Merry Christmas From Quin

Quin woke up a very happy boy on Christmas morning. Could it be that he's like his mommy and is totally nuts about Christmas? Maybe it's just that he's happy every morning. I don't know. But he was especially happy on Christmas morning as we unwrapped him and his little Christmas PJ wrapped limbs immediately sprung to life and right into his mouth.

He got to help open lots of presents, and undoubtedly his favorite activity of the day was eating ribbon.

He got lots of great Christmas gifts from toys to oh-so-cute little outfits and hats. We wouldn't want his ears to get cold.

But the main event of the day was his discovery that those neat toes he discovered a couple of weeks ago will actually go into his mouth! Oh happy day! I mean honestly, what's more fun than putting your toes in your mouth?


13 new photos have been added to Quin's Picasa Candids-3 Months to Present Album.

Good News for Picasa

Okay, you may have checked out our Google Picasa photo album since we created it a couple of months ago. Due to the fact that some people can't see the pictures in the Kodak Gallery (some kind of technical issue), we decided to try out the Picasa service. Well, we like it a lot better. Up until now, we were maintaining both the Kodak and Picasa services because you couldn't order prints on Picasa and some people order prints of our photos. Well, the good news is that Picasa now offers prints and photo gifts. If you're interested in ordering prints, you can add photos to your order while you're looking at photos in Picasa. Then when you want to check out, you just view your order (there's a link on the page) and you can then go to the Shutterfly or Photoworks web sites where you can buy the prints. The services are integrated right in to Picasa. It's very cool.

On our Picasa web site you'll find things better categorized into smaller albums so that you don't get lost in the photos. Pictures are dated so you know when they were taken. We've even started putting non-Quintin related photos up there (gasp!)

So as of now, we're going to discontinue the use of the Kodak service. We'll leave the pictures alone for a bit, but if you want the latest, you'll have to check out Picasa. There is a link to Picasa on the right side of this blog that will always be there to guide you to the albums.

To check out our Picasa web albums, just click here.

Things I am Thankful For This Christmas

This year, we have a lot to be thankful for. Here are a few of those things:

1. Our sweet, beautiful, happy baby boy
2. A healthy son (This is something some parents may take for granted. We, however, feel very lucky to have Quin healthy after everything I went through during my pregnancy)
3. A baby who is good at sleeping
4. Getting breastfeeding down and having a son who will gladly take a bottle from anyone who will give it to him (including strangers on a plane)
5. The swing that puts Quin to sleep during the day. If this swing broke tomorrow, we would rush out to buy another because without it, he does not nap (I found this out first hand in LA)
6. A boy who is generally very happy and loves to play
7. The magical song (The Butterfly from the Celtic Woman CD) that quiets Quin no matter how mad he is
8. Having a family that loves Quin almost as much as we do

Wow, Toes!

Quin recently discovered that toes lurk at the bottom of his body. Ever since, he can't leave them alone. He is fascinated by the way they move and how they feel. He hasn't quite figured out that they can reach his mouth, but he does know that they are there.

42 new photos added to Quin's Snapshot Gallery.

Welcome to the Wild!

While Grandma was in town, we decided to visit the Austin Zoo. This was Quin's first trip to a zoo. The weather was perfect for an outing and the animals were happy to see us (or so I would like to think).
While there, Quin got his first taste of a snow cone! He was a little unsure at first, but he quickly decided that the cold, sweet, red stuff was worth eating. He did great eating from a spoon, especially considering this was his first attempt. It is amazing that he instinctively knew what to do when the spoon was brought towards his lips. We had a great time. I am sure this was the first of many trips to the Austin Zoo.

Quin Visits the Austin Trail of Lights

Quin got to visit the Austin Trail of Lights for the first time. So did we. We've been meaning to visit every year for the last six years, but we never seem to make it by the time it's gone a couple days before Christmas.

The Trail of Lights is 43 holiday displays that are put on by corporate sponsors. I don't know how many lights there are, but it must be in the millions. The trail is probably a mile or so in Zilker park right next to downtown Austin.

Quin got to see all his favorite characters from all his favorite bedtime books. Dr. Seuss, Where the Wild Things Are, they were all there.

It must take hundreds of people weeks to set the trail up. Just look at these trees, it must have taken forever just to set them up. Absolutely beautiful though.

