facers visit

PEARL HARBOR

ALA MOANA BEACH

HANAUMA BAY

the highlight of snorkeling was definitely the sea turtle

WAIKIKI BEACH

 (turned around and realized everyone else was taking a picture of the sunset as well)

 the water was so pretty, it was very blue!

 3 generations

 grandparents

Luke's parents, Mark and Mindy, plus Beave (Luke's youngest brother) came during their spring break to visit last week. They stayed with us but were pretty much gone all day everyday doing activities! We weren't able to do everything with them (things are harder with a baby) but we did do some super fun activities with them. The Mitchells from back home were also here vacationing, so we did a lot of the activities together.

We went to Pearl Harbor, which is a super interesting place! I felt like I learned a lot. We did the headphone tour and also took a boat over to the USS Arizona Memorial. Simon was having a hard time napping, so he was a little fussy...so we didn't get to go through everything, but we still did quite a bit! Afterwards we went to Ala Moana Beach  and Luke and I did some tandem surfing! It was a very very far paddle but we caught several really fun waves! The next day I was feeling a little sore and ended up getting a little sick as well, so I just rested the next couple of days; plus, going all day will a baby takes a lot out of ya.

Another day we went to Hanauma Bay and snorkeled! It was so cool. We found a sea turtle and followed him for a while, but there were also some very beautifully colored fish...and some very big ones too! We then headed over to Waikiki to surf. I didn't end up surfing because Simon was hungry and by the time he was done nursing the sun was going down. next time though i'll get out there! It was very pretty though and our first time ever to Waikiki. The water was very pretty and I guess it is also warmer than the North Shore (where we live).  

It was fun to spend time with the Facers, we love it when people come to visit us!

simon's blessing

(Rowen Chamberlin and Simon are a month apart)

Simon was blessed on April 13, 2014. We decided to wait til Luke's parents came out, and we were hoping that Simon would be better behaved if we waited longer (he has always had a rough time at church). Everything went well! Simon fell asleep in Grandma's arms and then woke up just a few minutes before it was time to bless him. Luke did a great job! His blessing was short and sweet. and he didn't cry! of course he had a blowout right before sacrament meeting ended, so we didn't get a picture of him in his blessing clothes...but luckily i had a backup onesie in the diaper bag for him:) 

We had some of our friends in the circle as well, but they had to go to their own wards, so they aren't in the pictures. The Mitchells were also visiting on vacation from our ward back home so they were able to come as well! We had Luke, Grandpa Facer, Danny Chamberlin and President Chamblerlin (also visiting from home), Brian Mitchell, Trenton McCullough, Dave Zant and Bishop Hancock in the circle!

3 months

some highlights:

• Laughed for the first time on March 30th (12 weeks old). he has been doing little laughs for a while, but never a full laugh. it was the cutest thing! he has only done it a couple times since, we keep trying to get him to do it again though!
• loves to stand while you hold him. he gets all smiley when you put him on his feet
• does not like tummy time! he can last a few minutes if i read a quick book to him, but does not like to be put on the ground or left alone for more than a couple minutes! 
• he likes books! he sits still and looks at the pictures while i read to him at least:)
• loves the toys that hang above him in his crib. he is always staring at them and will follow them with his eyes when i move them
• such a good sleeper! he will usually sleep 7-8 hours and sometimes even 9 hours straight at night! he has also become a great napper as well. he usually will go to sleep without fussing...we just swaddle him and put him in his crib, we often hear him talking to himself until he falls asleep...but he doesn't cry too often!
• he likes his changing table for some reason. we can always get lots of smiles when we are changing his diaper.
• he seems to be liking the bath less. he has recently started crying sometimes in the tub, so hopefully that doesn't last.
• he started singing with us when we are singing him to sleep. he stares at you for a while and then joins in. seriously makes my heart melt.
• his hair is getting red! and getting lighter as well...looks more red in pictures, but we'll see what color it turns out to be in the end.
• he is pretty good at cuddling (he has gotten much more snuggly this last month).

Month 3 has definitely been the best month so far! the beginning was a little rough just because Simon was going through a growth spurt that lasted a little more than a week! so he was fussy and not sleeping as well just for that little while. But since than we have gotten him on a schedule of roughly up for 2 hours and down for 2 hours. He usually gets tired at about 1 hour and 45 minutes of being awake, and starts talking loudly...like complaining talking (but it is actually really cute).

Since Simon has been on this schedule, he seems so much happier!! It took me a while to figure out, but after doing some research I came to find that babies can only be awake for shorts amounts of time. But I love the time that i have with Simon when he is awake. We often don't get enough of him while he is awake! The hard part about this schedule is when we go to costco or other places that are an hour away....i always end up nursing him in the car for an hour at some point...and he hasn't been as good about taking naps in his car seat...and he isn't quite as happy when he doesn't get enough sleep. But he is totally worth it! we love Simon so much!

