giggles n gags photos

Look at those rosey cheeks:

gags and giggles

Aiden was doing better for hump day this week, and he rode the roller coaster past Wednesday straight into a sicker slump. Wednesday night was bad, Thursday night was worse. For a first time mom to hear her little one cough until he gags and then scream and squirm it is traumatic. Not to be overly dramatic, but it was making me sad that he wasn't really able to find much comfort. We'd get him comfortable bouncing with daddy on the big ball and then all of a sudden he would scream without warning (this is unusual because daddy is a master baby comforter).

Friday morning rolled around and we called the doctor repeatedly until we got through at 8:30am. They suspected an ear infection so they got us an appointment. I was glad I didn't have to beg to have him come in and I was relieved that they would check him out before the weekend. We saw a different doctor that took one look in his ears and said "he's got a double"... It took me a second to realize he wasn't talking about his double chin, but meant a double ear infection - aw, I thought, good they can take care of that with some bubble gum medicine... then he listened to his rattly chest and he went on to say, "and a case of croup"... My aw-poor-baby went into super drive aaaah-that's-a-scary word.

Croup to me is an old fashioned illness that isn't really helped by medicine and can be very, very serious. In Tucson, I volunteered with an organization called Ben's Bells - bensbells.org which was started by a family whose two year old son died of croup without warning. Volunteering with them to help make bells and spread kindness is one of the things I miss most about Tucson. So as he explains that the weezy, out of breath cough that comes straight from his pulsating tummy is croup caused by a virus. Croup narrows the air passage and he explained that when your air passage is so small in the first place it can be very disruptive. He said that they don't know why but it does get worse at night when the body slows down for rest. It is helped by humidified hot air and also cold rushes of air, but he could hear the barky weeze even at lunch time after being carried in through the cold. So he prescribed three nights worth of prednisolone, which is an anti-inflammatory.

We gave him a dose last night and he immediately vomitted three times to be sure that none of it was actually taken in. It is really rancid tasting according to J, and this kid's face of disgust was almost cute. He was throwing up and then giggling, so at least he was in good spirits. We called to ask if we should try to give him another dose. They said to try again in small doses or hide it in food. Since it is impossible to hide it without giving him a bottle (which he wasn't excited to take), we ended up giving him 1/4 teaspoons at a time with a good dose of num nums in between. He got it all down and it was a magic drug! It can make kids restless, but instead it comforted him, squelched his cough, and he slept from 10pm to 3am. He woke up and ate well from both sides and slept again until 7am! (That is the most sleep I've had in at least five months!) He didn't cough much at all until this morning when he was working on all the ear infection drainage (ick). His cough now sounds effective and not as croupy and weezy. The antibiotics will really start doing the trick soon, and we will really have our healthy happy hippo lover back on track. I'm hoping that this will be the worse of the new daycare illness for a while.

I'm just glad that Aiden kept his giggle puss going. He wasn't all that excited to go to the doctor and was fussing as we got through the door. It helps to talk to him while he fusses because then instead of shrieks he will start talking to you. He really sounds like he has a point and he will goo and gaa in response to you. He started doing this as I was checking out at the front counter. I held him up to the window and he had a talk with the woman behind the desk. I think he was thanking her for getting him an appointment at the last minute. He talked as we made our way to the car and as we cruised up to the CVS drivethru (best shopping innovation i'd never used), then he promptly fell asleep. Thank goodness for the good ol car rumble comfort.

land of normal

We are now settled in a new land of normal. Aiden was out sick for his first two official days in the new daycare, but he is back on track and made it through his first day with a giggle and rosey cheeks. His "Highlights of the Day" section on his "Infant Daily Activity Report" sheet said, "Aiden had a great first day! He enjoyed floor time and bouncing in the chair looking at himself. :)" I am thoroughly amused that they gave the kid a mirror to keep him occupied.

permit

It was time for our big boy to get his permit:


Thanks to Great Aunt Hev who gave us this idea a while back...

3 months!

Dear Aiden,

Yup, mommy's going to try to write you a note every month. Even if you are embarrassed or bored by them, I hope that if you have your own kids you can read back over them while cuddling your own little cuddle bug. As I write this, you and dad are snuggling up and watching the Super Bowl - the one where the Patriots may make history with a perfect season. I remember when I was pregnant I wanted you to be a World Series baby. The Red Sox did make it a good season (capped off with World Series win) and kept us occupied in those tired nights when I laid in bed with my belly wedged between five pillows.

We went to a party when I was around 8 months pregnant and some confused guy said that it looks like I could have a baby during the Super Bowl... my tired back and achey pelvis screamed - no way, we want to meet this kid well before then. I couldn't imagine waiting that long to meet you (and that was when I loved being pregnant). So, now the Super Bowl is really here and we really know you now. I figure I've known you for about six months of awake time due to all our late night cuddling.

You're beginning to sleep in longer and longer stretches. In the past couple of weeks, you've developed a reputation for being a 4am party animal. You are usually up to eat around 1-2am and then you will drift off into a sweet slumber. Then right around 4am you wake up not really interested in eating, but instead you want to play. Just the other night was your dream come true. You were having trouble with your cough and boofy illness, so Daddy and I took you into the bathroom and turned up the hot shower (to get some muggy humid air into your sad lungs). We danced and sang and you were super excited that we finally got with the program. You really are the best spirited sick kid with big smiles after you cough.

