Blake at 20 Months

How can it be that my baby is on the downward slope to 2 years old?  Time is going by so fast, and I have not documented his babyhood nearly well enough.  I guess I can pass a little more grace on to my parents, who only took about a handful of pictures of me as a baby/toddler (in all fairness to them, their camera broke during that time).  Maybe I should get started on the baby books, although at this point I'll probably have to make some stuff up.  Perhaps I'll just use this blog as a way to remember stuff (though I haven't been consistent with that, either).  

So I'll try to summarize what Blake is like right now, at 20 months old:

• He is a dynamo!  Full of energy, he does not like to be confined (or to be held for long).  He gets right in the thick of the action, regardless of the personal risk he assumes by doing so.
• He is a ham.  He totally has a great sense of humor already, and likes to get attention with it.  He knows he's funny, which makes it even funnier.
• He is very verbal.  He is using sentences now!  He will say things like "I don't know," or "Pacis are for night-night," or "Hugs and kisses from George and Josh."  And he repeats everything we say.  He amazes us with his verbal ability!
• He is sweet.  He will sometimes come up and just grab onto our legs and bury his face into them as a hug.  He HAS to give hugs and kisses to EVERYONE before he will lay down for bedtime.  And he will say "Night-night, I love you."  He is sometimes willing to share his stuff, and he also has empathy (when we fake cry, he starts to get upset).  
• He is all boy.  He loves dirt, rocks, vehicles (especially trains), bugs, dinosaurs...all of the things that many little boys naturally gravitate towards.
• He is growing up way too fast.  He has started to do things that make him seem even older than he is.  He has peed on the potty once already!  He puts his own clothes in the hamper (by request, of course).  He is really good at doing simple commands of all sorts, actually.  And he is losing some of his babyish look.  *sigh*  

We are so very blessed to have this little man in our lives.  He brings joy, laughter, and chaos to our home, and we love him to pieces.  He is SO cute (which is partly why he gets his way so much), bright, and fun.  We thank God for adding him to our family!

One Thing About Trenches...

They sure can be mucky.  Take, for example, the fact that my adorable baby boy pooped in the pool the other day.  Yes, he had a swim diaper on.  And swim trunks (just because they are cute).  And thank goodness for those two layers.  Chris brought him to the door so I could get him and clean him up - oh.my.goodness.  The entire inside of his swim shorts was soiled.  I suggested to Chris that maybe we should drain the pool (he had wanted to from the get-go) and then sanitize it (I love using peroxide and vinegar sprays - check out this article for more information - it's cheap and totally non-toxic!  Just make sure to use two separate spray bottles.).

So today we re-filled the pool and all went well.  Until bath time.  When Blake did his business in the tub.  With the other two in there with him.  And the toys.  Mega-ICK (I won't go into details).  So I drained the tub, got the naked kids out, sprayed all of the toys and the tub and the tub mat, scrubbed the tub, and started over.  *sigh*  And not 2 minutes after I got them out to clean up, Blake peed on the floor.  

Did I mention it was 7:00pm and we hadn't even had dinner yet?  

Some days are just like that.  At least now that it's over I can laugh about it.  

Sign of the Times

Blake has started signing! I can't believe my baby has begun to really communicate. But the gears are clicking and the wheels are turning and you can just see it happening - it is amazing! When the big boys were about 10 months we started signing with them too, and it was a wonderful experience. They were able to communicate their needs without frustration and we had a lot of fun with it too. We use Signing Smart, and I highly recommend it. The big boys still remember some of their signs, and still love to watch their signing DVD. I think they will have a lot of fun helping us to teach Blake how to sign.

So he can use two signs so far: "light" and "more." He knows "milk" too, but hasn't actually used the sign yet. He definitely recognizes it, though. He's so smart! Don't believe me? Here he is signing light:

It's not perfect, but it's his way of doing it. And I love it.

Bite o' Toe

My mom loves to play a game with her grandkids where she has them give her a "bite o' toe." And of course they all love it. Now Blake is at an age where he understands it and plays along, and it is too cute. Observe:

Mamaw says, "Gimme a bite 'o toe!"

Blake lifts his foot up in response. Mamaw bites the toes.

He also loves to play along with Peek-a-boo, Patty Cake, Horsey...and he mimics us sometimes (dadada, mamama, etc.). His brain is really starting to make connections. That makes me proud. And sad.

