Dear Goob,
Twice in a month! You're napping now, so I figured it was a good time to do a quick documentation. You have molars sprouting up everywhere. I think we are waiting on one on the lower right side, but everything else has come in. And those canines are still SLOW poking along.
You did a somersault for the first time yesterday. You enjoy doing 'Downward Facing Dog' and a Mowgli style walk, but this time you just stuck your cute little bum up higher and higher in the air and flipped over back/sideways! It was pretty exciting. We clapped and cheered and you shrieked and laughed and stomped your feet and then started crying. As you often do when exploring what you can do and learning new things.
You are now saying 'arm' and 'nose' and it kills me with how cute it is. 'Nose' is said rather nasally, with an almost absent 's'. You also say banana like 'nahnahnblahnahblah' and always get excited and stomp your feet and clap. Dude, you are your mama's child! I loved bananas as a kid too.
Yesterday you pointed to the blue and green pyramid rings, respectively, when dad asked you to point them out. We were floored. Dad practices your colors with the legos, and you and I practice with books, but we've never asked you to point out a specific color before. You are one astute little dude, and you love to learn!
Also, you ate a lot of broccoli this week, for which I feel victorious. I've been chopping it up really small and mixing it with shredded parmesan, taco meat, and rice. Win!
*Edit: It's been several weeks since we've nursed; you are officially weaned! You've become a little more snuggly since we've stopped breastfeeding, which is nice. You would have been happy to keep nursing each morning, but I was getting too desperate for my clothes to fit normally again. You've adjusted pretty well, overall. *
Thanksgiving was two days ago and that didn't bring much in the way of exciting new flavors for you. You really liked the sweet potatoes with the streusel topping, and gave the bacon squash a fair try. We were with friends for Thanksgiving and tried a lot of fancy new dishes that were probably a little too unusual for you. BUT, you loved running around the yard and playing with the dog and cat.
I've been trying to do regular play dates with other moms in the ward so you can get out and run around at parks and interact with other kids. You really do love exploring and running.
As always and for always, we love you.
Showing posts with label Dear Little Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dear Little Man. Show all posts
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
My Dear Little Man, 11/13/2016
Dear Goob,
For a long time I called you Little Man. And then another lady in our ward picked up on it and started calling her baby the same thing. So now I do not call you that anymore.
Boy, a lot has happened in the last few months! You are growing and developing so quickly. You took your first steps in the middle of August and were officially walking independently by the beginning of September. Just like you would practice crawling and "bulldozing", you practice running and stomping. And my child, you are one speedy dude! You've also started climbing things and pulling yourself up. Right now it's mostly your crib and the counters, but we'll wait to see what else you discover.
Words! You are starting to express yourself and your opinions, both non-verbally and verbally. Your first official word was probably "hot", since you like to touch the oven doors and I wanted to make sure you associated that word with the oven. Now anytime you feel something remotely warm you exclaim "hot!". Your second word was "cheese" and you sound so stinking cute when you ask for cheese. It also happens to be your favorite food. Your third word was probably "dad" or "teddy". They tend to sound the same and you get excited for both. Fourth word was "ball", fifth word is "apple", which you just said this week. Your comprehension is pretty awesome too, since you understand the concept of eating time, bath time, come out, shut the door, please stop, come here, read a story, and prayer time.
Speaking of prayers, we used to hold you during evening family prayer. You HATE this, and it ended up feeling like a nightly control struggle. We decided to pray behind the rocking chair, with dad and me on either side, hemming you in. You are now a rockstar prayer participant, as you sit quietly with your sippy cup while we pray. We usually say "prayer time!" and you go running to the chair. We love that you decide to come and sit for prayer, and manage your own behavior.
You are able to point or react with most of your body now. You blink your eyes rapidly when we ask where your eyes are, wrinkle and snuffle your nose, chomp your teeth, or make a "blaaahhhh" sound with your tongue. You point to your head and hair, elbows, knees, and you LOVE your belly button.
We weaned you to one nursing every day/every other day. I think you are probably okay weaning completely, but my milk supply still gets sensitive every few days. I'm anticipating in the next few weeks!
We bought you some shoes yesterday. Your cute feet are so wide, they fit into size 7. However, your length is at a 4/5.
Lately you've been a papa's boy and get so excited to see him and have him play with you. I thought for sure we were transitioning to one nap a day, but it seems you still do best with a short 30-45 nap in the mid-morning and a 1.5-2 hour nap mid-afternoon.
I love how you enjoy learning and trying new things. You can sing with papa and I now, dance, and make elephant noises to your safari books. When you first try something new, you usually end up laughing and then crying afterward. I love that you try new things, even when it makes you nervous or scared. Keep learning and growing, even when it's scary!
For a long time I called you Little Man. And then another lady in our ward picked up on it and started calling her baby the same thing. So now I do not call you that anymore.
