Peapod

Today I broke down and ordered groceries to be delivered. I got a "new mom" coupon in the mail for $15 off (which more than covers the $6.95 delivery fee) so I thought I'd give it a try. I haven't wanted to bring Charles to the grocery store in the cold weather. Plus, it's really hard to get a full grocery run in with a newborn! I'll update you tomorrow after delivery (between 3 and 7).

Speaking of updates, we did get the Woombie. I like that it's easy to put on (zips right up) but I don't think it's quite tight enough for Charlie. He needs to be wrapped up really well in order to sleep. Also, when he's in his Rock n Play at night, the material bunches up around his mouth and nose which makes me nervous! So we'll stick with the SwaddleMe for now... and hope that he outgrows this swaddle thing in a month or so.

Breakfast - Cinnamon Chex with soymilk
Lunch - vegetable lasagna; pita chip and hummus
Snack - yogurt
Dinner - half a cucumber with Italian dressing (see why I used Peapod now, right?)

Sleep

Does it seem like I'm obsessed with it? That's because I am... ;)  After analyzing yesterday's schedule, I noticed that Charlie eats every one and a half to two hours during the day because he wakes up from his naps in the pack n play. When he sleeps a little longer (like he did in my lap) he goes a little longer between feedings, but will still get in the number of feedings we need each day. I'm hoping that going a little longer during the day will help him go a little longer at night. We seem to have been moving backwards lately. Last night Charlie was up to eat at 11:30, 3:15, and 6:00. It was the first time he's woken up before midnight, which means I didn't even get three straight hours of sleep. :(  So I decided to have JA bring the Rock n Play Sleeper down from the nursery. Charles took his first three naps here instead and slept so much better. It's just an experiment, and if there's one thing I know about babies is that there are no rules. :)  I'm not even asking for five or six hours anymore... I'll take three or four at this point!

Breakfast - one organic egg with American cheese on whole grain toast with ketchup
Snack - honey wheat pretzels; Greek strawberry yogurt
Lunch - romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and soy chicken strips with honey mustard dressing; trail mix
Snack - bruschetta
Dinner - yogurt; all natural peanut butter on whole grain toast

Flying Solo

Last night Charles and I spent the evening without our beloved JA (who was on Long Island for an early meeting). I'm proud to say that we survived! :)  Charles went to bed at 8 and was up at 12, 3:30ish, and 6:30ish to eat. And since it's been a while since I documented one of his days, I thought I'd do that again in honor of his seven week birthday.

nurse 6:30 to 6:50 am

fell asleep on mom until 7:10

talked to each other until 7:30 (I did most of the talking, but Charlie contributed a little bit.)

diaper change (wet and dirty)

swaddle time; fell asleep from 8:20-8:45 (pack n play)

nurse 8:45 to 9:08 (burp for a few minutes)

play until 9:35

change diaper (wet)

swaddle at 9:40

sleep 9:50-10:45 (pack n play - Mom slept too!)

nurse 10:45-11:08

cuddle with mom until 11:28

play 11:30-11:50

diaper change (wet/just a bit dirty)

swaddle at 12:00

asleep from 12:20-12:45 (pack n play)

nurse from 12:47-1:10

play with Mommy in my Baby Bjorn bouncer until 1:40

change diaper (wet)

swaddle at 1:50

asleep from 2:07 to 4:00 (what a difference it makes when he sleeps in my arms!)

nurse from 4:02-4:10

4:12 to 4:48 fall asleep on mom's chest (mom takes this opportunity to clip my fingernails)

nurse from 4:48-5:04; Charlie seems unsettled, which means he either needs to burp or poop (see below for the answer

5:20 - diaper change (wet and DIRTY!!!) :)

play in my aquarium bouncy seat with Daddy from 5:20 to 6:00 (Mommy does laundry)

swaddle at 6:00

nap on mommy's lap from 6:15 to 6:40

nurse from 6:45 to 7:05

diaper change (wet)

hang out with Mommy and Daddy until 7:45, then head upstairs for PJs and SwaddleMe

nurse from 8:00 to 8:08, followed by a long burp session, followed by an extended "Keep Charlie upright as long as possible before bedtime to avoid spit-up disasters."

bedtime at 9:00 (Mommy heads downstairs to eat something, do a little more laundry, then go to bed herself.)

