Baby Boy had his 4-month shots on Tuesday and, as usual, I almost had a breakdown.
I can't bear to him cry if he's hungry, let alone if he's getting stuck all over the place with needles.
UGH!!
I'm cringing now even thinking about it. He cried a bit more than last time which only added to my angst. He was a trooper though, and one 4 oz.-bottle later he was good to go.
Anyway, it's over and done with, and we don't have to go back for another two months.
Haaal-le-lu-jah! (yes, I'm singing.)
The only good part about these doctor visits is finding out how Baby Boy is doing and growing.
Here are his current stats:
Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz.
Length: 26 1/2 inches
Dr. P. checked him out and said he's super healthy and strong. She also said he's in the 92nd percentile and is on his way to being very tall, just like his Daddy.
That made Daddy very proud.
(insert sniffle here; wipe tear from eye)
In other proud papa news, Baby Boy, his daddy will tell you, is now rolling over and sleeping on his tummy. He's been rolling over during play time for a while now but the sleepy-time rollovers were a bit of a shock and a little unnerving, (for me at least). That's because he hasn't been sleeping through the night for the last few weeks. So seeing him facedown, not moving or fussing was a bit scary.
It may not seem unusual for a baby not to sleep through the night, but this kid's had the sleep-thing down since 4 weeks old. Turns out he's just too big for his bassinet.
His bassinet is pretty big but we knew the day would come when we'd have to retire it and get something bigger. We can't yet put him in his crib because it's too big for our loft. (We're looking for a house but that's another post entirely.)
In the meantime, he's been stretching his arms in his sleep, hitting the top and sides of the bassinet, and waking himself up. Needless to say, we needed to make other sleeping arrangements fast.
Enter the Pack-n-Play.
Baby Boy has now been sleeping comfortably and through the night since Monday.
And the Angels sing.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
4 Months Old
Dear Baby Boy,
You're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you reward me with some new sound or trick or look or move.
I didn't know 4 months would affect me like this but you're doing things I didn't know a 4 month old could do.
For example, I had no idea a 4-month-old baby could have the wherewithal to actually pee on someone and laugh about it.
But you did.
I had no clue that a 4-month-old baby could literally have a conversation with me every day after "school". A true "give-n-take" where you tell me how your day went and I tell you just how much I missed you.
But you do.
Nor could I comprehend even for a second that a 4-month-old baby could be so enthralled by a tv show, that he would reach up, unhook one of the toys hanging from his playmat because it was blocking his view, and go right back to watching the show without missing a beat.
But, um, yeah, you did that, too.
I didn't know playing airplane would make you giggle so much, how tickling you would be one of your favorite pastimes, or how simply looking at your daddy would make you smile.
I thought I would hold you and change you and feed you sometimes. That I'd lay you down in your bassinet and watch you sleep, oohing and aahing at how peaceful you looked. I thought I'd revel in your brand new baby smell and spend my days wondering how I ever lived without you.
Well, that's exactly what I do.
But I also want to pick you up even if I've just put you down. I want to keep you awake as long as possible just so I can look into your eyes. I giggle and play and make funny faces, all in an effort to amuse you. And I'm happy to say, I am now fluent in baby-talk.
I want to do everything for you. I want to make sure you always have a full tummy and fresh laundry. I can't wait to give you sippycups full of milk and juice, and bake cookies and cupcakes for you to take to school. I want to wear a long flowy cape and put an "S" on my chest, so I can call myself SuperMom and keep your world safe.
I want to do all of these things because you're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you amaze me.
You're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you reward me with some new sound or trick or look or move.
I didn't know 4 months would affect me like this but you're doing things I didn't know a 4 month old could do.
For example, I had no idea a 4-month-old baby could have the wherewithal to actually pee on someone and laugh about it.
But you did.
I had no clue that a 4-month-old baby could literally have a conversation with me every day after "school". A true "give-n-take" where you tell me how your day went and I tell you just how much I missed you.
But you do.
Nor could I comprehend even for a second that a 4-month-old baby could be so enthralled by a tv show, that he would reach up, unhook one of the toys hanging from his playmat because it was blocking his view, and go right back to watching the show without missing a beat.
But, um, yeah, you did that, too.
I didn't know playing airplane would make you giggle so much, how tickling you would be one of your favorite pastimes, or how simply looking at your daddy would make you smile.
I thought I would hold you and change you and feed you sometimes. That I'd lay you down in your bassinet and watch you sleep, oohing and aahing at how peaceful you looked. I thought I'd revel in your brand new baby smell and spend my days wondering how I ever lived without you.
