The Many Faces of Beau

Still so little, but oh so many expressions!  Beau hung out with his grandparents while mommy and daddy went to the hospital to meet Beau's new friend, (Chad and Emma's little boy) Andrew Schiele Vaught.  While we were away Grandpa took out the camera and, as usual, Beau did not disappoint. 

Here is his "let's play!" face. 

Here is his "up to no good" face. 

Here is his "What are you looking at, punk!" face. 

And finally, here is his, "I just love you." face. 

Sitting pretty

Ta da! 

So he's not quite sitting up straight yet, but this is pretty close. 

I read an article once where they called this position the "tripod".  The article said to help your baby sit up by teaching him to balance and support his weight on his arms. 

This evening Billy and I figured we'd let Beau try it out and, to our surprise...he loved it!  He stayed in this position for several minutes (plenty long enough for mommy to grab the camera to capture the moment!) I guess we now have a new trick to practice! 

Of course, it couldn't last forever...

PS - Check out the ears...looking more and more like his daddy every day ;)

Four months!

Well, our little pumpkin head is officially four months.  My how time has flown! 

According to his pediatrician he is "just perfect"!  (Her words, not mine, I swear.)  He might seem like a big boy, but according to his measurements on the growth charts, he's right about the 50th percentile for length and weight.  However, those measurements don't take into account just how long his legs are.  Yep, good-bye 3-6 month old footie pajamas!  We've moved on to 6-9 month old so that he can actually straighten out his legs.  We thought he'd appreciate that. 

Just for fun

Beau will be four months at the end of this week.  That's right, FOUR MONTHS!  He's really growing and developing his own little personality.  Here are a few photographs of him and his recent exploits...just for fun. 

Aunt Sarah and Miss Lily Ann came to visit for Mom's birthday! 















Lily Ann LOVED Beau's giraffe!  And check out that baseball cap...looks pretty good on her.  (That's right, Ann...she's wearing the REAL fighting Tigers cap!) 

This face just screams

T-R-O-U-B-L-E!

And this one I'm posting because a few people said they see a bit of me in him!  Finally! 

Hunting season may be over, but that doesn't mean Beau is putting away his camo just yet!  Thanks for the cool outfit Uncle Chad and Aunt Emma!   

I'm gonna go see the Mardi Gras

So Beau got to see not one, but two parades this Mardi Gras season. For the first parade the weather was so cold he stayed all wrapped up inside Aunt Dian and Uncle Scott's RV. But for Fat Tuesday the weather, while cold, was clear, sunny and gorgeous.

While he had no idea what was going on he enjoyed the colors of the floats and the sounds from the bands. We can't wait until next year when maybe, just maybe, he can yell, "Throw me something, Mister!"

At least he got to spend time with his cousins, Kasey, Alli and Maddie.  I have a feeling the girls will show him the ropes next year! 

I think he's trying to tell us something

Wanted: One baby translater. Must be able to decipher adorable yet nonsensical baby babble. Needed - IMMEDIATELY!

So, weeks and weeks ago, Beau started trying to communicate to us through more than just crying. However, he's really ramped up his efforts lately. He talks constantly. Alas, Billy and I are unsure of ANYTHING he is saying. If only we knew what was going on in that cute little noggin of his.

Three months!

So, Beau turned three months last Thursday.  It's amazing how much he's grown in the last month and how far he's come developmentally.  Besides his new trick he is now doing the following:  putting EVERYTHING in his mouth, passing toys from one hand to the other, babbling with reckless abandon, trying his darnedest to stand on his own, and...I even caught him rolling over from his back to his belly (man, did that scare the tar out of him!) 

Since we don't go back to the pediatrician until four months, we don't have official measurements.  But, that didn't stop me from pulling out my measuring tape and hopping on the scale.  My novice skills have pegged him at around 25 inches and 14.4 pounds.  He's getting so big!  Can't wait until that four month appointment to see what the ped says! 

Next up...our first Mardi Gras parade!  Stay tuned...

Hmmmm...where did I go wrong?

I've long considered myself to be a bit of a domestic diva...I can change a diaper, whip up a delicious meal, and hem that pair of pants in a snap. So it seemed pretty logical to me that I would pick up my old crochet needle while pregnant with the bambino. Now, I had not crocheted so much as a scarf since junior high, but I figured it was like riding a bike. And guess what, I was right...kind of. During the pregnancy I crocheted a beautiful blanket for Beau, one which we were able to use during his Baptism. It was so special and I knew somewhere up in heaven my Mere-mere Daigle was smiling down.

So, with the success of the blanket, I figured I'd move on to other projects. First up, a crocheted baby hat. You know the type - pointed top with a pom-pom and little baby ear flaps. Well, I found a pattern, bought the yarn and the new needle and dove in. Ummm...I don't think this was how it was supposed to come out. However, as the hat did resemble a hat, I am going to blame the pattern. Oh well, better luck next time!