I assume I'll be up around midnight to start the whole process all over again. I've said it before and I'll say it again... it's a good thing he's cute!

Charles learns to multi-task at an early age by combining tummy time with "air time" for his tushie. :)

Monday
Breakfast - Cinnamon Chex with soymilk
Snack - American cheese on whole grain toast
Lunch - edamame; veggie burger with American cheese on whole wheat tortilla; baked fries
Snack - small piece of carrot cake
Dinner - Greek vanilla yogurt with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries; two slices of cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast - one organic egg and American cheese on whole grain toast with ketchup
Snack - apple; honey wheat pretzels
Lunch - sweet potato roll; cucumber avocado roll; Japanese spring rolls; side salad with Italian dressing
Snack - yogurt
Dinner - garden salad with light honey mustard dressing

Charlie is seven weeks old!

Eek - I almost forgot to recognize his seven week status today! Bad mommy! I'll write more about it tomorrow, but just wanted to wish my little man a happy seven weeks! One more to go for the big two-month mark... and the dreaded first round of shots. :(

Earlier Bedtime?

Back in the day (you know, a few weeks ago) when Charlie was just a young lad, he would go to bed between 9 and 10. These days, he seems to prefer an earlier bedtime between 7:30 and 8:30. Gotta love a boy who wants to go to bed early! Now if we could just get him sleeping longer...

Charlie accompanied me to a baby shower for a little while today. It took us two hours to get ready and out of the house! Ha! Gone are the days when I could just grab my purse and head out. Today I showered while Charles hung out in his bouncy seat. As I got ready, he got tired so I put him down for a nap. Then when he woke up he needed to eat. Then after he ate he spit up about 17 bajillion times, which resulted in as many outfit changes. I just about gave up on ever leaving, and came close to tears once or twice... but we finally made it. As I sat watching the mother-to-be open a few gifts before we left, all I could think was, "I hope you got some burp cloths in that pile!" ;)

Later, our friends Will, Alice, and Ella came over. They brought a delicious salad and cake, and even treated us to Star Tavern pizza - our favorite! I had the opportunity to ask Alice a bunch of parenting questions. Hopefully I didn't bombard her... she's one of my "go-to" people for advice on motherhood since she also nursed for a year and uses cloth diapers. It's so helpful to have great friends to turn to for advice. Second to my mom, I don't know what I'd do without them!

You'll notice that my food journal has been missing in the past few posts. I'm vowing to get better about that, starting today, even though today's list is appalling (can you say PIZZA???)

Breakfast - all natural PB&J on whole grain toast; chocolate soymilk
Snack - two slices of bruschetta pizza
Lunch - pasta primavera; side salad; mini-cupcake
Dinner - three slices of Star Tavern pizza; side salad
Dessert - yogurt

Six and a half!!

Tummy Time, Take 2

I think he's getting better, don't you? :)



Breakfast - all natural PB&J
Snack - grapes; trail mix
Lunch - baked ziti
Snack - apple
Dinner - ???

Back to Normal

Wednesday was my six week follow-up with my OB. I'm happy to report that I am back to my pre-pregnancy self. My weight was exactly what it was at my first pre-natal appointment (which was six weeks into my pregnancy). BP was its normal low-self (94/60) and I can resume all activities... though finding time to work out should be interesting. Charlie had to come with me and he was such a good boy. All the women in the office ohhed and ahhed all over him, of course. Also, his sleep was a little better the past two nights - back to our usual "schedule" of bed by 9:30, and up around 1, 4, and 6. We haven't had any more 5-6 hour stretches, so I'm hoping those come back sometime soon. :)

Charlie has his next big appointment in a week and a half. After that, I am so excited to head up to MA for a few days. I miss my family...

Breakfast - two organic eggs with American cheese and ketchup on whole grain toast
Snack - Reese's peanut butter cups
Lunch - baked ziti; Caesar salad
Dinner - soy chicken strips with American cheese on a whole wheat tortilla; baked fries

Ugh.

