Christmas Prepping

I can't believe Christmas is only a few days away... I feel so behind!

Josh and I agreed to no go overboard with gifts for Lane this year, as a) he won't remember it, b) there's nothing he really NEEDS, and c) all of our family is flooding him with gifts already.  But, we did want to get him a few small things.  So, I bought him a book, a CD, and some adorable camouflage boots, plus things like new pacifiers, Level Two bottle nipples, etc. for his stocking.  Josh bought him a CAT hoodie (grey, not blue) and Carhartt overalls.

We have yet to get a Christmas tree, and if it weren't for Lane, I probably wouldn't.  But I feel guilty if we don't have one this year since its his first Christmas. 

I (of course) waited until this week to start Christmas shopping, so I'm now rushing to get everything done in time. 

I'll post Christmas photos of all of Lane's new loot after this weekend!

Maternity Photos

I'm just now getting around to posting them, but here are a few of our maternity photos!  These were taken by my amazing cousin Amanda, from Amanda Kay Photography. We took them at the Saint Martin's Campus, a place near and dear to my heart.

Lane: Two Months

So I wrote this post on Lane's two month birthday, and thought I hit "publish".  But evidently, I just saved it as a draft.  Which is why its so late!!

Dear Lane, 

Today, you are two months old.  Time is FLYING!  This past month has brought so much change for you.

You are now an awesome sleeper at night, most of the time.  You typically go down between 8-9 PM, and will sleep to between 2-4 AM, when its time to eat.  You then go back to bed for another stretch, anywhere from 2-4 hours more.  We swaddle you tightly, give you your pacifier for a few minutes, and put you in your bassinett half-asleep.  In this past month, you've decided sleeping on your back isn't all that bad.  You still end up in our bed sometimes, but that's just because Mama wants to snuggle you.  :)

Being on your changing table brings out the biggest grins. We still don't know quite why you like it so much, but we love changing your diaper because of those big goofy smiles.  And speaking of smiles, you gave us your first REAL smile this month, and its now easy to get you to grin in reaction to us.

You are so much more active now, and much more alert.  You love flinging your arms around, and are much better at getting your hands to your mouth.

You also love having us quickly lift you up into the air, as it tickles your tummy.  When you're upset, that is one of the easiest ways to get you to calm down.  You also love it when Dad "flies" you around the house; he puts you on your tummy in his arms, and then races around the house, taking you on an aerial "tour" of the couch, your bouncy chair, the bed, Molly, and whatever else crosses your path.  This is something special that you two do, and its so fun listening to Dad narrate for you. 

You are almost over the getting grumpy when you wake up phase, and instead just slowly wake up, stretch, and then look around to see where your food is.  You are still an impatient eater, though. 

We had your two month checkup today, and you weighed 12 lbs. 1 ounce, and are 24 1/4 inches long.  You are in the 90% percentile for weight, 75% for length, and 25% for head circumference.  You also got all of your required shots, which you were not a fan of.  However after just a few minutes, you stopped crying, and were sleepy for the rest of today.  You are a champ!

You are quickly outgrowing clothes, and your newborn clothes are already packed up.  I can tell you won't be in 0-3 month clothes very long either, as your long legs just won't fit. 

You love being in the Beco baby carrier, and almost instantly go to sleep in it.  Its so nice to be able to take you places in in, and this month we ventured out to watch your cousin Jack wrestle, to do some shopping at the mall, and to go to a Christmas bazaar.

You hold your head up so well now, even while on your tummy.  You can get your top half rolled onto your side, but your butt and legs are still stuck.  It won't be long now until you're rolling over!

Dad and I are loving all of your changes, and seeing you grow and develop is so neat for us.  I'm sure this next month will be even more exciting, as we get to experience your first Christmas.  We love you, baby Lane!

Love,

Mom and Dad

 

On A Roll!

My little man can now roll with the best of 'em.

Sleep, Oh Glorious Sleep

A few weeks ago, I had a long conversation with my wonderful cousin Mandy, regarding babies and sleep.  She has two children of her own, and was (is) a valuable source of information on all things parenting.  Our situation was that Lane refused to sleep lying down, unless it was in bed with me, or lying on my.  He would sometimes sleep in his bouncy chair, and would nap in his swing, but bedtime was awful.  I found myself dreading going to bed.  I spent many nights sleeping napping on the couch, just praying for daylight to hurry up and arrive.  Lane refused to have anything to do with his bassinet, even when swaddled.

I was afraid of Lane become dependent on my for sleep; I was afraid I was "spoiling" him. 

Mandy assured me that I was not spoiling my son, and that things would get better in time.  After all, how many 18-year-olds do you see still sleeping in their bouncy chairs or lying on their mothers' chests?

So, we just waited it out.  And I kept putting Lane in his bassinet during the day, sometimes while awake, and sometimes after he had fallen asleep.  We had discovered Lane loves white noise, so we bought a white machine.  And kept swaddling. 

And wouldn't you know it- he started sleeping in there!  Nightime was still rough, and I kept perpetuating the problem by putting him in bed with me.  But finally, after a particularly rough night, Josh and I agreed something had to change.  So back in the bassinet he went.

And I'm proud to say, Lane now sleeps perfectly in his bassinet.  He'll sleep for 4-6 hours at night, wake up to eat, and then go back to sleep for another 2-4 hours.  He still sometimes needs some "help" getting to sleep, such as being rocked, but we always try to put him down before he's actually asleep.

Its amazing what just a difference a few shorts weeks can make.  We are all so much more happy during the day, and feel much more rested.  Plus, this will all help once we transition Lane into his own room.  And although I sometimes still sneak Lane into our bed for some snuggle time, I feel confident knowing he is on his way to becoming an independent sleeper.