Hello my little baby friend,
In your thirteenth week, it is the last week of October. You spent the first part of the week visiting my family in St. James. We headed down to visit them after attending the MU Homecoming parade and a college alumni reunion for my former academic department. You were a hit at that party, and you even won a door prize! My former boss and professors really enjoyed holding you and seeing your fasionable outfit.
That Saturday night my parents took our little family out to a tasty BBQ restaurant in Cuba, Missouri. I wore you in a wrap style carrier, because it was time for you to take a short evening nap. An older lady came up to us and touched your head. I thought it was odd. She said, "Oh! I thought the baby was a doll. I haven't ever seen someone carry a baby like that before." I thought that was kind of weird. I am definitely not the type of crazy woman to carry around a doll. Oh well! You made her smile! I was so excited for some good BBQ, but you had other plans for my dinner. You squirmed and required more attention. I walked around outside with you to calm you down and even tried to feed you. You were just too distracted to eat anything or settle into a nap. I had to take my food home in a take out box.
On the half hour car ride back home, you spent the last twenty minutes as a fussy baby. We discovered that you enjoyed hearing us sing to you. My dad started to sing the song
Miss Lucy Had a Baby. My mom and I joined in, but your dad just laughed at the silly rhyme along with you! Here are the lyrics to this little song:
Miss Lucy had a baby, she named him Tiny Tim
She put him in the bathtub to see if he could swim!
He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap
He tried to eat the bathtub, but it wouldn't go down his throat!
Miss Lucy called the doctor,
Miss Lucy called the nurse,
Miss Lucy called the lady with the alligator purse.
In came the doctor, in came the nurse
In came the lady with the alligator purse.
"Measles" said the doctor,
"Mumps" said the nurse,
"Pizza" said the lady with the alligator purse.
Out went the doctor, out with the nures,
Out went the lady with the baby in her purse!
(This silly rhyme is something my dad used to sing to us when we were little kids. I think we probably skipped rope to it.)
On Sunday, we celebrated Aunt Rachie's 24th birthday. She thought she was old! She brought her boyfriend, and your Aunt Jessica brought her husband and step daughter. We ate a delicous birthday cake, but of course, you only had milk. All the party guests left in the afternoon, and we took a little nap. Your dad left to go home, but we stayed for three additional days.
You were a bit fussy all week because you ran a low-grade fever. You required exra sleep, extra cuddles, and some infant Tylenol.
Each morning, you would wake up around 5:30 AM, ready for your first meal. This meant you were able to be awake and friendly when you visited your grandparents before work. They enjoyed seeing you so early in the morning, but they did have to dodge your spit ups! You started to have spit ups that resembled small fountains. Not cute or sweet at all!
While my parents were at work, we relaxed! You napped quite well, and I caught up on watching cable TV. They have an extra large TV, and I think that you enjoyed seeing the colors and lights on the screen much more than on our small screen TV! We also did cloth diapering on this trip away from home, which meant you required more laundry. That's okay. I feel very strongly about reducing our garbage, and I am happy to spend the extra time and effort to make less trash.
I really had wanted to take you out on walks, but it rained all week. I wasn't able to show you the beautiful trees in the city park or take you to the public library. Both activities will be even more fun for you next year, I am sure.
When my parents came home, you gave them all kinds of smiles and gurgles. Your even started to reach for and touch their faces! So far you'd only done that to me and your dad. You smiled especially big to your Nana, who gave you lots of attention and love. She played your new trick, which I call the Kissy Game. You start to squeal whenever someone leans over your face, and you get very excited to be kissed. Then you open up your mouth wide in an excited smile, and wait for someone to put their face on your lips so you can kiss them. Its a very wet, very sweet little game. You played this game with Nana for a long time on Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, we had lunch with your Great Grandma Cooley and your Aunt Rachie. We met them at our favorite Chinese food restaurant, and you weren't too whiny during that time. Aunt Rachie gave you lots of sqeezes, and like you always do after she hugs you, you smelled like her flowery perfume! Before lunch, we went over to GGMa Cooley's work. She is the cook for a fraternity house. She prepares lunches and suppers for university students who are studying to be engineers. She has done this job since my mom was a little girl. She enjoys being around the young guys and really wanted to show you off to them. You looked around the fraternity dining hall with curiousity.
When we came back to Columbia, your dad was very excited to see you. He always says and does the nicest things for us when we get back from a little trip. It was good to be back and to cuddle on the couch together as a little family.
We had to unpack and get ready for Halloween! You had two costumes - a jackolatern and a soybean. I bought both of them a few months before you were born. I had no idea how big you would be, and I imagined that the pumpkin costume would be much too big. Instead, you filled that costume out! It was the perfect size. Your little soybean costume (probably intended to be a sweet pea) was actually loose and large, like a sleeping bag. You wore the soybean costume to a Halloween carnival at our church. You fell asleep in your dad's arms and it was oh-so-cute. You made a great vegetable! Halloween night was less eventul. You slept in your swing during the early evening. We had a handful of trick or treaters, but the only one who came to visit you was Taylor Dorr. She dressed as a red M&M, and we took your photo. She loved your costume!
By the end of the week, your fever had subsided and you were back to "normal" - eating the same amounts, reguarly filling your diapers, and chattering away. A few nights you slept much better with only one middle of the night feeding. Even though I dislike getting up and walking across the house to tend to you at 1 AM, 3 AM, and 4 AM, you sure do look cute in your jammies. I know its my responsibility to comfort and care for you. Its a big adjustment to sleep in your room by yourself, and I know one day you'll not need me in the middle of the night. So I try my best to be patient and to be perky for you during the days after a particularly sleepless night.
I love you sweet boy. Happy 13th week birthday!
Love
Mama Bethany
That Saturday night my parents took our little family out to a tasty BBQ restaurant in Cuba, Missouri. I wore you in a wrap style carrier, because it was time for you to take a short evening nap. An older lady came up to us and touched your head. I thought it was odd. She said, "Oh! I thought the baby was a doll. I haven't ever seen someone carry a baby like that before." I thought that was kind of weird. I am definitely not the type of crazy woman to carry around a doll. Oh well! You made her smile! I was so excited for some good BBQ, but you had other plans for my dinner. You squirmed and required more attention. I walked around outside with you to calm you down and even tried to feed you. You were just too distracted to eat anything or settle into a nap. I had to take my food home in a take out box.
We had to unpack and get ready for Halloween! You had two costumes - a jackolatern and a soybean. I bought both of them a few months before you were born. I had no idea how big you would be, and I imagined that the pumpkin costume would be much too big. Instead, you filled that costume out! It was the perfect size. Your little soybean costume (probably intended to be a sweet pea) was actually loose and large, like a sleeping bag. You wore the soybean costume to a Halloween carnival at our church. You fell asleep in your dad's arms and it was oh-so-cute. You made a great vegetable! Halloween night was less eventul. You slept in your swing during the early evening. We had a handful of trick or treaters, but the only one who came to visit you was Taylor Dorr. She dressed as a red M&M, and we took your photo. She loved your costume!