Last night Charlie ate at 7, 8:30, 10:50, 3, and 6. I am exhausted!! Also, I'm not entirely convinced that I won't smell like spit up for the remainder of my existence. I am convinced, however, that Charles is going through a growth spurt - again. In fact, I think that he'll be about 6' 7" by the time he's 15. I'm 5' 4", so I've clearly passed along height genes. ;)


Even though I eat a ton of veggies, I don't remember the Green Giant being quite this creepy looking!

Breakfast - two organic eggs with American cheese and organic ketchup on whole grain toast; cranberry juice

Lunch - veggie burger with ketchup and mustard on a whole grain tortilla; baked fries
Snack - orange
Dinner - one slice of pizza; Caesar salad
Dessert - half a chocolate cupcake; soymilk

First Day of Spring

Don't you just love Mother Nature's sense of humor?!

I guess this means we won't be going for a walk today...

He's a star all right!

Last night my friend Kristi gifted us with this bib:

How perfect, right? Charlie is certainly the star of the show 'round here.

So I made it through my first time away from him last night. I did have a minor meltdown on the way because I was worried about getting back in time vs. pumping (which I really didn't want to do at their house). Ultimately, I did miss one feeding/pump session, but fed him as soon as I got home, which I hope will be OK. I'm guessing one missed feeding won't affect my supply too much (especially since it was only 5 hours between nursing sessions, with one bottle in between). Being away from him did make me realize how connected we are though. It's a huge honor to be the person solely responsible for his nutrition, but it makes me really nervous to be away from him. On a related note, I have met my first breastfeeding goal. While I ultimately hope to go for a year (per the American Academy of Pediatrics), my first goal was to make it through six weeks, which many say is the most difficult. Yay Charlie, we did it! The first couple weeks were very challenging, but I feel like we're in a good place now. I'll let you know when we hit the next milestone...

Breakfast - natural peanut butter on whole grain toast; yogurt; cranberry juice
Snack - natural potato chips
Lunch - spinach and artichioke lasagna; organic apple
Dinner - nachos; garden salad (romaine, grape tomatoes, cucumber with light honey mustard dressing)
Dessert - half a chocolate cupcake

Charlie is six weeks old!

A month and a half - wow! John and I are prepping ourselves for the next few weeks which many say are just a bit rough. Thankfully, Charlie is cute enough that I think we'll make it through. ;)  Here's the update on our baby at six weeks:

Has your baby smiled at you yet? If not, he will soon. At 6 weeks, about half of all babies can recognize their parents, and many of those babies are so delighted that they welcome Mom or Dad with an excited, gurgly grin. This is one of the first signs that your baby is developing an ability to socialize. In fact, it's called a "social smile," and it's one of the more emotionally gratifying milestones you'll see your baby reach.

I have to confess that I think Charlie has the most adorable smile. He often breaks it out when he's charming the camera or playing on his mat. Of course, I think he saves his best smiles for Mommy, but I could be biased. Oh, and on the nap front, the little stinker is currently in his My Little Lamb seat where he's been asleep for two and a half hours. Go figure... My opinion is that he really hates lying flat. I know he's going to have to do it eventually and I'm sure he'll be able to when he's ready. But for now, I know it's more important that he get the sleep he needs so his body and brain can grow and develop.

"Lady, get the camera out of my face and please let me sleep!"

Breakfast - egg white veggie flatbread; cranberry juice
Lunch - half a grilled veggie wrap; half a baked potato
Snack - carrot cake
Dinner - St. Patrick's Day party (Mommy's first night out!)

Thankful

My parents and Tia Teresa came down for the weekend and I am instanty blessed with two baby nurses and a personal chef. Glorious! If I was uber rich I would totally hire servants. Once I feed Charlie he is whisked away while I go shower, do laundry, or sleep(!) until he needs to eat again. I actually find myself missing him for those moments when he's not with me. I'm not used to this! Tomorrow will be the true test since it will be my first time leaving him home. JA and I are going to a St. Patrick's Day party at our friends' home and Charles will be home with my parents and aunt. My plan is to feed him just before I leave and give my mom two prepared bottles. There's also more expressed milk in the freezer should he be especially hungry. I will bring my pump with me to the party. We only plan to stay for a couple of hours, so I'll probably only have to pump once. It will be nice to see our friends and all, but I'm sure I'll be eager to get home to our little man.

