4 Months Old -Then & Now!

4 months ago...

A lot has happened in 4 months

Fletcher at work.

Spa treatment time...

Out for the count.

Out for a stroll...

Head Control & Ability to Do More...

The wait is over. Fletcher can finally use the exersaucer that Aunt Jeana passed to him in January.

Boy, he thinks it is a lot of fun -- he loves all the gadgets and the fact he can stand all by himself.

Fletcher with The Fletchers

All ready for bed -- night, night, Daddy.

Horizontal stripes don't compliment my figure, Mommy -- solids or verticals from now on, please!

Cousin Elijah and Fletcher playing.

Aunt Jeana playing with Fletcher and Elijah (The Blur cuz he's moving so fast!).

Fletcher and Grandma Fletcher.

Fletcher and I spent the weekend at Grandma Fletcher’s and he even got to spend time with Aunts Mary, Annette and Jeana which he really enjoyed cuz they always make him feel extra special and love him up every chance they get. Grandma worked to teach Fletcher he had feet and he also suckered her a few times into picking him up with some “false” crying. Sucker! Aunt Mary made him laugh lots and he made her laugh when she hoisted him in the air and he quickly went into his rocket ship mode with his legs stiff and feet pointed for propulsion (compliments of all of Daddy’s training). Aunt Jeana gave him goodies, loved him up and played with him and Elijah. Aunt Annette awoke a sleeping Fletcher so that she could cuddle him. He greeted her with a smile and she got to rock him back to sleep.

Fletcher's Cousin Elijah is very much mobile crawling these days and wasn’t too impressed with Fletcher’s inability “to keep up” so he quickly grew bored with Fletcher and kept very busy with his other activities including sucking the pacificer he skillfully “snatched” from Fletcher. Witnessing 10 month old Elijah get around so well definitely made Mommy think ahead about what’s to come with Fletcher!

Mommy is becoming a pro at maneuvering around with Fletcher in the stroller and it is definitely easier on my back than carrying him!

SuperSized @ 16 Weeks

I'm all clean -- kiss me.

Our supersized little boy.

Say what?

I like this fuzzy rug.

I'm ready to start the day!

Fletcher and I made a twilight trip to drop Daddy off at the airport as he started his journey to South Africa for business. Both Fletcher and I already miss him.

Fletcher has had a busy week with some new developments. Each morning is welcomed by hearing the little guy babbling contently in his crib in the next room – he’s going to be a talker. When Mommy reads to Fletcher, he listens intently and helps Mommy hold the book and turn the pages. If Mommy holds the book out of Fletcher’s reach where he can’t assist, he gets upset. Also, when we reach to pull Fletcher up from the sitting position, he will go into a full stand.

Fletcher had his 16 week doctor’s visit today. The visit started off by one nurse asking to hold him. I gave in. All in all, three nurses held Fletcher to admire his size, his full head of hair, his blue eyes, and the big smiles he dished out. He is turning out to be a very friendly baby who likes people.

Fletcher now weighs (drum roll, please…) 20lbs 9oz and is 29 ¾ long. He is above the 100 percentile on both fronts for his age. You see, these stats are typical for a 12 month old baby – he’s going to be a tall boy. Again, the pediatrician said he is proportionate and his growth is consistent for him.

This week we started to transition Fletcher to size 4 diapers and from the infant car seat to a rear-facing big boy’s seat since he’s outgrown both.

Our little boy is definitely growing up.

The Little Man

Hi, Daddy - we miss you!

Stop it...

Mr. Independent.

After days and days of swatting at, crying for, and getting frustrated at this darn fish, Fletcher is now able to grab it all on his own!!

Duty Calls....

Fletcher supervising the progress of the new house.

Morning time with Daddy...

Where's my breakfast!

Looking handsome as ever and ready to start the day!

Boy, what a busy week! Daddy was off in Miami attending a Fraud conference and Mommy was here locally attending an Army conference the exact same days which translated into a lot of long work hours and time away from our lil guy. At the week’s end:

Mommy definitely had a better appreciation working mothers and for the fact that she gets to stay home with Fletcher most days.

Daddy missed Fletcher dearly and realized that he can miss a lot of Fletcher's development in just a few days.

Fletcher missed his rocket ship rides from Daddy and Mommy’s cuddles and the daily activities she does with him, but his Spanish is getting better.:-) Nonetheless, we all survived because of the great care Fletcher gets from Frances when we need to tend our businesses.

Fletcher Johannes - 3 1/2 months

Hello everyone.

All smiles after his bath.

The belly... this is what's filling out the 12 mo clothes...

Chris's visiting Korean client, Mr. Min, brought Fletcher a traditional Korean boys outfit. This is the hat (bokkeon).

Our little angel charging his batteries.

Out of the Cocoon!!

Us -- all three of us. The Westphal Family.

Fletcher spends time with Aunt Mary. (He's wearing the 12 month outfit from Chris's Argentine clients.)

