Mason's first trip down the slide...

a little walk in the park

Derek had stayed home today while I went to work for a short bit for my performance review. I must say, no one was happy to see me just "where is the baby?", "how can you come in with out the baby?"...I promised to bring him in tomorrow. :)

So with Derek home and the weather being as nice as it was today we went for a walk to the park behind our house. As you can see from the pictures Mason and mommy/daddy enjoyed the weather.

one month old and already a monkey on the playground

my sweet boy

my two boys!

our little family (not a bad self taken picture eh?)

LOVE LOVE LOVE those baby blues!

One month old already?!?!

My oh my! We can't believe that on Sunday our little monkey turned one month old already! I can see how everyone says the time goes so fast! We have been loving and snuggling with Mason as much as we can. He keeps us entertained with his faces and movements. He has started to track things with his eyes now. We are still working on the night/day issue but pretty much have come to the conclusion he will figure it our by the time he is 3 months..at least we are hoping anyway! He has been doing better with eating, actually I think he is going through a little of a growth spurt as he wants to eat much more frequently (took us a day to realize this is why he gets so fussy lately...oops). He still is spitting up frequently, so i am guessing he may a little GERD like his daddy. He is growing. When we were at Children's last week, they weighed him and was at 8lbs 4oz (although I am a little skeptical due to scale differentials) and he is now starting to fit into some of him smaller 0-3 month clothes...really more for length then pudge. He has also started to lose that baby hair, but strangely enough just on the top in a "V" formation ...looks silly but on a baby that translates to "oh so cute".

Tummy Time is always up in the air. Sometimes we like it for awhile, sometimes we think it is nap time and fall asleep, and other times we absolutely do not care for it at all. Yesterday he did really well with it and lifted his head much higher then he has before. I am not sure how much neck control he is "supposed" to have at this time but when we sit him up to burp or is on our shoulder, he for sure is working it well!

he didn't even attempt to lift his head, just closed his eyes soon as I put him down...stinker!

2nd attempt later that day...maybe he shouldn't party so hard at night!

Daddy playing with me before some more tummy time.

Here is Mason on his exact one month birthday with his "Baby's First Pooh Bear" that he got from Grandma Pam when she came down for the day last Tuesday. We decided we are going to take monthly pictures with Pooh instead because he is so much bigger and it will be fun to see how Mason grows next to him.

One Month Old?!

This what happens when Daddy's hand doesn't help support me

On Monday we decided to meet daddy for lunch in Franklin. He was so proud to show off his little man to his co-workers. The ladies just drooled over him...don't worry they didn't really. For lunch we headed to Cousin's Subs and mommy enjoyed every last bite of her cold turkey sandwich.

We are still getting used to cutting Mason's nails. Can't they just naturally cut themselves? I make Derek do it because I am way too afraid of cutting more then the nail. Mason just couldn't bear to watch! :)

He just couldn't bear to watch...or maybe the light was in his eyes...your call

like my new wig?

Since Mia doesn't get alot of attention these days...she has developed new ways to entertain herself!

an iPhone is now on her Christmas list!

Well, until next blog update!

Mason acting like old time telephone...

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news...

Mr. Mason has been a busy little guy this past few days. Starting off with today, he was lucky enough to visit Children's Hospital and then see Dr. Shallue! A very tired mother got a cute little guy ready this morning, to be at Children's by 9:45am. On a side note, I have come to the realization that I am still NOT a morning person.

Mason had his "Sweat Test" today. I must say he and his mom did fairly well considering he looked like we were electrocuting him and I had to help hold him down for it. The technician put some wet pads on his wrists and biceps, added these metal "clamps", hooked him up to the wires, and then turned on the electricity. She told me that his arms were going to feel like when our feet start to go to sleep with those pins/needles. He cried the whole time and I was able to keep my composure. I just felt like I was torturing him though and it looked like it! After the 5 min of that she took it all off, put on some wrapping with the special test paper, and I need to "make him sweat" Considering I didn't think this was going to be a problem since he is such a hot box I still bundled him up because I didn't want to have to subject him to this again. So he got all bundled up with a onsie, fleece sleeper, covered in a blanket with a hat, and I tried to feed him. Well, he drifted off to sleep way too fast for a feast so i got some good cuddle time in. After 3o minutes of that she came in and took off the rest of the material off his arms to see if they got enough sweat, which they thankfully did. Now we were to wait for the test results by the end of the day. I told the technician it would work our good as I got him in to see Dr. Shallue at 3:30pm for his eyes.

my poor boy all hooked up

it felt like a cruel experiment

the machines he was hooked up to for 5 min

the "electrodes" they put on his arms with wet pads

all done and tuckered out

his poor arms...

ready to get out of this place mom!

Oh yes, his eyes...they had gotten covered with what I call "eye boogers" Actually over the weekend, his right eye was almost so crusted over when he woke that he almost could not open it. Since then I have been basically clearing it off every couple of hours. After seeing Dr. Shallue, she confirms that it is not a blocked tear duct like we hoped but it is Pink Eye! So she sent home scripts for both Mason and myself (my eye was starting to look a little red as well). Poor little guy is now going to get eye drops 3 times a day.

Just few random pictures to enjoy!

Mommy lovin' on me

On Friday we took Mason to "Friday Night Live" in downtown Waukesha. They close off the streets and have live bands playing around the downtown area. The stores stay open longer and some places have samples and such. As you can tell from the pictures he was so excited that he just passed out! :)

enjoying some homemade ice cream at Sloppy Joe's in downtown Waukesha

jammin' out to the bands and hangin' in the street!

he insisted on going into the antique store...

On Saturday we had a leisurely day around the house trying to catch up on a little housework and sleep.

