Chubba dubba

***7 MONTHS***
While I was feeding Vaughn today, I noticed something different. For the first time since he was born, he felt heavy to me. It took 7 months, but he finally feels like a chubba dubba. After he woke up from his nap, I stripped him down to weigh him and found out that he's 16 pounds and 4.5 ounces!!!

I uploaded a bunch of pictures from the past few weeks today and noticed how chubby his little cheeks and legs are. People keep telling me that your kid grows so fast. Today, I felt as if Vaughn grew up over night. Literally! I feel so much pressure to make sure every single second of time spent with Vaughn is valued and spent wisely.

The BEST and the WORST

Lately, Vaughn has started to develop two habits. One good. One bad, very, very bad.

Over the past few days, Vaughn has started to do something that I do not like at all. It's his worst habit yet. It's awful because it hurts! He has started to bite me. Not bite my arm or anything like that, but instead, he bites my nipple (while nursing). After he does it, he looks up at me with his huge blue eyes and smiles. I have no idea how you get a seven month old to stop biting. I know he's teething and it so it probabably feels good on his gums. In turn, it's hurting me. I try not to overreact. I just take him off and say, "No biting, Vaughn", while tapping near his mouth (a tip from a friend's mom)." I don't think it's working though because every time he ate today, once he was finished, he would bite me then smile or giggle. I really want to nurse him until he turns a year old, but don't know if I can handle being nibbled on for five more months.

The other habit he has, I absolutely love. He is a hugger and it's my favorite thing he does. He loves to snuggle on my chest, wrap his little arms around my neck and arm, and give me the biggest hug. Well, he doesn't just do this with me as he loves hugging Dave and I'm sure anyone else who lets him cuddle with him. It's the BEST. It's as if my body and his were designed to fit perfectly like a puzzle. I could hold Vaughn like that forever. Every time he does it, I embrace the moment and embrace him.

Soon, he'll probably start giving me a huge kiss after he bites me to make it all better.

Mamarazzi

Since I was old enough to own a camera, I have been obsessed with taking pictures. My brother and sister were my first "subjects." Well, Grayson more than Cassandra (they can tell you all about it!). I dressed them up, created my own back drops, searched for great spots outside in our yard and our neighbors' yards, and spent hours telling them how to pose. They are so great to look through because I was a horrible photographer and the kids had hilarious fake smiles. I did have a ton of fun doing it though. However, the problem I had at that age, was I didn't have money to develop the pictures so film would sometimes sit for months and even years before I would get to see my "work". Then, the digital camera came along...my newfound best friend. 

Since Dave and I have been together, he has gotten accustomed to the camera being glued to my right hand. We have pictures of every camping trip, every vacation, and just of any moment I felt was worthy of a photo. At any job I had or event I attended, I would immediately start taking pictures and ultimately becoming the responsible party to capture great moments. When I worked at Habitat, the volunteers often called me the paparazzi as I would pop up in random places like behind window frames and on the roof to get a good shot.

All of that was NOTHING compared to the crazy monster I have become ever since a baby boy named Vaughn was born. I just read the word, mamarazzi, today, which is exactly what I am. Crazy lady mamarazzi. It's an obsession I have. Lately, I have wondered if my obsession is unhealthy as I keep thinking about all the pictures I have yet to edit and post. I take multiple photos almost every day then I need to find the time to edit  post, print, and organize all the pictures in a specific way so the madness continues. I know part of my problem stems from me only having a handful of pictures from my babyhood and early childhood. To date, I have already taken over 1,500 pictures of Vaughn. Yes, he has only been on this earth for seven months and twelve days and yet, there are over a thousand still images of my little man. (I have many videos, too, but haven't begun a system to get those uploaded and burned yet).

Unhealthy or not, I will be able to look back at this time in my, Dave's and Vaughn's life and reminisce about the amazing time I had at the beginning of this new life together.

 (these pictures are a sample of ones taken in  April and May)

Changes

***7 MONTHS***

Every day our little Vaughny Poo is a new baby, an older baby. These are the many things that I adore right now at seven months that are what every baby goes through at this age; but then there are many things that are specific to Vaughn. As he gets older, many of his actions, manurisms and speech will slowly change. I will miss so much of what he currently does...

