The Business of Being...Levi

Well I've been hanging around this world for  THREE MONTHS now and here's what I think about things so far... 

I've had another fun filled month! It started off by celebrating my first Easter! I wore my first suit on Easter with my little brown dress shoes that Tati gave me. My suit was seersucker and I was quite the dapper fellow, let me tell you!

Easter was a lot of fun! I attended all the services leading up to Easter with mommy, the Maundy Thursday service, Good Friday service and Easter service. I got a great nap during all three services in my carrier, so mommy got to enjoy all three services as well as long as she was standing and bouncing me in the back of the sanctuary. I was tempted to wake up when she sat down, so she hung out in back and we made it work together. I'm good like that. My grandpop and grandma were in town for my first Easter and I skyped with nana and pappy, so they could see how cute I looked in my Easter duds.

I've continued traveling and meeting all sorts of new people.  Mom and Dad took me on another airplane, so we could go see mommy's college roommate, Thais, and her growing family in Chicago. I was there for my "God-brother's" dedication and I got to hang out with his brothers, Isaiah and Sammy all weekend long.  James and I are super close in age, only two months apart, so we're bound to be best buds like mom and Thais. It was also cool to see how much I've grown because James is about the size I was when I was new and now I'm so much bigger than him! I also met my new friend Hope this month who is one month old and I am way bigger than she is! Mom thinks it's crazy how fast that happened, but I'm eating like a champ so it's no wonder. She tells people I'm growing like a weed.

Then to wrap up this month, my OSL aunties came to visit me in Boston. My friend Liam got to come along too since he's only a couple weeks younger than me. We like to do a lot of the same thing...swing, hang out on my playmat, nap, eat, cry occasionally and ride in the stroller or carrier with our mommies. Spring has finally sprung in Boston, so Mom's started taking me for walks in my stroller on nice days. Luckily the weather was really nice while my aunties were visiting, so we strolled around and even picnicked in my front yard, the Boston Common, and I showed them all around my city. I wasn't sleeping as much during the day, but I did sleep on mommy through dinner on the North End at Fiore when my aunties gave mom her Tiffany H necklace. I guess it's a tradition they started giving the necklace when each person got married, but mommy was already married to daddy, so my aunties decided to give it to her when she had her first baby...ME!!! Just another reason mommy is happy I finally came along. You're welcome (wink).

Speaking of things I like to do lately, I have to tell you how much I absolutely LOVE my playmat these days! I grab for my toys and kick my legs to the music. It's so much fun, let me tell you! Mom has taken quite a few videos of me playing. I also have tummy time on my playmat and it's getting better. I'm starting to hold my head up more and I don't cry during it like I used to. It's not so bad after all.

I've also started to be more awake during the day and actually play a little when I have playdates. Mom takes me to a play group on Tuesday mornings. When I first started going, I would sleep the whole time, but now I try to stay awake and play with my little friends. It's lots of fun and will only get better I bet! I am also sleeping a little longer at night. I go to sleep anywhere between 9:30 and 10:30 and then I usually sleep until between 3:30 and 4 when I wake up to eat real quick and then go right back to sleep.   I then wake up between 6 and 7 and will eat and cuddle with mom for a little while she wakes up. I can tell she appreciates the longer stretches of sleep because she seems more rested as far as I can tell.

My cry has gotten stronger and I still hate a wet diaper. Mom has me wearing my cloth diapers now for the most part (except when we're traveling and at night when I sleep), so when I feel wet I make sure everybody knows it. Other than making me look like I have a big ole butt, they're pretty cute, at least that's what everybody says.

Last but certainly not least, at my two month appointment my doctor said I'd start interacting more this month and he was so right. I'm not making my parents work for the smiles as hard anymore. My mom and dad are just eating up my smiles and coos. I am most smiley first thing in the morning, especially on my changing table. Mom is constantly grabbing her camera to take my picture now that I'm such a smiley guy. The jury is still out on whether I like having my picture taken so much. I'll keep you posted. Oh, and I also discovered my hands this month! I like to suck on them now and then. They're pretty tasty!

Of course this has been another month of firsts...

      Wearing cloth diapers.
      Meeting Aunt Thais and the Carter boys.
      Staying awake for playgroup.

Overall,  in my  THIRD MONTH I've enjoyed the business of being SMILEY.

The Business of Being...Levi

Well I've been hanging around this world for  TWO MONTHS now and here's what I think about things so far...

I've had quite the month! I've been traveling and meeting all sorts of new people. My Aunt Lindsey started the month out with a visit, so I got to meet her and we explored Boston with my parents. We strolled around Newbury and Boylston Streets and even took her to the North End for dinner. Those North End restaurants are pretty small, so Daddy wore me in the carrier and I slept peacefully throughout dinner. Thank goodness he was careful to not drop any crumbs on my head.

You know what?!? I LOVE that carrier! You know, the one dad wore me in during dinner on the North End. It's like magic because whenever I'm in it and cuddled up close to Mom or Dad, it lulls me right to sleep. That heartbeat gets me every time. It's like I'm back in the womb and I LOVE it! In fact this is how Mom traveled through the airport with me when I flew on my first airplane to Virginia. I slept through both flights on the way there and only woke up for a bit at the layover because I was hungry and I needed a new diaper. If I'm NOT in my carrier then I like to fight sleep because I don't want to miss anything. This is also why I like to sit straight up if I'm sitting with someone. I am not a fan of reclining unless I'm eating and I make sure you know it.

