What?! 6 Months!!

ERP is 6 months old!? Ack!  Half a year gone.  It has been flying by.

He doesn't have his 6 month well visit until much later this month; but he did have the croup last week and we got a weight on my Pocket Baby.  And what a Pocket Baby he is - a whopping 14 lbs. and 2 ounces.  Don't know how big or small that is?  It's small.  He's a compact guy.

But he is quick and fast and compact.

He is still wearing size 2 diapers when he is wearing disposables.  But I am getting better about keeping the cloth diapers clean for two little ones (TT still needs diapers for naps and long trips out of the house).

What is ERP up to?  Everything!!  He is getting very, very close to sitting up on the floor alone; for more than a minute.  He loves scooting around; but he has to be in the mood.  When he's cranky he just rolls over and then gets mad and screams his head off.

Speaking of screaming he has figured out all his different voices; he has a protest yell, a food whimper, a put me to sleep-cry.  And he babbles and giggles.  Which I love.  I could listen to him giggle all day long.

Sleep is not the best right now.  He naps excellent in his swing.  He is up several times a night.  We can get him to sleep in his co-sleeper with no tears, super extra perfect.  But then he is up around 10:30 and that's it.

He is still wearing 3-6 month clothes.  He has some smaller and some larger sizes he fits into.

He LOVES his jumper.  He LOVES being held.

Still breastfeeding.  No shock I know.  He really enjoys his breastmilk-yogurt flavored with cinnamon.   And I seem to have gotten much close to perfecting the process of making it.

We celebrated ERP turning 6 months with a nice big bowl of his yogurt and some hashbrowns; which I highly doubt he ate any of.

Things I don't want to forget from his month:
~ The time he managed to work  himself across the room by rolling and scooting
~ How excited he gets about his yogurt - he reminds me of a little bird looking for a worm
~ How excited he gets about nursing
~ His happy squeal
~ The stork bite on the back of his neck, it looks like it's getting bigger
~ How adorable he looks with his little "comb over"
~ Watching his brothers help take care of him
~ How much he hates his car seat right now
~ How dapper he looks in his hats
~ How he will pause from nursing, look up at me and blow bubbles at me
~ How he blows bubbles while nursing (silly boy)

4th Level of Hell

Something happened to my dear, sweet, easy going, laid back ERP the other night.

I can't quite put my finger on it.  But something changed.

We headed up to bed a little before 9pm, as we often do.  I turned my back to adjust something in his co-sleeper and he let out this cry.  It was a cry unlike any other cry, he has ever done before.  It was high pitched, it was loud.  It was clearly not the cry of a newborn.

I soothed him.  Nursed him.  And put him to bed like always.  I had work to finish up and planned on being up for several more hours.  But wasn't overly concerned.  ERP had taken to sleeping from 9-10 ish until 4ish.  It was heaven.

But it wasn't meant to be that night.

Before midnight he had woken up screaming and crying three times.

The screaming and crying only continued once Husband and I went to bed around midnight.  We tried everything - and we have a lot of tricks.  Nothing seemed to be working.

ERP was not happy.  He wanted to be held, nurse and cry - in no particular order.

The following morning saw Husband taking care of the bigger boys while ERP and I laid in bed, cuddling, nursing and crying.

We were in rough shape.  It clearly felt like we had entered the 4th level of hell; especially around the 6am mark when TT decided to get up way to early.  (And so did RR - what's up with that.)

The crying, whining, fussing, being upset at the breast continued on and off all day.  I looked to clues as to what was happening to my good-matured little boy.  Wonder Week?  No, too soon.  Growth spurt?  It didn't feel like one, but maybe.  Gas pains?  Maybe, but the gas drops didn't seem to be helping.  Husband suggested colic and I gave him the look of death (hey we were in Hell).  RR had colic, this was not colic.

The next night was bad.  Not as bad as the night before, but bad.  It harkened back to his infant days.

Did I mention during all this I have strep throat?  Which had made sleep the couple of nights before not possible for me.  So I missed out on sleep the last couple of days before ERP lost his way?

We seemed to have turned the corner on whatever is/was ailing ERP.  Although he does have a snotty nose now.  (le sigh... TT has been sick as well)  Today he actually smiled again.  It's a miracle!!  And he did engage in some playing.  I can hear the angles starting to sing.  I have hope... hope that we will leave this terrible place.