Well, that's exactly what I do.
But I also want to pick you up even if I've just put you down. I want to keep you awake as long as possible just so I can look into your eyes. I giggle and play and make funny faces, all in an effort to amuse you. And I'm happy to say, I am now fluent in baby-talk.
I want to do everything for you. I want to make sure you always have a full tummy and fresh laundry. I can't wait to give you sippycups full of milk and juice, and bake cookies and cupcakes for you to take to school. I want to wear a long flowy cape and put an "S" on my chest, so I can call myself SuperMom and keep your world safe.
I want to do all of these things because you're 4 months old now - 16 weeks and 2 days old to be exact - and every day you amaze me.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Weekly Recap
I know it's been a while since I've posted. I've just been caught up in the business of being a mommy, I guess. But there have been a couple of noteworthy occurrences so let's recap:
Baby's Bouncy:
I bought the baby a new bouncy. Well, that's my word for it anyway. It's really more of a stationary walker-type contraption that he can sit in and bounce. His feet touch the floor, and when he's able to do so, he'll be able to turn 360 degrees in his seat. There are toys all over the tray and overhead for him to play with, and it plays music every time he touches one of the toys. He loves it! He still prefers his fisherprice playmat, but I think that's mostly because he's got a bit more growing to do before his feet are completely flat on the floor. I prefer the bouncy because it keeps him sitting up instead of on his back all the time. He can see more of what's going on around him and I like that. Watch for my review of this product coming soon to my review page.
1st rollover:
Over the holiday weekend we had a lot of places to go, people to see so we were in and out of the house quite a bit. While I was getting ready for one of these outings, I had to put the baby down on his playmat for a few minutes. Here's what happened next:
Hubby, on his way down to pull the car around ~ "Did you dress AK yet?"
Me ~ "Yes."
Hubby ~ "Ok, I'll be waiting downstairs when you're ready."
Hubby left and five minutes later I heard the baby fussing. I went to get him to put him in his car seat and saw him on his tummy on the mat. Why did hubby ask if he was dressed, I thought. He must have seen the baby when he put him on his tummy. Weird. Anyway, I packed up the baby and left to get in the car.
Me ~ "Why did you ask if the baby was dressed? Didn't you see him when you put him on his tummy?"
Hubby ~ Crickets
Me ~ "Well?"
Hubby ~ "I didn't put him on his tummy."
Me ~ Crickets
Lil man did his first rollover and we both missed it.
UGH
1st Bout of Jealousy:
During one of our holiday outings, I was holding my friend's baby on my lap. This baby is about a month older than my son. My sister-in-law was holding my boy on her lap, directly across from me. Well, AK saw me cooing and cuddling with this other baby, and he was not happy about it. Long story short, he started out with a little scowl on his face, and ended up with his bottom lip stuck out to there in the most pathetic little pout I've ever seen. When his bottom lip started to quiver, I lost it. I started crying. Really, I was sort of crying and laughing at the same time - crying because I didn't want to hurt my baby's feelings, and laughing because, well, it was so silly for me to be crying over something so ridiculous. Anyway, I gave the other baby back to his mommy and scooped mine up, and all was, once again, right with the world.
So there's my recap.
How was your week?
~ MAK
Baby's Bouncy:
I bought the baby a new bouncy. Well, that's my word for it anyway. It's really more of a stationary walker-type contraption that he can sit in and bounce. His feet touch the floor, and when he's able to do so, he'll be able to turn 360 degrees in his seat. There are toys all over the tray and overhead for him to play with, and it plays music every time he touches one of the toys. He loves it! He still prefers his fisherprice playmat, but I think that's mostly because he's got a bit more growing to do before his feet are completely flat on the floor. I prefer the bouncy because it keeps him sitting up instead of on his back all the time. He can see more of what's going on around him and I like that. Watch for my review of this product coming soon to my review page.
1st rollover:
Over the holiday weekend we had a lot of places to go, people to see so we were in and out of the house quite a bit. While I was getting ready for one of these outings, I had to put the baby down on his playmat for a few minutes. Here's what happened next:
Hubby, on his way down to pull the car around ~ "Did you dress AK yet?"
Me ~ "Yes."
Hubby ~ "Ok, I'll be waiting downstairs when you're ready."
Hubby left and five minutes later I heard the baby fussing. I went to get him to put him in his car seat and saw him on his tummy on the mat. Why did hubby ask if he was dressed, I thought. He must have seen the baby when he put him on his tummy. Weird. Anyway, I packed up the baby and left to get in the car.