Boy, a lot has happened in the last few months! You are growing and developing so quickly. You took your first steps in the middle of August and were officially walking independently by the beginning of September. Just like you would practice crawling and "bulldozing", you practice running and stomping. And my child, you are one speedy dude! You've also started climbing things and pulling yourself up. Right now it's mostly your crib and the counters, but we'll wait to see what else you discover.
Words! You are starting to express yourself and your opinions, both non-verbally and verbally. Your first official word was probably "hot", since you like to touch the oven doors and I wanted to make sure you associated that word with the oven. Now anytime you feel something remotely warm you exclaim "hot!". Your second word was "cheese" and you sound so stinking cute when you ask for cheese. It also happens to be your favorite food. Your third word was probably "dad" or "teddy". They tend to sound the same and you get excited for both. Fourth word was "ball", fifth word is "apple", which you just said this week. Your comprehension is pretty awesome too, since you understand the concept of eating time, bath time, come out, shut the door, please stop, come here, read a story, and prayer time.
Speaking of prayers, we used to hold you during evening family prayer. You HATE this, and it ended up feeling like a nightly control struggle. We decided to pray behind the rocking chair, with dad and me on either side, hemming you in. You are now a rockstar prayer participant, as you sit quietly with your sippy cup while we pray. We usually say "prayer time!" and you go running to the chair. We love that you decide to come and sit for prayer, and manage your own behavior.
You are able to point or react with most of your body now. You blink your eyes rapidly when we ask where your eyes are, wrinkle and snuffle your nose, chomp your teeth, or make a "blaaahhhh" sound with your tongue. You point to your head and hair, elbows, knees, and you LOVE your belly button.
We weaned you to one nursing every day/every other day. I think you are probably okay weaning completely, but my milk supply still gets sensitive every few days. I'm anticipating in the next few weeks!
We bought you some shoes yesterday. Your cute feet are so wide, they fit into size 7. However, your length is at a 4/5.
Lately you've been a papa's boy and get so excited to see him and have him play with you. I thought for sure we were transitioning to one nap a day, but it seems you still do best with a short 30-45 nap in the mid-morning and a 1.5-2 hour nap mid-afternoon.
I love how you enjoy learning and trying new things. You can sing with papa and I now, dance, and make elephant noises to your safari books. When you first try something new, you usually end up laughing and then crying afterward. I love that you try new things, even when it makes you nervous or scared. Keep learning and growing, even when it's scary!
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
My Dear Little Man, 08/09/2016
Dear Goob,
It's been many months since I last wrote about your growth. You just hit the 11 month mark, weight about 26 pounds, are 11 inches in length, and are fitting nicely into 2T clothes and size 5 diapers. After your lower lateral incisors cut in May, you cut all upper incisors over the course of a month. You are currently working on canines, and they are a beast! I can see them slowly working downward, and you are a drooly mess.
You hair continues to grow! It's a pretty reddish/gold mix. The back and sides grow really fast, so we've given you several more haircuts.
You began cruising in May and started consistently walking with assistance at the beginning of July. You are now able to balance independently on occasion, and have even taken a few independent steps! It's fun to watch you balance perfectly as you're distracted. As soon as you notice you're balancing without anything to hold to, you pitch toward the nearest standing object.
You are saying 'nana', 'dada', 'mama', 'dddd', 'ttthhhhh' and snuffle with your wrinkly nose. You sing along with us, high five, clap, and can point to lights and your tongue when asked politely. We are working on ears and nose.
You're eating solids regularly now and are down to four nursings a day and are doing well with a soft straw sippy cup. We will probably wean you soon. I decided that it would be wise to re-introduce your food sensitives in my diet prior to weaning you, just to see what your reaction is and to provide you with the food proteins in a secondary form. We've done wheat and walnuts, neither of which seem to do much. I'll do almonds and then pecans over then next week or so. Fingers crossed for good diapers, smooth skin, and a happy disposition!
Your favorite food is spaghetti. You also love cheese, bananas, and black grapes. You try almost everything and end up eating it, though we've had to reintroduce a few foods to help you acclimate. Peas, for example. And cottage cheese. You are hesitant about a lot of textures, and I've found it helpful to either mash or puree things at first. I did this with broccoli and avocado.
Over the past few weeks you've begun playing constructively instead of deconstructively. For example, rather than emptying the legoes all over the floor when we put them away, you help to clean up. You help us unload the tupperware from the dishwasher, load laundry into their respective machines, and have started building things with legoes, rather than dissembling everything that papa makes.
You love bathtime and taking walks in your stroller. You LOVE books, especially the cozy classic style books, where classics are simplified to a single word and picture per page. For example, Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, and War and Peace. You love opening and closing drawers, cupboards, and doors. We've baby proofed the house up to your current level, although you opened the fridge for the first time this morning. We may need to get an adhesive belt, similar to one we have for the oven. You still persist in playing with the living room lamp, despite knowing it's a 'betise'.
Last week you scurried under the one of the futon style couches, continued all the way to the back near the wall, and carefully navigated out the side. It was pretty funny to watch. You also enjoy turning over the rocking chair footstool. You'll rotate it onto its side, then upside down, onto its other side, then right side up. Repeat.