Speaking of the little man, he is at a nap-fighting stage. What is that about?? Doesn't he understand how awesome naps are? I, myself, am particularly fond of them. I would take them every day - twice a day if I could! ;) Does anyone have any magic cures for this stage? We swaddle to sleep and he is perfectly content to just lie quietly in your arms. He doesn't actually fall asleep though. And if you put him down... forget about it!


(documented proof that he does actually sleep)

Breakfast - egg white veggie flatbread; coffee milk (brought all the way down from Massachusetts)
Snack - one slice of American cheese on whole grain toast
Lunch - Tashmoo! - nachos; half a veggie wrap; half a baked potato
Snack - fruit smoothie
Dinner - grilled veggies (zucchini, squash, green and red peppers; potato); cous cous; corn
Dessert - carrot cake (Thanks Dad!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Most of you know that I don't have an Irish bone in my body. I am proud to be 100% Portuguese, thank you very much. But now that I have Charlie, it's time I recognize this day of green. He is a quarter Irish after all... So without further ado, may I present the story of Charles' St. Patty's Day photo shoot. (Seriously, someone needs to take the camera away from me!) ;)

At first, Charlie was not happy about being Irish. He wasn't sure that he looked good in green.

But then I took him aside and explained the legend of St. Patrick. I also told him about Mommy and Daddy's trip to Ireland and how we wanted to take him with us again someday. This seemed to appease him, though he was still somewhat skeptical.

We got back into model mode. Here, Charles gives his best "casual" look.

Then he started to loosten up a little...

C'mon lady... how many more of these are you going to take??

What??!! Now, after all that photo torture, you want me to do tummy time?

(but notice those awesome head and neck muscles getting a good workout!)

Finally, it was the end. ;)

I thought today was going to be a difficult day. You know how some mornings your baby just seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the Rock n Play Sleeper? (See what I did there... ;)  But I'm either becoming better equipped to deal with a sometimes cranky baby, or Charlie is just growing up. It's probably a little bit of both. I recognize when he's hungry, even if it's only been an hour and a half since he last ate (another growth spurt?) If he's still crying after we've swaddled, rocked, walked, bounced, changed, and played... then I know he's hungry. Today we went shopping for a bit and took a few walks (downtown and around the neighborhood). Have I mentioned how much I love my Baby Jogger City Elite? Our walk downtown was with the Snap n Go, which is great inside, but not so great on old sidewalks. But the City Elite can ride over large branches with ease. Charlie even slept in the City Elite while we walked around the block (until he got hungry again). :)  But don't read about our day... listen to it here!

Breakfast - natural peanut butter on whole grain bread; Greek peach yogurt

Snack - slice of pound cake

Lunch - egg white and cheese on a croissant; decaf iced latte (Can you tell I found a DD with a drive-thru?? Unfortunately, they are very rare in NJ.)

Snack - garden salad with romaine, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers with light honey mustard dressing

Dinner - spinach and artichoke lasagna

Houdini

Charlie has a love/hate relationship with the swaddle. He will sometimes cry when getting swaddled, but can't sleep unless he is swaddled because he is such a squirmer! He rocks the startle reflex pretty well too. So until further notice, we will be swaddling Master Charles. Of course, being the independent young man that he is, every so often he likes to show me who's boss. Houdini strikes again!

