Beach Trip

Here are some pictures from Crawford's first trip to the beach.

Craziness!!

Life has been crazy!  I don’t even remember what went on last week.  This is why I started a blog, because when asked on Monday what I did on the weekend – I had NO CLUE.  I used to have the best memory and I knew pregnancy supposedly messed with your mind, but I don’t think mine is ever coming back.

So, since I don’t remember much – here is what I do know.

Crawford got to visit Santa again on Sunday – we had the annual Stolzenthaler Christmas party.  Crawford really does love people!  He took a short nap on the drive from our house to maw maw and paw paw’s and that was all he needed for a whole evening of fun!  He was passed around like a hot potato and not one peep out of him, he just quietly observed all of the people.  It was probably a good test for all of the craziness on Christmas and Christmas Eve.

He and his cousin John were both ready for bed, but neither cried. 

What Else is Crawford Doing?

Luckily he is still sleeping through the night, although his wake-up time varies each morning between 5:30 and 7:30.  He loves to play and constantly flips over to his tummy – he is slowly learning how to flip from his tummy to his back.  He is grabbing for toys and then immediately likes to put them in his mouth.  Right now his fists are his favorite thing, but he will take anything.  I think he has pretty much mastered the whole head control thing.  And the cutest thing – he will grab your face and bring his head towards yours and “eat” your nose.  Kyle and I think he is giving us kisses!!  And this boy loves to talk!!  When he gets going, he doesn't want to stop.

Although I feel like there has been so much going on, I can’t remember what it is!!  So, I am off to wrap presents and start packing for our trip to Jackson Hole!

My Little Peanut

Crawford went to the doctor Friday, but thankfully no shots!  He weighed 12 pounds, 10 ounces and the length is up for debate.  I thought I heard the nurse say 50 centimeters, but when Kyle converted that to inches he would only be a little over 19 inches and I know he hasn’t shrunk, so…  I also forgot to ask Dr. Ronnie what percentile this put him in, but from my research online I think he is still around the 30^th percentile.  I wish he would stay this little forever!  Again I am so thankful that he is little and can still wear some newborn outfits and most of his three months.

We had a pretty relaxing weekend – Crawford realized it was the weekend and slept past 6:00 AM both Saturday and Sunday morning!  We ran a few errands and he and Kyle went to Best Buy on Sunday while I was at a cookie swap.  I left before he was dressed and when they came home this is what I found in the living room. 

How cute!!  And I just love the bib placement!  I can’t wait to see him all bundled up in a few weeks when we all go to Jackson Hole – he is going to be the cutest snow bunny!  Are snow bunnies just girls??

A Weekend of Firsts

Another weekend of firsts for Baby Crawford!  Saturday we did some shopping and went to eat at a RESTAURANT.  I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but believe me it is!  This is the first time Kyle and I have eaten out since Crawford arrived.  It was so nice to know we could all handle it!  He was hungry too, so we fed him when we got there and then put him in his car seat and this really cool car seat holder and he watched as we ate.  He did have a dirty diaper and I had to change him in the bathroom – I absolutely hate all the germs that are hiding on those changing devices, but what other option did I have.  I tried to change him at the table, but Kyle would not allow – I can’t imagine why not.  Just thinking – I guess I could have brought him to the car and changed him.  Oh well, maybe next time.

We also got our Christmas tree this weekend.  Once again he was so well behaved.  And so far he doesn’t seem to mind the tree.  Several people mentioned before I got the tree that they couldn’t have a real one because their babies would cough uncontrollably; thankfully Crawford is not one of those babies.  I’m just not a big fan of the fake trees – not yet, at least.

He also got to go to Nan’s with daddy while I decorated the tree.  This was also a first for me!  My mom always comes over to decorate, but she was in New York and I just couldn’t wait, so I attempted it myself.  I think it came out okay!  He also learned how to splash his daddy in the bathtub this weekend and I hear he thought it was hilarious!  What a cutie! 

Thankfully he continues to sleep through the night from around 8:30 to 5:30, so mom and dad are extremely grateful – mom mostly!!  We go to the doctor this Friday for his three month checkup – he’s a week late, but that’s okay.  I can’t wait to see how much he is going to weigh.  My guess is around 13 pounds, which I think will bump him up from the 35^th percentile.  My little baby – I’m still not sure how the two of us ended up with such a little one.

Foto Friday

The Little Peanut - 1st Day Home - 3 Days Old

1st Doctors Appointment - 1 Week 1 Day Old




Monkey - 3 Months Old



1st Time With Santa - 12 Weeks Old



Big Stretch - 3 Months Old

Smiling - 9 Weeks Old

Sweet Pea - Halloween - Almost 2 Months Old

Where Did The Time Go?

Today is Crawford’s Three Month Birthday!  Happy Birthday little boy!!

A lot has happened in the last three months!  Crawford has been to the beach twice; he sat on Santa’s lap for the first time; he has learned to smile; he’s been baptized; he talks all the time – his favorite “words” are “hey” and “hi”; he has watched every LSU football game, he and his daddy even have a Saturday morning ritual of watching Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit on Game Day.  Kyle has been an absolutely wonderful dad!  It’s funny how just the day before Crawford was born he didn’t think he could change a dirty diaper to all that he does for the little man now.  I absolutely could not have done it without him.  I now have a completely new respect for single moms. 

Let’s see… although a lot of what Crawford did the first month was eat, sleep and poop that didn’t last long.  He is certainly a busy body.  He plays in his “under the sea jungle gym” and grabs hold of the octopus and starfish so tightly.  When he is playing I can’t believe how his little arms and legs move.  I wouldn’t last five minutes kicking and punching the way he does.

