Sunday, April 25, 2010

Crap Everywhere.

I'm serious. And I don't mean "stuff". I mean feces.

Last night around 2:30 Joseph was moving all over and couldn't get comfortable. Then he pooped. Luckily I heard/felt it, so he didn't sit in it all night long.

So I got up, cleaned him up and went to put that diaper in the laundry and get another diaper from the basket. When I got back, well, I'm sure you can guess. He'd left another present for me on the bed (and peed to add insult to injury) and was on the floor. Then he proceeded to crawl off to the living room, stopping every few feet to sit back on his laurels and leave a trail.

At 2:30am.

My only recourse is that I can write about it in this blog for all the world to see and show it to his first girlfriend.

And talk about timing - I just borrowed a steam cleaner from my friend Rachel yesterday! Guess what I'll be doing this afternoon?

Saturday, April 24, 2010

One Fabulous Year

My mom's group had our one year anniversary party today. I made the slide show. If you like babies, you'll love seeing this!


Thursday, April 22, 2010

FO: St. Paddy's Day Baby Sweater

Our friends Jason and Kristy had a little girl on St. Paddy's day (good omen for Irish alumni, I'd say). I just finished this top (confession, I still need to sew those buttons on). It was supposed to be a 6mo size, but it fits Joseph, so I guess it's more of a 12mo. We'll see if it can act as a dress when our little Irish Baby is smaller and a shirt for next year! I think it'll be really versatile with it's short sleeves and lace pattern - wear it in summer on its own, or in winter over a long-sleeved onesie.

Congratulations Kristy and Jason on your baby Ella!

Thred Up!


I heard about Thred Up, new clothing swap site for kids from one of my favorite bloggers a few weeks ago. The idea is that you list groups of your clothing by season/size/gender, put it all in a medium flat rate USPS box, and when someone picks it, you mail it off to them using pre-paid postage from the site. You get to pick a box for every box someone picks of yours (you get a freebee when you start), and when you pick one, you pay the $13 for the shipping.

It sounded pretty cool, and I've gotten serious about de-cluttering around here, so I sorted through Joseph's things and listed 5 boxes of clothes.

So far I've received two boxes. Both have had pretty high quality items (Janie and Jack, Gymboree, Hanna Andersen, Polo, Carters, etc...), but the box I got today was a total jackpot! All of it is size 2T, so it should fit this in the winter/spring/summer seasons next year.

Two cute button up short sleeved shirts and a pair of chinos

Three adorable sweater vests (so preppy!)

One little boy suit (are you kidding me!?!) - So adorable
Four long-sleeved button up shirts

You should seriously consider signing up for this website if you have kids. It definitely seems worth it. It's a bit of a mystery what you'll get (the first box had nice stuff but wasn't totally my style) but it costs very little. If you get two or three nice things you are way ahead! It's a fast alternative to consignment shopping, and much better (and more environmentally friendly) than paying full price!

Plus, I need someone to grab my boxes so I can select more! Keep an eye out for infant boy boxes from Jennifer C.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Weekend Fun with Daddy

This past weekend we went to the park for the April baby birthday party for our play group. Daddy came along and we went and played after cake (hence Joseph's blueberry mouth).

Joseph is incredibly smitten with T.J. He completely lights up whenever Daddy's around and just loves the attention he gets from him.

The feeling is pretty much mutual.

Get away, Mama, I'm with Daddy now.

Yey for slides!

Ooh, this playground is exciting!

Daddy loves to walk me around.

I love the park!

Climbing!

I think the orangutans at the zoo are a bad influence. Joseph is starting to scale his toys!

My hands are not helping, by the way, I'm just the safety net.


Hey mom, look what I figured out!

First you put one leg up

Then you do a giant leap onto your little people garage!

Don't try this at home, kids. We're trained professionals.