You LOVE animals.
Your sleeping schedule is pretty awesome, although naps are still hit and miss. Right now, for example, you woke up from your morning nap after 20 minutes. I'm choosing to let you stay in your crib, even though you are upset. A typical, good day looks like 7am wake, 10-11ish nap, 3-430ish nap, 730 bedtime. You are sleeping through the night! And everyone is happy about this.
Some of my favorite things about you and your current stage: you have such a great sense of silliness and humor. You love to play peekaboo and chase. Your favorite spot is behind the rocking chair. Yesterday you crawled back there with a carrot to chew on (teething) and Teddy, and I joined you with my book. We spent several minutes snuggled up back there. You are also a hugger! You will often crawl up to us and wrap your arms tightly around our necks, especially if we ask for a 'hug'. You are so curious and so fast. You love learning and trying new things.
You especially love when Papa and I are in the same room with you, even if we are all reading or doing our own thing.
You are a lot of work and whole lot of laughter and joy!
It's been many months since I last wrote about your growth. You just hit the 11 month mark, weight about 26 pounds, are 11 inches in length, and are fitting nicely into 2T clothes and size 5 diapers. After your lower lateral incisors cut in May, you cut all upper incisors over the course of a month. You are currently working on canines, and they are a beast! I can see them slowly working downward, and you are a drooly mess.
You hair continues to grow! It's a pretty reddish/gold mix. The back and sides grow really fast, so we've given you several more haircuts.
You began cruising in May and started consistently walking with assistance at the beginning of July. You are now able to balance independently on occasion, and have even taken a few independent steps! It's fun to watch you balance perfectly as you're distracted. As soon as you notice you're balancing without anything to hold to, you pitch toward the nearest standing object.
You are saying 'nana', 'dada', 'mama', 'dddd', 'ttthhhhh' and snuffle with your wrinkly nose. You sing along with us, high five, clap, and can point to lights and your tongue when asked politely. We are working on ears and nose.
You're eating solids regularly now and are down to four nursings a day and are doing well with a soft straw sippy cup. We will probably wean you soon. I decided that it would be wise to re-introduce your food sensitives in my diet prior to weaning you, just to see what your reaction is and to provide you with the food proteins in a secondary form. We've done wheat and walnuts, neither of which seem to do much. I'll do almonds and then pecans over then next week or so. Fingers crossed for good diapers, smooth skin, and a happy disposition!
Your favorite food is spaghetti. You also love cheese, bananas, and black grapes. You try almost everything and end up eating it, though we've had to reintroduce a few foods to help you acclimate. Peas, for example. And cottage cheese. You are hesitant about a lot of textures, and I've found it helpful to either mash or puree things at first. I did this with broccoli and avocado.
Over the past few weeks you've begun playing constructively instead of deconstructively. For example, rather than emptying the legoes all over the floor when we put them away, you help to clean up. You help us unload the tupperware from the dishwasher, load laundry into their respective machines, and have started building things with legoes, rather than dissembling everything that papa makes.
You love bathtime and taking walks in your stroller. You LOVE books, especially the cozy classic style books, where classics are simplified to a single word and picture per page. For example, Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, and War and Peace. You love opening and closing drawers, cupboards, and doors. We've baby proofed the house up to your current level, although you opened the fridge for the first time this morning. We may need to get an adhesive belt, similar to one we have for the oven. You still persist in playing with the living room lamp, despite knowing it's a 'betise'.
Last week you scurried under the one of the futon style couches, continued all the way to the back near the wall, and carefully navigated out the side. It was pretty funny to watch. You also enjoy turning over the rocking chair footstool. You'll rotate it onto its side, then upside down, onto its other side, then right side up. Repeat.
You LOVE animals.
Your sleeping schedule is pretty awesome, although naps are still hit and miss. Right now, for example, you woke up from your morning nap after 20 minutes. I'm choosing to let you stay in your crib, even though you are upset. A typical, good day looks like 7am wake, 10-11ish nap, 3-430ish nap, 730 bedtime. You are sleeping through the night! And everyone is happy about this.
Some of my favorite things about you and your current stage: you have such a great sense of silliness and humor. You love to play peekaboo and chase. Your favorite spot is behind the rocking chair. Yesterday you crawled back there with a carrot to chew on (teething) and Teddy, and I joined you with my book. We spent several minutes snuggled up back there. You are also a hugger! You will often crawl up to us and wrap your arms tightly around our necks, especially if we ask for a 'hug'. You are so curious and so fast. You love learning and trying new things.
You especially love when Papa and I are in the same room with you, even if we are all reading or doing our own thing.
You are a lot of work and whole lot of laughter and joy!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
My Dear Little Man 05/03/2016
My Little Man,
Holy Cow, you are growing so fast! You are crawling everywhere, kneeling, and lifting yourself up to standing position all by yourself. You love trying new foods, as long as you can see the mom and dad are eating the same thing.
