Names and Nurseries

Ok- so when you are pregnant two of the biggest things you think you have to decide is the baby name and the nursery decor. Both of which we had trouble deciding on.
Several people have asked me what my nursery looks like and we frequently get asked where we got Cort's name from. So I decided a blog post would suffice to quench a few people's curiosity.
First, the name. We had lots of girls names...lots and no boy names. So when we found out we were having a boy the search was on. We would go through all the baby name books A - Z and at then end still not have a single boy's name we both liked! We decided we must resort to something with meaning so we began looking further into family names. My maiden name is Courtney. All of my family thinks it would be a great idea for one of us( the girls in the family) to name a little girl Courtney. None of us really want to. Chris likes short names for boys. So, I jokingly suggested that we could name our son Courtney(it was originally a boys name after all) and call him Court. That idea did not go over very well but the name "court" sort of stuck with us. We initially were just going to name him Court but Chris didn't want people to think his name was Courtney. So we changed the spelling .. Cort. Then we came across the name Cortland in a book and decided we sort of liked the way it sounded and that even though we generally don't like our son's name is this... but we call him this... kind of names, Chris liked that he would have a less nickname sounding name if he wanted it and ultimately that he could say, "My name is not Courtney, it's Cortland." So, we decided on Cortland Christopher McGowan. Sort of derived from my maiden name with it's own little flare. I sometimes call him Cortland. Chris always calls him Cort. We like our choice.

The nursery. Again, a big ordeal. I am not big own themed nurseries. I wanted to just find some patterned fabric for the bedding with simple decor. Again, found tons of fabric for a girl, none for a boy. I also wanted polka dots but Chris wasn't a big fan. I felt like since we were having a boy Chris got a little more rank in what he wanted in there. Chris is color blind and all pastels pretty much look pink to him. He's sees primary colors best so I was looking for something bright that wouldn't look like a circus. Chris LOVES the beach. So when we saw the surfing themed bumper in pottery barn it sort of grew on us. I was adamant at first that we wouldn't put surf board stuff up all over the room but as you will see from the pictures - the fun of it pulled me in. So, here's Cort's surfer nursery. I never in a million years thought I would have such a "themey" nursery but Cort loves it and it fits him perfectly - fun, laid back, and a little crazy!




We made the surf board over his crib



Chris made the bookshelves!!




Our friend Molly made this painting for us - it's my favorite part of the room. We got to pick all of the objects to go with the letters so really is very personalized!

Home, Sweet, Home

Chris, Cort, and I have been traveling a lot lately. This weekend we just got to be home - all weekend. It was great! Friday night we just went to Whole Foods, walked around, and actually ate dinner there. Then we came home and watched a movie. It was so nice to just not really be doing anything. It only got better on Saturday. We hung out at home all day except a quick run to Target to get Cort a pool. We decided to get a small pool for a back yard because Cort currently thinks the big pool is too cold. He enjoyed this smaller one much more.











Saturday night our friends Ryan, Molly, and Kate( their daughter) came over for dinner. We hadn't been able to hang out in almost a month, which is way too long for us. We cooked out and Kate enjoyed Cort's pool too. So did Chris and Ryan.



Chris, Kate, and Ryan

Cort tried a sippy cup for the first time. He seemed to like it and caught right on. I think he enjoyed chewing it more then drinking it right now but he does like water so that will be good later on.




We got Cort this "wubanub" a few months ago but just now does he really hold on to it and use it like he's suppose to.

Cort loves to read books. He always looks at the pages as if he is really reading them - it is so cute. It's a favorite time of Daddy's.


It's been nice to be home.

My Top Ten List

TEN REASONS I LOVE MY DADDY....

1. He makes the best animal noises
2. He is very patient with me
3. He lets me cuddle up on his chest even when I should be in my crib ;)
4. He is lots of fun to play with
5. He always plays great music
6. He gave me great genes so I could be super cute :)
7. He won't let mommy( or grammies ;)) put me in girly clothes
8. He really takes time to enjoy me and show me new things
9. He can make me stop crying
10. He's always around - he doesn't let mommy do all the work!

I love you! You are a great man and a great father. I feel so blessed to know that Cort will grow up under your guidance. I pray he will grow up to be a man of God like you.

5 months old

Cort turned 5 months old on Sunday!!! I can't believe he is almost half a year old! In somes ways it seems just like yesterday that he was born and in others it seems so long ago.
He has changed so much and is so much fun. He is so smiley and happy. Chris and I were talking the other day about that and just pray that he will always have a view of life like that. Everything is so new and exciting. It's like he just really takes in everything with such wonder! The littlest things excite him and all it takes is one quick happy smile from you and he beams from ear to ear! I pray that he will always have this joy and that as he grows up he will take great pleasure in things that God will bless him with.
We went to the doctor this week and he weighed 12lbs 12oz. Yea! That means he has put on a pound this month and that he is actually a little closer to the 8% now instead of 5th. He still doesn't like to eat very much but I think the solids have helped him put on some weight. He is being strictly bottle fed so that we can monitor his intake better but I am still pumping. He gets partial breastmilk, partial formula. I don't like it - i wish that I was still nursing him but it seems to be working out okay so I just keep hoping I'll get use to it.