It's hard to believe that you are 3 months old. I feel like I'm frequently saying I just can't believe how time flies and how much can change in such a short amount of time. I was going back through all of your videos which seem like a documentary of cheek growth. You seem to grow cheek chub one week and then stretch to grow into them the next week... and then repeat. You have really grown a nice little chub suit compared to those first few weeks.

One of my favorite things is how you like to use one little finger to hang on to the table on your swing... or to point at your lips like a little thinker. You started this a long time ago, even in those first few days (there is even a photo in your birth announcement with you pointing at your cheek). It's only just recently that you've started grabbing onto us when we hold you and stretching out those little fingers as you snag our shirt collars.

I just paused in writing this to feed you and the pats were winning. I thought for sure that daddy would be dancing soon. Sometimes when he dances you mimic him with your bouncey legs. But instead the pats just let it slip, which just goes along with the theme of our rough week. Oh well, you are still smiling through your struggling cough... gotta just keep on, keeping on... Love, Your First Time Mommy

quick checkup

Yesterday we called over to the doc to check on Aiden's cough (mainly because online it said that a cough in a three month old is rare and could be serious... and oh yeah, that first time parents syndrome we are proud to live by lately). She asked whether it was disrupting his sleep or whether he was eating, both of which seem fine. She said it would be better to come in to rule out anything serious and that is is probably just a little virus. So we trucked him over there in the icky sludgy rain, and he showed off his cough on the way in the door and gave a good choking cough for the nurse. But after having his temp taken (which was normal), he turned into flirty, smiley baby. He had the hiccups for the doc but woudn't show off his cough for her. It looked like he was just there to coo and kick for the doctor. They checked on his weight and reassured us that he isn't getting off track. He's right on the 75 percentile still for a 3 month old at 14.5 lbs. I have a feeling that the five uncles over 6 feet tall genes are going to have some influence on this kid. We left the doctor with a dry cough baby, but last night he evolved into a stuffed up spit up baby. We learned quickly the power of the saline baby spray and Aiden was super excited to have his 4am party in the muggy bathroom with the hot shower going. I think we're all ready for a calm weekend.

so right

Aiden and I went for a dry run at the new center this morning and it was just so right. Aiden was immediately scooped up and he was smiling and cooing at his assigned caregiver, Miss Maria. They already had his crib out and cleaned up all shiny and new for him. We were able to stay for a play date with the other 8 month old that will be in Aiden's group of three, Jillian. He was talking, showing off how he can push with his legs to stand up, and cheerfully staring at the bright lights (which he just loves wherever we go). Then he fell fast asleep, happy as a clam, while I signed the final enrollment contract. I really feel like we will click into a routine after Monday and I'm relieved just thinking about it.

maaama

Focusing back in on the fun-o-rama with our little bundle of boy:  Our big boy is being pretty vocal lately. It is crazy but there are times when it really sounds like he's distinctly saying/yelling for mama. It was so distinct today that I ran to get the camera, which is the fool proof way to get him to clam up. Not sure why he gets camera shy, but I'll catch him eventually. He will gibber gabber with you if you respond to his coos, he'll respond back. He likes the highest pitched eeeing. His favorite is when daddy reads him the fluffy chick book. It's a soft book that daddy smudges against his face every once in a while. He normally tries to bite or kiss at the book. We hope it's just as much fun for him as it is for us to catch his squeals.

just done

We're all just done with this week.  Aiden's ready to be done with this little cough and hot box syndrome.  Mom and Dad are just done worrying about his care.  After J calling and leaving everything on good terms with a good ol - It's not you, it's us - the care lady showed up at our house last night while J was away.  She was nice enough to bring back all of the stuff we had left there (extra diapers, wipes, and my liquid gold frozen breast milk) and to give me a nice dose of condescending-you-sure-are-a-first-time-mom when I finally found my voice to tell her that I'm not comfortable having a blanket full of spit up wrapped around my sleeping baby's head.  Oh, well some parents ask for no blankets and some don't care, and you know you can get them tested for SIDS (!? besides the point!) was her response.  Well, ok, I just don't feel like we have the same style and I don't want to have to be the demanding mom, so sorry.  She insisted that I come to her mommy night in February (because "I have a lot to learn" - uh ok), and I just tried to say I'd feel awkward, but thanks.  This woman just doesn't listen to me, but I am listening to my gut. My gut says this should just be done already.  

new center

Long story short: After a series of worries and a botched pick up at daycare yesterday, Aiden will start at his new center on Monday. We thought that the in home we had set up was ideal because we had such strong referrals. All of our indirect evidence was good, but our direct evidence was not so hot. I am happy with our decision to take him to a center that we had looked at and liked earlier in the fall. I don't think you really know what style you'll appreciate or need until those needs aren't met. My mom understands and she said it best... he just needs to be safe as an infant. Safety will give him a sense of security which will make him feel loved.

