The beginning of this month was your first real holiday...Halloween! While you didn't get to eat any candy, you sure were cute in your my first Halloween outfits. You made your first trip to Mama Lis's work, and everyone ooed and awwed over you. Next came your first overnight trip! We made the venture to Charlotte for Corbit and Heather's annual Thanksgiving party, and you were a great little traveler. You slept most of time in the car (which meant you didn't sleep much that night), and you slept in everyones arms at the party. You got to spend a couple of nights at Uncle Taylor's and Aunt Beth's, and your cousins enjoyed your visit. Your cousin Sullivan calls you bubby :) Your next first was Thanksgiving! You got to meet lots of cousins and aunts and uncles during this holiday, and you made your first trip to the Aquarium. You really did well on all your trips and visits, but lack of sleeping at night is usually the downside of these trips. You do great on a schedule, but keeping that schedule around the holidays is a little difficult. Mama is tired, but that is the small price to pay to experience all these great firsts with you.
As far as you go, your biggest change this month has been getting on a three hour schedule! Being that you are the world's slowest eater, this hour increase helps lots. Your Aunt Beth let us borrow her Baby Wise book, and since trying out the eat, play, sleep deal...you actually take some naps too. I use naps pretty loosely, but we are working on it :) You have also become quite the talker! You love to chat for our weekly video on Fridays (which mama will upload here if she ever figures out how to get the videos off the actual video carmera). I love our time in the mornings where we lay in the bed and just talk...this is what I will miss most once I go back to work in January.
Our struggles this month is still sleep (which I expect to be the case for a while). You rarely go over three hours of sleep at night at one time, so most nights I get three and then one to two hours...which isn't horrible, but not great either. We will keep working on this. You seem to hate being swaddled, but you don't sleep more than a hour or so without it (unless you are on your belly). So, I swaddle you up when you are already asleep... and then when you wake up, you grunt, grunt, and grunt trying to break free :) Then I come to your rescue, you eat, I hold you upright on my chest (to hopefully lessen the spit up) and then it is back to bed. The middle of the night can be difficult, but when you fall asleep on my chest while I am holding you upright, I let you stay there a little longer than necessary so I can just hold and cuddle you and kiss the top of that beautiful little head <3 Also, you are quite the gassy baby. I think your little belly bugs you a good bit, but we manage to keep you comfortable with drops and working your little legs. You can fill up a diaper like a champ and would make any Cleghorn proud :)
You new favorites now are: talking, talking, and more talking; your activity mat; staring at people's faces and hairlines; lights of all colors; fans; car rides; being held (especially by your Uncle Taylor who puts you to sleep instantly); our daily walks with Hank while you are wrapped up in the Moby; your paci; (oh how you love your paci) and, as always, eating!
You have an amazing family and wonderful friends that have helped us out so much. We are very blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives, and to all those people we say thank you for everything. This is all still a learning process for mama and daddy, but, as I said before, as long as I get a few of those smiles everyday (which become bigger and more beautiful every time), we are all going to be just fine :) I love you my little baby. -Mama
