Four Months Old

Our little buddy recently passed his four month mark!

Jackson Nazir Morgan

Four months old on 4-18-14

Milestones and Memories

1. First Day At Daycare

I did previously include Jackson's first day at "school" for one of my Five on Friday posts, but since this was a milestone event for him during his fourth month, I couldn't leave it out!!

Jackson's daycare is amazing. I was so hesitant (read: PARANOID) about leaving him at a daycare, but his is no average daycare. The activities they have for the children and the care that they give them have me confident he will be well-prepared for Kindergarten in every developmental aspect. I also happen to know he loves his teacher and she takes such good care of him. 




2. First Fancy Schmancy Shopping Spree

OK, I realize Baby Gap is not Louis Vuitton, but I can sure tell you that growing up without much, we never had Baby Gap ANYTHING! So to me, Baby Gap is pretty darned fancy. Since Jackson did so well for his trial day at daycare, we spoiled him just a little (OK, at this age, we're really spoiling ourselves with the cuteness overload) and bought a handful of outfits for him. 

3. Loving The Outdoors

Unfortunately this little guy was born into one of the worst winters ever. EVER. I used to prop him up in the window during one of many ice/snow/windstorms and say "See that out there? One day you'll actually get to experience it and not just look at it from the inside of our house!" 

It's crazy that at four months old, this kid is just recently starting to enjoy simple things like walking over to GG's and taking a leisurely stroller ride. No amount of bundling up would have been sufficient to take him out more than necessary in this winter. And even if I could have bundled him up enough, how in the world would I have navigated a stroller through all that crap? Icy sidewalks, uneven mounds of snow packed into the walkways making even walking treacherous let alone pushing a stroller. 

It's no surprise that his daily school reports have included bits about how he loves being outdoors more than any of the other babies. His reports say he smiles the minute he is outside and that he loves watching the cars drive by. 

4. First Visit With The Easter Bunny

I posted this picture to Facebook a few weeks ago.

Jackson was able to meet the Easter bunny for the first time. He was mostly laid back and just chewing away on his hand. I'm sure next year he will be much more aware, so I savored this first visit and relaxed demeanor by our little guy.

The Easter bunny was kind enough to bring little baskets for all who visited him and took a picture. 

5. Trying New Things

This Bumbo was given to me as a gift by a lovely co-worker of mine before our little guy came along. We finally pulled it out during his fourth month. He is still a little wobbly in it, but we can finally get him started in on using it. I love seeing his reaction to new contraptions as they give him a different vantage point to view his little world from. 

Here he is in his new bouncy chair. I'm going to try and scale back on all this stuff once he is moving and does not consequently look bored half the time. 

6. Talking, Talking, Talking 

Our little buddy is really beginning to find his voice. During the fourth month, he has made all types of squawking noises, attempts at vowel sounds and all other sorts of random practice for the day (not ridiculously far off) he will actually put those noises to good use--the day he begins to speak. 

Some of the noises sound like babbling and then he will begin to make noises that are more varied, that catch your attention, that surprise you and that make you laugh.

My absolute favorite talking sessions are first thing in the morning when he is awake in his room and just hanging out before Mom or Dad come to get him. It's like a beautiful little conversation he is having by himself and it is music to my ears to catch him in the middle of it.

Cheers,

Samara

Five on Friday

Sneaking in my Five on Friday late this week, thanks to school! 

Today was such a gorgeous Friday, so let's keep the last hour of the day rolling with some Five on Friday goodness!

1. NoseFrida

I remember when I first saw this thing at Target I thought, "Oh my God, that is so disgusting". I (ignorantly) thought using it meant inevitably getting a bit of what you were trying to suck OUT into your mouth. (Eww! Eww! Eww!) As always, though, my Facebook December Mom group came to my rescue. A few of the moms had tried this product and explained to me that there is a filter inside the tube that ensures the person using it will get no "surprises". 

My husband picked one up recently as our little one was suffering a cold and had a completely snotty nose. The NoseFrida has serious sucking power and totally cleared his little nose out. I will never use one of those stupid bulb syringes again!

