Monday, August 29, 2011

Round two? Or one and done??

I know it may seem a bit early to start thinking about this or making a decision considering Andrew is only 5 months old.  But, you see, I'm no spring chicken (turning 35 in November) and J is even less of one (40 in December) so time is not necessarily on our side.

I have gone back and forth over the years with the whole kid thing.  Back in my early 20's when I was engaged to another guy I had come to the decision that I didn't want kids.  If I'm honest with myself, though, it was that I just couldn't see myself having kids with him (one of the many red flags that motivated me to call off that wedding).

Once I met J and we got serious I had changed my tune.  I couldn't wait to start our family and seeing those two lines on the pregnancy tests (I took several!) made me happier than I ever could have imagined.

Now, 5 months after Andrew came into our life, I couldn't be happier. I love him with every fiber of my being. Seeing him smile or hearing his laugh fills me with so much joy that I can't even put it into words.  I never in a million years could have guessed just how much I could love this little person.

Of course now we have everyone asking when we are going to have another one, and I'm torn.  Before I had said that I definitely wanted two because I grew up with two sisters and couldn't imagine being an only child. Having a built-in co-conspirator made childhood that much more interesting.  And - name drama notwithstanding - I love my siblings to death.

But now I am having a hard time thinking about number two. I think it's because I love Andrew so much and I can't get my head around loving another person that much.  I know deep down that I would, but right now I can't imagine it.  I guess because if there was another baby then I wouldn't be able to give him all of my attention like I do now.

There's also the part of me that thinks that we have gotten way too lucky with him and there is no way lightning is striking twice. We got pregnant pretty quickly (cycle #3), I had a very easy and uncomplicated pregnancy (besides 38 weeks of awful constipation), a quick and easy delivery (8 hours from first contraction to him being here), and a relatively easy baby. Yeah, the first 10 weeks or so were tough, but then he started sleeping 8+ hours a night and it got much easier. There was no colic, no reflux, no extreme fussiness.  It just makes me think that if we have another one he/she would be a complete trainwreck to make up for the easy time we've had this go around.

I don't know - maybe as he gets older I will be able to think about going for two, but right now I just want to enjoy all the new experiences with him and watch him grow.

Friday, August 26, 2011

5 Months!


That's right - my little man is 5 months old today!  To celebrate I am working at home/taking PTO with him.

Actually, I am working from home/taking PTO because for some reason the Charleston County schools are closed, which means our daycare is also closed. And since we don't have a back-up figured out at this time that means I get to spend the day with him.  I guess I should thank hurricane Irene - for bypassing Charleston but still giving me a day with my munchkin.

So, here we are at 5 months - and here are the stats that I should have been doing every month (but I guess better late than never! And thank you mrsmonica because I took this from you!)

Age: 5 months

Stats:  At his last check (4 months and 15 days) he was 15 lbs even (39th percentile), 26.5 inches (88th) and his head was 16.75  inches (47th).  I'm guessing he's getting close to 16 lbs by now - especially with the way he's been eating.

Size (diapers, clothes, etc.):  He's still in size 2 diapers but we may be getting close to switching to the 3's.  He's mostly in size 3-6 month for clothes, although he's still able to fit into a couple of his 3 month size outfits.  Some of the 6 month ones fit well but others are still way too big.

Sleeping: He is still sleeping like a champ at night - almost always for at least 9 hours and on weekends up to almost 11 hours.  He is getting a little better at napping during the day (thank you daycare!).

Eating: Still EBF when I am home with him and bottles of pumped milk at daycare.  This past week his appetite has been ravenous and he's been eating up to four 7 oz bottles while at daycare. Not sure if they are over feeding him.  I feed on demand when home with him.  We've also started some baby food (sweet potatoes, squash, and carrots) which he seems to enjoy. He doesn't like the cereal (rice and oatmeal) and will spit it out.  I tried giving him some chunks of cantaloupe to see if he could pick it up and put it in his mouth to gnaw on, but so far he just looks at it.  Maybe next month.