2 months

 (this is what usually happens when i start taking pictures)

2 month highlights:

• this little boy loves to talk! right after he eats we started propping him up against our knees so that he is facing us and we have little conversations with him. they last about 10 minutes before he starts getting fussy again. But they are my favorite part of the day! he does lots of smiles and makes lots of noises! but you have to talk to him, he doesn't usually just talk on his own.
• not super stoked on the pacifier, it sometimes works but we have stopped using it as much because he doesn't always take it.
• he is mr. wiggles during burping time. when he takes the bottle (which we were using for a few weeks) we burp him after every ounce, and he is super wiggly!
• simon is an awesome sleeper! he is sleeping one stretch of 6-7 hours a night on an almost regular basis and even did 8 hours a couple times!
• he still likes the stroller (or at least most the time he likes it) and will often take naps in it.
• does not like being left to sit or lay by himself for very long (usually a couple minutes is all i can get). he wants to be held!
• this guy is a marathon eater... he usually nurses anywhere from 40-60 minutes! and he eats every 2.5 - 3 hours (so we hang out on the couch a lot)!
• his hair sometimes looks like it has a reddish tint to it, we'll see if it changes
• likes to be held up on the shoulder 
• he is mellow when he is in the tub, but as soon as we take him out he starts crying! and cries the whole time we are dressing him:)
• started sleeping in his own room! we moved his crib into the second room at around 7 weeks (i think) and he has been doing just fine!

the second month was much better than the first! Simon still fusses often, but we have been able to figure out why he is fussing (most the time)! when he takes a bottle we burp him after every ounce, and that seems to help with his stomach aches a lot! also, simon fusses when he is getting tired, so we have been able to pick up on that and help him get to sleep (which isn't always easy)! 

but i really love being a mother! the first month was so rough just because simon was so fussy! he still fusses, but much less than before, and that has made a huge difference! And sleeping hasn't been too bad for me. i definitely have days where i am tired, but simon is better than most babies about sleeping during the night...so that has been a huge blessing. but the best part about motherhood is the smiles simon gives us. i can be super frustrated with him and then he will smile at me and i can't help but just forget how mad i was. it is seriously the best! it's still not easy, but he seems to be getting happier and happier as he gets older! and that makes things much easier for me!

Brestfeeding. oh man. the never ending story for me... i was pumping for several weeks, as well as nursing, but i was not getting better; in fact, i was getting worse. i went to a lactation consultant and they basically told me that simon needed to have his tongue clipped (he had already had it clipped twice- but by someone who apparently wasn't doing enough). So we have now had his tongue clipped three times, and still no improvement. the third time the doctor did a good job, but i just think simon has gotten used to the way he has been eating. So i have been nursing with a nipple shield so that it is not so painful for me and have stopped pumping for now. i am just grateful i am able to nurse! but it was seriously 2 months of running around to different doctors and lactation specialists, getting referrals and trial and error! So many times i just wanted to give up, but i am still going! 

1 month

happy one month to this little boy!

some highlights:

• calms down almost immediately to white noise (but that doesn't last forever)
• loves looking at things of high contrast, like black and white stripes
• takes both a bottle and a pacifier!
• falls asleep in his car seat on trips every time (unless he is hungry)!
• loves to go for walks in his stroller and often falls asleep in his stroller as well
• started smiling at about 3 weeks 
• loves to push off with his legs and is quite strong!
• makes lots of noises when he sucks on his pacifier, and just makes a lot of noise in general
• always furrows his brow
• seems to like the bath, but can only take it for a little while
• loves taking medicine! he seriously gobbles it down (maybe this means he'll be a good eater)!
• usually goes 3-4 hours between feedings
• sleeps pretty well at night...usually at least one long stretch of about 4-5 hours, and recently we have been able to just lay him in his bed and he is able to fall asleep on his own at night. (he even did a 6 hour stretch and a 7 hour stretch the last 2 nights...but that was after he hit the month mark)!!
• he has been so fussy, so we have been trying new things (we think its from gas and also being tired - we're new parents just trying to figure things out)! But I usually can't set him down if he is awake; we are constantly changing positions....bouncing, dancing, swinging, patting, walking, sitting, rocking...you name it - constant!
• smiles a lot when we talk to him and tries to talk back
• loves it when dad spins him around in a circle or lifts him up high

We can't believe Simon is already a month old! It's crazy how much we love him! The first month was a little rough. The first week Simon was soooo good! He was just so mellow, which was great because I was very weak the first couple days home, and then I got the flu...so that week was rough for me! My parents came for about 10 days, and luke's mom came for a week, so that was such a huge help having them here!

The times that we haven't had help have been rough because Simon has not been happy. He has not been able to breastfeed properly because of a tongue issue (tight frenulum), so I have been ridiculously sore and have had to pump half the time to give myself a break. But Simon seems to be swallowing a lot of air when he eats (partly because of the tongue issue i'm guessing), so he has been gassy; poor guy! It took us a while to figure this out though, so for the first while we just thought he was just fussy and needed to be constantly doing something! And to be honest, we are not entirely sure, but we have been burping him a lot during feedings to help get more bubbles out, and so far it seems to be helping! Also, i'm trying to pay attention to his tired cues, because I think sometimes he is just tired and needs to nap, and I am just not picking up on that! (i'm a new mom, i don't know what i'm doing...just trying to read everything i can and am figuring things out).

When this little boy is happy though he sure is a joy to be around! mothers with colicky babies sure have my respect though! When you are alone all day with a fussy baby it definitely takes a toll on you emotionally. And it makes me so sad to see him upset and not be able to know how to help him! You can't help but love him though! It's a different kind of love, not one in which you give and receive love back like you do with your spouse...this is a giving, not getting back, selfless love! Sometimes i just look at Simon and feel so grateful that he is healthy and that his little body is functioning properly! The other day I was just watching as his pupils were dilating with every blink, and couldn't help but feel so much gratitude and amazement that my body made this little body! and that it works! such a miracle!