teething?

My poor baby is exhausted. He had his dinner and promptly passed out. Daddy put him in the crib- still passed out. Thirty minutes later- screaming, freaking out baby. He was seriously inconsolable for a good thirty/forty minutes. Since he had pretty much just eaten, we figured he couldn't possibly be hungry. Jony noticed that when he pressed on his gums, the screams intensified. So, we think we might be dealing with a baby in pain. Poor guy. We caved and gave him some Tylenol, so we'll see how tonight goes.

notes: he woke up once when I was writing this post, but the pacifier put him back to sleep almost immediatly. He's been asleep for two hours and has already woken up three times. I hope this isn't an indicator of the night to come...

I hate nighttime...

I feel that every mom deals with at least one major issue with their child. Ours would be sleep. He used to be pretty good- one time a night and then back down within thirty minutes. It was fine, and we could definitely handle that. He's been horrible at naps for quite a while, though. It's a miracle if I can get one nap in before I go to work (at 3pm!!). Starting about three weeks ago, the real fun starte (note the sarcasm). He's been getting up about 3-6 times a night! HORRIBLE! I really try to focus my frustration on the stupid monitor so that I'm not putting it on Jeffrey. It has been so ridiculously rough. He's waking up more now than when we was a newborn. Awful. I'm trying cutting out caffeine after noon each day to see if that makes a difference. It's never affected him before, but I have to do something! I'm sure it's all just a part of the 4 month wakeful, but I am ready for it to end. I want him to be 5 months :(

I'm Growing Up

I'm aware that this has been occurring for the last few years, but now it looks like it when you come to our house! We were still very much living like college students as far as decorating goes. You know- all the hand-me-down furniture/cheap furniture you find at garage sales that you can get your hands on. We do have a fancy IKEA entertainment center, but we had a nice (small) blue couch to go along with it. That and a $10 coffee table that hurts my heels when I use it as a footrest (because who doesn't use their coffee table as a footrest?!?). That has all changed!! Thanks to the lovely IRS and a tax return, we purchased ourselves some big people couches (a couch and a loveseat, to be exact) and a fancy ottoman that is cushy and has four boxes on top that can be flipped over to become TV trays. Awesome. It'll take a few days/weeks to really get everything all situated since we're completely rearranging our living/dining space, but I'm darn excited. The new couches are comfortable, too, as well as not blue.

De-swaddle: Night 2

Ugh.

It was not nearly as successful. He woke up FIVE times. That, combined with doing a garage sale this weekend, leaves a very tired mommy and daddy. We believe the culprit might have been heat. So, tonight we're trying a sleeper. We may pick up a cotton sleep sack tomorrow to try as well. I'm so ready for sleeping through the night...

Totally unrelated: We hit up a consignment shop today and found some great deals! We got a bathing suit, some cargo shirts, a button up shirt, a hat, a visor (OMG- it's too cute), and even some little boy cleats (sz. 9.5, lol, but they're brand new Adidas! How could you pass that up?). All for $25. Nice. It's moving to a bigger location next week, which is awesome. We'll for sure be going back there quite often to score some good deals on cheap clothes.

De-swaddle: Night 1

It went surprisingly well. We were getting some cues from him that he was possibly be ready (getting frustrated in the swaddle and sleeping for good increments of time unswaddled), so we figured we'd give it a go. He's been sleeping like crap anyways (waking up about 3x a night- darn you 4 month wakeful!!), so we didn't think it could be that much worse. Surprise!! It went so much better than we expected! He still woke up four times (twice to eat), but he went back to sleep with no issue. Our new trustworthy friend, Mr. Soothe N' Glow Seahorse helped with that, as well. He slept the same lengths of time as he had been swaddled. I'm calling it a success, although I'd be glad to get some longer stretches at nigh. In time. For now, I'll just enjoy those late night snuggles.

We only have fleece sleep sacks, though. That's not going to work in the TX summer...

Also- no AF. That was just random light spotting. ?!?!?

Well, hello old friend!

Enemy would probably be a more accurate term. After 4 months (well, a little less since I bled pp for about 6 weeks) of bleed-free bliss, it seems that Aunt Flo has decided to beging gracing me with her presence yet again. Blah. It's been a bit over a year since she would have last shown up, had I not gotten pregnant, and I thouroughly enjoyed not having her around. I started noticing some spotting last night (I still check my toilet paper- is that strange? It's a habit that never died down after the 1st trimester), and today has still been pretty light. I fear the awful cramps that most say accompany the 1st post-partum period.