Urban Garden Party

Joseph and I hosted a party for our play group at our complex's "Urban Garden". It was very fun, the weather was gorgeous, and the kids enjoyed rolling around the tennis courts!

This is Joseph's friend Megan. Megan loves Joseph.




























Sometimes, Megan loves Joseph a liiiittle too much.























But that day, it was just right! Aren't they cute?

Fun at Home

This afternoon Joseph was a sight to behold! Just smiling, laughing, and playing. He enticed me to come play on the floor for a good while, crawling after him and wrestling. Then he pushed his car around (he's getting really good!) and even climbed onto the seat by himself and pushed a little with his legs for the first time!

We're having so much fun lately. I have to say that every day continues to be better and better. I love this little man!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Cloth Diaper Update

There've been some changes around here - hopefully for the better - so I thought I'd update you.

My entire stash with prices is here - most of my diapers were purchased used from diaperswappers.com. I highly recommend doing it this way.

Basically, we've abandoned the happy hempies. They weren't doing the job at night, and they are way too bulky for daytime. I am pretty sure that Joseph is a pee machine, so they'd probably work great for most people overnight.

Right now we're using Bum Genius 3.0 pockets for overnight. They are working great so far, but we'll see. Most people have a LOT of stink issues with the microfiber inserts. We had some problems even with our hemp inserts, so I'm not sure it is much different.

I do wonder if front loading machines are not quite as good for getting cloth diapers rinsed out. They certainly do a great job of cleaning, but my diapers continue to hold a lot of detergent, which is why they are getting smelly, ironically. It's a relatively easy fix - I just rinse them out periodically in the sink after washing them. But I'd obviously prefer not to do that. My mom friends assure me that he doesn't smell like a urinal, so I think we're alright!

During the day we've been avoiding the prefolds lately in favor of our fitteds, especially the one Muttaquin we have and our Bububebe diapers. I just love them. The mutt is so soft and trim, and the b4's are adorable and super absorbent. They are also easier to get poop out of than prefolds (because of the fold) and Joseph has been going 3+ times per day, so I have had my fill of having my hands in the toilet. Our Thirsties covers remain as all stars, and I wouldn't even bother to recommend a different brand for PUL covers now.

At first I was so excited about the BG 3.0 that I wanted to replace everything with them, but for some reason they leak during the day! Go figure, they last 10-11 hours at night, but can't last 3 hours during the day. I think it's because he has skinny legs and we're getting leaks out the sides. So we'll stick with what we've got.

In summary, my current "recommendation" would be:

Newborn: Kissaluv size 0 with thirsties xs. Orange edge prefolds from Green Mountain diapers are a great option, as well, though they are a little more "scary" when you first get started.

Infant: yellow edge green mountain prefolds and thirsties covers (cheap) or a good fitted like a mutt or b4. If you formula feed I would do something w/ a fleece liner (easier to get poop off) like a bumgenius 3.0. Also, if you are doing daycare you'll probably want a pocket or all-in-one as they are just like disposables for your provider. Personally I'd go with a pocket because I think they are able to get cleaner in the wash. The BG 3.0 seem great. I've also heard good things about fuzzibunz pockets.

Toddler: I'm hopeful that we can switch back to prefolds for potty training (brown edge). Assuming Joseph starts acting like a normal kid and pooping once a day (or if there is a fold I am missing out on that will reduce the smear) we'll get those in the rotation, so he can feel when he's wet better. Of course most of what we are using now is *supposed* to fit to 28-35lbs, so in Joseph's case they should definitely last until he's using the toilet.

Hope this was helpful! Please feel free to post any questions you have.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Lactivism Alert!

Here's a wonderful article on breastfeeding in America. Read it. It's long, but worth it. It's so, so true.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-bartick/ipeaceful-revolutioni-mot_b_536659.html

Since this month's publication of my paper "The Burden of Suboptimal Breastfeeding in the United States" in Pediatrics with Arnold Reinhold, I'm often asked by reporters what the US can do better to improve our breastfeeding rates. I've also gotten quite a few comments asking if this research just makes moms feel guilty if they couldn't breastfeed.

