Birth to Three Month Movie

I'm going to attempt to upload a video here - I hope it works! Jess worked very hard on this slideshow of the little sweet pea and it turned out beautifully. I know it will be something that we'll watch over and over again as our little guy grows.

Six Month Update

Weight: 19 lbs 1.2 oz (85th percentile)
Length: 27.5 in (85th percentile)

Six months = 26 weeks = 182 days = 10,920 hours since the little beast made his unwilling appearance in the world. I have to admit that I thank God that his birth happened the way it did even though both of us could have hung out for another week or two!

Month six has seen some interesting changes in Sweet Pea:

1a.  He is a rolly polly little guy. He's learned how to roll from his back to stomach. Normally, he stops himself before he rolls completely over but he occasionally will sleep on his tummy. Sometimes gravity gets in the way and rolls him the rest of the way. He then pops his head up like a little turtle and looks around like 'Huh'. Same thing goes for when he is trying to remain sitting up by himself - he inevitably collapses down toward his belly or side and hangs out for a little bit assessing the situation. He seems to prefer sleeping on his side now with his top leg thrown over. And still with some sort of towel, blanket or cloth over his head. I check for breathing several times during a nap.

1b.  He is a rolly polly little guy. He moved up from the 50th percentile in weight to 85th percentile in two months! The little dude likes him some rice cereal. He gets a lot of comments on his chubby cheeks, mostly regarding how delectable they are.

2.  He tends toward crankiness now when he's tired; he cannot simply go to sleep anymore - he fights, literally kicking and screaming. Even Rachael's little girl has mentioned his fussiness but don't worry, she still likes him - 'just not when he is crying'. :)  I don't know if it is a teething issue or a not wanting to go to sleep issue but getting him to relax and go to sleep is a bit like trying to figure out the Sphinx's riddle. It involves movement of some sort, preferably holding him while you are standing up, a pacifier and perhaps a song but any of these could be incorrect depending on the day. Yesterday, Jess said that the Sweet Pea just wants someone there in the room with him when he's going to sleep. And it's true and very sweet. Once you get him settled down, he just wants to touch you or look at you and know you are there until he falls asleep. How can I deny such a simple and pure desire? I think we are learning to tell the early warning signs of crankiness and putting him down for sleep earlier. Maybe we can be taught! 

3.  His personality is still pretty fluid. Sometimes I think he is going to be the class clown and other times I think he is the most serious, intense baby in the world. Sometimes smiles are hard won; other times he has a giggle attack that his proud parents post video evidence of on every social media site they are members of because his laugh is so delicious! You can definitely tell when he is really concentrating and focused - those eyebrows furrow and you can hear the gears turning. And he has a distinct 'Go to hell' look. Make him have to cry once, shame on you. Make him have to cry twice and you will see the look previously mentioned. I sincerely hope he finds a balance between levity and somberness and is more light-hearted than his parents though. The world is hard enough as it is!

4.  He loves Maya. (And probably Sam but he's shorter and not as bouncy. Or he may think they are the same dog. It is a distinct possibility.) Watching her race around the yard or even simply walk towards him in the house elicits the strongest and most precious giggles from him. He cracks a smile when he sees her and tries to reach out and grab her when she's near. The feeling is not mutual however, and, although she will happily lap up any drool or spit up on him, she jumps away if he touches her. I keep telling her that she better get used to him now or the future is going to be very ruff for her. (See what I did there - ruff?!)

 

We have also changed formulas this month. I've heard from several people that Gerber's formula helped their babies with their spit up issues so we are trying it out. The spitting up is random but daily and voluminous. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it but Jess and I are drowning. Add that constant supply of drool (when do babies learn to swallow?) and every surface of our house, clothing, dogs, etc. has been anointed.



Door Bouncy Thingy

Sweet Pea, you are such a joy. Even when you cover me in spit up or wake your dad up at all hours, one hug or smile from you and all is forgotten. Your giggle attack over the weekend was the most precious event for us in awhile - we've both replayed the videos about a hundred times in the last couple of days just to hear that bubbly laugh! I'm so excited to see the new things you can do from sitting up better and rolling over to sitting in your toy thingy or your door bouncy thingy (those are their formal names). Watching you learn and grow is so much fun!

You are frequently serious and studious but prone to smiles and giggles. I like calling you 'Beast' but not to your face because that's just rude. To your face, I call you Bub or Bubby. This was a word morphed from Buddy and Bubba but according to Urban Dictionary (which I sincerely hope is still around when you are older - how is a white man such as yourself supposed to know the current lingo otherwise?) it is "a term of affection for your one true love". (I never imagined that I would ever directly quote Urban Dictionary.) It is also Yiddish for grandmother so maybe your kids can call me that one day. 