2 Months

ERP is now two months old.  Every day he loses a little more of "the infant look"; and is starting to look and sound more like a baby.  His cry has changed and we can tell his different cries apart - I'm hungry, I'm bored, I'm tired, I'm wet.

He is loosing his hair and it's growing back in at the same time.  Some days the new hair growth looks blonde, other days a dark red and still other days it looks black; which is the color of the hair falling out.

His eyes are still a very dark and deep blue.  The other day I was looking at them and I swear there were the clearest blue.  I really hope and pray he has blue eyes, but they will most likely be hazel like both of his brothers.

ERP is still nursing all the time.  Some nights are better than others, but that's to be expected.  He is however starting to fall into a predictable daytime routine and  nap schedule is forming.  I expect him to be on some sort of self set schedule, by the time he's three months old (knock on wood).

We've started cloth diapering for him.  Some of TT's smallest diapers can be used when folded over a dozen times so I did buy a handful of newborn size diapers.  Honestly, I was getting sick and tired of buying diapers.  Those things are expensive.  When he does were the 'sposies he is wearing a size two, but that's because they were out of the size ones.  He is still wearing 0-3 month clothing.

Things I don't want to forget from this last month:
How the thick long hair on the nap of his neck is hanging on and not falling out
How the stork bite he has back there comes and goes
How he started says "ahh" around 6 weeks of age
The smiles.  I love those smiles.  They melt my heart and now I am crying just thinking about them.
How happy he is.  All.  The. Time.
How TT runs over to him and says "huggies" and gives him the biggest bear hugs
How RR asks to hold him
How much bigger he looks in his swing all of a sudden
How happy (happier) he is when he lays in his pack and play and watches the bear mobile
How he kicks his legs out of joy
How when he is mad and crying, he kicks his right leg, and only his right leg

Breastfeeding & Jaundice

Earlier in the year The Alpha Parent Blog did a series on "boobie traps", the pitfalls and obstacles women face when it comes to breastfeeding.  They were looking for stories from nursing moms who had overcome various "boobie traps" and I submitted my stories in regards to nursing RR and TT.  Last Tuesday, as part of the blog's Triumphant Tuesday segment which highlights women and babies who have overcome these "boobie traps" my nursing stories where shared.

You can find them here: Triumphant Tuesday: Breastfeeding a Jaundiced Baby.

Please note this is my story told through someone else.  Some of the text is wholly my own, some is not.

Bed Boy

I'm sure you've seen it, mom and dad walking along pushing baby in the stroller.  Baby is snoozing happily, and mom and dad are free to talk, shop and even get a cup of coffee; almost as if baby wasn't here.

You've heard the stories from other parents and you've probably even told the story yourself "baby wouldn't sleep unless they were in the car."

Or you're a family bed type of family, and baby will happily nestle down curled in your arm and sleep away.

Even perhaps you've had the baby who wouldn't sleep unless they were being held.

And we've all heard the funny stories about the baby that feel asleep in their dinner, or on the couch, or curled up next to the dog on the floor.

But did you know there is another type of baby, er toddler, out there.  The "I will sleep in my bed and only in my bed" baby.  Meet TT, he is that baby, er toddler.  Yes, I suppose at 18 months of age he is officially a toddler.  

TT will not sleep in the stroller.  Husband and I have gone to great lengths, walking over an hour, in hopes he would fall asleep.

Sleeping in the car is a rare occurrence for him.  We can leave a place simply because he is overtired and proceed to drive an hour, and he will not fall asleep.  Up until he was about 9 months old he hated riding in the car.  Riding in the car used to a traumatizing experience, for all of us.  He still really doesn't sleep in the car, but at least he doesn't cry the whole time still.

Bringing him into bed with us is an invitation to have a party.  I miss the days I could nurse him and he would drift back off to sleep.  Take this morning for instance, he woke at 5:15 hungry, so I brought him into our bed where he nursed a little and played a lot.  So I took him back into his room, nursed him in the rocking chair and put him back in his crib; where he promptly fell asleep.  Little bugger.

Back in the day (because you know he's getting so old), Husband used to put him in the carrier and TT would sleep soundly during Mass.  That is so not happening anymore.  Taking TT to Mass is like wrestling a greased pig.

