Month 3-4

I "got" to go back to work this month. What a difficult thing that is. I actually went back one day in December for a teacher workday but this month I was back for good. I'm thankful for my sweet time at home with him though. I'm also thankful to have such wonderful family members that are willing to keep him while I work. It's definitely been challenging being back at work. For one, I have to get up early and be presentable again. I don't stop at all at school, for that matter I actually don't stop from the moment the alarm goes off. The students have been good for the most part. A few of them have tried to get away with things but they are learning or relearning that I don't put up with things! I've been blessed with a good class this year and only have a few stinkers. I sure do miss being at home and being the one to experience lots of "firsts" but again I'm thankful he has time with family too. He went to my school and to his first basketball game at about 3 1/2 months old. We sat behind the score table, near the teams and the locker room. Teachers and students got so excited to see him. One of the basketball girls held and talked to him and he loved every moment of it!!! He smiled a lot and was really good even though he was ready for a nap. While we were there he only cried once. I wonder if he will be a basketball player one of these days. As I figured out the whole working mom thing I had a few days where I left in a hurry when I wanted/needed to get things done. One of those days I decided to go back to school with Lincoln and work but when I arrived I decided I would take him around to see people instead. Another day or two I left my pump and/or milk at school and went back to get it. With lots of things on my mind getting back in the swing of things definitely took some getting used to. 

Sidenote- While growing up I was one of those girls who carried a baby doll everywhere. I had a baby doll stroller, diaper bag, diapers, bassinet, clothes and everything else I thought would be needed for a baby. My family has stories about me wanting to take my doll places. I'm sure we got some funny looks here and there as I pushed my stroller around but Momma always let me do it. One time we went to the Capitol for a tour and we even met the governor... But my mom was holding my doll! I then began to love school just as much as I loved my dolls. The dolls soon played a role as my students as I taught them necessary skills. I gathered school and teaching supplies from teachers. Much of my free time was spent playing house and school but during this time I decided I wanted to teach. (I only wanted to be a professional ice skater once and that dream quickly ended with 7 stitches in my chin from skating in a soap covered tub!) My obsession for babies wasn't as strong the older I got. I filled my time with academics, church, and sports. I was advancing my dream to teach while sort of leaving the motherhood job out. I did babysit here and there but it wasn't my passion. Due to that I wondered if I would  be a good mother. I loved pretending I was taking care of a real baby but I never realized all the ins and outs of being a mother even after watching both my sisters and friends go through different stages with their children. One thing I know I am halfway decent at is dressing him. Jeremy comments on my love for changing Lincoln's clothes as if he were a doll. While we prepare to go on outings I am the one that usually gets put in charge of picking an outfit and sometimes it is harder to pick one for him than for me and for those that know me well you know it takes me forever! Sometimes multiple outfits are put on until one meets my fancy... That is for both of us now! All of that just to say I never thought it would be so hard to pick out outfits because he has to be cute.

In other news...

His motions and movements are a lot more fluid now and not so jerky. He loves to hold himself up, pull himself up, and stand or walk around in your lap to show off his strength. He loves to hold onto his feet too. Although he isn't a BIG baby, he is pretty strong and is very alert. He really watches everything going on. When laying on his playmat he is getting really good about grabbing and holding onto things. He will even pull his pacifier out and put it back in. Although he doesn't mean to pull it out I'm still impressed! He's laughing even more and loves to have his belly or feet tickled. We see his sweet smile all the time which just makes us smile even more (and that makes him smile again). He's still sleeping through the night, but he seems to take after me and doesn't like to be woken up in the morning. His facial expressions are incredible and you can usually read him very easily. 

At about 3 1/2 months he even rolled over in his bed one night (January 5) while in his SwaddleMe blanket and so we decided to put his feet inside a boppy each night so he wouldn't flip over flip over from his back to his stomach. He cried out so Jeremy checked on him and flipped him back over. That same week (January 11) he was on his stomach for tummy time and he rolled over to his back. He's done this before but probably because the surface wasn't flat. 

Funnies...

After we got home from a trip to Costco I sat down to feed him and saw something brown on his neck. I got scared it was sucking his blood and called for Jeremy. He came quickly and reassured me everything would be okay because it was a piece of a brownie sample! 

One day Miriam was taking Patton to school and Patton said, "Mama, Lincoln has a booger." Miriam said they they would have to get it later. Patton responded, "It's okay. It's little and looks like a little banana." 

Lincoln-isms-

1. He loves having his hands together as he plots to take over the world.

2. When getting his diaper changed, he will spread out his arms and start shaking them.

3. He doesn't enjoy it when anyone talks to me while he's eating. If Jeremy starts talking to me he will start fussing. He likes my full attention so sometimes Jeremy and I will have to text each other instead of communicating with words! 

4. He always decides to poop out of his diaper if he's in the sitting position.

5. He loves to straighten up his back when being burped. He looks around and we always laugh when he does this.

6. He loves to play the spit out the pacifier game where he tries to see how far he can get it. (Paci keeps his hands from being in his mouth constantly- he must be teething). One day it hit the back of the seat in the car and jumped off.