maintenance

hey readers!  it's come to my attention that some people can't comment on my awesome blog because they don't have gmail accounts or don't want to sign in.  well, that's going to change.  using the magical powers of the internet, i've changed permissions and every person should now be able to comment on my blog.  if you have a problem, make sure you email my mommy or daddy to advise them of it.  i want as many people to be able to comment as possible!  

thanks!   

Baptism

This post is very late, I know, but I thought I should post it anyway - for posterity let's say.  

On July 20, Dexter was baptized!  We invited a bunch of people to see the baptism and then join us afterward for a picnic-y type lunch of pulled pork, pink stuff, blue stuff, corn salad, chips, veggies, etc.  Joel and I provided the pulled pork (all 20 pounds of it!!) and the chips and pop, but almost everything else was provided by our fantastic family.  

The day started out pretty well - Joel and I had planned on getting to church early and we actually DID.  We unpacked and waited for the day to begin.  I had planned on feeding Dex before church, so I found an out of the way room and got to it.  But as I was burping him (not yet in his baptism outfit thank goodness!) he totally poop-sploded all over me!  It was a little upsetting, but we finally got him cleaned up and dressed - or rather, Nana got him dressed!



His outfit, made by my mom, included linen pants, cute little gerber shoes I had bought the night before from Meijer, and a satin shirt made from the same fabric as my wedding dress.  My mom went all out - kind of insanely...  But anyway, he was finally dressed and ready to go, and church was ready to begin.  

At our chuch parents can request a song or hymn to sing during the baptism.  I requested a song called "Even Before I was Born."  Through my young life at church I have been in the Jr. Choir.  Some of it was a chore singing, but I have always loved this song.  And I felt like it was absolutely perfect for the occasion.  It talks about how even before we are born God knows everything about us - our names, the numbers of the hairs on our heads, etc.  It talks about how God knows us even before our parents do and how we are special to him.  The Choir director had asked previous members to also sing - including two of my younger sisters.  It was supposed to be a surprise, but I saw them beforehand.  I still thought it was cool though.  It was a really cool surprise.  

The choir sang, we answered the questions and then we were invited up to have Dexter baptized.  He was wide awake, but didn't cry or fuss at all.  Just looked around in wonder.  



For the rest of the service he was pretty quiet as well.  That is, while daddy was playing with him the whole time on his lap!



I don't have many pictures from after the service as we were busy setting up food, eating, and cleaning up, but it was a great, and big, party!  I think we had almost 40 people there, including what seemed like one million little kids!  Dexter was passed around like a little doll, and he just slept through it all.  It was so nice that so many people could come and support Dexter!  

Grandma Waid and Dexter

Grandma and Grandpa Waid came over one night.  (Not to visit Joel and Liz, but only to visit Dexter!!) (Well, and to help set up Dexter's crib)  And Dex fell asleep on Grandma.  Aww!

Dexter: 6 weeks old

Fillin' it out

Before: 18 June 2008  

After: 23 July 2008

Here is Dexter as we left the hospital - saggin' in some gansta style.  Now, a month later, he totally fits in this outfit perfectly!  I feel like he is still so little, but the proof is now here.  That, and he's already in size 2 diapers!  We had to get the bigger size last night and I couldn't believe it.  

On Tuesday we went to a church picnic for young couples.  Many of the young couples had kids, and a few of those were still little babies.  Dexter was only beat for youngest by one of the babies, and then only by ten days.  But the kid had some poundage on ALL of them.  I'm talking like 2-3 pounds more than even the oldest baby (about 5 months old) there.  And he IS big.  I can't even fit him into newborn size clothes anymore!  And he's even in some 6-9 month clothes!  I'm not complaining that he's a healthy growing baby, but SHEESH, I feel like he could slow down a little bit and let me enjoy the teeny baby stage a little more!  

Dexter: 5 weeks old

He was kind of cranky when we took this one! 

(ps, don't forget to answer the poll!)

What do you call it?

We have a parenting question.  Well, maybe not exactly an IMPORTANT parenting question, but a question we need answered nonetheless.

A week or two ago (or maybe it was more, but you can't blame me for losing track of time, I get very little sleep...) we started giving Dexter a pacifier.  We don't give it to him consistently (like at every nap or bedtime) or anything - just kind of when we feel like it or he's hungry and we have to tide him over a bit.  But we are in a quandry as to what to call it.  Binky?  Paci?  Pipe?  Dummy (like the Brits)?  Nuk?  I feel like an idiot saying anything but "pacifier," but it's such a LONG word!  We'll just have to get used to the name - whatever we decide to call it.  

