Happy Family

And another photo of us very shortly after kiddo's birth (2.5 weeks?). I'm just bulking you up now in case I miss posting later this week...

You can tell this was so early on because kiddo is listing to the side. He doesn't really do that these days...like ever. But there you are.

Happy Halloween!

Because we've been going through a bit of a wonder week with kiddo, I've really only had time to work on my next novel (sorry the blog has been lacking). I do however have a few posts floating around my mind.

Since his five week wonder week, kiddo began social smiling (at six weeks, on October 15 he gave me the biggest smile ever for the very first time). After his seven week wonder week, he began cooing (starting on October 25) and then this past Monday (October 28) he gave a little giggle for the first time.

It's been a big leap forward for kiddo.

As such, I thought you'd appreciate a few cute pics of the adorable little alien with his doting parents.

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and chocolate filled Halloween!

Paid Forward - Random Blessings

I have a friend who is kind of like the older sister I never had. Her family is very close to mine and she had kids a bit before I had kiddo. Even though she lives across the country, she decided to help us out a LOT with things kiddo needed (and things that would be generally nice to have).

"Wonder Wheel" toy image from Sassy Baby

So for about a month, every week we got a package in the mail from Stephanie. Sometimes they would be just one thing - like a bouncer seat (which has proven invaluable). Other times it would be a series of small things - like a toddler bib and a set of teething keys (which I know kiddo will use plenty when he is a bit older).

This past week we got two packages. One was from Stephanie directly and included a lot of things she used for her own son (who has outgrown anything kiddo would need at this point). This was an awesome package that had tons of clothes (which a giant baby like kiddo goes through like water!) as well as an Ergo carrier (also exciting as Christian didn't have a carrier he could wear).

The second package was sort of from or rather because of Stephanie. She had bid on a Halo sleep sack/swaddle from a woman on eBay. She won the auction and explained that instead of sending the item to her, that it needed to go to her friend whose husband had recently lost his job and they were first time parents. Well, this woman who had no connection to Stephanie or myself said she would see if she had anything extra lying around to send to us.

I will just say I was completely blown away. This is the random package I got from a woman I've never met:

• teethers
• a vision toy
• pacifiers
• a pocket to go on the side of a carseat
• a set of no spill snack bowls
• a set of no slip toddler plates
• a changing pad cover
• an Infantino baby carrier
• a crib sheet
• a Snuzzler (body support for carseat or bouncer)
• and of course, the Halo sleep sack/swaddle

I was confused when I received the package because it had no note. Stephanie always sends a sweet little note. We had talked about her sending me her Infantino, but had decided to send the Ergo, which is why I was even more confused. Added to this was the fact the thing came from an address and a woman I'd never met nor had any obvious connection to.

I asked Stephanie and she told me the woman said she'd add things, but Stephanie had no idea the impact her offhanded comment would have. At a time when we're still wondering what Christian will do for money and living at my parents' place, it was an amazing gift from a person we may never meet that made our day.

The moral of this story is, there are kind people in this world. Our connections and conversations can have a greater impact than we could possibly know or even expect. Share, give, and love. I know when Christian and I are well established, we will do something like this for someone else - someone who needs a little blessing.

Fire, A Move, and The 7 Week Old

The last few days were crazy. I moved from the Bay with a 7 week old baby back to my parents' house.

On Friday both sets of parents arrived to help us box up our tiny Jingletown loft apartment and load it between a trailer, pick-up, UHaul, and compact. Much of our possessions ended up in boxes in any order - so we'll be experiencing Christmas every day!

What made it even crazier was on Sunday morning we were woken by our fire alarm at 6:50 AM. Confused and concerned, Christian got dressed and went outside to confirm there was a fire in our building and it wasn't just a malfunction of our apartment's alarm. In just a few moments he returned and was picking up things.

Christian: There's a fire in an apartment inside the gate.
Me: Do I have time to pee?
Christian: yeah, but hurry.

I can't believe this was my concern, but it was. I figured once I got the baby out I wouldn't have access to a toilet for hours. Of course, I was thinking of the worst case scenario...

As it was, I got kiddo out and made a beeline to the car where I nursed him. I was so thankful we breastfeed. Trying to get a bottle of formula ready in that situation would have been difficult if not impossible. Kiddo had no idea anything was amiss. He was wrapped in a warm blanket and quite content to nurse as usual.

We sat there in the cold car watching as the firetrucks arrived and the firemen went about their business. Even though adrenaline was pumping through many that morning, the firemen themselves were quite calm. It was sort of reassuring to see the easy purpose that drove their actions. Meanwhile Christian grabbed the few remaining items from our apartment and put them in the trunk. The only thing left was our mattress, which he couldn't possibly carry himself.