I don't want to really remember the details, so I'm not going to get into why we made the switch... Let's just say that at a certain point I really thought I was being punked (or I was on a really cruel edition of candid camera). Then my sense of humor disappeared and I was just traumatized. The ingredients of my pick up nightmare included seven toddlers (!, no helpers to be found), two big dogs, a leftover bottle intended for my hungry baby, a blanket full of spit up wrapped around the side of sleeping Aiden's neck, lit candles and a gigantic wooden toy box around unattended two year olds, and to top the awful cake, a bloody diaper rash (on another kid that wasn't given any comfort). I tried to call and resolve what I thought had to be an out of the ordinary situation, but I was told it was typical. Oh well, that won't be typical for us. I learned what is important to us and I am glad that J and I took action to make the switch immediately. We visited the center again this afternoon and we were really comforted by the orderly, professional atmosphere. I'm so grateful that they had space for us to start almost immediately. Eek, now the awkward part of telling the other daycare we won't be coming back needs to happen before tomorrow.

calming

Calming a Baby 101 with Granny and PopPop: Buy gum that no one likes, eat just enough that it makes a rackety rattle sound, wave back and forth evenly to lull the baby to sleep. Exhibit A:
Aiden isn't a particularly fussy baby, but he can really go from 0 to 90 on the scream scale quickly (I blame his gas pains, because I've heard the bumbo rumble and been startled out of my sleep by those explosions). Granny would snag him whenever he fussed and affectionately say "if you're talkin, we're walkin" as she started in circles from our living room through the kitchen and dining room and back. He got a new nickname, Archie, after breaking Granny's back by arching his back until he calmed down. Then around the same time J started calling him Thor, the thunder pooper. I won't get into the details, but let's just say that if we hear a rumble we immediately put him on the changing table to wait out the storm. Baby Thor is never a bore.
As I write this, here is J's rhyming -
"Look at you stand like a big man,
trying to stand as long as you can,
as you try to formulate a plan,
to get some milk from the milk wo-man."
gotta run to take care of baby...

family fun

see ya soon

My folks just left after helping us with my transition back to work. They came to town a little over two weeks ago and that time flew by. My parents were so incredibly helpful and I cannot thank them enough for every, every, everything! When they first arrived my sister and future brother in law were here, that time with all of us together was a big warm fuzzy, full of trips to friendly's to get peanut butter sauce, new kitchen tiles (thanks!!), and baby cuddling. I wish I could smash all the states together so that all of our family was closer. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon...

flex schedule

Four bottles a day, max five ounces each. That's the plan after my folks helped take care of Aiden during my first week back. He was slurping it down quickly and even though we tried to cut him back he was determined to eat that much. We think we have better slow flow nipples than the other slow flow we started using initially. You can't "set your clock" by this kid's schedule like my friend can with her kid, but he had some trends. He will eat between 7:30-8:30am (with dad), 10:30-11:30am, 1-2pm, and 3:30-4:30pm just like the breast fed baby charts suggest. It's a relief to have some inkling of what to expect and how to prepare for Aiden's day care, but I'm sure things will change... I know that every kid is different, but anybody with kiddos have input on how much their kid was eating at three months? I'm thinking that we will just try to be as flexible as possible with this growth spurt prone kid.

muffin man

This baby is getting bigger by the minute. When I was in the hospital they warned us that exclusively breastfed babies will have big growth spurts and become chubby bunnies for their first year, but after that they are a lot less likely to be obese. They are building some seriously strong antibodies for their overall immunity but they are especially building a very efficient digestive system from the breastmilk that meets their needs exactly. Even since my folks arrived he has grown! We buy our pampers in bulk and we had to move up to the next size because the stretchy bands on the smaller ones were making him look like he had a muffin top. My mom and I have now taken to singing him the "do you know the muffin man" song, which he loves... probably because we're laughing under our breath as we sing it ;) I can't believe my little guy is moving up the diaper size chart from swaddler to cruiser soon!

hippo kisses

Time in the big chair with daddy and hippo. Still a little camera shy, but at least he looks right at the camera:

breezy day

Phew, the first day back to work was breezy. I woke up at 6am, fed and changed my little snug bug, and he promptly fell back to sleep in his swing like he is used to doing in unison with mommy. He snoozed while I got ready to go. I dug out the curling iron I hadn't used in over three months and put on some earrings even though I thought my holes were closing up (yeah, I was pretty low key for the holidays). I said goodbye to my little sleepyhead, kissed him in his sleep, and got teary when I turned to grab my bags to go this morning. My parents were there with hugs that boosted me up just enough to keep my chin up to run out the door into the rain. It was a crappy, rainy, ucky day and J and I jumped in the car. I whimpered a bit more to him in the car..."It isn't that I can't handle going back to work, I don't WANT to handle going back..." I think in the scheme of things I want to BE back at work I just didn't know HOW to go back. If I could just fast forward a couple weeks when we have everything figured out, I would be set. I again don't know what I don't know (an icky feeling that accompanies change that always ends up good in the end). I want to have Aiden's "schedule" all figured out. I felt like I was pumping all day (five times! every two hours starting right when I got in at 8am), but somehow this kid is into champion bottle eating now and beat me by a couple ounces (I pumped a bit over 19 ounces and he ate 23!!) We are going to get him on some slow flow nipples just to get some extra sucking in to be sure he really needs that much. Pumping in my office was a very strange feeling, but I didn't have any trouble. I had my digital photo frame clicking away so I wouldn't miss my little sweet lips too much. I called home around lunch and Granny put Aiden on the phone with me to say hi, which kept me going. It was easier to deal with feeling tired than I expected, but I definitely hit a 3pm slump harder than I used to. I rushed out of my office when it was time to go home and it seemed like the day just breezed by. Since I've been home he only had a little 5 minute snack, so I think he decided to power feed while I was away today. I can't thank my parents enough for making this transition as easy as possible for me, J and especially Aiden.