- Mobility: Vaughn's form of mobility is rolling or holding onto my hands to walk; soon he'll be running away from me getting into everything and anything he can get his little hands on.
- Smiles and squeals: Whenever Vaughn is happy, he is constantly smiling and if he's really happy, the smile is followed by a very high pitched squeal.
- Babbling: "Ra-ra-ra-ra, ba-da-da-wa, muh-da-ra-ra-uh-awe-oh" is what commonly comes out of Vaughn's mouth nowadays. He's quite the chatter box, but without meaningful words. This will soon change and will only be the way he speaks for such a short time of his life.
- Baby hugs: If Vaughn is sleepy, when he just wakes up, or if he has played for a while, when I pick him up, he nestles his head perfectly into my collar bone, wraps one arm around the back of my arm and the other tightly around my neck. I love his baby hugs. He fits so perfectly in my arms. He is my little cuddle monkey.
- Death Grip: Dave and I both will be happy when Vaughn no longer pinches or grabs our lips, cheeks, arms and for me, my chest. He has such a tight grip and to be honest, it hurts! I have bruises all along my chest from Vaughn pinching my skin when he nurses. When his nails are long it's even worse.
- Napping: Vaughn is a great napper, which allows me to get some stuff done for the two to three hour time he is safely in his crib. I value this time more than I ever have before, but I know as he gets older those naps will get shorter then no longer happen anymore.
- Remote or anything with buttons: Remotes and phones quiet Vaughn done almost instantly. He can be crying from boredom until he sees a remote or phone. He is very interested in all the button and for some of these objects, lights. I wish they made toy television remotes that looked like the real thing versus being "kidified."


There are also so many little things I can do to get Vaughn to go from fussy baby to happy baby in matter of seconds:
- Blanket on the face: All I need to do is take any kind of blanket, hang it over his head and drop it. He absolutely loves the "Where is Vaughn" game which is when I say, "Where is Vaughn" once his face is covered with the blankie. When I pull it off, he kicks and squeals in delight. What he enjoys even more is the huge parachute at the Buckeye Library.
- Luna bar: If I need a super quick tamer, I hand Vaughn a wrapped Luna bar. For some reason, he loves that wrapping more than anything else. It's large and hard to open so for now, giving him a Luna bar to hold on to is okay with me as long as it makes him happy.
- Walk it Out: I stand him up, hold on to his hands and let him walk. He often stomps around with a huge smile on his face. I can already tell he'll be a happier baby when he has the freedom and ability to walk on his own. He tends to get frustrated not being able to move.
- Kissie Monster: A few little kisses on his cheeks and neck get Vaughn in a good mood quickly. He makes the cutest faces when we give him lots of kissies.
- Stripped: In the morning, he starts playtime while I get shower and get ready in his jammies. Then, as he gets a little fussy or bored, I take his clothes off. This buys me about another 20 minutes or so.
- Change of Scenery: Vaughn loves to be anywhere but inside the home. He gets bored quickly when we're in the house. To get him to a playful state, I often just need to take him outside or to a public place where he can socialize. Lately, he's been very interested in trees and plants from the sounds they make in the wind to the different textures they have.
- Dance with me: I scoop Vaughn up, pull him close to me and dance. He immediately calms down while melting into my body. He especially likes to dance to a little Michael Buble!
- And of course, the bottle or breast. Vaughn sure loves to eat. His little face lights up and his body fills with uncontrollable excitement when he sees the nipple; plastic or human :).

Going Social

***7 MONTHS***
Now, in 2010, everything is about going social. There's Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linked In, crazy applications on 3G and Smart Phones amongst many other websites and tools that are about people connecting with people. Vaughn has decided to hop the "Going Social" train, but by doing it the old fashion way...talking to people and making eye contact face to face.

Right as Vaughn turned seven months old, his little personality has really started to develop as he becomes more and more social. He now reaches for people, smiles at anyone who smiles at him, and he suddenly likes to talk to people, his toys, the dog, or anything or anyone that is nearby. Something that I think is so cute that he does is stare people down until they look at him. I noticed him doing this a ton on the flight back to Pennsylvania. As people would come to use the bathroom, he would stare at their faces until they acknowledge him. Then he would return their smile with a huge gummy grin.

Vaughn has always needed a lot of attention from being held all the time as a newborn to now where he wants to be talked to (or sung to) all the time. As he gets older and smarter, he has realized what different sounds to make depending on what he wants or needs.