Milestones: He definitely found his feet and has gotten very good about getting those little toes in his mouth.  He rolls from back to belly in a heartbeat and is moving around a LOT.  I can put him on the play mat one direction on his back, walk away for a minute to get something, and when I look back he is on his tummy and has done a 180.  He's great at sitting in the bumbo, went swimming in the ocean for the first time, and discovered that he can stick his tongue out and get a smile out of us.

New adventures:  His first dip in the ocean this past weekend.

Favorite toys and activities:  He loves his play mat with the hanging toys on it and the crinkly things he can grab and make noise.  He's a big fan of his crinkly elephant and star - anything that makes that noise. J said we should just give him an empty Cheetos bag since it makes the same noise!

Funny happenings:  I was attempting to NIP this past weekend at the beach. I was in our little tent and had the nursing cover, but he apparently did NOT like being kept under wraps and kept trying to fling it off.  I'm hoping no one actually got a free show, but it was not easy keeping him (and me) covered.

What I'm looking forward to:  Seeing what else he is capable of. It's so much fun to watch him discover new things and to watch the wonder on his face when he realizes what he can do.  Who knew that a baby would be this much fun?  :)

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Safe and sound

This morning my parents made it back from their cruise unscathed.  They didn't have to leave port early, but my dad said once they did leave the captain hauled ass to keep them ahead of Irene.

I'm just happy to have them back on dry land safe and sound. And it sounds like they had a good time (even if my dad was really not looking forward to it before they left).

I took Andrew to daycare today even though I am working from home. I figure that way he doesn't miss out on the fun with the other kids and I can get some work done uninterrupted.

Andrea just sent me a picture of their outing for the day. 

Looks like the other kids are wearing him out  :)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Well, THAT can't be good



Thankfully it looks like it's going to hit further north than they anticipated yesterday, although a couple of the computer models have Irene coming kind of close to Charleston.

Keeping my fingers crossed that we don't have to leave - J has to stay in town due to his job so it would be me, Andrew, and our two crazy dogs driving up to Charlotte to stay with his parents.

Oh the joys of living at the beach during hurricane season...

(I'm actually more worried about my parents who are currently on a cruise IN THE BAHAMAS!  I really hope the cruise line was smart enough to get them out of there a little early - still waiting to hear from them.)

Monday, August 22, 2011

Great weekend with the munchkin (my water baby)

Another weekend come and gone. Sigh.  They just go too fast.

Friday we just had a relaxing night at home cooking out and having some family time.  Andrew hung out on the deck with J while he cooked:

(*disclaimer - Andrew is NEVER left on the table in his bumbo without one of us sitting right there with him)

I proceeded to stuff Andrew full of milk since he slept from 1:00 - 4:30 at daycare and didn't get his last bottle there. I was determined to fill him up so he'd sleep that night. I'm happy to say it worked.

Saturday my parents came down and hung out for a bit before we dropped them off downtown for their cruise. In the Caribbean. During hurricane season. Good plan.

Andrew was happy to hang out on his playmat and stare at himself.



That night we met some friends out for dinner and he was the life of the party:



Then I took him over to a friend's house to hang out for a little bit and so she could see the baby again (it had been a while). When we got home he was happy to splash in the tub for a while:



On Sunday we decided to hit the beach for a bit. We hadn't been out there since his three month birthday so we figured we were due.

He hung out in his nap nanny for a bit:




Did a little tummy time on his changing mat:



And then we took him into the ocean for the first time.  At first he seemed like he wasn't sure about it:





But then he started to enjoy it:







Looks like we're gonna have a little water baby on our hands :)

Friday, August 19, 2011

Happy Squeals and Oatmeal Bubbles


Yesterday I uploaded a few more videos to youtube so I could share them with my mom and mother-in-law.  I know J's mom misses him like crazy - especially after getting to spend so much time with him before he started daycare. And my parents haven't seen him since fourth of July weekend (although they will be down here tomorrow so I can drop them off for their cruise so they'll get to see the munchkin for a little bit).

Anyway, I figured I would share the adorableness of Andrew here, too.
This one is him last Friday after I picked him up from daycare. He was spending some happy time with J and kept letting out these squeals. We couldn't stop laughing and I had to get it on camera.

