3 Months Old

A video of Trey's new tub tricks

Look at his eyes light up

He holds his head up very well - I would love to know what he's thinking about

The blue outfit is from my brother Phil and his family - they actually bought it for their youngest, Olivia. to come home from the hospital in (if she had been a boy). It is just now fitting Trey. He's still in mostly 0-3 month sizes.

We have loved being parents, and we are crazy about Trey. He is growing in so many ways each day, and it is so fun to see him grow and learn more about his world. He is actually balding a little bit these days. He has green eyes just like both David and me. The hair that's left is still a darker brown. He is 12 lb. 10 oz. and is sleeping about 10 hours at night and taking 2 good 3-4 hour naps a day with some other small naps sometimes. He is nursing every 3 hours still - I actually miss those middle of the night feedings. I loved waking up with him even when I was exhausted. He loves his swing, and he stays still and quiet while we read to him - sometimes for 3 books. We went to a seminar last week at the library called "Building Better Brains" that talked about how to help Trey develop and grow through reading to him and having stimulating play time. But more than anything that we could do physically, developmentally, or emotionally for him, we know the best thing is to teach him how much Jesus loves him and model for him how to love and to obey Jesus as well. It has been a wonderful first 3 months with him.

He sleeps this way a lot - with his arms down by his side

P.S. Happy Birthday, Grammy! We love you!

(For Abby) Buddy Bear #2

Abby and her Buddy

Trey with his new "Bunny" Buddy Bear

For Trey's birth, my brother Phil and his family gave Trey a sweet soft blanket and a "Bunny" Buddy Bear. Now there is great significance to this Buddy Bear. Abby, our 6 year old niece (and Phil and Bren's middle daughter) has had a buddy bear since she was a baby. She LOVES her buddy bear - he goes everywhere with her (or at least he used to - I think he is supposed to be retired to a special shelf in Abby's room). Abby's Buddy has even been restuffed and reclothed because of all the love that Abby has given to him. So you can imagine my delight when I opened up the Buddy Bear that they had given Trey. He is still too little to have a favorite blankie or stuffed animal, but when I placed this "Bunny" Buddy Bear near him this morning while he was in his swing, he immediately put his right arm around him. I thought it was so sweet and had to post this for Abby!

Us with Rachel, Abby, and Olivia on a trip to Seattle last April - we're not looking too good but it was FREEZING!!!

RSV

Yesterday I had my first day back at work, and David was home with Trey. They had a good day together. When I got home, I noticed Trey had a cough that he didn't have when I left in the morning. His nose was also running a little. I was concerned about the cough knowing that it is RSV season (click on the link to read about it). I called our pediatrician and the on call doctor wanted to see him. We took him right away and they swabbed his nose to test for RSV. The test came back positive so we were sent home with instructions to use a humidifier, prop the head of his mattress up, and keep his nose cleaned out with saline drops. He has continued to nurse but not as well as normal. This morning, the pediatrician wanted to see Trey again. While I was driving there, Trey started coughing and couldn't stop, so I went back home to get David (who was supposed to be at work) because I needed him to drive so I could sit in the back and make sure Trey was okay. I was scared because I KNOW how serious RSV can be, and I could see Trey was having a hard time. Once we got to Dr. Herron's office, she listened to him and heard some wheezing. She gave him a breathing treatment to help open his airway. We will continue to do these breathing treatments at home with him three times a day until he is better. We are waiting for the Home Health company to bring the nebulizer machine to our house this afternoon. Dr. Herron said the first 5 days are usually the worst. This is one reason why David and I are so careful about handwashing (and why we ask others to wash their hands before touching Trey). Please pray that these treatments will help heal his little body. We will be laying pretty low the next week or so because he is contagious and also susceptible.

Finally catching a smile on camera...

We had fun today playing and Trey was his usual happy self. Sundays are always good days because David doesn't have to work. Just wanted you to see Trey's sweet smile.

Playing with Parker

Trey and I made a little trip down to Kennesaw, Georgia (about 2 1/2 hours from us) to go see Jenn and Parker Riese this past Monday afternoon. David was working those 2 days, and Jenn's husband Mike was out of town for business. So we went down to spend some time with them and came back in time for our church community group Wednesday night. It is so interesting to see how drastically different our lives are now - even a quick trip to Target isn't quite so quick anymore. It takes some planning and preparation to make it there. I am so thankful for the gift of Jenn's friendship, and it is even more fun now to journey with each other in mommyhood. Trey continues to be so much more interactive with us and his surroundings each day. He is so fun to be around, and I cherish the time I am with him. There's nothing I would rather do.

On a very exciting note, Trey is now sleeping 8 hours at night. After 8 hours, he typically wakes up, feeds, and goes back to sleep for another 3-4 hours. I feel like a new woman!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

2 months old

Trey turned 2 months old while we were in PA - it is amazing to see how much he is changing. He is so alert. He is smiling all the time now. His eyes study our faces whenever we hold him, and he loves to hold his head up and look all over the room. He is sleeping 5 - 7 hour stretches at night. His eyes are no longer blue but more of a hazel green - the color of David's and my eyes. My friend Judith gave him some toys that can attach to his car seat handle - one of them is a duck that he is very intrigued by. He just stares at the duck - and then he smiles at the duck...and then he looks very seriously at the duck. He seems like a very happy baby. He usually only cries when he is hungry or when he just wants be lay in his crib because he is tired. He is still a snuggly little boy, and we make sure he gets all the cuddle time that he needs. He is still exclusively breastfeeding and it is going very well.

Trey went to see Dr. Herron yesterday and weighed 11 lb. 15 oz. which is in the 51% He is 21 3/4 inches long - pretty short compared to other baby boys his age. He had to get 3 vaccine shots and one vaccine by mouth. He cried and it broke both David's and my heart to hear him cry in pain. Thankfully he settled quickly. He has been a little fussy since the shots and has slept a little more than normal, but so far, no fever or allergic reaction. We are thankful for a healthy baby.

Home for Christmas

David, Trey, and I left on Sunday December 16 for Pennsylvania where we spent Christmas and New Years. We celebrated Christmas with David's family the weekend before we left. We were disappointed that David's brother Stephen and his wife Catherine couldn't come to celebrate that weekend with us - they haven't met Trey yet. It was good to be together with the Ashworth family before we left for the holidays, but it is always hard to not be with one of our families during the holidays. We were able to be in PA for two and half weeks. It was hard to connect with several friends because of the busyness and travel of the holiday season. But we did enjoy spending time with my sister and her family. We also loved the wonderful time we had with my Grammy.

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!