meeting miss lynn

Yesterday we arranged to touch base with Miss Lynn, Aiden's care mommy starting Jan 28th. We are really lucky (and extremely grateful) to have my folks here to take him for my first week back so we can figure out his schedule better and get him used to taking the bottle at least three times a day. He hasn't needed his night bottle and will sleep at least three or four hours at the beginning of the night, then he's back to 2-3 hours for the rest of the night. My fingers are crossed that he'll be ok with the bottle. Lynn had most of her kids napping and her two youngest ones eating when we arrived. Aiden was sleepy from the car when he squirmed out of his car seat to meet Lynn. He cuddled on my shoulder and woke up all wide eyed. He looked around and seemed sleepy. He fussed when Lynn was holding him, but he seemed to warm up a little bit. We talked a bit about what to expect and what we should bring for him, etc. Overall, I think Miss Lynn will be really easy going and I hope that rubs off on Aiden. I was glad that my folks got to meet Miss Lynn and she could get their stamp of approval too.

baby pictures

Aiden saw his first movie in a real theater today - Juno! Tuesday mornings at 10am there is a new movie shown as part of the Showcase Cinemas' "Baby Pictures". They leave the lights up a bit, provide a changing area in the theater, and turn the sound down (to protect sensitive baby hearing). My mom and I headed to the theater expecting just a few stragglers at this early movie. Turns out it's the hot ticket in town for new moms. There were at least 50 people there, some with itty bittie babes that just slept and others with active three year olds that just wandered around the big theater. There were only a few moments when some baby was fussing making it a little hard to hear. Aiden seemed to like the big flashy lights on the screen when he wasn't eating. I liked the movie and it actually made me miss being pregnant. It was the first movie I'd seen in the theater in a long time and it was a good one.

mobile lover

Baby AB loves his mobile. We'll lay him down after his diapy change or while he's in a fussy wussy fit and he will immediately light up and start watching the floating animals. He'll laugh, kick and sometimes squeal. We upped the ante the other day when I found a toy that projects and rotates lighted scenes of baby birdies onto the ceiling. It plays soothing music and the projector has a little scene of robotic birdies playing and moving. He loves it and will lay on his back drooling over it for quite a while. He likes the bright red colors in the animal mobile over his changing pad. Anything bright that is slightly over his head (preferably with a face) seems to make him happy. We visited Ikea that other day and my mom tied a stuffed rat by its tail on the shopping cart in front of him and our little rat lover smiled at it while we cruised through the crowded store. Between his love of things way up high and bright lights, I think he might be an astronomer in the making. My little star gazer.

bottle strike

I went to sleep last night thinking, oh darn I forgot to blog that Aiden is over his bottle strike. We had figured out that if you take him to an area where I don't spend much time he doesn't get distracted by my "smell" and he takes the bottle without as much trouble. The night before last he was good to go. Daddy brought him up at the normal 3amish and I was feeling more rested than I had been since before the holiday. Well, I would've spoken too soon, since last night he had the same fussy bottle blues. We thought he was going to be back on track just in time for my return to work a week from today.

I have such mixed feelings about returning to work. In a lot of respects, I can't imagine not spending all of my time with my baby. I haven't spent more than 5 hours at a time without holding him or feeding him in the last 70 days. We're really lucky and grateful to have my parents here to take care of him while I transition back to work. They will take him for my first week back as we figure out how much he will eat during the day and how he'll react to not being with his mom. And probably more importantly to give me a chance to get used to being away without having to think too much about whether he is happy with a bunch of strangers. I can't wait until Miss Lynn (his new caregiver after the end of the month) feels more like she is part of our family.

surprise!

Since my work life will resume on Jan 18th (yep, the Friday right before the long weekend - nice slow transition), I will be coming out of my baby haze and bringing back my snapshots blog soon. In the mean time, I'm cheating and posting a non baby related video. My future brother in law is officially the best person to have sitting around bored in your house. HUGE thanks! Also, thanks to my folks for the new faucet.
Here is our surprise:

Or go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMLYoABQlHs

hey doc

With the new year and J's trip to Arizona, we had Aiden's two month appointment today just a few days late. Our big boy is now 12 lbs. 10 ozs. and 23.5 inches right in the 75% percentile. Lucky for him he has nice padded chubby thighs for the three big 2 month shots, one on one side and two on the other. He wasn't sure what was going on when they laid him down and asked me to stand in front of him and hold his hands. The nurses came up from both sides, and he quickly looked back and forth at them with his wide eyes. Then all of a sudden they gave him the shots all at the same time. I've never seen his little face get so red, but he didn't let out the scream that you'd expect. He cried, but after I scooped him up he calmed right down like a little champ. He's been pretty sleepy and fussy wussy in between, but I think the baby tylenol will keep him happy.

Before the shots, we brought up with the doctor that it's been over a week since this baby went on a bottle strike. The back story is that J's been giving a night bottle of expressed milk since Aiden was 3 weeks old without any trouble and right after the New Year he stopped taking it without crying and fussing. The doctor says it must be that he's just developed "a preference" for me and if he gets hungry enough he will take the bottle. Uh ok, not a solution! I will be going back to work soon where bottles will be a necessity during the day and almost as important for that night time feeding J's been giving him to give me a block of sleep. We've tried different types of bottle nipples. My sister tried the bottle and was just as unsuccessful as J is. We are out of tricks, and I'm tired just thinking about it. I'm sure it will sort itself out, but now I'm really wishing and hoping he starts sleeping through the night.

