Levi Update

First Dr Visit - Aug 6th
Hanging out with Dad - Aug 7th - 5 days old
Aug 8th - sleeping on Daddy
Aug 28th - almost 4 weeks old
Aug 30th - 4 weeks old!
Aug 31st - we keep socks on his hands a lot of the time - at least when he is sleeping so that he doesn't tear his sweet little face up!
Sept 15 - 6 weeks - showing off his flame vans that Uncle Michael got him - he looks especially long in this shot.

Hello All,

It has been a while since I posted - I apologize for that. I have to say that when I think about blogging (because Levi is asleep) he starts stirring - just like he is now.
I will do my best to update you on how Levi is doing and also share some of the thoughts I have had in the past 6 1/2 weeks. Levi is almost 7 weeks old now. (he'll be seven weeks on Sunday the 20th).

Life is good and is even better now that we have this little miracle in our lives. Every day is something new. I have been trying to write down little things as I think of them, but it's tough, cause it is usually when I am breast feeding!

Here are some random things....
- He started sleeping about 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours at about 5 weeks - not consistently though. I guess he thinks he is a big boy now and doesn't need to eat every 2 1/2 hours at night! The first time it happened, it worried me... I was tempted to go wake him up (because I was up!!), but I didn't and now his long stretches are getting longer.

-Levi started sleeping in his own room and crib within a week of bringing him home I think. I know it was before Grannie Faye came to visit. He slept in a pack and play in the room with us, but we could hear everything and it was hard for us to get sleep. He transitioned just fine into his own room and crib. The monitor we have is great. We can wake up in the night and see him and know that he is okay!

- He lost most of his umbilical cord on his 5 week birthday(Sunday) ... but not all of it. This was a concern for me because what was left seemed to be oozing a little. Not much at all, but I still took Mr. Levi to the Dr. on Wednesday. What was left was barely hanging on, so the Dr went ahead and removed it (with my permission --- we wanted to be able to bathe this boy sometime!)
When the Dr removed the rest, he noticed a little red area in his navel. This was an umbilical granuloma (collection of cells) and needed a little treatment. The treatment consisted of silver nitrate. The Dr explained that it would turn gray so not to be alarmed. Well the next day Joey and I washed it with soap and water like we were supposed to, but there was still some discoloration around his navel. This wasn't washing off and it really concerned me. Well, by the time Friday rolled around, I was good an anxious about it and packed little Levi up to go back to the Dr (the physician assistant told us to come in!). Anyway... the other Dr said that this wasn't anything to worry about - that it would EVENTUALLY wear off. What! ---
Well I talked to my Mom about it and she wasn't loving the idea of it, but Uncle Michael shared with her that they used Silver Nitrate on the oil rigs and that it doesn't take that long to wear off. It is already almost gone ... worried for nothing!

- We play at "Hanks Garage" most every day. This is a little play thing that his 2nd Cousin Autumn gave him & he seems to like it - most of the time! --- we also do a little bit of "tummy time" ... this is meant to build up his neck (and arm muscles eventually). He can turn his head from side to side just fine.

-We were reluctant to give him a pacifier ... but there was one night that he just wasn't going to sleep. We think that he had gotten over tired and was fighting sleep. So we tried everything we knew to do, then Joey suggests the pacifier.... eeewww... I don't know ... I don't want him to get addicted!... Well - we did use it and it worked & I don't think he is addicted. We use it every once in a while when it really seems like nothing else will work.

-When Levi was born -- he looked a lot like a little old man.
He was kind of skinny and wrinkly. Well ... he is starting to plump up a little. He is still long and lean, but his legs are getting that little extra bit of plump that we all love in babies.

-There have been times when I have sang Hush Little Baby about 40 times in a row ... I also sing some Toby Keith songs (Baddest Boots, Big Ol Truck & Blue Moon)

-Joey figured out that Levi likes music... One night when we were having a time with him going to sleep and the pacifier wasn't cutting it, Joey brought him down into the den and cranked up the country music channel... Joey propped him up on himself and some blankets… we listened to country music TV and we sang along. This seemed to soothe him. It was funny – there was a time when Joey started laughing & I asked him --- are you delirious? He said no --- Mommy needs a karaoke machine (I was getting all the words wrong!) --- it was very cute and we had a good laugh over it. It worked! Mr Levi got relaxed and was able to get to sleep.

-Joey is a great Dad - he helps me out all the time & loves Levi to pieces. He takes extra time with him when he changes his diapers to play with him. He talks to him a lot & shows and tells him how to spell his name. He gets Levi cooing big time - it is such a sweet scene to walk in on. He also helps out big time on those evenings when Levi doesn't really want to go to sleep just yet. We take turns trying to figure out what will make Mr Levi happy. He also lays down in Levi's room when I am feeding him and just hangs out with us. It's nice to have Daddy in the room with us.
Aug 5th - 3 days old Sept 6th - 5 weeks old - loving his Daddy! Sept 12 - just shy of 6 weeks old.

-Last Sunday, Joey really encouraged me to get out of the house for a bit so that he and Levi could have "man" day... So I did. I went to a movie and had a nice time - unfortunately, I got a little funky when I got home - I think I felt guilty for going off. It only lasted a little bit & I really appreciated my husband for giving me some time to myself.

-There are times when I think I am all business with Levi - you know change his diapers, feed him, lay him down to nap... but really - I know I am not.

-Joey and I have had dinner together on most nights since Levi was born. I thought we wouldn't be able to, but I think there has been only a night or two that we couldn't. It's nice to continue to share time together.

-Levi & I have gone to see Daddy for lunch a couple of times and he does really well on on those outings.

-Levi had his first real bath last night. We had to wait until the umbilical cord had fallen off & we just got the okay from the Dr yesterday. The bath was fun! At first - Levi didn't know what to think of it - but he got to liking it pretty quick. Joey did the washing and I did the drying. Levi's little behind got stuck to the tub thing so we learned that next time we need to put a little wash cloth under his bottom. Levi is a trooper & he slept like a baby ;)

-I wrote a lot about nights when Levi wouldn't go to sleep ... made it sound like it was often. I think there have been a handful days in total. Not bad!

-He's had a few visitors & several neighbors and friends have brought over meals for us. We are very thankful to have had those meals. Joey probably wouldn't get to eat if not for them. I tried this website that had a meal for 8 weeks and the recipies... I did it for a total of 4 days. I just really am not a cooker. I better get it together though, because little Levi won't be breastfeeding forever! The visits have been wonderful too. We also went over to John & Jess's house one Saturday. That was his first outing like that (we were gone for 6 hours) & he did great!!!

-Levi lived in these little white onesies for a long time, but now he is starting to wear some of the cute outfits that we received. He can wear 3 month old clothes now! They are a little big on him, but dang he's cute!

-Momma & I went to a garage sale while she was here and we saw a radio flier bicycle with training wheels... Of course we had to pick it up! - Levi will be on it before too long!


-I just read him this blog and it put him to sleep - hope it doesn't do the same for y'all!!!

We love and miss all of you in Pensacola!!! Love to the Grannies(Linda Faye & Mary), Great Grannie Dorothy & Pa

I know I have missed a ton of things ... but I'll try to do better. Thanks for reading.