The answers to both these queries are intimately related, and are best illustrated by the following Tale of Two Births. As you will see, if you compare what should happen when a woman gives birth, versus what actually happens, you can appreciate how tough it can be for US women to breastfeed, but how much easier it could be if only things were a little different around here.

Birth number 1: Having a baby in the ideal, family-friendly United States:

You give birth with the help of a birth doula. She helps you avoid a c-section or vacuum assisted birth, which is why your hospital hired her. Your baby is wiped off, then put directly onto your chest, skin to skin, with his head between your breasts. The nurse puts a blanket around you both, and then your partner cuts the cord. The nurse evaluates his initial transition to life outside the womb as he rests on your chest. As you lay semi-reclining, happy and exhausted, your baby uses his arms and legs to crawl over to your breast and he starts nursing. You and your partner are left undisturbed for an hour to enjoy your new baby, who has now imprinted the proper breastfeeding behaviors thanks to this initial breastfeeding. You are then transported to your post-partum room with your baby on your chest.

The nurse returns and weighs, measures, and examines your baby right there in your room. You are with him as she gives him his vitamin K shot and antibiotic eye ointment. Your baby is handed back to you, and again placed on your chest skin to skin. He stays in your room with you until you go home. From your prenatal class, you knew in advance to ask most of your visitors wait until you go home, so that you can get some rest, and you turn the ringer off your phone, so that no phone calls will wake you. Before you leave the hospital, your baby's routine heel-stick blood test is done while he is nursing, and you are amazed to see he doesn't cry at all. You are discharged with clear instructions around breastfeeding, and phone numbers to call if you need help. You are not given samples and "gifts" from a formula company.

Two days later, you see your pediatrician, who is a little concerned about the baby's weight, but your baby otherwise looks healthy. He quickly refers you to a licensed International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and all you pay is your standard co-pay. She does a careful assessment and advises increasing the frequency of nursing for a few days, and that does the trick.

You enjoy three months paid maternity leave, at 80% of your usual pay. Your baby sleeps within arm's reach of you, and because you taught yourself how to breastfeed lying down in the dark, you awake fairly refreshed every morning.

When you return to work, your employer allows you flex time. Your employer has a policy that allows new parents to bring their infants to work, so often you bring your baby with you. As in other companies with such policies, your coworkers enjoy having a baby around, and you feel happy, calm, and productive.

When your baby gets more active, you put him in the daycare near your worksite so you can nurse him during lunch, and you can pump milk in the lactation room at work. You bought a nice pump with your insurance's Durable Medical Equipment allowance. After 6 months, you introduce solids. A few months later, you really don't need to pump any more and you and your baby enjoy breastfeeding for another year. Your baby is so healthy that you've never had to miss a full day of work.

Does that sound like your birth experience, or does this?

Birth number 2: Having a baby in the real United States:

Your give birth to a healthy baby, and you've never heard of a birth doula. The umbilical cord is clamped and cut before anyone can say, "It's a boy!" Immediately, your baby is whisked across the room to the warmer where Apgar scores are assigned, he's given a shot of Vitamin K, and antibiotic eye ointment is slathered in his eyes, clouding his vision. He's placed on a cold scale and weighed and measured. He is examined by his nurse, who takes him to a different room to do her evaluation. He is bathed, washing off his mother's scent. At last, he's professionally swaddled into a nice tight parcel and handed to you to hold, cradled sideways in your arms.

He's not skin to skin, and he can't move his arms and legs to crawl to the breast. Before you know it, an hour has passed since his birth, and since he's missed the window of "alert time" after birth, he slips into a deep sleep without having spontaneously breastfeed. You attempt to interest him in the breast, but he is really too tired to try very hard. Because he's wrapped up and has been given a bath, he can't use his sense of touch and smell to crawl his way over to find your breast. You don't know enough to unwrap him and feed him immediately after birth, because your prenatal class didn't stress the importance of skin to skin contact during the first 3 days of life. That was all discussed in a separate breastfeeding class and you didn't really have time or money to take two classes.

