Has It Really Been Three Months?

My little man turns 3 months old today!!

He has really grown up in the past month. Unofficially (because we don't go back to the doctor until next month), he has gained 3 pounds in the past month. He's fed, he's happy...we must be doing something right!

Matty really brightens up my day. I spend so much time playing with him and giving him kisses! I don't know what I did to fill my time before he got here.

I've been told that apparently I didn't tell a lot of people Matty's name before he got here. That certainly wasn't on purpose! It took us awhile to decide exactly what we were going to name him. We knew his middle name would be Anthony, after Saint Anthony of Padua. When Matt was confirmed he had to pick a saint, and Anthony was the saint he picked. It's meant a lot to him and his family. But Matt didn't know if he wanted to name our first child after him. We didn't think we could name a successive son "Matthew." However, I kept telling him (from before we got pregnant) that I wanted a little him, so his name had to be Matthew, right? Ultimately we settled on Matthew Anthony, and I think Matty is such an adorable nickname.

Back to our last month though...it has been a busy one!

Matty took his first swim in the pool!

Thanks to Aunt Carrie for the great float!

Check out Matty's Mickey swim suit and sunglasses!

My mom and dad (Lynnie and Grandfather) came for a visit, and Matty and I did a little photo shoot in the front yard.

You can see he wasn't really into taking pictures.

We did manage to capture some adorable faces on camera though!

"Seriously, mom?"

"Eh, I could smile and make her happy."

"Hehe, I've got a secret!"

I did finally get a few good pictures, including my favorite:

And then once Grandfather got his hands on him, Matty turned out a few of his famous smiles!

Matty and Lynnie

Most of our days are filled with eating, playing and pooping. He's mastered the first and third very well. And of course, he's most definitely mastered the sleeping routine.

You can see his favorite napping spot is sleeping on somebody...especially his sleeping buddy, Lynnie.

This week Matty has started laughing!! It really is the cutest thing, although it gives him the hiccups!!

That's it for now!!

Coming next month...our first trip to the SC State Fair, which will also be our first trip out of town (wish us luck!!). Also, our 4 months official stats!!

Until next time...

Raising a Child in Trying Times

Being in the news business means you have to check your opinions, and often your feelings, at the door. You will simply go mad if you internalize all of the bad news that happens in the world that you have to report on.

I have now left that business behind, and although I rarely offer an opinion on a major news story on here, now that I am a parent, I find myself wondering about the world my child is going to grow up in.

I admit I never flew in an airplane before 9/11 so I don't remember a time where people weren't hyper aware on board or a security line where you could keep your shoes on. Most likely my children will also never know that as a reality. I however have never felt uncomfortable or avoided a flight because of fear.

If there is one thing I can teach my child. It is not to live his life in fear. No one knows when his time is up. For a 13-month-old in Brunswick, Georgia, God called him home much too soon for those of us here. 13 people at the Navy Yard were just going to work when God decided he wanted them back in heaven. It is a tragedy, for sure. But the people who wreak havoc on our every day lives, they want us to live our lives in fear. Those are the "terrorists" we should really be concerned about.

None is us knows when our time will run out. Hopefully it will be decades from now and I will be able to see my children's children start to grow up.

In addition to raising a kind, loyal and honest child, I want my Matty to grow up fearless. I want him to take chances. I want him to make mistakes. And yes, I want him to fail on occasion because, if we are honest with ourselves, we learned many lessons from our failures.

I look forward to a world where those with mental illnesses get the treatment they need, and teenagers don't find themselves so bored that they want to shoot someone because they feel like it. I hope my child can grow up in a world like that. If he can't, I hope he will at least embrace every day and ploughing ahead at full force to live his life to the fullest.