In order to help his communication, and in turn, socialization, we have started to sign with him. Since we're new to signing, it is sometimes hard to remember when to do the motions, but Dave and I are slowly getting the hang of it. We have started with change (for during diaper changing and clothes changing), eat, bed, hi, bye, milk, more, thank you, play, all done and some animals; any of the ones I actually know like fish).

In a few months, Vaughn will have the tools and ability to become even more social. I often wonder where he gets his outgoing personality even at only seven months old. Ha!

Time together

**7 MONTHS***

I get to spend every single day with Vaughn. We go to Stroller Strides together, the library, visit friends, play together at home amongst other things, but our time today was extra special and extremely cherished. Instead of going to the library, we went swimming in our community pool. Since school is still in session, there was only one lady and us.

When it got too hot to sit under the shade structure, we went over to the baby pool to cool down. With it only being Vaughn and me in the pool, we got to spend some one on one, googly eye time. Vaughn was "walking" around in his little raft while I followed him walking on my hands. He was having the best time ever laughing and squealing as I made (apparently) funny noises and faces. There was a moment, where we both stared into each others eyes and were the only ones who existed (besides daddy who we knew was only a few hundred feet away from us at home). It was as if we were in our own little world. Then, Vaughn reached for my face and just smiled at me. It was the most genuine, "I LOVE YOU, MOMMY," look  he has given me to date.

Even though we have many opportunities to have moments like these, for some reason, being in the water beneath the beating hot sun and clear blue sky, I fell in love all over again with my son.

6 Month Well Baby Appointment

We finally made it to the pediatrician's office for Vaughn's 6 month appointment. I originally called two weeks prior to his six month birthday, but the new pediatrician we wanted to try was booked for six weeks. I made the appointment for May 4 but had to reschedule because of insurance changes. We finally had the appointment today even though Vaughn is seven months tomorrow. He did great!

Here are the stats:
Weight: 15.9 pounds; 6th percentile!
Length: 27 1/2 inches; 66th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 1/2 inches; 53% percentile
Physical Strength and Development: 2-3 months ahead

Dr. Shepherd gave us information on childproofing our home and gave us the go ahead on table foods (chopped and mashed). She also told us to give him water in a sippy cup which we have already been trying. She was super sweet. The appointment went very well as she was pleased with where he is developmentally and physically.

After the doctor left the room, the MA returned to give shots. Apparently Vaughn didn't cry at all for the first one, cried a little for the second and screamed for the third. I was in the room but couldn't bare to look. When I held Vaughn in my arms, he stopped crying and was ready to nurse! He got a little to eat in the car then we headed home. Vaughn didn't have any other reactions to the shots.

Next appointment will be at nine months. I better call early to make that appointment!

*Baby Steps* 6 months old

Previously, I named this kind of post "Look What Vaughn Did." I had an epiphany and decided Baby Steps was more appropriate since I am marking all the milestones, benchmarks and other "firsts" in Vaughn's life. I love looking back at these posts to see how far he has come and how much more he's going to do in the next weeks and months.

Vaughn at six months has been pure fun. His personality continues to bud. It's amazing how he's his own person at even such a young age. He gets frustrated that he can't just get to the place he wants without someone picking him up or helping him, but he knows what he wants. I just keep thinking how crazy it is that even though he's so tiny and dependent he still has his own mind, likes and dislikes. I just love it. I pray that I'm able to guide him in helping him make HIS decisions. I know it'll be hard to let go more and more as he grows, but he is his own person with his own little brain. It's amazing to see God's hand at work in my little baby boy as he becomes more aware of his body and surroundings.

In addition to his personality, Vaughn's appearance has really began to change as well. His hair is really starting to grow in where he went bald, he got two teeth (wow!), and he's getting some meat on his bones. His physical strength continues to astonish us. He now holds himself up on furniture, walks when we hold his hands, and rolls from one side of the of the room to the other side.

Our love for Vaughny Poo continues to explode as well. We love him so much, we can't explain it. No matter how much stress we're under or how much of a bad day we're having, all we need to do is look at Vaughn's huge smile (and now that smile contains two really cute teeth) to realize nothing else matters but...family.

