Lane: 6 Months

(written March 28, 2012)

Dear Lane,

Oh Little Mister, how is this even possible?!  You're half a year old!  You are getting closer and closer to your first birthday, and farther and farther away from that newborn baby you once were.

You have started sleeping so much better, often only waking just once in the night to eat.  There are even rare nights when you don't wake at all!  I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, in terms of interrupted sleep every night.  We are now co-sleeping full time.  You sleep on my pillow with me, with your little face smashed up against my face.  You also want to hold onto my face while you fall asleep.  Its so funny how much you associate our bed with sleeping now; at bedtime, as soon as I put you in bed on the pillow, you roll onto your side, close your eyes, and start reaching for my face.  I feel like I spend so much time away from you during the week and the day, that nighttime is our time to "catch up" on our snuggles... its definitely a special time for you and I.

You still love your special little blankey, and it goes just about everywhere with us.  The nice thing, however, is that you also do fine without it.  This comes in very handy when we have forgotten to bring it, or its being washed!  You also love chewing your hands and feet still, as well as anyone else's hands!

You continue to have about one cold a month, but I'm just attributing that to daycare, it being cold season, and you putting everything in your mouth.  I know there's no way to fully protect you from getting sick, and none of your colds have been nearly as bad as your very first one.

You still don't have any teeth, but that's okay.  We love your gummy smiles!

You're mostly in 6 month clothes, although some 3 month onesies still fit you (but just barely!).  At your 6 month checkup, you were 18 lbs. 5 oz, and 28 1/4 inches long.  You are still long and strong, with chubby little legs and a round belly.  We're still going strong with your cloth diapers too, and definitely have our routine figured out with regards to that.

We've slowly started introducing more foods to you, including oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, and squash.  The oatmeal, sweet potato, and squash are all winners, but you despise avocado.  (Dad and I don't like avocado either!)  I'm looking forward to expanding your food menu!

We're now counting down until your first birthday, although we don't want these next 6 months to go by too quickly.  You're so much fun right now, and this is honestly one of our most favorite stages you've gone through.  We are so proud of all of your accomplishments, and we just love you so, so much!

Love,


Mom and Dad 

A Different Kind of Mom

Back before Lane was born, I tried to imagine the kind of mom I would be.

Would I be the fun mom? Strict? A germaphobe? Laid back?

I always said my baby wouldn't sleep in my bed, wouldn't ever have formula, wouldn't get kisses from our dog Molly, wouldn't use a pacifier, and a million other things.

Now that he's here though, things have changed.

Lane spends most hours of the night sleeping in our bed. He has had a pacifier since he was 3 weeks old (although he's never been too interested in it). Since going back to work, I've had to supplement with formula. And Lane gets Molly kisses everyday.

I'm also becoming so much more concerned with only using natural, organic, chemical free products whenever possible.  We cloth diaper, and use a eco-friendly detergent to wash the diapers (and the rest of Lane's clothes/blankets) in.  The rice and oatmeal cereals we've tried are organic, and I plan on growing the majority of the fruits/vegetables we feed Lane, and buying organic the items I can't grow. 

I also recently switched Lane's shampoo/soap and lotion to natural products.  So far I am loving the Dolphin Organics line, both unscented and Citrus scented (the scent comes from citrus extracts).  (To top it off, they have GREAT customer service - I've been working directly with one of the creators of the company, Ayo, ever since my first order!)

We also use an all-natural diaper cream, known as CJ's BUTTer.  We have it in a tub, a tube, and a spray.  It smells wonderful, works fantastically, and is cloth-diaper safe.  I've also recently started using Coconut Oil from Trader Joe's as another option for preventing diaper rash, and so far have had really great results!

I'm also a huge fan of babywearing, or using a carrier worn on my body to pack my son around.  I have a Moby wrap (great for around the house, and to snuggle Lane in to help him fall asleep if he's really fussy),  a Beco Gemini (our go-to carrier, as Josh loves it as much as I do.  My favorite grocery shopping accessory!), and I am now looking into a ring sling.  I love having Lane near me, and he loves it as well.  He loves being out of his carseat, and able to look around at the new surroundings.  He also loves to fall asleep in the carriers, and will sleep through a whole grocery shopping trip with no problem.

