Houston, we have a problem

He may not be able to crawl yet, but that's not stopping him!

It's officially time for us to child-proof the house. I've plugged up all the outlets. The drawers are next!

Where is my happy child?

Caleb is a very laid back kid. Jon and I even sometimes worry that he has that rare condition where he can't feel anything. I've clipped him with nail clippers, bonked him on the head, smushed sunglasses too tight on his face, put him in water that was too hot, .... (I know, and he's only 7 months old, right? Pretty impressive list.) Through all these things, he hasn't made a sound. Of course, there are the other times to encourage us: the shots, the head bump on the coffee table, the scratch from the cat. However, we could convince ourselves that these might have been cries of surprise rather than pain. Well, our fears have been abated.

Caleb is teething.

For the first time since Caleb's been in the church nursery, I have been paged because he was crying in the Sunday morning service. And the Sunday evening service. And Wednesday night prayer meeting.

On Tuesday night, Caleb woke up every two hours. He hasn't done that since he was 4 weeks old! On Wednesday night, he woke up at 11:30pm and I'm pretty sure didn't get back to sleep until about 3:45am. That was after two extra feedings and finally being tucked snugly between Jon and I in our bed.

He's got teething tablets and Tylenol, plus a trusty teether that he really seems to take to (except at night). Despite these things, our happy-go-lucky little boy has gotten a little on edge. I spent much of the day today cuddling and playing with him; even a 3-foot distance to the computer chair was too far. Thankfully I was hanging out with Leanna who was happy to keep Mr. C entertained! Ryker was pretty willing, too!

A fact that is a little daunting to me is that this is his FIRST tooth. Jon and I had a discussion with Caleb about considering getting them all in right now...preferably before we go to bed tonight...and just get it over with. I don't think he was paying attention, but I'm crossing my fingers that he at least gets a little more sleep tonight--for all our sakes!

Has anyone seen my toothless, laid-back kid??

The Big Boy Seat

Today we upgraded Caleb to a big boy car seat! Caleb has outgrown his first carseat--in height, certainly not weight! Babies R Us will let you take the carseats out to your car to try them out. Thankfully, we found one that didn't cramp us any more than the first seat, and it was on sale! It's a 3-in-1 convertible seat. It starts rear-facing, then turns around, then some of the cushions come off to turn into a booster. Supposedly it'll grow with Caleb all the way until he's ready for just a seatbelt...which I've heard lately the law is requiring kids to be 8 years old? Anyone else heard that?

Past Three Weeks

Caleb's development is going so quickly these days! He's added sweet potatoes and apples to his menu, he's enjoying his play blanket all day long, and I think he's going to bust out crawling one of these days! The video is a little rough, but I figured it was better than nothing!

If, for some reason, you would like to see more of a certain clip, I probably have more, so just let me know in the comments.

Six Months!

Yikes, I can't believe it's already been six months. Sometimes I look at Caleb and see a cute baby, sometimes I see a little boy, but it's been a long while since I've seen that helpless little newborn. This little man is blowing and going, accomplishing new things and not even realizing it.

Last Friday we went to his 6-month appointment. Here are his measurements:
Weight: 16lb 2 oz (25 percentile)
Height: 28.75 in (95 percentile)

So you see we have a long thin little guy. He's kept these same percentages since birth, so the doctor isn't worried.

She encouraged me to start on Stage 2 foods (we hadn't even made it through Stage 1, though!) and continue feeding him solids twice a day. Make sure he gets at least 24 oz. of milk (3-4 feedings), and we'll move him to solids three times a day at 9 months.

He's ready to wear sunscreen, and the dr. recommended no less than spf 50 (I've heard it doesn't matter after about 35 or so....anyone else heard that?). She also said that stinging eyes is inevitable because kids rub their eyes with their arms. However I picked up a No Tears spray sunscreen, spf 50, and so far no eye issues.

Developmentally, Caleb is doing everything he's supposed to be doing: trying to sit bracing himself with his arms like a tripod, looking back for assurance from mom, holding his head up well, and grasping. He passed with flying colors, and he didn't cry very much after his shots! All in all a good visit.

He is getting more and more mobile as the days go by. He manages to scoot all over the floor, mostly by laying on his tummy and bending to the side at the waist. But occasionally he gets his rear up in the air and I think he's just going to start crawling. I know it will take more than that, but I don't think it's too far away. He loves to explor the bottom shelf of the coffee table. I've moved everything out of arms reach from him, but he still likes to slap the shelf, and he can barely get his fingers on a photo album covered in taffeta; he likes to scratch on it with his fingernails. He really likes textures, and will scratch the ribbed fabric of the rocker, the brocade of the couch, etc. He likes to squish the cats' fur between his fingers.