Luckily, I brought the tripod so I could get some timed exposure pictures while we were there. Some of these pictures required that the shutter stay open for four seconds. This includes the pictures with us in them. I set up the camera to have the flash go off, which froze us in the picture, and then we just had to stay still for a few more seconds while the lights in the background exposed. It actually created a neat effect in many pictures, because while there were hundreds of people in the pictures, because they were moving, they simply disappeared from the picture and it looks like we were the only ones there. Cool! It was a fun and challenging photographic experience.

11 new photos added to Quin's Snapshot Gallery.

Grandma's Visit #2

Grandma Donna came out to visit Quin for the second time this week. The last time she saw Quin he was just three weeks old. As is expected, she was amazed at how much he's changed since then, turning into a laughing, standing (with help of course), happy little boy.


Unfortunately, Quin was a little grumpy for her visit. Overall though he was still a good little boy. We took him to the Austin Trail of Lights, which he absolutely loved because he goes nuts over Christmas lights! Pictures coming soon!


36 new photos added to Quin's Portrait Gallery.

Captain Quin: The First Three Months Available Now on DVD

Quin's first movie Captain Quin: The First Three Months is now available on DVD. The DVD includes a 45 minute feature film of Quin's first moments on this earth and three months of other cuteness. Also included on the DVD is a 15 minute slideshow of Quin's cutest moments.

If you'd like a copy of the DVD, let me know, I'll be happy to make you a copy and send it to you.

Below is a quick preview of Captain Quin: The First Three Months

Motor Mouth Video

Quin is turning into quite the little motor mouth. He wants to talk and make noises constantly. But why tell you about it, when I can just show you? Here's a quick video I threw together to show what this boy is like these days, and to give you a quick update on his most recent activities.

Babies On A Plane!

Quin got to spend his four month birthday traveling on a plane. He and Elizabeth went to Los Angeles for the week, so Elizabeth got to try out air travel with a baby without me. As you can see by the picture of Quin chilling out on the baggage carousel, he very much enjoyed his first flying experience. Yeah, it was a long day for the little guy.

I was just happy to see my two babies back safe and sound!

You Have Something On Your Face Quintin

Oh...that's just your giant lower lip.

I don't know about you, but if this isn't the funniest look you've ever seen on a baby, I don't know what is. Grandpa was innocently playing with Quin one day this weekend. Quin was cracking up with glee as usual. Suddenly Grandpa made just the right combination of noise and movement, and INSTANTANEOUSLY, Quin morphed into this:

But Quin and Grandpa reconciled their differences by sundown.

The funny thing is, Quin will do this face on command. Elizabeth and I even discovered that it's not the combination of sound and movement, or even the jerking movement alone. It's the noise. It's really nothing special. If you make a sound like a motorcycle taking off, and changing gears, he makes this face. It only lasts a few seconds and then he's back to smiling and laughing again. I only wish I knew what was going on in that little mind of his. This face makes me laugh so hard, that I think we're going to have to give it a name. Any suggestions?

This is also a good time to mention that this is how I ended up with four cats. I didn't want any cats. Then Elizabeth pulled the lip out until I caved. Now we have four. Looks like Quin inherited the lip, and I'm doomed.

28 new photos added to Quin's Portrait Gallery.

6 new photos added to Quin's Snapshot Gallery.

Quin Meets the Last of His Grandparents Over Thanksgiving

Quin finally got to meet the last of his grandparents over his first Thanksgiving. Carl and Gwen spent the entire week of Thanksgiving with us. While they didn't get to meet Quin when he was a newborn, they were in for a real treat, because Quin has quite the personality these days, being almost four months old and all.

Some of Quin's big accomplishments this week:

• Gaining full command over sucking on just his thumb instead of his whole fist.

• Discovering the joy of playing with toys. He'll play with his little cube for hours without ever getting bored. We can totally ignore him, he could care less.

• Standing up on his feet. From a sitting position, if you grab his hands and give them a tug forward (not upward as if to help), he'll stand right up. He just needs balance help. He'll stand that way for quite some time, laughing and giggling the whole time.
• He seems to have made a sudden forward cognitive leap. Just overnight (literally) he suddenly changed, becoming even more alert, laughing and giggling more (even screaming out in laughter at times). He cries less and laughs more, even at himself. We can put him in his swing, and he'll sit there cracking up at himself for hours without any need for attention. He's become much more expressive. He's becoming a little boy.
  
