Reaching Milestones and Growing

Today we had our one month check up and Alex is 100% healthy, handsome and meeting all his growth and developmental milestones! His head is perfectly shaped and the soft spots have almost completely closed. He is smiling and tracking objects with his eyes and he has started to coo. He can also already do a full chest push up and lift his head (which is a milestone for months two - four). He is very strong!

Today at the check up, Alex weighed 9 lbs. 15.5 oz and was 22.5 inches long. He is growing steadily and you can really see it in his length and the fullness of his face. He changes every day right before our eyes. He had his hepatitis B shot, and while he screamed for about 30 seconds, he settled right down and was just awesome!

We are preparing to head up to Providence and the RI/Connecticut area this Saturday for a week's stay. It will be lots of fun, but I am sure very different from all our travels of the past. We will certainly have more to pack :-) and one more little person to entertain on this trip.

Lots of Love,

The Tinks of San Antonio

Time is flying

Time is flying by and while it is amazing and fun to see Alex grow and change so quickly, it is also a little sad. When I meet people with four and five month olds, they look gigantic and then I realize that Alex will be one month old tomorrow!

He is doing great and so are we (just a little more tired than usual). Alex is grinning and responding to us when we talk to him. He can really hold our gaze and listen intently. Of course, his attention span is very short. While he has been trying to show us how strong he is since the second week, this week he can truly hold up his neck when he is on his tummy or resting on my shoulder and he moves his head from side to side as well all on his own.

We don't know yet how much he has grown in the last week but we have an appointment one day from today to find out. I wish I more time to tell you what we've been up to, but I need to try and sneak in short nap while he is snoozing.

Lots of love,

Christina, Jonathan & Alex

So much to catch up on!

WOW! A week has flown by! We have had a very busy week and weekend with Alex's baptism and a lot of friends and family in town for the celebration. Thank you to everyone who made the trip to San Antonio to be here for the weekend.

Friday night family started arriving and we had a full house and delicious pasta dinner. Alex was a trooper being passed around and loved and kissed on all evening. He went to bed that night fairly easily and had an early morning with Pa Pa and Ma Ma while we got ready for the baptismal ceremony. The ceremony was conducted by Msgr. McGrath at the church we joined, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and we were blessed with more than 45 friends and family at the event.
Alex was so peaceful through out the entire sacrament - he didn't even flinch when the water was poured on his head.

See the picture below to see the baptismal gown. It is very special to the Tinker/LeBlanc family. Bobbie's grandmother made the gown from the silk Pa Pa LeBlanc brought back from his WW II parachute. It is all hand made and embroidered. The slip under the gown is embroidered with the names of all the children who have been baptised in it, including Ma Ma and Jonathan and all his siblings, as well as Alex's eight cousins on the Tinker side.

After the baptism, we had a big party at at our house and we were blessed with fun and fellowship well into the evening. After most people turned in for the evening, our group of best friends who traveled in for the event came back to the house. Ma Ma and Pa Pa babysat Alex and we went out to a Latin club with the gang until about 12:30. It was the first time we had a night out without Alex. Thank you, Mom and Dad Tinker for babysitting....we had fun!

Alex continues to grow and is surprising us every day with his quick development! Yesterday, I took him to the lactation center to check on why he might be having such a spit up problem and while we were there, I weighed Alex. He is 23 days old and he weighs 8 lbs, 15 oz! He is literally changing before our eyes every day. I can certainly feel it when I carry him around in the sling or in his carrier! He has been lifting his head since the 5th day and is really getting strong this week. He has been grinning a little every day and while we know it is more a reflex than a real smile, it is awfully cute. The most amazing development happened yesterday - he rolled from his back to his stomach!

Enjoy the new pictures...more to come....