This one was last Saturday when I was attempting some oatmeal with him.  He was more interested in trying to blow bubbles with it than he was with eating it. I don't think I got much in him, but he had fun playing with it.  I think we're ditching the cereal idea and going to go with other stuff that actually tastes good.  In another month or so I'll start giving him stuff to gnaw on and gum, I was just trying to use up some of that cereal we bought. Oh well.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Are you ready for some football?

Because Andrew sure is:


It's going to be an ongoing battle all season to see whose team the little munchkin will support (my Steelers or J's Cowboys).  But since I am the one who dresses him for daycare, today he is my black and gold baby.

Go Steelers!!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The drama continues...

Said drama being the huge cluster%$#& after we decided to name our baby Andrew.

As I mentioned previously, J defriended my sister on facebook after her little soapbox speech on my page about how I should cherish the time that I got to spend in the waiting room of my ObGyn with  my 6 week old baby.  He did this because he didn't want to lash out and say something that would put him in poor standing with the rest of my family.  Needless to say, that added to the already palpable tension  :(

Fast forward to yesterday.  She announced that she accepted a job in Pittsburgh and will be moving back there - apparently in October.  She sent him a friend request with a note stating that my dad suggested she mend some fences and she would like to take him, me and the baby (yes, she said "the baby", not his name) out to dinner sometime soon.

My very first thought was "Yeah, MY DAD suggested she mend fences - she clearly is not doing this because she feels that she was in the wrong.".

I absolutely hate that our relationship is so screwed up right now, but I am NOT going to apologize for naming MY baby.  I love my sister - I really do, but there is a little part of me that may not be able to totally forgive her for taking what was the single most amazing thing to happen in my life and pissing all over it and making it about her.

I know I need to be the bigger person and meet her halfway. I honestly don't see her apologizing because I really think that she still thinks she is the wronged party in this whole thing.

The sad thing is, the news about her moving 600+ miles away to Pittsburgh didn't make me sad.  Had she been around these last almost 5 months and spending time with us and getting to know her nephew, I would be bummed that she is leaving.  But since she has opted to keep her distance and shown little interest in either of us, I find myself feeling a little relief.  At least now she will not be in town so there will be a legitimate reason for her to not be around.

It's just too bad that she hasn't been able to look past his name and spend time with this adorable little person:

Monday, August 15, 2011

His first outfit

This weekend I was going through Andrew's closet to see what clothes I need to pack away since he is growing at an alarming (to me) rate.  While I was doing this I stumbled upon the first little outfit that I ever bought for him (seen here).

I had yet to actually put him in it (although he may have worn the pants) and he is going to be outgrowing it any time now, so I figured it was now or never.



It's so dang cute - I just wish he wasn't going to outgrow it so soon.  Should've bought a bigger size...

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Napping success

Yesterday afternoon I picked Andrew up at 4:30, so he hadn't gone down for his last nap. I got him home and had J give him a bottle since I seem to have a bit of an over supply of milk in the fridge.  Then they both passed out.



This morning he got up at 7:00, ate a little, but got easily distracted by pretty much everything.  We had a little playtime on the mat and hung out a bit.  I tried a little oatmeal with him, but he mostly played with it and tried to blow bubbles.



Then at 8:30 I decided to try to get him down for a nap since this is the time that he has been napping at daycare and I want to stay consistent.  I changed his diaper, put him in his sleep sack, and put him in the crib still awake.  I could hear him talking as I gathered up his laundry and got everything in the washer.

Then silence.

I peeked into his room to see this:



Ahhhhh - sweet napping success.  We might just be getting the hang of this parenting thing after all.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

He's growing like a weed!

Yesterday afternoon was Andrew's 4 month check (actually it was 4 months and 15 days to be exact).  I was looking forward to finding out just how much he's grown, but I was NOT looking forward to his shots.  I teared up at his 2 month visit because it upsets me to see him so distressed.

We got into the exam room and I stripped him down to his diaper. The nurse measured his length.  26.5 inches.  Holy crap!  He grew 4 inches in 2 months!  Then she measured his noggin and it was 16.75 inches.

We went out to the scale and I took off his (wet) diaper for the weigh in. Before I put him on there the nurse asked if I had a guess.  I was figuring around 16 pounds.  Nope - 15 pounds even.