• Talking. Well, baby talk at least. A couple weeks ago he started making noises, and I predicted that by Thanksgiving he'd have found his voice and would be talking like crazy. Well, the prediction was right on. He's using his voice and loving every sound he makes with it.

Our Fashion Model

Watch out New York and Paris, here comes Quintin. This past weekend, Quin hit the runway as a reindeer in a Babies 'R' Us fashion show. I wouldn't exactly say that he had fun, but he tolerated it and definitely looked adorable!
The only reason we decided to have him participate was to get pictures. He was stuffed into his costume minutes before we were supposed to walk him down the red carpet. Considering the fact that he was in a very warm costume and literally pulled from his meal, he did great.

Only 15 Minutes Per Feeding

Quin has now figured out that he can feed in under an hour. It takes our boy 15 minutes to eat! He decided over the weekend that he no longer wanted to use the nipple shield, which consequently means he can eat very fast. I have to admit that an hour per feeding was crazy. Now it seems a bit weird to be done so quickly. As a result of this sudden change, if Quin wakes up in the middle of the night he is breastfed. I am actually enjoying breastfeeding!

The Best Mother On Earth

Remember when Elizabeth got thrush back at the end of September? How about the mastitis last week? You'd think that she's suffered enough breastfeeding pain so far and should have it easy from here on out, wouldn't you?

Well, you know the story, nothing goes easily for the Texas Solleys. Poor Elizabeth has thrush again. On to another round of antibiotics. I'm amazed that she's still willing to breastfeed Quintin after all the pain she's endured for him. Even the doctor broached the subject of ending breastfeeding, but Elizabeth won't have any of that talk.

This is absolute proof that she is the greatest mother I could ever ask for my son. She's Supermom, and she doesn't even know it. She's Superwife too, the best I could ever ask for.

What's New In Quinville

A lot has been happening with the Captain in the last week or so. Lots of little milestones.

About a week ago, he suddenly discovered that he can use his voice for something other than crying (read screaming). Ever since, especially during playtime, which there is plenty of, he has been making tons of noises. It seems he really likes to hear these alien sounds coming from his milk hole. Know who else really likes to hear them? Yep, mom and dad. At least for now, until he becomes Motor-mouthzilla, then ask me again what we think.

Quin is starting to become a little Mr. Grabbypants. He's enjoying the art of touching things and holding on to them, usually with a surprisingly strong grip for a three month old. This includes his feet if he's sitting in such a way that he can reach them.

Personality! This kid is becoming a little personality machine. He is non-stop smiles and giggles these days, except of course when he's wailing, which is just as entertaining if you ask me. You can walk up to Quin at any time, give him a smile and a tickle, and you will be rewarded with a smile, a laugh, and lots of wiggles. Now I've enjoyed being a dad since the day Quin was born (before that really), but now is when it's really starting to get fun. I have playtime with Quin every night, and I'm not sure who is having more fun. I always put him in my lap propped up on a pillow. He now knows whats going on when I get him situated for playtime, as he instantly starts to laugh and squirm because he knows what's coming. I love it!

We're trying out a new online photo album service from Google. We decided that we're just going to have to maintain both the Kodak service for ordering prints and another so that everyone can see them (some can't see the pictures on the Kodak service). Give it a look. One nice thing about this service is that you can download the full size pictures to your computer so that you can go get your own prints, use them as desktop wallpaper, or whatever you want. Let us know what you think of the service.

What’s Next?

Every day it seems that Quin is doing something new. Most of these things are not a big deal to most people, but to us first time parents, these things are huge!!

Quin is getting much better at keeping his head up. He still doesn’t like to do tummy time on his mat, but if he is lying on my chest, he is usually happy as a clam.

About three weeks ago, Quin started to roll over from his tummy to his back. He has only done it a few times (and I am sure those few times were by accident), but I now know that he can do it.

Last week, Quin grabbed his toes while sitting on me. He was obviously fascinated by the fact that he could touch his toes with his own fingers. I was pretty impressed that he was actually grabbing them! (Granted, he hasn’t made any attempt at finding his toes again, so it was probably an accident.) The newest step in Quin's advancement as a tiny human came yesterday. I was attempting to get him to nurse when he realized that I, mom, am the milk machine. This has opened up a whole new set of problems with nursing (he would rather stare at me and laugh than eat), but I love it. There now seems to be more of a connection forming between Quin and I. I can see why moms love breastfeeding.

