Off to West Virginia

This past SaturdayJonathan, JJ and myself spent the day in West Virginia with some of the Yost/Emig families. My cousin Glen and his partner Mark have a beautiful home located on a resort called "The Woods"in West Virginia, about 17 miles from Martinsburg. Glen and Mark generously rented two big houses right next door to one another so both families were right next to each other. We ate (a lot) and played board games. JJ got passed around and even took a very short cat nap IN A CRIB for the VERY FIRST TIME! I was so excited and sad at the same time. My little boy is growing up!! But don't get it twisted. He still sleeps in his bassinet when home and will for at least another 2-3 months. Mama is not ready for her baby boy to go into his own room. Anyways, the resort was beautiful! What an amazing getaway that is only 1 hour from our house. There are pools, spas, restaurants, beautiful grounds, tennis and other fun stuff to do. Jonathan, JJ, Anne, and myself took a ride to Berkley springs after lunch and walked around their downtown area. We got some lattes and walked around the natural springs where families were standing and playing in the springs. Jonathan and I did dip our feet in which was very refreshing. The next day (Sunday), my Aunt Patsy, Uncle Rick, Grandma Yost and her friend Anne stopped by our house on the way back to New Jersey so my Uncle Rick can evaluate all of the painting that he agreed to do this coming September (I was lucky he agreed to paint the house BEFORE he saw the house). Aunt Patsy has been to our house before, but it was really nice to have my Grandma see where we live. This coming weekend JJ is going to go to his FIRST Italian Festival at MDG. MDG (Mother of Divine Grace) is where I went to catholic grade school. The festival is a big deal in my neighborhood and I know there will be LOTS of friends and family anxiously awaiting his arrival. After all, he is cutest baby boy in the entire world. Ok, so here are some pictures of JJ getting ready for West Virginia and some pictures with family.

Sleeping through the night?!?!?!

This picture above is JJ in his coming home outfit that my mom got for him. It was super big on him 2 1/2 months ago, but now looks great on him :)

It is ALL about the tube socks.

Well, this week has been WONDERFUL. JJ has consistently been sleeping through the night. His schedule is this:

Last bottle between 9-10 p.m.

Wakes up for next bottle between 4-5 a.m.

Falls right back to sleep after bottle

Wakes up again 3-4 hours later for another bottle

Bring him downstairs, he finishes bottle and is black to sleep for another 2-3 1/2 hours

After his morning nap I keep him up for as long as he will let me. During this time we sing and play, I walk him around the house sometimes stopping in the dining room for a quick photo shoot and then he goes back to sleep. He naps off and on until 7:00 p.m. and then is up for a good 2-3 hours. During this time we do tummy time, play mat time, bouncy seat time, singing, bath, bottle and back to bed again. It's nice to finally have some kind of routine with him, it makes getting stuff done around the house a lot easier. Here are some pictures I took of JJ this week.

Thank Heaven for little boys!

Mouth meet fist. Fist meet mouth.

B is for BOB!

Daddy got JJ this onesie from a little shop in downtown Frederick. He looked adorable in it.

Our first conversation!

This morning JJ had A LOT to say. I wish Jonathan was here so we could have gotten it on camera :( JJ was sitting on my lap just cooing and talking and smiling away. Now, he has been cooing and smiling and "talking" for a hot minute already, but this morning it was all at the same time for about 5 straight minutes with no break. I'm pretty sure he was telling me that he is excited that Daddy has a three day weekend coming up. It's funny, each thing he does gets me so fired up and excited. Yesterday was the first day I think he really discovered his feet. While in his swing he would lift up his legs, look at his feet, bring them up in the air towards his mouth and open his mouth. He didn't get anywhere near his mouth, but when he does, it will be ok because those piggies are always clean since Mommy has them in her mouth throughout the day :)

Does he REALLY need to go in his own room?

I know at some point JJ is going to have to sleep in his own room. I am not looking forward to it at all and am enjoying him being right next to me. I am not sure if it's my separation anxiety or not being able to attend to him within a second, but I just don't want my boy in his own room. Perhaps it is just another sign that he is growing up which is making me hesitant? Sigh. I have been trying to make it a point a few times a week to bring him up into his nursery so he can get familiar with the room and his crib. He LOVES his crib thanks to his Grandmom. My mom pimped him out with the Cadillac of cribs. Here is a picture I took the other day of him hanging out. My guess is he will be in our room until he is 4 to 5 months old unless he grows out of his bassinet earlier.