Twist and Shout

Charlie is sure doing a lot of both of these things lately!  Although he can roll from back to tummy and tummy to back, he doesn't seem to enjoy doing it very much.  Instead he twists as far as he can without actually rolling.  He does this on his play gym, on a blanket on the floor and on the changing table (fun!).  It's pretty cute, especially when he's twisting in an effort to flash me a cute grin or just generally keep track of where mommy is going.

The shouting....not as cute.  He has discovered his voice and spends considerable time testing it out with a wide variety of squeals, shouts, shrieks, hollers, and yells.  He does it at home. He does it when we go out. He does it in the car.  It seems like he is constantly yelling.  When Charlie wakes up around 6am, I will often bring him to bed with me after nursing for a snuggle and with the hope that I might be lucky enough for him to sleep a little longer.  We cuddle close and Charlie will usually quietly babble or coo while he grabs my hair and eventually settles down into rest or sleep.  Well, that's what used to happen.  Now I bring him into our cozy, comfy bed, lie down next to him and he stares at me with a huge grin on his face.  Then he lets loose with a huge shriek that probably wakes the neighbors.  And then yells out repeatedly.  He's not upset.  He's wildly happy it seems - so happy he has to holler!  I will admit that I don't mind it so much when we are home, it is pretty funny.  But I do not love it when we are out and about. And it is making me pretty anxious to fly across the country with him in a few weeks.  Keep your fingers crossed that he gets used to his voice and doesn't feel a need to constantly test it on the airplane!

Notice the only thing moving is his mouth - because he is YELLING

Cody is in Las Vegas for our friend Anthony's bachelor party this weekend.  His mom stayed on with us last night to help out with Charlie (and came with us while Charlie shrieked his way through Ulta and Costco).  Tonight Emily is staying with us - mostly because it is fun, but partly because for some reason I am a little nervous to stay alone overnight with the babe.  I haven't had to do it yet, but it is bound to happen eventually.  So I'll get over it when I have to!

Tomorrow we plan to take the little man out to breakfast and then relax until the stores open and we can do a little shopping.  I figure if Cody is living it up in Vegas while I am taking care of C, I deserve a little retail therapy :-)  In my former non-mommy life, I was pretty into fashion.  I haven't looked fashionable since my tummy started expanding and my primary wardrobe criteria became "covers tummy, hides spit up."  I've done most of my work clothes shopping already, but am still on the lookout for a few items - namely a chocolate brown cardigan and some accessories like a gold skinny belt and maybe some fun necklaces.  Emily is on the hunt for a maternity suit (a task I don't envy, I was lucky enough not to need one, but it is hard to find a cute one!).  Yay for girly weekends!

Baby Food

Sick of this topic yet?  Me too.  But we have been sampling various delicious organic baby foods this week, so I thought I would share.  Oh wait, what was that? You thought I mentioned making my own extra special homemade organic baby food? Nope, not me, must have been someone else.  Some delusional soul who thought that nursing for two hours a day, pumping and storing breast milk daily, and strapping the baby into a high chair for the preparation of food, feeding of food, and the cleaning of food off of little baby hands, cheeks, eyebrows, noses, and legs (seriously?) twice daily was somehow not *enough* time devoted to the feeding of one small child.  I don't know anyone that crazy.

So, moving on, I decided to try out some organic baby foods.  As I've mentioned here before, I do not eat all organic myself, nor do I ever plan to do so.  But I feel compelled to feed Charlie as much organic as possible while he is young for a few reasons.  1.) Babies do not have very varied diets - so if there is a particular pesticide in a food such as....sweet potatoes? for example? well if your baby will only eat sweet potatoes and other foods mixed with sweet potatoes, he's going to be eating a lot of that same pesticide.  2.)  Babies eat a lot of food!  It seems like a small amount, but by percentage of total body weight, they eat considerably more than adults.  More food = more pesticides.  3.) Hormones.  All the hormones in typical dairy products have been linked (if not definitively) to earlier puberty in children.  Enough said.  4.) A lot of organic food is just healthier in general, in that it tends to have fewer preservatives, less added color, salt, sugar, etc.  So yeah, we're going the organic route, but not strictly so.  I plan to buy organic produce, meat and dairy for Charlie whenever possible.  But I'm not going to keep the little man from eating a delicious non-organic goldfish cracker.  I'm certainly not going to insist that he have an organic birthday cake or anything like that.  And we like to eat out, so we certainly won't be eating organic then.  We're moderate hippies in this household.

Anyway, the realization that there are some local companies, in addition to some national brands, that make really fresh, organic frozen baby food, inspired me to try them out rather than embarking on setting up a small puree-making plant in my kitchen.  More expensive? Slightly.  Hard to find? Not really.  Easier than making food myself? Absolutely.  Here's what we've tried and my reviews so far:

Food: Jack's Harvest Organic Baby Food
About:  Jack's is based in Roswell, Georgia and was started by two moms with babies.  They have two lines - "So Smooth" for younger babies, and "A Little Lumpy" for older babies.  We've obviously only tried the smooth versions for Charlie so far.  The fruits and veggies are totally organic and many of the varieties have a pinch of spice to expose the palate to more flavors.  For example, the "Lip Smacking Sweet Potatoes" have a hint of vanilla and cinnamon.  This is far and away Charlie's favorite food.  I've tasted it myself, and I have to say, it is pretty delicious tasting!  The only ingredients are sweet potatoes, cinnamon and vanilla.  All the So Smooth food comes in one ounce, frozen heart shaped cubes - 12 cubes to a bag.  You just pull out a cube or two, defrost for a few hours in the fridge or for 20 seconds in the microwave, and voila! We've also tried "More Peas Please" which is peas with a hint of mint.  Charlie does not love it (or even like it), but I have to say, it is a beautiful bright green and I think it is tasty.  A new favorite is "Papplesauce" a blend of peaches and apples with a pinch of cinnamon.
Price: $6.99 for a bag of twelve 1oz. cubes. Roughly 58 cents per ounce.
Pros:  Tasty! Easy to store and prepare.  Excellent packaging.  Hint of spice in food.  Charlies seems to really enjoy it. Local. Available at Whole Foods.  Started by moms.
Cons:  None really, we love this food.  I guess I wish they had more flavors?
Grade: A