3 Months in the Blink of an Eye

I can’t believe that Quin is three months old today. It seems like the time has gone by so fast. Everyday I look at him and am amazed at how fast he is growing and how big he is! Before we know it, he is going to be walking, talking, and asking for the car. In a small way, I am already starting to miss him being a newborn. On the other hand, every new stage we reach is more fantastic than the previous. I love being a mom!

Quin's First Halloween

People keep asking me if we were going to take Quin out Trick Or Treating for Halloween. Do they not realize that he's not eating solid foods yet, much less candy? We stayed home and handed out candy to the three kids who came to the door. Then we dressed him up in his little kangaroo costume and paraded him around to all the neighbors. What a cute little kangaroo! As usual, he was a good little boy while we were out.

12 new Halloween photos added to Quin's Portrait Gallery.

This nursing business is hard!

Mastitis is the newest part of our breastfeeding adventure.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, Mastitis is an “inflammation of the breast or udder usually caused by infection”.

The udder? Great. I have mastitis and cows get mastitis. I knew there was a connection between the breastfeeding mom and cows. So I am really am just like a cow, whose only current purpose is to provide milk and be milked!

I had no idea how much nursing could hurt until this started. I went to the doctor today and they decided that I have an infection and need to be on antibiotics. Besides the antibiotics, the best thing to relieve the pain is rest and feeding often. I am not too sure how the whole staying in bed thing is going to work with a squirmy 3 month old, but we shall see! Hopefully these antibiotics will kick in soon.

Quin's First Nature Adventure

We took Quin to McKinney Falls State Park today. This was his first outdoor nature experience. He got to hang out and have lunch next to a winding river and waterfall, he saw his first deer, and of course, we got off a few cute snapshots of him.

The weather was beautiful, and we couldn't let it go to waste. Quin was so good and enjoyed himself. We enjoyed him too! It was great to go on our first outdoorsy family adventure.

17 new photos added to Quin's Snapshot Gallery.

Anger Management

I don't know what's up with that boy the last few days, but he's been angrier than a, well, hungry baby in a topless bar.

Everyone is always telling us what a wonderful baby Quin is, and it's true, he really is. But once in a while he has a monumental meltdown, our very own Chernobyl in a tiny skinbag.

On Saturday we were an hour and a half late to a wedding rehearsal dinner because Quin completely lost his cool. He turned colors I've never seen before (and not because I'm color blind).

He's still sleeping through the night great, but during the day, he's madder than hell most of the day. We're thinking he might not be feeling good, perhaps the same little stomach bug Elizabeth has. Or maybe he's going through a growth spurt. Either way, I'm sure it will pass in a few days. Until then, Elizabeth will feel sorry for Quin, and I'll get a giggle every time he shoves his bottom lip out until it touches his belly button. It's actually pretty funny if you look at it the right way.

Four Generations of the Cheeks!

I think it is obvious where Quin got his cherub cheeks…

Four generations of the Schultz cheeks. Quin’s are so cute that you can’t help but play with them. He is my little chipmunk!

On the Road Again

This weekend, we embarked on our first road trip as a family. Granted, it was a short trip (only to Dallas), but it was the first time Quin was away from home for more than a few hours. I must say that Quin was fantastic! On the drive there, he slept the entire way. He didn’t even cry once! It worked out perfect for me to feed him right before we left and then as soon as we got to my dad’s house. He was wonderful, as always, for the entire weekend.

While we were there, he got to meet his Great-grandma Emma. She was so happy to finally meet him.



On the way home, feeding didn’t work out quite as well. I fed him right before we left, but we hit a lot of traffic and had to stop about an hour and a half into our trip so we could all eat.

I am by no means disillusioned into thinking that we have the perfect child, but he must be close. I could not have asked for this weekend to go any better. I had no idea that it could be so easy to travel with a two and a half month old! Other than all of the stuff we had to bring for Quin and the fact that the weekend revolved around him, it wasn’t that much different from any other trip we have taken to Dallas.

10 Week Photos

Today Quin is 10 weeks old. We haven't taken any portraits of him since he was six weeks old. He has changed so much in those four short weeks, it's just amazing. So, this was a great time to get some more photos to show how much he's changed.


We got the cutest little kangaroo costume for Quin for Halloween. We couldn't wait until then to put him in it and take pictures, so we went for it tonight.

You can see these new photos and all of Quin's photos in his photo galleries. Click the links below to go there.

11 new photos added to Quin's Portrait Gallery.

2 new photos added to Quin's Snapshot Gallery.