First Word?

Matthew very clearly said, "DA" this afternoon. Though I am sure it was unintentional, he said it in context too! I was helping him eat some banana, and he decided he was done and wanted out of his highchair. So it was like he was calling for Daddy to save him. I'm so glad Daddy heard it too, I think it made his day!

Matthew babbles a lot, and lately he started making more consonant sounds. He has been saying "A-goo!" for a few months now, along with lots of vowel sounds, but has added "n" and
"d" sounds to his repertoire within the last few days.

Now if I can just get him to say "Mama"...

This is a good reminder that I need to be better about signing with him. I sign "mom" and "milk" with him a lot, but I need to be more consistent. As you can see, he already figured out sandwich!

Merry Christmas!

It has been snowing since December 23rd! We had planned to spend Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa Butler's house and then drive to Burlington, WI to celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa Steinbach. Unfortunately the blizzard in the forecast changed our plans. We were not sure if we would even make it to Apple Valley on Christmas Eve, but the weather let up enough for us to venture out.



We made it back home safely so we could wake up Christmas morning in our own home for the first time. Matthew's first Christmas was calm and peaceful. We woke up, ate breakfast, did a family devotional, and explored the contents of Matthew's stocking.

Matthew reached out to pet the kitties today all by himself. Sadie was so gentle with him, it was sweet to watch.

It snowed all day! We went outside to shovel the driveway and try to make a snowman. The snowman I made wasn't so great (and didn't even make it through the night), but we have our own super snuggly snowman who doesn't melt when we bring him inside.



Matthew did not get his two front teeth for Christmas, but we expect them to make their grand appearance any day now. It looks like he is working on teeth on top now, too!

Since we didn't make it to Wisconsin this weekend, we plan to drive out next weekend. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Merry Christmas!

'Twas the Saturday before Christmas

This has been one crazy week!

Earlier this week we got the test results from blood tests Matthew had at his 4 month checkup. Unfortunately the test results did not indicate one way or the other if Matthew has X-Linked Hypophosphatemia, so his pediatrician sent us to St. Paul Children's Hospital to see a pediatric endocrinologist for further testing. The doctor we saw was very friendly and very knowledgeable. And as it turns out, she was finishing her residency at the Mayo Clinic working with Rickets patients when I was being treated there as a baby. Small world!


This doctor wants to do genetic testing to find out for sure if Matthew has the disease, but we need to wait for pre-approval from the insurance company. In the mean time Matthew had some more blood tests done. The people at St. Paul Children's did a fabulous job, and Matthew hardly cried. We will hopefully have more results next Tuesday.

Matthew is bananas for bananas! He has really taken to his first real food, and happily shares a banana with daddy every day. Matthew has been so smiley lately! But watch out, the little guy has a really short temper - which I think is related to teething. The left front bottom tooth is juuuuuusssst barely poking through, and it looks like the right one is about to break through too. Maybe Matthew really will get his two front teeth for Christmas! :)

First Solid Food!

Today, Matthew is 18 weeks old!


Yesterday we gave Matthew solid food for the first time. He had a little bit of a real banana, all mushed up and mixed with a bit of water. I don't think he actually consumed much, but it's a learning process. I love the "oh my goodness what IS this" look he gets on his face. He seemed to take it well with no ill effects yesterday, so we will continue with a little bit each day. I will continue to nurse him as much as I have been, and I will still pump for him while I'm at work, but we're going to slowly add solid food to his diet.



Today he has been happily playing in his exersaucer and watching daddy insulate the windows in our family room. He even took an hour long nap with me this morning, which he hasn't done since he was a teeny tiny newborn (not that he was ever really teeny tiny). I'm hoping he will continue to be cheerful for daddy tonight while I'm at work.

Matthew is so engaged in his surroundings these days. It's really fun to watch him discover new things. Today's discovery - the spinny rattle on his exersaucer. He discovered how to move it and has been spinning it back and forth for quite a while now. Being Matthew's mommy is so much fun!

Matthew is 4 Months Old!

Our little baby boy is growing up! He was officially four months old last Friday. Wow, the time is just flying by! Seems like only yesterday I was hugely pregnant, we had just moved into our new house, and I couldn't wait to meet my not-so-little belly dweller. Every day felt like a week. Then he was born (yay, it's a boy!). I blinked, and four months went by!

We just had his four month checkup. He now weighs 13#14oz, is 25.5" tall, and his head is 17" around. While he started out in the 90th percentile for weight, he is now in the 25th percentile. We are waiting for test results to see if he has X-Linked Hypophosphatemia like me, which could explain his slowed weight gain, but aside from that he is a happy, healthy boy!

All Matthew wants for Christmas is his two front teeth. He has been teething since Thanksgiving, and has bumps where his two bottom teeth will be coming in. We hope they make their appearance soon!

As for Jason and myself, we have decided to forgo the commercialism and spend TIME with friends and family this Christmas. No, there will not be a pile of presents under our tree, but we will have an abundance of love and joy and peace in our home. All are welcome to visit and share the joy of the season and celebrate the best gift of all - the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!