Food:  Yummy Spoonfuls Organic Baby Food
About: Yummy Spoonfuls is based in Woodstock, Georgia.  They have three stages of food, Creamy Yummy, Mushy Yummy and Chunky Yummy.  Again, we have only tried Creamy Yummy, which is for the youngest babies.  These baby foods are very straightforward.  They boast names like Pureed Organic Butternut Squash.  The only ingredient is....organic butternut squash.  This is a good thing overall, as conventional wisdom dictates that we introduce food to babies one ingredient at a time.  I understand this in the sense that if the baby has a reaction, you want to know the cause.  Not having any food allergies in our families, I haven't worked myself up too much about the possibility of an allergy.  I also think it is really unlikely for a baby to be allergic to cinnamon.  I tried out said butternut squash, thinking if Charlie loved sweet potatoes so much, he would probably also love the squash, as they are fairly similar.  Well, Charlie hated it the squash at first.  Then the next night, I mixed 75% sweet potatoes with 25% squash - he liked it.  Tonight I mixed 75% squash with 25% sweet potato - he still liked it.  I really think he likes the cinnamon.  The Yummy Spoonfuls food comes packaged in individual 4oz. plastic containers.  This is not ideal, as it seems like a lot of packaging for baby food.  Also, Charlie is not taking 4oz. of solids at a time yet, so it makes the brand seem inflexible compared to Jack's, which you can defrost in however many 1oz. cubes you choose.
Price: $2 per 4oz. container, or 50 cents per ounce.
Pros: Organic, single ingredient foods, more vegetable options, local.
Cons: Overpackaged, kind of boring, too-large portion sizes, not as easy to find.
Grade: B

Food: Earth's Best Organics
About: This is the one jar food I am reviewing, because it seems like sort of the go-to easy to find organic option.  It's available at grocery stores, Babies R Us and Target among other places.  I didn't really have any negative opinion of jarred baby food until I bought a jar of Earth's Best Organic bananas, and the goop inside the jar was pink.  Umm, bananas are not pink.  Obviously it takes some serious processing and preservatives to take a fresh fruit and make it capable of sitting on a shelf in a jar for literally years.  Charlie wouldn't eat the bananas, even though he was good with the fresh banana.  He did like the sweet potatoes pretty well, but not nearly as much as the Jack's version.  Overall, I'm not opposed to the jarred organic food.  Sure, it has some preservatives and is processed - it's also super convenient because it doesn't require defrosting or a dish.  You can easily throw it in the diaper bag and not worry about it.  I tasted it, and....well...it doesn't taste that great.  But Charlie did eat some of it and I will definitely use it in those situations where frozen is just not practical.
Price: $.79 for a 2.5oz jar,so roughly 32 cents per ounce.
Pros: Convenience, convenience and convenience. Price. Easy to find.
Cons: Preservatives and processing, not very tasty, not Charlie's most favorite.
Grade: C

Too Hot!

Ugh, it is just so yuck out. Hot, humid, daily thunderstorms, all the standards of August in Atlanta, except it's still July and it's been this way since June.  Cody's mom is visiting us and we have spent all week sitting inside trying to entertain a desperately bored baby.  But it is just so hot to take him out!  Charlie *must* have his morning nap, or he is a crank - so by the time he wakes up from that it is already well above 80 degrees and getting hotter.  It seems like all the indoor activities for babies are geared toward kiddos a little older than Charlie - the next youngest baby at the library program we tried was 11 months and crawling around like a maniac. 

I have thought of taking him to the Georgia Aquarium, but it is pretty expensive given that we would only go for an hour or two, and I'm not even sure he would really appreciate it at this age.  I think he might like the fish tanks since the fish get very close up, but who knows.  If anyone reading has taken a 6 month old to an aquarium, I'd love to hear whether you thought it was worth it at that age. 

My research on all of these attractions seems to indicate that it makes much more (financial) sense to become a member.  Example: Zoo Atlanta is $20/pp, but $79 per family for an annual pass.  So if Cody and I plan to take Charlie to the zoo twice in one year (which we definitely plan to do, every kid loves the zoo apparently!), the membership is clearly the way to go.  The Aquarium, the Botanical Gardens and the spray ground in Roswell are all similar - you make up the cost in 2-3 visits.  They also all have "companion" options, so basically a family membership plus one, so that a caregiver can also bring the baby.  This will be perfect for Cody's mom when Charlie is a bit older.  I am looking forward to lots of zoo, aquarium, and garden trips in the future!  Now if the weather would just cooperate...

I have resigned myself to the fact that we are pretty much stuck inside until I go back to work.  Once the nice fall weather gets here I will be back in my office all day.  Well, except for Fridays, so I plan to do a lot of fun Friday activities with Charlie when I do go back!  Also, Charlie, Auntie Emily and I are headed to California in a couple weeks for a 5 day visit with family and Emily's baby shower.  I am hoping for the Northern California standard of 76 degrees and sunny :-) And nice cool mornings and evening so that Charlie can wear some of the 3-6m jeans he got as gifts - it is just too hot here for blue jeans and they are just about to get too short on him.

So, basically, I am looking forward to Fall.  It has always been my favorite season.  Sweaters, football, pumpkin patches, Halloween (I already have the cutest costume for Charlie!), my birthday, pretty leaves, cool weather, boots, new tv shows, cabin weekends, apple cider, crisp air, stews and soups, did I mention cool weather? And football?  I bet you're ready for Fall now too!