2. Military "Music"

I don't remember exactly what made me look up military chants in the iTunes Store, but I'm glad I did. When I'm running (I hate cardio) and doing my gut-busting, heart-elevating, oh-my-god-someone-call-the-paramedics gym moves (compliments of my personal trainer), these military running cadences help me out. They are seriously motivational. 

3. Festivities Galore

Although I have a lot of work to do during this long weekend, there are punctuations of fun ahead as well. 

This weekend we are celebrating my sister-in-law Angie's birthday. She is one of the most kind hearted and giving people I know and the love for her family is so inspiring. Tomorrow night we plan on going to Ukai for dinner, followed by a painting (and wine!) session at Painting With a Twist. Sunday we plan on having a family birthday dinner at GG's. 

In addition to celebrating Angie's birthday, we will be celebrating Easter and our little man's FIRST Easter! 

Jackson made this adorable craft at school. See the footprint? :)

We plan on having an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids in the family at GG's. 

4. Midterm COMPLETE

I just completed the midterm exam for the class I'm trudging through right now. While I am very appreciative for the opportunity to advance my education, I am over it at this point. I just want my weekends back and to remove the constant "what's due next" question hanging over my head like a large raincloud.

Three more weeks and I'll be starting my second-to-last semester. Yeehaw.

5. Jackson Is 4 Months Old

Jackson is officially four months old today. Happy 4 monthiversary, little buddy! 

I love this picture because it makes me laugh. No clue why he was bugging his eyes out, but I know he got those big ol' eyes from his mama. 

Cheers,

Samara

Seven on Saturday

To punish myself (because it's a teensy more work) and reward you for being so patient as I failed to deliver my Five on Friday, I am making up my missed deadline with a special edition of Five on Friday. I bring you....

Seven on Saturday

So, Seven on Saturday is my own spinoff of Five on Friday for when I do not get my Five on Friday up in time for you all. I don't plan on this regularly happening, but in the event that it does, this will be the alternative. It's all about creative solutions, right? ;-) 

OK, enough chit chat, here we go!!!

1. Closet Dividers

What else would a little world traveler have in his closet but world traveler closet  dividers?

Due to a lack of time, I did enlist an Etsy artist for these guys. However, this is something you could easily make on your own and there are tons of tutorials online.

2. Spice Racks to Bookrack

 Jackson's nursery is small, so dragging another piece of furniture (bookcase) into the mix was not an enticing idea. I was thinking instead of finding little cubby holes to hang from the wall. However, when I saw these IKEA spice racks being used as book holders on one of my favorite blogger's site (and then happily found this idea all over the internet, thus giving me several ideas on paint,etc.) I knew this was perfect for a small nursery!

Now to find the time to sand, paint and hang them. Purchasing them is half the battle, right? Right?!? :)

3. House Calculator

So, as we save for a home, with the possibility of building a home, my husband found this amazing website that walks you through several elements of home building--materials, number of bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. After you've answered all of the website's questions, you get a calculation as to what the cost of building your home would be, based on the information you've provided. It's a bit addictive and totally fun.

Here's the link:

http://www.costtobuild.net/calculator.html

4. Fighting the Good Fight For Positivity

One of the things I decided to work on this Lent was being positive. Let me tell you, giving up the bread was way easier. (And I looooove bread!) 

I am very blessed and am reminded of that each and every day. Those trigger things and people always exist, though, and they serve as a test. You can be so happy in your own life and when you're forced to deal with people who are determined to be negative about everything, or who are selectively negative to you for whatever reason (maybe just because you're happy), it can wear on you. Their negative demeanor can be cancerous and serves no good purpose. 

What is not productive, I will work (even after Lent) on not giving my attention or energy. We all say this, but you really have to think about this to act on it. 

Don't let negative people rule your day. Good always outweighs bad, 

we just have to let it.

