Lincoln Six Months

Six months; it has gone by in the blink of an eye. It really does seem like yesterday we were trying to get Lincoln to gain weight and give us just four hours of uninterrupted sleep and now he's almost sitting on his own, practicing with a sippy cup and eating 3 meals a day! 

He loves his toys and playing with his feet (as you can see) and it putting everything in his mouth; and I mean everything! He's learning to sit on his own and is starting to lunge for toys...so I'm guessing crawling is only a few months away.

He is 16lbs 12oz and 26 inches long- falling in the 50th percentile for weight and 25th for height. So, he's not the tallest kid on the block... but hey Fred is average height and I am short so that's about what is to be expected. He is super healthy though and strong and a very sweet boy. He is a little sensitive and leery of strangers but is so good-natured and happy most of the time. Our days lately have been busier as he's moving more and more and its taking more and more to keep him occupied. He gets bored with things more quickly so he's definitely keeping us on our toes. 

This is a very typical Lincoln face...chewing on his bottom lip and big eyes looking at you. He is such a beautiful boy too. And yeah, I know, he's mine so of course I think he's beautiful. But, sometimes I just look at him and I can't believe we made him. I can't believe how beautiful he is and how very lucky we are.

Fred and I have certainly got into the parenthood groove and a lot of frustrations that we had at the beginning are starting to dwindle. And of course the question of the moment is; do we have a second one? Do we want a second baby? Are we ready? Can we afford it?

Well I always thought I wanted my children 3-4 years apart but now that Lincoln is 6 months old and Fred is 40 years old and I'm 30 things have changed. It took us a year and a half longer to have Lincoln then we anticipated and things with my job have changed so the question is pressing us when Lincoln is younger then we originally planned.

The reasons we want another baby are many and the reasons to not have another baby are just as many. It is a super-hard decision for so many reasons. 

First, we want another baby because the amount of love and joy Lincoln has brought us is incredible and profound and we'd love to have another baby and increase that love and joy. It is perhaps more important for me to have another baby because when Lincoln grows up I don't want him to feel like he is missing out on an important sibling relationship. And selfishly when I'm older I would like more family around me. I see Fred's family with all of the siblings and cousins and nieces and nephews and while I am very happy with the family I have I do envy that sibling bond. Fred actually has biological nieces and nephews; something I'll never have. 

However, it took two miscarriages and a lot of work to have Lincoln. I was doing twice daily injections for two years and my pregnancy (although uneventful) was very risky. Lincoln was an emergency c-section and was very small (too small) when he was born. Although even with all of that my doctor has actually told he he hopes I have another baby. I think the biggest question weighing on our minds in addition to my health is costs. After having Lincoln we've certainly noticed the cost but its manageable and comfortable. However, should those costs double we would be really, really tight on funds. I'm actually angry this is even an issue because of how hard I've worked in my career and in school to get a good job. And I do have a good job but money is still constantly an issue. Add to that the fact that Fred and I both have some very expensive medical conditions. Could we afford two babies? Probably. Would we be putting ourselves into a tight spot financially and potentially living paycheck to paycheck, yes.

Its just a hard decision to make; but we'll need to make it one way or the other pretty soon.

Lincoln's First Christmas

The day after Thanksgiving the Christmas celebration activities began! First, with a trip to Taylor to visit Santa with cousin Lorenzo!!! The boys were so good and loved getting to spend time together, of course!

Lincoln was really good with Santa...although he did need his hands held down because he kept putting them in his mouth!

Later that weekend it was off to our friend's house where Lincoln had some adorable Christmas photos taken in his PJs!

I love this one. I wanted to get a picture of us snuggling before he's too old to want to snuggle!

And again with the hands in the mouth. He's so cute though I can barely stand it!

Soon, I was off work and ready to spend an entire 13 days with my boy. I was super excited. On the agenda (besides our usually 4 Christmases) was breaking Lincoln of the swing. He had gotten into a habit of only napping if he was swinging in his swing. So, my goal was to have him napping in his crib by the end of the two week period. Luckily, I was mostly successful :)

The first of the four Christmases was with Fred's side of the family. We had all 32 of them over about 10 days before Christmas. I was worried that it would just be insanity, but it worked out wonderfully and we had a great time.