Here is a recap of his past month and all of his new things.....
1. Started rice cereal and on his 5 month birthday gave him his first veggie - sweet potatoes. I made them and it was really easy. I like making them for several reasons - 1) cost - it is def. cheaper 2) I think there is better nutrition ounce for ounce because I use breastmilk or formula to thin it instead of water 3) I enjoy cooking so it's fun to cook for Cort too 4) I try more fun things like avocado than are in the jars. So far I have made sweet potatoes, butternet squash( we will try this next) and avocados( which you don't actuall cook) I will still use jar baby food - you can't beat the convenience and there are some things that I do not want to try to cook. He seemed to enjoy the sweet potatoes. Later this week I tried avocado - he liked it too but not as much as the sweet potatoes. His daddy does not like my choices so far because he does not like sweet potatoes or avodcados very much( or squash for that matter). That just made Chris sound like a really picky eater which he isn't but, anyway, here's a few pictures of cort and his veggies...














































2. He plays so much more with his toys. He likes his exersaucer a lot and gets better about manipulating the toys on it everyday. He still favors toys that make noise over toys that you just play with. He is a big music fan - just like Daddy. His favorite songs are sesame street. Chris downloaded several when he was younger and we played them during bath time and now they are a must have for long road trips - he can be screaming in the back seat and after two seconds of manah manah he is quiet. ( other favorites include rubber ducky and elmo's song) It's so funny - we wonder how long it will work. He plays in his jumper a little bit too but doesn't know how to jump in it yet.














3. Okay, there really is a tooth coming in now. I can see the corner of it on the bottom but is one really, really, really slow process. I just wish it would go a head and cut through. His little hands are getting to get raw from all the chewing he does on them.

4. Bathtimes get more and more fun. He is starting to kick and splash a little bit and we sometimes prop him up just in the sink instead of his baby tub now.













hello, little ducky, how are you?



















Do you want to play little ducky?
(notice how our modest little boy is making the picture G rated all by himself ;))


















You have to love pruney little feet!

5. He loves TV - we have to turn it off to keep him from watching it all the time. He will crane his neck or turn upside down to see it. Here he is after trying to sit up - he fell over on to Chris and noticed the TV so he decided to just stay there a while! It's so funny how much it fascinates him. We try not to let hime watch it to much. About two times a week or so he'll watch a baby Einstein Video while Chris and I cook or eat and he loves it - it's like we given him this great treat or something.












6. He loves horseplay. He likes to be hung upside down or tossed. He loves to be tickled or for you to blow rasberries on him. He loves animal noises - his favorite use to be the horse, now it's the monkey.

7. He got to go the beach again, to the lake, and to the pool. So far his favorite was the beach. He thinks the pool is a little cold right now.

8. He is back to sleeping through the night( though we still give him that 10:30 feed while he is still pretty much asleep to get a few more ounces in him) Yea!!!!!!

9. He is sitting on his own pretty well with his hands propped but only for a short while.

I love being Cort's mom. There are days that are hard and days that I feel like I don't know what I am doing -especially when it come to all the eating issues but with all of that I take such joy in every day with him . I want to make sure that I don't get too bogged down with all the details like how much he has eaten or why he won't nap longer and just enjoy this fun time with him.

Do I have the cutest niece ever or what?

This is my niece, Chandler. She is a cutie(much like her mom!) Chandler is a 20 months and just gets cuter and develops more personality everyday! These are some pics my sister recently sent out. She's such the little independent thing who just gets a kick out of life!! It's so much fun to watch her grow up and hear about all the little things she does. Her mom and dad have done a great job raising such a precious child! I miss them everyday.

Random Pics and Events

Cort hanging out with my brother, Ryan. I think Cort kinda looks like my brother did when he was little.













Cort and Sophie taking a bath together!! I went to Kelly's last week for a playgroup and we went to the pool. We decided to give them a bath to get all that sunscreen and chlorine off! They looked so grown up sitting in the sinks!! They'll ate us for the pics later. It'll be one of those embaressing things when they are in middle school together and their moms say "you two use to take baths together!"

WELCOME HOME JESS AND DAVID!!!!

We went to the lake this saturday to welcome home Jessica and David( and future baby C.). Jessica and I have known each other since elementary school and lived together for three years in college. She moved to Texas when we graduated and is finally returning to the southeast. She and her husband David will be living in Columbia so I should get to see her a lot more often. Her family threw a welcome back party at their Lake house. So Cort got to meet them and go to the lake for the first time!!
Jessica and David are expecting their first child in December. It was fun to get to see her belly starting to poke out a bit!! They will be in Europe for the next 5 weeks and then she will be busy getting settled in Columbia and preparing for baby!! Can't Wait! Here's a picture of Jessica, Stephanie, Cort, and Me at the lake.

I'm growing up.....sort of

Cort it almost sitting up!! He will sit for a little while with his hands propped and last night he sat on his own... only for a few seconds...but still he's growing up so fast!




Well, he's growing up in some areas.... in others we digress. You would think from this picture that chris took this morning that he was quite the peaceful sleeper. Not so...our good little night sleeper as been waking up and waking up and waking up for nights in a row!! Not fun. I do think he is cutting a tooth(I might have even seen the corner of one today) and hope that that is why. He will sleep on his back but does not like to go to sleep on his back. So if he wakes up on his back(which he seems to be doing 3 and 4 times a night) he wants back on his side to go to sleep. In spite of the fact that he can roll over he just won't do this on his own at night!!!!!!