Me ~ "Why did you ask if the baby was dressed? Didn't you see him when you put him on his tummy?"
Hubby ~ Crickets
Me ~ "Well?"
Hubby ~ "I didn't put him on his tummy."
Me ~ Crickets
Lil man did his first rollover and we both missed it.
UGH
1st Bout of Jealousy:
During one of our holiday outings, I was holding my friend's baby on my lap. This baby is about a month older than my son. My sister-in-law was holding my boy on her lap, directly across from me. Well, AK saw me cooing and cuddling with this other baby, and he was not happy about it. Long story short, he started out with a little scowl on his face, and ended up with his bottom lip stuck out to there in the most pathetic little pout I've ever seen. When his bottom lip started to quiver, I lost it. I started crying. Really, I was sort of crying and laughing at the same time - crying because I didn't want to hurt my baby's feelings, and laughing because, well, it was so silly for me to be crying over something so ridiculous. Anyway, I gave the other baby back to his mommy and scooped mine up, and all was, once again, right with the world.
So there's my recap.
How was your week?
~ MAK
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
What you REALLY Need...
Every new mommy has 2 lists:
The list of things she thought she needed AND the list of things she actually ended up using. And it's every new mommy's responsibility to pass that info along to the next new mommy.
If you're a new mommy, too, then for sure you're busy with your brand new bundle of baby love, so let's skip right to the list of stuff you're actually going to need, k?
Onesies. Lots & lots of onesies. Babies live in these and they grow out of them very quickly.
A Nipple Brush. You've got to clean your bottles but the nipples must be cleaned especially well. Dr. Brown's bottles come with a small wire cleaner especially for nipples.
A Microwave Sterilizer. You've got to sterilize everything before you use it so a sterilizer like the one Avent makes is a great find. You can sterilize bottles, nipples, paci's, etc., right in the microwave. 5 minutes and you're done.
Burp Cloths & Bibs. Babies are messy. 'Nuff said.
Receiving Blankets. At least 2 large ones so you can swaddle your baby. Swaddling saved us many a sleepless night. Lil man has been sleeping through the night since he was 4 weeks old and it's because we only swaddled him at nght. It helped set him up in his bedtime routine. Swaddling = sleepy time.
Enfamil Travel Packs. If you're formula-feeding, these are a life-saver. They come in packs of 20 and are good for 4 oz. bottles.
Diapers.
A Rectal Thermometer. You WILL have a fever scare and you WILL need to have an accurate temperature reading. Rectal thermometers give the most accurate reading.
Baby Tylenol (Acetaminophen). Great for the fever that ensues after baby's first shots.
A Humidifier. Lil man has had a couple of colds and the humidifier is a huge help.
A Baby Swing. The swing was an integral part of our bedtime routine in the beginning. He no longer needs it to go to sleep but it's great for when I have laundry to fold or dinner to make, too.
Carseat/Stroller Combo. Graco makes a great pair. The car seat locks right into the stroller so you can take the baby anywhere right from the start. I don't know about you, but car seats with babies in them are heavy. Because he's still so little, I usually leave the car seat locked into the stroller. All I have to do is strap him in and I'm out the door. And when I have errands to run, I just take the car seat out, put it in the car and fold the stroller up. I don't have to figure out how I'm going to carry the carseat & baby, my purse and whatever shopping bags I've accumulated either. I pop open the stroller, snap lil man's seat in, and throw the bags in the stroller's storage bin. Easy As Pie.
That's the bulk of my list. Baby nail files, saline drops and the bulb aspirators that the hospital give you also deserve an honorable mention.
What did I miss?
Share your must-haves in the comments section.
Thx!
MAK
The list of things she thought she needed AND the list of things she actually ended up using. And it's every new mommy's responsibility to pass that info along to the next new mommy.
If you're a new mommy, too, then for sure you're busy with your brand new bundle of baby love, so let's skip right to the list of stuff you're actually going to need, k?
Onesies. Lots & lots of onesies. Babies live in these and they grow out of them very quickly.
A Nipple Brush. You've got to clean your bottles but the nipples must be cleaned especially well. Dr. Brown's bottles come with a small wire cleaner especially for nipples.
A Microwave Sterilizer. You've got to sterilize everything before you use it so a sterilizer like the one Avent makes is a great find. You can sterilize bottles, nipples, paci's, etc., right in the microwave. 5 minutes and you're done.
Burp Cloths & Bibs. Babies are messy. 'Nuff said.
