Noah :: 6 Month Update

Dear Noah,

Today you are 6 months old! I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you are a half year old. Time is flying, buddy! Just like last month, this month was also filled with many "firsts", which included your first tastes of veggies + fruits, your first "big boy" ride in the shopping cart, your first time sitting in a highchair at a restaurant, your first art project, and your first experience drinking with a sippy cup.

Last month we introduced rice cereal to you as your first solid food, but to be honest, you weren't that big of a fan. I can't say I blame you though...it doesn't look very appetizing ;) After a few weeks of rice cereal, and shortly after you turned 5 months, we gave you your 1st bite of sweet potatoes, which you absolutely LOVED! You've eaten all your fruits and vegetables like a champ, so I can't say for sure whether or not you have a "favorite" food just yet. Time will tell as we begin to introduce more and more flavor combinations to you in these next few months. Just a few days ago we introduced you to a sippy cup, and so far, you pretty much want nothing to do with it, unless Mommy holds it for you. That's okay, bud, we'll keep trying. Practice makes perfect, right? Right!

We may not know your favorite food yet, but your personality is certainly starting to emerge. You are a very happy and playful little guy, but you also have a very sweet shy side to you as well. You love to be sung to, and based upon the huge smile on your face, we're pretty sure your favorite song is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (you especially love the hand movements that we do along with the song). You love story time, Mickey Mouse, and Sophie (your giraffe teething toy). You love playing peak-a-boo, bouncing up and down in your exersaucer, and dropping toys off of your highchair and watching Mommy pick them up ;) It seems like over night you began showing interest in things other than your toys. Now, whenever you see Mommy or Daddy with a cellphone, remote, or even a drink, you immediately stop what you are doing and reach for whatever we happen to have in our hand, even if that means diving off of Mommy's lap and into the laptop screen to reach the power cord. You've recently discovered that we have a furry creature living with us, named Teddy. He is our family puppy dog, and you love trying to pet him. Teddy is slowly warming up to you, but we still think he is a little frightened by your love and affection for him ;) 

This month we celebrated Valentine's Day, as well as Daddy's birthday! For Valentine's Day, Daddy bought Mommy a charm bracelet, and you even helped to pick out a charm for it. You chose an "N" for Noah. We celebrated with a nice dinner at Atria's, where you were on your very best behavior. Thank you for being such a good boy so Daddy and I could enjoy a special meal together.

I know I say this in almost every letter to you, but you are really growing up so fast. These first 6 months went by in a blink of an eye, and I imagine that these next 6 months will go by just as quickly. You make our hearts melt every single day. We couldn't be more blessed with a beautiful son. Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back, little guy!

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from your 6th month. 

 1st bite of veggies (you LOVE your sweet potatoes!)

 Sitting up like a big boy in your bathtub!

Checking out your farm

You love standing on Daddy's lap :)

 We did some finger painting, and this look sums up how you felt about it ;)

Off to our 1st story time at our local library 

(Sophie comes everywhere with us now!)

Exersaucer fun!

Grocery shopping with Mommy from a new vantage point! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Someone stole the remote!

Your new "face" you enjoy making (Mommy can't get enough of it!)

BIG smiles :)

The Schmitt boys!

Here are your 6 month stats:

Weight: 17 lbs
Height: 27.25"
Clothing Size: Transitioning into 9 months

I love you,

Mommy

Gymboree Play & Learn Classes

Every Thursday afternoon, Noah and I head out to our weekly Play & Learn class at Gymboree. I get a lot of questions about our classes there; therefore, I thought I would write up a little review about our experience at Gymboree. Noah is currently enrolled in the Level 1 class that is geared for babies from birth up to 6 months. We started Noah at about 2 months old. At first, I had so many questions running through my head. What does a baby even learn in a "class" at this age? Would the other moms be welcoming? Would there even be any other 2 month olds in the class? To my surprise, my "worries" were put to rest within the first few minutes of class beginning. The content of the class fit Noah's age + ability perfectly, the other moms were very welcoming, and there were actually several other 2 month olds (all boys too!). 

In a nutshell, Gymboree's Level 1 class encompasses lots of tummy time, songs, interactive games, bubbles, parachute time, and our good pal Gymbo the Clown (pictured below). It also includes discussion time for the moms, which I think is great. Noah's favorites are undoubtedly bubbles, parachute time, and Gymbo!

Since beginning that first class, I have grown to love Gymboree even more. As a stay-at-home mama, it can get pretty isolating at times. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but feel it's important to connect with other moms, as well as let Noah have some interaction with other babies. Gymboree has provided us with both. I'm not one to stay cooped up in the house all day (unless of course it's a yucky day weather-wise), so I try to get out as much as possible. Beyond Gymboree, I try to coordinate play dates (I've started a small monthly playgroup), take him to story times, and will be enrolling him in swim lessons later this spring.

