Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Four month check up

LittleGuy is four months old and had his well visit today.  He gained almost four pounds in two months, putting him at 14 pounds and he grew three inches to put him at 25"!!!  He's actually half an inch taller than his brother was at this age (and one pound less). Interesting...probably only to me. :)  As you can tell from the video I posted previously, he is one happy, giggly, active baby.  I am pretty busy loving him to pieces.  And I could not ask for a better "big brudder."  Littleman, despite his occasional tantrums (which are decreasing), is patient and helpful everyday.  When he sees me getting ready to nurse he gets the tv remote, locates the burp cloth, and often fills up a cup of water! (He has figured out that he can snag some extra tv time if he is so helpful...sad, but true...and clever!).

So, LittleGuy is growing and I am encouraged to move him to a four hour schedule - he's currently more consistently on a three hour.  I totally agree that this needs to be done.  He's getting bigger, etc.  Do you want to know why I am reluctant?  It means I feed him less during the day...just when I am getting really good at this whole nursing thing!  I literally want to stomp my feet on the ground and demand my oompa-loompa! What I mean is, I am just feeling stubborn.  I know it's best for him, so, of course, I am moving him to the four hour - and he's not really giving a problem, so clearly he's ready.  I just miss the thirty minute sessions of him and me, face to face...or rather face to boob, over and over again.  Did I ever complain?  I can't believe we're here at four months and he can fill his little belly in ten minutes, probably less if I let him.

Papabear is so ready to give him solids...I am not talking about the traditional rice cereal.  I'll be eating a piece of bread or an apple while holding LittleGuy and Papabear will say, "See if he likes it."  ???????  Men.  They can be so ridiculous.  He's a PA for crying out loud!  Anywho, since I am breastfeeding, I am in no hurry to introduce solids.  I'll see where he's at when he's five months old and take it from there.  (With Littleman I was chomping at the bit, convinced solids would get him to sleep through the night. I gave him cereal a week before he was four months old...and no, it did not help him sleep.  I am pretty sure b/c he was not ready for cereal and his belly did not like it).  Silly first time mama.  Things are so different now.  I know I am more confident just because I have done this once before...but I somehow feel that breastfeeding has made me more sure of myself and my ability to nourish my child. Strange.  I really have no explanation for it.  I am clearly feeling a lot of things these days.

Finally, LittleGuy is on day three of sleeping in his crib, in his room.  He's getting over his cold, so he's starting to get back to that lovely time when he'll sleep for six to eight hour stretches, that will hopefully get longer and longer each night.  Last night he woke up at 2...and then again at four...he's not hungry at the four o'clock.  His room is colder than ours and I think he's chilly.  I need to figure that one out.  At 2 I nurse him and he goes right back in his crib.  By six, I end up bringing him into my bedroom.  It's warmer and I'm spent from chugging up and down the hallway.  Today he slept an extra hour - and so did I (even Littleman slept an extra hour!).  Lovely.

So, things are going well.  I can't wait for Christmas.  We're all as giddy as school girls...well, Littleman and I are.  We're singing carols all day long and rearranging presents under the tree.  Do you think Finny-Finn will inherit our love of Christmas, too?  I hope so.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Happy Holidays.  May your days be merry and bright.  Enjoy each other and all the wonderful moments we have with one another.  For those of you far away, I miss you dearly.  And for those of you nearby, please, PLEASE stop me from eating more holiday treats!  You know I can't say no!

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Friday, December 18, 2009

'Tis the season

It's time to be merry and we are.  My mom came for a brief visit, but it was just the thing to make the season jolly.  I miss my family so much and Christmas is really "our" holiday.  Both my mom and dad, before and after the divorce, made Christmas the most special, huge, happy holiday of the year for as long as I can remember.  It is by far the most difficult time for me to be away from all of them.  Anyway, while my mom's visit was short, it was wonderful.  She showered Liam in her special Mormor love and cuddled with Finn.  My stepdad finally got to see where we live and meet our newest member.  It was a really nice weekend.

In the meantime, I am celebrating the holidays with friends, the friends who have kindly made themselves our extended family.  And while all this merry-making occurs, I am constantly thinking about having another child. I KNOW!  I swore two was the number for me....and I can't figure out why I am thinking all day long about another baby...hormones? The desire to try for a girl? Or nurse another little wonder? I certainly cannot afford another person...but that's beside the point.  I love the babies Papabear and I have made...it seems sad not to bring one more into our lives.  The c-section was so terrifying, but also very, very quick.  Ack.  I am just rambling.  I go back and forth.  I feel guilty making LittleGuy a middle child.  I know it would turn all of Papabear's hair gray.  It would mean...a million things. I'm just thinking.  I love our little family, it really is perfect the way it is.  I'm  just saying...should there be another...one day...just IF...it would be totally okay with me.

So, please forget you read all that and enjoy the video and photos below.  I have a bunch of videos to upload, they just take forever.

 

Mormor

I make it to the other side of the camera.

Fun, fun Mormor.

I haven't had latkes since I moved to Texas - my mom was kind enough to make a huge batch.  They are AWESOME!!!

A friend loaned me her Bumbo - aaahhh, the baby stuff, it's neverending!

Littleman all decked out for his caroling show at preschool.

Sleepy baby.

I swear he doesn't usually sleep with all this stuff, as recommended by the American Pediatric Association.  He was asleep with all this stuff for about one minute - just long enough to grab the camera.

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Funny little things...

Littleman will never cease to make us laugh.  I uploaded some pictures the other day and found these:

 

This must be what he's doing while I am changing diapers....I love, LOVE that my kid is such a character.

Also, Papabear and I recently discovered that Littleman has an interesting way of saying November and December.  For some reason he adds "derf" to the end.  So, he says, "Novemberderf" and "Decemberderf." Go ahead, say it out loud a couple of times - we were in tears.

Here's the "snow" we had the other day.

I have a video up on facebook of the snowfall, I'll try to get it up here soon.

Littleman has finally begun to show an interest in letters and writing.  Here's a drawing of the two of us. (I'm on the right, you can tell by the hair.)   :-)

And finally, this year's gingerbread house.

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