She entered his numbers into his little book and when she handed it back to me I looked to see his percentiles.

Length (26.5") - 88th percentile
Weight (15 lbs 0 oz) - 39th percentile
Head (16.75") - 47th percentile

I was a little concerned since he dropped in the weight category from his 2 month visit (he was in the 42nd percentile then)


Patiently waiting to be examined

Dr. Graham came in and the first thing he said was "He looks perfect!".  I questioned his weight and if he was too skinny, but Dr. Graham handed me his printouts of everything on the growth charts and showed me where he is.  Right on schedule.

He examined him and commented on how impressed he was with Andrew's eye contact, curiosity, and general demeanor.  He said that we can start him on food and do two meals a day. I'm not certain if we're going the baby food route since I've been reading up on BLW, but we'll see.

I asked about the flatness of the back on Andrew's head, but Dr. Graham was not concerned. He said on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the worst) that his head would be a 0.5.  Yeah, it's a little flat right now, but it is nothing to worry about and will round back out once he's not laying on it so much.

After that he hightailed it out of there so the nurse could come in and do the not so pleasant part.

He took the oral vaccine much better this time (although he did spit out a little bit), and then it was time for the shots.  This nurse was much quicker than the one at the 2 month check and she had them done in no time.  Andrew's face did turn an impressive shade of red and he cried, but it wasn't the shrieking that he did the last time.  He calmed down as soon as I picked him up.  I nursed him a little and then we headed to Target where I got him a new toy for being such a fantastic patient. 

He was slightly cranky last night and a little more needy than usual, but he didn't run a fever and he slept like a log for 10 hours overnight.  I guess all that growing tires him out!

I can only imagine how big he'll be at his 6 month check...

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Making some progress

Adjusting to daycare that is.

Last week he had a few rough days.  Andrea asked if he has reflux since on Wednesday he was pretty fussy in the afternoon.  I told her he's never been diagnosed and based on the fact that he doesn't fuss when eating and doesn't spit up an abnormal amount that I don't think he has it.

What he does have is lots of gas.  I swear, with some of the belches he lets out you would think that he just shotgunned a beer.  When he is doing his high pitched scream it is generally due to him having some gas pain. This doesn't happen on a regular basis, but when it does happen we know what it is.

To combat his gas induced fussiness I make sure to get a nice good burp out of him after he eats in the morning.  This morning he let one rip that would put grown men to shame.  And he did it with a smile.

Anyway, yesterday I got a text from Andrea that said "Andrew is doing well today. Nap from 8:15 to 9:20, ate at 9:30, did tummy time for almost 20 mins".

I was so happy to hear that. I've been afraid that he will be the fussy, cranky, ornery baby that they dread having show up every day.

When I went to pick him up at 4:45 he was asleep for his 3rd nap of the day (he also slept from 12:30 - 2:00).  I was thrilled.  When I talked to Andrea she said that he is adjusting to baby Laurie's schedule (she is the 3 month old baby girl) and doing well. I was so proud.  And he was such a happy baby when we got home - I loved it!


A little playtime after we got home. I think he is over me taking pictures of him  :)


I love cuddling with this kid!


This morning, all ready for another day.  And the shirt says it all  (Capt. Adorable)

Here's hoping that today is another good day for him at daycare.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Some changes

As you can see I decided to revamp some of the stuff on my blog.  I decided the pinkish color was just way too girly looking for my little man.  Now it's a little more boyish for him  :)

Anyway - I am so glad that it's Friday and that we made it though the first week at daycare relatively unscathed.  Andrew has had some fussy days and they are discovering what I already knew - he is one gassy baby!

He is adjusting to being with other kids all day and is enjoying the entertainment.  We didn't have any sleep regression this week, which was one thing I was nervous about.  He is napping (some) at daycare and my hope is that soon he will be in a good routine that we can carry over into the weekend.  I'm starting to realize that J and I have pretty much sucked at getting him into a schedule and I really hope we can rectify that soon.

