John's birthday, Dawson's Baptism, And More

A lot has happened since I last updated our family blog.

September 15-17 John went with a friend to Tunica, Mississippi which is about a four hour drive from our house. They stayed at the Gold Strike hotel which is owned by MGM Grande. John had a great time and wants to go back taking me next time! Unfortunately, no big winnings to report, but he did enjoy the trip.
On Friday, September 19th Dawson had his four month check up. He is doing well. At the appointment he was 26 inches long and weighed 15 pounds 12 ounces! The appointment went well except for the 4 shots he had to get at the end. He is growing and developing like he should, so John and I were pleased with our little guy!
That Friday we also decided to start giving Dawson rice cereal for dinner since he has been waking up every three hours through the night starving! This was his first time sitting in his high chair which you can see in the pictures below. We had to roll up blankets to put on either side of him because there was too much wiggle room for him right now. He did okay with his first time eating off a spoon and eating anything other than just milk, except for the fact that more ended up on the bib, high chair, and his face than in his tummy. Over the past week and a half, Dawson has started doing SO much better eating. He has learned to open his mouth when the spoon is near his mouth and although it’s still messy, it’s much better than it was! This is also helping him not to wake up starving so frequently during the night (which is amazing!)!
The weekend of September 20th I attempted to put Dawson in his Baby Einstein Exersaucer. I had put him in it about a week before, and his was about half an inch too short for his feet to touch the floor so he couldn’t play in it yet. It’s amazing how fast he is growing because when I put him in it again on the 20th, he can touch the floor. He loves to play in this toy now. John and I love it too as it allows Dawson to be up looking around like he enjoys without us having to hold him all day.
Last Thursday was my last day of work as I have decided to stay home and take care of Dawson full-time now. It was sad to leave because during the time I have worked there I have gotten to know a lot of the people there really well. I plan to go back to visit, of course taking Dawson with me (as requested!). Although, I was sad to leave my friends there, I am thrilled to get to spend more time with Dawson and John and be able to take care of everything around the house.
Yesterday was a big day for our family! It was John’s 25th birthday, and Dawson was baptized. My parents and Logan came to visit and help us celebrate the two big events. Dawson was baptized at our church, Asbury United Methodist in Madison, Alabama, at the 9am traditional service by Reverend Alan Weatherly. After church we came home and had a birthday feast of brushetta, tomato basil squares, lasagna, and an Oreo’s ‘N Cream birthday cake. Logan gave John the game Skip-Bo, so after lunch we played a few games before it was time for my parents and Logan to head back to Tennessee. John and I spent the rest of his birthday playing with Dawson.

Enjoy the pictures below!

John with his birthday cake.

Dawson's first day wearing jeans!

"You want me to what!? Eat off a spoon?!"

"I guess I'll try some rice cereal."

More interested in the toy than the food.

One of his first bites

Extreme focus on the spoon.

"I love this toy!"

This is fun!

Another picture of Dawson in the exersaucer.

Dawson's first time in the exersaucer.

Dawson on his changing table after a bath.

After the service where Dawson was baptized.

Lolly, Pop, and me with Dawson after the service.

Daddy and Dawson outside our house before celebrating.

Back at home before the birthday party!

Our family!

Logan, Lolly, and Pop with Dawson.

John blowing out his candles.

After a short nap in his swing. All

the festivities wore Dawson out.

Pop and Dawson.

John and I on his 25th birthday.

I think he looks so much older here than 4 months!

Thinking.

Four Months!

Dawson is four months old today! I can’t believe it. It really does seem like John & I just brought him home from the hospital a couple of weeks ago. Although, thankfully we are getting more sleep than when we first brought him home, even though he has stopped sleeping a long stretch of time during the night. That was one phase I wish we were still in, as he is now getting up 2 or 3 times during the night. He will have his four month check-up on Friday afternoon, which John & I are dreading since it involves a few shots. If he does as well as he did last time though, he will be smiling by the time we leave the doctor’s office.
Life has continued to be busy taking care of Dawson, and I have decided to leave my job in order to stay home with him full time. It was a hard decision to make because I enjoy my job, but I am so so excited to start being a stay at home mom! John & I are looking forward to life being a little less hectic!
The pictures below were all taken this week. Enjoy!

Dawson laying on the quilt Mamaw

made for me when I was little!

Dawson sitting in his Bumbo Seat after church.

He started laughing and throwing his head back.

I got out the video camera to try to record him laughing,

but he stopped laughing and stared at the camera.

Dawson sitting in the floor of his room.

Making faces for the camera.

Don't I look like Daddy?

Dawson LOVES to watch Bentley.

In this picture he looks like he's trying to kick her, though.

Bentley joined Dawson's photo shoot!

Dawson after church on Sunday. He stayed in the service the whole time and was perfectly quite. He was awake for singing at the begining, slept during the actual sermon, and woke up just in time for a couple more songs! Then he joined his friends in his Sunday School class, the Bugs.

Dawson in his diaper. Look at all those little rolls!

