October, November...ummm December?

So it's 8:45 pm on New Year's Eve. I'm sitting at home hanging out with Sugar because the boys are all in bed. Sugar? Sugar??? Um, I think she's snoozing too. Hmpf.

Anyway, if you haven't noticed I've been absent for going on 3 months now.

Ok, so this blogging thing is getting hard and harder.
I vow to keep it up because I’m doing a terrible job of writing in CT’s baby book and I don’t want to look back and have no memory of the milestones of his first year.

However, I am determined to spend every waking moment with CT. His first year is half way over and this precious time is flying by. Returning to work and the many other obligations of life suck so much of my time that every second spent with CT is a blessing. Therefore, my blogging has taken a back seat. In addition to the many Thank You cards I have yet to write. (Yes, I'm still writing thank you's.) In due time, but for now, I'm focused on my little guy. So if you haven't received a Thank You card for the gift you sent, its coming. Some day. Thank you for your patience. (Let me just whisper here that I think new mothers/parents should be exempt from writing Thank You's)

Here is how my writing is developed. For the first few weeks I start thinking of things I want to write about and pictures I want to capture. Then I eventually start a draft post with a list of topics to write about. By the time I get a chance to sit down and make it sound pretty,
plus download pictures off my camera, it's been months since my last post.

Uffda!

October flew by. I returned to work full time and that's when life really started to slip by fast. I've been afraid to blink. Here are some updates in bullets:

4 month check up

Tortacollis resolved
Eczema - still an issue.
Stopped meds for reflux
Weight - 14 lbs. 2 oz.
Height - 23.5 inches
Not yet rolling over
No teeth yet, but working on them. Lots of drool.
Reaching out for our face and his bottle.
Able to entertain himself with his toys
Sitting up in his Bumbo seat

Sleeping is still a challenge. Napping is worse. He sleeps really well until midnight. Sometimes until 2 or 3am. But after that initial waking he’s up every hour or so until 6am. By the time I hit the pillow I’m out like a light. I don’t hear a peep. I’ve even slept through my alarm. Unfortunately this means that Christos takes the brunt of the night wakings. It’s taking its toll. We are consistently trying new methods and are making very slow progress. We’re learning new things as we go along. Isn’t that what parenthood and new life is about? An adventure.

The end of October brought the close of Christos lawn care contract for 2009. Since October was wet and cold he didn’t get very much done. It was nice to have him around in the evenings and on the weekends. He plans to bid the contract again next year. Next year he’ll be a little bit more experienced and much more wiser. It’s been a TON of work, but he’s really enjoyed being out there and making things beautiful again.

Our bowling league started up again. We’ve been having fun, albeit not bowling that great. At the end of last season Christos and I were both awarded the Most Improved Average award (male and female) for our league. We were invited to bowl in a tournament in October. Only I ended up bowling in the tournament and took 3rd place out of 46 women. I was invited to return to a playoff tournament where I placed 5th out of 20 women. It was fun!

This fall Christos had been playing co-ed soccer two nights a week. He’s really enjoying getting out there. It’s a good release for him. A new session has started and he’s playing late Thursday nights. After bowling. He continues to be a busy guy.

I haven’t returned to yoga yet. Maybe the new year will bring more time and motivation. Doubtful. I miss it, but I miss being away from my little guy even more. Our evenings are so consumed with him that being away for a couple hours right now just doesn’t feel right.


Months 5 & 6 - November & December

Started eating cereal
Still lots of drooling
Still trying to figure out how to roll over
Outgrowing most of his clothes
He's find his voice and is experimenting with many different sounds; coughing, screaming, giggling
Active
We continued to sleep train

6 Month checkup
Height: 26 3/4 inches (50-75th percentile)
Weight: 15 lbs. 13.5 oz. (25th percentile)
Head: 41.5 cm (5th percentile)


Christmas came and went quickly this year. We didn't make a big deal of the holiday, rather tried to focus on the importance of the day. Spending time with family, celebrating health and life and food.

Congratulations to my cousin Mattie and his wife Amanda. They welcome another beautiful new baby boy to the Nesbitt clan. Bennett William was born shortly before Thanksgiving.