Receiving Blankets. At least 2 large ones so you can swaddle your baby. Swaddling saved us many a sleepless night. Lil man has been sleeping through the night since he was 4 weeks old and it's because we only swaddled him at nght. It helped set him up in his bedtime routine. Swaddling = sleepy time.
Enfamil Travel Packs. If you're formula-feeding, these are a life-saver. They come in packs of 20 and are good for 4 oz. bottles.
Diapers.
A Rectal Thermometer. You WILL have a fever scare and you WILL need to have an accurate temperature reading. Rectal thermometers give the most accurate reading.
Baby Tylenol (Acetaminophen). Great for the fever that ensues after baby's first shots.
A Humidifier. Lil man has had a couple of colds and the humidifier is a huge help.
A Baby Swing. The swing was an integral part of our bedtime routine in the beginning. He no longer needs it to go to sleep but it's great for when I have laundry to fold or dinner to make, too.
Carseat/Stroller Combo. Graco makes a great pair. The car seat locks right into the stroller so you can take the baby anywhere right from the start. I don't know about you, but car seats with babies in them are heavy. Because he's still so little, I usually leave the car seat locked into the stroller. All I have to do is strap him in and I'm out the door. And when I have errands to run, I just take the car seat out, put it in the car and fold the stroller up. I don't have to figure out how I'm going to carry the carseat & baby, my purse and whatever shopping bags I've accumulated either. I pop open the stroller, snap lil man's seat in, and throw the bags in the stroller's storage bin. Easy As Pie.
That's the bulk of my list. Baby nail files, saline drops and the bulb aspirators that the hospital give you also deserve an honorable mention.
What did I miss?
Share your must-haves in the comments section.
Thx!
MAK
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
It's That Time Again.
WELCOME ICLW'ers!!
I'm so glad you decided to stop by and check out my blog.
In a nutshell, I'm a thirty-something wife and mommy. I struggled with infertility and fibroids for several years before conceiving my beautiful baby boy,and documented the latter part of that journey in my blog, Ova-EZ. Now that I'm a baby mama, I'm writing about all things mommy here in the 'hood.
Please feel free to go back and read through the posts on my old blog. I'm doing the mommy thing now but I never want to forget the road that brought me to this point, or the lessons I learned along the way. Hopefully something I've written may help someone else feel a little less alone.
And now, since we just met, here are some things you may not know about me:
1. I'm a HUGE Twilight fan. But who isn't?
2. I'm an author. No, the book hasn't been published but I wrote it. So, yes. I AM AN AUTHOR.
3. I'm a huge believer in "Name It & Claim It." (Hence, #2 on this list.)
4. I'm ambidextrous. Not only can I write with both hands, but I can also write backwards.
5. Sometimes I dance when I eat.
6. I studied Latin for 6 years. Yes, LATIN.
7. I have an eidetic (photographic) memory for faces and words, and I can spell like nobody's business.
8. Haiku is one of my favorite forms of poetry.
9. I was dropped on my head as a baby and given my last rites. (Hence #4, 5 & 7? Maybe. It's anybody's guess.)
10. I have 8 brothers & sisters.
That's all I got. That's it. Nothing else.
Now go on. Get out of here. Go check out the other amazing ICLW blogs and make sure to comment!!
xoxo
MAK
I'm so glad you decided to stop by and check out my blog.
In a nutshell, I'm a thirty-something wife and mommy. I struggled with infertility and fibroids for several years before conceiving my beautiful baby boy,and documented the latter part of that journey in my blog, Ova-EZ. Now that I'm a baby mama, I'm writing about all things mommy here in the 'hood.
Please feel free to go back and read through the posts on my old blog. I'm doing the mommy thing now but I never want to forget the road that brought me to this point, or the lessons I learned along the way. Hopefully something I've written may help someone else feel a little less alone.
And now, since we just met, here are some things you may not know about me:
1. I'm a HUGE Twilight fan. But who isn't?
2. I'm an author. No, the book hasn't been published but I wrote it. So, yes. I AM AN AUTHOR.
3. I'm a huge believer in "Name It & Claim It." (Hence, #2 on this list.)
4. I'm ambidextrous. Not only can I write with both hands, but I can also write backwards.
5. Sometimes I dance when I eat.
6. I studied Latin for 6 years. Yes, LATIN.
7. I have an eidetic (photographic) memory for faces and words, and I can spell like nobody's business.
8. Haiku is one of my favorite forms of poetry.
9. I was dropped on my head as a baby and given my last rites. (Hence #4, 5 & 7? Maybe. It's anybody's guess.)
10. I have 8 brothers & sisters.
That's all I got. That's it. Nothing else.
