MamaRoo

This evening, we went to visit our friends' Dave and Maria and meet their new baby, Olivia.  Cruz got to ride in Olivia's MamaRoo and loved it!  We had never seen one of them--It was like a carnival ride for babies.  It had many different settings and noises.  Cruz liked the Tree Swing and the Car Ride setting.  Even Coco, their adorable dog, came to see what Cruz was up to!

New Blanket!

Yesterday, our neighbor Glenda, her daughter, Treva, and son-in-law, Don, came for a visit.  Treva brought Cruz a beautiful blanket she had sewn herself.  Not only is it adorable, it is soft and really big!  It is a perfect blanket to roll around on and play.  Here are a few pictures of Cruz trying out his new blanket.  He is so precious!

New Mirror

We were grocery shopping this evening and realized that Fry's has a new baby section!  We ended up finding a mirror similar to the one he uses at daycare for Tummy Time.  It definitely helped; there was no crying this evening.  I am amazed at how well he is able to hold his head up!  Tummy Time is paying off!

Looking at those hands!

Loving his new Mirror!

Who Can Forget Bridgette?

Well, we are certainly trying our best to not neglect Miss Bridgette. If you haven't already noticed, she tries to be the center of attention in most pictures of the baby.  So, here is a tribute to her.  She actually sat in the Bumbo, which I am really surprised.  She just wants to be one of the gang!

Trying to Hold His Own Bottle

Cruz's hands are all over the place when he is drinking his bottle.  Lately, he has been putting his hands on the bottle and "trying" to hold it.  He by no means can feed himself, but he looks pretty darn cute.  Here are a few pictures from this morning when Ben was feeding him.

Working Toward Rolling Over

Today was a very exciting day for me.  I put Cruz in the Pack and Play so I could fold laundry and make the bed.  I had not had my back turned but a minute, and he was already on his side reaching for his ball!  I couldn't believe it!  I got both video and pictures of it.  I wanted to make sure that if he was going to roll over, I was not going to miss it.  Even though he didn't do it, he managed to get his ball.  That was exciting in itself!  Afterward, I helped him practice rolling over all the way toward the ball so he could see what it was like.  Even though he is probably still a ways from actually rolling over, it was so neat being home today to see this.  I am such a lucky mom!

New Ball

This past weekend, I picked up a couple things at Target for Cruz because he is starting to do a little more.  This orange ball is his new favorite toy.  It rattles and even is flexible and collapses.  He is really good at grabbing onto it and can even hold it for a bit.  We've noticed that when something else is hanging next to the ball, he still prefers it.  It is so funny!  Even when he is mad and cries he will still bat at and hold the ball.  It is hilarious!

3 Month Pictures!

Today Cruz is 3 months old.  Wow!  He is doing new things everyday and surprising both Ben and I to no end.  I am so excited to see what is in store for the next month.

Fun with the Burp Rag

Here are just a few of the latest Burp Rag Hairstyles.

Daddy's Scratchy Face

Cruz reached out and grabbed Ben's face this morning!  It was so priceless.  He loves his dad.

The Many Faces of Cruz

Before putting on Cruz's pajamas this evening, he spent some time hanging out in his diaper.  Here is a picture of Cruz with his Lovey Bear from his friend, Mason.  It is so soft!  He loves holding onto it.  I can't wait till he is old enough to sleep with it!

I had so much fun snapping photos of this adorable little guy, that I just had to include some of my favorite expressions! He sure was talking up a storm!

Sun Safety

This afternoon, we went over to visit our neighbor, Glenda, between Cruz's bottle and his nap.  I thought we better put on a hat for the walk over.  As silly as it looks, I still think he is too cute for words.

Grabbing and Batting

Cruz is now batting and grabbing toys.  It just happened all of a sudden, and it took me by surprise!  I was so excited because I got to finally add the rest of the hanging toys that came with the Kick and Play.  It was so fun to hear the sounds of all the toys clanging together.  I wonder what he will be up to next week?

Needs to Be Buckled-In Now.....

This morning was a wake-up call for Mom.  As Cruz was sitting in his Bouncy Seat watching me get ready for work, he maneuvered himself all the way down to the bottom of the chair by arching his back, and moving back and forth.   It was a good indication that we need to start buckling this little guy in.

Tolerant of Tummy Time

Cruz is becoming more tolerant with Tummy Time, and thank goodness he works on it at daycare everyday...they say he likes it!  Maybe there is something more exciting about doing it at daycare?  Either way, we still have to practice at home.  Here are some adorable pictures from the latest session.  I think he looks like such a different boy with his head up!

Bumbo!

Today we took the Bumbo out of the box!  It was quite exciting!  Cruz has a ways to go before he is able to support himself entirely, but we could not resist the photo opportunity!  He was very patient, and even shared the spotlight with Bridgette!

Not so sure about this!

Sharing the Spotlight Again with Bridgette!

Mom and Cruz Made it Through the First Week!

We did it!  We made it through our first week of work and daycare.  It was an adjustment for both of us, but we are doing well.  Cruz is on a good schedule, and is sleeping 11-12 hours a night.  He is finally drinking all of the milk we are sending to daycare, and is learning to sleep with the lights on and with other babies talking and crying.  He is the youngest of 4 babies, and is the most talkative.  

I have been able to leave work by 3:00pm each day.  I am so busy while I am working, I have no time to be sad anymore.  I have 20 students in my class, with some crazy, strong personalities.  I am glad I came back for the beginning of the year, but even more glad that I am taking off Thursdays and Fridays each week until after Labor Day to be with Cruz.  I thoroughly enjoyed having yesterday off, and I already can't wait for next Thursday. 

New Way to Kick and Play!

Well, Cruz is surprising me everyday!  I had the pleasure of staying home with him today, and I just loved watching him play.  He loves being flat on his back more and kicking and moving around.  This particular play session, he was moving all around by lifting his butt off the floor and swinging his legs to the side!   He started with his feet kicking the piano, and quickly moved sideways.  He will be rolling over in no time!