4/14/10: Today marks the first night of four that daddy is not here. Vaughn got to hear his voice on the phone causing him to smile. I could tell he was confused though. I'm curious to see how he acts when Dave comes back home on Sunday (he's in Pennsylvania golfing with the men in his family).

4/15/10: First time at the pool. It was very hot for an April day so we decided to check out the baby pool in our community. I didn't even put my bathing suit on because I had a feeling Vaughn wouldn't like it. I was completely wrong. He liked it so much, I ended up getting drenched in my clothes! He was splashing his feet with the biggest smile on his face. Actually, all day today, he's been the happiest baby ever, laughing and smiling all day.

4/21/10: Vaughn woke up for the first time with an eye crusty. haha!

4/22/10: I spotted two teethies wanting to make their way into the world. Vaughn is finally starting to get some teeth after all that slobber. Now, he's slobbering in gobbs and gobbs of spit. I'm sure it'll just be a matter of days before our little man has two bottom teeth.
 4/24/10: They're here! I was in the kitchen tonight when Vaughn grabbed my finger to put it in his mouth. Then instead of feeling smooth gums against my finger, I felt two little somethings that hurt. It was his two teeth. I just put him down for bed and bet we'll be able to see two full teeth by the morning.

4/25/10: Dave gave in and let me take Vaughn to the Preschool at church today. He did great! Dave, that is. Well, Vaughn did too. His little "report" card said he was friendly and happy. They even changed his diaper because he was wet. During church, Dave kept checking the pager they gave us which never went off. It was so nice to be able to hear the sermon again (the family room is a tad bit noisy). I think I might start volunteering again knowing that Vaughn is safe in Baby Rays.

4/29/10:
We went to the Habitat for Humanity Staff Meeting today to celebrate my former boss's time at Habitat since she is resigning. On the way, Vaughn was awake the entire trip to Glendale, but did not cry once. This was the very first time. I looked back into the mirror to see him playing with Dino (his stuffed lion). I could hear him talking to himself. I loved it!

At the end of the meeting while many different people were holding Vaughn, he turned outward and reached for me. It was the first time, I'm sure of many, where Vaughn's little fingers stretched out for me. It melted my heart. But then, he started reaching for other people when I held him. I think he thought it was a game based on our reactions.

4/30/10: Last night Vaughn went to bed at 7:00pm and woke up three hours later at 10:00pm. He's never done that. When Dave went to check on him, he smelled what was wrong. Then, Vaughn screamed horribly as Dave changed him. We don't know how long it stayed in his diaper but his poor little butt and entire nether regions were raw. He was not a happy baby. This was the first time he's had such diaper rash. I'm told it's from teething...5/1/10: He's all clear and feeling much better!

5/1/10: Apples! Vaughn really enjoys his homemade apple sauce. I don't even need to mix them with cereal.

5/2/10: Over the past few days, Vaughn has really started babbling. Instead of just making ooh and ahh sounds, he has full conversations with himself or his toys. He now says the consonant sounds of m, n, d, b, and it sounds like he says wow a lot. Dave might get to finally hear him say dada very soon.

5/6/10: Vaughn rode on a plane for the first time and did great. He got fussy a few times, but we were fortunate to be sitting next to a midwife who Vaughn loved. Anytime he got sleepy, I just nursed him to sleep. I don't want to make that a habit but it worked for the plane. We arrived in Pennsylvania at 9:30pm then made it to Grammy's house by 11:00pm. Vaughn was a trooper.

5/7/10: Vaughn spent his first night away from me. He stayed at Grammy's house with daddy. Apparently, he went right to bed when they got home and slept in until 9:45am! It wasn't until later in the day that he cried a lot for me. I missed my little guy!

5/8/10: Vaughn attended his first wedding - Mr. and Mrs. Dan and Lauren DiGiovine. Nunny watched him during the ceremony which he didn't care for so much. He just wanted his mommy but I couldn't be with him. It was heartbreaking, but he eventually got over it in time to play with Pappy and Uncle G.

5/11/10: We now have a new bedtime routine. To keep Vaughn from relying on eating to fall asleep, we have decided to feed him a bottle/nurse him (me not Dave...haha) while reading a book, then bath time followed by Dave lathering him in lotion and dressing him for bed. Then, we both give him a kiss and put him in the crib with the mobile on. He did not cry at all tonight. After the lullaby ended, he closed his eyes for the night.