This last week you got a cold. And then started teething. Things got a little crazy, but we made it through, and with the addition of your two lower lateral incisors! I'm curious as to when any of your upper incisors will come in.
We are doing a little more sleep training to help us all get through your 4:30am wake up. Today was day 3, and the waketimes are getting shorter and shorter. Additionally, you are beginning to nurse as soon as you get up again!
You are 25 pounds, 30 inches, and are consistently wearing 18-24 month clothes. I started making a pair of stretchy jeans for you out of some of my old pants. They fit great last week, but when I resumed work on them this week, you'd outgrown them. I think you're developing under your adorable rolls, without losing any of the fat roll itself!
I've been very mindful of what we are eating, and you haven't had any allergic reaction to foods in quite some time. I'm really hoping that as you continue to get older, your sensitivities will settle down and we won't have to walk on tiptoes around food.
You continue to love bathtime and enjoy getting out and about. I took you to petsmart two weeks ago and you loved the brightly colored fish. You are usually very happy to see anyone smile at you, and enjoy attention when we go out.
It's been so special to see your personality continue to develop. You get quite a kick out of giggling at your papa and me, regardless of whether we prompt it or not. You are, overwhelmingly, a happy and smiley baby, and we love you so much!
Holy Cow, you are growing so fast! You are crawling everywhere, kneeling, and lifting yourself up to standing position all by yourself. You love trying new foods, as long as you can see the mom and dad are eating the same thing.
This last week you got a cold. And then started teething. Things got a little crazy, but we made it through, and with the addition of your two lower lateral incisors! I'm curious as to when any of your upper incisors will come in.
We are doing a little more sleep training to help us all get through your 4:30am wake up. Today was day 3, and the waketimes are getting shorter and shorter. Additionally, you are beginning to nurse as soon as you get up again!
You are 25 pounds, 30 inches, and are consistently wearing 18-24 month clothes. I started making a pair of stretchy jeans for you out of some of my old pants. They fit great last week, but when I resumed work on them this week, you'd outgrown them. I think you're developing under your adorable rolls, without losing any of the fat roll itself!
I've been very mindful of what we are eating, and you haven't had any allergic reaction to foods in quite some time. I'm really hoping that as you continue to get older, your sensitivities will settle down and we won't have to walk on tiptoes around food.
You continue to love bathtime and enjoy getting out and about. I took you to petsmart two weeks ago and you loved the brightly colored fish. You are usually very happy to see anyone smile at you, and enjoy attention when we go out.
It's been so special to see your personality continue to develop. You get quite a kick out of giggling at your papa and me, regardless of whether we prompt it or not. You are, overwhelmingly, a happy and smiley baby, and we love you so much!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Waterfalls
Riley Moore Falls
Carrick Creek Falls
Lick Log Falls
Todd Creek Falls
Falls Park
Issaqueena Falls
Waldrop Stone Falls
Station Cove Falls
Yellow Branch Falls
Twin Falls
Carrick Creek Falls
Lick Log Falls
Todd Creek Falls
Falls Park
Issaqueena Falls
Waldrop Stone Falls
Station Cove Falls
Yellow Branch Falls
Twin Falls
Monday, February 8, 2016
My Dear Little Man, 02/08/2016
My Dear Little Man,
I write this at the end of a long day and I'm pretty irritated about nothing really important. I think it's been one of those days where small things just added up and, combined with fatigue, yo mama is ready to punch a wall.
That said, you had some pretty stinking adorable moments today. As well as being pretty cranky yourself. I've already mentioned that both of your bottom teeth have come in and are continuing to grow. You've only bitten me twice and have been pretty good about not biting people in general. You continue to try new pureed foods with admirable gusto. You are starting to develop a very small bump where your upper left incisor is slowly pushing through.
You are rolling over in your sleep! This was an exciting and slightly disconcerting achievement. Fortunately we started training you to sleep on your back as soon as you started rolling, so we put you down on your back and you end up on your stomach. Also fortunately, you seem to sleep better on your stomach in general. Naturally as I type this, you are squawking in bed even though we put you down 30 minutes ago.
I just went in to check on you. You rotated 90 degrees, on your back, perpendicular to the crib and had your head and feet pressed against the sides of the crib. Did I mention you've been wiggling all over the place?
It doesn't take much time at all now for you to be put down on your back and flip over. You seem to enjoy rolling over, though you hate ending up on your stomach. You seem to particularly enjoy rolling over when we are cleaning your ears or changing your diaper. I'm hoping you'll continue stretching your body and exploring and learn to roll from your back to your stomach soon.
As far as sleep goes, your nighttime sleep is quite lovely. We usually put you down at 7pm and typically go until 5am before you start waking. I feed you for about 15 minutes, Dad does a diaper change, and we put you back down for another 2-3 hours. We've really been working on improving your naps lately and I think increasing your waketime is working. For example, Your first "wake" is fairly brief, 5am-5:45am. Then usually 8-9:30ish, 12ish-2:30ish, and 4ish to 7pm. The past few days you've slept about 2 hours for each of your naps and have been able to put yourself back to sleep (or even sleep through!) the 45-60 minute mark as you're transitioning through sleep cycles. The other AMAZING thing is that when you're appropriately tired, have been fed, and have a new diaper, I can lay you down awake and you'll quietly chatter for a few minutes and then fall asleep. Sometimes you just fall right asleep. It's quite lovely.