"Ready to Roll"

Dawson is now a professional “roller.” He rolls over all the time now. Thankfully he has finally figured out how to roll back over to his back from his tummy, which keeps John and I from constantly having to roll him back over. He’s getting a little more used to being on his tummy and doesn’t cry immediately. I even had time to take a few pictures (below) of him on his stomach before he got upset.
With yesterday being the first football game of the season, John and I were sad not to be in Knoxville at the game, and we missed all of you we normally tailgate with! However, we all wore our Tennessee orange yesterday. There’s a picture below of Dawson in his Tennessee onsie that Stephanie gave him! (Thanks, Steph!) John had to work during the game, but we recorded it and watched it last night excited to see Tennessee win big. Unfortunately, we are probably not going to be able to go up to UT for any games this season, but we are definitely supporting the Vols here in Alabama. We even have our Power T flag out front.
Life continues to be busy between taking care of Dawson and our work schedules, and it’s going by so quickly. I packed away a bunch of clothes Dawson outgrew and remembered how recently it was that those outfits were too big for him.
John’s birthday (the big 2-5!) is coming up at the end of September. We’re planning to have Dawson baptized on John’s birthday (9/27), and so we’re looking forward to all of our families coming into town to celebrate both events.
Enjoy the pictures below!

"Uh, excuse me! I'm trying to take a bath!"

Dawson's first time cheering on the Vols!

His onsie says "Lil Volunteer in Training" (Thanks, Steph!)

I got a little carried away with these picture as you can tell.

Dawson and Bentley looking out the window in his room.

Dawson after church this morning.

Dawson in the full outfit, matching hat and all.

He looks like he should be on the golf course!

Dawson is Three Months!

This week was Dawson's three month check-up, and he's doing great! It's so hard for John and I to believe he's three months already, but at the same time we have trouble remembering life before Dawson! He now weighs a healthy 14 pounds 6 ounces and is 24 inches long. He's grown considerably since his birth at 7lbs 13oz 19.5 inches. Fortunately there were no shots involved at this doctor's appointment, so it went smoothly; next month's appointment, however, does involve shots.
Dawson has started sleeping a 7 or 8 hour stretch during the night which is AMAZING. Also, he has started to have a semi-routine schedule he follows everyday which he did on his own after John and I thought we'd never have a schedule again! Last week he started laughing for the first time, but still only does it if you're doing something really silly. On Wednesday evening he rolled over for the first time from his back to his stomach. After he realized he was on his tummy (which he hates to lay on) he started crying, and since then he's yet to roll over again although he's come close. He has also started to take a lot of interest in Bentley over the past couple of weeks (poor Bentley!). He watches her as she runs across the room and has reached out to touch her a few times. This morning he touched and grabbed her ear, but Bentley was happy for the attention and didn't seem to mind (John and I were holding her, just in case she didn't like it, but she seems to like Dawson).
Overall, Dawson is doing great, and John and I are enjoying every minute of being parents....who knew it could be so much fun!
I'm still working part-time so two days a week Dawson and his Daddy do what John calls "man things" like go to Home Depot and get the oil changed. :)
Last weekend Dawson's Lolly, Pop, and Uncle Logan came down for a visit, and we had a good time. Dawson even laughed a little (one of the first times) for his Lolly!

Enjoy the photos below that were taken this week!

Above: Dawson and I sitting in the living room.

Above: Dawson's first time sitting in his Bumbo Seat!

Above: Dawson fell asleep in his swing holding Sophie the Giraffe.

Dawson Goes to Church

Yesterday I took Dawson to church for the first time, and he did great! He did not make a sound during the entire service. I couldn't believe how well he did. Then he went to the nursery for the first time while I went to Sunday School. At our church all of the children's classes have names. Dawson is the newest member of the class named the "Bugs" which he will stay in until he start to crawl. Our church has a pretty fancy check in/out when you're dropping your children off, and the parents get a pager in case "they have a problem only mommy can fix" as one lady in the nursery put it. He did great, and I did not get paged the entire time. Enjoy the pictures below of Dawson before going to church for the first time with his Precious Moments Bible from his Great Aunt Phyllis.

"Who, me?"

Above & Below: Dawson with his Precious Moment

Bible before going to church for the first time.
"Look at my dimples!"

The Month of July

Life has been busy in the Zorio household over the past month (hence why I haven't been blogging on a regular basis). In the month of July I returned to work part-time. On the days I work John is 'Mr. Mom', and he has really been enjoying spending those days taking care of Dawson.
Dawson is now 2 1/2 months old, and he is growing quickly. He went for his 2 month check up in July and weighed in at a whopping 12 pounds 12 ounces. He has now a lot better about holding up his own head, and he has started reaching for things and actually grasping them. Dawson loves to talk and smile. His favorite phrase is "ah gooh" which can mean I'm hungry, I need to be changed, and/or I want to be held. :)
Also, in the month of July we traveled to Tennessee where John was in the wedding of one of our highschool friends, Kealan. We had a good time seeing people from high school, and Dawson enjoyed his first wedding.
We also attended another baseball game with Dawson in July. It is a mystery to John & I how Dawson can sleep through seven loud innings at a baseball game, but at home he wakes to one bark from Bentley. However, Dawson has slept through the night one time, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that this becomes a regular habit.
Logan came to stay with us for a week in July for the third summer in a row, and we took him to some fun places around Huntsville.
Enjoy the pictures below, and we'll try to update the blog again soon!

Above and Below: Dawson's first day wearing shoes

and actually being able to keep them on his feet.

Above: Dawson loves bath time now!

Above: Dawson with his mom and dad at the Kealan's wedding.

Above: Dawson and mom at the July wedding.

Above: Dawson with his Daddy at the wedding reception.

Above: Bentley had to jump in one of Dawson's pictures.

Above: Go Vols! Dawson in his Tennessee pj's.

Above: Dawson sitting in the chair in his room.

Above: Not only can he already read,

but he can read upside down! :)

Above: Dawson talking and kicking.