Our Suburban Farm: July 2014

Weight: On Monday you were 14 pounds 14 ounces before eating! 15 lbs 3 ounces after!

Height: no update

Clothes: You are in 3-6 month clothes. And some of them not for long! I hated putting away your small 0-3 month clothes because it means you are getting so big, but also because many of them you wore only once! It is fun, however, to move into a bigger size because there are new adorable outfits to wear!

Diapers: One size cloth, and we even had to move up a snap rise. I didn't want to, but some of the girls in my CD group suggested it might help with leaks and they were right! I love seeing your adorable cloth diaper butt! When we had our car ride you wore disposables and when I patted your butt it felt like you were naked underneath your pants! I am used to a fluffy butt!

Sleep: On your 10 week birthday you slept for 8 hours in a row! Yay! We have been putting you down for your long stretch between 9 and 10 most nights. The key is mommy going to bed at that time too. You have also slept in your bed for naps several times. You sleep in the woombie best. I tried to let you have one arm out for a nap that other day and you woke up every 5-10 minutes. As soon as I put your arm in, you were out for 2 hours! You sleep about 12-14 hours total most days, so much of your day is spent sleeping still!

Eating: Eating continues to be one of your favorite past times! You usually eat every 2-3 hours during the day. You have taken a few more bottles, so that is good. It makes me feel better about going back to work.

Likes: Laying on your back and kicking, smiling at us, bath time, lights and windows, ceiling fans, and hugs, kisses and snuggles. You love when I give you lots of kisses!

Dislikes: Being tired and hungry (the main times you cry). You continue to think Tummy Time=THE WORST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.

Health: You are a healthy boy! We have noticed for about a month that your left eye seems to turn in more than your right eye. At your 1 month appointment the doctor said it will most likely correct itself. But of course Mommy worries! You continue to LOVE when we go to the chiropractor and you get your neck stretched.

Oh! And this: We went away for Mommy's "Girls' Weekend at the Cabin" and you were fabulous the whole time! You did GREAT in the car (apparently you like highway driving) and you slept well. It was so fun to have all those "Aunties" around to wear you and snuggle and play all the time!

New Tricks: You have discovered how fun it is to suck on everything: your hands, a shirt, your wubbanub, anything! You even have started to hold onto things like a blanket, my shirt, or your wubbanub with purpose! It is fun to see you hold your wubbanub like that!

Dear Elijah,
How are you 2 months old already?? We cannot believe you have only been here 2 months because you are the most important thing in our lives. But at the same time we can't believe how fast these 2 months have flown by! We are so amazed by you every day. I still haven't slowed down with the number of kisses I love to give you. Speaking of that, I need to go give you a kiss right now! Your daddy is always amazed by how smart and how strong you are. We just need to get you to like tummy time so you can be even stronger!

We left you for the first time today without one of us to go out for our anniversary. It was very hard and we talked about you a lot. We knew Grammy and Grandpa would take great care of you, but it was still not easy (especially for me). What if you were crying and you only wanted me?! I didn't want you to worry that I wasn't coming back. But that didn't happen. You enjoyed your time with them and they even both wore you! We only went to dinner and came right home. But it felt too long!

You faces crack us up all the time. I love to take lots of pictures of you on my phone. I can't imagine if I didn't have my phone there at all times to catch your hilarious facial expressions! I love to look back through my pictures and look at your adorable faces. I am getting very sad as there is only one month left in summer. I do not like thinking about leaving you when I go back to work. I want to always be there for you whenever you need me!

We are looking forward to another fun month of growing and learning!

Updates:

Weight: 14 pounds 8 ounches (still 97%ile)

Height: 23.25 inches

Clothes: Daddy started putting you in 3-6 month jammies some nights (I just think you wearing jammies is the most adorable ever) and I don't like it! But they do fit better. You are still wearing 0-3 clothes, but I should probably move to the 3-6. I don't wanna do it! It also makes me sad that so many of your 0-3 clothes you only wore once!

Diapers: We have moved up to mostly one size cloth diapers in the last few days. I didn't want to give up the NB, but we have had too many leaks. I don't like how big they are! In disposables (rarely) you are still in size 2. Cloth laundry is still going well. Now we have a plethora to choose from! Since you rash has been gone, we only put coconut oil on your bum and it looks totally clear all the time! Coconut oil is magical!