And last week he started ROLLING OVER!!  He now rolls over almost every time we lay him down.  He’s still not exactly sure what to do when he is tired of playing on his tummy, but he’ll figure it out.  He does make me a little crazy now, since he is sleeping on his side or tummy the majority of the time.  He seems to like to put his face down and then scoot out of the monitor – talk about a few scares in the middle of the night.  The first time I thought he had been kidnapped.  I know, I have a wild imagination!!

Speaking of sleep, he is doing pretty well.  We put him in his crib the first night he was home and he has slept in there ever since, although he took a real liking to his swing for his daytime naps.  We are at the end of week one of naps only in the bed and he is doing great!  I don’t mind if he sleeps in the swing every now and then I just don’t want him to be two and in need of a swing to take a nap.  At first his “crib naps” were only 20 minutes, but they are gradually increasing to 30-45 minutes.  Maybe one day he will take a two hour nap!!  He is just such a social butterfly, like his daddy, he does not want to miss out on the action.  As far as night time sleep he definitely knows the difference between day and night – thank goodness!  Even when he was waking up to eat every 3-4 hours he always went right back to sleep.  And now he is starting to sleep in 7-8 hour stretches, so that is exciting!  Here’s to hoping that lasts. 

Wordless Wednesday

Here's the cutie just the other night after bathtime - 12 1/2 weeks

A Little History

So, I’ve decided to create my own blog.  After becoming a mom I no longer have the memory I used to, so I thought this would be a good way to look back in time and remember what was going on and how Crawford has changed our lives!

I guess my first post will be a brief background on how I got to where I am today – if I can remember it all!

How I became a Stolzenthaler

It all started the spring of my freshman year (2002) in college when I was asked to be a debutante in Le Circle de Bacchus, a Baton Rouge organization composed of young bachelors.  Although I wasn’t in Baton Rouge at the time, I was in school at The University of Alabama, I was still able to participate.  And Kyle Stolzenthaler happened to be an officer in this organization that year.  That year was full of parties and gatherings with all of the debutantes and these young bachelors.  What fun!!  So, we frequently saw each other, but it wasn’t until the spring of the following year that we started dating.  We knew pretty instantly that we would be husband and wife one day.  However, that day took much longer than this girl thought!  I continued at the University of Alabama until deciding to move home and finish my senior year at LSU.  I was driving to Baton Rouge every weekend anyway, so it just made since.  We continued dating until he popped the question on June 9, 2006 in Florence, Italy.  I immediately started planning the wedding when we returned.  We were married Friday, April 27, 2007 at St. Agnes Church in Baton Rouge.  It’s hard to believe 3 ½ years have gone by so quickly and if the last three months are any indication of the future, I am going to be 50 in a flash!

Baby S

We started thinking about Baby S last summer and on Monday, December 28^th we found out that our dream of having Baby S was coming true!  Kind of a side note – but the way we told my parents was kind of funny.  I had asked my dad months before that if LSU wound up in the Capital One bowl could we please go.  I felt I had been deprived as a child, since I had only been to Disney World once and I could hardly remember it.  So, my daaddee kindly obliged and LSU wound up in the Capital One bowl, so I was busy planning our big Disney adventure.  We (me, Kyle, mom and dad) were leaving on Wednesday, December 30^th and I had our trip planned.  We were going to go to Universal Studios on Thursday, the game on Friday and Disney World on Saturday.  So, when we found out on Monday I didn’t know what we were going to do.  We had already decided that when we do get pregnant we were going to wait at least 6 or 8 weeks before telling our parents.  Kyle seemed to think this would be no problem.  I’m not a huge drinker so that wouldn’t give it away, but I never knew Universal Studios had so many rides unsuitable for pregnant women.  We made it through Wednesday without giving it away and now I was beginning to think we could do it.  Universal Studios, however had other plans.  I examined the first ride we came to and it said no pregnant women.  I just said no that one doesn’t look that fun, the next one same thing, so I just said I’ll stay with mom, dad you and Kyle go.  While we are waiting for the two of them I secretly went to the help desk and asked which rides would be appropriate for a pregnant woman.  She told me NONE!!!  Great!  The only reason we are in Orlando is because I wanted to go.  There is no way that my dad is going to let me not get on a single ride the entire day.  So, dad and Kyle come out and we see a boat ride we think I can take.  All four of us stand in line, and then about half way through I see the warning, not recommended for pregnant women.  Of course!  So, Kyle and I get out of line while my dad is asking,  “what are y’all doing??”  They ride the ride and Kyle and I talk.  We decide that there is just no way we can keep this from them.  My dad just might kill me if he doesn’t understand why I refuse to ride any rides.  So, they get off the ride and we surprise them with the big news!  I thought we were going to have to pick them up!  They couldn’t believe it, although they were beginning to think something was weird.  So, the rest of the Orlando adventure was spent on it’s a Small World, Peter Pan and other kiddy rides.   Here is a picture of the only ride in Universal Studios that I was allowed on.  Although it wasn’t quite the trip I had planned we had a blast!

Well enough of that long story.  On to Baby S.   Baby S as he became known was due September 5^th.  We didn’t find out what we were having, so instead of referring to him or her as it, Baby S became the name.  Our baby boy, Crawford Wilson Stolzenthaler joined us on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 3:54 AM.  I really had the most wonderful pregnancy and delivery and am so thankful for this little boy! 

That is the short story of how I got to September 2^nd.  Next post will have to be an abbreviated version of the last three months.