Washington DC

We had such an amazing time in Washington DC!

While I was pregnant, Matt and I started talking about the possibility

 of taking a trip as a family while I was on maternity leave.

We talked about going a few different places, but my husband has always wanted to visit all the sites,

 and see the vast history of Washington DC.

So...we booked our tickets and started planning our trip!

We spent 1 busy week in Washington DC seeing almost everything you could see while in DC!

Matthew Jr. was 4 months old when we went, and it was the perfect age for a cross country trip!

Really, all he needed was a clean diaper, a stroller to sleep in,

a moby wrap to be carried in, and mommy to feed him!

He was an absolute DREAM to travel with! He did amazing on the airplane! We were even able to bundle him, lay him down on the floor by our feet, and he slept great!

While in DC, he was such a trooper...staying up way past his bedtime, bearing the heat and humidity, riding the Metro Subway, and going here and there all day long!

Here are some highlights from our trip!

Matt and I were absolutely amazed with the architecture...so detailed and beautiful!

"Lunch" on the steps of the Jefferson memorial!

Visiting the FDR memorial



All smiles at the WW2 Memorial. The memorials and monuments are SO gorgeous!

The Reflecting Pool was under construction. Not a very breathtaking view to say the least....

Vietnam Vetrans Memorial

Love. These. Guys.

We took an Old Town Trolly Tour a couple of the days which took us all over DC, let us get on and off to see the sites, and told us so many interesting facts about it all! Matthew was great, but we did have to take him in and out of his stroller to get on and off the trolly. There were a couple times where he was sleeping and we knew he absolutely exhausted, that we decided to walk the extra distance so we didn't have to wake him up. Otherwise, he was all smiles for Daddy and Mommy!

We just thought these were plain funny. It was a random statue in DC.

We thought they looked like chewed up Gummy Bears!

We visited the National Cathedral. It was a.m.a.z.i.n.g and absolutely HUGE!

This was just one of the side cathedrals!
This front structure was carved by hand from one solid piece of stone! Increadible!

While in Georgetown, we went to visit Georgetown Cupcakes, home of DC Cupcakes, a show I watch on TLC. I was a little excited to say the least! We shared a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting and a chocolate cupcake with mocha frosting. They were very good cupcakes, but I still think that a cupcake is just a cupcake. We ended up throwing about half of it away because it was SO hot and humid outside that a cupcake really didn't sound appetizing.  Well worth the experience though!

This picture was from the Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetary. Such a beautiful view!

This was the hottest and most humid day of our trip...Matthew had a tough time at the Cemetary.

This was the only place where we felt like we didn't get to spend as much time as we would have liked.

 At the Museum of Natural History. Daddy sporting the Moby wrap!

HA! Do people seriously believe this?!??!!?

Matthew went to his second major league baseball game.

The Washington DC Nationals were playing the Seattle Mariners!

While we were in DC, we rode the Metro everywhere. It was quite an adventure! The Metro system in DC is made up of different colored lines that go to various places in the city. To get National Stadium for the game, we had to ride the blue line. The blue line is the only metro that goes to the stadium. We had no idea what we were in for! I have never seen SO many people trying to get onto the Metro. We had to wait for a few trains to come before we could squeeze and push our way onto the Metro with a sleeping baby in the stroller. We were literally standing face to face with others in the subway...to say it was a bit claustrophrobic is an understatement. Luckily, we survived and Matthew slept the entire time, completely oblivious to what he just experienced!

 The Library of Congress was gorgeous! Matthew wasn't too impressed...

We put Matthew down on the ground for a few minutes in the Museum of American History. I think he was excited to have a little freedom! Our little man loves to move, and he spent so much time in the stroller or being held this week.



We visited George Washington's house. Stunning views and an amazing piece of property!

 Seriously. Love. My. Family.

First time exploring GRASS! He was very interested in it!

Because it was so hot and humid, we gave Matthew bottles with cold water in them.

He learned how to hold them himself!

Matthew also learned how to put his feet up on the bar in his stroller. Seriously adorable!

God has blessed me beyond measure! So in love with these guys!

We created so many memories as a family this week, and I treasured the time I got to spend with them exploring this amazing city!

Five months

 

Matthew Jay you are 5 months old!!

(surprise, surprise, I'm WWWAAAYYY behind on posting this again. So even though Matthew is 6.5 months, I'm posting this as if he just turned five months...! It's my blog, and my main purpose in posting is so we can look back and remember all these precious and fleeting memories!)

What have you been up to these days??

As of 4.5 months, you weigh 15.2 pounds (50th percentile)

You are 26.5 inches long (95th percentile!)

You are a solid little guy, but are very long and lean!

You are wearing size 2 diapers, and 3-6 month clothes.

You took your first cross country trip!

We had SUCH an amazing trip to Washington DC and South Carolina. You were a great traveler!

You went  in a swimming pool for the first time, and LOVED it!

You are belly laughing, and it is about the sweetest thing ever!

You are eating solid foods! We started you on rice cereal at four and a half months. You took to it great! We kept you on rice cereal morning and evening for a week, and then introduced you to sweet potatoes!

I am making you homemade baby food...it is so easy, cheap and healthy!

After you eat, we will give you a little water from your sippy cup! I'm amazed at how well you take the sippy cup. You are starting to hold it yourself...too cute, but I can't believe my baby is growing so fast!

You are grabbing at EVERYTHING with your hands, and reaching for things in front of you.

You love to grab our faces. We are having to teach you to be gentle!

I cannot believe how aware you are becoming of your surroundings!

When we go new places, you will gaze and look all around!

You are loving all your toys! Anything and everything you grab goes directly into your mouth!

