- Today (12/17) McKay saw a furred-lined hood in my closet and said "meow". I asked it what it was and he said "cat, cat."
- When we finish our morning jog and walk up to the front door, I hold my hand out and tell McKay, "Good work! We did it! Give me a five!" And so he does. Now, as soon as we walk up to the door, he holds his hand out first so he can give me a five.
- While reading a book this morning, I said "fish" and McKay said "-ish" and moved it hand to try to do the sign for fish before I even did it.
- McKay loves to growl and loves when he gets "scared" by it.
- One of my favorite things McKay does is said "wow" or "oh wow" and sometimes "woe." Sometimes I can tell what he's looking at when he does that and sometimes I can't. He said it when he looks out the window, when he looks a fan or lights, or anything interesting, I guess. This morning when he woke up, I went and got him and brought him to our bed to nurse. He laid down, looked at the fan and said "wow, wow, woe."
- I think he says "nurse" when I tell him it's time to nurse and I think he said it on his own today when he bumped his head and wanted comfort.
- When I'm nursing him and it's time to change to the other side, I say "switch!" and he thinks it's funny and started copying me. Now, when he want to change sides (and usually it's from the right to the left because he likes that side better and can get more milk faster) he says "-itch."
- He tells me "night, night" when I say it to him. Today (12/17) he pulled up to the side of his crib from the floor and said "night, night."
night, night
- When he is hungry, sees something to eat, or I say "eat" he says, "mmmmmm", sometimes
very high-pitched.
- He loves to growl to be funny.

Proud Momma

I'm so proud of my sweet baby! He had gone to bed for the night and I thought I heard him crying from the other room. But it wasn't very loud and I wasn't even sure it was him. A little while later, I went in to check on him and he had the pacifier in his mouth which had fallen out and landed above his shoulder when he fell asleep. So the smart little guy found his own pacifier, put it in his mouth, and calmed himself back to sleep!

first bath 2/25 in kitchen sink, daddy videotaped while mommy bathed

didn't know what to think of it at first but didn't hate it

now seems to like his baths and kicks and waves his arms

ulbilical cord finally fell off on 2/18 (7 weeks) but still a little bit of a stub so waited a little bit for bath

Sleeping

Up until about five days ago, McKay did great at night. He would wake up every three to four hours to eat, go back to sleep in my arms, then let me put him in his bed while he continued to sleep. He now has a difficult time falling and staying asleep by himself. He loves to sleep in our arms and will do that for hours but as soon as we lay him down, he wakes up and won't go back to sleep. He starts off by making noises and eventually wakes himself up completely. Or he if doesn't wake all of the way up, he is so noisy that I can't go back to sleep so I end up picking him up and rocking him some more or putting him in bed with me. In our bed is exactly where he wants to bed and goes right to sleep. I have been trying a variety of things to help him, but the thing that seems to work best is to nurse him laying down in my bed, let him fall asleep there, and then move him to his own bed when he is in deep sleep. However, by the time he falls asleep soundly enough to be moved, I'm sleeping soundly myself and don't wake up until he's ready to eat a few hours later. And then we do the whole thing over again. I don't mind him sleeping with me (Daddy started sleeping in the guest bedroom weeks ago), but I don't want him to get covered by the blankets or roll face-first into the soft bed. And I don't want him to assume he's my permanent bed buddy. I'm visiting Granddaddy and Grandmommie and his bed here is softer and he seems to be sleeping in it better. Maybe it's a coincidence but if goes back to his bad sleep habits at home then I may be getting some padding for his bed. Heaven forbid Your Highness sleeps on a hard bed!

One Month

- We have learned that I've actually given birth to a zoo, not a baby. For the first week of his life, McKay squawked like a bird when he cried. It was often just one squawk and then he was quite for a few seconds, then another. I wish we got in on tape before he grew out of it. McKay now chirps when he is nursing. He is actually just being overly dramatic and sucking in a lot of air but it sound like loud chirping. He also sounds like a baby goat (this is our favorite). When he is waking up from sleeping, he makes a very good goat impression. And he has recently started growling. He growls when he is anxiously trying to find my breast to nurse on and will often growl while he's nursing and shake his head back and forth with my breast in his mouth. Weirdo.
- McKay is starting to make eye contact, following moving objects, looks at colorful objects for a few seconds, and make eye contact while nursing.
- McKay has shown the beginnings of a smile.
- When he's falling asleep, he grins and also rolls his eyes into the back of his head. I think he looks creepy.
- His head control is improving and he can hold his head up (no head lag) when he is pulled into sitting by his hands.
- He has started making a few vowel/cooing sounds here and there.
- He is starting to anticipate when he is going to be picked up when hands are put under his back by tensing up.
- He can go to sleep by himself sometimes expecially when he's in a good mood but it takes him longer than if he was rocked to sleep or held by one of us.
- He likes his pacifier and sometimes uses it to go to sleep and to stay calm in the car (although we try not to automatically pop it in his mouth when he's going to sleep so he doesn't become completely dependant on it).
- He wakes up every three to four hours at night then usually goes right back to sleep.
- He makes noises so we can't sleep.
- He's learned that if he wants to be picked up that all he needs to do is cry.
- He doesn't like passing gas or making dirty diapers and spends a lot of time grunting while doing it, even if neither are a problem;.
- He has hormones raging through his body and has acne and eye goop because of them.
- He likes to look at lights.
- He likes to visually inspect as best as he can new places like outside and the grocery store.
- His umbilical cord still haven't fallen off. :-(
- Some people carry their weight in their stomach, some in their thighs, and others in their backside. McKay carries his weight in his neck.

McKay Steven Orrock was born at 8:38 AM on Decemeber 29, 2009 to Steven Todd Orrock and Amanda Naomi Giddens Orrock. He weighted 7 pounds and 7 ounces and measured 21 inches in length. He was delivered at Baptist Medical Center South in Jacksonville, Florida by Dr. Mitzi Brock via Cesarean section. Daddy was in the room with Mommy and was the first to hold McKay.

Mommy and Daddy geared up and ready for the big moment!


He's here!

Our First Glimpse of Our Sweet Boy

First Family Photo
Mommy heard Dr. Brock say, "Are you trying to cry already?" A few seconds later, Mommy heard McKay's first cry and started crying herself. Dr. Brock held McKay over the curtain separating my head and my stomach and said, "Hello Mommy!" then took him away to be cleaned. Daddy was in the room with Mommy and got to be with the nurses while they cleaned him up. Mommy was listening for McKay's APGAR scores and when she heard the nurse say, "APGAR 8 and 9" she whispered good boy. The anesthesiologist was sitting at Mommy's head and looked at her when she said that. Mommy had tears running down her face and the anesthesiologist wiped them away for her. because she was so happy and relieved. A few minutes later Steve came back with a nurse carrying a cleaned up McKay and we got our first family picture. Then the nurse gave McKay to Stve and they went to the nursery while Mommy was being sewn up. jealous but happy daddy with him he's beautiful look at those eye lashes gave him a kiss not sure what else to do