He is so not the kid that will fall asleep anywhere.  He likes, insists rather, in sleeping in his bed, thank you very much.  Which is good in a sense, but the rigidity of this habit does wear a little thin.  But hey, at least he's sleeping.  Right?

Bed

Ahhh... sleeping like a baby.  He loves his crib, but if he keeps growing this fast he's not going to fit in it too much longer.  Fingers crossed he can still stretch out plenty when he's two - because this Mama isn't ready to move him to a "big boy" bed before then.

Really??

Today I got, yet another, postcard from Similac (the formula company).  They were inviting me to join their StrongMoms community, and as an incentive I would receive a "free gift" - a Similac bottle.  Just what I needed and wanted!!!  (Please tell me you can read the sarcasm in this line.)

Husband kept asking me "Are you really going to sign up for that junk?".

Why yes, yes I am.  Yes, I did.  I signed up on the StrongMoms community.  And because I signed up they are going to send me up to $329 in membership gifts, offers and infant formula and coupons.  

Really???

I mean - REALLY??? 

I am pretty sure that when you hit the 17 month breastfeeding mark your not going to decide it's time to switch to formula.  At least I know I am not about to.  Breastfeeding is best choice for me, and I am studying to become a breastfeeding counselor so I can help other women fulfill their breastfeeding goals.  Breastfeeding is something I love.  I really do.  It's something I am passionate about.

And I think that is partly why I signed up.  I want to know, I want to see, what promotional offers formula companies are making.  What incentives to not breastfeed they are waving in women's faces.  

So yeah... I joined a formula feeding community.  I feel like a wolf in sheep's clothing, however I highly doubt I will ever participate in their conversations, and I have selected all e-mails to be sent to an account I use for junk.  

Sigh.... it's a dark moment.  But it makes me smile.  

(In other related new I also got a letter from the GOP soliciting a donation.  I am a registered Independent, and with liberal-green-libertarian left leaning views. So, um yeah.... this letter also made me think "really???")

Then and Now

Last summer.

This morning.

Same shirt, worn roughly 12 months apart.  He's grown so much.

It is time to retire this shirt.  And possibly time for a hair cut.

(And yes, he's still eating at mom's.)

That Time Again

I've done one or two of these before... it's a blog hop from The Slacker Mom.  This week's hop is about how often you nursed.  

The old rule of thumb for breastfeeding a newborn is some where around the 20 minutes per side mark, with feeding every 2 to 3 hours.  It's been so long I can't recall Turkey's nursing schedule; but I can tell you when Monkey was small he would nurse for 45 minutes or better per side; every one to three hours.  He was a marathon nurser.  I remember when he was admitted to the hospital for jaundice, at 3 days old, the floor nurse told me there was no way he was nursing that much; that he must just be "snacking".  The nerve.  These are the same people that tried to get us to nurse on a schedule while he was there; that didn't work.

I've always followed his lead, and have nursed on demand.  When he went through growth spurts he would nurse every hour.  Then he went through the "cluster" feeding phase and would nurse a lot in the later afternoon; actually he still does that.

By the time he was 3 months old I had an oversupply; and had to regulate it with block nursing.  This has nothing to do with how often I fed him; but rather which side I nursed on.  I would nurse him only on one side for time blocks of 4 to 6 hours.

These days, at 15.5 months, we're still nursing on demand; with a dream feed (that I demand, LOL... ); but on days I am in the office we do nurse on more of a schedule.  6:30am, 5:30pm, 7pm, and 10pm.  When we are together we nurse more often; but usually at those times as well.

Parlor Tricks

At this age, I swear every day with Monkey brings about a new parlor trick.  He's just full of silly and somewhat crazy, and very goofy little things to do.

While we were at my brother's he realized he could sit down, and turn in a circle using his heels.  He did this over.  And over.  And over. Again.  And again.

He has realized that when he drinks something he doesn't need to swallow it.  He can, if he likes, spit it out at you.  However, it seems that he prefers the "open mouth slightly and dribble all over myself" approach better.  This method he's realized gets him the wettest, and this he enjoys.

He likes to look at you and then shake his head as fast as possible.  Kind of like baby head banging.  I blame his father for this, he thinks this move is great and encourages it.