I think he's developing a good sense of humor. He smiles and laughs when we tickle him or touch his nose or swing him around...or when his daddy or I sing. He obviously has a good ear, as well. He rarely fusses and can generally be distracted back into happiness. He's trying to move to two naps, but ends up getting a third later in the day. (Though today it's just 2:00 and he's already on his third, just to show you that every day is different!)

The picture at the top is Caleb's second trip to the Botanic Gardens, and our first as a family. We strolled through and stopped by the pond to feed him his dinner. Sitting on Daddy's shoulders always makes Caleb smile...and us, too! We love our little boy very much, if you can't tell. :) What a privilege to be a parent!

Lately...

Lately, Caleb has...

• Tried green beans, butternut squash and peas...and liked all of them!
• Rolled over...front to back and back to front
• Started saying "da da"
• Gotten in the pool...NOT a fan.
• Moved to 6-9 month clothing
• Stuck his tongue out
• Done 360s on his play blanket
• Found the items on the bottom shelf of the coffee table
• Tried to sit up
• Tried a sippy cup
• Slept less
• Played more

So many experiences for such a tiny being!

Motherhood

This morning I awoke at 6am to the cries of a hungry baby. He ate with such purpose that he didn't even let me know when he needed to burp. So, when I finally did burp him, his breakfast spewed out all over the rocking chair, the carpet, and probably other places I will continue to find for the next few days. I put Caleb in his crib, cleaned up the mess as well as I could, then cleaned him up and got him ready in his Sunday clothes. I finished feeding him, then passed him off to Jon, who was barely awake and still in bed. I headed to the shower to get cleaned up myself. I thought, "Well, this is motherhood, I suppose. Up before I want to be to feed a boy who spits it all up. Cleaning up the carpet with no one there to sympathize or help out. I guess it's fitting for Mother's Day."

When I got out of the shower, I peeked out of the bathroom to see how Jon and Caleb were faring. I found a peaceful scene of my two favorite boys snuggled together, sleeping away. I tiptoed toward the bed to get a closer look. To imprint the image in my mind. My husband's arm cradling my little boy's head. My little boy's chin tucked in close to Jon, his arm raised above his head in complete relaxation. Both breathing the heavy cadence of deep sleep.

I could have watched that scene all day.

This is motherhood. What a fitting picture for Mother's Day.

Five Months

Things Caleb has been doing recently:
Reaching
Shaking toys
Rolling over
Trying water from a cup
Entertaining himself




What a great baby. :)

Comparison

3 months...


5 months...

Baby in a Box

The same day as the last post, I was also inspired by the arrival of the UPS truck to try something else.

At first, Caleb wasn't a fan.

Are you shipping me away???

Maybe I'm going to Grandma's house?

Either way, it made for some great photos!

Gotta love those baby blues!

Buddies

Caleb was born Thanksgiving Day. Noah was born Christmas Eve. They both have mamas who like cloth diapers and home made baby food. And they went on their first outing together!

Granted, it was to the mechanic so I could pick up my loaner car. But it was still a first for both our boys, so we took a picture. I hope we have many more outings to come!

Caleb on the front lawn

Last Monday (Apr. 20th) was a beautiful day, and I had the urge to get Caleb out and take some pictures. So I grabbed a blanket and plopped him on the front lawn.
And here are some of the photos we got that day!


He's started reaching for everything, and the camera was no exception!

Look at those gums!

Friends

I have known Sophie since she was 4 months old. She's turning three next month! She calls me YiYi (though that's recently evolved to Yiddy) and loves her Jon. But above all, she loves her Baby Caleb. She talks about him and has named all her baby dolls Baby Caleb. For the first bit of Caleb's life, Sophie was battling colds and other contagious things, so Caleb was two months old before we got these pictures.


We had another chance for the two friends to get together for photos at the beginning of this month, about two months after the other photos were taken.

Bathtime Fun, Three Months Old

Caleb takes his bathtime splashing very seriously!

This photo was taken a month later, this time with bathtime toys from Nana and Grandad! And the octopus just happened to be where it was...we did not put it there!

Come to the dark side.....

Caleb at 4 months. He would rotate around until his head was right by the monitor. I could hear his breathing through the monitor. It sounded a bit like baby Darth Vader.

Feeding time

Nursing takes up quite a bit of my day, so let me tell you some of the helpful things I have related to the topic:

First, I have a Boppy pillow. This helps hold Caleb in place while he's nursing, and gives my arms a rest. I have tried a My Breast Friend pillow as well, and thought it actually worked better, but really, My Breast Friend? Yeah, I'm not buying that. Rename it, and I might. Or give it to me, because I'm always a sucker for a deal. Anyway, it was nice because it stayed tight against my stomach, where the Boppy will slide away, so Caleb is eventually sitting on my lap. However, the Boppy still keeps his head up and his body turned the right way, so I still like it, and it's handy when others are holding Caleb, too, just to rest their arms. As Caleb has gotten older and we've both gotten more experience under our belts, I can now nurse him without the Boppy, but still choose to when I'm at home.