While I was in Virginia, I spent lots of time with my grandparents. Nana noticed that when I cried, I cried ACTUAL tears! She didn't like to see my tears, let me tell you. Not to worry though, I was a happy boy for the most part with Nana and Pappy.  They even watched me while Mom photographed a wedding. It was the first time we were apart for that long and I missed her terribly. I got pretty fussy the second half of the day even with Grandma and Grandpop visiting too. I was pretty relieved when Mommy came home to me that night.

The rest of the week I met LOTS of cool people. Sunday, I went to church with Mommy at Atlantic Shores and Mommy showed me off to everybody there. Then, I got to meet my Great Granny, Great Uncle Mark, Great Aunt Carolyn and my cousin Sophia, who's more my size (kind of...she's a few years older than me, but I can tell we're going to have lots of fun together one day). Monday, I hung out with my buddy Liam and met Aunt Courtney and Liam's sister, Evelyn. That night I also met Mr. Paul and Mrs. Alicia. Mrs. Alicia is the one that shared the verse with my mommy that if she delighted in the Lord, he would give her the desires of her heart, and here I am! The next day I met Ms. Ally and I hung out with my other guy pal, Beckett and his mom, Mrs. Ashley. Wednesday, I met Ms. Laura, Mrs. Angie and Mrs. Rachel. They'd all been praying for me and I was excited to finally meet them and thank them with a smile for all the prayers. Thursday I spent some time with Ms. Crystal before I headed to Mommy's old school, Pembroke Meadows Elementary, to meet Ms. Tanisha, Ms. Debbie and Mrs. Laura.

The week was topped off on Friday when I went to meet my Big Nana in Williamsburg. I surprised her and she was SO excited to meet me. She put her hands to her face and said, "Oh Melinda (my nana), I never thought this day would come!" Then she held me and sang "I'm singing in the rain". We gave her a couple of my newborn pictures and visited for a while. Before heading home, we stopped for lunch and I got to meet Mrs. Celeste and her daughters, Arianna and Ivey. She too had been praying for me and my arrival.

That weekend Mommy was busy with my Tati's Bridal Tea and Shower. Tati and my cousin Teresa got in town Friday night, and they were excited to see me. On Saturday, I hung out with Grandma while Mommy went to the Bridal Tea and then that night I met my Auntie Blah and her Mr. Blah. On Sunday, I actually got to attend the shower, one of only two boys there, the other was my buddy Liam. I met all of Tati's bridesmaids and a few of her own special people and I finally got to meet my Aunt Haley and her mom, Leslie. I'd met my Nana's best friend, Mrs. Cola, earlier in the week, but we got to hang out some more too, as well as my Nana's friend Elaine. After all the wedding festivities had come to an end, Mommy and I drove Tati and cousin Teresa to the train and then we went to hang out with my OSL aunties (Haley and Courtney) and I met Aunt Lisa. As you can tell I met LOTS of special people while I was home in Virginia and I felt VERY loved! 

It was good to head home to Boston with Mommy though, since it was my first time away from Daddy and I really missed him. He had gone to DC to do some Airforce time while I was away. I was so excited to see him at the airport when we got home and he had fun noticing some of the ways I'd changed in just those 10 short days I'd been away.

Daddy noticed I'd become MUCH more droolly. I'd also had a growth spurt, so my car seat had to be adjusted. But the really fun part is I'd started smiling a little more, especially first thing in the morning when I'm a really happy boy. My sleeping habits had changed too. I love being swaddled because otherwise my hands wake me up, but now at night I'd fall asleep in my swing, which I've started to enjoy, and I'd stay asleep in my bed for 4-5 hours in a row at night. I know Mommy's enjoying the longer stretch of sleep, and even when I wake up in the middle of the night I just eat and go right back to bed.

I had my two month check up with Dr. Vernacchio and I found out that I've gained three more pounds and grown two whole inches since my one month check up. He said I'm very healthy and I did some showing off of my own...when he was checking how strong I am, I stood up really well which I do all the time, and then the doctor put me on my tummy to see how strong my neck is and I held up my head for a bit and then ROLLED OVER FOR HIM! He asked if that was the first time I've rolled over, but I'm proud to report it actually wasn't. He said I'm pretty advanced for doing that because most babies don't roll over until 4 or 5 months. I don't see what the big deal is, I've done it before on my play mat. In fact my mom got my first roll on video because she was taping tummy time for my grandparents. She wasn't sure if the roll counted, but my roll at the doctors happened the same way and he said that's what it looks like, so it counts. I also got my first round of shots. They were done pretty quickly and I didn't cry until I after I realized what had just happened. My mommy and daddy were there to comfort me though and I calmed down pretty quickly.

I'm growing like a weed. No wonder I've outgrown all my newborn clothes and am now comfortable in my 3 month clothes because I'm so long. That also explains why I like eating and sleeping so much. When I'm really hungry, I make the cutest chirping noise as I eat. I've also taken a liking to nursing for comfort because there's nothing like being close to my mommy especially since it's hard work growing. Oh and while we're on the subject of clothes, I have a lot of cute outfits and mommy makes sure to take pictures of me in most of them. My Tati bought me my first couple pairs of shoes and I've been wearing them around like a champ even though I don't need them for walking.

Of course this has been a month of firsts...

      Rolled over for the first time (or two)!
      My first plane ride!
      Met my Great Granny and Big Nana for the first time.
      Met LOTS of my Mommy's favorite people.
      Went to my Mommy's women's Bible study.
      Went to my first (1st) birthday party for my friend Hollis.
      Went to Daddy's Youth Ministry service for the first time.

Overall,  in my  SECOND MONTH I've enjoyed the business of being ADVENTUROUS.