In good news, we've had extra arms for cuddling since the 3rd. J left for a short four day trip to a conference and my sister and her fiance came into town that same day. Aiden loves his Auntie Liz and her cuddling is top-notch A++! She's a natural. I don't know what I would've done without her offering to snuggle and get me water while I nurse. We're very thankful that they are here for a number of reasons - some of which will remain a surprise! My folks are coming in this Thursday and we can't wait to see them too.

sunny smile

Smile for daddy wearing sunglasses on the coldest day of the year:

2 months

Dear Aiden,

You are somehow two months old today. When you started talking/gurgling at me this morning instead of asking you my usual, "Oh yeah, where did you hear that!?" I switched it up and instead asked you, "How does it feel to be two months, what have you learned?" You looked right at me with drool bubbles dangling off your lip, and gave me one of those classic open mouth smiles I managed to catch with the camera a couple weeks back. You've learned that smiling like that will get you a big squeal and a kiss from everyone around you. You've got that trick down.

Your other tricky trick is to only poo in a freshly changed diaper. Dad says you're a smarty because who would poo in a dirty toilet. If I'm goin to mention poo, I might as well also mention that for the first 50 days of your life you had the most closely monitored poo schedule. Also, if you glance at our google history you will find searches like "what should newborn poo look like AND ricey AND runny." We were thinking of continuing the foostinky chart into your teens, so that we could share it with your first date or look back at your graduation. Somehow I suppose your pooing won't be the most interesting tidbit to share.

I'm thinking that we might instead bring up how you would dance and bounce around with your strong kicky legs. We are convinced you are going to walk right out of that bouncey seat. You have just started to use your arms and hands to do more than wack yourself out of a deep sleep. You usually grab at the water stream during your bath. I think you do that because the bath hose looks like a hippo spitting at you...and if you could just get your hands around that hippo, you'd show him what he gets for spitting on you. You generally like bath time in your little sling with the warm hippo spit that daddy is in charge of, while mommy gets you all scrub-a-dub-dubbed. We have a little routine when the bath is done where daddy quickly drip dries you and then you get wrapped in the big fluffy towel in mom's arms, all snug as a bug in a rug. You like to do the classic foot clap with daddy on the changing table, which is one of your favorite places. We've considered ways to emulate the changing table for you to sleep, but I think what you like about it is the nearby bright window curtains and smiling goofball parent, both of which are unavailable at 3am.

You were born quickly, after weeks of being comfortably wedged where no little head should be wedged. Your mom was not born with the perfect little baby head mold pelvis and you had the pointy head to prove it. When I was pushing the nurse let me touch your little hairy head, and even though it felt like a slimy bird that was just born, I've never been so excited. I couldn't wait to meet you. You were happy to eat minutes after being born, and I'm not sure you've stopped having a growth spurt since that first week. Luckily, you are smack in the middle of the overall growth chart at the 50th percentile.

You've changed so much in two short months of milk drunk cuddling. You've lost most of the hair on your ears (eek! now that's an embarrassing tidbit to share with your future girlfriends) and your baby mullet is thinning out. It occasionally looks like you've used a mini hair crimper on it, so the jury is still out on the curly hair. Dad is worried that it won't be cute curls but the frizz curls he carefully coiffed through high school. In the mean time, I love to stroke your bird feather fluff hair. When I stroke it, your eyes usually get really wide and sparkly. I know you will continue to change in leaps and bounds, but try to keep those squeals of delight that your dad is good at invoking while reading you your fluffy chick book. You oughta keep that baby squeal, because it may work to help you borrow the car when you're 16...it's that darn cute.

I've learned so much from you...how to line up that diaper just right...how to get to know someone that doesn't talk...how to snap up those footie pjs with blurry tired eyes...how to make you comfy in your strappy car seat...how to love like only a parent can love. I'm so glad we've still got more to learn.