Monday Musings

Blake said his first word today. And not just any word, either. The word was "agog." Isn't he a genius?! I learned that word in vocabulary class in high school, so when he said it I of course had this mental dialogue going on: He just said his first word! What a brilliant baby. Most adults probably don't know that word. And so on. He even used it in the proper context! Okay, so he really didn't mean for it to be a real word, but it was still too cute.

For those of you who are not familiar with this term, please allow me to enlighten you - compliments of Webster's Dictionary online:

Main Entry:
agog
Pronunciation:
\ə-ˈgäg\
Function:
adjective
Etymology:
Middle French en gogues in mirth
Date:
1559
: full of intense interest or excitement : eager [kids agog over new toys]

Now here's the other part of this scenario. Yesterday we witnessed him pull up for the first time (it was not actually THE first time, as he fell out of his crib a couple of days before that, indicating he did in fact possess that ability prior to our knowledge of it - but that is another post). He was trying to get into a box of toys that I was getting ready to take down to the basement. He got onto his hands and knees, reached up and grabbed the box with one hand, then steadied himself and grabbed with the other, then scooched up with his little knees until he was close enough to balance well and then he stood up! It was a bittersweet moment. I am so not ready for him to be standing/walking! He's moving too fast. It's all slipping away, this sweet babyhood of his.

So. Back to the brilliant baby story. Tonight (as he was refusing to sleep and since the vultures were in bed), we played on the floor for a while. And he was just so happy to be given some freedom to roam (this kid is dying to get MOVING) - that's when he said "agog." So you can imagine my amusement and delight (word nerd that I am - and hey! that rhymed!) with the whole thing. I guess it's the kind of story that perhaps only English teachers can truly appreciate (and if any of you readers are English teachers, please overlook my grammar missteps - this is blogspeak here, not research paper worthy writing, obviously). Mrs. English would be so proud. Yes, my English/Vocab teacher's name was Mrs. English. How utterly apropo (another word learned in her class).

So what if he followed it up with "gagagagagaga." He has learned a new skill. AND said a new word (even if only in Mommy's mind). And about these things, I am agog.

9 Months Already?!

Time is flying! How can Blake be 9 months old? On a side note, they say give yourself 9 months to get the baby weight off, since it took you 9 months to put it on. I'm still carrying 15 pounds of baby weight, so I need to get my tush in gear. Back to the baby talk.

Stats:
Weight: 20 lbs (exactly!)
Height: 28 3/8 inches
50th Percentile across the board

My darling little baby is mobile (God help us!). He's not crawling, per se, but he is doing army maneuvers like he's on a serious mission. Which he usually is. His MO is to get to any possible item that is not baby friendly. Oh, is that something I could choke on? I must have it! Could I be electrocuted? I must put it in my mouth! Will I bonk myself in the head with it? Then I must hold it and swing it around! He is really close to full-on hands and knees crawling. He gets up on all fours and rocks a lot now. And close behind that will be the pulling up. He's already shown interest in that activity. What do I have to say about this? SLOW DOWN! You don't need to do it all at once, sweetheart. Take your time and just slowly master one thing at a time. Hmm. I don't think I'll get my way on this one. He is determined to be in the action.

I have set up the Superyard in the livingroom as a means of limited freedom. He can move around in there with a variety of baby safe toys. And at first, that was acceptable to him. But now, when I place him in "his" space, he gets a bit irked with me about it. And big brothers only want to be in there with him (or throw their toys over the top to him, since he likes them so much). Today I took a 2-minute potty break and came back in the livingroom to find both of them in there with him. Keep in mind, there is no opening in this pen. So I asked how they had gotten in there. George had slid over the top off of the couch arm, and Joshua had scooted in there underneath the bottom (while someone held it up for him). So there were 3 kids, an exersaucer, and various toys in this tiny little space. It was hilarious, and had I been thinking I would have snapped a photo. And in my mind I projected myself forward a few years and could only shudder at the idea of the kinds of mischief that will be carried out so stealthily and swiftly by my curious and ingenious offspring.

Blake seems to like most foods at this point. I try to get 3 solid meals a day in him, but it usually ends up being 2. He has only just been introduced to finger foods, and delights in doing it himself (go figure). I need to step up my game in the feeding department - I would like for him to get the same standard of nutrition that I gave his brothers during their first year. But it is really tough.