Noah will be getting ready to graduate from Level 1 and move up to Level 2 next week (he'll start attending 2x per week). We actually attended our 1st Level 2 class today just to check it out, and I think it's safe to say that Noah loved it. Level 2 is geared for babies from 6 to 10 months, and is quite a bit more active than Level 1. Noah took to tummy "surfing" and baby soccer really well! I wish I would have had a camera handy during tummy surfing...he was grinning from ear to ear! SO.MUCH.FUN! 

So, if you are a stay-at-home (or work-from-home) mom and are looking for something fun to do with your little one (Gymboree offers classes from birth to 5 years), I highly recommend checking it out. Our experience has been a lot of fun, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have about it. 

Noah :: 5 Month Update

Dear Noah,

Today you are 5 months old. Before I forget, Happy New Year, buddy! You've accomplished quite a lot already in these first 25 days of 2013! This month was filled with lots of "firsts", which included your very first bite of rice cereal, your first ride in the "big boy" stroller, your first playgroup, and perhaps the biggest milestone you've reached thus far, your first time sitting up on your own.

It is so fun watching you learn. Lately, it seems like you are learning something new every day. Shortly before you learned to sit up, you discovered your feet, and you are absolutely infatuated with them :) One of your favorite activities now is to pull your socks off and just play with your feet (you like to "eat" them too). Sometimes you are perfectly content playing with your feet as opposed to your toys. Don't get me wrong though, you still LOVE your toys. Since you've learned to sit up, we've been introducing more and more "big boy" toys and you are really taking to them well. You love pretty much anything that plays music, but you are also a big fan of just good ole' stack-able cups. 

This month was also Daddy's first trip to China since you've been born. You see, Daddy travels a lot for work and has been to some pretty amazing places...China, India, Singapore, Japan, and Germany just to name a few. Some day Daddy will tell you all about his travels. During this trip to China he visited The Great Wall and brought you back a postcard with your name written in Chinese. Pretty neat since he had it made just for you at The Great Wall! Both Mommy and Daddy love to travel, and we hope to instill that love for travel in you someday as well. 

Last month we thought you might be teething, but alas, still no teeth. You went through a mini sleep regression right as you turned 4 months (which was part of the reason why we thought you might be teething), but that was luckily followed by 9-10 straight hours of sleeping at night. Your naps are slowly but surely getting better and more consistent as well. Yay for sleep! Sleep helps you grow big and strong! With your sleep/feeding schedule becoming more consistent, we've evolved into a pretty solid routine over the last month or so. I'm sure our routine will change again quicker than I can blink, but here is a look at your "schedule" right now:

6am - Wake up; bottle; go back to sleep (usually for about 1.5 - 2 hours)
8am - Wake up for the day!
10am - Bottle + breakfast (rice cereal); begin nap routine
10:30am - Nap (this nap can vary from 30 min to 1 hour...usually 30 min)
1:30pm - Bottle; begin nap routine 
1:45pm - Nap (this nap can vary from 30 min to 1.5 hours)
5:00pm - Bottle + dinner (rice cereal)
7:30pm - Bath; begin bedtime routine; bottle  
8:30pm - Bedtime 

Can't wait to see what this next month brings as you approach your 6 month birthday! 

Until next time, here are some of my favorite snapshots from your 5th month. 

 You & Daddy on New Years Day watching the Michigan bowl game

1st taste of rice cereal

Attempting to "eat" your rubber ducky

A photo of you not napping during nap time ;)

 Saturday morning piano lessons ;)

Playing with your ball popping Dino toy 

(here you were just sitting up for a few seconds at a time)

 You are my heart :)

 You found your feet!

One of my absolute favorite photos of you (@ 20 weeks old)

Sitting up is fun!

You are an official "sitter"!

You love your stack-able cups!

No height/weight stats this month, but you are still in 6 month clothes and size 2 diapers...for now :)

I love you,

Mommy

Noah :: 4 Month Update

Dear Noah,

You turned 4 months old on Christmas Day this year, so I am writing this letter a few days later this month. We just got home from our trip to NY, where we celebrated Christmas with Daddy's side of the family. You got to meet so many new family members, including all of your cousins. You are such a loved little boy. You received so many wonderful gifts from family and friends. You are very blessed, Noah. Some day Mommy and Daddy will teach you the true meaning of Christmas, and how to give to others who may not be as fortunate as you are.

This month you showed a lot of developmental progress with your motor skills. You are now a pro at tummy time, picking up your head, chest, and shoulders off of the ground in the form of a baby push-up :) You have also become quite the little rolling machine...you love rolling from your back to belly while playing with toys. We are now practicing sitting up, and you are slowly but surely getting the hang of it (still with support, for now, but getting stronger every day). We even put you in your exersaucer this month, and it has become your new favorite toy! 

Your favorite time of day is morning. You are always so smiley in the morning. You love to be sung to, and it is almost always a surefire way to get you to smile :) You are laughing more and more, and you are also beginning to "find" your voice now too. We love to make you laugh and are still waiting for that first big belly laugh. 

Mommy and Daddy think you may even be teething, as you are drooling a ton and are constantly chewing on your hands and putting all of your toys in your mouth. Only time will tell, but we think you may be cutting your 1st tooth very soon. 

You are growing so fast, buddy. Every month brings more and more change. We can't wait to see your personality emerge over these next few months. You are truly the biggest blessing in our lives. 

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from your 4th month.

 This is your "tummy time" face - so curious of the world around you

Baby push-ups :)
 

 Just hangin' with Sophie

 Gymbo the Clown (our Gymboree class mascot) is your new favorite toy

Practicing sitting up!
 

Daddy & son looking quite handsome :)

Nap? Who needs a nap when you can roll over instead?!

 Just hanging out at home on a Friday night...simple pleasures & big smiles!

Doing a little reading (Mommy used to read this book when she was a little girl)

Big smiles playing with Daddy

 

You love "talking" to the alligator on your hanging comforter

Playing in your exersaucer

Christmas photo shoot

 Christmas photo shoot #2

Looking very dapper on Christmas Day :)

Here are your 4 month stats:

Weight: 15 lbs., 7 oz. 
Height: 26"
Clothing Size: 3-6 months; 6 months

I love you,

Mommy

Noah :: 3 Month Update

Dear Noah,

Today you are three months old, which means you've officially graduated from newborn status! Today was one of my favorite days since you've been born...we woke up to the 1st snowfall of the year and spent the day putting up the tree and decorating the house for Christmas.

Last night we made the long drive home from NC, where we spent Thanksgiving visiting with Mommy's side of the family. You did unbelievably well for your 1st road trip! When we got home yesterday afternoon, we spent lots of time playing with you, and you surprised us by rolling over 2x! Not only did you roll from your tummy to your back last night, you also gave us your 1st little laugh while playing "horsey" with Daddy!

We've had a busy month since I last wrote to you on your 2 month birthday! For Halloween, we dressed you up as a baby cow. It was a bit too chilly to take you out trick-or-treating, so we stayed inside while Daddy handed out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters. Grandma Schmitt also came to visit us the week of Halloween. You had so much fun playing with her! 

After Halloween, we started Play & Learn classes at Gymboree where we've had tons of fun learning new songs and playing games together. The class is full of little ones all around the same age as you, and right now, it's all boys too, which makes it even better! Boys rule! ;) You LOVE the colorful parachute we get to play with at each class. Everytime you see it, you kick your arms and legs like crazy!! It makes me smile so much seeing you get so excited during class.

This month also brought the unfortunate sickies to our house, and you ended up catching your 1st cold :( You were still as playful and smiley as ever though! Let's hope we don't have to go through another sickness for quite awhile!

Perhaps your biggest new change this month is your interest in playing with toys. It was almost overnight it seemed that you went from just simply holding a rattle for a few seconds when placed in your hand, to now actually reaching for toys and shaking them. Your new favorite thing is putting any and everything in your mouth. In fact, you've gotten so good with your hands, that you've actually taken your pacifier in/out of your mouth completely on your own several times now. Your Daddy and I are so amazed by your growth. You've come such a long way with tummy time, and your head control continues to get better with each day. We even put you in your Bumbo seat this month to help you practice sitting up.

Oh, and I can't forget to tell you your other big news this month...you started sleeping through the night right around 11 weeks. It's not quite every night yet...you still have a few nights here and there where you'll get up once a night (usually around 4am), but you've come so far since those early newborn days. Mommy and Daddy are very grateful for the extra sleep :)

We don't have any height/weight stats for you this month (your next well-visit with the pediatrician is at 4 months), but I have a feeling you're getting close to 14lbs. You are still wearing 3 month sized clothes, but we're slowly starting to transition you into your 3-6 month clothes, along with size 2 diapers. 

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from your 3rd month.

Cuddles with Mr. Bear

 Happy Halloween (your face here cracks me up)!

Such a sweet face :)

Going to vote with Mommy

Trying to fit your ball in your mouth (your new favorite toy!)

 1st time in your Bumbo

Typical afternoon of playtime (you love your ball)!

Still smiling despite having your 1st cold

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our 1st Thanksgiving as a family of 3 :)

 Playing peak-a-boo with Grandma

Someone stole Mommy's milkshake!

 Too cool ;)

Headed out for some Black Friday shopping in our shades

All tuckered out from a busy Thanksgiving week (and still trying to fit as many things as possible into your mouth)!

Wow, we sure had a busy month, didn't we?! I'm pretty sure this next month will be just as busy, as we prepare for the holiday season and your very 1st Christmas! 

I love you,

Mommy