Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Sophie, the other white meat

Look who sat and played nicely during dinner!

4 months, 8 days and growing

Yesterday, Callan was 4 months and 8 days old. He had his 4 month appointment and he is growing like a weed. It is well documented here that he is larger than the average baby his age, and at 4 months, 8 days, it was no exception.

His official stats:
Weight: 18 pounds, 2 ounces
Length: 27.5 inches. The doctor first measured him at 28 inches, but decided that couldn't be right so she remeasured and came up with 27.5.

Clearly these are not the normal stats for a 4 month old... they are actually more on par with a 6 month old. He is off the charts for both height and weight, but again, the thing I was most concerned about during pregnancy was the size of his head and that is solidly in the 50th percentile. Perfectly average head, off the charts for height and weight and perfect in every other way (to me).
Other than that we got his eczema looked at and a scrip for some hydro-cortisone for his face and body along with some moisturizer cream. I'm hoping that will clear it up since we've been fighting the eczema on his face for a few weeks now. He had his 4 month immunization, which he took like a champ. He wasn't too pleased with the oral vaccine and the second shot in his thigh made him cry. But after a little chow he calmed right down and although he was definitely a little bit grumpier, cuddlier and sleepier last night, he was no worse for wear. Today according to Adelia he's been sleepier and has eaten a bit more than normal, but I think that is about the same as his reaction to his 2 month shots. At the doctor's we also discussed the introduction of solids, but we are in no rush for that and am planning on holding off for a bit longer. He obviously is thriving on breast milk, he doesn't need the extra calories and I want to make sure he's ready developmentally before we push solids. We also discussed his sleep and although Callan is a pretty champion sleeper and I know he can go the whole night from 8:30 to 6:30/7, he's been waking up around 2:30 am to eat during the week. I don't know if it's because I'm at work during the day or if he doesn't eat as much from the bottle, but I'm torn as to whether I should try to cut this feeding out or keep up with it. It does seem like he's hungry b/c he'll eat and it's not just comfort sucking, but I also don't want to form bad habits and he is able to go through the night (as he proves a few times a week). She also suggested putting him to bed earlier since 8:30 is pretty late, but I'm hesitant to mess with his schedule too much since in the grand scheme of things he is doing really well. I guess eventually we'll adjust his schedule, but we'll have to do it slowly b/c I've gotten used to getting some pretty good chunks of sleep and I'm not sure I'm ready to go backwards!

Our next appointment is in October for his 6 month check up. I'm assuming at that point he's going to be the size of a 9 month old, but that just means there's more of him to love.

This picture has nothing to do with anything, but he's cute and is determined to get that foot in his mouth (just like a 6 month old).

Friday, August 26, 2011

Cool kids

Yup, Adelia was right...

Important question


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Happy Birthday!

To Huge:
Sorry I didn't buy you a present, but I hope you have the best birthday ever and I know that the upcoming year is going to be truly spectacular. This little guy will make sure of it!

Rachel (and Callan)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Month 4

Dear Bubs-
It's funny that your dad and I consciously decided to not call you monkey since so many people call their kids that and settled on variations of bubs, bubba and bubba gump only to find out that your friends Luke and Michael are also called that! It's too late to change especially since the name really seems to fit you. We also like to call you Mister Callan, although I'm not sure why we need to be so formal with you!

Anyway, guess what happened yesterday? You turned 4 months old! Where has the last month gone?
I really need to keep track of the events of the month better, otherwise these newsletters are going to be kind of boring. Let's see what's happened...

This month your laugh has really developed. It's one of my favorite sounds and your dad knows just how to make you laugh. You love bouncing and recently we've discovered that you love clapping (or at least find it hysterical). The blue bouncy chair is one of your favorite places to laugh and I'm going to be really sad when you're too big for it. The weight limit is 25 pounds, so I'm hoping we still have a good amount of time left. Hearing you laugh makes me laugh and I love how much of a goof your daddy is with you.

