4 Months

Vincent turned 4 months yesterday. He’s officially in 3-6 months clothes (even though mamma tries to shove some of the cute 0-3 month clothing on him sometimes). We’ve been sticking him in his high chair while Daddy cooks dinner, calling him the assistant chef. We give him little cups to play with. It’s so cute to see him grab them and put them in his mouth. He’s getting better and better at grabbing things each day.

We’re not rolling over yet, but I think that’s because Mamma and Daddy don’t give him the opportunity. Now that he’s sleeping in his crib (waking up every hour, but at least he’s out of our bed), we’ve seen him look like he’s just on the cusp of rolling over. We’d prefer it if he’d save the moment when we’re not asleep to attempt these things. Honestly, we think he’s not really trying to roll over but actually craning his neck to try to the find his favorite food source he’s used to latching onto at night.

He’s also starting to take more interest in toys, especially ones that light up and move. When he’s in a good mood we can stick him under his mobile and he’ll just grin and wiggle at it. Sometimes he’ll squeal, but that’s more of an accident right now. Still just as cute. Mamma has been practicing sitting up with him, but he usually looks like a drunken sailor and topples right over.

 

4 Month, June 15

12 Weeks

You’re 12 weeks tomorrow! I can’t believe it! The other thing I can’t believe: is how much you fight sleep. I’m talking scream for what seem like hours and turn red in the face fighting. Of course I don’t let you scream for hours. I don’t even let you make it to 10 minutes. Some people tell me to let you cry it out, but we’re waiting until the recommended age of 4 months to try that. If we can stand it. Because your cries are like nails on the chalkboard to me. It isn’t so much about comforting you but making that sound stop. God was smart when he manufactured that horrid sound. Who wouldn’t want to try to comfort a baby to prevent it from making that sound.

Some days I wonder if I’m spoiling you. Because you’re very aware now. You know who gives you milk because now you can look at me and cry and make your fishy face. It’s the cutest thing, but it’s also really annoying because usually you have already eaten. You’re just looking to be pacified. Dr. Sears says I should comfort you this way. That it’s natural. There are so many baby experts and so many different theories and opinions. I haven’t figured out who to believe yet. I’m just as confused as ever.

You’re starting to be so aware. You like to look at your hands and feet. You can purposely bring your hand to your mouth, but those feet prove to be elusive. I don’t think you realize that they are attached to your body.

11 Weeks

You’re starting to laugh. We love it. We blow rasberries until we feel like we’re going to pass out. Just to make you laugh and smile. It’s the greatest thing.

You don’t like to go to sleep. At all. You fight sleep at all costs. But tonight, we’re trying something different and putting you to bed much earlier. In your own crib too. After last night, when you woke mamma every hour, I knew we needed to do something else. Thank goodness for mamma friends who give great advice. So far you’ve woke three times, but luckily, we’re not in bed and asleep yet. So I don’t mind.

You’re going to be three months next week, and it’s bittersweet. We want you to be out of this finicky fussy baby stage already. But it’s also pretty amazing. I’m sad to see you outgrow your clothes. First it was the newborn clothes (that you were in until about 1.5 months), and now you’re about to outgrow your 0-3 month clothes. I have to remind myself that this is your job, to grow. So be healthy and keep growing. And if you can do it on mamma juice, I’d be extra happy.

I’m a bad mamma. I let you sleep with me. All nestled in my arms. Usually contentedly nursing on and off during the night. For the most part, I enjoy it. I enjoy knowing that you feel safe, secure, and loved. I try not to think THAT word. Spoiled. But it’s there. So tonight I’m hoping you sleep in your crib. We’ve tried letting you sleep in your crib with your mobile that makes the heartbeat sound. But then it broke and Daddy broke it more. Between that and your stuffed up nose, we gave up on the crib. Will you stay the night in your crib? Will mamma be OK with that?

Dear Vincent

Today was a first. We’ve already had so many of those, but this one left a little footprint on on my heart. Today is the first day we won’t see each other all day. You went to work with Daddy, and you will go with him until August.

But I wanted to let you know, I miss you already. And it’s only been an hour sweet boy.

Thank you for all your smiles and coos this morning. It was such a pleasure to get you around to go. You didn’t even fuss when I changed your clothes. Maybe you liked being up earlier than usual. Although I cherish those sweet smiles, I have to say it was harder letting you go than I imagined. Even though you were going to be with your Daddy all day. Still you didn’t fuss, even when I put you in your carseat. Like you already knew you had to be a good boy for Daddy.

Mamma will be waiting with open arms when you get home. Until then, just know that Mamma is thinking of and loving you all day. Smooches and snuggles. I love you!

2 Month Appointment

You weigh 10 pounds, 4.6 ounces and are 22in. long. Pretty much in the teens for percentiles on height and weight, but head circumference you’re at 35%. It’s to hold all that ego.

You had to get 4 shots, and it made me sad. It’s on days like that mamma is glad she nurses you. A little extra comfort and you were all better. You took them like a rock star.

2 Months!

This week Vincent turned two months or 8 weeks if you want to belabor the point. (I never thought I’d be one of those mamma’s who put their kid’s age in weeks or in months when they’re past a year, but here we are. I’m a typical mamma. What can I say?)

Vincent’s smiles are no longer random and fleeting. Do you know how often we stick our face in front of our kid’s head and say something silly to make him smile and coo? And yes, we do voices. All kinds of them. We sometimes talk normally, but seeing as Vincent enjoys this audible entertainment, I can’t see what’s the problem with making baby noises at him while it lasts.

We moved him to his crib this week after we purchased a baby monitor and a crib mobile. It was a great combo because the mobile had three different modes of audio on it: Mozart, nature, and heartbeat. At night, Vincent really preferred the heartbeat. The minute that thing turned off, he’d wake up crying. The mobile also had a projector in it that projected these little animals across the top of it. It was a pretty sweet mobile. You notice I’m using the past tense? That’s because the mobile part quit working. I would have thought the most basic element that makes a mobile a mobile, the spinning part, would be the strongest mechanism of the gadget. But no, it quit spinning. Only 4 days after we bought it. No big deal. I’d just return it. Or so I thought. Daddy decided to play engineer and crack that puppy open. I caught in the act when Vincent and I woke from an evening nap. I told him he was going to break it even more and I wouldn’t be able to return it. Sure enough. Now nothing works on it. Why do men do this? Jonathan isn’t handy in the least, but that didn’t him from ripping the thing open and give it a good look over. Now he says he needs a soldering kit to fix it. For the low price of $20. Add in the cost of the mobile ($40), and this is becoming an expensive endeavor. And all I wanted was the heartbeat sound for Vincent to sleep with. Guess who kept waking up crying in his crib all last night since he didn’t have his soothing heartbeat?

Mamma Lives for This

6 Weeks

Dancing to 6 Weeks

This is my last week of maternity leave. Six weeks went by fast. Now Daddy takes care of the nugget for a few weeks before totting him to the office. I’m still not sure how I’m going to respond emotionally once I’m not caring for him full time during the day. Part of me is looking forward to it—I think the part that’s exhausted, and the other part of me wishes that every day I could snuggle him up because you don’t ever get this time back. I don’t want to be a stay at home mom right now just because I don’t think I would be good at it. I’d want to have a rigid schedule of cleaning, cooking, caring for the baby, and daily activities—something that seems impossible with a newborn.

Vincent is definitely focusing on faces more and starting to smile. I live for those smiles! Even if I can only coax out one, I feel like all this hard work and lack of sleep is worth it—and he’s showing a little gratitude. He’s also starting to out grow out his newborn clothes—at least length wise. He’s still a skinny little man that 0 to 3 month clothing hangs on him. Some outfits I’m sad to see him outgrow, but he also has some cute 0 to 3 month clothes I’m looking forward to dressing him up in.

Right now we’re struggling with staying asleep during our naps without being held. He’s still too young to calm himself, but we’re going to start working our way toward that by letting him cry it out a few minutes here and there. I also want to get him moved over to his crib soon, but we need to get a baby monitor first. I realized last night that between Jonathan’s snoring and movements, Vincent was waking up from the noise because he wasn’t deep enough into his sleep cycle not to be disturbed by these slight sounds. And I don’t have the patience to hold him until he’s deep enough asleep and then move him, which means that probably 5 out of 7 nights he ends up sleeping with me, cuddled up in my arms.

Nursing is going well, but I’ve pretty much given up pumping since it seemed like once I pumped, he was stirring and wanting to eat again, which meant he was an angry baby since I had already pumped out all the milk. If only he’d be more patient! 🙂

5 Weeks

***I started this post last week. Apologies that it’s almost a week late, but someone has to hold that fussy baby of mine.***

I can’t believe my baby is five weeks. They seem like the slowest and fastest five weeks of my life. I was remembering how when you’re pregnant, weeks seem to drag on forever. Like time stops while you gestate. But when the baby is actually here, most of the time it’s fast forward to the future!

Vincent is spending his days like this: Wake up around 9 or 10 in the morning; eat—this is usually an hour long process because he does this weird thing of gumming my boob at the end and getting angry; I’m not sure if it’s because he’s being too lazy to suck the rest out or if it’s not coming fast enough for him; between boobs, I usually change his diaper, which seems to focus him for the second part of his breakfast; after that, we head to his bedroom to get dressed for the day. That morning change is probably my most favorite part of the day. He loves being in his crib and looking around. Usually I can leave him in there to grab myself something to eat. Then I put him in his swing in his bedroom while I pump. I play my iPod and he usually drifts off to sleep—which is where he is currently while I write this. He usually doesn’t nap long in his swing (he’s currently stirring), so after that we move on out to the living room to get some tummy time. Then it’s time to eat again. After a quick diaper change, I rock him to sleep and put him down for a nap. He not a long napper (dammit!), so I haven’t figured out quite what to do with this time. It’s not long enough to do something too involved, and I can’t make any noise lest I wake him. You may be realizing by now that I’m still in my PJs. Some days if I’m lucky, I sneak in momma time in that early morning feed. And then we do the whole eat, play, sleep (fingers crossed) thing again. Who’s looking forward to a more interactive older baby? This mom!

5 Weeks