Just as you're getting to know your new bundle of joy, the staff decides to check his temperature and his blood sugar. His glucose level is 45 -- normal for a newborn, but low for an adult. His temperature is a little low, too -- all that time in the bath, the cold scale, the swaddling, and the time away from his mom's body heat has led to hypothermia.

Hypothermia and hypoglycemia can be signs of a serious infection, so immediately he is taken from your arms down to the nursery, where he gets what's known as a sepsis evaluation. Lying under a warmer down the hall from you, he gets his blood drawn, and then is left in his bassinet in the nursery to be observed for a few hours so you can't spend time with him as you recover from giving birth. He gets a 2 ounce bottle of formula, most of which he vomits, since the stomach of a five-hour-old baby is no bigger than a teaspoon, the perfect size to digest the colostrum your breast secretes for him in the first few days.

Finally, your baby's brought back to you, swaddled in a nice package. He's more alert, but never imprinted breastfeeding very well, and he's very stressed from all the day's events. He might be full from the formula he's given, and doesn't breastfeed well. He tries later in the day. The nurses try to help you, but it feels like they all give you different advice, much of it conflicting. Little do you know, their advice is based on their personal experiences rather than any scientific evidence because they haven't had much training in breastfeeding. You don't know what to believe. Finally, your baby goes to the nursery for the night "so you can sleep," and he is brought in for you to feed him. He doesn't like it in the nursery, so he cries, and you don't get much sleep either.

You have some pain when he latches on, and you're told that's normal. You're so excited about his birth that you talk to everyone by phone, and lots of people come to visit. They pass him around. Maybe someone wants to give him a bottle, and you figure, ok, why not. He's chewing on his fist, but no one ever told you that means he's hungry, so you give him a hospital-issued pacifier to suck on instead of his hand. You don't know that giving formula and pacifiers in the hospital will undermine your efforts to breastfeed. It's surprising the nursing staff doesn't inform you of this, and you didn't learn it in your prenatal class. You're too embarrassed to feed him with everyone there. Finally, your guests leave, but by this time, your baby's frantic, and nursing doesn't go well as a result.

Overnight, as he stays in the nursery, he gets weighed, and he's lost more weight than he should have. The doctor says it's because your milk isn't in yet, and recommends more bottles. He still sucks happily on a pacifier and sleeps in the nursery despite his alarming weight loss, and no one suggests that you nurse him more often, room in with him, get rid of the pacifier, or see a lactation consultant, all of which would help put him back on track with breastfeeding.

An hour before you're due to go home, the lactation consultant comes in briefly to check on you, but because her department is so understaffed, she couldn't see you earlier when you needed it most, and she has little time to spend addressing your problems. On your way out, a nurse hands you a marketing bag from a brand-name formula company, complete with free samples of formula and information on breastfeeding that makes it sound a little hard and scary. She tells you if you have any questions, to just call your pediatrician.

The first night at home, things don't go well. It's the middle of the night, and your baby won't stop crying when you try to breastfeed. You wonder if you should just give up. You reach for that ready-made bottle and his crying mercifully stops. The problem is solved, at least for now.

You are really motivated to breastfeed, so in the morning, you try to find a lactation consultant. You talk to someone you find in the yellow pages called a "lactation counselor" who is willing to help, but your insurance won't pay. You find someone else called a "lactation consultant." You have no idea what the difference is between a "lactation counselor" and a "lactation consultant." Since these professionals aren't licensed in any state, you have no way of knowing if they know what they are doing.