What is the most popular name?  What is the best name?  Please pick an answer in the poll (even if you don't leave a comment!) and help us choose the best name!  Thanks!

Dextertle

This is why we call him the Dextertle (or Dex-turtle).  Long neck... Little round head...  

tummy time woes

hi everyone!  i wanted to share with you today a special kind of abuse mommys and daddys inflict on their babies.  babies don't like to talk about it, but we HATE it!  it's called "tummy time."  at first my mommy thought i would like tummy time because she knows i love to cuddle.  well, let me tell you, tummy time is NOTHING like cuddling!  it's not warm and squishy like cuddling with mommy or warm and lovey like cuddling with daddy.  

but even though i hate it, mommy keeps making me do it!  she says it's good for my neck and back muscles and necessary to be a healthy growing baby.  but i think she just likes to torture me.  usually when mommy makes me do the tummy time i just cry and cry until she cuddles me again.  i've got that lady wrapped around my littlest finger!  haha.  

one time i pretended like i liked tummy time.  i played her little game, but then she took it too far.  she got out the camera! she said she was going to PROVE i liked it!  so, of course, i did what every red-blooded american baby does - i made a stand against tummy time on film!  here are the pictures she took.  i hope these prove to you how unfair and terrible this type of abuse is.  please parents, NEVER make your babies do tummy time.  it's a terrible, filthy practice and it must be stopped - for babies everywhere!  

Dexter: 4 weeks old

ps, where is the baby?  who is this little BOY?

A few photos

This is Dexter's going home outfit.  It's sized 0-3 months, and he's a pretty big boy, but it definitely dwarfed him!  He looked like he was trying to sag his pants.  

Taken 18 June 2008

Now here's my long and skinny boy!  Sound asleep in a little duck onesie.  Isn't he the CUTEST?

Taken 23 June 2008

Here are some visitors at the hospital - my cousin's 8 month old twins, Emmett and Oliver.  (Though I am not sure which is which!)  Their feet are the same sizes as Dexters, but, as you can see, they pretty much dwarf him in every other respect!

Taken 18 June 2008

Dexter: 3 weeks old

Comparing babies

Today we visited my cousin David and his wife Jess, daughter Maggie, and brand new daughter Amelia Juniper!  Amelia is exactly 2 weeks younger than Dex.  In this picture Amelia looks a little bigger, but I think it's just the angle.  It was fun comparing babies...

4th of july

hi again everyone!  it's me!  today i'm 17 days old.  i'm definitely enjoying my first 4th of july holiday!  mommy and daddy are both home.  daddy has been working on my room (i might someday have a room to call my own after all!) and mommy has been running errands and taking care of me.  as for me, i have celebrated most of the day by crying and being cranky!  though i did have a nice time when mommy took a walk with me in the moby wrap.  i love that thing because i am all cuddled up.  i love to be cuddled up.

i am also wearing my special 4th of july outfit from mrs. dekoster!  i look really festive!





anyway, that is all i have time to post today.  babies need a lot of sleep and i am no exception.  hope you all had a good holiday too!

2 week stats

Today we took Dexter to the Dr. for his 2 week check-up.  I tried to time it with naps, but didn't do too good of a job, so Dex was pretty mucha  screaming mess through the appointment.  However, everything that needed to get done and checked did get done and checcked - so, success!  His stats were also pretty great!

At birth, Dex was 9lbs, 1oz.  Today, 2 weeks and 1 day later, he is 10lbs, 2oz!  (Way to grow Dex!)  He is in the 80th percentile for weight.

At birth, he was 21" long, but today he was 22.5"!  This is the 95th percentile for height!  (I don't know where he got the tall genes...  Joel and I are both the shortest in our families!

Finally, I'm not sure what his head circumference was at birth, but at his 4 day appointment with the Dr. it was 14" around.  Today it was 15", and in the 75th percentile.  

In conclusion, he is definitely a growing boy!  His next appointment will come at the end of August.  Until then we are working on closing up his cord stump (eww) and getting rid of an eye infection resulting from a clogged tear duct from ointment they put in his eyes immediately after birth.  We'll see how he does until then!

2 weeks old