Another congratulations to our dear friends Doreen and Eddie. They welcomed their first son. Edward (Eddie) James on Christmas Day! Lil' Eddie and CT are exactly 6 months apart and we are really looking foward to watching them grow up together. "Table for six, please!"

If you're still awake. Bless your heart. If not. I understand.





4 Months

5 Months

Christmas!

6 Months - Merry Christmas! "Look Mama, See how big I'm getting?"

Happy Halloween! Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

September - 3 months old

September was an eventful month. It started with a trip to the cabin for Labor Day weekend. CT had been there once before for a short trip when he was 6 weeks old. This trip was a little more extended and very tiring for all of us, but it was nice to get away from home where I'd been couped up all summer.

Zach, Drew, Great Uncle Jeff and Great Aunt Barbie at the cabin

Sugar got to ride shotgun


CT changes every day. He's become very responsive to our smiles and chatter. He giggles while playing with his toys and really enjoys the mobile above his changing table. I hope to capture some video of it soon. He giggles so much that he loses his breath. He has discovered his tongue and sticks it out at us. He also has found his hands and is learning how to use them. Specifically by keeping himself entertained by chewing and sucking on them. In the past few days he's become quite the drooler too. Time to pull out the bibs.

Chubby and Happy - Just how we like 'em.

"I eat my hands."

CT is sleeping okay. We are still trying to get into a nighttime and nap routine. It's not as simple as I expected. According to the books, since he's sleeping in 5-6 hour chunks at night, that is considered "sleeping through the night." That never seems to be enough for Christos and me though. I returned to work full time on September 30th and I've been trying to play catch up ever since.

Christos had to travel to Illinois again for work. Since I hadn't gone back to work full time, CT and I went with him. It was an adventure. We drove late at night, which worked out great for CT. He slept the entire 6+ hours both ways. Christos and I were exhausted, but it was nice that we could all be together. Especially since Monday, September 28th was our 7 year wedding anniversary. That night we took an impromtu tour of Illinois (long story) and met up with my dear friend Molly and her family for dinner at a little Italian restaurant. They live in Indiana and met us half way. The rest of the time we enjoyed Christos' favorite restaurants and did some shopping at the outlet mall.

Chillin' at the hotel.

CT had another round of vaccinations when he turned 3 months old. This time didn't go as smoothly as his 2 month shots. He was quite scared. It was so sad to see my little boy so frightened. That night he was irritable and had a fever, but he slept well and was back to his normal self the next day. At that appointment he weighed in at 13 lbs 4 oz. He was 13 weeks old, one day shy of 3 months. He's been eating so well that I'm certain he is over 14 lbs now. I had to recently dig through his closet and wash a bunch of 6 month clothes for him to wear. It's fun to finally see him wearing little boy clothes. For the first few months he wore mostly generic white, green and yellow clothes (we had a lot of neutral clothes because we didn't know if Nugget would be a boy or girl.)

We've been working diligently on stretching his neck to help his tortacollis. I've seen a tremendous improvement. I only hope his nurse practitioner says the same at his 4 month check-up. His eczema has also improved. I only bathe him a couple times a week. He must have my sensitive skin, since he dries out so quickly. He's starting to enjoy his baths. I've even gotten a few smiles and giggles out of him during bath time. Just like me, he hates to get out. He hates being cold. Who doesn't hate that?



Like I previously mentioned, I returned to work full time on the 30th. We are very fortunate that my sister stays home with her boys and very willingly agreed to care for CT as well. Zach is in 2nd grade and Drew goes to preschool 4 days a week, so Becky and CT hang out most days. But, the big boys help out and give CT lots of love before and after school. We are so relieved and happy that CT is cared for by someone who loves him so much. It's made my transition back to work a smooth one. When we drop CT off in the morning, Becky can't snatch him out of my arms quick enough and Drew is always there chipper and excited to visit with his cousin. We are so grateful. Thank you, Becky.


The end of the month brought the annual MMRF walk. We had a great group this year and the weather was awesome. CT and the pups joined us and we all had a really good time. We raised half of our goal.


Another annual event was apple picking with the Georgopoulos'. We went to Pine Tree Orchard in Dellwood yesterday. The weather wasn't great, but we made the most of it. CT was snuggled up to Christos in the Baby.Bjorn, so he missed most of the fun. We all decided next year will be an adventure with a 1 year old trotting around. We even joked about getting a leash. Hopefully with 6 adults we'll be able to keep him entertained. We weren't actually able to pick our own apples, but we had fun shopping for lots of delicious apple treats in the store.