We've started cloth diapering you at night again. It seems a combination of a pocket diaper with a prefold, hemp doubler, and wool doubler do the job. It's bulky but it keeps leaks contained and continues to pull moisture away from you. We usually cover it with wool pants.
Overall you are an adorable, chunky, happy and eager to smile baby. You get a lot of attention wherever you go and you usually have a toothy wide grin to flash. My favorite is when you're sleepy and I hold you. You tend to curl up and "koala" against my chest, with your head tucked under my chin and your hand and arm tucked behind mine. I LOVE rubbing my cheek against your soft hair (which is an interesting reddish gold color!) and smooching your chubby cheeks. You are such a healthy big boy!
And, blessedly, you are now asleep!
I write this at the end of a long day and I'm pretty irritated about nothing really important. I think it's been one of those days where small things just added up and, combined with fatigue, yo mama is ready to punch a wall.
That said, you had some pretty stinking adorable moments today. As well as being pretty cranky yourself. I've already mentioned that both of your bottom teeth have come in and are continuing to grow. You've only bitten me twice and have been pretty good about not biting people in general. You continue to try new pureed foods with admirable gusto. You are starting to develop a very small bump where your upper left incisor is slowly pushing through.
You are rolling over in your sleep! This was an exciting and slightly disconcerting achievement. Fortunately we started training you to sleep on your back as soon as you started rolling, so we put you down on your back and you end up on your stomach. Also fortunately, you seem to sleep better on your stomach in general. Naturally as I type this, you are squawking in bed even though we put you down 30 minutes ago.
I just went in to check on you. You rotated 90 degrees, on your back, perpendicular to the crib and had your head and feet pressed against the sides of the crib. Did I mention you've been wiggling all over the place?
It doesn't take much time at all now for you to be put down on your back and flip over. You seem to enjoy rolling over, though you hate ending up on your stomach. You seem to particularly enjoy rolling over when we are cleaning your ears or changing your diaper. I'm hoping you'll continue stretching your body and exploring and learn to roll from your back to your stomach soon.
As far as sleep goes, your nighttime sleep is quite lovely. We usually put you down at 7pm and typically go until 5am before you start waking. I feed you for about 15 minutes, Dad does a diaper change, and we put you back down for another 2-3 hours. We've really been working on improving your naps lately and I think increasing your waketime is working. For example, Your first "wake" is fairly brief, 5am-5:45am. Then usually 8-9:30ish, 12ish-2:30ish, and 4ish to 7pm. The past few days you've slept about 2 hours for each of your naps and have been able to put yourself back to sleep (or even sleep through!) the 45-60 minute mark as you're transitioning through sleep cycles. The other AMAZING thing is that when you're appropriately tired, have been fed, and have a new diaper, I can lay you down awake and you'll quietly chatter for a few minutes and then fall asleep. Sometimes you just fall right asleep. It's quite lovely.
We've started cloth diapering you at night again. It seems a combination of a pocket diaper with a prefold, hemp doubler, and wool doubler do the job. It's bulky but it keeps leaks contained and continues to pull moisture away from you. We usually cover it with wool pants.
Overall you are an adorable, chunky, happy and eager to smile baby. You get a lot of attention wherever you go and you usually have a toothy wide grin to flash. My favorite is when you're sleepy and I hold you. You tend to curl up and "koala" against my chest, with your head tucked under my chin and your hand and arm tucked behind mine. I LOVE rubbing my cheek against your soft hair (which is an interesting reddish gold color!) and smooching your chubby cheeks. You are such a healthy big boy!
And, blessedly, you are now asleep!
Saturday, January 23, 2016
My Dear Little Man, 1/23/2016
My Dear Little Man,
You can officially roll both ways! Last Monday you rolled from stomach to back. Yesterday you rolled back to stomach (which took you greater effort, due to your adorable belly). You've also quickly learned how to navigate and maneuver by arching your back around while simultaneously kicking your legs against the floor. My child, you are a speedy little scooter!
We've been working on naps still. Your night time sleep has been amazing for the past week, with sleep from 7-5ish. It's come at a really good time, since I've been laid out with something nasty since Tuesday evening. Your naps though.... you are victim to the 45 minute intruder. We've been doing graduated cry-it-out through the duration of when we'd like you to get up (usually at the 2 hour naptime mark). I've also started the routine of feed-wake-sleep, in the hopes that you can learn to sleep when you're tired, without the aid of food (which sometimes causes spitups/burps) to help you sleep. We will give it several more days and see how things progress!