Sweet Tooth and Sweet Kisses

We've continued introducing various solid foods to the little man, with varying degrees of success.  Let's see things we don't like - peas!  Like, mouth clamped shut will not eat even the tiniest bite.  Things we've tolerated - avocado, banana, and pears mixed with oatmeal.  Thing we *love* - sweet potatoes!  Clearly he favors foods with a little sweetness to them.  He will happily open up his little mouth when the yummy orange sweet potatoes come his way.  You can tell he likes them because there is so little on his face and bib when he is done.  With the other foods, I'd say a solid half of what I try to feed him ends up on his face, on his hands, on his bib or on the tray.  When it comes to sweet potatoes, I think we have about a 90% swallow rate - I'm going to estimate that with the peas we were at something closer to 10%.  Here are some cute pictures I took after his sweet potato dinner tonight:

Only a tiny bit of orange on the bib

Note the lack of sweet potatoes in his eyebrows

All gone!

 We've also slowly introduced the sippy cup.  We bought a few different types, but the Playtex version we bought at Jodi's suggestion (thanks Jodi!) seems to be working out the best.  He's catching on pretty quick!  I think in another few weeks he will really have the coordination to drink a little more. So far I've only put a little water in the cup, and I think part of it is that he doesn't love the taste of water.  When I feel like he has mastered it a little better I will put some of my milk in there for more incentive to drink.

 One of Charlie's most adorable new tricks is trying to give kisses.  I kiss his cheeks all the time and I'm pretty sure he is imitating me when he grabs onto my head and smushes his little lips into the side of my face.  So cute!  He can't pucker up quite yet, but he is trying!  I apologize for the terrible quality of this photo, but when I saw him trying to kiss his Gram, who is visiting this week, I had to grab my camera quick.

Lake Weekend

We are back from a very low key and relaxing weekend at the lake.  We did pretty much exactly what we anticipated - took a dip in the lake, lounged around, played card games, watched the Braves on tv, and relaxed!  It was great to spend some quality time with Emily and Chris and just get away from the city.  It was hot up north, but not quite as hot as Atlanta. It's about 98 today, with a heat index of 110 - ugh.  Charlie was great and very flexible all weekend, napping and sleeping like a champ in an unfamiliar setting.  If we set him up with his lovey and his sleep sheep, his eyes get heavy within seconds, regardless of where!  We also were able to time our departure perfectly so that he slept the entire way home, as did Junebug.  Check out the photos!

Relaxing on the porch with Daddy and Junebug

Enticing Junebug into the lake with a tennis ball

On the dock with Mommy

In the lake with Daddy

Em and Chris take a dip!

Relaxing back up at the house with Auntie Em

Worn out wet doggy.

We had a great time, thanks to Dale for letting us use the house!

Headed to the Lake!

Charlie is taking his morning nap and I am packing us up so that we can leave for the lake early this afternoon.  I am so excited!  We're going with Emily and Chris up to Cody's boss' lake house, which he so kindly offered to us for the weekend.  It's on Lake Nottely in Blairsville, Georgia - about an hour and a half away from Atlanta. I am really looking forward to a weekend of hanging out and relaxing.  We've got food, movies, games and books, which we plan to fit in around taking dips in the lake and just vegging out.  I know Charlie is looking forward to spending some quality time with his aunt and uncle!

I may or may not have the chance to update this weekend, not sure what the internet situation is up there - but regardless, I'm sure I will have lots of pictures to share from our lake weekend when we get back.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Tooth #2

Has arrived! Oh how I wish the little bugger would give me a toothy grin.  Both for my own enjoyment and to show the Grandmas a photo!  It's the bottom left front tooth, right next to his only other tooth.  This explains his morning neediness (as in needing to be held 100% of the time) and maybe also his record hour and forty-five minute morning nap.  Thought the nap might be a sign that he is going to consolidate down to 2 longer naps, but it is probably just the tooth. Yay for teeth! All the better to chew bananas with....

Edited to add:

Teething Face

Now I know whenever I see this doofy face, I should look for a tooth.  Or I should say, feel for a tooth.  Charlie is very modest about those teeth, he doesn't want to be a show off.  I mean, 2 teeth at 5 months? Wouldn't want all the other babies to be jealous.....

Fun Firsts

When you have a baby, it seems like there is a new "first" every single day.  We've had a lot of excitement with the introduction of solid foods, but we have also had a few other firsts this week that I wanted to share.

First Election Day - We are into politics and we always vote.  The Georgia primaries were yesterday and Charlie and I went to vote early in the morning.  Of course the average age of poll workers is clearly in the grandparent category, so he attracted a lot of sweet attention!  He went into the booth with me and got his first taste of the democratic process.  I think all 18 of our choices won! Before you give us too much credit, I think 13 or 14 were uncontested :-)

First Daycare - Charlie had never stayed with anyone except for grandparents, aunts and uncles before yesterday.  I went to work out at the Y and left him in the nursery there.  The ladies were super nice and I was satisfied with the care and security.  I ran and walked on the treadmill for 45 minutes and then went back up to get him.  They said he hadn't cried, hadn't fussed, and that he was a "really chill baby."  This I knew, but I was glad given the next first.....

First I-Want-Mommy Freakout - Charlie has recognized and known me as the mommy for a long time.  This weekend though, was the first time he seemed to care if I left the room. Twice when I had the nerve to leave him with Cody so I could shower and go grocery shopping, he freaked out.  It was clearly related to me walking away - as soon as I walked back he calmed down and smiled.  Flattering, sure, but not excited for the separation anxiety stage.  He didn't blink an eye when I left him with complete strangers at the Y, so maybe Daddy was just pinching him...

First time I've seen this face....

Well, I saw a face sort of like this one right before his first tooth poked through the gums (he will not let me get a picture of said tooth, but it is there and very visible now!). Since he appears to be chewing on his bottom lip again, I wonder if tooth #2 is about to pop out!

Banana Update

As promised, I put a chunk of frozen banana into the mesh feeder for Charlie to try this afternoon.  I think we have our first true solid food success!  The experience, in photos:

"What is this fancy contraption?"

"Oh, I see, a teething ring, I can do that..."

"Wait, like this Mommy?"

"Nom nom nom"

"NOM NOM NOM"

"Look Ma, no hands!"

"If I bang on the tray I get some more, right?!?"