Love and learn, Mommy

tricks and tips

Some practical tips mainly so I don't forget for the next possible baby we may have... here are tips from the first two months:
1. Tykelight! This is a brilliant solution to the night light that lets out the perfect amount of tinted light. We actually put it in the bassinet (which is next to the swing Aiden will actually sleep in) and it illuminates just enough to not disrupt sleep but you can see what's causing the baby whimpers (babies are loud when they sleep!). It's like a night light that you can easily carry with you or shine under your hand pump at night to make sure it is lined up.
2. Bigger trash in the bathroom - Mom is technically wearing three diapers while baby only wears one. I think I need my own diaper champ to lock away the musty milk smell of those shields.
3. Be sure that the diaper lining is folded out and lined up, especially important before putting baby in the car seat to go to the doctor.
4. Have at least two robes and be sure that one of them isn't too warm and fuzzy, because you will have some serious night sweats.
5. Don't be shy about the lansinoh cream and be sure it's the real deal (no alcohol or too many chemicals which can be hard on the baby) Use it right after the baby is finished.
6. Get some sort of set up for easy meals - Look to get some variety in the mix for the easy meals like breakfast and lunch. Try to think about whether you can prepare it with one hand.
7. You'll want a good hand pump to go along with a good dual pump if you plan to pump... plan to pump if you want more than an hour away from the baby to go to the dentist.
8. Buy handy freezer boxes for the bags of milk that you can store. The bags will expand when they freeze and you have to be careful they don't leak (and in the bins they stay in order by the date)
9. Have some light antibac lotion handy for right after diaper changes. Be sure your soap isn't too rough on your hands because you will wash your hands a lot.
10. Tissues everywhere baby eats. And paper towels as back up everywhere you need wipes.
11. Keep cameras out in the open to easily grab. Baby won't be as smiley if you have to leave and come back for the shot. Don't be shy about shooting away, but it will take a while to sort through to share your favorites (easy to do with one hand while feeding though).
12. It's totally worth having a sterilizer. Some say that the dishwasher gets too hot and the plastics can be affected. Also, it's nice that the sterilizer is also a good place to store the stuff sterile and let it dry. It's especially helpful to clean your delicate pump parts.
13. Buy twice as many thank you notes as you might expect you'll need.
14. Disposable breast shields are a must for the first month or so (don't go cheap - medela were my favorite). Then the reusable, washable mesh ones work pretty well because you will leak less.
15. Take some practical advice from friends - encourage them to give you advice in fact. Most won't really give it unsolicited. You don't have to take all advice, but usually it will clue you into something you weren't familiar with before.

J's bonus tips:
1. Have everything out of the box and ready to grab. Have diapers out of the box and wipes popping up in the box. Do not wait to assemble anything. You will be too tired to deal.
2. Take a baby moon if you can to spend time as a family.
3. Pull outfit up as far as possible during diaper changes or he will pee on it. The cuter mom thinks that outfit is the more likely he will leak on it somehow.

night night

We almost slept through the New Year. We had a nice invitation to our friends' house and we lasted until 10:30 even though J was drinking red wine and I have a cold. When we got home, we thought maybe we'd just go with our normal bed time routine and skip watching the ball drop. Well, it turns out Aiden wanted to eat around 11:00 just after I'd hit the sheets, so J brought him up. After he finished snacking, we were all dozing off and I barely realized they were counting down until I heard 8-7-6-... J bolted up in bed and Aiden looked us with wide eyes as we smooched him. I think he was trying to figure out how he can get us to go from quiet to excited mode in the middle of the night like that. This kid has tried a lot of tricks to try to get us to play with him in the middle of the night.

At the party, they were calling Aiden a night owl because he was so awake and alert. I kept thinking how can you tell if something is a night owl if it sleeps every couple of hours. This kid doesn't have a bed time yet, but I dream of the day! My friend's almost two year old little girl was fascinated with babies, and they easily convinced her to "go night night, just like the baby"... but I'm not sure they really mean juuust like the baby. Night night with this baby isn't terrible, but it isn't fun either. We have a pretty good routine to give me a block of sleep where J keeps him downstairs with a pumped bottle (thank goodness this kid is good at taking a bottle!). He usually brings him up around 3 or 4am, he feeds and if I'm lucky, sleeps another two hours before he wants to eat again. Although lately he's wanted to power eat which means I'm just about awake the rest of the night. I go to sleep every night thinking maybe tonight is the big night - he'll sleep through the night for the first time?! I swear we're having a breakfast bonanza party that morning! Let's just hope it's before I go back to work...eek.

happy new year!

I wonder what the new year will bring...hmmm....

go pats

Phew, go pats! Mommy and I were asleep, but dad tells us that the pats pulled it through ;) I was worried:

photo favorites

I keep adding to
Recent Aiden favorites:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/94324507@N00/8p2vH4

smile of the day

Daddy flew off to a conference for the day (out the door at 4:30am and in the door at 10:30pm) and Mommy took some extra pictures to make sure he didn't miss anything. So here are the smiles of the day:

so smiley

and he woke up giggling this morning...

1 month, 3 weeks, and 3 days old

aiden n cousin fotos

Here is the photo extravaganza from all of Aiden's christmas cuddling:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/94324507@N00/kX7y03

first xmas

Here's baby looking at the flashy xmas lights:
Here's baby looking too cool for this hoodie:
Here's baby looking like his overalls are going to swallow him up:
Baby's first Christmas was full of fun! He made friends with his cousins... some seemed scared of him, some only wanted to see if he had anything to eat, and some thought he was a girl. He will be the munchkin of the bunch for a while, but it will be fun when he can play with them. Here's video snippets of the holiday extravaganza - three big parties (xmas eve eve, xmas eve, and xmas):

or click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXPHb5KX2ew

what do you want?

All Aiden wants...

