Preparing for the Teeth

Adam and I anticipate that the next milestone for Nolan will be the arrival of cute little baby teeth! I've spend quite a bit of time doing extensive (code word for wasting time, according to Adam!) research after hearing many teething nightmare stories from other parents. We've stocked up on teething toys and pain reliever but I am most excited about getting Nolan's amber teething necklace!

I am part of a few different baby/mommy groups online and people have consistently touted amber teething necklaces as being a must have for when your baby is teething (and an essential item to have for many other ailments). Once I made the decision to buy a necklace, I did even MORE research to find the best place to get one and came across Inspired by Finn. I placed my order this morning and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of this. I'll blog a follow up review a week or so after we received Nolan's necklace and let you know how I notice any difference (other than being fashionably adorable, that is)!

Does anyone have any advice and/or tips for getting through the teething process?

Some More Firsts

Last night Nolan had his first dip in the baby pool and also ate rice cereal for the first time! It has been unbearably hot this week so we waited until 7:30 in the evening to venture outside. He seemed a little confused about the pool and just stared down inquisitively at the water...probably wondering why he had to take a bath outside!

We've been having trouble getting Nolan to go down for the night so Adam thought that if we gave him a little rice cereal at night, he might sleep better on a full stomach. I had wanted to hold off starting any solids/cereal until his six month appointment in two weeks but I agreed to start early in order to save my sanity. Nolan LOVED the rice cereal! After the first bite or two, he grabbed the spoon and wanted to feed himself because apparently, I wasn't going fast enough for his liking. I'm so excited for this new stage in our lives but can't help feeling a little sad that Nolan is growing up SO quickly!

                    

A little sun/dusk bathing beforehand                                                        

                                                         

He made that face the entire time!

                                                         

There's no turning back now...he loved it!

We skyped the monumental occassion with Nana and Pawpaw!

                                                  

  Upset that there was no more rice cereal :(

A Trip to Richmond

Nolan, Grammy, Grampy and I took a trip up to Richmond to visit with little miss Avery last weekend. I absolutely love getting the two little ones together - it's so fun to see the differences in them and to let them 'play' together! Nolan had a less than stellar performance on the way to AND from Virginia but I think he was just bored and wanted to get out of his car seat. We arrived late Friday night and on Saturday while the others slaved away in the garden, Nolan, Avery, Aunt Michelle and I went shopping in Cary Towne, which is a neighborhood with lots of unique shops and even more unique people. That night we had a great cookout with my cousin Staci, her husband Mark, and their awesome kids, Logan and Bailey. I look forward to many more trips to Richmond but am looking even more forward to the day that the 'Richmond Kempf's' decide to move back to North Carolina (hint...)!

Everything started out all cute and innocent...

...and then Nolan decided it was time to take a bite (gum? he doesn't have teeth...) out of Avery. That little girl was NOT happy!

Cousinly love ensued.

Grammy and Grampy got to spend time with their favorite babies (and possibly favorite people).

Foot in Mouth Syndrome

Nolan's new favorite trick is putting his feet into his mouth. He's mastered one foot at a time and is currently working his way up to both feet! I'm pretty sure he inherited this trait from me as I've been known to put 'my foot in my mouth' a time or two!

And the Oscar goes to...

Nolan Hennis for best performance as a sick baby. Seriously. Nolan has been coughing for the past few days and it's not been getting any better. We decided to take him to see his pediatrician, just in case. He consistently coughed the entire car ride there, in the waiting room, and before his doctor came into the examining room. Of course, once Dr. Adams came in to check him out, he didn't cough at all. Not once. He smiled, laughed, and flirted with her. She listened to his chest and lungs and told me that it was just a cough and we had nothing to worry about. Great! As soon as she left the room, Nolan looked right at me and coughed...only to be followed by a huge grin. Where do we sign him up for acting lessons because I'm pretty sure we have a natural on our hands :)

Four Month Stats

At his four month check-up, we got Nolan's newest growth stats!

Weight: 13 pounds, 7 ounces (20th percentile)
Length: 25 and a half inches long (75th percentile) and had a
Head circumference: 16.25 inches (60th percentile)

We've come a long way from my little six and a half pound, 19 inches long baby! When he was first born, Nolan was in the fifth percentile for weight and twentieth for length :)

Nolan's pediatrician and I discussed the transition to solid foods and we decided that as long as he is growing and doesn't seem to be hungry more than usual, that we will hold off on starting solids until Nolan is six months!

The Cutest Easter Bunnies on the Block!