This Spit is Bananas

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

 

 

 

After three days of avocado, which I think he warmed up to a little, we decided to try for some sweetness.  This morning, Charlie had his first bit of banana.  It was easy to make, just mashed up a ripe banana with a fork, didn't mix any milk in.  He seemed to like the taste a little better, even opening up his mouth when I fed him off my finger.  He still wasn't too keen on the swallowing part though.  Maybe he doesn't like texture? That is apparently very common.  For a little afternoon snack I am going to put some frozen banana in the mesh feeder and see if he likes to suck on it and gum it.

Also thought I'd give a little update on Operation Chunk, my efforts to put some weight on my little boy.  It is going very well!  After talking to the lactation consultant and making some changes, I'm pretty convinced that Charlie wasn't getting enough hindmilk, which is the fatty, highly caloric part of breast milk.  Read more about it here, if you're so inclined.  This can sometimes happen with forceful letdown - the baby gets so much of the foremilk (which is like skim!), that his belly is too full for the fatty stuff.  I think by modifying how I feed on the left side, we've fixed the problem.  In addition to putting on some weight (weighed in this morning at 15lbs., 6oz., so he is up 10oz. in 2 weeks), Charlie is also spitting up less and having fewer, more normal poopy diapers (too much foremilk/forceful letdown can mess with the gastrointestinal system evidently).

I do want to note that if it weren't for the lack of weight gain, I wouldn't have known to make this adjustment.  Charlie's spit up and diapers were totally well within the range of normal - according to the pediatrician, all our baby books, and the internet :-)  I feel badly, because I felt for a while that something was a little off with Charlie's dirty diapers - I won't go into detail here so as not to embarrass the poor boy when he's older.  But everything I read and the pediatrician told me it was totally normal.  Well, that may be, but those issues are gone now and he is gaining right on track, so I think they were not normal for Charlie.  I will trust my mommy instinct more going forward.

Charlie weighs in at the pediatrician's office on August 17th, so hopefully he will be fully back on track by then.  He's definitely a happy, growing boy, so I'm sure all will be fine!

Faux-Hawk

Avocado

Well, Charlie clearly hated the oatmeal, and after tasting it myself I can't blame him.  We decided to move right along to avocado.  Its smooth and creamy texture, mild flavor, and short prep time make it a really good first food option. I just mashed it up with a fork, mixed in a little breast milk to thin it out and voila, baby food!  I also realized that he was reacting, in part, to the spoon.  He seems to prefer to take food off my finger, which is fine. Whatever works.  Predictably, he made these faces:

But he also made some of these kinds of faces:

Looks like progress, right?  Cody and I went out to lunch yesterday with the little man, and there was some plain avocado on top of my fish tacos.  I gave Charlie a little bite, and he seemed to like it even better than the puree.  You'll be shocked to know that I have continued to research the feeding of solid food.  What I have learned is that after 6 months, babies can really eat almost anything we can, if it is chopped into the tiniest of pieces, or, conversely, given in a chunk large enough so that baby can learn to gum off appropriate sized pieces, but not choke.  I found this article to be really interesting, and have generally been reading about baby-led weaning.  I like the principles of it, and it seems to be quite common in other cultures.

The part of the article that really resonated with me was the tag-line "Little evidence supports an particular way of doing things."  These are nutritional and parental decisions, not medical decisions.  Even our pediatrician said that cereals typically come first as a matter of tradition and convention, and not for any sound medical reason.  So I am just going to do what seems natural for us and for Charlie.

So here's my plan for the time being - keep introducing Charlie to soft puree-type foods (avocado, banana, baked sweet potato, butternut squash, apple sauce, etc.) for the next month or so, while also using the mesh feeder for larger items like frozen chunks of fruit. I want to get some extra calories in him and introduce him to some flavors and the idea of sitting in his high chair and eating.  Then, once he is six months, I want to feed him mostly what we eat (in appropriate sized pieces) and see what he likes.  This will ensure that I cook healthy meals, that's for sure!  We will probably do some combination of baby food and grown-up food, realistically.  I will cook for him at home, but most likely bring baby food if we are going to be out and about.  Seems easier that way, and since there is little evidence supporting any particular way of doing things, why not try both? Ha!

GiggleFest

First Food

Did you even doubt for a moment that I would make a collage of Charlie's first solid food experience photos?  Let's just say that the little man wasn't a huge fan of oatmeal.  We will keep trying it for a few days, but I think we will move pretty quickly onto much yummier foods like avocado and banana.  Baby cereal is pretty yuck, and with no family history of food allergies, there's no real reason to start with something so yucky.  For Charlie's first food we mixed half ground oatmeal with half breast milk, and it ended up looking like a pretty sad gruel.  I don't think he loved it, but the faces he made were totally priceless!  Of course, we videotaped as well!

Five Months Old!

Charlie is 5 months old today, I can hardly believe it.  His next well baby check up is at 6 months, so no long, boring doctor appointment post this month.  Just my regular update about Charlie and how he's doing.  At 5 months Charlie....

Weighs in at almost exactly 15 lbs, skinny boy
Sleeps about 12 hours at night with one wake up to eat, or occasionally just 11 hours straight
Wears 3-6 month clothing in most brands
Eats 6 times a day, every 2-3 hours while awake
Has eyes that change depending on what he wears.  They can look blue, gray, green, hazel or brown!
Has one tooth! And another one on the way!
Had his first cold - we survived and he wasn't even too cranky
Sleeps in his crib all night like a big boy (very happily, much to Mommy's surprise/sadness)
Takes about four 40-minute naps per day

New Skills:

Sucking his toes
Putting himself to sleep (thank you Dr. Ferber)
Hugging
Blowing razz-berries on Mommy and Daddy
Laughing a lot
Petting Junebug
Trying to turn pages of books
Even more babbling
Throwing toys
Jumping in the jumperoo
Sitting up assisted, and for about 5 seconds propping himself on his hands

Loves:

Sophie (still)
His family
Mommy's singing
Daddy doing this strange "I'm gonna get your belly" routine
Razz-berries on the belly and feet
Sucking on those tasty toes
Bath time (still)
Reading (well, being read too...he can't read quite yet)
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Funny faces
Funny voices
Being bounced on a knee or in the air
His lovey

Not a fan of:

Riding alone in the back seat of the car
Saline drops in the nose
Snot suctioning
Entertaining himself
Being still

And speaking of being still, Charlie did not want to do that for our little photo shoot today. He was kicking and dancing up a storm! So adorable.