One thing I didn't like this week was the number of bug bites he has gotten.  I know he also got some when he was with us, but he got eaten up on Monday and Tuesday.  6 bites on his right foot alone.  Thankfully they don't seem to bother him, but they bother me.  I am in search of bug repellent that will be safe to use on him. From what I've read, DEET is ok on babies over 2 months, so we may be getting something with that.  Anyone out there have any suggestions???

And just because he's cute and I can't resist showing him off - here are some more pics of Andrew:

Concentrating soooo hard on his toys


Just being cute as ever  :)

Thursday, August 4, 2011

We're gonna be in trouble

Lately Andrew has become a bit of a chewer.  I'm always checking to see if there is a tooth that's about to pop through, but so far it's still just gums.

That's a good thing, because once this kid has teeth we are going to be in trouble.  If you are sitting there holding him and your hand is anywhere near his face he will lunge and chomp down on your fingers.  He particularly loves J's thumb.  It's comical to sit there and watch him gnawing away.

Well, it's comical for now.  I'm just afraid he's going to be the biter at daycare and we'll be getting notes and phone calls in the future...

Testing the waters with a little bite...


and CHOMP!

I'm really hoping it's just that things feel good on his gums and not that he is enjoying biting things.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Falling out of love

No - not  with J.  And certainly not with this little guy:




I'm talking about my love affair with my pump.  Not that I've ever really loved pumping - except for maybe the satisfaction of filling that bottle and the relief I would feel from my engorged boob deflating.

But now the thrill is gone.  I don't feel like it it working as well anymore.  Sometimes it seems like it's 'catching' and making a weird noise - almost sputtering. Like it's not doing the whole cycle. I give it a whack and it goes back to normal.  I'm pretty sure that isn't the recommended way to handle the situation, though.

And I just don't feel like it's getting as much milk as it used to.  After it appears to be done I will finish by hand expressing some more. And I've been getting another ounce or so just by hand.  Obviously there is plenty of milk left in the jugs, but the pump just isn't up to snuff.

Not cool, my little friend. Not cool at all.

But I will persevere and continue to use it until it completely dies because I am bound and determined to keep providing my little munchkin with milk for as long as he wants it.

I'll just no longer be singing the praises of my trusty little sidekick.


Monday, August 1, 2011

First Day

Today is Andrew's first day at daycare.  This morning wasn't the complete chaos that I thought it might be.  Last night I got as much as I could gathered up and ready for today. 

I packed his diaper bag with 6 burp cloths (he's a spitter), 5 bibs, 2 blankets, 4 outfits, 3 packages of wipes and had the box of diapers by the door.  He has a big basket at daycare to keep all his stuff in.  I'll rotate outfits in and out but the other stuff will stay there. They do laundry every week and will wash the bibs, blankets, and burp cloths.

I had the cooler bag in the fridge with four bags of fresh milk. My frozen milk appears to be no good - he is refusing it - so I have to keep up with the pumping to keep him fed. And I had two 6 oz bottles ready for him. Andrea told me that they only need 2 bottles since they'll wash them.

This morning I got up at 5:44 (I like odd times on my alarm clock), got myself ready, went downstairs at 6:30 and pumped one side (got 5 oz for tomorrow).  J came down in the meantime and woke up the little man at 6:45, changed his diaper and got him into his outfit for the day.  I then sat down with him in the glider to nurse him and J left for work.  He ate for about 20 mins, I checked his diaper, then popped him in the crib for a few minutes so I could take everything down to the car.  After a few trips I had everything and I scooped him out of his crib and into the carseat.

We were at the daycare by 7:32 (it's only a mile from the house) and were the first ones there.  This meant I got some time to go over everything with Andrea and Marc.  I filled them in to the fact that he is not the best napper in the world and that I hoped they would have better luck with that than I do.  I spent about 20 minutes there before I dragged myself away and out the door.

He was smiling and "talking" when I left - which I hope was a good sign for the day.  I told him I loved him and that I would be there by 4:30 to get him.

So far I am doing good today. I've only called once to check on him. I think the fact that this isn't the first day that I am ever leaving him has helped. J's mom being here all that time watching him has prepared me and I was able to get through the morning with no tears.

Of course - I can't wait to get out of here in 3 1/2 hours to go pick him up.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he has napped a bit and isn't a complete cranky pants when I get him.  Can't wait to see this face: