We've Got a 4 Month Cutie!

Four Months

Three Months

Two Months

David's 4 month check-up yesterday went well. I was told his height is above the hundreth percentile but since that's not really possible we'll say 99.9th and his weight is in the 90th. That's not surprising considering how fast he's outgrowing his clothes (he's already wearing 9 month sizes). Developmentally he's doing great as well. He still loves to coo and gurgle and this month he's figured out how to laugh and make different sounds. Ocasionally he'll try to imitate sounds that we make. His reaching and grabbing are better too and he's much more alert and interested in the world around him. Because he's growing so fast the doctor recommended we start solids every night to supplement what he gets from nursing. The picture below is his first experience with rice cereal (Sorry about the not so flattering view of me. I really am losing weight but this photo doesn't exactly show that). It was messy but he did well and ate more than I expected for his first time.

Books Schmooks

(playing in front of the mirror is one of David's favorite activities now)

Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I don't really have a good excuse other than I've been somewhat of a slacker lately. I'm now a mostly stay-at-home mom because the ladies in my office had a harder time with David than they anticipated. I guess they've been able to make it work with some babies in the past but David seems to demand more attention than a lot of babies (I could have told them that). He wants to be held CONSTANTLY, and just holding him's not enough. If he doesn't have my undivided attention he lets me know who's boss (as if that were in question). He even insists I hold him during naptime and if I try to put him down he'll wake right up. Or if I do happen to get him to fall asleep on his own he's awake within 20 minutes or so.

When I was pregnant I started boning up on parenting books and sleep guides so that I would be prepared. I even recommended Dr Ferber's book to a mom who had difficulties getting her son to nap. HaHa!!! Following his methods I get David to sleep after about 20 minutes of screaming. He'll sleep for about 15 minutes and then resume screaming for the duration of the nap. Has anyone else had this problem?

3 Months and Counting

3 months

2 months

It's hard to believe that David's already 1/4 of the way through his first year, but he really is 3 months old. Last month he had figured out how to make the pull-toy on his chair play music if we helped him grasp it. This month he's learned how to grab it on his own (although it usually takes him a few tries). He reaches for other toys and objects as well and enjoys trying to sit and stand while we hold his hands for steadying. He smiles, gurgles, and coos more than ever and his most recent achievement includes rolling from his tummy to his back. He's more fun every day and we are so excited to see his little personality unfold.

Au Natural

For those of my readers who feel eating whole grains is "radicalist" behavior this post will come as quite a shock. Some of you however are environmentally and/or health conscious so I thought I would share a little about the book I've been reading lately. It's called Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home. While it is geared toward parents, it's a good resource for anyone wanting information about the potentially harmful chemicals in our homes and how to avoid them. I don't suscribe to alarmism or the idea that all chemicals are bad. Many medications for example save lives when used correctly. I do believe in exercising caution though, especially when it comes to synthetic chemicals our bodies were never designed to handle.

Many topics the book addresses I was already at least somewhat familiar with. However there were a few things I had never even considered, such as the harmful repercussions of household cleaners. Cleaning solutions are probably among the harshest and toxic chemicals in your home. If a child were to drink a bottle of Lysol or Bleach you would call poison control and have them rushed to the ER. Cleaning products have been linked to asthma, allergies, and possibly cancer. When washed down the drain they contaminate our water supply and eventually leach into the soil affecting our food supply.

I'm as germ-conscious as the next person and would not consider a solution that put my family at risk for disease, but fortunately there are some good and more natural alternatives you can buy or make. Considering that I would use these cleaners for the surfaces that David will eat off of, play with, bathe in, and crawl over I think it's worth a little extra caution.

Back to the Grindstone

Last week David and I flew out to Washington state to visit my sister and her family for a bit of fun before my maternity leave is up and I'm back to work. Between our 3 kids and everyone managing to get sick in some form or another we didn't manage to do much, but I'm still glad we went. I haven't been out to see her since they bought their condo and this is the first time she and David got to meet. Michelle's my lifeline when I need some advice or a friendly ear as a new mom. She's probably saved my pediatrician dozens of panicked phone calls and I'm lucky to have her for a sister. She also took a few pictures of me with David which I appreciate because I don't have many pictures of me with him, and none that I would consider flattering.

This week I'm back to work. I'm only returning part-time and my office coworkers have agreed to watch him for me while I'm out doing visits. It's a great arrangement and I know a lot of moms would love to be able to have that kind of convenience and flexiblity. But I'm still so sad to see my days with just me and my little buddy coming to an end. Even though I did feel isolated and housebound and even though I do miss my patients part of me wishes I could just stay with him and not miss a single part of his babyhood.

Although I was technically supposed to start on Monday, between David still being sick (he just has a very minor cold) and other office happenings all I've really done so far is to attend a meeting. Tonight I do have a visit scheduled though and will be taking call so hopefully all goes well.

Feeling the Love

Valentines Day has never been a favorite holiday. Couples are pressured to spend money on the commercial aspects and singles have it even worse. I had previously sworn never to brave restaurant crowds on Valentines, but this year I decided to take Grandma up on her offer to babysit David so Derek and I could enjoy a couple hours on our own. Even though we got to the cheesecake factory just after 4 pm the place had a line practically out the door just to get your name on the list and a 4 hr wait for a table! So instead we headed for the take-out line and got a couple slices of cheesecake to go (even that took almost an hour) and wound up eating Wendy's hamburgers at my mom's. I think I'll renew my resolve about eating out on Valentines. The holiday wasn't a total wash though. I had oh-so-subtly hinted that I wanted some scrumptious chocolate covered strawberries rather than flowers this year but Derek surprised me with both the confection and flowers. Hopefully we can plan a somewhat more successful date sometime soon, but between the start of the tax season and David's sleep/feeding schedule it won't be easy.

The pictures of David with the bear are an idea I copied from my sister Michelle where each month a new photo is taken of the baby alongside the bear to track growth and compare. I wasn't on the ball enough to get a picture at 1 month so I will have to start at 2 months. At 2 months he's still a solid little guy measuring at the 97th percentile for both height and weight. He's mastered smiling and cooing and is beginning to reach for the toys on his toybar. Every day he's a little more interactive and we have lots of fun.

Smile!

Whew! I've been meaning to write a new post for awhile but our internet connection is really unreliable these days and every time I get a few free minutes I can't get online. David's been smiling deliberately for a few weeks now, but it's hard to catch him at it on camera. The other day though all the planets aligned so I could manage it. The other picture shows his recent favorite activity which is pulling the little toy on his chair to play music. I have to help him grab onto it still and he hasn't figured out that after he's pulled it he needs to give it some slack for the cord to retract before it can play again, but he sure thinks he's hot stuff when he gets it to work.
Since I last posted Derek's mom came out to visit and meet David. We had arranged to have David blessed in church while she was here, but that fell through last minute so we wound up having him blessed here at home instead. I was a little worried about cramming even the small group of family we'd invited into our living room, but we managed it with only minimal rearranging of the furniture and it all went nicely. Here's a picture of David with Derek and his mom.