You meet with the lactation consultant, but have to pay out of pocket. She helps you. Afterwards, you have to file a claim with your insurance company and hope they reimburse you, all while caring for your newborn. The lactation consultant recommends pumping with a double electric pump to help you build up your milk supply, which is now threatened because of all the formula the baby got, and because his breastfeeding technique is not really good enough yet to extract milk well, since he didn't learn properly right from the beginning. Your insurance won't allow the breast pump to come out of your Durable Medical Equipment allowance, and you try to pay for it with your Flexible Spending benefit card, but it's denied. You pay $250 out of pocket. Good thing you had a gift card to pay for all that!

You go to your pediatrician for follow up. Since your pediatrician got very little training on breastfeeding, he doesn't know how to help you, but is concerned that your baby has lost too much weight, and advises giving some formula. You don't know what to do because the lactation consultant's advice was different.

Ugh!!! This is really hard, you think. Eventually, things miraculously end up working out, just because you persevere through thick and thin, and your partner and family and friends are very supportive. By about 4 weeks, your baby is now exclusively breastfeeding, and gaining well. And you are enjoying what time is left of your unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act. But, you have only two more weeks before you go back to work. You can't afford any more time off.

You start pumping to build up a stash of frozen milk for your return to work. You arrange with your employer a place to pump -- how lucky you are that it won't be a bathroom! You go back to work, and before long you discover your milk supply is dwindling and now your baby wants to nurse all night long. You are exhausted.

You call the lactation consultant who tells you that it's common to see a drop in milk supply when moms go back to work. She explains that pumps aren't as efficient at removing milk as your own baby is, so your milk supply may drop, and your baby makes up for it by nursing more when you are with him -- it just so happens that that's at night. "It's called reverse cycle feeding," she tells you. You wonder why you never heard about this before, in any of your follow-up visits with your pediatrician or OB.

You want to see the lactation consultant again, but your insurance will only reimburse you for visits during the newborn period. Well, you think, at least my insurance paid for something -- my friend's insurance doesn't reimburse anything for lactation help.

You nearly fall asleep at the wheel driving to work. "This is crazy," you think. "My baby needs me to be alive, more than he needs me to be breastfeeding." Finally, you give up. You just can't do this anymore. You are very sad and disappointed.

You become a statistic: one of the 41% of US mothers who wean before 3 months. You feel guilty as hell, especially when all you ever hear is how great breastfeeding is, and now how that new study shows it could save the US economy $13 billion/year, and how everyone says it saves lives and how it will make you healthier too. You just wish all these people would just shut the heck up.

So, now that you've heard the difference between what your experience could have been like, and what it was actually like, you tell me:

Do you feel guilty for not breastfeeding? Or do you feel angry because it didn't have to be this way?

And if you answered "angry," then take that anger, and write to your hospital -- tell them you want them to become a Baby-Friendly hospital, so that no one else will have to go through what you did just to feed your child. Write to your state and federal legislators -- tell them to support laws that make breastfeeding easier, like licensing of lactation consultants, and the requirement that insurance companies reimburse for lactation care and services. And write to your US representatives and senators, and tell them you want tax-credits for onsite childcare, and that you don't want the US to continue being the world's only developed country without paid maternity leave.

Yes, I'm a researcher and a physician, but I'm also a mother. Since I live in the United States, you can probably guess what my birth experience was like. Maybe you've heard me on the news saying that moms shouldn't feel guilty. I've been there. So take that guilt and turn it inside out, and do something positive so that other moms don't have to go through what you did. We all deserve better.

A Peaceful Revolution is a blog about innovative ideas to strengthen America's families through public policies, business practices, and cultural change. Done in collaboration with MomsRising.org, read a new post here each week. Submission inquiries to Nanette@MomsRising.org.

Are you shredding yet?

Today is my last day at level 2 of 30 Day Shred. I'm so impressed with this workout! I am not one to get too bored with videos, and for 20 minutes a day, I can stand a little boredom. The workout is challenging, but by day 7-8 (out of 10) of each workout I'm really seeing improvement. And I am noticeably stronger - yey! I haven't lost any weight, but that's fine. I had no muscle tone so that's part of it. The other part is all the cake and ice cream and homemade bread I've been eating. Hehe.

