Everett discovers his tongue!

This evening our precious baby boy discovered his tongue. Our days will never be the same. :)

Everett's 4 month check up

Everett had his 4 month doctor's appointment today.
Well, we've gathered that our baby is a big boy, and we keep hearing how much he looks more like a 6 month old. Today was no different.
Everett and I arrived at our 10:15 appointment this morning. We sat next to a really cute baby girl and her mother. The baby appeared to be about the same size as Everett, only had teeth. We soon found out she (the baby girl) was a 10 month old. :)

Our appointment went really well. Our doctor was excited to see how wonderful he looked and how well he was developing. Today, Everett weighed 16.7 pounds (75 percentile for his age) and is 27" in length (95 percentile for his age). Our Ev has grown out of his "chunk" stage and is now long and lean.
He also received follow-up doses to those vaccines he received at age 2 months. :( Two sticks, one in each leg and an oral vaccine. Poor baby boy.

Our pediatrician recommended that we discontinue the use a pacifier by 6 months. She claims at 6 months the need to suck is gone and the pacifier becomes a habit. So, looks like we only have two more months of going on "sussy" hunts. Hallelujia.

After seeing the doctor, we walked up to the reception desk to schedule our next appointment. The receptionist asked what we were coming in for (with a confused look on her face). I replied ,"for our 6 month appointment". Her jaw dropped with surprise; she said she would have never guessed he was only 4 months old.

OH! I forgot to mention, we were also given clearance for cereal (Note to Grampy Don: it's RICE cereal - no Cheerios or Raisin Bran) :) Tonight was Ev's first try eating like a big boy. He had a difficult time, and didnt quite get that he was suppose to swallow what was placed in his mouth. We captured a video snippet and also took some photos of this messy event.

Tomorrow, Everett will be 19 weeks old. He continues to do something new each day.
His latest achievement: putting his toes in his mouth. :)
He hasnt started crawling, but on his way. He has started scootching on his tummy. I wouldnt be the least bit suprised if he decides to walk first. Seriously folks, he's ready. I stand behind him; his little fingers clinched to mine. Everett takes steps around the house. He also LOVES standing on his Mama's thighs and will alternate high steps on each thigh. Seems he can't get enough activity, yet his moms are drop dead exhausted. AND HE'S ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD!

Deona, Everett & I will be traveling to see my (Monica's) family this month; i think everyone will be so surprised to see how much he's grown. Shoot, i'm surprised, and i see him every day. :)
Looking forward to sharing more!

Everett is 16 weeks old!

Since our last posting, quite a lot has happened.

First, I (Monica) quit my job Aug. 15th, to be a stay-at-home mom. Though a scary decision for us, both Deona and I felt the sacrifices we'd have to make (like giving up cable television, cell phones and going out to dinner 4-6 times a week) outweighed the alternative of sending our baby boy to childcare.

Secondly, I (Monica) started caring for Matthew, Deona's sister's new baby boy and Everett's younger cousin (by 2 weeks). We're excited not only for the paycheck, but it will allow Everett to know his cousin Matthew a bit more.

Deona started work on Aug. 15th; this is her 4th year teaching spanish. She's excited and optimistic about a terrific school year. She's decided to return to school to obtain her Masters Degree in Education; she'd like to be a principal. I think she will be an amazing principal.

Enough about us, here's all about Everett...

DEVELOPMENT
Our baby boy isnt so little anymore. :(
Everett is wearing size 3-6 months & 6 month clothes, just depends on the item, and size 2 diapers. His 4 month doctor's appointment / check-up isn't until mid September, so i don't have his accurate height or weight at this time. Stay tuned.
Eyes - still blue
Hair - most of E's birth hair has fallen out and new growth of light brown/red hair has replaced it.
Birthmark - Everett's strawberry birthmark on the right side of his head is still visible, but signs of it breaking up are evident as a lighter (whitish) color has formed in the center. Fingers are crossed that it disapears soon.

Some of the things Everett has been doing...
-Drooling
-Signs of teething has begun
-Takes objects directly to mouth
-Laughs uncontrollably
-Smiles at mirror image
-Holds head up when sitting
-Bears weight on legs
-Rolls from tummy to back
-Rolls from back to tummy.
A note: Everett rolled from his back to tummy on the opening night of the Olympics; we think its a sign that he's going to be an Olympian.
-Explores and plays with hands
-Reaches for toes.
-Grasps objects with both hands
-Has eye-hand coordination
-Enjoys being rocked, bounced or swung
-Turns towards sounds and voices
-Voluntarily grasps and holds objects
-Gets upset if his moms leave the room.
-Can tell family and strangers apart


FEEDING
Currently little E is eating approximately 4-6 oz, every 3 hours or so. He's now exclusively on Similac Sensitive formula and currently going through a 25 oz can (the BIG cans) per week. Way to go Mama for providing nourishment through week 16!

SLEEP
Everett continues to sleep through the night. He typically goes to sleep (on his own) around 9:00-9:30 p.m. and wakes up around 6:30 in the morning. After 6 ounces of formula and a diaper change, Everett goes back to sleep for an additional 2 hours.
Thats a lot of rest for his moms.

ACTIVITIES
Everetts favorite activity is playtime on his pallet. He especially likes singing songs (with hand motions) with Mama and Mommy; his favorite song is the Hokey Pokey.

IN SUMMARY...
I thank God everyday for the beautiful life I've been blessed with.