Breakfast - two organic eggs with a slice of American cheese and ketchup on whole grain bread
Snack - fruit salad; chocolate chip cookie
Lunch - American cheese on a bagel with lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard; pickle; Thai chips
Snack - Greek pomagranate yogurt
Dinner - spinach and artichoke lasagna; garden salad with romaine, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers with light honey mustard dressing
Dessert - chocolate soymilk; piece of marble cake

Becoming Less Modest

In yet another sign of Charles' maturity, he no longer cries every time he's naked. Don't get me wrong... it still happens. But there are times when he is content to just hang out in his diaper. Sometimes he's even OK without it on (we try to "air out" at every diaper change) but Charlie asked that I not display that particular scene on the Internet. :)



Breakfast - all natural PB&J on whole grain toast; OJ
Snack - one chocolate chip cookie
Lunch - veggie burger on a deli flat with ketchup, mustard and a slice of American cheese; baked fries
Snack - orange
Dinner - spinach and artichoke lasagna; piece of bagette

Glory Days

Two things: First, Charles slept five hours straight last night. Yep - he loves me. :) Second, JA and I spent the evening reliving our glory days. While Charlie slept beside us on the couch we watched John play high school football. Then he found this fun video from the NCAA tournament back in the day. Do you recognize that cute little cheerleader at the end?? ;) (I did cry a little at how young I looked!) ;)  Ahhh, memories... I wonder in what activities Charles will engage when he grows up?



Charlie turned five weeks old yesterday. Here's what new with an infant at that stage:

Your baby is learning that he has hands and fingers and feet and toes. He's also starting to talk more. Not with words, of course, but by cooing — with increasing goos, gurgles, and grunts. This marks the beginning of his language development. Talk to your baby often. You'll be able to keep his attention by shifting from a low to a high pitch — the singsong style that parents in every culture tend to use when speaking to a baby. Smiling is universal. A baby's first smile happens at about the same time in all cultures, so get ready for your baby to reward all your loving care with a beaming, toothless, just-for-you grin. This will probably make your heart melt, even if you've just had your worst night yet.

I will confess, I'm a total softie for his smiles. :)

Breakfast - egg white veggie flatbread; decaf latte
Snack - Greek blueberry yogurt
Lunch - cheese ravioli; apple
Snack - two chocolate chip cookies
Dinner - two slices of cheese pizza
Dessert - organic, chocolate soy milk

Charles is five weeks old!

This will have to be short and sweet since I'm on my way to bed. We also have guests here this weekend (yay Tia Lauren and Uncle Carl!) But I did want to celebrate Charlie's five week "birthday." I'll post more tomorrow.

Breakfast - egg white veggie flatbread; decaf latte
Snack - chips and homemade salsa (delish Lauren!)
Lunch - veggie burger on a deli flat with ketchup and mustard; baked fries
Dinner - garden salad and chickenless nuggets with light honey mustard dressing
Dessert - Greek raspberry yogurt

Tummy Time?

While Charlie has exhibited excellent head and neck control since birth, we have started "official" tummy time to help him continue to build these muscles. In previous weeks we'd practice by lying tummy to tummy. But this video shows what happens when Charlie tries tummy time on the play mat. We weren't exactly successful, but I know he'll get there. At least he wasn't crying, right? ;)

First Time Moms

I got a kick out of reading this article from a mom of two. Apparently us first-time moms have it easy. ;) I do wonder what life would be like if I was sleep-deprived and had to chase a toddler around. Finding time to play with Molly and Maggie is tough enough!

Speaking of the trendiest baby gear, I did want to take a moment to rec some of the items John and I have found to be most helpful this past month with Charles. While I do have some fancy stuff (my diaper bag and all-terrain stroller for example) most of the items are pretty low-key. In no particular order - here are my top 5 must-haves. **EDIT - I added a sixth item that I totally forgot about!**

Swaddle blankets and the SwaddleMe

Charlie is definitely one of those babies experiencing "the fourth trimester." This boy only sleeps if swaddled. He moves around so much that there's no way he could stay asleep without it. During the day I wrap him in blankets to swaddle, but at night, we use the SwaddleMe so there's no risk of the blanket coming undone. From what I've read, we should expect to transition out of the swaddle by three months. At that time, most of the startle reflex is gone and babies are able to sleep without it. We shall see...

Cotton sleepers

Sure those designer baby outfits are super cute. But very few infants care what they are wearing... so long as they are comfortable. Charlie spends 95% of his time in cottom sleepers and we go through about 3 of them a day. At night, we mix it up and wear a fleece sleeper instead. We like to keep it fresh and exciting. ;) Carter's has a great line of sleepers, available with either zippers or snaps. John doesn't care for the snaps, which admittedly, are challenging for someone with larger hands. The zipper ones are harder to come by though.