Next, I have burp cloths. I call them diaper cloths or drop cloths...never burp cloths. I have no idea why, but it's all about the same. Cloth diapers really are the best burp cloths, and I keep one draped over the Boppy to keep it clean. Sometimes I think there's a hole in Caleb's chin for all the milk that gets everywhere.

Nursing bras are very handy. Regular bras are just a lot of hassle when you're trying to get a crying baby fed discreetly. I have one that's padded with underwire and one with no padding or underwire, both from Motherhood. They're okay. The fit isn't that great, but I'm just not willing to spend a lot of money on a bra, which is what I'd have to do for a better fit.

Nursing tops are also good. The only ones I have are tank tops--one black and one white--that I wear under other clothes. I do this especially when I know I'll be nursing in public, because it means that I can lift my shirt up and still have the tank on underneath. There's only one part of me that's uncovered, and it's usually covered by a baby (who handily likes to throw his arm over his face while he eats, so it's even more covered). I also bought a couple cheap and stretchy non-nursing tank tops for the same reason. I just pull them down for feeding, and it keeps my midsection covered.

For the first six weeks, I used a nipple shield. This was recommended to me by the nurses and the lactation consultant to help Caleb latch on better. Not everyone needs this, but I did. However, I think we used it for too long, because Caleb didn't develop a very good latch, and it just prolonged the "breaking in" period for me. Goody.

That brings us to our next product: lanolin. Lanolin helps heal and protect dry, cracked nipples. I had to use it for the first two months, though some people don't need it that long. I recommend the Medela brand, because it's a very good consistency. I have the Lansinoh brand, and it's really gooey and gummy. You're supposed to rub it between your fingers before applying, but the Medela brand doesn't require that.

In the beginning of nursing, most women will leak milk. They'll leak when they're feeding their babies, when their milk lets down, and when it's been awhile between feedings. Some women continue to leak milk until their babies wean. I don't know which one I am (I'm thinking the second group), but here are my reviews/recommendations of three products.

One is Johnson's nursing pads. These are one of the less expensive brands ($7 a box), but they're very comfortable. The pros are 1) very cushy, 2) not a weird shape that looks funny under your shirt. The cons are 1) not individually wrapped, so hard to take with you, 2) not very thin, again hard to take with you, 3) can stick to sore nipples, which just ain't pretty, and 4) can hold in moisture. I had to change my nursing pads every time I nursed, and was going through a box of these a week. Plus I think the constant moisture contributed to my getting thrush. Woohoo.

Clearly I needed to find another way. So I found LilyPadz. LilyPadz are silicone nursing pads. They apply pressure, preventing leaking and thus eliminating the need for something to soak it up. They're reusable (the package says up to two months), so hopefully I'm saving a little money by spending $20 on one pair. I love these! First, they don't require a bra, so I can finally sleep without a bra (and can go get the massage I was given for Christmas!). I can also wear them in the swimming pool in the summer. However, if Caleb skips a feeding (at night), then it's pretty certain that I will leak. But during the day, it works pretty great.

I've been using the LilyPadz for awhile now, and I'm still on the first pair, so that's good! However, I've been thinking that silicone against my skin 24 hours a day for a couple months can't be that great, and a friend gave me her cloth nursing pads she was done with, so I'm trying them out. They've been washed a lot, so they've pilled up, which makes them itchy. But otherwise, they're good. They don't apply pressure like the LilyPadz, so I have to put my arms to my chest whenever I feel my milk let down to prevent leaks, but that's fine. One advantage is that the cloth pads fold right up into the bra when I have to fold it down to feed Caleb. The LilyPadz won't do that, so I have to set them somewhere, which can be awkward out in public. I still wear the LilyPadz at night.

I'm also so glad I have a Medela breast pump. I really don't like being hooked up to a machine for 20 minutes of my life, but seeing the rewards of several ounces of milk in little bottles in my fridge makes it worthwhile. No, wait. Being able to hand a bottle to someone and leave my child for longer than 2 hours makes it worthwhile!

Pumping milk requires storage, and I use First Years Milk Storage Organizer, with a spring at the back to keep the bags of milk upright and pushed forward. It really helps to fill the bags (I use Lansinoh bags, but don't have a particular preference) with milk and lay them flat to freeze, then put them in the container. When I did as the package recommended, and just stuck the bags (unfrozen) in the container, they froze all different shapes and didn't fit as well. EDIT: I ran out of room in the organizer and went to buy another, only to be reminded that it cost over $20! So, I bought an ice cube box for a couple bucks, and it works great!