Who knew I would become a cloth diapering, babywearing, co-sleeping, "crunchy" mama?!  I certainly didn't, but I have to say I'm loving it and the choices we are making for our son.

Lane: 5 Months

Dear Lane,

Wow! Five months already!! I know I say it every month, but I still can't believe how quickly you are growing up.

You have most definitely grown out of the "newborn" phase, and are full-blown little boy now.  You are becoming more opinionated and vocal, and are testing out all the different sounds your mouth makes now.  You often look us in the eye and "talk" back to us, with a look on your face that seems to say, "Can't you understand what I'm saying?!". 

You are becoming more attached to certain objects, like the bear in your monthly photos, and the small, soft security blanket we got you.  You chew on them both, and open and close your hands when you see them, as if you just can't wait to get them in your hands.

You still LOVE sleeping in our bed, and I still love having you in there.  Sleep hasn't been going great the past month or so, but we're just dealing with it.  You must be going through a growth spurt, as you wake up ravenously hungry at least once or twice each night.  You spend much less time swaddled now, and instead want a blanket to hold on to (and cover your face with- much to the dislike of Mom!). 

You have recently discovered your feet, and can now get them in your mouth.  When you're sitting in your Bumbo or bouncy chair, you're always leaning forward to grab at them.  You also really pay attention when Dad or Mom leave the room, and try to twist around in your seat to watch us.

We recently tried rice and oatmeal cereal, but you're not a fan of either of then.  You do love sitting in your highchair though! 

You learned how to roll from your back to your belly this month, and now will do so as soon as we put you on your back.  You also pull your knees up with your butt in the air, and I know it won't be long until you're trying to crawl. 

You are such an active and strong little boy, and everyone comments on that fact.  You just want to move.  You're chewing on EVERYTHING, and your shirts are always covered in drool.  You don't have any teeth yet, but I'm thinking we might see one (or two) soon.  For now though, we are loving your big gummy smile.

You are majorly ticklish, just like Mom and Dad.  Your main tickle spots are under your neck, and all around your ribs.  Tickling one of these spots leads to major cackling on your part, and great entertainment for Mom and Dad.

Your 6 month appointment is in just a few weeks, and we're anxious to see just how much you've grown since your last appointment.  You're still in 3-6 month clothes, and this is the longest you've ever stayed in one size. 

We are still cloth diapering you, and your little butt looks so cute in a brightly colored diaper.  Mom gave up pumping this month, and you've always done just fine with formula.  I didn't quite make it to my 6 month goal, but we were close!  I will always love those hours spent nursing you, and that special bond we formed.  You really gave me a love for breastfeeding.

Keep up the growing, little man, and know Mom and Dad love you beyond measure!

Love,

Mom and Dad

A Trip Down Memory Lane

While going through the videos on our video camera, I found this one from while I was in labor with Lane. Josh was bored and playing with the camera, and I was lying in bed after getting my epidural, just waiting until it was time to push. I can still feel that anxious excitement, knowing our son was just hours from being born.

Mr. Laughalot

This kid's laugh just melts my heart.

Lane: 4 Months

Dear Lane,

 You are now a third of the way through your first year of life.  Unbelievable!

You are changing weekly now, always gaining some new skill or losing one of your newborn attributes.  Every time someone sees you now that hasn't seen you for a week or two, they are so surprised by how quickly you are becoming a little man.

You are so much more active now, and have a near-constant need to be entertained by someone.  You want to be held much more now, but that's just so you can sit upright, or stand on your feet.  You love being quickly lifted into the air, as it tickles your tummy.

You have almost figured out how to roll from your back onto your tummy, but all the necessary motions haven't quite come together yet to make you successful.

At your 4 month checkup, you were 26 1/2 inches long (5 inches longer than your birth length), 15 lbs 1 oz (about 6 1/2 lbs more than birth weight), and a little advanced in your development (way to go buddy!!).  Dr. H suggested we start feeding you rice or oatmeal in a few weeks, just to see how you like it.  We're going to hold off on any other foods until closer to 6 months though.