Credit Due

I have not been giving the little man enough credit.  We have only been giving him his pacifier before naps and bedtime for quite a while now.  Frequently, I will watch on the video monitor as he takes out his paci, and then struggles to put it back in, instead sticking the hard plastic edge in his mouth.  Or so I thought. 

He was particularly upset about who knows what today, so I grabbed a paci for him and sat next to him on the couch.  The paci calmed him down and he sucked on it for a few minutes.  Then, he pulled it out and seemed to have trouble getting the right part back in his mouth. So I helped him.  Out it came again.  Again I helped.  Then he spit it out and yelled!  He picked it up off his chest and stuck the hard plastic part in his mouth.  Because that's the part he wanted. Duh Mommy!  He's been happily chewing on the wrong part of his paci for 10 minutes now.  I love how babies have no preconceived notions around how various things should be used. So cute!

Very Long Day

Baby sleep is full of surprises.  We've been on a pretty standard schedule where Charlie wakes any time between 3 and 4:30, eats, goes back to sleep, and wakes up for good around 6:30.  Last night little man fell asleep at 6:45pm, which is pretty standard.  He woke up at 5:45am. Awesome right? Well yeah, except he didn't go back to sleep!  I guess I am glad he is sleeping longer - I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that my efforts to plump him up during the day are helping him sleep through that 4am feeding time.  Which means he effectively dropped a feeding today and I am going to have to feed every 2ish hours to fit in the 6 feedings he needs. Fun!

Not to mention, I am totally spoiled now!  I have had over two weeks of grandparent visits and/or Cody being home on weekends to back me up.  Entertaining an infant all day is indescribably different when you have a second set of hands.  Don't get me wrong.  It's not *hard* to do it alone.  More just....tiresome.  I love being with Charlie, but he has way more enthusiasm for the 4th reading of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" than I do.  Having back up is awesome!  I can shower while Gram or Nana entertains little one! Or run an errand without dealing with baby equipment! Or just trade off speaking in the high pitched baby voice that Charlie loves, but annoys the heck out of everyone else!  I realize I am super lucky to have such an involved family to help out, but it is a reality check when they leave, that's for sure. Of course, with Charlie sick, we are also stuck at home, which makes everything seem more difficult.  Today, we tried to get out to places where other moms wouldn't give me the stink-eye for having a coughing child (totally understandable).

This was our last 24 hours:

6:45pm Monday - Charlie to bed

6:45 - 10:30pm - Cook dinner (pork tenderloin, asparagus and couscous - yum!), eat dinner, watch Jeopardy (we are old), watch the Bachelorette (we are pathetic), research starting solids, write last night's blog post.

10:30pm - We go to bed, last pumping session of the day.

Midnight - Actually fall asleep.

1:30am Tuesday - Junebug cries to go out. Cody obliges.

5:45 - 6am - Hear little man on the monitor, head upstairs, complete morning nursing session, go back downstairs to bed

6 - 6:15am - Realize the boy didn't actually go back to sleep like usual, but hope that his happy coos on the monitor somehow morph into more sleep

6:15 - 6:55am - Cody gives up on the idea of more sleep and entertains the sweet pea until he has to get in the shower.  Meanwhile, I fade in and out of totally unproductive sleep.

6:55 - 7:35am - Cody gets ready for work and leaves for the day. I entertain a very cranky baby by reading.  Every time I pause in my reading, he starts to cry - must keep talking!

7:35 - 8:20am - Morning nap.  After C falls asleep, I run to the bedroom, pump his bottle, and run back to the couch next to his swing, hoping to settle into an hour long nap.  Fifteen minutes later, juuuuuust as I'm about to fall asleep, he's up!

8:20-9am - Prep bottle, feed bottle, play in jumperoo, read some more, play on play mat, walk around singing, officially go stir crazy.

9 - 10am - Realize it is only a balmy 78 degrees with 90% humidity out. Take advantage of cool (ha!) weather by going on a leisurely 2 mile walk.

10 - 10:40am - Charlie naps again, I shower off all the sweat I managed to accumulate even though I was walking slowly.

10:40am - 12:45pm - Nurse, read, play, tummy time, jumperoo, walk around, get dressed, get Charlie dressed, read, play, pump, prep bottle, drive to midtown to meet Emily.

12:45 - 2:30pm - Enjoy nice lunch with Auntie Em.  Of course, Charlie decides he is hungry the very instant our food arrives, so I have to give him his bottle while my food gets cold.  It was still delicious though, so no biggie!  Happy baby gets lots of attention from waiter and patrons - such a little flirt.

2:30 - 3pm - Drive home from lunch, Charlie falls asleep.

3 - 3:50pm - Carefully transfer baby boy from car seat to swing to finish nap.  Collapse on couch to grab about 35 minutes of sleep while little man sleeps. Finally!

3:50 - 6pm - Nurse, play, read, jumperoo, bumbo, tummy time, read, play, walk around, comfort Junebug who is scared of the crazy thunderstorms happening, snuggle, bounce, sing, sing and sing - favorites these days are Old McDonald and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

6 - 6:45pm - Bath, baby massage, diaper, night clothes, prep bottle, Cody comes home, read favorite bedtime story (these days it's Harold and the Purple Crayon), feed bottle, kiss goodnight and DONE.

Now I am enjoying a delicious dinner of hot dogs and potato salad a la Cody.  I am *definitely* in bed by 9 tonight, I am even more tired having typed that all out!!