Crawling around with his eyes closed as tight as possible seems to be good fun as well.  Until, inevitably, he bumps his head into something.  

Ah the joys of toddler-hood.... these are the memories that last.

Big Boy

See that dot?  It says he's taller than 99.9% of kids his age.  

He just keeps getting taller and taller.  My goodness.

Where does he get this height from?  I'm only 5'8" and Husband is 5'9".

Husband likes to say "he's tall like me".  This makes me laugh, but in his defense he's tall compared to most of his family members (his older brother is taller than him, and he's the only one I can think of that is).

Goodies

Fact: Monkey likes food.

Correction:  Monkey really likes food.

We've yet to find a food he doesn't like.  He eats everything; raw onions, fish, broccoli, cole slaw, hummus... you get the idea... everything.

Until tonight.

I stopped by the store on the way home to get some salad for dinner and I went to find Monkey a new snack-food... something to nibble on.

I suppose my first mistake was starting in the baby-food isle.  But there they were, on the end-cap and ON-SALE.  And they said they were good; it was even in the product name  - Beech Nut Goodies. A (white) cheese puff for toddlers if you will.

While we were cooking dinner Monkey was in his highchair, so I offered him a few... tasting one myself first.  And maybe it was because I tried it and told Husband how nasty they were in front of Monkey; but he didn't like them.  A food Monkey will not eat.  It is a miracle, of sorts.  He tried them on and off for a few minutes, before scattering them to the floor and demanding other more palatable foods.  Honestly I can't say I blame them, they were nasty.  Think a really hard cheese doodle with little to no flavoring that was sprinkled with Styrofoam pellets.

Yum... NOT.

Guess What Happened This Week?

Monkey turned 1.

Yup... I am now the mother of an 8 year-old and a 1 year-old.  Where has the time gone?

More shocking is that I didn't spend a day posting about the occasion.  I may be slightly in denial that he's getting bigger.

I also think part of it is because he was born so late at night.

With Turkey I went into labor first thing in the morning and he was born mid-afternoon.

With Monkey it was a day like any other, I went into labor around 8:30pm and he was born at 10:27pm... It was most of the following day, the 16th, that I spent taking in the fact that he was finally here.  If you want more details, I can see this older post.

On his birthday we had cake at home after dinner.  This weekend we'll be celebrating at the house with family and friends.  Photos to follow soon... I promise.

Firsts, Expectations and Bibs

Turkey and Monkey had due dates within days of each other, so when it was time for Monkey to be born I had expected him to be early like his brother.  Everyone told me the second one usually comes "before" your first, and seeing that by this time last year I was walking around already 3cm dilated I assumed Monkey would be here before Valentine's Day.

I was so sure Valentine's Day was going to be his first holiday that I went out and got him a "First Valentine's Day" bib and tucked it into my hospital bag.

Valentine's Day came and went, and no Monkey.  The bib did travel to and from the hospital with us, and eventually got tucked into his dresser.  Over the year it's be accompanied by 1st Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and so-on bibs.

Today he finally got a chance to wear the bib I bought him over a year ago.

Today he celebrated his last 1st holiday.

I know a lot of parent's that commiserate over the end of the first year, the end of firsts if you will.

But I have learned over the years (many thanks to Turkey for this lesson) that firsts don't end after your baby turns one.  In fact, some of the most exciting firsts happen after year one, two, or even after the first five years. I know I have many, many firsts to look forward for both of my boys.

We had a lot of expectations for Monkey in his first year, and some of them we have seen happen; and others we are still waiting on... like teeth.  When is he going to get that first tooth?

I guess that's the other lesson my boys have taught me - expect to be amazed and expect the unexpected; because sometimes what you are expecting doesn't happen.

Oh and by the way, this bib is still so big on him, he would have looked totally ridiculous on him last year. 

Nursing Tonight

Tonight for dinner I made pasta with pesto and black olives.  This was Husband's first time eating pesto (and have no fear fans of Husband he did not eat the olives).  How he had gone 30 odd years with never having pesto is beyond me... but at the same time it's more baffling that I have never made this at home before.  Anyhow,  everyone really enjoyed dinner and Turkey remarked about his meal "mom, now BOTH of us have something new to blog about tonight."  He is sweet isn't he?  And he did blog about the pesto.