Ugh. I was really hoping to be one of those that went a full year before starting again.

And, as another treat for you all: Jeffrey has been helping me write this blog, so here's a bit just from him:

imnnn                         zmvvvszszZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ MMMMMMMMMM

4 Month Appointment

The little guy is super healthy and doing awesome on his development/milestones. I couldn't be happier! He's 13lb 12oz and 25.5inches long!! He's getting so big!! He's definitely teething, according to the pedi, and he even has a wee little teething rash from his drooling. We also are definitely not starting solids until 6 months. I was a little concerned that she would want us to start now (and we don't want to), but I was pleasantly surprised that she insisted that we wait. It's like she was trying to convince me and was thrilled when I agreed, lol! I'm super pleased with our choice of a pediatrician.

I haven't done this in awhile, so here's a little treat for you all:

Kids at the Movies

Yesterday, Jony and were able to rope grandma into babysitting the little guy while we went out on our first date since Jeffrey's been born. It was nice to just get away with neither of us having to worry about taking care of him. Just be together. We decided to go the movies to see the phenomena that is "Avatar," since Jony really wanted to see the new technology. We're not big movie people, but we figured that this was one worth seeing on the big screen/ 3D.

As it turns out, we didn't even need to bring Jeffrey because someone else brought their kid! Yay. She was maybe 2 years old and babbling the entire movie. It wasn't too bad unless it was a really quiet scene. The worst part? I didn't hear a "shh" at all from the parents. I looked back at them at one point to see two adults who couldn't have cared less if she was screaming away. I find it completely innappropriate to take such a young child to the theatre. Every one there has paid good money to get that theatre experience (especially for a 3D movie- yikes) and does NOT want to hear the sounds of a little girl in the background. Especially when they're using it as a break from parenting for a mere two hours. Even more innapropriate? Taking such a young child to see a movie like Avatar! I could understand a Disney or a Pixar movie designed for kids- you would expect it then and probably have your own child with you, as well (although 2 is still a bit young, I think). Adult movies, though, is completely wrong.

Who knows? Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. We, however, will not be taking Jeffrey to the movies until he's at least 5 or so and can understand that it's "quiet and enjoy the movie time." And it will be even longer before he goes to see an adult movie. If you want to see a movie that bad, get a babysitter or Netflix.

4 months!

Oh, the personality! He has become such a fun little guy to be around, and I can't wait to spend all my time with him. He is obviously so much more aware of the world around him (which was the cause for a nap strike a week or so ago), and he is constantly checking out what's going on. He's a go-getter and is always ready for the next step/milestone. He's never quite satisfied with what he's got going on at the moment. He's still waking up 1-3x a night, but he still goes to sleep fairly quickly after he gets his meal. He has moved his bedtime earlier, though, which means that he is getting up earlier (boo). It's very rare that we get a fuss out of him. He's such a content and happy little baby.

Jeffrey's 4 month milestones:

• weighs about 13.3lb and is approximately 26inces
• still in 3-6 or 6-9 month onesies
• rolling both directions and can now roll consistently in one direction- mobility! eek!
• scoots caterpillar style: sticks his butt up high in the air and kicks his leg to propel himeself forward
• hates laying on his back and will almost always roll immediatly onto his belly
• can stand on his own (holding onto something, obviously) for about 5-10 seconds
• has perfected the reach and grab
• found his feet and LOVES to play with them
• is starting to babble, along with his coos and squeals
• makes raspberries (and cracks himself up)
• sticks his tongue out at you (and, again, cracks himself up)
• can follow us around the room with his gaze and looks up at us if we have him on his laugh
• is starting to learn his name!

He's been a busy guy this last month- lots of learning and growing! 4 month appointment is scheduled for Tuesday!

Patience

It's something you need quite a lot of as a parent and, admittingly, I don't have enough. I hate that, and it's my biggest guilt trip that I give myself day after day. We've been trying to get him to nap in his crib instead of the swing the last week or two. Sure, the idea is great. However, I am a complete failure when it comes to getting my little boy to go to sleep, even when he is thouroughly exhausted. Whenever I attempt (and fail), I'm constantly thinking of how much better my husband is at being a parent than I am. He has what he calls the "daddy hammer," and Jeffrey falls asleep in minutes with him!! It's ridiculous. Sometimes, he's asleep before Jony can even walk back to his room. Jony's constantly trying to make me feel better about this by saying that he associates me with fun and awake times, so it's hard for him to shift gears to sleepy time. When he was little, I couldn't put him to sleep because my boobs would distract him. Now, I just can't. I just don't have the patience to walk all around and rock him while he fusses and squirms. I've been getting way too frustrated lately, and he doesn't deserve that.