About an hour later, the firetrucks left and we were able to return to our loft. A minute later my in-laws arrived with breakfast, and we loaded the mattress. Before we took off Christian checked the apartment that had been on fire. Based on the burnt power strip and debris outside the crispy place, Christian was pretty sure it was an electrical fire. I was just thankful it hadn't spread to the rest of the building (though I had the reassurance that our things were basically all out of our apartment anyway).

Once everything was loaded up, my mother-in-law and I took the car with kiddo, while my father-in-law towed the trailer and Christian drove the UHaul. We were a caravan of varying speeds.

The ride was pleasant, with kiddo quiet when awake, but asleep much of the time. We only stopped twice - once to change and nurse him and a second time for lunch (and of course change and nurse kiddo). At about 3 PM we arrived and everyone started unloading what would be used (leaving the rest in the trailer for storage) while I nursed kiddo.

By the end of the day I was incredibly exhausted...and still couldn't sleep. I'm still sort of in shock from everything, but such is life. I hoping this is will truly be a new beginning for us, but we'll just have to wait and see. Life is unexpected...especially for us.

6 Week Giant

Remember how I wasn't sure if kiddo was a giant? Well, he is. Today at our final postpartum appointment at the birth center we weighed him. Keep in mind he's exactly 6 weeks. Keep in mind the average - the average - breastfed baby gains 5-7 ounces per week...

13 lbs 5 oz.

Seriously.

Who needs free weights?

Remember how much he was at birth? 9 lbs 8 oz. Then at the first (or was it second? It was the first week anyway!) appointment he actually lost 10% of his birth weight and was 8 lbs 9 oz...sooo he's gained over 4 lbs since that time.

F-O-U-R POUNDS!

The average baby puts on about T-W-O by their 6 week mark. 2. That's it. Just 2.

It would appear that kiddo will stay in the 90th percentile and I'm crossing my fingers for athletic scholarships in his future.

It could happen. Christian's family does that sort of thing, and I was always really good at school. The combo seems likely. So Ivy League it is? Crossies!

How to Cope with The Fussy Six Week Baby

I knew it would happen eventually. I knew at some point kiddo would go from being the angelic darling that he's been for the past month and a half and turn into the fussy hellish imp that all babies become at some point during infancy.

Yes, we reached the six week mark.

For some reason babies start to turn around 5 weeks old. They become "fussy." Well, not just fussy. They begin to "cry excessively." Usually they do this during the late afternoon and early evening. If you're lucky like us, the baby does this from about 7 pm to 11 pm, and likely starts even earlier.

Well, there are strategies, tactics if you will, for dealing with this emerging imp.

First, collect your arsenal. This should include the following:

• Your diaper changing stuff
• Feeding paraphernalia
• A burp cloth
• A pacifier
• A bouncer/swing
• A baby carrier (sling, K'tan, etc)
• A glass of water
• A swaddling blanket
• A car & carseat

Okay. Ready? Here's the process:

1. First check his (I've got a son so I'm sticking to male pronouns. Deal.) diaper. If dirty or wet, change him. Still crying? Go on to 2.
2. Feed him. Still crying? Go to 3.
3. Burp him. Make sure to continue burping until you get a few good burps (and possibly curdy spit-up all over your shoulder/burp cloth). Still crying? Continue on!
4. Give him a pacifier. I've heard if a baby spits it out you're supposed to pull on it and they'll latch tighter but this trick has NEVER worked for us...so if the plug comes out, give it a try and let me know how it goes. Still crying? Paci only a temporary fix? Let's try something else!
5. Set him in the bouncer! This gives your arms and back a break too. Not working out? We've got some more options!
6. Sometimes carrying a baby works better than putting them in a bouncer (the whole heartbeat, warmth thing in addition to movement). Kiddo usually goes right to sleep in our K'tan. If this doesn't work you may need to combine tactics...
7. Make a loud shushing noise right in his ear or sing a lullaby (this is why you need the water)! Sometimes babies need the noise combined with some of these other options (for example the paci and the carrier). Man if this doesn't work you better brush up on tucking baby in!
8. Swaddling REALLY works well. This puts kiddo to sleep in a few minutes. Combine it with a paci and you've got a winning combination. But if this doesn't work then...
9. You better go for a drive.

These are tactics I've learned from reading books like Happiest Baby on the Block and Dr. Sears' The Baby Book as well as blogs. I've heard them repeated by moms and grandmas regularly. And then of course, I've used them myself and seen them work.

They do work for the typical fussy six week old baby. They will not work on a baby that has something medically wrong (dairy sensitivity, GERD, etc). Of course, if these things aren't working or you're at your wits end - send in the cavalry. I've had to take a break myself. I won't be the last parent to do so. Don't be afraid to call for back up (like grandma or the pediatrician). There is definitely a time and a place!