Burp Cloths and Bibs

Again, I'm not talking designer here. The best burp cloths are actually cloth diapers. We got an awesome stash from Alice, but you can buy them too. They are very absorbant and we go through about 6-10 a day (depending on the spit up situation). I've started putting a bib on Charlie at every feeding too which helps catch extra spit up. Bibs are pretty much all the same but we do have a few favorites. Carter's bibs are great because they have a middle layer that's waterproof. I also like Tommee Tippee's newborn bibs which fit nicely around his little neck.

Cloth Diapers and Wipes

There were several reasons we opted to cloth diaper. Ultimately, it's best for the environment, best for his skin, and best for our budget. It thrills me that we haven't had to run out to the store to buy diapers every other week. I also started using cloth wipes this week which is waaayy easier than I expected. I actually created a solution from California Baby's Diaper Area Wash. I mix one part of that to ten parts water and keep the solution in the peri bottle from the hospital - perfect! Not having to buy formula or diapers is definitely a good thing since I'm not working for several months. As CFO of our family, I am responsible for making sure we can pay all those bills! :)

Graco Pack 'n Play

I've already posted about the convenience of the Graco Pack 'n Play. Since Charlie and I spend most of our day in the family room, it's great to have a place to store diapers and extra clothes. The changing station is great, as is the newborn napper. When he outgrows the napper, we hope he'll be taking his naps in the bassinet portion.

Video Monitor

Our new favorite channel is C-TV. John and I love being able to watch Charlie as he falls asleep. He makes lots of noises as he's falling asleep (and waking up) and being able to see him lets us know if he's really awake or if he's just settling in. It also has a feature that allows it to move and pan the room - which will come in handy as our little guy grows and starts walking (gasp!)

So that's it... I'm guessing these items will change as Charles gets older, but for now, we're keeping it simple. Oh, and it appears that the growth spurt may be just about over since Charlie has gone 2.5-3 hours between feedings today. Last night he woke up at 1:00, 3:30 and 5:30. Ouch! I gotta feeling that tonight will be better. Plus, it's Jersday and our crew is coming over for Jersey Shore. I couldn't hang last time, but if I can get some sleep in today then I should be able to. The last time I watched the show with them was the night before my water broke!

Breakfast - two organic eggs with a slice of American cheese and ketchup on whole grain toast; OJ
Snack - all natural pita chips and hummus
Lunch - cavatelli and broccoli; garden salad; slice of cheese pizza
Snack - homemade trail mix (dried cranberries, chocolate chips, and almonds)
Dinner - TBD

Growth Spurt?

For the past two days Charles is wanting to eat every 1-2 hours. Could this be a growth spurt? I totally understand what it's like for him to be constantly hungry - I feel the same way! Here's what one popular breastfeeding site has to say about it:

During a growth spurt, breastfed babies nurse more often than usual (sometimes as often as every hour) and often act fussier than usual.

The increase in baby's milk intake during growth spurts is temporary. In exclusively breastfed babies, milk intake increases quickly during the first few weeks of life, then stays about the same between one and six months. As solids are gradually introduced after six months, baby's milk intake will gradually decrease.

Physical growth is not the only reason that babies may have a temporary need for increased nursing. Babies often exhibit the same type of behavior (increased nursing with or without increased fussiness) when they are working on developmental advances such as rolling over, crawling, walking or talking. Mom's milk is for growing the brain as well as the body!

Common times for growth spurts are during the first few days at home and around 7-10 days, 2-3 weeks, 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 4 months, 6 months and 9 months (more or less). Babies don't read calendars, however, so your baby may do things differently.

Growth spurts don't stop after the first year - most moms notice growth spurts every few months during the toddler years and periodically thereafter on through the teenage years.

Growth spurts usually last 2-3 days, but sometimes last a week or so.

Follow your child's lead. Baby will automatically get more milk by nursing more frequently, and your milk supply will increase due to the increased nursing. It is not necessary (or advised) to supplement your baby with formula or expressed milk during a growth spurt. Supplementing (and/or scheduling feeds) interferes with the natural supply and demand of milk production and will prevent your body from getting the message to make more milk during the growth spurt.

