Wordless Wednesday: One Arm Swaddle and the edge of the crib

Rest assured, I did move him after taking this picture

First Food-Oatmeal

Andrew started eating Oatmeal on August 17.  We skipped Rice Cereal because all the things I've read about it say that it has little nutritional value; also, when we experimented with in in Andrew's bottles to see if it would decrease reflux, it caused some major constipation for the poor boy.

Andrew LOVES the oatmeal!  The first bite or two he makes a funny, yucky face but very quickly he starts leading towards the spoon with his mouth wide open.  The silly boy also comes at the spoon with his tongue sticking out. The first two or three times we ate, he spit A LOT of the oatmeal onto his bib, the Bumbo, and it was all over everything; however, he is now all about eating as much as he possibly can.

Coming at the spoon with full force

Helping mommy!

Can you tell his tongue is sticking out??

BFFs

This is Nate, Andrew's BFF.

 Andrew and Nate are four months apart are are so fun to watch together.  Nate REALLY wants to touch Andrew and Andrew is okay with it (expect for poking the eye, that didn't go over too well).

 Last night, the boys actually "played" for the first time.  Nate can now crawl and came right to Andrew.  Andrew smiled and stared; later, he grabbed back at Nate.

Wordless Wednesday-Takin' a Drink

Andrew laughing!

We finally managed to capture Andrew's Donald Duck laugh on video!  He's been doing it for a month already, but when he sees the camera he stops and stares at it (you can see that at the end of this video).

First day of School

Today was Andrew's first day of school. 

According to his teachers, he enjoyed himself and proved that he was a big flirt.  The teachers report that he laughed, smiled, and played well all day.  He "barely" spit up for them (don't worry, he saved it all for mommy this afternoon and evening) and drank his bottles without too much distraction. 

They say that he likes the other kids and watches the older ones as they crawl around.  He took two 45-minute naps for them, making him one tired baby (he normally sleeps four hours during the day with me), so he slept a lot this evening.

Everyone asks how I did... to be honest, I think I did okay. 

Although I'm not a huge crier, I had a full on crying fest last night (poor, poor Dave) where I did all my worrying, freaking out, sadness.  I basically cried myself to sleep, but that was good.  This morning, I cried a little bit at daycare when another mom told me I was going to be okay (it was too sweet) and teared up from the daycare until I got on the freeway to drive to Norco for my training.  Many of my friends were at the training and did a good job reassuring me that Andrew was going to do great and helped me be distracted enough.  Tomorrow may be a different story, but today I kept it together.

4 Month Wakeful

I want my baby back!

First, we dealt with a fever after his four month shots. He wasn't happy. All he wanted to do was be held and whimpered all day as his body battled a fever. Like mommy, his cheeks and ears got all red. Thankfully as soon as his fever broke the next night at 7 pm, he clearly felt better and slept a full, peaceful night.

Then last night, he woke up and wanted to play at 4 am. At first, I figured that he was hungry because his daily intake has been significantly lower than normal (after his shots). He wouldn't have anything to do with the bottle. He doesn't cry, but he made it known that he doesn't want to be alone. After an hour of trying to get him to relax and go to sleep with shush/pat, rocking, swaying, and humming, I simply put him down in his crib and laid down myself. He talked to himself quietly and I fell asleep at 5:30 am (good thing it isn't Monday, because I would be getting up and dressed to go to work at that point). Who knows when he eventually went to bed?!? He wasn't loud enough that it woke me up.

At 7 am, he was up and ready to eat, but wouldn't finish his bottle. He really, really wanted to go to sleep at 8:50 but pulled out the full on screaming, squirming, freaking out. Again, tried all the Baby Whisperer tricks. Gave up for awhile, tried again, got frustrated, tried again. Finally, after an hour of frustrating trying to get my over-tired baby to sleep, he crashed. Right now he has been asleep for one hour and nine minutes.

All the April Bumpies report that the 'four month wakeful' period hits with a vengeance so I know that this is 'normal,' but it still is really, really exhausting. I am hoping that we can continue to be consistent with our sleep routine while we go through this so that we can cover out of it (it does end right?!) without having learned any new, bad habits.

He's finally asleep... Well-baby Check up, 4 Months

Yesterday, Andrew went to his four month appointment.  According to the doctor, Andrew is a healthy baby boy who is a bit "advanced" in his physically abilities and size.  He showed off his skills by pushing his head/torso up with his arms, standing up, and sitting in a tripod. 

We discussed his reflux and the need for a higher dosage of Zantac (increased from 1.0 ml to 1.5 ml twice a day) and she recommended that if the Zantac does not continue to help or the symptoms start appearing sooner, he should go to a GI specialist.  That is on hold for now because the Zantac appears to help.

