Falling into Autumn

September

A new month means many new events in the lives of our little family.

Isaac is getting great with tummy time.  He's starting to push his head up to look around, rolls over from time to time, and when he's tired of it all (often within the first 3 minutes), he'll take a nap.

 

The retinopathy in both eyes is improving, so he only has to have his eyes dilated biweekly instead of every week.  I am also trying to take him outside for fresh air daily, but since he is too young to wear sun screen, I limit his exposure to 5 minutes of direct sunlight a day, and he always wears his sunglasses.

On September 4th, our little boy turned 6 months old (2 months adjusted)!!!  He woke up full of smiles and had a great day, filled with playing, cuddles, naps, and all he could eat!

The next day, he had an appointment with his pulmonologist.  At six months and a day, Isaac measured 20 1/4 inches long, weighed 9 lb 9 oz, and was officially approved to be taken OFF oxygen! God is good!

He is becoming quite the vocal baby, sticking his tongue out, making faces and learning to babble.  His favorite sounds are currently kk kkk, abbba, and guh guhhh.

Pthhh!

We had professional photos taken for the first time this month.  We almost had to cancel due to a pink eye scare the day before, but it ended up that Isaac just had a clogged tear duct, and was good to go the next day.  I was so relieved, because we had a ton of fun, absolutely loved the photographer, and his photos turned out great!  Check out his photos:


http://kristinamaorphotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/isaac.html  
then click on the link at the bottom for more.

For family news, after taking my car into the shop three times, I've had multiple repairs done, but the air conditioning is broken, and will remain so until further notice.  Thankfully, the weather has been cooling off, and most of Isaac's appointments are in the morning, so we arrange our travel time when the day is cool and we can drive with the windows down.

Aaron was accepted in Mississippi State's online graduate program for Geology at the beginning of the month, so he is now a full time student, as well as working 40+ hours a week.  Even with a busy schedule, Daddy makes time for Isaac every day, to play, cuddle, and teach him the magic of football season:

I've been trying to figure out how to catch up on a little bit of housecleaning with a baby, and decided to try out a moby wrap.  Isaac wasn't sure what to think about it at first, but after a few days, he decided he likes being carried around the house in it, and it gives me two free hands to cook and tidy up.

Lounging Around

Uncle Bryan and Aunt Helen came to visit this month and were able to hold Isaac for the first time.  He responded with smiles and cuddles, and learned the joy of pulling hair.

September 18th was Isaac's first trip in public.  I took him with me to Sam's Club early in the morning, before the crowds started to gather.  We were only there for about twenty minutes and I kept him at least 10 feet from any of the other people shopping there.  Am I being overprotective?  Probably.  However, in the back of my mind is a constant reminder that a simple cold could easily become pneumonia and land him back in the hospital, so I prefer to err on the side of extreme caution for a while.


We also discovered that Isaac is beginning to show signs of teething.  It may be a couple months before the first tooth comes in, but the drooly, clingy, fussy stage has begun, so we're keeping wash cloths handy at all times and have a couple teething toys in the fridge when needed.


Otis has become quite attached to Isaac and likes to lie on the floor by him when he's down for tummy time, follows me around the house when I'm carrying him, and races to me with concerned eyes whenever Isaac's apnea  monitor goes off.

This month, we started getting back into a walking routine.  Isaac loves his stroller and Otis practically prances on his leash, happy to finally be going for walks through the neighborhood again.  We haven't been able to go daily yet, due to high temperatures, but we're trying to aim for three times a week to start, with the hopes of it becoming a daily routine in the near future.


During the late summer heat, we woke up one morning to a toasty warm house.  I turned the air down, only to realize the house was still getting warmer.  Our landlord called a heating/cooling company to come out and look at our AC unit, but it took two days to get it fixed, so Isaac enjoyed two days of wearing nothing but a diaper, and sleeping directly under the ceiling fan to stay cool.  Thankfully, the house only reached a high of 86 F, rather than the 102 F we experienced a few years ago in Melbourne, and cooled off at night, so it wasn't too terribly uncomfortable.

 Monday Night Football

September finished off with some big news: Aaron was given a great job offer in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and the company wants him to start as soon as possible.  We're very excited for the opportunity, but next month is going to be stressful, between finding a place to live, moving with an infant, getting settled, and getting Isaac established with his medical specialists in a new city.  If there's one thing we have learned this year, it's that life is filled with unexpected surprises and blessings.  We have some big changes ahead, but that's part of the adventure, and although Aaron and I will be running around, frantically packing and planning, at least Isaac isn't losing any sleep over it.