Christmas Fun!

So far, Wes has had a pretty exciting week of Christmas break!  So many things have happened that it has passed in a blur, but we have certainly enjoyed the more relaxed days of spending time at home with family rather than rushing out the door to work.

Wes' Grandma and Grandpa Miller moved to town (down the street, actually) the very first day of break.  Even more exciting was that Kristy's father received a phone call the day before the moving truck arrived in Normal informing him that he got a job in the IT department of Unit 5, Sean and Kristy's school district.  After a very tumultuous journey, everything seems to have worked out in the end, and we are very excited to have family nearby!

Shortly after the move, Christmas festivities began!  We're not sure if a not-yet-4-month-old has ever received so many toys. 

Wes was seemingly most fascinated by the wrapping paper on his presents, and after about 3 days of working on a present, he was able to tear off a tiny piece for himself!

Wes also accompanied Mom and Dad to the Coffee Hound for some morning relaxation.  It's amazing what a little sleeping-in and caffeine can do for your mood! 

Another huge event of break was that Wes visited the pediatrician for his 4-month check-up.  We won't dwell too long on the shots (after all, a little prick is better than polio, right Wes?! And 4 hours of screaming is also better than Polio, right Mom and Dad?!).  However, we were told we could start Wes on REAL FOOD (or some version of that)!  So we armed ourselves with infant oatmeal, rubber spoons, tiny bowls, and a nerdy bib (thanks Kate!), and began the adventure of seeing if our little guy was grown-up enough to form a bolus.

It was a surprising (albeit messy) success!  We're excited to introduce different kinds of food over the next few weeks, and we're sure Bear is even more excited to help clean the floor afterwards.

We did learn at our appointment that Wes' head isn't shaping up (pun intended) as it should.  Since he was a preemie and also has torticollis (a stiffening of the neck for which we are taking him to physical therapy), one side of his head is too flat because he always lays in the same spot.  To remedy this, some infants need to wear a helmet for a few months while the bones of the skull finish fusing. We are going to take him to Peoria in a few weeks for an evaluation.

There are still a few days left of break, and we're looking forward to the extra sleep and time together before we head back to work.  Hopefully this is a small taste of the adventures that summer break will hold too!