You have also discovered your feet this month and you love to grab them. You haven't put them in your mouth, but you do love rolling around holding your feet. I guess that's why in yoga it's called "happy baby"! You still haven't rolled over, but I've decided that you just don't want to. You get 95% of the way there and then decide to go back the way you came. You also do this cute thing where you lift your legs up in the air and then fling them to the side so you can move. You've gotten quite proficient at this and we sometimes find you in a different spot than where we left you, especially in your crib at night. You are still loving your activity mat although your newest "trick" is trying to climb the arches. You like to grab ahold of them and bend them towards you (and your mouth!) or try to wrap your legs around them. It is the funnies thing to watch especially since I'm not sure what it is you're trying to do!

You still love putting things in your mouth. Pretty much anything you play with ends up in your mouth. You've discovered Sophie this month and enjoy chomping on her ears (thank you Uncle Junior and Auntie Van). It still looks like a dog toy to me, but you love her. Your other favorite toys are the letter links and the toy we've dubbed the Perman toy (they are the ones who got it for you). It's fun to watch you gum at the toys and try to shove as much of it as possible in your mouth. Your dad and I are convinced that you're teething so it'll be interesting to see when your first tooth pops out.

We are so lucky to have you staying at home with Adelia while mama and daddy at are at work. It's only been a month with her, but it seems like she's been a part of your life forever. You always seem so happy to see her in the morning and are always in a good mood when we get home. We know that you're in good hands and are having a great day. One of the best things is that she sends us pictures and little updates during the day. It makes me miss you a little less and makes a tough day at work more bearable. Today she sent me a picture of you lounging (or trying to escape) from your chair. It makes me laugh and smile at work to get little snippets of your day sent to me and this picture especially makes me laugh because of your expression. You make some great expressions and I hope to capture them all.
You also get to hang out with Luke 4 days a week and although we joke that you're picking up some of his bad habits, I can't imagine sharing Adelia with anyone else. I can't wait until you two are old enough to start interacting -Adelia is going to have her hands full with you two! Considering how active you are when you're on the floor under your activity mat, or in your chair, you're probably going to be one of those kids always on the go.

Finally, Adelia has cracked the code and this month you have become so much better at taking a bottle. You still aren't super consistent, but I know that you're eating enough during the day. The funny thing is that you like to help hold the bottle and sometimes you're successful.

It makes me a little sad because I know that one day you're not going to be my little baby who needs me to feed him and that with every day that passes, you are closer to turning into an independent little boy. I already have seen you change so much and I although I enjoy every new development, I want to keep you my little baby so if I try to sneak in an extra snuggle or two, I hope you'll let me. We haven't tried to do a full day of exclusively the bottle, but we're hoping to one day soon. Although I don't want to leave you, it'll be nice to know that someone else can put you to bed.

Speaking of bed, your sleep habits have become a little erratic and you're not sleeping straight through the night every night. Although I complain, I know that you are still much better than the average 4 month old and getting up once a night with you is nothing in comparison to what it could be like. It's just that you spoiled us with your sleeping and I'd like to get that schedule back soon (if possible).

This month's newsletter is pretty boring, but I hope you realize that I haven't been keeping good records because I'm having too much fun with you, trying to soak in every moment I have. There are only a limited number of hours I get to see you awake during the week and I need to try to cram as much time in with you as possible. Sometimes when I see you sleeping or playing with your dad I wonder what we did to deserve such a cute, sweet baby as you. I laugh at your nana when she tells me that she looks at your picture or watches videos of you and cries, but to be honest, I understand how she feels because I see your sweet face and just want to eat you up. Even with your outbreak of eczema (or whatever that rash was on your face), you were still the cutest baby ever. I know every parent says that about their child, but I really think you are the cutest!

Happy 4 month birthday bubs. I can't wait to see what the next month has in store for us.


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Saturday, August 20, 2011

So tasty...

Thank you uncle junior and auntie van for Sophie. She is delicious.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Just when I'm having a bad day...

I get a photo like this. Love him.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011


Usually Huge takes all the pictures of Callan and me, so I thought for once I'd return the favor.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Before I forget...

Today Callan turned 15 weeks old and  every day seems to bring something new. Giving birth seems like a lifetime ago and being pregnant seems even further away. I figure I needed to do a brain dump of things, before I forget about pregnancy and the first few weeks. Things that in and of themselves aren't super memorable, but will be a good point of reference for the next time...