You are getting to be a big boy and carrying you in the car seat is not really an option for me anymore. My lack of upper body strength is ridiculous. You are becoming a champion eater too. Most, if not all the rice cereal you eat now stays in your mouth and you've moved well past that initial tablespoon of cereal at one sitting. You love talking while you eat. I think you are saying 'Get in my belly!' (ask me about that reference). And you are such a cuddler. Your cuddles and hugs are a balm to any of life's problems.

Love you!      






St. Paddy's Day!
 

Five Month Update

Weight – Substantial, he’s got to be getting close to 20 lbs!

Length – He’s fitting into his 6 month clothes now

 

These months are starting to come at me quicker and quicker. Maybe because February is a shorter month but I felt like I was just writing his four month update. The doctor said we could start rice cereal so we’ve been practicing eating for the last several weeks. He seems to be getting the hang of having food put in his mouth but his tongue reflexively pushes most of the food back out still. Whenever he sees the bowl and spoon walking his way, his mouth opens wide in anticipation like a baby bird so I know he likes it.

Sleep is still a bit of an issue for us. Sweet Pea has no set bed time routine. He starts getting fussy after his evening bottle and finally exhausts himself to sleep around 8 pm. We wake him up to feed him at 9:30 or 10 pm which I sort of feel bad about. If we don’t wake him though, he wakes up around 2 am. With daylight savings time, his 8 pm exhaustion-to-anger/anger-to-exhaustion/bedtime is now 9 pm so I’m trying to feed him his last bottle before he goes to sleep and it knocks him out until 4 or 5 or 6. He’s also not sleeping in his crib yet…because another member of the household…thinks he is too young and cute to sleep and wake up by himself… I don’t really know what to do about it because I can’t disagree with the cuteness factor.

Another first - Jess and I went out by ourselves for the first time in months! We went to a concert that Jess got tickets as a birthday present for me. Nana and Grandpa Emerson were gracious enough to drive up and babysit, bearing generous gifts like they always do. It is so nice to magically have another month’s supply of diapers!


After bath hair

Sweet Pea is also starting to actually enjoy his baths! Yay! Okay, maybe ‘enjoy’ is not the right word but as long as I keep them quick, he’ll suck on a wet washcloth until it’s done and won’t cry or fuss at all! Yay! Getting through one without peeing is a whole separate challenge. Him, not me.

Last, but not least, his hair is starting to grow in, though you can't really tell in pictures yet. He had the typical infant bald area where the back of his head rests when he’s laying down. Below that was a crazy patch of thick long brown hair. Instead of ‘business in the front, party in the back,’ it was middle aged balding man in the front, George Costanza in the back and party in the way, way back and to the left slightly. Things are coming together nicely, as Jess would say. His hair is serving to cover up a birthmark that he shares with my grandfather though. It’s a little bittersweet – I know that the birthmark is light enough that it will eventually fade away anyway but it’s like his great-grandfather gave him a kiss on the back of his neck in Heaven before sending him on into the world. He also has a faint half V on his forehead. I had a full bright red V on my forehead for much of my childhood/adolescence so I’m not at all upset about that sucker going away. And since we are on the topic of birthmarks, he has his own to add to the collection that is not borrowed from any other family member – a little blob on the inside of his left calf. That brings our birthmark tally up to three.

Sweet Pea, you have amazed me with how far you’ve come in five short months. I can see the toddler and boy that you are all too swiftly turning into. In some ways, I can’t wait for all the adventures to come, but in other ways, I wish you’d stay my sweet little one forever. Your smiles, laughter and babbling make everyone smile. You are learning how to hold your bottle and figured out how to hold a sippy cup pretty quickly though trying to get the liquid out was a bit trickier than a bottle. You definitely have major opinions on most of the important issues of the day. You are pro bottles, Hootie (your dad’s name for your blue owl), making yourself laugh, grabbing long hair and spitting up. You are anti laying down when you could be sitting up, the sun, and hiccups. Bottles are still your favorite possession and past time. You recognize your bottle warmer and what it means, and when we put down your finished bottle and try to burp you, you will stare at the bottle like you don’t believe it is empty. During feedings you are also pushing the bottle in and out of your mouth constantly. I’m not sure if it is a teething thing or a wanting to do it by yourself thing, but it can be very trying when I just want you to finish the darn thing already. You’re so focused on it though, it’s hard to deny your dedication to the process.

You LOVE sitting up in your swing and watching everything around you. You show many sides of your personality from that swing – sometimes you are watchful and almost disdainful of what you see – usually when I’m trying to entertain you. You remind me of a chubby little Caesar giving a thumbs down to my performance. Other times you laugh and talk to yourself and are THE happiest, cutest, loudest baby in the world. This usually occurs when I’m trying to watch TV, read or talk with your dad. Still other times you do not want to be in the swing at all and can’t believe anyone would have the audacity to sit you there - usually when your dad and I are trying to accomplish something…anything that doesn’t involve you.

Love you!


First Sippy Cup

First Valentines!

This photo reminds me of my grandfather, below - could be the haircut!