Sleeping is going just the same- you're still in your bassinet at night, as Mom isn't ready to move you yet.  We're still swaddling you most of the time, but sometimes you fall asleep without it, so we don't risk waking you to do it.  You would still much rather sleep in our bed though!

You still love the TV, and are becoming more and more aware of your surroundings.  You now notice Molly and Maverick, although you're not too sure about them yet.  You also really like your hands, and they are always stuffed in your mouth.  You love chewing on anything you can find, and I don't think it'll be long before you're teething.  You often pull on your legs down, and lift them up into the air.  You're slowly finding your feet, but they still aren't as neat as your hands.  

You've slowed down on your growing, and I think you'll be in 3-6 month clothing for a little longer than any of the other sizes you've worn.

You love to cuddle your teddy bear now, and also your "lovie" or "snuggly", which is a small blanket with a teddy bear attached.  You cover your face with your blankies now, and rub your face into them to fall asleep.  It's adorable!

You survived your first cold, and boy was it a doozy!  You had a horrible cough, a congested chest and head, and to top it all off, Mom had it too!  We spend many hours sitting in the bathroom with the hot shower on, making our own steam room.  We had to take you to the doctor once, and then to the Emergency Room when you started throwing up from coughing too much.  Luckily, it was just a virus that ran its course, and you were soon back to being our happy, healthy baby.

Lane, we are so proud of the little boy you are becoming.  You are giggly, flirty, happy, active, cuddly, and just all around perfect.  We are so blessed to be your parents!

Love,

Mom and Dad

 

What Did I Do to Deserve This?

I find myself asking this question whenever things get tough.  Whenever life throws me a curveball that I'm not prepared for.

We've had a string of bad luck lately, and that question has played over and over in my mind.

Josh's truck breaks down - What did I do to deserve this?


We need to unexpectedly remodel our master bathroom - What did I do to deserve this?


I'm off work without pay due to the winter storm - What did I do to deserve this?

Our washing machine dies - What did I do to deserve this?


It often feels like karma is trying to catch up to us lately, in the form of things not going our way, or going the exact opposite of how we'd like things to go.  I start feeling down, and majorly overwhelmed.  Like we won't ever be able to overcome these obstacles.

But then, a certain little brown-eyed boy smiles at me.

And I think to myself, What did I do to deserve THIS?

I start remembering just how blessed I am.  We have a safe, warm home of our own to live in.  I drive a safe, reliable car to chauffeur my family around in.  We have plenty of food in our cupboards.  We both have great jobs.  We both have medical benefits.  We have money in our savings.  We have incredible families close to us.

And the most incredible thing of all- we have Lane.

How on earth is it possible that I get to be the mom to such an amazing little boy?  A son who melts my heart with his big, gummy smile.  Who's big brown eyes look just like mine.  Who has his dad's tiny ears.  Who is healthy, happy, and my entire world.  What did I do to deserve this?

Even though life is rough sometimes, I need to keep reminding myself of all of the great things in my life. 

Because really, all of the blessings trump the rough patches.


  

Winter Storm 2012

A week and a half ago, on the 15th, big wet snowflakes started to fall around the South Sound. Nothing too exciting; just some small flurries. The next day, the snow started to pile up, and by Wednesday morning, everything was coated in white.

I spent last week at home, not going into work due to the amount of snow in our area. It was so nice to have extra time home with Josh and Lane! We played board games and card games, read, napped, went for walks in the snow.

And then Thursday morning, our power went out.

We still don't have it back.

The South Sound was hit with snow, and then ice, and then wind. This resulted in trees falling/branches breaking for two straight days. Over 300,000 people were without power for some length of time. The power company has been working like crazy to get power restored, including bringing hundreds of workers in from other states. They have done a great job of keeping people informed, working around the clock, and still being friendly no matter how many times people call to complain.

Here are photos from around our house on that Wednesday morning, when we had the most snow.

 Josh and Lane, all bundled up.

 Molly LOVES the snow.

 My favorite monkey and me.

  Here's the proof- 12 inches of snow!

 I think he likes it!

 The power company has promised us our power WILL be back on today at some point, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is true.  All I want to do is take a shower in my own bathroom and do laundry!!