We ate a delicious dinner at Aunt Mary's -- Fletcher ate his hands and enjoyed all the attention...

Susan and Mary massaging Fletcher's hands and cooing over him. He says... more...

Best seat in the new house.

Fletcher’s pretty much got his head control now and he is working hard to lift his head when he’s lying down. He’s definitely using his hands and has mastered finding the openings of other women’s shirts when they are holding him. The Westphal trademark eyebrows are really starting to fill in…the EYEBROWS. Good thing Fletcher wasn’t a girl. Otherwise, we’d have to invest a lot in future hair removal.

What a week it has been for Fletcher! We’ve kept our little boy in the cocoon (house) long enough. We are more confident in our ability respond to Fletcher’s needs out in public and are becoming more proficient and confident at maneuvering and using all this darn baby equipment. So, this week, Fletcher had lots of new experiences and met lots of new people.

The week started with a trip to the grocery store – Mommy finally mustered up the nerve. Fletcher loved all the bright colors and all the ladies at the deli. He dished out a few smiles and they responded and he dished even more… The trip was a lot of fun for Mommy and stress-free mentally, but physically Mommy had an aching back from carrying Fletcher in the Bjorn Baby carrier.

Fletcher has logged about 10 miles in the jogging stroller this week. He likes the fresh air and being outside. Mommy likes that she can exercise and have Fletcher with her.

Fletcher’s weekend started with a shopping trip to Nordstrom’s and Safeway, and then he visited the model home in Raspberry Falls where his new house is being built. The ladies there swooned over him – lots of hugs and kisses for him – those cheeks are definite kiss magnets. He seemed to enjoy and ask for mooooorrrrrre…. He visited his new house that’s under construction, he spent time exploring our friends 14 acres, he visited his first Loudon County winery, and he went to his first Japanese restaurant (where the waitress kept rubbing his feet without Mommy’s or Daddy’s permission… grrrrrrrrrrrhhhhh). This was all in one day. The weekend ended with a trip to our waterfront house and a dinner at Aunt Mary’s house where he got to meet his cousins Malik and Macayla for the first time. At the weekend’s end, the new parents reclaimed spontaneity and learned the sweet joy of a new definition of S.U.C.C.E.S.S. -- being out in public with a “good” baby! Thanks, Fletcher.

A Priceless Gift

We have received so many special things for Fletcher since his arrival, but this week he got a very special gift from his Grandma Westphal. You see, this is a special gift because his Grandma Westphal passed away in December shortly after meeting him. We believe she held on just to meet our little guy. Our sister in-law, Hope, had a scarf that Grandma Westphal started years ago, turned into a blanket for Fletcher so that he would have something special that was Grandma’s. There was also a note enclosed that Grandma had dictated for Fletcher. It conveyed how much she was looking forward to meeting him and how much she loved him. I’m wrought with emotion and speechless. We wish Fletcher could have spent more time with his Grandma Westphal. She will definitely live on through our collective memories of her.

Thanks, Hope, for your thoughtfulness in making sure Fletcher had something special from Ellie – probably the sweetest thing anyone could have ever done for him – and us!

Master Fletcher

Tongue out and working hard...

All the clothes Fletcher has outgrown in the past 13 weeks.

Ok, you've had your fun, I'm ready to lose these sunglasses!

What does that thing do?

Growth...on all fronts...

Super star!

Fletcher out on an adventure with Mommy and Daddy and his new stroller.

On a windy day, the shield offers Fletcher some protection.

It is bath time which Fletcher loves!

I resolved Fletcher’s clothing issue this week. I didn’t buy a lot of stuff since I don’t know how long he’ll be able to wear the stuff. When I see how big Fletcher has gotten and how he is really evolving into himself, it is so weird to think that 3 months ago I was carrying him inside me. When I see him, it seems like I was pregnant eons ago rather than 13 weeks. Boy, time flies… Chris and I spend a lot of time holding, kissing and watching every little change in Fletcher and even when he sleeps. We are savoring these days and can’t get enough of our little guy.

When we are out with Fletcher, most people think he’s 6 months old or older. When we willingly offer up that he’s 3 months old, the reaction is very consistent -- disbelief.

Fletcher finally slept for an 8hr stretch – not consistently all week, but we are getting there. The night he did sleep 8hrs, I should be have been well rested from a good night’s sleep – well I wasn’t. Like a fool, I sat in next room listening to the baby monitor “waiting” with anticipation for Fletcher to call for me in need.

Fletcher babbles a lot – we don’t know what he’s “talking” about, but he’s got a lot to say. His hand use and coordination is also improving with each day. Although not very smooth, he will reach for your hand if you put it in front of him. He’s also mastering grabbing and yanking out Mommy’s hair. When Daddy carries Fletcher on his shoulders, Fletcher has figured out that Daddy’s ears are excellent handlebars.:-) When I feed him, it is like feeding an octopus cuz his hands are always in the way now. Undoubtedly, he’s preparing to hold his own bottle.

Each day we all grow as a family...