Lincoln and his grandma.

Fred and his sisters.

Fred with mother and sisters.

Fred's sister Pam with her oldest, Gail, Richie and Gentry and eight of her ten grandchildren!

Next up was Christmas with the Antouns, my step-father's family. Unfortunately my mom was sick with a horrible flu that was going around this year and wasn't able to make it. Much of Craig's family had not yet met Lincoln, so it was great for everyone to get to meet the newest addition to the family.

Craig's really getting this "grandpa-thing" down :)

The third celebration was with my mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve. This year only my cousin's Andy, Abby and baby Sophia and Uncle Ed could make it. BUT, it was awesome that Sophia got to come and visit with Linc. They are so super cute together!

Linc was not really having the photos that day...so all I got was his super-serious poker-face lol!

Cousin Sophia, on the other hand, was all smiles!

So, this photo gives you a little indication of their differences in mood that day. Every time I look at this picture I crack up! lol! Look at that lip?!? He is so dramatic. And little Miss Sunshine on the right lol!

Sophia, just like her Daddy, seems super-outgoing and fun-loving. She was very interested in Lincoln and was grabbing at him a lot. He was more reserved and looked at her like "um, what are you doing?" lol! I can't wait to see them grow up together! 

Then finally it was Christmas Day! We woke up and opened some of Lincolns gifts from Mommy and Daddy and Santa of course! He didn't really know what to make of the paper and all the crinkle noises...he didn't seem too impressed. But, he did love some of his toys!

After opening gifts and stopping at Fred's mothers house for breakfast we headed downriver to my Aunt's house to celebrate with my Dad's side of the family. At my aunt's house Lincoln was showered with love by the "greats:" Great Grandma, Great Aunt Alicia and Great Great Aunt Theresa!

This was the first time meeting his Great Great Aunt Theresa!

My Grandma Betty spoiled Lincoln absolutely rotten! I think she had 20 presents for him, literally. It was insane!

And of course Lincoln and Lorenzo loved spending time together. God, I love my boys :)

I would say Lincoln had a very nice first Christmas.

Lincoln Five Months

Holy, moly! 5 months old. He's almost half a year...incredible!

Well, Mr. Lincoln is rolling from his back to both sides and from his belly to his back. He can sit unassisted for about 20 seconds or so (he's got the strength down...just working on the balance) and he's sleeping around 10.5 hours at night. Although he's only taking short naps during the day now...boo!

He now has a full routine of fruits and vegetables and is drinking only four bottles a day...although they are practically full! Our super skinny newborn is finding himself situated firmly in the 50th percentile for almost everything!

True to his sex he giggles like crazy when you make a farting noise or burp (how he knows that's funny already I don't know). And he loves when Mommy attacks him with kisses on his neck. He still loves to examine people and everything in front of him. He has way more interest in looking at books and learning his shape blocks then in crawling...and we're perfectly fine with that! 

He is smart. He already knows his shapes go in the holes in the shape box, although he doesn't know which hole is for which shape of course. He almost routinely "helps" us turn the pages of his books and is fascinated by how everything feels to his touch right now.

Right now he loves anything that makes music or lights up when you touch it and his favorite toy seems to be his excersaucer and a musical seahorse he got from his Auntie Nicole. He also loves a small music box toy his Auntie Brittani got him...this is his high chair toy and he plays with it as we're getting his food ready.

He has brought immeasurable joy to our lives and we can't imagine life without him. As he ages some things are getting easier with him and others are getting harder. We get more couple time (and sleep!) at night now that he is sleeping longer and going to bed earlier. We are able to take him more places as he is staying up longer between naps and can sit easier in highchairs, shopping carts etc. But, when he is up he's moving around more and trying to grab things within his reach, so we have to be more careful of what is around him. He's also a bit more demanding when it comes to keeping him occupied. But, all and all he's a pretty easy-going and happy boy and we're enjoying this age so much! His personality is developing more and more each day. He is a sweet boy that loves to cuddle but he also has a crazy temper and can get frustrated pretty easily. Fred and I sometimes laugh when we see his temper...I'm sure we won't be laughing later!