I can be a bit scatterbrained, and going on little sleep makes things worse, so I'm very glad I found out about MilkBands. MilkBands are silicone bracelets (like the LiveStrong Lance Armstrong bands) that have little markers that slide along minute and hour segments, so I can mark what time Caleb ate last. It also has "left" written on one side, and "right" on the other, so I flip it each time I feed. For those of you who don't know why it would say "left" and "right," and because this blog is about providing information, a nursing mama is supposed to alternate which boob she starts feeding on. That way, the baby empties the right, and then just takes what he needs to fill up on the left. Then, the next feeding, he starts on the left and empties it, which helps keep things even--physically even as well as keeping the milk supply even on both sides by regulating demand.

In order to use the MilkBand to its fullest, it's important to have a watch or clock somewhere. And I have a little flashlight to shine on the clock for the night feedings.

For public feedings, a nursing cover is a must! I tried to go without it once, and ended up with a blanket that wouldn't stay up, and I'm pretty sure more than a few indecent moments. Ever since then I've kept mine handy when we're going out. Teresa made it for me, and it's got terry cloth on the inside, so I don't even need the burp cloth. And when I'm out and about, the fewer things required for feeding, the better!

KarenD gave me a neck pillow, and it has been a huge life saver! At least a neck saver! My neck and shoulder muscles were killing me from feedings where I was too tired to hold my head up, and my chin was ending up on my chest. The neck pillow lets me stay comfortable...sometimes too comfortable! Sometimes I've left the nursery after a late-night feeding rubbing my eyes and wondering, "Did Caleb really take an hour to eat...or did I doze off?"

Other items that are nice to have on hand are a glass of water, a book, pencil and paper, and a phone. Or a computer! Though I've noticed as Caleb gets older that he's more distracted, so I usually can't do something that's too noisy or is a big bright light, like a computer monitor.

Though this list is extensive, don't get overwhelmed! These are just things that help. But really, especially after the "break-in" period has passed and your milk has regulated (which took me about 4 months, most people much faster), all you need is you and the baby! And it really is worth it. I'd go through the pain and frustration again for the sweet bonding experience of nursing.

Before I forget

I forgot to mention one item I used at the end of my pregnancy. Well, I mentioned it, but I didn't know if it would work. It's Arbonne's Water Relief gel, and it does indeed reduce swelling! I used it 3-4 times a day, and noticed a definite difference from when I didn't use it. So I would recommend!

Sleepy time

Here is another post I never put up! This was written January 1st, so Caleb was 5 weeks old.

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Sleeping is a crazy thing with a newborn. It's like there is no differentiation between night and day. The first couple of weeks, Caleb slept in a pack-n-play in our room. Well...he mostly slept in our bed, actually. It was just so cold, and he seemed so little in his big bed. I'd lay him down and a few minutes later I could hear him wiggling, then he'd start to make noises, then whimper, then whine a little, then it would turn into an all-out cry, at which point I'd put him next to me and he'd sleep great. When he would wake up, I'd head to the nursery to feed him (because everything was set up so nicely in there). Jon would get up as well and do laundry or something like that, because really, it could just as well have been daytime.

By the end of two weeks, I was pretty ready for Caleb to move to the nursery. He didn't sleep that well in the pack-n-play, and the nursery really was set up so nicely for him. Jon, however, didn't want to see him go, because he was just so tiny, and could we really trust the baby monitor? What if something happened? Well, we started letting Caleb nap in the nursery during the day, and about that time Jon's mom (Nana) figured out that Caleb slept much better on his side than he did on his back (with the help of a sleep positioner wedge). It wasn't long before we gained confidence in the baby monitor and trusted that our baby would stay alive even if we weren't in the same room with him, so he moved to the nursery at two weeks. There, on a softer mattress and positioned on his side, he slept great! He started sleeping with only one real night-time wakeup, which is the way it still is today at 5 weeks.

Now, he eats every three hours or so. He's a VERY slow eater, taking about an hour when it's all said and done! That gives me two hours in between to get things done. At night, he skips a feeding, so we get a pretty good stint of sleep before he wakes up between 5 and 6 for his next meal. I've learned that at that point, I better get up! He's ready for the day, and if I try to lay back down, I'm struggling with a baby who doesn't want to lay down, and it ends up being the middle of the afternoon before I ever get a shower.

Roll Over

Caleb's first rollover! You'll also notice his squeals. He's found out he can squeal, and he loves it.

Firsts

Well, I wrote this a long time back, but never posted it. Guess I should!

First Birthday: Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2008
First Smile: Hard to tell, but I'd say somewhere close to 3 weeks. Confirmed by the doctor at 4 weeks.
First Eye contact: Starting around 2 weeks
Lost his cord: Right at 3 weeks, Dec. 19
First non-sponge bath: Dec. 23, 2008. Screamed bloody murder!