We were bundled up in layers because it was a chilly and wet autumn day.




October is going to be a busy month. We have lots planned. I'll try to take pictures of our adventures and also so you can see how big CT is getting. I've been meaning to take a 3 month picture of CT on his quilt, maybe I'll get around to it by the time he's 4 months old.

I'll leave you with a cute video clip of Tucker & Sugar hanging out with CT while he played.

Not-So-Shameless Request

Many of you may know that my dad, Terry Nesbitt, was diagnosed with Multiple Myleoma in October 2006. In July 2007 he received a stem cell transplant which put him into remission. Each year we walk in the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Race for Research to help raise money to support continued research for this horrible cancer. Our family would love for you to join us or help us in anyway.

July 2009 marked 2 years after Terry’s stem cell transplant!

In honor of him and the many other Multiple Myeloma patients out there, we invite you to join Terry and his Troupers as they continue Kickin’ Cancer’s Ass at the 2009 Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Race for Research on Sunday, September 27th - 9:00 a.m. at Lake Phalen in St. Paul.

The MMRF is the world’s number-one funder of Multiple Myeloma research. We believe the accomplishments this organization has made in multiple myeloma research attributed to the success of Terry’s treatment. The mission of the MMRF is to urgently and aggressively fund research that will lead to the development of new treatments for multiple myeloma. In 2007, nearly 93% of every dollar of revenue raised was directed toward myeloma research and related educational programs.

This past year has been a good one. Terry continues to thrive despite a few bothersome colds. He still plays golf once a week with the guys and looks forward to the upcoming bowling and deer hunting seasons.

July 5th marked Terry and Connie’s 40th wedding anniversary. To celebrate, they spent a week in the Black Hills just as they did for their honeymoon in 1969. They had a great time and saw lots of wildlife. Upon their return they enjoyed a nice dinner with their kids and grandchildren. Their newest grandson, CT, arrived just in time for the celebration.

Although it was cold and wet for the walk last year, a great group of folks joined us. We would love for you to join us again in September.

We know not everyone is able to join us, so we kindly accept donations to the MMRF in celebration of Terry’s recovery and accomplishments. We hope to honor the impacted families that will come after us by showing our appreciation and support to the MMRF for fighting this incurable disease.

We surpassed our goal of $1000 last year and raised $1270.
Help us reach our new goal of $1250

For more information or to make a donation, please visit:
http://321cure.themmrf.org/site/TR?team_id=3580&fr_id=1093&pg=team

If you plan to walk with us, please contact Becky at paape04@comcast.net for more information on how to register.

Thank you for your love and support!

Sincerely,
Terry’s Troupers


Becky Paape - Paape04@comcast.net
Manda Georgopoulos - cfgajg@comcast.net

2 Months!

CT is growing so quickly. We are trying to soak up every second we have with him. As much as I love seeing him grow, I get a little sad every time I retire one of his cute little outfits. He's smiling and interacting more and more each day and he's becoming a very happy baby. The Zan.tac and rice cereal concoction seem to be helping. He has only vomited once in the past two weeks (which was my fault for not burping him better.) He's not hiccuping as much either.

His two month check up went very well. He weighed in at 11 lbs 11.5 oz and measured 22 inches long. His nurse practitioner raised a few minor concerns. His skin has been rough for a while and she said it is eczema and instructed us to lather him in lotion a couple times a day. I've already seen an improvement. CT seems to enjoy the little massage sessions too. Another issue she brought up is that he has a mild case of torticollis. We were concerned about this when he was a few weeks old, so neither of us were surprised by her diagnosis. She suggested more tummy time and showed us how to stretch his neck. We're going to work vigorously on this to avoid any serious treatment.

As new parents, Christos and I were very anxious about CT's first round of vaccinations. We are proud to report that he did very well. The nurse was quick and CT didn't flinch or cry. He wasn't ill or irritable that evening and he even slept 12 hours that night and almost the entire next day. We are very relieved it went so smoothly.

More pictures!