You are pushing up onto your hands with your chest lifted so high...your legs pump fast too....one of these days you are going to take off! Your can push and move yourself with you legs, but haven't figured out how to move your arms at the same time.

You roll everywhere! A couple of weeks ago, Mommy and Daddy were doing some work in our backyard, and we had you inside on the floor. One minute we looked in and you were crying, stuck up against the chair on the opposite side of the room where we left you. Next thing we knew, you had rolled to the complete other side of the room, and had rolled under your swing. About a minute later, you had rolled in front of the back door, peeking your head outside, with a grin of complete satisfaction!

You are constantly making noise....so manys Oooohhhh's and Aaaawww's, and just last week you started making Bbbbb and Mmmmm sounds.

Sleep hasn't changed much from last month...

Uncle Adam's overall from when he was a baby! PRECIOUS!

Matthew, you are SUCH a mover and a jumper. You love anything with motion and movement! You love to be thrown high into the air. The faster and more we bounce and move you, the more you love it and squeal!

You discovered your toes!

We love you SO much, and are trying to cherish every moment we get with you,
because time is passing so quickly!

4 months

We have had such a busy and fun summer! I am so far behind in my blogging, so here's my effort to slowly catching up! Matthew is almost 5 months old, but I wrote this when he turned 4 months and just never published it! I'm still posting it, so I  can remember all these special milestones!

Matthew Jr. you are FOUR months old!

What have you been up to this month??

I feel like every time I turn around, you are learning something new!

We are going into the doctor for your four month appointment a couple weeks late,

so I dont know all your stats once again! You are a big boy, but you are getting much more long and lean!

You still wear size two diapers, and size 3-6 month clothes, and 9 month jumpers and sleepers!

We put you in shoes for the first time this month! They were so stinking cute on you! I don't know why we didn't do it sooner!

You nurse every 3-4 hours during the day. Your schedule and sleep habits are really starting to change! You are having alot more awake time during the day! You usually wake up around 7:30, and are awake for 1-2 hours. Then you will go down for a good 1-2 hour morning nap. Usually you will take another little cat nap around noon. Then you take your afternoon nap around 2:00 for another 1-2 hours. You sometimes have one more cat nap in the evening. We have been starting your bedtime routine of bath, cuddles, and nursing around 8:30pm, then we swaddle you up and kiss you goodnight and you are sacked by 9-10pm. You are still waking up about 4am to nurse...sometimes stretching it to 5am. Of course everyday is a little, sometimes alot different, but this seems to be the schedule lately! You do a great job putting yourself to sleep, but have a tougher time putting yourself back to sleep when you wake up from naps too early. You just think your mom and dad are too cool, and like hanging out with them, huh?!?!?

You have started to rub your eyes when you are tired! It's so cute!

You have been such a HAPPY and content baby lately! We LOVE all of your smiles and giggles! Your whole face lights up when you smile! You know how to melt our hearts!

The car is still a struggle....when will you learn it's really not that bad?!?!?!

You still LOVE your tummy time. You can now roll both ways! You first rolled from your back to your stomach at 3 months, 1 day. It was so cute because when you first learned how to do this, you would get yourself on your side, and kick and kick to get over. Then when you would finally flip, your arms would be stuck down at your side, and you would cry because you would be stuck face down on the floor, until we helped you get your arms up. I'm so amazed at how quickly you learn, because by the next morning, you were slowly learning how to move your arms up, and now you're an old pro at it!

No more leaving you alone on the couch anymore!!

You are such a strong little boy! You have learned how to plank onto your toes and forearms when you are on your tummy. You move and kick your legs like crazy. When you learn that you can move your arms at the same time, I think we will be in trouble, because you will be on the move!

You are starting to learn how to play peek-a-boo!

Your Grammy bought you Sophie the Giraffe. We call it Jo-Jo the Giraffe...Sophie seemed too girlie! This toy is supposedly the hit new toy for babies. I call it the Mill Creek of baby toys. I'm not kidding you, it seems like a plastic dog toy that squeaks, but it cost $25.00!!! Your Grammy says it is her poragative to spoil you...I don't complain! She's convinced that Jo-Jo is going to be your favorite toy. For now, you like to look and suck on him!

You still have to be swaddled and have your binkie when you sleep!

You LOVE to suck on your fingers! You gag yourself sometimes because you try to stuff all 10 of them in your mouth at once!

I love to watch you put your fingers in your mouth, because you will hold them up in front of your face, look at them, and then bring them into your mouth!

I love to watch you start to learn to play with your toys! I will hold them up in front of your face, and you look with amazement at them! Sometimes it seems like you might be reaching for them. I will help your wrap your fingers around them, and then you bring the toy right to your mouth and suck!

You are developing a strong will! You will get upset, and try to roll over when we change your diaper or put you in the carseat, and thats not what you had in mind. You'll have to learn that mommy and daddy have a stronger will and won't let you get away with it!

You had your first trip to the zoo!

You had your first sleepover with your cousins Caleb and Landon!

You love to have books read to you! Your eyes are SO big and observant!

You found your voice the past couple of weeks! You make the sweetest "oohh's and aawww's"

You are the sweetest baby and we love you SOOOOO much!!!

Zoo

A few weeks ago, Matthew Jr. had his first trip to the zoo!

My mom's first grade class was going to the zoo for the day, so Matthew and I came along! My mom didn't have to chaperone a group of kids, so we got to spend the day together, exploring the zoo with Matthew!

The weather was beautiful!

Matthew was awake for about 5 exhibits, and then slept through the rest of his first visit!

 Oh the life of a baby!

We had such a fun day! Matthew loved spending the day with his Grammy, and I loved spending the day with my mom!