Sleeping Schedule: Interrupted

Up until about 2 weeks ago, we had a great sleeping routine.  I even blogged about how well it was going in Lane's 2 Month letter.  But then he got his first cold, and our entire routine went down the drain.

Because he was so congested, Lane and I spent much of the night sitting up, in the bathroom, with the hot shower running.  The steam/humidity helped up both breathe easier, and we often times fell asleep in there.  Or, we'd sleep together in our bed, both of us propped up more upright than usual.  This means Lane got very used to being held, snuggled, and upright rather than swaddled, horizontal, and in his bassinet.

Now that we're both over our illness, we're trying to transition back to our old ways.  And man oh man, is it tough.  Lane wants to be held, rocked, in our bed.  He wants to snuggle, and feel a warm body against him.  And while I LOVE snuggling him, I know he needs to learn to sleep on his own.

Last night was ROUGH.  Lane went down okay the first time, but then was awake again at 1 AM.  I fed him, changed his diaper, reswaddled him, and put him back in his bassinet.  Cue the SCREAMING.  So I got him out, rocked him, and tried to put him down when he was almost asleep.  Nope, not having it.  To make a long story short, we ended up being awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night, and Lane ended up in our bed.

Its really tough for me to stick it out in the middle of the night, especially when I have to work the next day.  It just always seems easier to put him in bed with me, and tell myself, "I'll work on it tomorrow night".

We've used Dr. Harvery Karp's book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" since Lane was born, and its amazing how well the techniques work.  Even Josh, who was hesitant to buy into the hype, now uses the 5 S's on a routine basis.  (I'm totally recommending this book to ALL new parents- SO worth reading!)  Lane is pretty dependent on 4 of the 5 S's, those being sucking, swinging/swaying, shushing (or white noise), and swaddling.  Sometimes when he's just upset and not really sleeping, the stomach/side positioning really helps.  I'm hoping that since Lane is now considered out of the "4th Trimester" (read the book to find out what that is!), we can slowly transition some of these S's out.  I would love for him to be able to sleep without being rocked/swayed to sleep, and I'm fine with him keeping the swaddling (he stays safely warm without blankets, sucking (self-soothing), and shushing (because we have a white noise machine). 

Josh wants to transition Lane into his own room soon, but I'm just not ready.  Its so much more convenient to feed him in our room, and to be able to just reach over into his bassinet to replace his pacifier or to check or eyeballs that may be awake. 

So, as with all other challenges, this shall pass soon.  I know in a few weeks or months when I'm looking back at this post, it'll be hard to remember Lane not being a good sleeper, and this phase won't seem all that bad. 

Lane: 3 Months

 

Dear Lane,

 

This has been a big month for you!  Your personality now shines so much, and its neat to see you becoming your own person.

The weekend after your 2 month checkup, you decided to roll over from your tummy to your back.  It was so exciting to watch you accomplish this milestone, and now you hardly stay on your tummy at all.

You are still sleeping well in your bassinett, with the exception of some late-night snuggling that Mom likes to sneak in.

You also LOVE the TV- anything that's on catches your attention.

We celebrated your first Christmas this month, and you were spoiled with lots of new toys and clothes.  One of your favorite toys in your new activty mat from Great Grandma Caroline.  It has toys that hang down that you can reach, and a "piano/keyboard" at the bottom for you to kick with your feet.  You'll spend up to an hour there if we let you, kicking your legs and grabbing at the toys.  It brings all of us lots of entertainment!

You are now mostly in 3-6 month clothes, due to your long legs.  We believe you're around 13-14 lbs, although we haven't weighed you recently.  We're getting better at staying happy when clothes are put over your head, and when its bathtime and time to get dressed.  You've taken a few showers now with Mom, and are slowly becoming used to the spray of the shower on your little body.

Dad is still staying home with you Monday-Friday, and he's really enjoying getting to spend one-on-one time with you.  He takes great care of you, acts goofy to make you smile, and loves to cuddle with you at naptime as much as Mom.

As you transition out of your newborn phase and into a more mature infant, its hard to believe you were once so small.  Packing away too-small clothes makes us miss that tiny, sleepy new baby, but we also love how fun you're becoming, and how much you interact now.

We love you, Baby Lane!

Love,

Mom and Dad