For now I'm going to enjoy a few more hours of relative calm before the fussy imp makes his appearance...and you should too!

Have you tried these tactics? What worked best for you? Leave a comment down below!

Alien, Giant, or Super Baby?

My kid is too big. I mean really.

At his second well baby visit we discovered he'd gained 9 oz in 4 days (since he was weighed at the midwife postpartum visit). He's only worn 3 month size since he was born, though he might have gotten away with newborn depending on the make...maybe...probably not.

Actually...not.

I discovered today that he is too long for his 3 month sized sleepers. Thankfully I only have one that is a footie sleeper. The other one is open at the ankles, so he might be able to wear it a little longer. I'm crossing my fingers because they're so darn cute but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Because kiddo is so long, I decided to take out some of the 3-6 month sized sleepers that we have. They look a little too long off...but on? My guess is he'll fill them out more than I think.

And that's just the sleepers.

When kiddo was born he was swimming in the 3 month sized onesies by most companies. The only one that seemed to fit alright was Gerber. So my mother, awesome woman that she is, bought us some more Gerber onesies. And of course now I can barely get them over his head or pulled down around his middle. Yes, I think I have to retire that set.

Sigh.

This kid is just shy of 6 weeks old and he's already grown out of some 3 month sized clothes (alright...probably the rest of them are just around the corner)! Thankfully my family and friends supplied me with a ton of 6 month sized clothes...so I'm hoping that will carry me to the 3 month mark...but once I get to 9 and 12 months, I'm basically screwed (Christmas anybody?). I have a much smaller stash of clothes for that size...and my guess is kiddo is going to run into that size by February.

My question is now, is kiddo an alien, a giant, or a superbaby? I'm just not sure. Maybe all three? I think I may need to buy stock in Trader Joe's or something.

Babies Are Like Drunks

Anyone who has been around a baby, or for that matter, has watched baby videos online, knows babies are kind of like drunk people. Let me explain all the ways how:

1. Babies drink until they pass out.
2. Often they pass out with their drink all over their face.
3. Sometimes they pass out with throw up all over their face.
4. Frequently they lay happily in their own throw up.
5. They pee their pants.
6. Their speech is incomprehensible.
7. Their eyes cross frequently.
8. They're easily distracted, especially by more drink.
9. They like taking their clothes off (particularly older babies).
10. Babies often drink until they throw up... then they drink some more.
11. They always need someone to bring them home, sometimes kicking and screaming. Sometimes passed out.
12. They have difficulty holding their heads up.
13. They walk unsteadily, often falling down.
14. They smell like what they drank.
15. They have to be carried to bed.

Seeing the similarities really makes babies that much more entertaining. :-)

Any other ways babies are like drunks? Let us know below!

Alien Cosleeping

We cosleep. There. I said it. Now you can judge me.

Except of course, everything I've read has led me to very specific conclusions about cosleeping, and then again, I haven't said what kind I do, and you don't know my reasons for doing it.

Everything I've read points me to the thought that cosleeping is best. Now, cosleeping includes room-sharing and bed-sharing. No matter which kind we're talking about however, it has benefits. It decreases SIDS risk. It increases sleep. It helps mother and baby bond. It makes breastfeeding easier. It even helps baby's development!

As to what kind I do? Well I do both...though mostly we bed-share (alright, now you can berate me). Yes, I'm evil and don't care about my baby. I'm uneducated and exposing my baby to more risks...blah blah blah. Clearly.

You know why we bed-share? Because kiddo likes it. Honestly. We have a cosleeper, but kiddo doesn't sleep well in it. He sleeps better with me. In the cosleeper he startles himself awake (or gets frustrated in a swaddle). He cries more and because of this, none of us sleep well (Christian startles awake as much as kiddo does because he freaks out at every little noise kiddo makes!).

In the bed, kiddo gets to eat whenever he likes (which he really likes). He doesn't startle and he doesn't cry.  He prefers to nuzzle right up against me using me as a pillow (though I do put him on his back to start, he's already rolling on his own). And in bed, he can easily sleep 4 hour stretches (We only had to wake up once last night ! Woohoo!).

Don't worry. We practice safe bed-sharing. Loose fabric is away from kiddo's face (or anywhere remotely near) and there aren't any fluffy objects nearby either. The cat doesn't come by his head (not even remotely). Kiddo sleeps on his back. The mattress is firm. And apparently safe bed-sharing decreases SIDS risk dramatically among other awesome things (according to the above link)...so I don't feel guilty.

In fact, I feel good about doing this. Everyone sleeps better because of this practice. In my gut it feels right...probably because for thousands of years mothers have been doing the exact same thing.

So yes, I breastfeed, cloth diaper, and cosleep. I'm such a traditionalist.