Yesterday was your first experience with snow. I've been sick and stayed inside, but Dad bundled you up and took you outside. He put your hand on the snow covered car and in no time you grabbed a handful and had it on the way to your mouth. Since our car isn't very clean, Dad had to quickly intercept.
AND. Your diapers continue to progress! Huzzah! Since your allergy treatments, we've pinpointed a few other sensitivities. Whenever we make homemade baked goods you have a reaction (gluten?), and nuts do the same thing. Next week I'll test out which nuts are the culprits.
We've let you try some solids the past week. We tried oatmeal at first (you were not a fan), then avocado. You took much better to the avocado. I added some salt to the next oatmeal try-out and you actually ate! We tried some sweet potato last night and it was a no-go. I'm trying to figure out a way we can get you sitting up on a chair or a flat surface of some kind (we don't have room in our apartment for a table or chairs) so you can feed yourself without making such a huge mess.
We rearranged our apartment a little bit last week. Your room was just too crowded (with a bookshelf, futon/couch, crib, desk, diaper changing station, etc etc. And we had a lot of nice space in our room. Additionally, your room is closer to the street and parked cars. And the redneck monster trucks that go roaring around without mufflers during your naptime. So. Dad measured and discovered a difference of 5". Let me tell you bud, 5" makes a huge difference in rooms! We took a few hours last Saturday to swap furniture around. Dad and I have few enough pieces that fewer inches doesn't make a big difference. But boy, it made a huge difference for your room! Your diaper changing station doesn't share space with the closet door, which is great. We also moved the couch/futon out to the living room (and rearranged the living room to accommodate it, also an improvement) so we could move the rocking chair into your room. All in all, our apartment feels more homey, spacious, and is more conducive to our needs.
Lastly, you have been chatting and laughing more. We love it so much! And we love you!
You can officially roll both ways! Last Monday you rolled from stomach to back. Yesterday you rolled back to stomach (which took you greater effort, due to your adorable belly). You've also quickly learned how to navigate and maneuver by arching your back around while simultaneously kicking your legs against the floor. My child, you are a speedy little scooter!
We've been working on naps still. Your night time sleep has been amazing for the past week, with sleep from 7-5ish. It's come at a really good time, since I've been laid out with something nasty since Tuesday evening. Your naps though.... you are victim to the 45 minute intruder. We've been doing graduated cry-it-out through the duration of when we'd like you to get up (usually at the 2 hour naptime mark). I've also started the routine of feed-wake-sleep, in the hopes that you can learn to sleep when you're tired, without the aid of food (which sometimes causes spitups/burps) to help you sleep. We will give it several more days and see how things progress!
Yesterday was your first experience with snow. I've been sick and stayed inside, but Dad bundled you up and took you outside. He put your hand on the snow covered car and in no time you grabbed a handful and had it on the way to your mouth. Since our car isn't very clean, Dad had to quickly intercept.
AND. Your diapers continue to progress! Huzzah! Since your allergy treatments, we've pinpointed a few other sensitivities. Whenever we make homemade baked goods you have a reaction (gluten?), and nuts do the same thing. Next week I'll test out which nuts are the culprits.
We've let you try some solids the past week. We tried oatmeal at first (you were not a fan), then avocado. You took much better to the avocado. I added some salt to the next oatmeal try-out and you actually ate! We tried some sweet potato last night and it was a no-go. I'm trying to figure out a way we can get you sitting up on a chair or a flat surface of some kind (we don't have room in our apartment for a table or chairs) so you can feed yourself without making such a huge mess.
We rearranged our apartment a little bit last week. Your room was just too crowded (with a bookshelf, futon/couch, crib, desk, diaper changing station, etc etc. And we had a lot of nice space in our room. Additionally, your room is closer to the street and parked cars. And the redneck monster trucks that go roaring around without mufflers during your naptime. So. Dad measured and discovered a difference of 5". Let me tell you bud, 5" makes a huge difference in rooms! We took a few hours last Saturday to swap furniture around. Dad and I have few enough pieces that fewer inches doesn't make a big difference. But boy, it made a huge difference for your room! Your diaper changing station doesn't share space with the closet door, which is great. We also moved the couch/futon out to the living room (and rearranged the living room to accommodate it, also an improvement) so we could move the rocking chair into your room. All in all, our apartment feels more homey, spacious, and is more conducive to our needs.
Lastly, you have been chatting and laughing more. We love it so much! And we love you!
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Dear Little Man, 01/16/2016
My Dear Little Man!!!
Today you rolled over for the first time. I mean, completely by yourself. Of course it was right after I put you down for a nap in your knock off zippy sleep sack. I wondered why your crying got louder and more clear after 15 minutes, and when I went to check, you were laying there on your back! You are a devoted tummy sleeper so it will be interesting to see how/if we can train you to back sleep.
I suspect the zippy kept your arms closer to your body, which is what's prevented you from rolling before. You also have a tendency to settle into your sleep position only after squirming around a little bit. This typically entails sticking your cute little bum in the air and tucking your knees under. It would have taken only a little sideways motion from there to send you over. Excited to see how you progress!