Making a little foodie

Of course there are about a trillion decisions we have to make as parents.  The one I am currently grappling with is when/how to start Charlie on solid foods.  Per our pediatrician we were given the go-ahead to start any time between 4 and 6 months.  Per our parents and every other parent of the seventies and eighties, we were started on solids waaaaaay earlier and turned out just fine :-)  Per the lactivists, breast milk is just so awesome and perfect, no solids necessary until 6 months (insert eye roll).  In my mind the best answer is probably "whenever your particular baby seems ready between 4 and 6 months."  So I have been on the look out for signs that Charlie is ready to try some foods.  The signs to look for are:

• Sits with support and has good head control (check!)
• Has lost tongue-thrust reflex (check!)
• Watches grown ups eat with interest (check! I thought he wasn't interested and then I realized that I only ever eat when he is sleeping.  I have been eating in front of him and he is very curious! Even tries to grab food off my plate while on my lap.)
• Reaches and grabs, mouths hands and toys (check!)
• Can indicate fullness by refusing breast or bottle (check!)
• Seems hungry even when adequately fed (nope, but we clearly have an issue with little man not indicating hunger generally)
• Teething (check! since he cut his first tooth, the one next to it has also become visible and is about to cut)
• Baby developing pincer grasp, picking things up with thumb and forefinger (check! he does this with his paci)
• Baby tries to chew (check!)
• Baby sits unsupported (not quite - seems like there is conflict over whether baby should be able to sit supported or unsupported to start solids)

Also in the "yes" column - Charlie isn't gaining weight too well, even though he seems satisfied with his breast milk intake.  Our pediatrician suggested that adding in solids could help in this arena.  Also, I gave Charlie a spoon to play with and it went straight to the mouth.  I tried to pretend feed him with an empty spoon and he willingly opened his mouth and sucked on the spoon.  To me, these seem like signs of readiness and maybe even a need to start some solid foods.  So I am preparing.

In addition to what seems like endless amounts of research on the topic, I have also started shopping.  What does one need to feed solid foods?

High Chair - I have been *dreading* purchasing one of these huge monstrosities and parking it in my tiny kitchen.  I think I've decided to skip the big chair and go for this booster type seat.  It gets awesome reviews and we can just leave it on a chair in our dining room.  It also travels.

Spoons, feeding bowls - Self-explanatory.  I've been letting Charlie play with some Nuk spoons I picked up at Publix (see photo!), but they are too long and skinny and he gags himself.  Getting these shorter plastic spoons to try instead.

Mesh feeder - Isn't this cool? It is supposedly great for teething and tasting new foods without risking choking. I'm excited to try it out with some breast milk ice cubes to start - at the very least it could be a way to get some extra calories into baby boy.

Sippy Cup...or Straw Cup - Um, do you know how many sippy cups and straw cups are on the market? And how divided people seem to be over which is better?  Sippy cups are like bottles and have to be tilted, therefore easy for baby to learn.  Straw cups exercise their oral muscles and aid in speech development.  Sippy cups don't spill. Straw cups might spill.  You have to wean from a sippy. You can drink from a straw your whole life!  A sippy can cause tooth decay. Did I mention the straw cups can spill? And baby might not figure out how to suck from a straw for much longer. Ack! And that doesn't even begin to touch the fact that there are one million varieties of each type of cup.  I'm ordering some straw cups. And a tilty cup. And we'll just have to see what works.  Oh, and in case you were wondering, we are just going to give Charlie a little water in the cups to start.  Basically just practice and to get a little water in him to help with digestion of solid food.  I realize it might be a while before he gets it and actually drinks from it.

We have a baby food making system (must read manual!), baby food cookbook, bibs and silicone trays for freezing breast milk and baby food cubes.  As soon as my Amazon order arrives I think we will be set.  Right now I am thinking of starting this weekend.  It is recommended to start feeding solids with one feeding a day in the morning, after nursing.  I want Cody to be there to witness the milestone and capture it on video, so I think a weekend will be best.  I figure we can try it this weekend, and if he likes it, I will continue.  If he hates it and/or doesn't seem ready, we'll try again next weekend, and so on. 

Sick Day

Charlie is still sick (but on the mend), Cody is still sick, and I started feeling a touch under the weather yesterday.  It hasn't gotten worse, so I'm hoping it won't. I've been sure to take my vitamins and drink a bunch of water - the jury is out on whether it's a great idea to take most cold medicines while breastfeeding.  Even those that are considered safe have been known to put a dent in milk supply, so I am hoping I can head off this cold homeopathically (not a word).

Cody is working from home today so he can rest/recuperate between calls and emails, and avoid getting his coworkers sick.  Nothing irritates me more than when people come to work coughing and sniffling and then proceed to come into my office, touch my door handle, hand me a stack of papers that I have to look at, etc.  Stay home! We have computers. We have telephones.  Almost everything can wait. 

Aside from the sniffles I got right before going into labor (which is common I hear), I haven't been sick in a really long time, like years.  I attribute this to vitamins, hand sanitizer, healthy eating and 8 hours of sleep every single night.  And good luck.  Since Charlie was born I've definitely slacked on the healthy eating and obviously 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is like a dream.  So if I get this cold for real, I won't be surprised.

So we are all home today - Cody is working, Charlie is snoozing.  Cody and I are both pretty sure this is the first time Cody has taken a sick day since he graduated from law school.  He told me he feels terrible about missing work today, to which I responded with a whole tirade about annoying sick people who go to work and infect the whole office.  Don't think I got through to the little worker bee, but I'm glad he is resting between working today.  Hopefully we will all feel better tomorrow!

Here's a video I took of Charlie in his jumperoo - you'll have to turn your head part way through to fully appreciate his little jig.  I thought I could rotate video, but apparently not.  In trying to figure out how to rotate though, I did learn how to make little movies with multiple video clips and music in the background, so be on the lookout for one of those pretty soon!

Sickos

Charlie is still a sicko, coughing and now congested. Still no fever, so that's good.  Unfortunately, Cody seems to have caught the sickness from Charlie.  I am spared for now.  Even though Owen was fine, Jodi's babe and husband are sick too, so maybe something was passed around at our party.  I hope that's not the case!  Nobody seemed sick at the time, I guess that is just the nature of having kids.  If there is something out there, they will get it and pass it around before they even have symptoms.  Hope everyone is better soon!

I will do a 5 month post next week with my usual lists of milestones, likes and dislikes, but my usual list of dislikes is so short, I feel compelled to add to it now.

