Arrival of the Great Pumpkin

Halloween was pretty low-key (in comparison to what it's bound to be in years to come) but we couldn't resist putting Michael in costume.  Serg spent most of Thursday night and Friday with a pretty violent stomach virus, but he was well enough for us to venture over to Grandma Carmen's and Grandpa Sergio's on Friday night for the family to gush over our own adorable "great pumpkin."  Honestly, I can't stand the cuteness!  :)

Getting to Know the Real Michael Solis

It seems like Michael's really starting to develop some "personal preferences," unique physical features, and a distinct personality.  This is what we've come to know about our son so far:

* He adores baths.  He'll start calming down at the sound of running water and, while he hasn't really started laughing yet, his excitement once in the water is the closest he's come so far.   Hunger, however, trumps his love for baths....as this rare tearful splash-session reveals:

* Michael, like his daddy, is only grumpy when his tummy needs filling (and occasionally when tired).  Other than that, both father and son have incredibly sunny dispositions.  Tummy-filling, by the way, has proven most successful; Michael was only 5 lbs 6 oz at birth and then--at his 2 month checkup--he weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs 9 oz.  Rolls and dimples everywhere....yay!!

* Michael is quite the strongman.  Almost everything is done with fists clenched (including taking very deliberate--and almost calculated--swings at the animals hanging from his mobile), and tummy time looks like a frantic push-up drill (both arms and legs forcefully pushing him up, almost on all fours).  Needless to say, my martial arts school owning husband is quite pleased.

*  He may end up having wavy hair, if a newly discovered cow lick is any indication of where this is going.  I've had to start brushing Michael's hair in the opposite direction, as it was no match for that darn cow lick.  I'm crossing my fingers that there's still a chance he'll inherit Sergio's stick-straight thick black Japanese hair.

* Michael recognizes mom, dad, and himself (well, that's what we like to believe anyhow).  He breaks into the most adorable grins upon seeing us as well as seeing himself in the mirror.  Talk about heart-melting!

* Michael puts up with his mom's obsession with cute baby boy clothes.  I have to exert tremendous discipline when out and about on shopping trips, but I couldn't be more excited that he's starting to fit into size 3-6 months clothing--baby boy clothes start getting soooo cute at that size!

* Michael, thankfully, is beginning to sleep through the night.  It's happened 3 times so far this last week or two, and mommy is DEFINITELY counting!  

Blessing Our Baby Boy

Last Sunday (Sept 29) was a day we've been looking forward to for a very long time...blessing our beautiful baby boy. My parents made the trek down from Northern CA to South TX to be here, and, of course, we had all of Sergio's family with us--they all live here in Mission, just 10 minutes away.  It's great to have a set of doting grandp

arents so close; they're always ready and willing to watch Michael so Serg and I can have a moment to breathe every once in a while.  Don't get me wrong....being parents is SUCH a blessing, and one we've looked forward to for quite a while, but sometimes just a 10 min trip to the grocery store by myself is a definite treat and can make my day.  But back to the blessing...

It was the first time we'd arrived to church on time in months (terrible, eh?)...so early we even had time for some quick pics outside the church building.  The blessing itself was beautiful; Sergio was joined by his brother and bro-in-law, our fathers, and the Bishop. 

 

Michael couldn't have looked cuter in his adorable blessing outfit, another cute creation by Grandma Chris (and still haven't figured out how to rotate in blogger....my pics keep reverting to horizontal orientation)  (??)

On Monday I returned to work.  It was, overall, a good week, though I've been SOOOOOO beyond exhausted (sleepless nights and long work days--yuck!) I can barely think straight.  I hoping it doesn't take my body long to adjust to the sleep deprivation that's sure to continue for a while yet.  If I wasn't nursing, Serg could share a little more in our 3 AM fun.  :)

Little Milestones

It's amazing how exciting the tiniest milestones are....like a quick responsive smile and a good daytime nap that is longer than 1 hour long. Here are a few more pics of our baby boy (sorry about the orientation; I can't figure how to maintain portrait (vertical) orientation once I upload them here...)

Growing Fast

Michael is growing soooo fast!! He's already close to 9 lbs and measured 21 inches at his 1 month check-up earlier this week. Lots of growth means lots of eating--I'm having a hard time keeping up with his constant hunger this past week. Some days I feel like ALL I do is feed him! Transitioning to motherhood has been both wonderful and challenging, and as long as I'm able to get out of the house at least once a day, I can handle it all quite well. If not....well...it ain't pretty. :)



As I get ready to head back to work on September 29th I have really mixed emotions: part of me wishes I didn't have to return and that we, as a family, were in a position where I could be a stay-at-home mom from here on out....and then the other part of me can't wait to get back into my fast-forward-mode professional life (I must admit I feel a bit guilty about how excited I am to return to work). Meanwhile, time to enjoy my final week at home with Michael.

Weeks 2 & 3

Just a few more pics of our adorable baby boy...

At Sergio's martial arts school...

In Daddy's office...

Enjoying a generous portion of fist...

Michael's got a bit of growing ahead of him...

Welcome Michael Adam Solis

He has arrived! Our beautiful baby boy made his long-anticipated entrance to the world at 2:30 PM on Wednesday August 13, 2008. He weighed in at a tiny 5 lbs 6 oz and measured just 18.5 inches....much to his not-so-petite parents' surprise! :) We couldn't be more excited to finally hold Michael Adam in our arms and to finally be "mommy and daddy."

It all happened VERY quickly. A sudden rise in my blood pressure and a sonogram that showed too little amniotic fluid prompted the doctor to send me to hospital Wednesday morning where they began inducing labor. However, when they gave me the initial "test" run of pitocin, even the lightest contractions sent the baby's heart rate plummeting

(and, of course, with all the monitors I was hooked up to, I could hear the rise and fall every time, each drop followed by the doctor and nurses suddenly bursting in my room...quite nerveracking to say the least). The doctor decided that inducing labor would be too stressful on the baby and quickly sent me to the operating room for a c-section. So after being in the hospital a mere two and a half hours, Michael Adam was delivered safe and sound and all wrapped up in the umbilical cord....so the decision to perform a c-section was most definitely the best one in this situation. We thank a kind and loving Heavenly Father for guiding the doctors and everyone involved to ensure that Michael's arrival was safe and complication-free.

He's happy, healthy, and gaining weight like crazy--at his 5 day pediatrician visit he'd already gained 4 oz beyond his birth weight!

Now I'm at home recuperating and thoroughly enjoying a complete break from work to be with little Michael. Sergio and I couldn't be happier and know we have been blessed beyond measure to have this little guy join the Solis family.