Blake is a spitfire, but he is also delightful, silly, smart, fiercely curious, independent, sweet, and so cute I can hardly stand it. He is a little blonde-haired, blue-eyed blessing. We are so grateful to have him in our lives (even though he has made things significantly more challenging!). Babyhood is racing by at an alarming rate. I'm trying to cherish the moments and hold on to the memories (and document them, though I have failed miserably to make note of his milestones - oh, the guilt!), but all too soon he will be racing around here trying to keep up with his big brothers. *sigh*

Blake at 6 Months

My baby is 6 months old! Time is going by so fast. He changes every day, it seems. I knew his baby time would go by fast. And though I am curious to see how he will be when he's older, I wish I could hold onto the babyness longer. I love this age! I think 6-9 months is my favorite baby time. So here are his stats:

Weight - 17.8 pounds
Height - 26.75 inches
Around 50th percentile on the growth chart.

He's growing well, and the doctor is pleased with how he's doing. He's been eating cereal once a day for a couple of weeks, and I just introduced fruit over the past few days. So now begins a new chapter: the solid food adventure. I was hoping to be able to make his baby food from the homegrown produce in our garden, but our garden is doing poorly (this is a post for another day). I am still going to try and make most of his food though.

Other milestones: He is able to sit up unsupported for sometimes a couple of minutes at a time. He is getting a lot more verbal; he loves to shriek and squeal. He also notices things more and plays a lot more with his toys. He is starting to enjoy the ExerSaucer too, which is fun to watch.

Well, I'd like to keep going, but I have bigger fish to fry (2 of them, to be exact, and they are getting bored and destructive).

My Nursing Saga

**Disclaimer**
For those of you not interested in the details of lactation (I'm thinking of the male readers here), feel free to skip this post. For those of you who decide to read on, beware that I may use some graphic references and possibly borderline crude language (I'm OK with it, but you never know whose sensibilities I might offend). Also, this is going to be a long post.
**End of Disclaimer**

I nursed twins for a year. Twins. TWO babies. Simultaneously (for the most part). For a YEAR. When I think back on that experience, it is hard to believe that I was able to do that. I want to beat my chest (except that I'm lactating now and that would hurt) in triumph. I must be SuperMom! Of course I feel that is nothing compared to some friends I know who nursed during pregnancies and THEN ended up nursing two (a toddler and a newborn). I don't think I could have ever done that. Especially not while pregnant. Anyway.

It was not easy. The first six weeks were downright brutal. For one thing, I was recovering from major surgery. We had to work through issues like bleeding, cracking, blisters...and that was just the nipple trauma. When my milk first came in, George couldn't handle it. He had been doing fine with the colostrum, but had trouble latching once the jugs got really full of milk. He would just scream in frustration because he was really hungry and it was too much work to get the milk. It took some very heartbreaking sessions with him and finally some consultations from a lactation specialist to get him to where he could manage it well (we had to "prime" him with a tiny bit in a bottle first to take the edge off and that seemed to do the trick). Then there was the issue of Joshua wanting to nurse for an hour at a time or more. That was killing me, time-wise and pain-wise. I was advised to cut them off at 20 minutes, and that completely changed my life! They did great, and I remained sane. The babies became very effecient, and it was way easier than having to deal with bottles all the time (though they didn't have a problem with taking bottled breastmilk either, until they refused it at 9 months). It saved us a fortune, as I was blessed with an ample milk supply. I never had to struggle for milk - when I pumped I got plenty to store up in the freezer, and the boys nursed what they needed and grew very well. They never had a drop of formula (even though I tried a couple of times when they were older babies - just out of curiousity and since I had a ton of sample cans - but they wouldn't touch it). I knew if I had any more babies, they would be nursed. Period.

I was excited during my pregnancy with Blake at the idea of only nursing one baby. Imagine! It will be a breeze! Plus I've done this before, so I know what I'm doing, right?

Blake came into the world, and immediately had trouble nursing. The nurse said he had "tongue incoordination." What?? He also has a short frenulum (but is not tongue tied). He also has a high palette. And he had jaundice, so I could barely rouse him to eat. I would try for an hour and a half sometimes just to get him and keep him awake to eat. They tried sugar water to no avail. They tried feeding him formula (while I cried because my baby was having so much trouble getting the milk I HAD available), but he wouldn't take that either.

