First Day

Yesterday was the first day of our new routine. Cortney and I dropped Simon off at Sarah Dahmer's house for his first day at the babysitter's. I had thought I could do this without becoming crazy-emotional, but I was wrong. I shed a few tears on Monday night in anticipation of the next morning, and then I cried again on Tuesday morning when we left him. I can tell it was much harder on Cortney and me since Simon was happy as a lark when we left him with Sarah. :)

Mom and Simon before they left for their first day.














Sarah, and her husband Ben, were kind enough to send the nervous parents pictures of their little one as he played the day away.














Later that night, Simon practiced sitting up on the couch. He kept hoping our tv was "hi-def." (inside Vance-family joke)

New Beginnings

Tomorrow will be a day of new beginnings for our little family. Cortney and I will head off to work while Simon will spend the day with our friend Sarah Dahmer. Please pray for all of us as we make this transition.

Here are a few new pictures.

Simon practices sitting up.

Nana B, Kelly, Cortney, and Uncle David during a game of Bocce ball during Uncle David's birthday celebration.

Granddaddy and Simon "watched" the game from the shade.

Simon was so tired from napping during the Bocce game that he decided to continue that nap indoors.














Simon has really gotten into kicking when he's in his bouncy seat. This will give you just a small taste of what he's been doing lately. Wonder if he gets his kicking skills from his mom?

Our Last Week

Here are some recent pictures of Simon, as we enjoy our last full week of my maternity leave. Tuesday is the big day -- time to go back to work. Hopefully we will all adjust well to a new routine.

A big smile for Mom!














"He's just a little person!"














He is his mother's son -- I couldn't have been more proud as I saw him eyeing a Coca-Cola product.














Simon and Dad during playtime.

Weight Update #2

Simon went for another weight check on Thursday. He had gained another 6 ounces in the past week. The doctor was pleased with this. We are going to continue to experiment with feeding this next week, and hopefully everything will be ironed out by the time I go back to work (on March 27 -- yikes!).

The past few days, Simon has watched a lot of the NCAA tournament. He also made a trip to see YaYa & Papa, Uncle Dooney (Neal) & Aunt Nikki, and his Great-Papaw and Great-Mamaw Basham.

Simon continues to shake his rattle.














Simon practicing the dreaded "tummy time."














"Big Eye" picture number one.














"Big Eye" picture number two.

Playtime with Simon

Here is Simon talking during playtime. Please forgive the goofy talking by Mom in this video -- however, I have discovered nothing is too goofy to get a smile and a coo from our little guy.

The Wide World

Simon has ventured out into the wide world a lot more this week. He achieved many firsts: walks outside in the stroller, trip to Kroger, trip to Shoe Carnival, trip to a baby shower, walk in Glasgow, and shaking a rattle on his own.

He is VERY excited for his first NCAA tournament, too. He's all about teams on "the Bubble." See bubble pic below.

Laurie and Simon at Tina Muse's baby shower in Glasgow. Congratulations, Tina and Tommy!

















Simon and Mom on a walk on one of the recent, glorious, pre-Spring days.

















Simon has found a strange baby in the mirror on his play mat. He seems to like him.

















Simon ponders his NCAA tournament bracket. Here, he is deciding on his "bubble teams."

















For the first time this morning, Simon held and shook a rattle on his own!

Weight Update

Simon went today for another weight check. As the nurse was sliding the scale over, I noticed Cortney giving me the "big eye." Our little man has gained 1 pound, 12 ounces since last Wednesday! We thought that sounded a little fast, but the doctor reassured us that he is doing well. He just needed those calories, and was able to start catching up pretty quickly.

We are going again next Thursday for another weight check. In the meantime, we are going to reduce his supplements to every other feeding, and see how that goes. If he continues to gain weight, that's wonderful. If he loses weight, we'll have to do something else. We'll just have to see.

In other news, Simon and I decided to celebrate his weight gain by going on our first trip to Target together! It's so funny, because in the past I always chuckled at all the young mothers with their little ones in carseats filing into Target to do their shopping. They were everywhere! And now I have become one.

Playtime fun.

















Simon and I in a baby aisle at Target. He was overcome with excitement.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Because of the gorgeous weather today, Simon and I decided to celebrate by going for a walk. He loved the fresh air so much that he thought a nap was in order. So, I walked while Simon napped. Below are a couple of new pictures.

This time Simon got into a fight with a monkey.
















Another smile during playtime.















Simon waiting patiently for our walk outside.















A photo from our walk.

Weekend Travels

Simon has done quite a bit of traveling this weekend. Saturday took us to Glasgow for a belated birthday meal for me. We had a yummy garlic-filled vegetarian lunch, followed by "pudding cake" -- a Vance family favorite. Simon also got to meet his Granny-Great for the first time!

After Simon's first church potluck on Sunday (which he slept through!), we headed to Breckinridge County for a visit with YaYa, Papa, Uncle Dooney, and Aunt Nikki.

Below are some more pictures.

Simon during playtime with Mom. He likes to follow Big Red with his eyes. He remembered going to the game and decided to "Stand up and cheer!"
















Four generations: Granny-Great, Grandaddy, Mom, and Simon.
















Simon got in a fight with a giraffe, and the giraffe lost.
















Another "big eye" picture for your enjoyment.

Two Months Old!

Simon went yesterday for his two-month doctor's visit. We had a pep talk with him before he went so that he would be prepared mentally for the shots he was going to have to get. He got three of them, and he handled them like a trooper. We were so proud! He spent most of yesterday recuperating by sleeping and cuddling with mom and dad. He seems to be doing pretty well today so far.

Everything else looked good, except his weight is not where the doctor would like for it to be. So for now, we are supplementing his mealtimes with bottles. We will go back next Thursday for a weight check to make sure the little guy is putting on some weight. Pray that all of this will go well!

Below are a couple of new pictures.


Simon smiling during playtime with Mom.
















Simon is always mesmerized by the toy bar on the swing when he initially gets in.