Or visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqNVPHW5Uhk

social smiler

We took Aiden to his first family party to start off the holiday last night. He slept all the way there. He literally smiled and gave us some coo joy when dad zoomed out of the driveway and then closed his eyes and fell asleep with a smile on his face. He ate in cousin Daniel's cute nursery right after we got there, and then joined the party. He was alert most of the time and the first time someone cooed at him, he smiled and cooed right back. He charmed em... He had em tricked that he was an angel baby until it was time to go. He didn't want to leave the party until he showed off his lungs a little bit, but as soon as we started walking, he stopped talking. It was so nice to see everyone (Thanks to Tara and Chip!) and have a nice holiday dinner. We can't wait to see everyone else soon.

bumbo baby

Aiden likes his Bumbo... He's almost really ready for it.. Still can't get that kid to really smile for the camera...

healthy mom

I had my healthy mom check up today. She said she could barely tell I had a baby. That's good news. I was a crazy photographer mom and didn't have any photos to show the doctor - hard to believe, huh! She made me promise to email her some. We had steak to celebrate after it took me over 40 minutes to get home in the snow (usually a 15 min trip). Yes, baby had eaten all of my sleeping milk while I was away, but I pumped most of it back right after I walked in the door.

hey listen up

cheek wranglin'

Aiden-the-cheek-wrangler is really full of expression lately...some identifiable, others crazed. His big chubby cheeks seem to be in his control now and he is proud of his flappy chin. We won't call it a double chin because it's not actually full of fat - yet. Most of these expressions are paired with some sort of grunt that makes you think of an old man snoring.

Here's a whole series snapped all within the same few minutes:






There was a sneeze in here somewhere:

big baby

Our baby is growing up! He has officially grown out of his first newborn outfit. It was labeled baby just in case we forgot and it had pockets. This is his half smile sneaking out...getting ready to laugh at mommy for fussing over how big he's getting.

go pats!

Go Pats!

I've never seen him do a better football player expression. His padded chest is thanks to his big fuzzy jumper under that tshirt. We're watching the Pats play today in the sleety rain (J's already shoveled twice today so the driveway doesn't become a big ice sheet - I think he has a grand total of 4 hours of shoveling since Friday). We had a big outing on Friday, since it was clear, for my work's holiday party. It was fun to introduce Aiden to everyone, and we lasted longer than I expected (thanks to a pumped bottle). Then yesterday we went out for some more xmas shopping. We're really getting brave about getting out and about. He is usually a good calm baby and we always have some milk on back up. The next step is attempting to take him out on my own.

let it snow!

It's the perfect time of year to snuggle up inside and watch the flakes fall...

Or visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_-dVr-2f6c

day in the life

Hard to tell when one day ends and another begins, but let's say a day begins at say 6am when mommy scoops up fussy hungry baby from his inclined swing (since sleeping flat on his back doesn't work out for long) and gives him a big meal while basking in the stinky diaper smell (because changing him before he eats leads to quivering lip crying which tears at mommy's heart strings)... by the time we get to the diaper change the sun is rising.
From his changing pad, Aiden loves to look at the bright colors on the curtains, and then when mommy peeks them open, stare off at the formerly colorful, now icy trees. After we smell so fresh and so clean, we creep back in bed to cuddle with daddy. Daddy gets goin on to work and the clock starts ticking for eating either every hour until around 1pm (when he snores in my arms in a milk drunk stooper, but if you put him down he immediately wants another shot or two) or he has a normal baby clock to eat every two hours until daddy gets home. We sometimes sing songs, get in some tummy time, and most recently he will hang out snoozing in his sling (giving mommy two hands to type and even put dishes in the dishwasher without popping him in his seat). He is still in training though and only tolerates it occasionally (He's never liked being bundled - no swaddles either - must be able to kick at all times - He has even kicked his Kick-n-Play bouncey seat toys that activate the music once or twice)

If it's a really eventful day we'll change outfits twice due to pooplosions and mommy will get in some amazing diaper change documentation. If we're really, really lucky the ups guy will drop off something or the neighbor will show up with a gift and scare mommy into thinking that she must sew some curtains for the side door immediately or risk exposing herself from across her own home. Daddy arrives home and in super dooper daddy mode will help change his diapy, sometimes he saves the best for daddy. Then some days Aiden gets a bath, then in super fuzzy crazy hair heapy dumpy mode he will bounce on dad's lap while mom gets her shower.

After dinner, dad is inspired by Jeopardy to play a mean game of baby trivia (which consists of questions like "Do polar bears live in the Artic?" Say "A" if true or "Waah" if false - baby always wins if dad doesn't screw up the choices and then we celebrate - I think we're inadvertently praising him for giving us a little cry.... might have to rethink that one) Sometimes we will watch the sparkly christmas tree lights or the snow falling through the window. Then the power feeding is on before bed time for mommy. He eats and eats and when he's finally milk drunk, mom passes him off to daddy and immediately tries to go to sleep as quickly as possible. Daddy is armed with pumped milk and they watch scary movies together for 3-4 hours. Then mommy is back on duty around 2am or 3am for eating if we're lucky every two hours. Then it all starts over again for another cuddle bug day.

photo-o-rama

one

It's been one month, one week, and one day since one big day for our little one. There will be many firsts before this little guy turns one. He's lost about one ounce from his chubby cheeks and about one inch from his pointy head. He sleeps for at least one hour at night (I'm exaggerating, he's a better sleeper every day). He's been gaining the expected one ounce a day. He has smiled at least one time in response to us. We are looking forward to one memorable year.