In other news, we gave you pureed oatmeal yesterday. You did not seem to be a fan. You scrunched your face on every bite. We tried avocado again tonight and you ate a whole slice! I need to work on mashing better or pureeing since some of the chunks give you difficulty.
I had originally planned on exclusively breastfeeding until 6 mos, but you have been veeeery interested in what we are eating. I'll probably introduce pureed veggies next.
I gotta say my little feller, you are a pretty happy and chill dude. We love you!
Friday, January 15, 2016
Dear Little Man, 01/15/2016
My Dear Little Man,
I meant to write these each week.... Maybe every 2 or 3?
Noteworthy things occurring involve nearly rolling over! You are so close to rolling over both ways. When we start you out on your stomach you scrunch your legs under you and twist sideways. The only thing keeping you from flipping right over is your stabilizing arm that you keep firmly perpendicular to your body. When on your back, you like to arch back and look at what's behind you (most often and inconveniently during diaper changes). You've come so close to rolling over multiple times, but as soon as you start to tip you straighten back out. You also engage in adorable back time, where you grab your toes and try to put them in your mouth. Sometimes you do this while rolling onto your side. We've recently implemented 10-15 minutes of clothes/diaper free playtime in the morning and evenings so you can roll around without restrictions. Thank goodness we registered for a waterproof babypad!
You've become a lot more vocal as well, and it's a lot of fun to hear you chattering away and realize you are making noises at dad or me. And!!! You've become quite the little snuggle bug. ESPECIALLY when you're sleepy or have just woken up. I think this is due, in part, do your ever-increasing ability to use your hands and arms and pull things close to you. Your hair continues to grow (a blondish red color), and you have the funniest little fuzz-halo in the sun. I love rubbing my face on your head right after you've woken up. As dad would say, "Oxytocin!!!"
We've been doing some practice sitting time with you this week. After the first couple of sideways falls, you caught on pretty quick. You tend to lean forward and slightly over one knee, and seem to enjoy rolling sideways from that position.
We also introduced your first ever solid food! You've been very curious when we eat and lean forward with an open mouth. So, after doing a little research, we decided to start with oatmeal, rice, and avocado. Avocado is the only one we've actually given you, but it seemed to be a hit. We've decided to let you decide when and what to eat (within reason), and promise not to "force" new foods. BUT we are going to introduce vegetables and blander foods first, mwahaha. We'll be waiting on the sweeter fruits for awhile.
We had your four month immunizations last week and you were a champ. You cried for less than 2 minutes and resumed your "normal" schedule that day.
Speaking of schedules.... You are now sleeping 7pm-4:30/5am about 2 nights in a row. And then you wake up around 1 or 3 that third night. But it is a definite improvement from what it used to be! And you usually wake up for a nursing and quick change and then go back down for another hour or two. Naptime is a work in progress. We've adjusted you to a 3.5-4 hour schedule and are trying to figure out how to space your naps. Right now we have a 2 hour nap in the late morning and early afternoon, but flounder a bit in the late afternoon. You are not a fan of catnaps but you drag a little during that last wakeful stretch.
Lastly, we got you a new convertible carseat this week that should last you until you're 65 pounds. You seem to like it a little better; it's more padded and puts you up a little higher in the car.
We love you so much and are excited to see what things you'll be up to next.
I meant to write these each week.... Maybe every 2 or 3?
Noteworthy things occurring involve nearly rolling over! You are so close to rolling over both ways. When we start you out on your stomach you scrunch your legs under you and twist sideways. The only thing keeping you from flipping right over is your stabilizing arm that you keep firmly perpendicular to your body. When on your back, you like to arch back and look at what's behind you (most often and inconveniently during diaper changes). You've come so close to rolling over multiple times, but as soon as you start to tip you straighten back out. You also engage in adorable back time, where you grab your toes and try to put them in your mouth. Sometimes you do this while rolling onto your side. We've recently implemented 10-15 minutes of clothes/diaper free playtime in the morning and evenings so you can roll around without restrictions. Thank goodness we registered for a waterproof babypad!
You've become a lot more vocal as well, and it's a lot of fun to hear you chattering away and realize you are making noises at dad or me. And!!! You've become quite the little snuggle bug. ESPECIALLY when you're sleepy or have just woken up. I think this is due, in part, do your ever-increasing ability to use your hands and arms and pull things close to you. Your hair continues to grow (a blondish red color), and you have the funniest little fuzz-halo in the sun. I love rubbing my face on your head right after you've woken up. As dad would say, "Oxytocin!!!"
We've been doing some practice sitting time with you this week. After the first couple of sideways falls, you caught on pretty quick. You tend to lean forward and slightly over one knee, and seem to enjoy rolling sideways from that position.
We also introduced your first ever solid food! You've been very curious when we eat and lean forward with an open mouth. So, after doing a little research, we decided to start with oatmeal, rice, and avocado. Avocado is the only one we've actually given you, but it seemed to be a hit. We've decided to let you decide when and what to eat (within reason), and promise not to "force" new foods. BUT we are going to introduce vegetables and blander foods first, mwahaha. We'll be waiting on the sweeter fruits for awhile.
We had your four month immunizations last week and you were a champ. You cried for less than 2 minutes and resumed your "normal" schedule that day.
Speaking of schedules.... You are now sleeping 7pm-4:30/5am about 2 nights in a row. And then you wake up around 1 or 3 that third night. But it is a definite improvement from what it used to be! And you usually wake up for a nursing and quick change and then go back down for another hour or two. Naptime is a work in progress. We've adjusted you to a 3.5-4 hour schedule and are trying to figure out how to space your naps. Right now we have a 2 hour nap in the late morning and early afternoon, but flounder a bit in the late afternoon. You are not a fan of catnaps but you drag a little during that last wakeful stretch.
Lastly, we got you a new convertible carseat this week that should last you until you're 65 pounds. You seem to like it a little better; it's more padded and puts you up a little higher in the car.
We love you so much and are excited to see what things you'll be up to next.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Dear Little Man 12/25/2015
My Sweet Little Man,
I've been meaning to start writing these little letters to
you, documenting your advancements, quirks, and happenings. Most recently
you've developed greater eye/hand coordination. As in, once something is in
your hands, it goes directly to your mouth. You are also doing better with
tummy time and developing your arm muscles. For the longest time you HATED
tummy time. You developed neck strength early on, but had a hard time utilizing
your arms for support. Because of your neck and head control, we were able to
start holding and propping you upright at about 6 weeks. We got a bouncer for
you at about 2 months, and you've taken off. You LOVE your bouncer. It is
hilarious to watch you careen side to side with bounding marshmallow steps, or
to spring, both feet in the hair, several inches off the ground like a Highland
dancer (I should know!!!). I feel sorry for our downstairs neighbors, but they
haven't said anything yet. And you are developing some incredible leg strength,
so we'll continue to let you explore and challenge yourself. It's so fun to see
your interest in the world around you and your desire to be involved and hands
on. You are such a strong, sweet, and inquisitive little boy and we love you so
much!
You've also started growing out fuzzy hair again. You were
born with what the midwife called a "rat tail" (I found this highly
unflattering but had to agree). You had some light reddish hair all over your
head but it was about an inch longer and darker in the back. The back kept
growing, so I took the liberty of shaving it. Twice, in fact. And then when you
were about two weeks old I gave you a bath that washed your adorable little
fuzzy hair off. I was devastated the rest of the day. You had an adorable fuzzy
little old man cul-de-sac before you grew the faintest fuzz on your head. It
stayed like that for a few months, until just a few weeks ago (the beginning of
December) when your hair started growing. It's now about a centimeter long and
I LOVE rubbing my face on your head. Which inevitably leads to smooching your
adorable cheeks. You, my child, have the most smoochable chubby cheeks I've
ever seen. I kiss you more often than I smooch your Father, and that's saying
something! Your hair initially came in a blondish red, and I think you're
trending more toward blonde now. We're excited to see how your coloring will
progress.
You began smiling real smiles (as opposed to gassy/dream
smiles) the last week of September, and began regularly smiling in earnest the
last weeks of October. You have the cutest wide mouthed, gummy smiles. Your
first laugh was around the middle of November, and you began laughing more
regularly the first weeks of December. You often laugh and cry at the same time
when you're tired and it's again, just adorable. You are most ready to laugh when
you first wake up and we keep you on your back in your crib. You like hearing
me say "bugaboo" and dad say "chicken tikka masala". I'm
pretty sure you just like it when we talk really close to your face and make
faces of our own at you.
You are also a heavy little dude! You've been off the charts
since you were a month old. At 3.5 months, you are just under 19 lbs and
25" long. Most people assume you are around 6 months old. The Pediatric GI
doc called you Godzilla and just laughed and laughed when he saw your adorable
chunky thighs. We love your rolls, but they are quite the challenge to clean at
night and during your bath! You also have my feet. You are able to flex your
feet and toes individually. It makes trimming nails a little more challenging.
We are also pretty sure you're teething, since you launch toward things and
start gnawing on them ravenously (even shortly after feeding). And Little Man,
you have quite the jaw strength!
One huge improvement that your daddy and I have been working on is sleep training. We read so many books with different ideas and theories, but eventually we found that letting you cry at graduated intervals has been the most successful and gentle for all of us. You are so much happier when you sleep! And consequently, so am I. Last night you slept from 8pm to 4am, with only some minor squawking throughout the night. AND we can now put you straight to bed without getting you to sleep first. We just lay you down awake, and you're usually quiet and asleep in five minutes or less. What. A. Blessing!
Most of all, I love how you gaze at your Papa and me. You
melt our hearts. And as frustrating as working on your sleep schedule has been,
all it takes is a steady gaze and smile from you to melt us. We love you. So.
Stinking. Much.
Smooch!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)