5. Easter Basket

So, if you know me "in real life" (and even if you don't, and are only judging me from my blog), you know I enjoy the fact that I'm a little different, a little artsy, and a little bit of a perfectionist. This of course carried over into the selection of my little guy's Easter basket. 

I didn't want anything commercial or super common. I wanted something classic and/or rustic. I scoured the net for a bit and was overjoyed when I found these beautiful rustic baskets on Etsy. 

Jackson's basket arrived today in the mail, all the way from Fairbanks, Alaska.

I know this basket will be totally impractical for him in a couple of years (at least for Easter egg hunts), but I'll enjoy this beautifully impractical basket for now. When he outgrows it, it won't go to waste, either, as this is a perfect basket to place in his semi-vintage world traveler room.

6.  Thomas' Birthday Week

We've had plenty reason to eat naughty this week;it's Thomas' birthday week!

Tomorrow we are having a family birthday brunch and giving him presents. I can't wait!

7. Mad Men

Whip up an Old Fashioned, break out your 60's gear and get ready for some witty repartee.  The final season of "Madmen" commences tomorrow, April 13th, and will be spread out over two years. 

I, for one, cannot adequately express my joy in the return of this show. Finally, the void that was left by the end of the latest season of "Downton Abbey" is filled. Thank you, Hollywood.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, darlings!

Cheers,

Samara

Happy Birthday, Thomas!!

This week we are celebrating my best friend's birthday. This week, we are celebrating my husband Thomas' birthday.

Yep, this week. 

Tuesday (his actual birthday), we had a nice birthday lunch and popped over to our favorite bakery, Bake N' Cakes, for dessert afterwards. 

(This is mine, his had sprinkles.)

Later that day, we had dinner at Ukai. Ukai has become a bit of a tradition on Thomas' birthday. If you're unfamiliar with Ukai, it's a Japanese steakhouse that is pure entertainment (the chefs put on a show at your table) and the food is delicious. 

As you can see from our faces, the birthday dinner left us quite happy.

The best part is, his birthday week continues on Sunday when some of our family returns from Cancun. We have a birthday brunch and presents in store for him! 

Happy Birthday WEEK to the most wonderful man I know! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THOMAS!!!  

Cheers,

Samara

Five on Friday

The last two days at work have been beyond insane and I seriously cannot believe today is already Friday. I had a random thought yesterday that while I don't like to wish time away, every Friday that passes is another week closer to graduation. I know, kinda sad, eh? I can't help it. School is a bit of a lifesucker when you'd love to have the weekends free for things you WANT to do. Gah. OK, enough of the whining. Today is FRIDAY, so let's kick off the weekend in the right way--the Five on Friday way!

1. Celebrating Aunt Macy's Birthday

My Aunt Macy lives down in Louisville, KY now, but comes home to visit pretty often. Thank goodness because I love her to pieces and don't know what I'd do if she didn't come home on a somewhat regular basis! Her birthday is actually March 2nd, but we had a belated birthday brunch at my Grandma's house when she was in town this past weekend. 

I totally stole this picture from her Facebook page, but hopefully she won't mind. So you know, my Aunt Macy is one of the funniest and kindest--while still sassy--people I know. I'm so grateful that she makes it a priority to come back to Lansing so we can feel like she is still close to the family and not distant from us. Love you, Macy!!

2. I'm a Winner!!

Last week at work, a little contest was initiated via a quiz question. I took a stab at it and apparently I was right. I started Monday of this week out with an email (which went out to the majority of our company) saying I'd won by correctly answering the question. They had 50 responses and I was the only one who won. Seriously? Maybe it's silly for me to be excited, but I never win anything. 

Later that day, a Biggby gift certificate was delivered to me. Cheers to surprise quiz questions at work! 

Lord knows I can use as much caffeine as possible in my life these days.