Charlie is not a big fan of:

Saline drops in the nose
Snot suctioning
Baby tylenol
Coughing hard enough to throw up milk (I'm not a huge fan of this one myself)

Speaking of milk, we are still working on getting Charlie to take more of it, but it is difficult with his illness.  I have stopped feeding him from my left breast entirely, because the super forceful letdown is causing him to throw up right after eating every time he eats on that side, which can't be helping in the weight gain department.  So I'm feeding off my more sensible, restrained right side and pumping on the left.  This means he is getting a bottle every other feeding and I am trying to feed every 2-2.5 hours instead of every 3.  Smaller, more frequent meals seem to be working better for him - I think if his stomach is very full and the congestion hits his gag reflex, it causes him to vomit up most of the meal.  So that's what we're trying to avoid.

Still speaking of milk, we have tons of it.  Like over 200 ounces in the freezer.  We had a bunch that I had pumped in March (most of it courtesy of crazy lefty) when I was really having a lot of oversupply.  I looked into donating it, but using a milk bank requires all sorts of testing that I am not up for and to late for anyway (totally understandable that it is required).  I learned recently from my doula that she knew a mom in need of some breast milk.  The mom had a baby boy 3 months ago, and he was 8 weeks early and in the NICU for 8 weeks.  Since his birth, he has not been able to tolerate formula, which was all fine and good because his mom was able to breastfeed and pump whatever else he needed.  Well, mom got double mastitis, which is a breast infection, and could no longer keep up with her baby's food demands. 

Shari, my doula, put out a message on facebook seeking milk, so I had her hook me up with Jessica, the mom in need.  I gathered up 64 ounces of breast milk that I pumped in March. Since it is really best to use frozen milk within 3-4 months of freezing, I determined that we would not have occasion to use it, but I felt terrible about throwing it all away.  So it worked out perfectly - they needed milk, I had milk, and voila! Maybe that is weird? I don't know.  I probably wouldn't be into the idea of using someone else's milk - unless of course I had a sick preemie who got sick from formula, then who knows?  I'm just happy it will be used to help a baby who needs it.

I am pretty sure we still have over 200 ounces in the freezer, which is crazy.  I will definitely start using some soon to mix in with Charlie's solid foods instead of water.  And since the little bugger needs to gain weight I may use some to supplement him.  It is totally ridiculous that I have so much milk and a little man who isn't gaining enough!

We have 2 birthday parties we are hoping to attend this weekend, but we will have to see how Cody and Charlie are feeling.  Hopefully they are on the mend, but I have a feeling we won't be making it to either of them.  Even if the boys feel up for it, I certainly don't want us to get anyone else sick!  I asked Dr. L if Charlie was contagious and he said that a baby with a cold virus is most contagious 24 hours before and after a fever starts.  Still no fever, so we probably shouldn't risk socializing in case we accidentally end up in the "24 hours before."  I hope they get better soon, and I really hope I don't get it!

Baby Bum!

We've been sticking close to home given Charlie's cold and teething crankiness (mild).  It's also about 100 degrees out, so I haven't felt inclined to bring the babe out and about.  It's been nice to relax and play in the house, and I am only going mildly stir crazy - probably because I have had grown-up board meetings to attend this week, so I have gotten out of the house, even if little C hasn't.

The little man is doing well, still has a cough.  We've been doing saline drops, cool mist humidifier overnight and the occasional tylenol if he seems to be in pain (which is more likely due to teething than the cough).  He is in good spirits and still sleeping well at night, so I think everything is fine.  I cannot say enough good things about the Nosefrida as opposed to the bulb syringe.  Looks gross, but totally isn't, and it actually works.

Not much else to report.  Charlie's little tooth continues to poke through his gums and it is sharp when he bites down on my finger!  I picked up some lovely organic oatmeal cereal at the store today, and some baby spoons.  I am going to give C the spoons to play with starting next week, and I think we will start trying some cereal in the next few weeks. He will be 5 months old next week, so I feel like we will be ready as he approaches 6 months.  Then, when he reaches 6 months, we will start on some yummy vegetable purees.  Six months is a big time for Charlie - I will go back to work, which means he will start staying with his Gram Monday through Thursday and taking 3 bottles a day while I am gone.  I'd like to get the cereal started a little before that so we aren't springing so many new things on him all at the same time.

Here are some pictures I have taken in the past few days.  First is Charlie just having a little time to air out his bum on a towel - he looked so adorable I just had to take some pics!

Smiling at Daddy.

Drooly boy!

Tummy time is so exhausting!

Charlie has also figured out that the Jumperoo is for jumping.  This really warrants a video, which I will try to capture as soon as possible, but for now, a photo...

Just a little cold

I took Charlie to see the pediatrician today.  After being weighed (more on that later) and doing some *serious* flirting with the nurse (Charlie, not me), we went back to the exam room to meet with the doctor.  Temperature - normal. Breathing - normal.  Ears - normal.  Throat - some mucous.  Diagnosis - Charlie probably has a little cold, but nothing serious or requiring medical attention.  Dr. L just said to keep an eye on him because a cold CAN turn into an ear infection.  He said if that happens the main symptom will likely be that his sleep is all kinds of messed up.  Babies with ear infections do not like to lie down and so they tend to cry, freak out and insist upon being picked up when put down to sleep.  So no big deal, C is fine.  I should also add that Mr. Owen is fine too, no ear infection there either, so that's good.

Dr. L was not so thrilled with his weight, however.  Charlie weighed in at 14lbs., 12oz., which means he has only gained 6 ounces since he was there 3 weeks ago.  He should have gained more like 12-15 ounces.  Dr. L wasn't super worried, as not feeling well and teething can put a dent in a baby's appetite.  But he did say that the lack of weight gain was something to pay attention to.  He suggested feeding Charlie in a dark, quiet room so he isn't distracted.  He suggested trying solid food. He suggested trying formula if those other things don't work.  I'm not really into any of his suggestions at this point, except nursing in a quiet space when we can.  We will start solid foods in the next few weeks probably as well, but I don't feel compelled to rush into it, considering that the tiny amount you feed them has barely any calories.

