Where has the past 8 weeks gone? Seems like just yesterday, we were bringing Tate home from the hospital and now he's already two months old! He's grown so much - check out all the chub!
Of course being two months old means we also went to the two month doctor appointment. This appointment is both exciting and dreadful! Exciting because you get all the fun stats about how much the baby's grown, but dreadful because it's the first time they get their shots.
At two months, Tate's stats are:
Height = 24 1/4", 90th percentile (this is + 3 1/4" since the 2 wk appt)
Weight = 14 lbs 11 ounces, 97th percentile (this is + 2 lbs from 4 wks)
Head Circumfrence = 39.8 cm, 50th percentile
The shots weren't great - are they ever? Anyway, the only good news is that they now have one of the 4 vaccines as an oral option, so instead of 4 shots, we got 3 and an oral one. As good as that sounds, 3 vs 4 shots really isn't any different to a 2 month old. He cried so hard, it almost made me cry! But with some help from his brother and sister, we had him calmed down pretty quick. I swear this is one of the hardest things to do as a parent - shots stink! But I realize their importance and that the little hurt is better than the diseases that the shots prevent.
I can't believe how much he's grown in not only his physical stats, but also in other ways. Here are some fun things about my little angel:
- I love all of the the chub on my little boy. I love to see the rolls on his thighs, belly, and arms. He also has some really chubby cheeks! They are so darling and I can't get enough of looking at his little chubby face.
- Since his name is Tate, his dad calls him Mr. Er Tot - or Tate-er-tot. Hailey has picked up on this and started calling him Mr. Ru Tot - close, but not quite. It's been cute and fun to hear her call him a little nickname - even if it is a little off.
- Tate just started smiling a few weeks ago. His first smile was on July 13th. It was a little one and so cute. In the last few weeks we've progressed to full mouth smiles. He is so darling and it melts my heart when he smiles at me. He's also started cooing and I love it! He especially likes to coo at the kids when they are talking to him.
- At two months he's already outgrown his newborn and 0-3 month clothes. I can't believe I have already had to box up some of his clothes that are too small! He's now wearing 3-6 month clothes and they aren't that big - I'm sure we'll be through those before I know it!
- Tate loves to bath. You can almost hear him go "aaahhh" when you put him in the tub. He always smiles a ton and loves to kick his legs and splash the water.
- He's tolerating his binkie. This may not seem like that big of an accomplishment, but considering that the other two kids wouldn't EVER take it, this is a big step for us. We're hoping that as time goes on, he'll like it more and more, but for now, we're content to have him take it when he's tired to help him get to sleep.
- Tate's been sleeping really well once we got past about 5 or 6 weeks. He slept through the night (which to us is 8 hrs) the night of August 1st, just this past Sunday night. Right now we're averaging around 7 - 7 1/2 hours per night, which we are more than happy with. Usually he'll eat and then go back to sleep for another 3 - 3 1/2 hours, so he's definitely a good sleeper.
- He likes to lay on his back and kick his legs. There are times when he would rather lay and kick than be held. This is especially a good thing so that I can get a few things done during the day. Of course there are times when it's the other way around and he'd rather be held than lay down - those times are less productive, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
- Tate loves to watch the ceiling fans in our house. We have one in our family room and one in our master bedroom and he loves to lay on the floor or bed and look at them. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the fans have dark wood on the blades and are a dark contrast against the white ceiling. But whatever the reason, he loves to watch them, especially when we get them spinning.
- He loves his Mom! This is my favorite thing, he loves me to hold him or rock him or just be able to see me. There have been times when someone else is holding him and he's crying and all it takes is for me to take him and he quiets right down. It's so fun to see him recognize me and know that he wants me to hold him.
- He also loves his brother and sister. He is always looking at them and trying to find them when he hears them talking. They have loved him a little bit "too much" at times, but he is very tolerant and just thinks they are the best! They are always kissing and loving him and they can't see to get enough of holding him.
- Zach told me the other day: "I don't love Tate just a little bit, I love him a WHOLE LOT!" He's so excited to share his room with Tate and although I'm sure that sentiment will change soon, it's cute to see him all excited about rooming with his little brother!
- Zach also told me that Tate's chubby and that we just love chubby babies don't we Mom? I had to laugh - chubby babies are so darling and we definitely love them at our house - but we love one particular chubby baby the most!
- Hailey is always trying to teach Tate things. The other day she was teaching him how to talk - now who would have guessed that??? Our little chatty Kathy is teaching someone to talk. But it's very cute to see her making sure that she teaches him things that she thinks he needs to know. Honestly, with all the talking she does, he probably doesn't need to talk and probably won't for quite a few years!
- She is constantly showing Tate things - like pictures she's colored or a toy she's playing with. She always wants him to know what's going on and to see everything.
Yes, there have been quite a few changes in just 2 short months and it's been fun to watch Tate grow and learn new things. We just can't imagine how we ever got along without him!