3. First Stroller Walk

Although I had a list as long as my arm of things to do Wednesday after work, I put them all to the side because the weather was in the 50s again. My husband had the opportunity to take our little guy on his first stroller walk the week before while I was in school, so I was not going to miss the opportunity for a nice time with my little family on this beautiful day, and my first chance to take my little guy out on a stroller walk. We put our little guy in his jacket and hit the streets. OK, we just walked the perimeter of our neighborhood twice and ended it with an impromptu cup of coffee at GG's (Jackson's Great Grandma, who lives a block away), but it sounds more fun to say "hit the streets" because it makes it seem like we are really on the go and adventurous.

Jackson loves being outdoors and looking at the trees and hearing all the different sounds. Shortly after our walk began, he fell asleep. 

4. (More Than) Halfway Mark Recognition

Yesterday I received this in the mail.

How awesome is this gift certificate from Central Michigan University in recognition of meeting the "halfway point in my educational goal"? And to be clear, I am actually PAST the halfway mark now, but who's counting? It's the Week of Gift Certificates. Thank you, freebie gods. 

5. Pedi With Mom

My toes are in desperate need of a pedicure (OK, they are a hot mess!) so my mom and I have a date tomorrow after work to have our digits tended to. Hallelujah. 

Enjoy your weekend, darlings! 

Cheers,

Samara

Three Months Old

Our little buddy whizzed by by his three month mark!

Jackson Nazir Morgan

Three months old on 3-18-14

Milestones and Memories

1. First Wine Party

Because of how awful the weather was while I was in the hospital and the Groundhog Day of a winter that my maternity leave landed on, I had some friends who had never even met Jackson. Not once. This is what day after day of snow dumpings, ice storms, and temps regularly at 20 or more below zero will do for a child's intro to the world. 

So, I decided to get those ladies (plus my mom) together on a (still) freezing early March Saturday evening for a glass of wine, hors 'd oeuvres, and a meet and greet with my little gentleman. 

It wasn't until after my friends left that I realized we never took a group photo. Oops. I guess that's what happens when you're having a good time!

And here is the Guest of Honor waiting for the ladies to arrive. I love that he has his pinky up for such a fancy occasion. :)

2. Moving Into Bigger Clothes

Jackson fits into nothing that is 0-3 months (save for a few oddball sleepers that clearly run large), is nearly grown out of three months and is fitting comfortably in six month clothes! This is fine by me because it's an excuse to shop for him and pull out cute items people bought for him for this age range. 

3. Seeing Sophie

While Sophie has taken up residence in our home for the past couple of months, Jackson is just starting to hold onto her and can (albeit, most likely by accident) make her squeak.  He loves it when I make her "kiss him". Sophie is one pricey toy with all sorts of developmental goodies that accompanies her, so I'm happy this guy is starting to respond to her.

4. First Play Date

So, this was more than just a first play date. It was the first time I met--in real life--one of the "December Moms". I was going to explain what a December Mom is here, but I'll save that for a future post. ;-) Jackson had a great time with little Noah and his family. It's really cool (as nerdy as this will sound) to watch your baby and another baby who is nearly the same age at a dinner table, acting out the same developmental stage. They didn't notice each other through lunch, but I wanted to place them close together and see how they reacted. Just as I expected, smiles and coos ensued. It was so fun to witness!

5. First Squeal

Interestingly enough, it had only been a few days since Jackson's first play date. At the play date, his new friend was squealing. I remarked about how cute the squeal was and Noah's mom explained that this was a new thing for him.

On a Sunday during a study break from my schoolwork, my husband and I were showing Jackson his favorite painting from his Art For Baby book. As usual, he was smiling like crazy. 

 

Then I started talking to him and this happened.

This first fistful of mom's hair turned into two fistfuls and before I know it...a loud squeal escaped Jackson. It was totally worth the messed up hairdo! 

6. Getting Strong

He used to hate tummy time, but as his neck and back muscles grow stronger, he is putting his neck up right completely with little to no complaints!

7. First St. Patrick's Day

My dear husband was kind enough to have a little photo shoot of our little man while I was in my first night of a new class for school. He knew I wanted something to remember Jackson's first St. Patrick's Day (especially since he has a TON of Irish blood!) and the photos he snapped were nothing short of amazing. 

Cheers,

Samara