So if you are on the fence about starting to exercise, I'd really give this a go! For 20 minutes a day, it's got serious bang for your time. You can get level one for free on Comcast On Demand, too!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Go see this blog!

My sister started a blog! It's called "The (mis)Adventures of a SFH" - about her journey as a single female homeowner.

She's funny, cute, and almost as interesting as Joseph. So go add it to your reader! And leave her a nice comment once in a while. Being the youngest child, she needs lots of attention.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Sammy, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Sammy


I'd like you all to meet Sammy. I do not know if it's a fluke, but Joseph started sleeping better about a week after I picked Sammy up for him in a fit of desperation at Toys'R'Us.

Sammy is an "Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse". His belly lights up and he plays classical music for 5 minutes. He works. Joseph wakes up now, we go in, put him on his side, cuddle Sammy up to him, turn the tummy on, and pat his back. That's it. He goes back to sleep! I still feed him if it's been more than 3 or 4 hours, but we now have another option for in between!

Seriously, Sammy the Seahorse is changing our life. Sad, but true. I am slightly ashamed to admit it, but I should know by now. Fisher Price is usually right. Joseph loves everything they make, much to Mama's chagrin.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Fun at the park

Joseph and I had fun this afternoon (after his 2.5 hour nap!!!) taking a walk to the park while Daddy was golfing. This one is a little more than a mile away, so we got to spend quite a bit of time in the sunshine. It was gorgeous outside.

Looking cool for the camera
Playing on the jungle gym for the first time!
Note: I'm almost positive they aren't called jungle gyms anymore.
Peek-a-boo!
I got down all by myself!
Matching up shapes
Mom, I am soo not getting fooled into going in that tube!
Eying the slide
Selfie

Friday, April 9, 2010

Roseola

So I think Joseph has/had roseola.

From Dr. Sears' website:

ROSEOLA

Your one-year-old has had a high fever for the past three days, and naturally you are worried. This morning the fever seems to have subsided, but your child has suddenly broken out with a red rash all over the body. What could this be? Is it serious? Should you rush to the doctor? Here is the Dr. Sears guide to this very common childhood illness.

WHAT IS ROSEOLA?

It is a usually harmless illness caused by a virus. It occurs almost only in children age 3 months to 3 years, most often between 9-12 months. It is probably the most common cause of fever in this age group.

WHAT DOES ROSEOLA LOOK LIKE?

This virus generally causes 3 days of high fever (often over 103). The fever then subsides, and the child breaks out in a flat or bumpy red rash, usually starting around the neck, back and chest, then spreading out. The rash lasts a few days to a couple weeks.

Dr. Sears Clue: Roseola is about the only virus in which the rash appears after the fever breaks.

Sometimes this virus will cause 3 to 7 days of high fever, with no other symptoms and no rash. Some children will have swelling of the glands in the front and back of the neck, runny nose, cough, ear pain, vomiting or diarrhea with this illness. Children can have one or all of these symptoms.

Dr. Sears Clue: The characteristic of Roseola is that infants don't seem very sick and act almost well when the high fever comes down.

WHEN IS IT CONTAGIOUS AND HOW IS IT TRANSMITTED?

It is contagious from about two days before the fever starts until 1 or 2 days after the fever is gone, even if the rash continues. Children who are fever-free for 1 or 2 days can return to school, even if they still have rash. It is passed via saliva, runny nose, or cough. The incubation period (time from when your child is exposed to the time of actual illness) is around 10 days.

HOW DO I TREAT ROSEOLA?

You essentially just treat any symptoms that are bothering your child. There is no actual treatment for this virus. The main thing to keep in mind is that this virus can cause high fevers. Try to be diligent in treating moderate to high fevers. Click here on fever for guidelines.