After dinner we played and then put Monkey to bed at his normal time.  After Husband said his good-nights and turned off the light Monkey and I settled into our before bed nursing session.  I got my feet up, got comfy, he latched on and I closed my eyes and then "wahhhh!!!!"

I forgot Baby Dee.  How could I forget Baby Dee?

Holding Baby Dee while nursing is a must these days.  Monkey fiddles with the "ears", he tries to get me to latch on to "the "ears", we play the music, he strokes Baby's face... Oh yeah, he loves Baby Dee.  

So I get up, get Baby and we get resettled.

Three minutes later he's crying again.  So we switch sides.

Three minutes later he pops up, as he likes doing these days, and sitting on my lap surveys the room and listens for sounds from the downstairs.

I turn Baby on and Monkey goes back to the right side.

Three more minutes pass and he's sitting up again, rubbing his eyes and giving me "I need to go to bed Mom" signs.

Switch.

Nurse a minute or so.  Rub eyes.

Switch.

Turn on Baby Dee.

Rub eyes and I kiss him, snuggle him quick and off to bed he goes.

It has been months since he's fallen asleep at the breast.  Maybe because I am so diligent about putting him down while he's drowsy but awake.  Maybe it's because he likes his bed.  I mean he really likes his bed, this kid will not sleep in the car.... what year old doesn't sleep in the car?  We've left many places facing an hour  plus drive home in hopes he sleeps in the car, and if we're lucky he'll fall asleep for the last 10 minutes of the drive.  Maybe it's a combo of the two.

Oh well.... c'est la vie.

At 11 Months

At 11 months Monkey...

is one of the happiest babies around.

loves playing, and especially loves standing to play.

is just learning how to crawl... sometimes he goes off to the side, and sometimes he tries to crab-walk.

loves eating... and I mean this.  
He gets so excited over food he shakes with job.

eats everything.  We've yet to find a food he doesn't like.

eats mostly table food.  


we've loved doing Baby Lead Weaning.

is still nursing, at least 6 times a day.

is mostly sleeping through the night (knock on wood).

adores playing with others and helping clean-up.

dislikes riding in the car, still.  I swear we have the only child the refuses to sleep in the car.

babbles constantly, and has learned how to shriek really loud thanks to big brother.  

can be a real cling-on sometimes... thank goodness for baby-wearing.  
We love our Beco.

still has no teeth.

gives kisses, waves hi and bye, gives high 5 (when he wants) and signs "more" and "all-done".  

loves mimicking people and playing peek a boo.

is all all around happy baby.

His 2012 goals (if it's possible for a baby to have them) are to learn to crawl, learn to walk and get some teeth.

January 17, 2004

8 years ago today was a Saturday.

It was a bitterly cold, overcast, yet very bright Saturday.

But my nearly 9 month preggo body was running on "hot" and I was dressed in a light weight short sleeve dress.

It was exactly 4 weeks before Turkey's was due, and exactly 2 weeks before he would make his early appearance.

It was the day of my baby shower.

Aside from the season inappropriate dress I wearing I was also sporting a "new" hair-do.... short with bangs.  This is the only time in my life I've had bangs.  My pregnancy hormones had wrecked havoc on my hair, causing my curls to go into hiding for 9 months and thus causing me to take drastic measures.

My shower was held at a friend's fiance's restaurant.  The restaurant is no more.  My friend never married that guy (thankfully), and I guess you could say I'm not even really friends with her any more.  Things sure do change over the years, don't they?  My mom and that friend hosted the party.  Other friends and family members were there.  I really should dig up some more of the photos from that day... I think my aunts would get a hoot out of our family group-shot from then.

I remember my Grandma (God rest her soul) got me a bathrobe and pretty smelling bath products... because as she put it "people often forget about the mom in times like these".  My Aunt C made Turkey a blanket.  She would re-make him the same blanket as a replacement in 2011.  My Aunt G got the baby a floor gym and a pack and play among other things.

And despite what my mother said, no one got us any diapers.  Not a single diaper.  This was probably the only baby shower in the history of  baby showers in the US to have no diapers present.  When I had my shower for Monkey some 7 years later, everyone made up for this; and we ended up with enough diapers to last until we started cloth diapering around 2  to 3 months (once he reached size small).

