Time Spent in the ATL

This past week we headed south to Atlanta for our first little family vacation and for Matt's brother's wedding.  We were so glad to be able to see family and friends and introduce Troy to many!  Our adventure lasted a little over a week - which was plenty of time to be away from home! 

Before we left, people kept telling me "oh, baby will sleep most of the time in the car.  It's the best time to travel with child."  However, my instinct was once again correct - Troy is not much of a car sleeper.  On both legs of the trip, he slept for a total of 45 minutes!! He didn't necessarily cry a lot, but had no interest in staying asleep.  I guess he is like his mom and dad - not a fan of long car rides. 

Here is my attempt at car entertainment. Although he doesn't look amused in this picture, he loved his musical frog as always.

Our first stop was in Roswell to spend a few days with the Horst family!  We had a nice time visiting and enjoyed great food while we were there!!!  It's too bad Troy can't taste yet.  We managed to venture out a few times to do a little shopping as well. 

Troy and Erin

How cute is he?!

Troy and Stacy

Troy and Darren

Troy and Rachael

Troy also had a great time playing with his cousins, Wes and Wyatt.  They were so nice to share many of their books and clothes that no longer fit them.  Uncle Chris and Aunt Lisa hadn't seen Troy in a few weeks, and he had already grown so much.  We very much appreciate them hosting us for a few days, but we always wish everyone lived closer. 

Troy and Uncle Chris

Troy, Wes, Wyatt, and Aunt Lisa

While we were in Marietta, Matt took Troy into the pool for the first time.  Much like the bath, he was fine once he was in for a minute.  The experience was short lived, but we can at least say he used his swim trunks for 10 minutes!

Troy and daddy checking out the pool...

At the end of the week we got all gussied up for Eric and Lisa's wedding.  We spent all day Friday and Saturday downtown.  Although the days were long, we're glad we had the chance to visit with many.  Through all of the festivities, I realized that although Troy does do well "on the go", he's not a fan of loud noise.  I guess there are no loud dance parties in his near future.     

Checkout Troy's tuxedo onesie!

Keepin' Busy and Havin' Fun!

It's no surprise that I like to be out and about, and having Troy has slowed me down a tad, but I haven't stopped!  Everyday we try to get out of the house just once (or I really will go completely crazy!).  Whether it's a walk around the neighborhood or a trip to the store, it's been good to get out in the sun.  Here's a quick run down of some of the fun things we've done this week.

We started out the week with a visit from Granny, Granny Lucy, Aunt Heather, Hannah, and Emma.  It was great to go out to lunch, do a little shopping, and hangout at home.  Troy loves his cousins.

Walking in our neighborhood this summer was quite a bear considering there is NO shade, lots of inclines, and not to mention it's been 100+ everyday almost.  Therefore, we've found other places to walk.

Strolling in the hood with dad

On Monday, we went downtown to have lunch with our friend Brooke.  It's nice to get out and see my friends and Troy does pretty well at lunch outings.

When Troy was six weeks old we began attending a "New Mommy" group on Tuesday mornings.  This group is hosted by Norton Hospital as part of their free education classes - which have all been great.  Essentially, it's a mommy and me group where we all talk about what's going on in our lives and how we're dealing with our new addition.  What I love most about the group is its diversity.  There are mothers of all ages, stay-at-home moms, working mothers, military mothers, different cultures, etc.  It's nice to hear different perspectives and have support from others who also have new babies.

On Wednesday this week, we went to the zoo again!  Troy was excited to see his friend Mady and it's nice for me to hang out with her mom, Amy.  Honestly, he smiles now when he sees other kids.  Although our trip was short, the weather was much nicer than in the past weeks.

This isn't from the zoo, but rather a picture of Troy with Mady.  He met her the day after he came home from the hospital.

Lastly, Troy had a play date with a new friend yesterday.  Jax and Amanda came to our home for the afternoon.  It's much easier to go to a friend's house if you want any chance of actually talking!  Troy shared his playmat, toys, and few smiles with Jax.  Knowing that Jax is only a month older, I am sure they'll have many other play dates.

Troy and Jax

Another Sleep Accomplishment.......

When Troy was born we were advised to have him sleep near us for the first two to three months.  Apparently, this is to lessen the risk of SIDS.  Those first couple of months moved so quickly and Troy spent the night in his own bedroom for the first time this week!  He had been sleeping in there for naps, but this was his first overnight.  Rest assured, I checked on him several times before going to bed myself :).  Although it was strange for him to not be with us, he did great and woke just once for a feeding.

Sleeping peacefully in his crib.....

(he loves that miracle blanket even though it looks like a straight jacket!)

Well rested!

Miraculous, yet can it be repeated?!

I must say that Troy has always been a pretty good sleeper at night, feeding about three hours during his first few weeks.  In the last two to three weeks he has only been waking up once a night to eat. The first night this happened, I nearly shot out of bed thinking that something was wrong.  However, he was sleeping peacefully.......

He loves his pac n play (no, I don't leave a blanket like that when he sleeps)

His greatest sleep accomplishment yet occurred last evening, a stretch of 8 hours!!  I am pretty sure it was due to a long weekend filled with fun and visitors, and perhaps a little tummy ache, but hey we'll take it!  The sad part is, I am pretty sure I woke up a million times last night for one reason or another.  We'll have to see if such a long sleep can be repeated at some point.   

Well rested after 8 hours!

Happy boy in the morning!

Time Flies With A New Baby

The day we anticipated for so long, Troy's birth, came about on May 24th.  Ironically, it was his actual due date.  Many would say this suited me just fine since I'm usually prompt and quite the planner.  However, my delivery was the opposite of anything that I planned.  A few days before the "big day" we discovered that Troy was heading the wrong way and sitting straight up - frank breech.  As Matt would say, "he has his father's sense of direction."  After an unsuccessful version attempt (inclusive of a wrapped umbilical cord and a descending heart rate), Troy graced us with his presence via c-section at 8:33am, weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces.  I can honestly say that we could never have been prepared for the amount of joy we felt that very morning.

Troy Matthew Langan

(born a UK fan)

Well, time flies and I am just now getting to start this blog for our family.  Troy made it over the two-month hump, and at his recent check-up he weighed 11 pounds, 5 ounces and is 23 1/4 inches long.  Although I'm certain I have forgotten a few of the tiny moments during the last ten weeks, I've recapped some of the highlights.

1.   First Weekend Home:  Our first night was very eventful and proved to be a test for us all.  With my c-section recovery going slow, I was very tired and more emotional than I ever recall being before.  We survived the night followed by many, many visitors (all of mommy's siblings, including the Uncle Chris, Aunt Trisha, and Uncle Brett and their crews, and close friends) the coming day.  Thank goodness granny was here with us to help for two weeks - what a blessing!

Heading Home on Friday, May 27th

2.  First Doctor's Visit and Trip to Children's Hospital:   Our first appointment was one week following his birth.  Troy was starting to gain a bit of weight back, but was a pretty skinny little dude (although very cute ;)).  Most everything checked out well, but two little procedures were scheduled for the coming Friday at the nearby children's hospital.  The first being an ultrasound of his hips since he was born breech (some baby's will have hip clicks) and an ultrasound of his spine.  Although Troy was very brave, daddy held him for the majority of the tests.  Fortunately, both went well, but Troy will undergo an MRI of his spine and an x-ray of his hips come this December. 

3.  Family Photos:  In effort to capture tiny features, we had photos taken within the first week.  We're grateful to have these once-in-a-lifetime shots to treasure.  I brought several of our own props including his "Troy" beanie cap from Granny Goode, brown bear booties from Grandma and Grandpa Langan, my childhood lamb, Troy's lamb, and a soft blanket from Grandpa Goode.

4.  Zoo:  On June 12th, we took our first family trip to the Louisville Zoo.  Shortly after finding out I was pregnant I began to get excited about taking baby to the zoo.  Even though Troy was oblivious we were there, I loved it.  We have a yearly membership and have been at least four times in his first two months!

5.  Mommy turns 30:  On June 15th I celebrated not only my birthday, but of all the wonderful things I have to be thankful for at the age of 30.  The best gift I received was baby Troy!  Matt framed a favorite photo for me, Troy sent flowers, and we enjoyed a home cooked meal with good friends (thanks, Amy!). 

Mom turns 30!

6.  First Road Trip:  Just shy of a month old, Troy ventured on his first short road trip to Granny and Granny Lucy's house in Lexington (which we fondly call Lex Vegas).  He slept the duration of the ride and enjoyed spending the weekend visiting with family.  Troy was able to play with many of his "Goode" cousins.

7.  Troy Meets his Langan Cousins:  In late June, Troy met the CA Langans and Uncle Eric.  It won't be long before he can keep up with his cousins' activity levels, but for now he was happy lounging with Aunt Emily.    

Mike, Jack, and Troy - June 25th

8. One Month Old:  We all took a trip to the doctor on Troy's one-month birthday.  He was due for his first round of shots, which was far more painful for us to watch.  He whaled for 5 seconds and took comfort in daddy's arms :).  He weighed in at 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 1/4 inches long.  As a result, we began working to put some meat on his bones! 

9.  First Smile:  It was so exciting to see his first grins the last week of June!  They were a testament that it's not so bad here at our house!  Every time he smiles, it truly warms our hearts.

One of his first smiles

10.  Visit from Aunt Trish:  In mid-July it was so fun to have Aunt Trisha come visit us for a few days.  She was a great help and even got up with Troy in the middle of the night!  It was also the first time we heard Troy's little belly laugh, thanks to Trisha's goofy voices.

                          

11.  Two Months Old:  It's incredibly hard to believe that Troy turned two months old at the end of July.  Although we've had a few long nights and days, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.  I've enjoyed every minute that I've been able to spend with him.  At his check-up he received four vaccinations!  He toughed it out and received blue camo band-aids like a big kid.  He weighed in at 11 pounds, 5 ounces and is now 23 1/4 inches long.  He is a growing boy!