So, I decided yesterday that I was done trying. I admit that I can't get him to sleep the "normal" way, so I'm just going to do what works. I've been wearing him in the wrap. My thoughts are that he'll start napping on his own in the crib when he's ready. The boy still needs to nap now, so in the wrap he goes. It feels good. Not only do I love the snuggle factor and the fact that he's getting good rest and is SO much happier/fun, I'm proud of myself for rejecting what I'm "supposed" to do and doing what I know is right.

Things are getting interesting

At what point do you declare that your child is mobile? Walking? Crawling? Or, is it when they start rolling and scooting all about the floor? If it's the latter, then I'm screwed. Our little play area used to consist of a blanket/quilt layed out on the floor next to the swing, coffee table, and couch. It worked out nicely with all of his favorite toys lining the outside the blanket. It just doesn't work anymore :( He gets stuck underneath the swing and coffee table and is constantly rolling over his toys. Yup, yesterday he figured out that if he rolls in the same direction both ways, he moves. This, combined with his scooting, has had him moving all over the dang place. Obviously, it's not as much as it will be when he starts to actually crawl, but he's in no way a stationary baby anymore. So sad. So, we'll be moving to the middle of the room now and probably setting up the pack n' play in case we need to leave the room for some reason.

Can anyone please remind my little boy that he is not even 4 months old yet?!?

Rolling/Standing

We had belly to back rolls on Wednesday! My little guy now has the potential to do a complete roll! Granted, he's still figuring out this new skill, so it'll be a few days before he really starts utilizing it. The first time he did it was hilarious. He was so proud of himself (he'd been attempting for a few days) and gaveme the biggest smile. Then, he realized that he put himself on his back and got all sorts of pissed off. I took me awhile to calm him down after that. The only thing that worked was putting him in front of the couch to look at Coco, our dog. It was at this moment that he grabbed on to the couch and stood by himself!! It was only for about 10 seconds (enough to get a picture, no worries), but I was shocked!

In terms of rolling, he did it again successfully last night and figured out that he can roll back. I have an inkling that the blanket we have on the ground will not contain him at all much longer. He's a rolling/scooting maniac!

Nap Strike

Lately, Jeffrey has basically refused to take naps. I have a feeling we've arrived at the dreaded 4 month wakeful period. He just gets too darn distracted by himself: playing with his feet, making sounds and faces with his mouth, etc. Yesterday, he woke up at 10:30am and didn't take a nap until 5:30pm. That nap only lasted thirty minutes. Yup. My almost 4 month old baby napped for only THIRTY minutes an entire day. He was exhausted. As for that saying "sleep begets sleep"? So true. He didn't sleep very well at all last night, waking up about every two hours. That's tough considering he slept for almost 8 consecutively the night before plus an additional four after a good meal.

Thankfully (and finally), I remembered to use the wrap. I'm constantly using my loveyduds wrap when I'm out and about, but I tend to not use it while I'm at home. Well, he's napping in it. Thank goodness. He's actually been asleep currently for a little over an hour. YAY! We should have a happier baby and happier parents (should he decide to sleep better tonight). At least it's the weekend.

Back? Nope.

I very well could have the wierdest child ever. He used to be normal, so I'm not sure what happened. Don't babies hate tummy time? Not mine. Ever since he's been able to hold his head up during tummy time (about 1.5 months), I cannot convince him that being on your back is equally as fun. He actually cries if you put him on his back. Cue roll over, and there is happiness. So, basically, he has refused back time. Now, I don't think this is an issue. Just strange. He is trying to roll belly to back, though. I realize that this makes no sense if he doesn't want to be on his back.

Above all, mobility is his number one goal. We have one determined little boy who is ready to move. He's got the leg part down, so I'm hoping those arms stay down. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure he'd be crawling. The scooting is perfectly enough for me at the moment. I am not ready for him to be moving about so easily. This is what I get for pro-creating with an early mover. It doesn't help that everytime my MIL sees him, she comments on how he's doing everything just like Jony did. Jony was walking by 9 months. This scares the crap out of me.

A few changes

I'm reworking a few things on the blog to get it closer to what I envision in my head. Jony may even be making a banner for me since I cannot figure that out. Hope you like it!

Hello feet!