Now go on. Get out of here. Go check out the other amazing ICLW blogs and make sure to comment!!
xoxo
MAK
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Love
In the last 3 months AK has learned to fold his hands, hold his head up, and bat at his toys. He's grabbing things and talking, and even sleeping through the night. And last night during play time he laughed out loud.
(swoon)
He loves to chat with me about his day. He gets just as excited about a poopie diaper as I do, and his favorite thing of all is getting wrapped up in a towel after his bath.
All babies are cute. But I had no idea I would be so utterly captivated by the toothless grin that greets me each day when I push back the hood of the bassinet and say, "Good morning."
He gets so happy when I say "I Love You". He pulls my hand to his chest and raises his head so I'll pick him up. And when I have him in my arms and hug him, he hugs me right back.
He has singlehandedly swept me off my feet.
I. Am. In.
LOVE.
(swoon)
He loves to chat with me about his day. He gets just as excited about a poopie diaper as I do, and his favorite thing of all is getting wrapped up in a towel after his bath.
All babies are cute. But I had no idea I would be so utterly captivated by the toothless grin that greets me each day when I push back the hood of the bassinet and say, "Good morning."
He gets so happy when I say "I Love You". He pulls my hand to his chest and raises his head so I'll pick him up. And when I have him in my arms and hug him, he hugs me right back.
He has singlehandedly swept me off my feet.
I. Am. In.
LOVE.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Are you there, Lord, it's me, MAK...
I know You are.
I came upon a photo I used to surprise hubby with the news I was with child. It was a random photo of a baby I thought was cute. I pulled it off the internet. Just a cute little photo of a child captured as he slumbered.
I created a screensaver for the computer so he'd see it as soon as he sat down at his desk. Nothing extravagant, just a simple "Congrats, you're going to be a daddy!" and the picture.
I surprised him. It was sweet. He loved it.
Unfortunately, not too long afterward, I lost the baby. After so much time and effort, I'd lost our child, and hope, at the same time.
Then, a few short months later, I found out I was pregnant again. No surprise for daddy this time, just a quick fearful tap on his shoulder as I showed him the positive pregnancy test. Fearful because I didn't know what to expect. It was so soon. Would this time be different? We accepted the news and waited, hopeful.
Nine months later we welcomed our little miracle into the world and thanked You for the beautiful blessing you bestowed upon us.
I knew You had answered my prayer for a child. We wanted a baby and You gave us one.
I didn't understand then that You had given me the baby I prayed for.
Just yesterday I was going through all of the photos we've taken of the little guy. I want to use some for a book I'm writing for him. It's a children's book about how he was born, and I needed pictures from my pregnancy too. That picture I used for my husband's surprise was in with some of my pregnancy shots, right next to a photo of my new baby boy.
That's when I knew You answered my prayer.
Not a prayer.
My prayer.
"Baby Boy & Hubby"
"Internet Baby"
Amen.
I came upon a photo I used to surprise hubby with the news I was with child. It was a random photo of a baby I thought was cute. I pulled it off the internet. Just a cute little photo of a child captured as he slumbered.
I created a screensaver for the computer so he'd see it as soon as he sat down at his desk. Nothing extravagant, just a simple "Congrats, you're going to be a daddy!" and the picture.
I surprised him. It was sweet. He loved it.
Unfortunately, not too long afterward, I lost the baby. After so much time and effort, I'd lost our child, and hope, at the same time.
Then, a few short months later, I found out I was pregnant again. No surprise for daddy this time, just a quick fearful tap on his shoulder as I showed him the positive pregnancy test. Fearful because I didn't know what to expect. It was so soon. Would this time be different? We accepted the news and waited, hopeful.
Nine months later we welcomed our little miracle into the world and thanked You for the beautiful blessing you bestowed upon us.
I knew You had answered my prayer for a child. We wanted a baby and You gave us one.
I didn't understand then that You had given me the baby I prayed for.
Just yesterday I was going through all of the photos we've taken of the little guy. I want to use some for a book I'm writing for him. It's a children's book about how he was born, and I needed pictures from my pregnancy too. That picture I used for my husband's surprise was in with some of my pregnancy shots, right next to a photo of my new baby boy.
That's when I knew You answered my prayer.
Not a prayer.
My prayer.
"Baby Boy & Hubby"
"Internet Baby"
Amen.
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