I don't recall all of the wonderful gifts we got.  I don't recall what we ate.  But I do know we had lots of laughs over the game "guess how big mama is?"  (I actually like playing this game... I know I'm weird.)  I remember lots of laughs and hugs and love.

The next weekend my friend KB and I went shopping for all most of the baby essentials I didn't get at the shower.  We shopped until we nearly dropped.

When Turkey was born the week after that we were not ready.  The shower gifts and new purchases still littered the living room in their original packages.

And we still had not bought any diapers... good thing they send you home from the hospital with some.

What's In a Name?

When we had Monkey we were on "team green".  For those of you not down with the mommy-internet-slag, that means we didn't find out the sex of baby until after the birth.

As such we thought of many, many names for both sexes.  At one time we had considered for boy names: Mitchell, Gregory, Everett and Oliver.  For a girl we were pretty set on Lucille, Lucy-Lo for short.  But we had also considered Annaleise (it was on "the list", but really if he had been a girl he most likely would have been Lucille).

A while back my cousin and I were discussing baby names (this is before Monkey was born I am sure, which means it was back when she was considering having a baby)... and Oliver was her top baby boy name choice (at the time).  After that conversation Husband and I scratched that name off our list... we decided we didn't like the meaning (elf army) and since it was her TOP name we wouldn't "steal it".  I don't think in that conversation we ever discussed girl names.

Fast-forward to now... and we have had a bouncing baby boy; whose name means "divine gift".  A nice and strong name; which goes well with his big brother's name which means "wise protector".

This summer when my cousin found out her baby was going to be a girl and revealed the name... I was in awe; it was a variation of Lucille.  Great minds clearly think alike, especially when it comes to naming baby.

I had really thought Monkey was going to be a girl.  Everyone, except Turkey who kept insisting he was going to have a brother, thought he was going to be a she.

I had dreams of having "my" little girl... she would be fair skinned, with a head full of jet black hair and bright blue eyes.  Imagine my surprise when Monkey turned out to be a boy with patchy strawberry-blonde hair and eyes that are yet to change color fully (we're guessing they will be hazel or brown).

Today we welcome my cousin's baby into the world... with a head full of black hair.... it must be in the name. They are truly blessed and she's a lucky little girl to have such wonderful parents.

And if you are wondering we've since changed our top girl name (and not because of my cousin's naming choice)... the new name has to do with victory.  And that's all I am going to say.  

Growing

Some days I can't decide which of my boys is growing faster.  And I'm not talking the milestone kind of growing, I'm talking physical growth.

Just the other day I was putting together away Turkey's clothes and I swear I set more stuff aside to store in the attic for when Monkey gets bigger than I actually put away.  But, at least now I can hand his clothes down to a sibling.  I swear it was just this summer that he started wearing size medium, and now all the clothes he got for Christmas are larges.  He's entering that age where he also needs to start trying things on, because no longer are all of the size 10s fit the same.  I am however looking forward to being able to buy his pants like grown men do - in width and length.

We had promised to buy him his first suit for his First Holy Communion this spring, now I am wondering if we should just rent one; because he grows so fast.

And the same can be said for the little one; although we expect that from him.  All of the size 12 one piece outfits I got him when it first started getting cold are now too small.  My 10 month old is wearing size 18 months... he's so long and skinny.  Thank goodness for the cloth diapers to hold his pants up, since he has no waist to speak of.

I'm also proud to admit that I have no problem buying them clothes at the consignment shop.  I try to make their clothes a good mixture of new-to-them and new-new.

But still... they could stop growing so fast... if even just for a week.

What Goes Around Comes Around

Before Turkey was born I bought the cutest lime green fleece snowsuit, complete with toggle buttons and all from Gymboree.  They didn't have a newborn size, so I bought it a few sizes too big.  (Hey, first time mom what did I know.)  In the end he wore it home from the hospital, rolled sleeves and all.  And then he never wore it again.

But I loved it dearly, so I packed it away into his "keep forever box".

Fast forward 7 plus years and it's the end of October and we're expecting snow, and now I have Monkey who is 8 months old and has no snow suit.  So up to the attic I go and dig through the box and find the lime green fleece snowsuit Turkey ONCE wore.

Granted it was a little small (you couldn't fold the feet and hand covers over), but it fit for the most part.  Problem solved... for now.