Honoring Grandpa Fred

Friday (3/31) was Grandpa Fred's birthday, who is also Waylon's namesake (Waylon Frederick Davis). In Grandpa Fred's honor, Waylon donned his Harley Davidson booties. Unfotunately, we didn't have any white birkenstocks or fishnet tanktops to finish off the official Grandpa Fred look.

Obviously, I miss my dad very much and wish he were here to meet Waylon, but it is also comforting to see so much of him in Waylon. Unfortunately, Waylon got his grandpa's large head, but he also seems to have his grandpa's incredible strength. Since it looks like Waylon got his Daddy's long legs, only time will tell if Waylon will turn out to be the sports star that my dad always hoped I'd "breed" with some nice long-legged man.

Five Weeks Old

Waylon turned five-weeks-old on Thursday (3/30). Aaron and I are convinced that he is destined for greatness. He will no doubt be a leader in corporate America, or perhaps a political leader. Our reasons for thinking this are that at a mere five-weeks of age he is able to get two thirty-something people to do his bidding with only a few cries and whimpers. He really showed off his ability to make others do whatever he wants on Monday night. At about 3am, Aaron and I would have done anything (seriously--anything!) in our power to get him to go to sleep. Then on Wednesday night when he slept for 4.5 hours straight I nearly cried with delight. He obviously wields incredible power, and we just hope he uses it for good rather than evil. People of the world beware--Waylon is truly a magnetic force to be reckoned with!

Funny Faces

Waylon is obviously getting tired of having a camera in his face, and has decided to show off with some interesting faces.

Future Babysitters

On Monday (3/27) my friend and co-worker, Nancy Aspaturian, came to visit with her wife, Lori, and daughters, Lilia & Emma. They were on their way to San Diego for spring break and stopped for a visit with Waylon. The girls were very cute with Waylon, and Lilia seemed to take to holding and soothing a baby especially well. While Emma was also good at holding the little bugger, she seemed to have just as much fun running up and down the stairs and "investigating" Waylon's book collection. It was very cute because I used to babysit for Emma and Lilia sometimes and now Aaron and I cant wait for the girls to be able to care for Waylon. Actually, we tried to hand him off to them for their week in San Diego, but Nancy and Lori declined.

A Day at the Boat

On Saturday (3/25) Waylon had his first boat ride. We all went to Redondo Beach to Aaron's parents new boat, LA Woman 2, and got to see lots of friends and get out on the water. It was pretty windy, so Waylon only got a harbor cruise, but we could tell he cant wait to get out on open water! Grandpa Ed was there for the boat ride, and was very excited that we had Waylon out on the water at only 1 month old.

After the boat ride (and meatball sandwiches from Mickey's Deli), we had a visit from Brandi and Josh. It was awesome that they made the trek down from the Central Coast just to see Waylon and spend the day hanging out. Later in the day, Cherie Mitchell came by to meet Waylon, and got to "enjoy" his alter ego, Fussy Freddy. (***Pictures are totally out of order--I am still tryingto figure this blog out...)

ONE MONTH OLD!

Waylon was one-month-old on March 23, 2006. He had his second pediatrician appointment, and the doctor was thrilled with how well he is doing. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 12 ozs and was 21 inches. He has gained almost 2 pounds since birth (12 ozs in the last week!), and has grown 2 inches. It is blowing Aaron and I away at how fast he grows. I constantly want to freeze him because I cant imagine him getting any bigger.

As time goes by, Waylon is developing quite a little personality! From 2am to 4:30am the other night he really let his personality shine through! We are learning tons every day about trying to keep this little guy happy. He is generally a very happy, content baby in the mornings, but like his dad, he doesn't like to go to sleep and fights it in the evenings. We have learned that he LOVES being in the Baby Bjorn, so he is attached to the front of mom and dad a lot. He is quite a little person already, and we would love to have y'all come and visit!!!

Grandma Josephine & Uncle Fritz Recover From Surgery

Waylon went to visit Grandma Josephine at the hospital on Thursday (3/23). She is doing GREAT after her surgery and was being discharged the same day. She has promised up, down, and sideways that she will not overdue while she recovers. Here is a picture of Waylon, lounging in the hospital with Grandma.

Back in Boulder, CO, Waylon's uncle Fritz is doing really well after his back surgery, which fused all of his lumbar. He is able to walk around, and will be able to start his new job very soon.

Buddies

Waylon got to meet his best buddy, Holden Eugene Fletcher, on Wednesday (3/22). Holden's mom, Jenn, is Anna's best friend. We've known each other since we were about 3-years-old. We had a blast being pregnant together, and ended up having our sons one day apart (47 hours to be exact!).

It was fun to see the boys together (Waylon is the bald baby). Holden is a little longer, but Waylon has the MUCH bigger head (thanks to Grandpa Fred and various other large-meloned relatives). Due to our MANY long nights with our new babies, neither Jenn nor I wanted our pictures taken when we got the boys together. Thus, I am including a picture of us when we were pregnant together. (not sure why that picture was placed in the middle???--this blog seems to have a mind of its own...)

Shana Visits Waylon

Waylon had his first visitor from Pasadena, Shana Hayden. You could tell that Shana has two little ones of her own (Grace & Emma) because she was a natural with Waylon, and he was totally at ease in her arms. Anna was thrilled that Fussy Freddy stayed away for the entire visit. We cant wait for Waylon to meet Grace and Emma very, very soon!

Aaron's New Toy

I like to call the bottom photo, "drop and give me twenty, soldier!" Aaron got a new toy, the Tummy Time Surfboard Mat, and has been having fun torturing our poor son, and encouraging him to develop his little muscles. Apparently Aaron is "training" Waylon so he can shred real waves. Looks like Waylon is having a blast, doesn't it?

Meeting a Great One

Waylon got to meet a truly great person...his Great Aunt Evelyn. She is in town from Pittsburgh to take care of Grandma Josephine after her surgery tomorrow (Tuesday 3/21). Waylon was very excited to meet some of the O'Shinsky family.

As for Grandma Josephine, Waylon is very excited for his number one babysitter to be feeling better so she is able to chase him around once he starts crawling--which he already seems to be trying to do.

Waylon and the girls

Amy, Jo Rae, and Courtney came for a visit on Saturday (3/18). They entertained Waylon's homebound parents with stories about St. Patrick's Day, and Jo reveled in her NCAA basketball victories. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that Waylon is much of a Cassanova just yet. He was surrouned by a bunch of women and he just slept. I guess he needs to work on his flirting skills.

Three Weeks Old

Waylon is officially 3 weeks old, and we are proud to report that in 21 days we have not had to call 9-1-1 at all. This is the definition of truly proud parents! He was weighed again today and is up another 10 ounces to 7 lbs, 14 oz. The way he is able to pack on the pounds is a sign of his Strasburg heritage. As you can see in this picture, Waylon can officially hold up his own head. He actually has had very strong neck muscles (and freakishly strong arms & legs) since birth. You can imagine how much fun it was for Anna to carry Waylon in her belly while he was developing these muscles.

Aaron had to travel overnight for work today (Thursday) and it seems to have been much more traumatic for daddy than it was for Waylon. Mommy is not looking forward to doing all of the night time feedings alone. Aaron has been great about changing, burping, and dressing Waylon during those bleary-eyed nights.

Waylon Mugs for the Camera

Here is the latest collection of cutie photos.

Anna gets her hands back!

It was a big celebration when Waylon fit into the new Baby Bjorn (thanks Aunt Kathy & Uncle Dick). Anna can now (hopefully) get things done while Waylon hangs out.

Grandma Patty & Tom Visit; Uncle Fritz has Surgery

Grandma Patty came for a visit to get her Waylon "fix" and her husband, Tom, got to meet Waylon for the first time. Uncle Fritz was also supposed to join in the family reunion, but he re-injured his back which was broken back in 1994. On Monday Fritz had back surgery to fuse his lumbar and reportedly is doing well, recovering in Boulder, CO.

First Bottle Feed

Aaron got his first experience at feeding Waylon today (Saturday, March 11). There was a lot of spilled milk and Anna had to help a lot with clean-up, but Waylon doesn't appear to be starving to death. Again, the goal is just to keep the kid alive! Day 16: no paramedics have been called, and we consider that a success.

Out of Preemie Clothes

Waylon has apparently been effected by all of the Project Runway viewing done by his mother while nursing. He took to the "runway" (aka his vibrating chair) for the first time in non-preemie clothes. They were a bit big, but there is no doubt that he is growing in to all of his cool duds. He also sent a clear message with his hand that he was done with the paparazzi moment.

Nursery Pictures

For those of you who are interested, here are pictures of the nursery. I am shocked at how much time I spend in this room--especially since I use the glider to nurse junior. Not pictured is the small TV that Aaron hooked up in the room for me. Now that Project Runway is over I have no idea what I will watch during those long nursing sessions.

The First Bath

Waylon just got his first real bath since he lost his umbilical cord. For those doing the math at home, yes we waited until he was two-weeks old, but in our defense he doesn't get very dirty and we were absolutely traumatized by the idea of giving him a bath. At this time he doesn't take after his father's passion for multiple showers and cleanliness. In fact, it may be another few weeks before we have the courage to attempt another

Update on the Beagles

Many of you have asked how Thelma & Louise are handling the new addition to our family. Aaron and I have been VERY pleased that they dont seem to mind having Waylon around, and haven't shown any signs of jealousy. Thelma's new favorite place to cuddle up and sleep is under Waylon's crib. I'd like to pretend that she is being protective of Waylon, but we think its more likely a good place for her to hide from grumpy Louise.

Wendy Visits

Wendy Levine played hooky on Wednesday. She made the loooong trip down to meet Waylon, and entertain Anna. Since Waylon cannot go inside any public places, we had a nice lunch at a strip mall that had outdoor dining. Not exactly in the Zagat's guide of best dining experiences, but I was soooooo happy to get out of the house! Wendy brought a cutie outfit from her mom, Joan. Cant wait til he fits into this one!

Two Weeks Old

How time flies (sort of)... Thursday, March 9 was Waylon's two-week birthday. On Tuesday he was weighed during a lactation appointment, and he is up to 7 pounds, 4 ozs. They are very pleased with his weight gain, and we are excited that he will soon be out of his preemie clothes and can wear all the cute outfits he's received from friends and family.

FUSSY FREDDY!!!!

I keep trying to convince Aaron that we are pretty lucky--Waylon is a fairly good baby with a sweet disposition. That said...about 1-2 times each day his alter ego, Fussy Freddy, is in effect. This picture is a pretty tame version of Fussy Freddy. During these times he cries, fusses, gets red in the face, and generally is pissed off at the world. We are able to handle these fits OK, but its a real bummer when they happen after a late night feeding and he refuses to go back to sleep. If you've noticed a lack of updates to the blog, its because we are frantically trying to read articles and books to figure out how to get Fussy Freddy to chill out. So far it sounds like time and patience are the keys. During these times we've found a new appreciation of the swing and vibrating chair. Oh ya, we also are huge fans of the pacifier--which we vowed while I was pregnant that we would never use. I guess with a newborn you learn never to say never.