1. Going back to work hasn't been as hard as everyone claimed it to be. Although I enjoy my job, it's not my life and it makes me appreciate the time I have with Callan even more. But let's be honest, if I could quit, I would -if only I wasn't the breadwinner! haha. I need to start playing the lottery.
2. Breastfeeding was hard. Getting Callan to latch properly was the hardest and most painful thing I experienced. Yes, that even includes giving birth (but to be fair, I had a pretty easy birth experience). The second most painful thing also relates to the bewbs and that is the pain of engorgement. No one tells you what that's going to feel like and lucky me, I got to experience it twice. Once when my milk came in and then when I stopped pumping and started nursing again. I feel fortunate that I have a fantastic supply, but that blessing comes with it's own set of curses. Looking back I kind of felt like I gave up too quickly and I wish I had stuck it out a little bit longer because I wonder if some of the problems we face would have worked themselves out sooner. In the end I'm glad I gave it another try since nursing has been great, although sometimes I'm not sure it's necessarily all it's cracked up to be. People claim that it's this blissful, bonding experience between mother and child and I'm just not getting it. I do love nursing and fought hard to do it and will be sad to (eventually) stop, but in certain situations I think how much easier it would be to feed him a bottle. This brings me to my next point...
3. Bottle feeding is hard too! But in different ways than breastfeeding. Callan has shown his stubborn streak and caused a bit of anxiety over his lack of affection for the bottle. I wrote about the standoff with the bottle and now nearly a month later, it's still touch and go. We've gone from hysterical crying when attempting to give the bottle to something more akin to playful refusal. Adelia has had some success, but Callan will often go days only drinking a few ounces while I'm at work. Thankfully he's still happy and playful, but it does make the nights a little bit longer because he's waking up to eat rather than sleeping through the night.
4. Breastfeeding is a miracle weight loss tool. I have lost nearly all of the 53 pounds I gained while pregnant (I'm within 15 lbs) and after 3 months being able to fit into almost all of my clothes is nothing short of miraculous. We'll see how long it takes me to take off the last 15 lbs as I've read that sometimes it sticks around until people stop breastfeeding, but to be honest I think it's going to take me stopping my 3 cookies a day habit before I get back to pre-preg weight.
5. While breastfeeding may be a miracle weight loss tool, it is not the birth control people may think it is -No wonder there are so many Irish twins out there! I was hoping to go another year without the monthly "visitor", but after 12 weeks, it came back (boo). Even though I am exclusively breastfeeding, I guess it's common for the visitor to return after the baby starts sleeping through the night. As disappointing as this has been, it seems like a pretty small trade off to have you sleep through the night.
6.  Speaking of which, Callan is a champion sleeper. The fact that he regularly sleeps through the night and sometimes need to be woken up in the morning is amazing to me. It makes me wonder what's going to happen in the teenage years and whether he'll ever see daylight, but considering his dad likes sleeping in, this shouldn't be too shocking.
7. I sometimes think about my miscarriage from last year and what that baby would have been like and at time think about how old he/she would have been. But as sad as I am about that, I can't imagine not having Callan... he clearly is the baby that was meant for us.
8. Callan may have already ruined his sibling's lives. I can't imagine the next baby being as easy as Callan and figure we will pay for it by having either a terrible next baby or a terrible toddler...
9. I also feel bad for any future siblings because I can't imagine the outpouring of love and affection for them will be any match to what Callan has received. I think there's always a special place in everyone's hearts for the first and Callan is definitely the child/grandchild that everyone had been waiting for.
10. I've run out of things, but I wanted to end on a nice round number. Oh, maybe I'll talk about pregnancy and a reminder that next time I really shouldn't gain 50 lbs!

Wow, that turned out to be much longer than I expected. I guess if you've made it this far you deserve a picture. This is from Adelia yesterday of Callan and Luke. They are going to be best friends and either a pair of heartbreakers or trouble makers... I'm still undecided.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The cutest

I really think my kid's the cutest (although I'm sure every mom says that about their kid).

On a walk with Adelia (8.03.11)