Jeffrey has found his feet, and they have quickly become his favorite things. Ever. Even more than his hands! I never could have thought anything would be more fascinating than his hands. Jony has a stomp dance that he does with Jeffrey in the mirror (that would be what makes him laugh), and I think that has probably contributed to his fascination with his feet/legs. He is constantly kicking and stomping now, complete with a big ol' grin on his face. He's working on getting them to his mouth,but he's not quite there yet. He does have a good amount of fun trying, though. He just lays there holding onto his feed in a death grip and rolls from side to side. All while grunting. It's pretty hilarious.

It's created a minor issues, though- naps. At night, he's exhausted and passes out pretty quickly. Naptime is different. He's tired, but not so tired that he just goes to sleep. So, he lays in his swing and then *bam* remembers that he has legs. The kicking starts. Thankfully, he's not fussy from not napping as much. I'm just getting nothing done. (Note: He's currently in his swing kicking and grabbing for his feet).

He's started doing "swimming legs" during tummy time, as well. He is so forceful with it that he's actually scooting forward. This is not right. I do not want my little baby to be mobile. Crazy legs. Thankfully, his upper body is not nearly as strong.

Eye update

I feel like I'm living in a dream sequence in a movie. Except that my eye hurts. I've got an infection of some sorts, so I've got an antibiotic gel to apply twice a day for a week (which has caused me eyes to be all fuzzy- hence the dream sequence). If it doesn't get better by then, I have to go to an opthamologist. Suck.

This is probably a good time to mention that I hate eyes. I like having them and appreciate being able to see and all, but they gross me out. I can't touch my eyes and cannot stand it if someone touches theirs. I have trouble with eyeliner and getting my eyebrows waxed since it's too close to my eyes. So, this whole situation really sucks for me. Be proud- I did the medicine without freaking out too bad.

My body hates me

Seriously. I've discussed before that my body is a freak and prefers to be pregnant. It's the strangest thing, and I'm really looking forward to what it throws at me during menopause (ha). I just wish that, if it really wants to be pregnant that bad, then it should just have my period start up again. That's something that I can handle. That's normal. Not that I want it to return, but I'd prefer that to all these random things.

I've had the sty on my right eye that will not go away. It hasn't been bothering me, though, so I'm just compressing it every so often and hoping for the best. Then, yesterday, randomly in the middle of the day, my LEFT eye starts to hurt. Now I sit here with a swollen, puffy eye that hurts and makes me look like I either haven't slept in a few months or have just taken a massive amount of drugs. Awesome.

Looks like I'm off to the doctor again this morning. That will be 2 times in less than 4 months. I hadn't been to a doctor before that (a plain ol' doctor, that is) since I got my last physical in middle school. Let's hope this gets taken care of quick.

30 Day Shred: Day 1

With just a little over two months until it's 2-piece time on a cruise to the Caribbean, it's time to really get serious about getting back in shape. I'll be honest- I'm not in bad shape, especially for having a 3 1/2 month old. I'm just really particular about my stomach. Always have been. I want my tone back. If my belly button would look normal again, that would also be great. Nothing I can do about that one, though. My linea nigra is almost gone, and my stretch marks are starting to fade. So, it's just up to me to get my muscles going. I really need some better upper arm strength, too, since my little tiny just keeps on growing.

That means that it's time to start the 30 Day Shred. I'll continue working out at Curves 3x a week while I work, and I'll be starting my 5K training on the other days. Operation Cruise Body is a go.

My Faves

I realized that I never did a post on the items that I love and are necessary for my house to be a happy home. I guess now that I have over 3 months under my belt, I've given things plenty of time to be able to make the list. So, here are my must haves (in semi-order, but not really):

1) Fisher Price Zen Swing: This is where Jeffrey takes his greatest naps. It's an attractive swing- not so "babyish." It doesn't have annoying sounding music/sounds, and the seat can be put in any direction and even removed to take into another room (FABULOUS in those early days)

2) Miracle Blanket: As a baby Houdini, Jeffrey's arms always managed to find their way out of a good swaddle and wake him up. Not conducive for good nights. This keeps his arms in place, and we all get a much better sleep.

3)Soothie pacifiers: I wasn't sure that I was even going to use pacifiers, but Jeffrey has a massive sucking need. He loves these, and we love them for how well they can calm him down.

4) Manhattan Baby Winkel: This is by far his favorite toy. It's so easy for him to hold onto, so it's a great first toy. He loves the colors and it's nice and comfortable to put into the mouth (very important on Jeffrey's list of great toys)

5) His monkey lovey: Basically a small blanket with a monkey head on it. He uses it to cuddle for naps. Way too adorable.

