Growing like a weed

Brandon went to the doctor yesterday for his 4-month appointment. He is 17 pounds 2 ounces, 26 inches long, with a head circumference of 44cm!!!! He has definitely jumped growth curves, now in the 90th percentile. He is a big healthy boy. Lucky for me, Kevin was with us for his second round of vaccinations and got to hold his arms this time. Poor little guy.
Brandon has also started to hold his own bottle this past week. Sometimes he even takes the bottle out of his mouth and puts it back in! He has also discovered his toes when he is sitting up (with assistance) but he can't quite get them into his mouth....though he tries. Darn that big round tummy.
I think he will be crawling (or at least scooting) before we know it. This morning he managed to crawl across his play gym mat (to get a toy I kept moving out of his reach). I was surprised since usually he gets frustrated but today he got his knees and arms to work in unison and moved forward!!! I think it's time to baby proof the house.

Sleeping

It may be a coincidence but since Brandon turned 4-months old he has slept through the night
5 out of the 6 nights this past week (though it may also be that he has been having difficulty with his napping during the day). I can't believe how nice it has been to actually get a whole night of sleep, I almost don't mind ~5:30am as the start our of day.
Brandon still tends to roll onto his tummy during the night but seems less able when in his "sleeping bag" versus when he wears a footed onesie.
We have his official 4-month doctors appointment this Friday....I can't wait to find out his official weight and length. I have a feeling that we may be starting rice cereal ~5 months, but I am in no big hurry for that (and the mess).

Rick Engineering Day at the Zoo

Kevin's company arranged for a day at the zoo followed by lunch at the park. It was pretty hot out (102 degrees) but we had him (and ourselves) slathered in baby sunscreen. This was Brandon's first outing (besides going to the store and to family get togethers) and he did great!!!

The baby jogger (I received for Mother's Day) worked great and it allowed Brandon to look around and take in all the sights, which meant he missed his morning nap with all there was to see. I am so proud of him, he didn't cry once! I can't wait until he is able to sit up on his own, then we'll definitely get a ton of use out of the jogger.

New toys

We have been so lucky to have received a bunch of gently used hand-me-downs for Brandon from my cousins, Ruth and Kim. Thanks ladies!!!!

Brandon is now big enough to sit in his new bouncy toy. He absolutely loves to be sitting/standing in his new toy and look around and play!!! He has been getting so frustrated by the fact that he is not mobile when he does tummy time, he actually grunts and screams out. It's so funny.

16 weeks

Soon Brandon will be bigger than his monkey!!!! I can't wait until he is walking around, dragging his monkey behind him. He is now 16 weeks but is still a week away from his official 4 month mark.

He is no longer being swaddled at naps or bedtime (since he usually rolls himself onto his tummy, even at night). He often forgets to roll himself back onto his back so Kevin and I decided it was time to do without swaddling. He only sleeps through the night once every one to two weeks but I am adapting (as all working moms do) to our routine.

He gets easily distracting by noises and the world around him, especially when nursing. He sometimes refuses to take a nap because he just wants to play and look around. Frustrating but we're managing.

Hanging Out

Brandon has really started to take an interest in his surroundings. Today he discovered my purse and started pulling items out of it, he thought it was so funny. He has also started interacting more with the dogs, who really like it when we spend time on the floor. They think the blanket is for them to lay on. Brandon actually reaches out and tries to pet them. I can't wait until Brandon is bigger and he can play with Jake and Lilly. Once he learns how to throw a ball, Lilly will be his new best friend!!!

Payne Get Together

Happy Mother's Day (a day early). We spent the day with Kevin's family in Green Valley. Brandon with Grandma Payne. Aunt Peggy, Uncle Brian, Easton, Melanie, and Taylor getting a family picture taken (Kevin's bother, sister-in-law, and their three kids).

I worked on my first Mother's Day, but it was still a great day. We spent the evening together and went to Dairy Queen for dessert!!! Brandon and Kevin surprised me with a jogging stroller so I can get back into exercising. Now to try to find the time to use it......

Fun with Daddy

Brandon spent this past weekend with Kevin (since I was working) and they had a good four days together. Kevin was able to get Brandon to start taking naps without the use of his vibrating bouncy chair and it appears he no longer needs to be swaddled! Brandon really likes to sit in his bumbo seat and look around.

Brandon's favorite activity is rolling from his back to his stomach, he pretty much does it every time you put him on his back. It's so cute to watch him curl up like a roly-poly bug and roll over. It seems he would rather do tummy time than stare at the ceiling or his activity gym toys.

His sleeping habits have changed over the past week, he now sleeps from 8:30pm to 4:15 am, which gives me ~7 hours of sleep. It wouldn't be so bad except there is not enough time for me to go back to bed after I nurse him.