I tried pumping, but only a few drops of colostrum would come out (I never was able to pump that stuff). The lactation nurses worked with me again and again to get him to latch properly. And my milk came in with a vengeance on the 3rd day post-partum, and he seemed to be getting the hang of it. Then we went home, and his jaundice got worse. We had to do the bili-blanket for a few days, and that cleared it up. We went back for his 2-week checkup, and he had not gained ANY weight. I had a feeling things weren't all hunky dory, as my breasts stopped feeling really full before a feeding. But I also had friends who said that their breasts never felt as full with the second child and everything was fine and normal. So I chalked it up to that. But he was pretty colicky, especially in the middle of the night. Gripe water seemed to help some, but not a lot.

I didn't mention the pain I was enduring. He was causing creases, blisters, cracks...stuff I had been through before. No less painful the second time around.

It turned out that he was dehydrated (in my mind: starving). Oh, the guilt. The heartbreak. How could this happen to such an experienced nurser as myself? My baby had no energy to eat, but because he wasn't eating, he could not get the energy he needed to eat. See my dilemma? So I started pumping and we supplemented. I would nurse him for 20 minutes (about all I could handle pain-wise), then give him breastmilk (or formula if breastmilk was not available) out of a bottle. And he started plumping right up. And he was so much happier! And he slept so much better! And I had severe guilt about starving my poor child for two weeks. Now my dilemma became an issue of whether or not bottle feeding him would get in the way of nursing successfully.

I went to a lactation specialist. She discovered that I have a condition called "nipple vasospasm." This condition causes me pain while nursing or pumping (like an irritation - a burning/stinging sort of sensation). I had this the entire time I nursed the twins too, but it was never so bad that I thought there was something wrong. I just assumed that it just came with the territory. I have since found out that many women nurse completely pain free. She gave me many tips and tricks to try. I bought a special nursing pillow. I started taking supplements to help increase my supply. And more supplements to help with the vasospasm. We had multiple appointments with the doctor (to monitor weight gain and the jaundice) and the lactation consultant. And we seemed to do a bit better. And for about a month, my baby nursed pretty well. And pretty much exclusively. I knew I had it figured out. Because again, it was once we crossed that 6-week threshold that things seemed to fall into place. I knew if I just hung in there for the first 6 weeks, we could make it work. Though I was ready to throw in the towel SO many times. But I made it.

Then, for whatever reason, he started to nurse less. But he would scream for more. So I started supplementing him again. And he began to refuse the breast more and more. I was at my wit's end. I did NOT want to go backwards - I have two toddlers to care for. At least during the first 6 weeks, I could devote myself to nursing - my mom was living with us and helping out with the big boys and everything else.

After a lot of wrestling with myself, I finally decided to pump exclusively. For a while he would still take the breast in the middle of the night (he liked it to be calm and quiet, which only happens in this house at night - another obstacle in our nursing path), so I'd nurse him then plus I offered it to him here and there. But over time he pretty much rejected it entirely. And I had to work really hard to get my milk supply to a point where I could pump enough, because of his lazy sucking habits.

For a little over 3 months, I gave it my all and then some. I am gradually getting over the guilt of not nursing him (could I have done more?). But then I remember that it wasn't my fault, and he's still getting the good stuff, so that is what matters. And I did try - more than most would, I imagine. And it is working out really well for us this way. He is a very distracted eater as it is anyway, which does not bode well for nursing. Plus he can be a snacker at times, just eating a couple of ounces here and there. And I don't have time to sit down and nurse him every time he needs a snack (and I don't think he would nurse while being worn, as we had positioning issues as well - hence the purchase of the special pillow). But with bottle feeding, anyone can do it. So Christopher can help me with the overnights (to my everlasting gratitude), and I don't have to worry about leaving him with anyone because they can feed him too! So I will say it is more convenient for us, overall. But I do have to deal with washing/sterilizing bottles and pump accessories. I think it's a small price to pay to ensure that my baby gets his mommy's milk.

I never dreamed that nursing a single child could be more difficult than nursing twins, but that has been my experience. Nothing like a baby unwilling to do what he's "asked" to humble a gal.

I will post another day about the reality of exclusive pumping. For now I have to wrap it up, because my baby needs his bottle.