When we talked about Andrew's eating habits and the amount of formula he eats (30-34 oz), she brought up that babies aren't really designed to have more than 32 oz a day because they have a hard time getting enough calories. The statistic that was on the appointment paper said "Four month old babies usually eat 5-6 oz every four hours" and Andrew eats 8.  She wasn't telling me that I was feeding him too much (based on his weight he "needs" between 33-49 oz), but suggesting that based on his size and activity, he needs to start on solids.  I had planned to wait until six months, but because I'm not breastfeeding, I don't feel as strict about it.  Look forward to "eating" posts coming soon.

He had more shots and did not like them at all. He screamed much more than last time, but calmed down pretty quickly when I picked him up.  He did whimper at the nurse when she walked back in afterwards (smart baby remembered who she was).  I cried more than him.  He did pretty well after the appointment until about 7 pm last night when his fever started.

Andrew's fever has gone on all night and today.  He's super clingy and doesn't want to be put down, so much so that he won't sleep without me (gone is my super independent sleeper).  I'm tired.  Thankfully he was SO tired that he finally fell into a deep sleep and I was able to put him down (and why you have this post) and he stayed asleep.

Length: 25 inches, 51st percentile (the nurse didn't even straighten his legs? Not very accurate)

• 9 Weeks: 24 inches, 89th percentile
• 3 Weeks: 21.5 inches, 58th percentile
• Birth: 20.5 inches

Weight: 16 lbs, 4.8 ounces, 78th percentile

• 9 Weeks: 12lbs, 3.8 ounces, 51st percentile
• 3 Weeks: 8 lbs, 14.9 ounces, 24th percentile 
• Birth: 7 lbs, 5 oz

Head Circumference: 17.75 inches, off the charts! 101 percentile

• 9 Weeks: 16.73 inches, 95th percentile
• 3 Weeks: 15.5 inches, 84 percentile
• Birth: 13.5

A boy and his dog

We're working on a great relationship here friends.  Andrew and Reese share mommy and this past week or so, they have starting sharing each other.  Reese enjoys licking Andrew and Andrew now pets, pulls, and laughs at Reese whenever she is close enough.

Here is the conversation that occurred between them and me...
"Mom, this kid can't seem to keep his spit inside his mouth, I'll clean it up for you," Reese, the ever present helper said while Andrew grabs at his ears and whiskers. 

"Mom, this game is old, I'm tired," yawned Reese.

"Andrew, you may be bigger than me now, but my legs are still longer than your arms.  I win," Reese smirks as she wins the pushing battle.

"Reese's tongue tickles," Andrew giggles as Reese continues to help clean up Andrew's throw up.

"If I sit here a bit more, will you pet me Mom?" Reese pleads with her eyes, "Andrew, I'm waiting for mom, you don't have to pet me too."

"This kid even has spit-up on his toes Mom!  Don't worry, I'm taking care of it for you."

Operation: Label-it Part I

With Andrew starting daycare on August 22nd, I've started Operation Label-it.  Basically a bunch of stuff has to go with him and everything needs to have his name on it (and needs to stay there as I wash it in the washer machine or dishwasher).  I did some fancy ordering on the Internet... step one: labeling bottles.

A fellow April mommy (Kristin) recommended Inch Bug Orbit Labels.  Basically these beauties are stretchy bands (the thickness of a Boobies bracelet) that are custom made to include whatever you want to say.  I went basic and just had Andrew's name included, but if you have a kiddo with an allergy or something out of the ordinary, you could include that too.  They stretch onto bottles of all shape and size and can be used over and over again.

Just to highlight how cool they are, I put one on Andrew's playtex bottle, one on a sippy cup, and one on my venti size cup.  All you need to do is pull and stretch! 

The best part?!?  They can stay put until you want to move them to another bottle/sippy/etc.  They are completely dishwasher and microwave safe!

Four Months Old

Developmental Milestones this Month: Andrew can do all of the following age-appropriate developmental things: lift his head 90 degrees and raise his chest with his arms while on his stomach, rolls over from tummy to back and back to side (he has rolled back to tummy twice, but he hasn't repeated the performance since  8/1), reach, grasp and shake toys, bear weight on his legs when supported, sits in Bumbo without wobbling, keep head level 50% of the time when body pulled to sitting, laugh and squeal out loud, smile at people spontaneously, follow tiny objects in 180 degree, follow Mommy and Daddy all around the room, turn the direction of Mommy's voice (especially when someone else is feeding him), razz and blow bubbles with his mouth.

Andrew spends 90% of his life like this on his side.

Physical Growth this Month: Andrew's official four month appointment isn't until next week, but unofficially he weighs 16.2 lbs (WW weigh-in) and is about 27.5 inches long (mommy measured).

Things Andrew likes: Andrew pretty much likes everything these days.  His favorite thing of all time is standing up whether it is being held or in his Jumperoo.  Anytime anyone is paying attention to him he is probably smiling back.  He laughs (totally sounds like Donald Duck) when he's tickled by his armpits.   His hands are still in his mouth constantly.  Mommy is still his favorite person, but Daddy is a close second.