Sleep: You will sleep for hours when we wear you (Daddy loves to wear you too!). Going to bed for the night is always a process because you wake yourself up and then get all upset. We set up the video monitor a few weeks ago. We have tried a few times to put you down and then watch a show downstairs. Usually it involves several trips back upstairs when you are upset! We have started to try a kind of bedtime routine involving eating, diaper, pjs, story and song,rock and then swaddle and rock/walk until you fall asleep for good. Bath is after eating if it is a bath night (about 3 times a week). The routine is a VERY loose one. You wake about 1-2 times a night and then thenext time (7ish) I will usually bring you into bed with me if you don't want to go back to sleep in your bed. It is going to be ROUGH going back to work. You are still a very sleepy boy and sleep most of the day. Though you are starting to have a few 4 hour stretches in the last few days! I try for the whole eat/play/sleep routine...but usually you prefer eat/sleep! We are also started to try crib naps. At first you would need your paci put back in every 15 minutes, but now you have slept a few times for 45 minutes to an hour. You like to fight sleep a lot. And when you are doing that as you are falling asleep, you pick up your head and slam it down on our shoulders or face. Ow! Why do you do that?! And you snuffle around on our shoulders. Until you finally conk out. We have to trick you with the swaddle because when you are too awake all you want to do is FIGHT TO GET YOUR ARMS OUT! But if we don't swaddle you, you wake up every 10 minutes when you startle yourself.

Eating: In preparation for going back to work, we have tried to have daddy give you a bottle a couple times a week. You aren't really happy about it, but you will take it. You took one from Grandma last week pretty well. I usually have a hard time and have to go pump somewhere far away so I don't hear your sad cry. I wish you never needed a bottle! During the day you eat on demand. I continue to try to do about every 2 hours if possible to get in as many feedings during the day as we can. I just love that I am able to give you all you need to get strong and grow. And the cuddles are super awesome.

Likes: Fireworks! Snuggling in bed and on our chests. You love to show off your strong neck when we are holding you. You are starting to enjoy laying on your back on the play mat and watching and listening to the mobile. We are starting to read to you more and you seem to be paying attention (rather than just staring at the light!)

Dislikes: Getting out of the tub, stop lights, being tired, tummy time for more than 5 minutes (You are pretty good at pushing up when you want to!), and being swaddled arms in.

Health: You got 2 vaccines at your appointment today: the TDaP and oral rotavirus. You did great! I nursed you while you got the TDap (BM is a natural pain reliever) and you fussed almost as much about the alcohol wipe as the shot itself! After a quick fuss you went right back to nursing! We are following the Dr. Sears alternative vaccine schedule because though mommy believes in vaccines, I think its a lot of medicine to put in a baby's body at once (when I rarely even take Tylenol!). And some are not necessary for little babies. (For anyone who is interested, I HIGHLY recommend the Dr. Sears Vaccine Book to learn more about vaccines and the diseases they prevent). You have visited the chiropractor 3 times now. You love when Dr. Robin stretches your neck. You get very calm and look around. At your one month appt the NP said you left side was a little flat and to watch it. We noticed that you tend to lay your head on that side when you are sleeping, even when we turn it the other way. I wear you most of the time when you aren't sleeping, so it isn't like you spend a lot of excessive time flat on your back. So we figured it would be better to do something now and possibly avoid issues later. Also, you were lodged in there when mommy was trying to push you out, so the chiropractor definitely helps with that. (Funny article for info on chiropractors and infants)

Oh! And this: When you are getting ready to start eating, I sign "milk". Also, we sign "more" and "all done" when we are playing with you and talking to you. One time you looked right at me and signed "milk" (not at eating time). I am sure it was a fluke....or you are a genius.

New Tricks: I am probably making this up, but many times when I am kissing you on your cheeks, you open your mouth wide and I put you near my cheek and tell you, "Thank you for the kisses!" You have also discovered controlling your tongue and love to stick it out. I like to stick my tongue back out at your and then you will do it again! You are learning and exploring!