Daddy's Little Sport

I like to sleep a lot and when I do I make a lot of noises and stretch

I can open my eyes for a picture with mommy!

Mommy figured out she can "sit" me in the boppy...Daddy says I look like an old man here and that mommy should get me a walker.

On Sunday, Mason visited his Grandpa and Grandma Umnus's house in Union Grove for the first time. We celebrated his upcoming birthday on Tuesday. Mason enjoyed being loved on by them! We even got a three generation Packer fan picture. Mason also used Skype for the first time to talk to (or if you will..stare at the screen) the North Carolina Branch of the Umnus clan.

3 generations of Packer Fan's!

Gettin' loved on by Grandma and Grandpa

Can I hold your hand Grandpa? or can I try to eat it?

Precious

Grandma helping me to "talk" to North Carolina on Skype!

Really another picture, Mom!

growing bigger day by day!

Well, I took my little man to see the Doctor today for his weight check up. I had one of my first "mommy" thoughts as we waited in the waiting room. As I stood there holding my precious crying/unhappy boy in the waiting room i thought to myself "how weird is this...I am a mom." It just feels so grown up. Up until now, it has kinda felt like we were "playing house" and we were going to have to give him back to his parents when they get back. But, I think we will keep him!

As I reported last post, he was little low on weight gain since birth. Well, he more than made up for it with this visit...He gained 14 ounces in one week (now at 7lbs 14oz)! Way to go Mason! So my fears that he is not getting enough to eat (he continues to spit up A LOT) are put to rest. We initially were only suppose to see the nurse but because I had questioned his belly button/umbilical cord stump area we got to see Dr. Shallue! Little mister's belly button has been bleeding a little and looking a little raw, but she said just to watch it for now. She also had the state blood test results back and was ironically about to call me when the nurse came to get her to look at Mason! The blood tests came back normal except the cystic fibrosis test. It was "abnormal" meaning that he is at least a "carrier" for the genetic disease. Well, It was easily cleared up because I explained the both Derek and I had to be tested for it during our infertility course and found that I am a carrier but Derek is not. So, what does this mean? Well, we have to set up an appointment at Children's Hospital to get a "sweat test" done for him to see if he is more than a carrier. There is a very very small chance that he would have it. Fingers still crossed that he doesn't!

Mason hanging out with the Molle's on his first visit outside the home

We got Mason his first Happy Meal! It's okay to laugh, Derek enjoyed it for him!

Just lounging around!

This is how Mia gets her cuddle time in these days...poor girl

One day while Mason's dirty laundry was getting washed, he decided to go through about 5 additional outfits...Here he is modeling his Spiderman onsie minus the bloomers that go with it because they were so big they would just fall off

Hanging out with the tigers and having mom change my diaper 3 times in 10 mins!

Our sweet sleeping boy!

In his going home from the hospital outfit...which is almost too small for him now!

What else have we been up to since we last posted....Well, Derek has gone back to work leaving Mason and Mom to spend a lot of cuddle time together. I find it hard to put the little guy down when he falls asleep, partially because my little furnace keeps me so warm, but i just love his smell/presence/cuteness/etc. Maybe this is why I am having a hard time sleeping when he sleeps! It is something i am trying to work on. We had waited so long for this little guy, I don't want to miss a thing. Some days, I just look at him in complete awe and wonder.

Well, until next time...a little guy is calling for dinner!

What a difference two weeks makes!

Here is a picture of me the night I went into labor...

And here we are two weeks later!

Things seem to be going as well as expected here in the Umnus household. Mason is keeping us entertained and melting our heart every chance he gets. We are taking in all the 101 faces he likes to make and starting to realize what some of them mean. I think we have the going to poop face down as it always comes with some grunting, full leg extensions, and some crying out. I am still nurising "on demand" but he is starting to get himself into a little but of a routine...about every 2-4 hours depending on how well he eats. He has also started to allow us to sleep a little more at night...We have a little routine going at night where Derek gets up to change his diaper once he starts fussing and then I feed him. Seems to be working out 8/10 times. As for mama sleeping when baby sleeps...well we are trying to work on that...it is so much harder than i thought it would be to take a nap during the day...When I was pregnant it was simple! On another note, he is such a furnace just like his daddy. At night he will sometime sweat right through his sleeper and that's all he has on him! Oh well, I guess I will stay nice and toasty this winter with my two boys!

Here is our precious boy with Hurumph the elephant at two weeks old...expect more pictures with him next to the big guy to watch him grow!

Great Aunt Dawn came to visit and love on Mason this week...

...and she brought Great Aunt Sue too!

Mason had his 2 weeks appointment on Wed and most everything went well. I got peed on for the first time as I was holding him sans diaper in a blanket waiting for the Doctor. It is amazing how before child I would have been grossed out, but now I just went on with my day until I got home to change. His weight was not where the doctor would like to see. He weighed in at 7 pounds so he only gained 2 ounces since one week prior and still is 4 ounces short of birth weight. We discussed that Mason doesn't really like to give up the burps easily and he spits up a lot including some projectile vomiting that included through the nose. She gave me some tips and they seem to working part of the time. We are going in this coming Wed for a weight check to see how he is progressing, but if things don't improve she plans on doing a GERD work up. So fingers crossed that he doesn't have to have that done and he starts getting the spitup/vomiting under control. But she did give the go ahead for Big Boy baths!

Mason's first "Big Boy" bath this week since his umbilical cord fell off and his pee pee is all healed up! Daddy read him a water book and was mostly interested in it.

Mommy getting Mason all cleaned up!

He pretty much enjoyed his bath with little crying/fussing.

Daddy getting Mason to smile! Just melts our hearts!

Our first attempt at Tummy Time went well as you can tell! :)

Just chilaxing!

As you can see Mia has started to warm up to the little man or she just really misses cuddling with me!