big day out

Ok, so maybe three hours out of the house doesn't qualify as a "day" out, but we spent all day planning, pumping, and packing to go out yesterday. I wanted steak and these ridiculous honey butter rolls from that steak place I always forget the name of... I think I need iron, so that explains the steak craving. The honey butter rolls were eaten in moderation especially because Aiden decided he wanted to eat before the second batch arrived. The milk I had pumped into bottles was technically my "sleeping milk" (We've tried to give me between three to four straight hours of sleep a night by pumping a few extra ounces for J to feed him in the first late night feeding), so I instead took him to the clean restroom and stood in the big stall to feed him. We danced around to four country music songs as he ate. It wasn't that much of a pain, but I couldn't help but think that it would be easier to just give him the bottle or feed him with my wrap at the table. I don't know why it would be such a big deal to feed him at the table, but I know some people would raise their eyebrows... but then again with the wrap how would they even know what I'm doing. I think I may just not care and after I've had a chance to practice using my wrap I'm not going to worry about feeding in public. We also made it over to the hospital nursing moms shop because I needed an obscure port cap part for my pump and I picked up some washable nursing pads - which will either be the best new purchase to help the environment or a smelly disaster, the vote is still out. I also picked up some new nursing bras, and somehow in my over tired delirium I picked up a size D sports bra type - Uh, not good, but as it turns out it fits just fine... ha!

exclamation points

J and I have kept up with the foostinky and foo chart (it's more of a timeline list of all intake and output) since we were in the hospital. It's mostly for me to keep up with which side is primed for feeding based on where I left off last time or how long he worked on which side. We also wanted to be sure he was pooing on track with the doc's expectations. We are supposed to keep track of any color or texture changes, but he's a friend of digestive bacteria and it's always been the requisite yellow ricey poo - I call it rancid grey poupon. We had a system of putting an exclamation point on big pooplosions. We were discussing last night (since we enthusiastically talk about poo over dinner) that we may need to recenter our poo exclamation point system. It's as if every poo deserves a '!' now...oh, and let's not forget that this kid can pee too.

the sweetest things

the sweetest things:

--aiden holding my finger, sometimes with both hands as I feed him

--the little uhhum noise he makes when he's finished eating

--when his pj are too big and the little footies are pointing the wrong direction

--his fuzzy hair gets even fuzzier and softer after his bath

--aiden nursing with one sleepy, but alert eye open

--chicken legs that suddenly kick out when the ripe diaper opens up

--the messy diapers that smell like cinnamon toast and eggs

--a milk mustache on a sleepy face

--aiden looking around in a bobblehead heapy squat in dad's bouncy lap

--big yawns with the skinny little neck coming out of its folds

--the look on his hungry little face when he gives daddy's scratchy face "a kiss" (aka an attempt to nurse)

--when his arms reach out for a hug when he's done with a diaper change

photos

Hip Hippo Hurray! Aiden's one month old and already pretending to be a chompy hippo... either that or he's just hungry.

Getting ready to hang out with our friends... It was really tiring putting on a real shirt instead of pjs.

Fluttery fingers are fun.

yay grunts

It's Aiden's one month birthday! He says yay but it's hidden in a good ol man grunt. Last night he was up to celebrate his birthday early like a little kid that can't stay asleep awaiting the excitement of presents and cake. It seemed like he was up every half hour feeding like crazy. I think he was looking to pack on a few extra ounces to show off for the doctor today. Turns out he is a solid 9 pound 6 ounces - which means he gained an ounce a day since he was last weighed! Hard to believe that he has gained that much off just breast milk. The doctor said he's looking very healthy. No shots this time, but she warned us that next time there will be some double and triple shots in each thigh. Aw, the chubby little chicken legs probably won't like that much. The doctor was impressed by his pooing grunt and explosion. Pooing at the doctor is a trend and this time he topped the charts with two full diapers in less than an hour. Here I go again talking poo... We've definitely settled in to life with baby.

sweet treat

J was sweet enough to give me a super little treat last night! I had almost 4 and a half hours of sleep without interruption. This was after nursing a crazy eater for over an hour (that was a quirky thing for Aiden to do even though he's been eating like a fiend lately, but I think he had heard about our plan to send me off to bed) and pumping about 4 oz earlier in the day (it's been hard to squeeze in the pumping since he is eating nearly nonstop lately). Luckily this bitty bit of milk lasted longer than I could sleep. I woke up completely engorged (with enough to pump and feed) but it was worth it. I immediately pumped and ended up with nearly double what I normally get in a ten minute "session" in about five minutes. It must have been early foremilk because it was greenish! It almost looked like J's icky lemonade drink (in the middle), late night milk on the left and usual pumping session on the right:
This milk is just as freakish as the idea that I'd be truly excited to have less than five straight hours of sleep!

big boy bath

Aiden has a completely healed big boy belly button now, so we decided that 4 weeks of sponge baths had to come to an end. We were going to tell him to go hop in the shower and take care of himself, but we decided to use the new baby tub to pamper him some more. I want a tub that has a hammock sling that suspends me above the warm water. It even has a head rest - gosh darnit! We managed to get the hippo wash wand to cooperate. It's pink cheeks turn white if the water is too hot - brilliant! The video below has a hammock chillin baby unsure of his first bath followed by a little fussy baby sliding around on his wet hammock.

Hmm, you've probably heard about tummy time. I'd read about it and seen adorable videos of my friends' kids playing on their tummies. We have a book that says to start doing it right away for a few minutes a day. Now I don't expect Aiden to be into olympic tummy time, but he doesn't seem to like it much. He will look at me from the corner of his eye like I'm some sort of nutcase putting him on his tummy. I googled what to do to help your kid with tummy time and they suggested a soft blanket under him to help him prop up, which I think just mucked it up even more(see the end of this video). Anyone have any tummy time suggestions?