DO I NEED TO SEE THE DOCTOR?

There is no urgency to see doctor for this illness.



The symptoms are exactly what we've been going through. Today he has a rash all over, but he's feeling good. Still in quarantine till tomorrow, then apparently he won't be contagious anymore.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

It was even cuter in person

I tried, but I couldn't get the full extent of the adorableness on camera. Joseph and I grabbed a shower tonight. He wasn't a huge fan, mostly he was chilly, I think. He stayed in his little towel teepee for several minutes without moving!


Easter Playdate

Joseph and I went to our friends Whitney and Will's house last Friday to dye eggs - so fun!

Whitney and Will
Joseph's always happy when bouncy balls are involved.
My little bunny
Easter Best Dress
Sometimes Megan loves Joseph a little *too* much

I forgot to take pictures of our eggs before turning most of them into deviled eggs, but I got a few of them.
A few of our eggs

First Harvest

My "bountiful" urban garden is producing! I cut some red leaf lettuce yesterday. The pollen was so bad that it took a few rinses to get the lettuce clean, but it is so delicate and fresh! Love it.

FO: Gnome Baby

My friend Kat tipped me off to this pattern. It's so cute! I'm planning to send this off to baby Dominic, who's baby #4 of 2010 for our friends! Congrats to Jim and Erin!

I'm going to make a cute sweater to go with it. But I need to make baby #3's top, first! haha.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Doped up

As promised, I snapped a few pictures today when the motrin kicked in. No word from the doc yet, so I imagine the test will come back negative. Just a bug, or maybe teething, or perhaps the pollen count. The air was tinged yellow-green here today and we set some sort of record. Yuck.

Oooh, mama got the camera out
See my new tooth? Bottom left.
Hahaha, Mama is so funny when she plays Peek-a-boo with my Boo Bear
Look, Mom, No hands!
Aaaand, the motrin wears off

Impromptu Pedi Visit

Joseph is sick. We took him to the pediatrician this morning, and they are testing him for strep. He's had a fever for 2 days now, a red throat, and isn't feeling well at all. Poor little guy. We're pretty exhausted, too, as he is not a kid who sleeps when he's sick.

I'm going to try to remember to take some photos tomorrow for you all after he's doped up on the motrin!

PS. We did his weight check while we were there and he gained 5 oz! The doc said that's on track, so apparently he just needed more opportunities for food. D'oh. We're ecstatic that we don't need to worry about gluten!

Friday, April 2, 2010

FO: Matching Hat

I made a cute and tiny little hat to go with baby Sophia's sweater. I blocked the sweater, and it's the same size as Joseph's baptism sweater [which he wore at 7mo], so I think she'll get some good use from it. I just have to finish sewing buttons on the sweater and it'll be ready to go! The hat was a very quick knit - I cast on last night and finished tonight!

Indian Summer in Spring

Lately I've really been relishing the close relationship I have with Joseph. All the cuddles during nursing, holding him as he falls asleep, even just wearing him around town for errands. He's getting so big, turning quickly into a toddler. This is the Indian Summer of his babyhood. ::tear::

This morning he was laying on me while I patted his back for him to go to sleep. He was tired, and I don't know what he was thinking about, but he just started talking and laughing. This went on for a good 3 minutes or more. He was lying on my chest, listening to my heartbeat like I used to do with my mom, and just laughing. It really made my heart swell with love and pride for him, and it made me so happy to think that he gets the feeling that I have looking back on all the cuddles I got as a child.

I feel like we're coming to the end of an "era" in his life... we're beginning to work on his sleep more, with an eye towards transitioning him to his own crib and possibly his own room. While I do enjoy having more space, SLEEP, and just T.J. in the bed, I know I'll miss cuddling with my Little Bear when he's made the move and is sleeping more soundly.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

  © Blogger template 'Isolation' by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP