Three Months Old!

Wow, does time fly! Three months ago we held a newborn baby in our arms and wondered how life would be with Lincoln. It's wonderful! He's gotten so big, developed such a great little personality, and made our life better than we knew it could be. Now that Lincoln has started school, he's got so many new things to entertain him. I know he loves to watch the other kids play, and I know his teachers must love how sweet he is. Here are his stats:

weight - 13lbs 8oz - The only challenge we have with milk at our house is me making enough!

height - Kevin's yardstick says 24 1/2 inches - It sounds funny that he's two feet tall!

other stuff - says Ah Goo a lot, blows super intense spit bubbles, clasps his hands sweetly, gurgles, keeps a death grip on my hair every chance possible.

I give the sweetest hugs.

I love to stand up.
I've got my own wheels!
I help Mom hold my bottle.

I have dinner with Mom and Dad every night.

Lincoln's New Ride

I've mentioned recently how much Lincoln loves to stand up. Tonight we put together his walker to give Lincoln a new place to stand. We knew he wouldn't actually be using it as a walker, but it might be supportive enough for him to stand unassisted. I think he's gonna like it! He's still a little small, but he'll grow into it soon enough. Even though he looked a little confused, he got more involved and even honked the horn a few times. He got distracted by the tv a few times . . . the Rangers were on which is very important at our house!

Standing Up!

It's hard to keep Lincoln satisfied with sitting all the time. We stand a lot with a few sitting breaks, although I'm sure his little legs get tired. Often when he's upset (as he was getting tonight), this is the only thing to occupy him. I hope he gets interested in crawling soon!

Another One Bites The Dust . . .

Looks like we have another shirt for the "outgrown" pile!

Lincoln has grown so much in just three months. I went through his closet and dresser last week and discarded the items that were too small. I guess I missed this sleep-shirt. Kevin says it's his Michael Phelps skin tight Speedo look!

First Day of School!

I'm going to try to make it through this post without crying, but I can't make any guarantees. Monday was Lincoln's first day of school. Yes, school - we don't call it daycare at our house. I was so lucky to have 12 weeks to learn about him, watch him grow, teach him things, and love on him all day long. The day came much faster than I could imagine, and I got ready slowly and sadly. I had met with lots of schools and was extremely happy with the one we selected (and happy I made it off the wait list!). They have a fun curriculum, one-on-one development time, and lots of space to play in his room. His teacher and the staff have been wonderful on all of our visits. So Monday morning, we all loaded up and headed to school. Lincoln was very interested in checking things out, and we all hugged and kissed. I bravely put him in Ms. Toke's (to-kay) arms and ran from the room. Kevin tried to be consoling, but my mom said it best: This will be the hardest day of your life. She was right! I am working half days for a while to ease the transition, and I am so thankful that I could pick him up at lunch. Guess what? He was fine, comfortable and had a good day. He's going to learn so much and have fun playing with the other kids. He is so entertained watching them, and I know he'll pick up things fast. My first day back at work was filled with meetings and e-mail, and I got back into the swing of things quickly. We're all going to be fine, and I know Lincoln is going to thrive at school. Thank you to the staff and our families for making this easier, and thank you to God for listening to my prayers. I couldn't do it alone.

I'm not ready to let him go yet . . .

Kevin and Linc checking out the other kids playing.

The End and The Beginning

Just a few days ago I posted a picture of Lincoln meeting Kevin's Grandma. She passed away unexpectedly soon after our trip to Oklahoma. I'm so glad we made that visit and she got to meet the next generation of Kuhlmans. I know Lincoln will make his Kuhlman grandparents proud that he's carrying on their name. Kevin has so many memories of Esther . . . most notably the Shawnee pancakes! It is amazing what she and other women could accomplish without our modern luxuries: she milked the cows for the morning milk, ran a household of 6 kids, and managed to raise them to be exceptional adults. Her death seemed even more tragic since we'd just seen her, but what a relief that we were able to go that day. The whole family came together in Norman on Thursday and Friday, and Lincoln was a bright spot for everyone. He was sweet to let anyone hold him. I just warned them to face him outward, as he loves to look around. Hold him tight against your shoulder and you'll have a fussy Lincoln! He sang along with us at the funeral and stayed quiet when he needed to. He wore a precious outfit that Auntie made, although Kevin kept calling it a dress. I thought he looked like an angel.

We got to show Lincoln the cows on the dairy farm. I tell him often that cows say "moo" when I sing Old MacDonald, but I'm not sure he made the connection. Mostly he sat there looking cute. Kevin spent lots of time visiting the farm when he was growing up. I'm glad we got to walk around a bit even though we weren't dressed for farming.

Since we're such experienced parents now, we're qualified to offer our advice and opinion on all things baby-related. Kevin took Julie's husband, Jon, aside to give him some guidance on the baby shower gifts they recieved last weekend. Kevin was especially insistent on the benefits of the Boppy Bouncer. Here they are going through the gifts.

Lincoln has been doing lots of talking, laughing and smiling these days. He is so animated and seems to have lots of fun. We really enjoy all of his faces and noises. I hope you all smile after watching this video. I swear my cheeks hurt from smiling at him all day while he grins and coos and gurgles.

Happy Father's Day! We enjoyed Kevin's first Father's Day with brunch at the Four Seasons. They never disappoint. I'm sorry to say I had 5 desserts!!! (Luckily they were all very small.) We wish Grumps and Pops a very happy Father's Day from us and Lincoln. He is lucky to have so many great Dads in his life and so are Kevin and I.

Occasionally, Lincoln gets to sit around in just a diaper. I wouldn't make him wear clothes ever, but that's kind of trashy! On this day, he's playing in his Bumbo in the buff. He's really enjoying it more, and he doesn't look so pained when he sits there. He even holds on to a toy and sometimes waves it around (see the first pic). That one makes me really proud! It's amazing how quickly he changes. One day he could barely hold up his head and bobbled all over, but now he's so strong.

By the way, Phil Mickelson better watch out because he's got some competition in the man boob department.

Hey Slim!

We were practicing sitting . . . one of Lincoln's favorite things besides standing. He's not that interested in being on his back right now. He leans back against me and plays with a toy (sort of) or lets me sing and wave his arms around. I've been doing Patty Cake since he was born, and I think he's starting to enjoy it finally! All my hard work has paid off now that he smiles at the end of the song. Note the spare tire around his middle. We're still loving the milk!

Road Trip

Lincoln is quite the traveler these days! This past weekend we drove to Oklahoma for a party and to meet Great Grandma. While Kevin entertained Lincoln, I went to a baby shower for Kevin's cousin Julie. She and Jon are having a baby girl soon, and the shower was very nice. She received lots of necessities! Lincoln also got to meet Kevin's Grandma. He was really good on his visit, and I think he impressed his Great Grandma. Of course, he looked cute! It was the longest time he's had to spend in the car seat (almost 6 hours), but he handled it well. He slept over half that, and I did my best to keep him happy when he was awake. I didn't manage that the whole time, but we made it. I brought lots of toys and things to look at and sang lots of songs. It was a good trip!

Kevin, Lincoln and Great Grandma

Sacked out! I think he was tired of all my entertaining.

Good to the Last Drop!

What better way to end a busy day than with a stiff drink - whoops, I mean bottle of milk?! Lincoln enjoyed his bottle so much, he dozed off at the last sip. This picture is the beginning of a great dream! A full baby is a happy baby is a baby who sleeps all night.

Great Trip to Arkansas

I took Lincoln on his first trip this week. We flew to Arkansas to visit some very excited relatives. He was so good on the plane. He sat in my lap and bobbed his head around and goo-ed. He didn't cry once! First, Lincoln met his Memama and Poppa (my grandparents), Patsy and Julia Ann (my great aunts), and Barbara and Sarah (my aunts). Minnie, Grumps and Allyson were able to meet us there, too. Everyone loved him, and they were so impressed with him. He was a little cranky because his schedule got mixed up by the travel, but he played and talked to each person when they held him. He's so vocal!! Here he is relaxing with his Memama and Poppa.

After our visit in Lincoln County (I'm not making that up . . . I swear that's where they live!), we went to Dumas to meet Auntie. Lincoln did lots of playing and entertaining. He was so sweet to her friends who came to meet him too. I think he learned a few new sounds on the trip, and he's talking so much these days. He also found out that he really likes to stand up. I can't get him to sit in my lap at this point because he always wants to push up. Oh, what a kid! Here he is showing Auntie his favorite toy (note the groggy look - he's about to take a nap).

It was a great trip, and I'm glad he got to meet everyone. He was so good! I didn't expect him to be bad or anything, but he was a real champ. He slept all through the nights in his new pack and play and took great naps there, too. He was happy to meet all the new faces and smiled and goo-ed at anyone who wanted to hold him. I'm lucky that he's so fun and good-natured. After all the excitement, we're glad to be home. I'm sure Kevin missed us and is glad we're back, although I'm sure it was much quieter around here and he finally got to sleep late. It was definitely a success, and I won't be scared to do it again.

Bumbo Time!

Hanging out in my Bumbo!

Lincoln's Latest

"Look, Mom! I can fit my whole fist in my mouth!"

We've supplemented tummy time with suck on our fingers time, but whatever keeps him happy, right? He enjoys laying on his tummy with toys in sight, me right next to the toys, and his fingers really close by. Sometimes we prop up, and sometimes we lay flat. He doesn't suck on his fingers at any other time, but they are just right there and not flailing around as usual. It's too good for him to resist!

2 months

Our two month visit was today with Dr. K, so let's share the official word: Lincoln is perfect! Of course we all knew that, right? He was very curious and did lots of looking around in the exam room. All went well until it was time for shots. It is a necessary evil! Here are the details and a picture displaying his calmness during the exam:

Weight: 12 lbs! I was thinking that seemed kind of hefty for only two months, but they say 50th percentile. Glad to know he's right on track. He definitely doesn't have a problem eating and loves the milk no matter what I eat.

Height: 22 1/2 inches. Kevin disputes this measurement and believes his yardstick measurement of 24 inches is correct. I'm ok with either. He does seem much longer than when he was born (at 20 inches).

Head: 16 inches. This puts him in the 70th percentile. He needs a big head to hold all those smarts!

These next pics are of our favorite play spots. We play in several different places throughout the day, as I don't want him to get bored. He is so reactive and smiles and laughs at the toys. I know he has deep conversations with some of them, and I can't imagine what they're talking about. How I wish I could speak "baby".

He loves to play on a blanket on our big bed. We get the toys out and climb up with him. The blocks are his favorites and the butterfly too. Tummy time seems to go over better when done on the bed, so it's done often.

I prop him up on the boppy pillow after meals, and we do our best chatting then. He found his tongue the other day, and I've enjoyed watching him explore that. He sticks it out a lot. I started sticking mine out at him and that always gets a laugh. He's so funny!


The mat is still his favorite place, and I can see why. There are flashing lights, fun toys to talk to and a mirror to look at his cute self. I wish I could hang out under there! He talks to the sunshine toy the most, but I rotate the toys hanging down so he'll have new things to look at. (Does this mean I'm micromanaging his playtime? I think not!) Check out how long he is, and don't overlook the cute sandals.

Splish-Splash, I was taking a bath!

When we first brought Lincoln home from the hospital, bathtime was NOT pleasant. Given the fact that two inexperienced bath givers were fumbling around, Lincoln didn't seem to enjoy the whole process. He screamed, kicked and shook uncontrollably (yes, it was warm enough in the room) because he hated it so much. See below for proof:

These days, however, we love bathtime! First, the screaming slowly turned to regular cries. Next, there wasn't any crying until the shampoo started. Finally, there are no cries at all, and I even got a few smiles and coos last night at the end. Sometimes Lincoln looks at us like we're crazy and still don't know what we're doing, but he always humors me and lets me finish. Kevin says our "bathtub" is too small, but I'm hanging on to it for a bit longer. Kevin is in charge of holding Lincoln while I scrub him down, and we each think our job is pretty tough. We traded one night last week, but were glad to reprise our roles. He's pretty slippery and squiggly, and I love every second of it. Here he is enjoying the bath (and wondering why I'm taking a picture when I'm supposed to be washing him):