The strange thing, to me, is that Charlie seems to get plenty to eat.  I nurse him 6 times a day and he always seems satisfied and never fusses for more food.  When we give him a bottle he will take about 5-6 ounces at a time, which is right in line with what he should be eating at this point.  I know that I do not have a milk supply issue, as I can easily pump 6-8oz in a sitting, even at night.  So it is a little baffling.

When we got home I called the lactation consultant, who put me at ease.  She reminded me that babies grow in spurts and not necessarily a set number of ounces each and every week.  She also thought it was excellent that Charlie's length and head circumference continued to grow very well.  Apparently lack of growth is something to take more seriously if the child is not growing in any way.  Since Charlie keeps getting taller and his head keeps getting bigger, he might just be growing into his long, lean body type.  She gave me some good suggestions for positioning during feeding to get Charlie to focus and not look around while eating.

Interestingly, she did say that it was possible that Charlie was still slightly hungry after feedings, but just good at soothing himself and being happy in spite of that.  I always thought if he wasn't fully satisfied, he would fuss or cry, but apparently that is not the case.  Now that I know that, I will make sure he is getting full feedings and not just stop when he initially seems satisfied.  I'm giving us 2 weeks to see what we can do, and if it doesn't improve, I will go in for a consultation with the lactation consultant to see if she can help us.

This is the mysterious part of breastfeeding.  You never know exactly how much baby is actually getting, you just hope it's enough and assume it is, unless growth slows down.  So here we are.  I'm going to be switching to pumping half the time for work soon anyway, so if it continues to be a problem, I will just pump his meals and that way we will know for sure exactly how much he is eating.  Either way, Charlie is clearly doing well.  He looks healthy as can be and is such a happy boy.  He might just be skinny!  I am a small person, and Cody definitely has a tall, lanky build, so it would not surprise me if Charlie is on the long and lean side.  I guess we'll just wait and see where he's at when his 6 month well baby visit comes up (August 17).  Until then, I will be doing my best to make sure the little guy is getting full meals!

We have a tooth!

Charlie has been drooling like a tiny bulldog for the past 6 weeks or so.  Apparently this doesn't indicate teething as much as an uptick in saliva prepares babies to ingest and digest solid foods.  Still, it is a lot of drool.  This week the drool was accompanied by endless gnawing on anything that got within an inch of his mouth, some fussiness, very short naps, a weird little fake cough and grabbing his ears.

The combination of ear-grabbing and the weird little cough had me on the phone with the pediatrician's office this afternoon.  Although C has been a little fussier, he has still been quite good-natured and happy overall, so I don't think he is actually sick.  Camille's babe Owen is experiencing the ear-grabbing and coughing too, plus he has a little fever, so I figured better safe than sorry, in case the little dudes were passing or picking up germs at yoga last week or someone at our party was sick and didn't know it.  The pediatrician's office told us to come on in tomorrow morning, so we will go get checked out.  Camille and Owen are headed to their pediatrician's office tomorrow as well, so hopefully both babies get a clean bill of health!  Despite the general paranoia and anxiety I probably exhibit on this blog, I have never called the doctor's office before!  It was a good 4.75 month run.

After I got off the phone with the nurse, I did a little investigation into Charlie's mouth.  Charlie's Gram is here and thought she felt something sharp when he was gnawing on her knuckle.  Sure enough, we have a tooth!  It's not sticking all the way out yet, but you can definitely see where it is poking through the gums.  And you can definitely feel the sharp little point too. It's his front bottom tooth on the right side.  I felt around his mouth just yesterday when he was being a little fussmeister and nothing, so it seems like it just starting poking through today.  I have to say, if this is "teething" we are pretty lucky.  I assume it can and will get worse, but so far he has only been slightly crankier than normal and doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain.

Even though I have a feeling the pediatrician will chalk all of Charlie's symptoms up to teething, we will still go to our appointment tomorrow just in case.  I will make sure to also ask what we can do for the little man if he seems to be in pain.  The internet recommends baby tylenol, frozen washcloths and Hyland's teething tablets, so we'll see if the doc agrees.  I am strangely proud of Charlie's little tooth.  I had nothing to do with it and every baby gets teeth, so it is certainly nothing to be proud of - but I am!  I guess I am proud of him for taking it so well, and just amazed at how fast he is growing up.

Of course, this new milestone brings with it a certain amount of fear.  Charlie is still breastfed and teeth are a whole new addition to this equation - so far so good, but I am a little nervous about possible biting.  Does not sound fun at all!  I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.  I will update after our appointment tomorrow - wish us luck!

Baby Brave

Since we conducted all our grilling out, socializing, firework-watching, traditional July 4th customs on July 3rd, we still had all day Sunday to celebrate the actual 4th.  And what could possibly be more American than going to a baseball game?  We decided that the combination of beautiful, non-humid weather and a 5:05pm start time were perfect for taking Charlie to his second Braves game.  Also, my parents had never been to a game before!  So we decided fairly last minute to head down to Turner Field with Nana, Grandpa, Aunt Em and Uncle Chris.  We had great club level seats (I am still not ready to change Charlie's diaper in the yucky outdoor bathrooms) so that we could go in and out of the air conditioning if necessary.  It wasn't - the weather was totally perfect and we were shaded near 3rd base for the entire game.

Charlie did great!  We brought his sling and the ergo carrier so we could switch off.  He was a little iffy on the noise at first, but he got used to it pretty quickly.  We stayed for the entire game - unfortunately the Braves lost, but it was still super fun.  Charlie slept for part of the time and all the way home - we got home at 9pm and he went right back to sleep in his crib after we got his jammies on, so I don't even think it interrupted his normal sleep schedule too much.

My parents bought this Braves cap for C - it is toddler sized, but he has such a big head it almost fits!

When C got snoozy, we put him in the sling for a nap - he fell asleep just a minute after this was taken.

He also slept on his daddy in the Ergo toward the end of the game.

The rest of the fam enjoying the game!