Mom checks out OK!

While Evan being 6 weeks last week was an important milestone (as each week is!), even more important for me was that it was when I went back to the doctor to make sure everything was OK with me post-pardom.

I have been feeling pretty good, so I was thinking that I would get the thumbs up from my doctor...and I did! Everything healed properly from what he could see and feel and since I wasn't showing any signs of anything else not being quite right yet, I got the full go-ahead to return to my normal life.

Though I did cheat and start running earlier than the 6 weeks since I had been feeling fine. Evan comes with me in his stroller and seems to enjoy it. We usually go right after he naps midday, so he's awake and loves to look at the scenery as it goes by (I run through the park by our house, so there's plenty of trees to look at!).

I started with my short loop through the park, which is between 3.5 and 4 miles. The first few times, I did a walk/run, but have since been able to run the whole loop. As for my pace, it's pretty dang slow, but it just feels good to be out there. My time has gotten faster with each run, so hopefully my body is just building back those muscles that I haven't used for 3 months! I also contribute some of the slow speed to the fact that I'm pushing a 12 pound kid in a stroller - up some hills even!

Enough about me...I know the main reason most people come on here is to see and hear about that beautiful baby boy! He continues to do well and is settling in to more of a schedule each day. His neck is getting much stronger and he is holding his head up for a lot longer now. We had a bit of rough few days at the end of last week when he had a bit of a stomachache (we could tell do the changes in his diapers), but he seems to be back to normal now. I know it will not be the last time we deal with a screaming child for multiple hours, but I'm glad we got through the first time!

The best thing about Evan lately is how smiley he is! I know I shared some photos in the last post, but I can't resist putting up some more! These were all taken on Monday when he was very, very smiley all day. Some is brought on by me doing silly noises or messing around with him, but some are just on his own!

Lots of meeting to do!

Evan has had a busy week in terms of meeting new people!

Last weekend we had a birthday party for my grandma where he met most of my Mom's side of the family, including of course his Great-Grandma. She is his only great-grandparent on my side of the family, so it was extra special for me for him to meet her. Also there was my two cousins and their three babies (Yep, the family's first set of twins! They are too cute) that were also born this year. We were missing one cousin and her daughter, which makes 5 babies from 4 cousins in 2012. We still get together as an extended family for Christmas too, so it will be fun to see these kiddos grow up together.

We also ventured up to see Chris' parents on Labor Day and spend some time at their house on the lake. Since we were in town, Evan drew in a crowd. My best pal, who had her little girl a week after Evan, and her family stopped by, as did my friend/cousin-in-law and Chris' aunt and Chris' grandparents.

I love this picture. Four generations of Steinhoff men!

Evan spent most of the day snoozing in the sun, but we thought since he was at the lake, he should try swimming! It didn't go over too well, mostly because he was sleeping and the water was kind of cold.

Cue the screaming!

This week, Evan and I also went and had lunch with Dad at work and went and hung out at my work for a bit. He did pretty well with all of the traveling. We have some screaming fits in the car, but usually it's because he wants to sleep and just isn't sure how to do it. Once he figures it out, it's a pretty easy car ride :) 

One month old!

Thanks Pinterest for the cute photo idea!

It's really hard to believe that one month ago Evan was born. That sounds like such a long time! I know I say it every post, but the time is flying by.

Evan has been doing really well and is continuing to grow and become more aware of sounds and things to see. And Mom is feeling almost 100 percent. (Can't forget that it's been one month since my body went through the glorious process of childbirth!)

Here are a few notes about Evan's first month:

Weight: While it's not an official measurement, I weighed him on our bathroom scale and he appeared to be about 11 pounds, which would be about right. He was 10 pounds, 6 ounces at his two-week appointment.

Height: Dad did the "official" measurement of his height with his tape measure and he came out to be just about 24 inches or 2 feet. So he's grown about 2 inches in the last month. The kid is seriously going to pass me up by the time he's 1!

Physical development: Evan does pretty well at tummy time. Thanks to my friend Rachel, we've got a slick little device that has some toys for him to look at (including a mirror, kid LOVES to look at himself) and keep him occupied. He holds his head up pretty well and turns side to side.
He also follows with his eyes pretty well. He seems to recognize both Chris' and my voice and will follow us if we move our heads side to side while talking or singing to him.
He loves to look at his surroundings. We have a big black and white picture in our living room that is his favorite to stare at (since those are still the only real colors he's been seeing, though he should be recognizing others soon). He also pays more attention to the TV and our lights and watches them flash.

Sleeping: While he's still not on any kind of set schedule, Evan usually gets up twice, sometimes three times, during the night. He usually goes to sleep sometime between 8 and 10 and gets up every 3-4 hours or so. He then is up for the day around 7-8 and will nap for 3 hours or so sometime midday. Throw a few half-hour catnaps in there and you've got our day! He now sleeps in his crib in his room at night too. We set him right in the middle, but usually makes his way down to the end. No idea how he scoots himself straight down while swaddled, but he does!

Eating: Kid loves to eat! We introduced a bottle this week and he does well with that as well as with Mom. The bottle will be helpful so we can go and do things more freely without being tied to his eating schedule.

Other fun things: Evan does seem to give us some smiles and he has one little dimple on his right side.
He has started to make some cooing noises as if he's trying to tell us something.
He has actually stayed pretty content during his last two baths instead of crying bloody murder like he did every other time.
And last but not least, he is balding! Haha I know most kids lose some hair, but often it's on the back of their heads since they are laying on it all the time. Not Evan! He has shed quite a bit of hair from the top of his head. He still has some up there, but definitely not as much as he started with. The long hair on the sides and back of his head hasn't gone anywhere, so he looks like an old man!