Soooo I don't think it's supposed to look like this...

Well that's a little bit better...



If THIS was the "infant" size, Good Lord, how big is the "adult" size? 

I'm a believer!

My dad said that Beau rolled over on his own Wednesday, but I wouldn't believe it until I saw it myself. Well, it didn't take long for Beau to show off his new skill. Last night he rolled over all by himself several times in his play yard. And, since Billy is out of town, I made sure to capture it on video. So maybe the video is overkill, but I'm still learning how to use my new video camera and I thought I'd have a little fun with it. (And I know Rebecca will appreciate my choice of music.) Ladies and gentlemen, I present for you, Rolling Over...

Tummy time!

Well Beau has never been much of a napper (much to the shagrin of his until-recently-sleep-deprived mommy).  But lately he has been a little more apt to nap.  Why?  Because he plays so hard he just tuckers himself out. 

Big brother, Murphy, making sure all is well

A few weeks ago he scared the dickens out of himself by reaching out and firmly grabbing the toy in front of him.  After the initial firght, he hasn't turned back.  Now Billy and I just giggle (yes, Billy has been known to giggle since the birth of his son) when we hear the chimes ringing or a little toy playing a song.  We know it's our pumpkin head at work. 

Peaking over his pillow

Also, Beau has recently enjoyed "tummy time" a little more than usual.  At first he hated, I repeated, HATED, tummy time.  But, now...hey it's not so bad.  His grandpa swears he has rolled over by himself...but I've yet to see it with my own eyes.  Regardless, tummy time has turned into less of a chore and more of just another activity for play time.  It should be noted, he would still prefer to be standing than on his belly. But hey, you have to crawl before you walk...LITERALLY. 

Back on his back...much happier...

And to round out his activity time he has been known to watch a football game or two. Yeah, yeah, I'm a bad parent because I let him watch tv.  But seriously, he has no idea what is going on.  Besides, how could you say "no" to this cuteness.  Don't worry, it's not an everyday occurrence.  In fact it's a rarity.  But it is so darn funny to watch! 

Watching the Cotton Bowl...supporting the SEC

**Did I mention Beau slept from 9:30pm til 7:00am this morning?  I don't want to jinx us...so shhhh.**

Every good and perfect gift is from above. - James 1:17

This weekend Beau was baptized at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Mandeville.  We were so blessed to be joined by so many of our friends and family members. 

Beau wore a beautiful gown that his grandma Debbie made for him.  His ensemble included a lovely bib from my parents and Lindsay and a bonnet that Billy and I bought for him.  He was, as you can imagine, the best dressed baby in the church!

The ceremony was beautiful - Fr. Joseph did a wonderful job. 

Beau was such a well behaved young man.  He slept through most of the ceremony.  And when he was awake, he was smiling and giggling.  He cried only once and that was when the water was poured over his head.  In his defense, Fr. Joseph did manage to pour it in his eyes and ears. 

The proud godparents. 

Four generations...

Milestones: Two Month Check Up

Yes, today was Beau's two month check up.  And if you have a little one, you know what that means - SHOTS!!  Today Beau had to have four vaccines - one oral dose and three shots.  Man, I think it was as tough on Billy and I as it was on him.  Luckily his nurse, Charlene, is wonderful and the whole process went very quickly.  He cried...passed out...then wanted to play again.  Looks like he's back to his old self already! 

Getting shots will wear you out!

At least they give you cool Spiderman bandaids. 










Luckily it didn't take too long to get back to the business of being happy.

Milestones: Beau's First Christmas

This Christmas was extra special as it was the first Christmas we got to share with our little boy.  We headed to Texas for Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with Billy's parents.  We were fortunate enough to have my parents join us as well as Melinda, Aunt Lizzy, Aunt Robyn and Uncle Marcus.  We all enjoyed ourselves tremendously.  And, now we're really looking forward to next Christmas - you know, when Beau actually has a clue what's really going on! 

Getting ready for Santa on Christmas Eve

Spending time with his Debbie

Joel and Debbie tackling our Christmas dinner

Just hanging out with everyone, being super cute as usual

Meeting Great-Grandmother Brian for the first time

The three WTBs

My Christmas Gift

My lovely husband gave me a wonderful video camera for Christmas. Yes, I realize that it's not Christmas yet and that I have no business opening my Christmas presents this early. But, Billy already got all of his and he figured I could get a lot of use out of my new camera before Friday.

So, here is one of my first clips. The subject was all smiles and giggles before and after I raised the camera to him. However, as soon as that red light started flashing he became stoic. This was one of the few clips I was able to obtain. Hopefully he'll warm up to it before this week is out.

Oh and I apologize in advance for my voice in the background...I know nobody cares to hear me making baby talk.