On a Roll

Blake rolled over for the first time yesterday. And we missed it. He was having some tummy time in his crib, and the rest of us were out in the livingroom/kitchen area. Then Chris went in to check on him and comes back out and says "Guess what Blake did?" Sure enough, he was on his back when Chris went to get him.

I'm sure when I actually see him roll and can take footage of it for myself - THAT will be what I consider to be his first time rolling. Not this - I'll do it myself when you're not looking Mom - nonsense. Huff.

4 Months and Going Strong

My baby is 4 months old. I guess I'm a bit late in putting that up here; he is almost 4.5 months old. He's getting so big! He pretty much just skipped over size 3-6 months. He's wearing 6-9 month clothing now. Anyway, here are the 4-month stats:

Weight: 14lbs 14oz
Height: 25 3/8 inches
Head Circumference: 42.1cm
Growth Percentile: Around 50th for weight and head, and a little above 50th for height

He is really something. He is very happy and smiley, and also laughs a lot. It is too precious! His big bros are obsessed with trying to get him to laugh or smile. They just love him to pieces. Sometimes I wish they'd love him a little more gently and quietly, but I guess it's nice that they like having him around.

Here's my happy little guy:

Post-Partum Pet Peeve #12

Okay, so I don't have an "official" list of post-partum pet peeves. But I'm certain there are at least 12. It doesn't get much worse than having people ask when you are due when you're no longer pregnant (it happened to me just this morning). I'm not one of those women who lose the weight/belly fast. I will look pregnant for a long time. I have accepted that fact and though I don't necessarily embrace the residual belly, it IS a testament to the amazing things a woman's body can do. That still doesn't mean that I really want to be reminded that it is entirely obvious that my body has done said amazing things.

But I digress. The actual pet peeve I came to discuss is something different. It's the insult added to the injury. And it's something that is a special treat since it comes along after many of the initial pet peeves are already well-established (and some may even be gone).

I am shedding. No, that's not strong enough. Mega-shedding (uber-shedding? is that still a trendy word enhancer?). My brush gets full of hair from one blow-drying session. And despite my best efforts, the shower drain cannot catch ALL of the hair that comes out in the shower. So even though I pluck out multiple globs of hair (I know, ick) during the course of a shower (if I didn't, the drain would get plugged up and water would start to collect), there are still many strays that get caught under the tub mat, on the tub walls, etc. This to the neverending irritation of my sweet husband, who cleans the tub out before bathing the boys (which he also does - love ya babe!).

I find a hair clutched between my baby's fingers, and try to pull it out. It breaks. I have to pry his little hand open to get it. Occasionally I'll find a hair behind his pacifier (ew). My poor swivel sweeper has tons of hair horribly wrapped around the rotating parts (and this is possibly the case with my Kirby, too). I will have to cut that off with a knife or scissors.

I think I shed enough during one day to feed a small country. Hmm, bad analogy (you can't eat hair). But you get the picture. I can run my hand through my hair at any given time and end up with a nice handful.

One of the most irritating things about shedding is that I get stray hairs on the inside of my shirt, under my bra strap and trapped in the waist band of my pants. This compels me to obessively root around under my shirt/pants to find it as it tickles me horribly until I remove it. I do it without even thinking. I can only imagine what people think when they observe this odd behavior in public.

I might want to consider wearing a hair net in the kitchen. I haven't found hair in the food yet, but that doesn't mean it won't happen (and again, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to eat hair). And we all know how gross that is.

I should buy stock in lint rollers.

And that is my diatribe on post-partum shedding.

Growing Baby...

I swear Blake grows by the minute. He's getting his baby chub and he seems really long and heavy to me now. He's also getting so much more animated now: laughing, cooing, blowing raspberries...it's all just way too cute. Here are some pics of our sweet baby at almost 3 months old:

With Joshua's Teddy Bear: His first time in the Bumbo seat:

Yes, I'm posting multiple times a day so far. And I have a LOT more stuff I want to post about. But we'll see how long I can keep up with this pace - next thing you know it will have been months without anything.

Oh, and just for comparison purposes, here are a few of pics of Josh & George at about the same age:

Joshy enamored with the wrist rattle:

George enjoying tummy time:

So I don't really think Blake looks like either of the big boys - but possibly a blend. It's hard to tell. What do you think? (That's an invitation to post a comment, by the way, if you feel so inclined.)