6) Loveyduds wrap: How do people not have a carrier of some sort? It's super comfortable and easy to use. I just tie it on before I leave the house and settle him in whenever we get to our destination. He loves it- he smiles SO big whenever I show him the fabric. We used the regular cuddle hold up until recently. We do the hip hold mainly now- that is a HAPPY baby.

7) Cloth diapers: They are the way to diaper. Way too easy and adorable not to. He's got a healthy little tushy, and we've got more money to spend on things for him! I loved our Green Mountain pre-folds, Kissaluvs rental, Thirsties covers, and now we're using Rocky Mountain Diapers during the day and BumGenius OS at nighttime. Cloth wipes are included in this love.

8) Mirrors: This goes for the mirrors that you stand up, have in the bathroom, and the one by his changing table. This egotistical baby loves to look at himself.

9) Eric Carle: We obviously made a fantastic choice in decorations for him. He loves all of his Eric Carle toys and books. He wakes up each morning and has a deep conversation with the caterpillar picture hanging above his crib.

10) Baby Einstein Exersaucer: He's just starting to use it, but he loves it. He requires being able to stand the majority of the time, so this is a great toy for him to be able to do that and play at the same time. I think it will get even more popular in this house the older he gets.

Other items that I find necessary:

• Medela Pump in Style
• burp cloths
• Avent bottles
• Baby Jogger City Mini stroller (we're just starting to use this with the better weather, and it's really easy- an awesome stroller)
• glider for those nighttime feedings
• Graco iMonitor

Baby Socks

It seems that we're on the verge of needing some bigger socks. Jeffrey seems to take after his father in the big feet department. This situation of having socks that don't quite fit make the every-happening sock fight even more frustrating. The darn things just don't stay on. Now, picture the heel coming up to be about 3/4 of his foot, and it really doesn't want to stay on. You can also add a kicking, wiggly, squirming fool to that mix- the socks really don't have a chance. Why fight the fight? His poor little toes get all frigid. So, I keep trying. I've heard great things about the Trumpettes socks staying on, so we'll have to get him some of those adorable little things and test them out.

It's truly amazing how such adorable little tiny things can be really annoying.

Oh, thank goodness

Our normal little sleeper returned last night. I'm not sure who that was the night before, but I'd prefer for him to stay away. Today should be a much better day. All three of us are rested. Jeffrey actually woke up happy and smiley today again- always a good sign. Jony even got a few more laughs out of him. Of course, he was staring at his naked self in the mirror. Ridiculous little boy. By yesterday afternoon, he was EXHAUSTED and miserable to be around. Those are rough days, so I'm glad we don't have that looming over us for this afternoon, too.

Jeffrey had a good time meeting his Great-Nana and great aunts this past weekend- he was a super good baby for them. I was even told that I was a natural at mothering from Nana (Jony's grandmother). A compliment from her is a BIG deal. Granted, she loves me. Naming my son after her (his middle name, Axfield, is her maiden name...the translated version, at least) didn't help my case, either. Jony is her favorite relative, so we always have a good time with her. My SIL does not have the same situation; she gets onto her about her weight. So, she didn't even attempt to see them while they were in town. I get that it upsets her when Nana "scolds" her, but the woman is 97 for goodness sakes. The likelihood of us getting to see her again is fairly small. Oh well. That would be her guilt to deal with.

We have MORE family coming in tomorrow- my aunt and uncle. They'll be here for a week at a substantially less busy time/weekend for us, so it should be a more enjoyable trip.

Yawn

Last night was fabulous- little man decided to wake up every TWO hours. Ugh. It was worse than when we was a newborn. He never opened his eyes, but he would fuss and squirm. I don't think it's the start of the 4 month wakeful since that's when they want to look around play, right? I don't see/feel any teeth coming, so I'm not sure that it's teething. What could it be?!? He was so upset this morning since he didn't get all nice and rested like he usually does. Poor little guy. I hope it was just a one night thing.

One year ago...

Jony and I were amidst a sex marathon, lol! We didn't do that great- missed a few days. Turns out we're not the every day kind of people. However, one year ago today was the special day when we conceived our precious little man. I cannot believe that it has already been a year. This also marks about one year since I have slept through the night consistently! I started waking up to pee almost immediately after conception, so it's been awhile that I've had a good night's sleep. Someday soon, I hope! What this day shows me is how true it is that it all goes by so fast. I cannot believe that I have been pregnant, had a baby, and now sit here watching my 3 month old clutch his lovey while he sleeps peacefully in his swing. Too amazing. It's almost strange to think how fast this next year will go! We'll be attempting sex marathons again for #2 before we know it.