Cousins Zach and Drew with Grandpa Terry

Cousins Nico, Nate and Tito visit from Califorina


A bunch of Georgopoulos': Papou, Yia Yia, and Thea Maggie

Cousin Jenny visits from California


Chillin' with cousins Zach, Drew and Kellen

Great Auntie Sue and Yia Yia

Giggling with Papa

Hanging with Tucker and Sugar (2 months old)

"I can pull it myself, Mama." - I was making dinner and realized the music kept playing on his bouncing seat. This is what I saw when I looked over.

8 Weeks - Time flies

Where has the time gone? Our little guy is growing so fast and we are falling madly in love with him more and more each day. He is such a great addition to our home.

As of Monday the 17th, CT weighs 11 lbs 2 oz. We go back to the peds office next week for his 2 month check up and vaccinations.

Milestones:
At 6 weeks of age CT rolled over from his stomach to his back for the first time. He hasn't done it since. He also started to smile and follow his toys. It's so much fun to watch him.

Sleeping has improved greatly. CT is getting up 1-2 times a night. Both Christos and I are still very tired, but I feel like we're slowly moving into a routine that will hopefully be in place by the time I return to work at the end of September. By the way, CT will be staying with my sister, Becky, when I go back to work. She stays home with her boys. Zach will be in 2nd grade this year and Drew is in preschool. They are all excited that CT will stay with them during the day. I'm relieved and it will hopefully make my transition back to work a smooth one.

For the past many weeks CT occasionally would vomit after eating. We finally narrowed the causes down to overeating and mild reflux. We visited the doctor on Monday and she prescribed Zan.tac and suggested we add rice cereal to his bottles to rule out reflux. So far he seems to be doing better. He still struggles with digesting it all, but he hasn't choked or vomited in 4 days. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

What's in name?
Many people have asked if CT is a junior. The simple answer is no. Christos isn't a junior either. In Greek tradition, the first born son is named after his paternal grandfather and his middle name is from his maternal grandfather. Christos' dad is also Christos (but we all call him Chris). Christos' parents decided to name him after his father and his middle name is his paternal grandfather's name, Fotis. His dad, Chris, doesn't have a middle name, so Christos is not considered a junior. Nor is CT, because he and Christos don't share a middle name. Terrence is my father's name.

To make it less confusing, their names are
Chris Georgopoulos (Papou/Grandpa)
Christos Fotis Georgopoulos (Dad)
Christos Terrence Georgopoulos (Baby)

Since both Chris and Christos are the only boys in their families, CT carries on the Georgopoulos name here in America. Chris has male cousin's that still live in Greece, so their family is carrying on the name there.


The winner of the online baby pool was my Aunt Susan. Although she had the gender wrong, she guessed the closest date, weight and length. Way to go!

I plan to change the name and look of this blog over time. But the URL will stay the same so you won't have any problems finding us.

If you haven't already noticed, I've started a new poll on the right side of this page. Check it out.

Finally, a couple more recent pictures.

Life at home (the Cliff notes version)

In the hospital and after we came home CT was jaundice and underweight. So we made frequent visits to the pediatric office for weight checks the first two weeks. Those bilirubin test sure do tug at a new mothers heart strings. Yikes! Poor guy. Feeding was a challenge, but CT eventually started to put on weight and no longer needed to go in to see the nurse.

Many people have asked how Tucker and Sugar are handling the change. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we hit the puppy lottery when they came to live with us. They have been wonderful dogs and very loving with CT. When we arrived home we flooded them with love and encouragement. Since they sneak in a kiss to CT whenever we allow them. They were definitely sleep deprived the first few weeks. Every time we got up, they got up. Now they spend most of their days resting, just like they always have. A picture is worth a thousand words.





Milestones: CT slept through the night for the first time at exactly 6 weeks. Thea Maggie was staying with us and CT only got up once for a diaper change. He slept well into the following day too. The day prior he'd been up nearly all day and ate a ton. I think he was at the tail end of a growth spurt. The 10 days prior had been chaotic.

Here are some more pictures since I still can't seem to find enough words to describe our life at the moment.

Newborn pictures taken by my friend Jessica. CT was 2 weeks old.

1 Week Old - Laying on the quilt his Great Tante Red made, next to his frog from his big cousins.

6 Weeks Old




To be continued ........