby registering, picking out nursery colors, deciding on crib bedding and designing the lay out of Baby H's nursery.  I love doing this stuff - it is a passion of mine so I have had been really enjoying it.  Steve has been getting into it as well - he made the final decision on the bedding and nursery colors.  :)  Together, we have decided to go for a modern looking nursery which will be reflected in the nursery furniture, colors, artwork, etc.  We are so excited to see it all come together! 

This past weekend, Steve found time after working long hours to put together the crib and changing table.  But before he could put these 2 things together, we needed to move our home office into the corner of our living room because the office will now be Baby H's nursery.   We moved everything out of the office, packed up what we did not need and stored it in our basement.  Having a small corner office in our living room will be an adjustment for the both of us, but we live in the city and space is tight!  After the office was moved, Steve built the crib and changing table - it took about 8 hours to do both pieces of furniture and he worked well into the night.   Everything went smoothly and I think he only had to take apart a piece of the crib once because he put something on backwards (I heard a lot of swearing coming from the baby's room at this moment).  But, he did it and everything is complete :)  Now we just need to decide on the final layout of the nursery and wait for the artwork we ordered to arrive so we can decorate.   Our goal is to have it completed by Christmas so we can relax and enjoy our final days as 'Jenny & Steve' before our little guy arrives in March!





Our new home office - compact but perfect!






Building Baby H's Crib with help from Bosee





The final step - inserting the drawer!

Changing Table & Crib = DONE!