Things Andrew doesn't like: not being the center of attention, being strapped into his car seat, being forced to sit and held like a baby in a cradle.

Sleeping: Andrew is a great sleeper thanks to Baby Whisperer--this month he only woke up one night, all of the other nights were averaging between 9-11 hours of sleep.  His naps have also gotten a lot more consistent.  As long as we're home and we do his routine, he sleeps 90-120 minutes in the morning and early afternoon with a 30-45 minute catnap around dinner time.  We've been working on getting an earlier bedtime in preparation for school starting.  At three months, he was going to bed about 9:30-10.  Now, we've managed to get bedtime about 8:30.  We are also working on shortening the time we shush/pat as part of our sleeping routine.

Eating: Andrew eats 7-8 ounces every four hours during the day and has been refusing the dream feed.  He gets between 28-32 oz every day (exactly the same as three months).  The past two weeks, Andrew has had a hard time concentrating on eating and sometimes takes over an hour to eat one bottle.  GERD is still in full force and I expect that at his next appointment, we'll be upping his dosage again.

Playing: He is less entertained by laying around and requires much more interaction with me and/or toys.  His favorite thing of all time is his jumperoo because he has the ability to stand up, jump, and move around its little circle playing with the different type of toys.  He'll play on his activity mat for awhile, but doesn't really want to stay there very long.  He sits in the Bumbo while I work in the kitchen.  Bath time isn't really play time at this point because he doesn't really fit happily in the sink and is too small for the bathtub.

Diapers: Happily still in size 2--so far we've used 380.

Clothing: Andrew wears 3-6 month onesies, 0-3 month shorts (skinny waist and length doesn't matter), and 12 month hats (big head!).  He can still wear some of the adorable 0-3 month clothes (I know this because I'm not willing to pack them up).

Important Events of Month Four: Second trip to Lakeside, three birthday parties (Rob's 30th, Ivy's 1st, Brendan and Sammy's 3rd), Yearbook Camp, first night away from Mommy and Daddy, time spent with Aunt Nicole and Jesse, first real tears (8/7)

Aunt Nicole and Uncle Jesse

The best part of our weekend??

Spending time with Nicole and Jesse! 

Nicole's awesome planning made it possible for them to spend a lot of time with me, but also with Andrew.  After flying in on Thursday and going to Disneyland, they drove to our house to spend the time.  Friday morning was all Andrew time, then again when we got home on Saturday afternoon and evening.

Andrew enjoyed chewing on their fingers, making big smiles at Uncle Jesse's funny faces, and giggling when Aunt Nicole tickled him.  They also really enjoyed watching me try to figure out how to get the ring sling to work properly (much more practice needed).

 On Saturday night, they joined in on the nighttime routine.  Aunt Nicole helped with bath time and they both read him a book.

Uncle Jesse reading Pat the Bunny

Aunt Nicole reading The Blue Truck

When I can figure out how to get a video to work properly, I have a pretty great one of Jesse reading to Andrew!

After the reunion

We got to play together!

The four of us stayed at the Holiday Inn Hacienda Heights in Old Town, San Diego on Friday night after the reunion.  It was our anniversary as well, so Dave and I enjoyed an Andrew-less night (well sort of, I talked about him most of the time and counted the hours until I could come home) and slept in until 7ish.  After breakfast at the hotel, we walked around Old Town.  As a kid, we use to take a field trip to OT at least once a year, so nothing is new there; however, I love walking around the little museums and the candy shop is always a hit.

the teacher in the school house

After Old Town, we headed to Mission Bay to meet up with a few friends who did not go to the reunion.  After an hour, we headed to lunch at Tio Leo's to meet up with Justin (and Family) and David.  Justin's daughter, Allie, is adorable and was fun to play with while we ate. 

Our 27 hours away from Andrew is our last mini-vaction before going back to work in the upcoming weeks.

High School Reunion

"Prom" style photo at the Baggette House before the Reunion

 This weekend we celebrated being out of high school for ten years by driving to Lakeside (actually Santee) for the El Capitan Class of 2001 reunion.  Nicole and Jesse flew into Long Beach Thursday and we all drove together.  For Nicole and I, it was a bit of a "flash back" to be getting ready for a "dance" together!  Overall, we had a great time together and seeing people after ten years proves that very little changes in the grand scheme of things.

Jessica and Margie

Flashback Friday, Anniversary Edition

Five years ago, Dave and I said 'I do' in front of our friends and family.  Some parts of it seems like it was just yesterday that we got married and then other times it feels like we've been together forever.  Today is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow.

Three Month Photos (take 2)

I didn't like the first set that we took at Penny's (the week he turned three months), so we went again!  The second time around, Andrew was MUCH happier and smiles a lot.  It was hard to not buy every single photo!