John had a lot of firsts this weekend...we can't blink or we will miss something! His teeth are starting to cut and we could feel the first one on Friday. Teething has made him a bit fussy but mostly he just chews a lot, drools everywhere, and sucks on his pacifier.
John visited Great Grandpa and Grandma Bremer in Big Bear for the first time and spent one night there with lots of Bremer relatives. He did okay for the night away but he wouldn't sleep in his playpen like I had planned. He is much more aware of his surroundings and was a little freaked out not being in his home, any time I tried to lay him in his bed he would wake up, look around with BIG eyes then start crying :(. Steve and I got to find out up close just how noisy and active John is when he sleeps because he would only sleep in the bed with us (a first for Steve too!).
After watching Steve and I eat dinner for the last few weeks John started staring intently at our food and making sucking noises. We decided to give rice cereal a try...and it was a running mess! Two nights later we tried again a little thicker and after the initial shock of a new taste and texture he sucked it all down. He actually leaned and reached for the spoon when I had to re-fill it. I think he will be a good, strong eater :)
John also fed himself a bottle for the first time. It occasionally slips out and gets milk on his face but he enjoys helping out and having something to hold onto when he is without a boob :) We have taken so many pictures and videos I never know what to post and where to start. One thing for sure...we can't get enough of this little guy!
John sporting his APU gear from Grandpa Rick
John was 4 months old yesterday and is becoming quite an animated baby. He sleeps through the night most of the time now, which is great for us all. He has a pretty established routine too. I was offered a part-time teaching job August 6 (with school starting August 10, ahhh!) It was a bittersweet opportunity. I am so sad to leave John at all but to be able to work only 4 hours a day with good pay and great benefits can't be beaten. John spends his mornings with my cousin Ellie, Aunt Jean or his Grandma Debbie. It is wonderful to be able to leave him and feel comfortable that he is still getting all the love and attention I would give him if I were home.
John had his 4month check up today and is still topping the charts. He weighs 18 pounds 10 oz and is 26 inches long, his head is 17 1/4 inches around. He received another round of vaccinations as well and did a great job. He cried, of course, but for only a minute or so before being distracted by me making faces and cooing noises. With the doctor's advise we are sticking to breastfeeding only as long as he continues growing so well.
We still get visitors which John loves...he is so social and smiles and plays with whoever is willing to make faces at him! Clifton just moved back to Orange County from Arkansas so John gets to see much more of him and Steve has a surfing buddy back :) Our good friend Michelle visited last weekend from San Francisco and got to meet John for the first time (but I don't have any pictures...sorry Michelle!)
This last weekend was spent with one of my best friends who lives in Idaho. Megan and Travis flew out for 3 days with their 14 month old Oliver to meet John. Oliver was a great preview into what to expect in the future and how much energy it takes to keep up with a mobile little guy!
We spent an afternoon at the beach...it was Oliver's first time at the ocean. He didn't seem to care much for the chilly water but had a blast playing in the sand while John watched and learned.
Megan, Travis, Steve and I look forward to watching our little guys grow up from afar and taking summer vacations together. Having a baby and 14 month old in the same house was a great chance for some family planning! It was so fun but I was exhausted by the end of the visit and that was with 4 adults watching and caring for 2 kids :)
We watched the World Cup at Grandma Joan's last weekend and worn our orange to support the Netherlands. We don't have TV at home but it seems that John likes to watch the TV with all it's colors and movements, he was mesmerized by it.
Grandma Joan discovered that she and John owned matching shorts so we had to capture the moment before he grew out of them...which is about to happen.
We have spent our third day at the pool and John is loving it now. Naked is the way to go for him and it is so nice to have a not freezing salt water pool to swim in...thanks Trautwiens and GG Kershaw! John almost fell asleep in my arms in the water last weekend, it was so nice to escape the heat for both of us.
John enjoys hanging out at GG Kershaws just like me. We go over at least once a week as a way to get out of the house and get used to other places. John seems to know that Grandpa John is special to him and loves to laugh with him and lay on his belly to sleep.
Aunt Jenn is a frequent visitor since she is so close by and comes over after work a couple times a week to dance and sing with her nephew. She is great at entertaining and it gives me a chance to garden and get dinner together.
John was 3 months old yesterday and man is he growing fast. He is in all 6 month clothes and I have adjusted his car seat twice now...I only have one setting left. Besides the length of John increasing I can see his thighs bulking up daily! He is much more animated and makes all kids of noises when he is awake and playing. He can fully laugh now too which makes play time tons of fun for Steve and I as we make fools of ourselves trying to get him to laugh more. He grasps better and we work on sitting and holding objects everyday so he can be strong and ready to sit on his own. Steve and I are having so much fun interacting with John and watching him grow and develop.
It has been a busy time since the last blog for John. He has spent lots of his days hanging out with friends and family who come over to visit. I think we have a guest every week day...John is so lucky to have so many people who love him and want to be around him!! Aunt Makenna and Uncle Connor are so good at playing with John and making him smile. Grandma Joan is off for the summer and comes over regularly to help out. It's nice to get things done around the house and know that John is safe and happy playing.
We celebrated Steve's first Father's Day at Doug and Debbie's house with some family. This is John's Bremer scowl face, one he wears most of the time. His little eyebrows furrow like he's thinking really hard or pooping :).
We just returned from a Kershaw family vacation in Newport Beach. John had his very first boat ride (above) and his first day on the beach (below). It was a cold and breezy week so John did not spend much time on the sand or in shorts at all but he did spend lots of time with aunts, cousins, grandparents and greats. It was a nice week for Steve to surf and for me to relax. We spent most of our time on the porch of the timeshare and walking the boardwalk and we both look forward to next summer when John will be running around in the sand and water!
John is growing so fast and learning so much. He can control his hands more these days and looks at them a lot. He has started to find his voice too and screams and laughs when we play. His first scream was when we were driving in the car and it scared the crap out of me, I thought something was wrong, but he was smiling and laughing when I checked on him! He can sit with help for minutes at a time now and turns his head to look all around and learn about his environment. He is starting to like looking at faces more than objects which his grandmas love :) I will get a video posted next week when I do his 3 month old blog...almost 3 months?!