Some nursing moms feel more hungry or thirsty when baby is going through a growth spurt. Listen to your body -- you may need to eat or drink more during the time that baby is nursing more often.

I weighed myself this morning and I'm one pound less than I was BC (before Charlie). Apparently this whole "nursing-helps-you-lose-the-baby-weight" thing actually works!

Breakfast - two organic eggs with a slice of American cheese and ketchup on whole grain toast; OJ
Snack - organic baby carrots and natural chipotle ranch dip
Lunch - organic vegetable soup; tortilla chips and low fat cheese
Dinner - garden salad; cheese pizza

Can't Stand It!

It seems like everytime I turn around, Charlie is showing another sign of growing up! I last posted about him outgrowing his newborn clothes. Well, it's no wonder! When I put him on his growth chart blanket he measured at 23 inches! Of course, the official measurement won't come until we go for our two month appointment on April 4. Charles will also get his first round of immunizations then, so I think I'll be most concerned about that. It will be interesting to see how much he weighs though.

In other growing up news, Charlie is starting to take his naps in the Pack 'n Play. Previously he would take them in the newborn napper, but we are transitioning to the top portion now since I think he'll be outgrowing the napper very soon. I already had to remove the newborn head insert, so it's just a matter of time before he's too long. I also think napping in the pack 'n' play will be a good start to transition to the crib at night. While he sleeps in his own room, he's still in the Rock and Play Sleeper, which he will also outgrow at some point. This will be good practice for lying flat on his back, which he hasn't always loved, but seems to be getting better about doing. I figure we'll try napping flat for a week or so before we attempt the crib. It's all about taking baby steps. :)  He didn't nap as long today as he usually does, but practice makes perfect, right?

Goodbye itty bitty sleepers...

Hello crib!

Here he is practicing...

And he here is getting ready for a walk around the neighborhood. He still seems a little leery of being outside... or maybe it's the bear outfit I made him wear. :)

Breakfast - English muffin with butter; OJ; Greek blueberry yogurt

Snack - handful of nachos with low fat shredded cheese

Lunch - baked fries (I really need to go grocery shopping, or at least look into that Peapod thing)

Snack - clementine

Such a Ham...

Hold on until the end of the video to be rewarded with a little smile and laugh from Charlie. :)



Monday
Breakfast - English muffin with butter; OJ; clementine
Snack - POM love fruit smoothie
Lunch - veggie burger on a bun; side of corn and broccoli
Snack - two chocolate chip cookies
Dinner - two slices of cheese pizza

Today was a good day

It seems like Charlie has two kinds of days. Most days he wakes up, eats, plays, and naps on a repeat cycle. These are great days. Some days, however, he wakes up, cries, eats, cries, maybe naps, and cries. I know there are varying opinions on "the gassy baby" but I swear on these latter days his tummy is uncomfortable. He grunts a lot and makes all sorts of other "I'm not happy" noises. These are in contrast to his typical noises where he oohs and ahhs and is content to talk with me as we go about our day. From everything I've read, it takes babies a few months for their digestive systems to mature and develop, so I figure there will be a mix of both kinds of days in our future. Knowing that all of this is totally normal for a newborn is actually very comforting to me. Knowledge is power and all that... ;)

Breakfast - English muffin with butter; OJ
Snack - Greek strawberry/banana yogurt; handful of sourdough pretzels
Lunch - three slices of cheese pizza; garden salad with Italian dressing
Snack - two chocolate chip cookies
Dinner - garden salad with Italian dressing; black bean soup
Dessert - glass of organic chocolate soymilk

Charles Is One Month Old!

Well, we made it a month... crazy right? Charlie has definitely changed our lives in some pretty dramatic ways. Never in my life have I loved someone so much. I think God makes you fall in love instantly because He knows those sleepless nights would be unbearable otherwise. ;) Of course, lack of sleep is still my number one issue, but since he's nursing well, peeing and pooping like a champ, and developing right according to plan, I can't complain. Well, I do complain, but only when I'm really tired. ;) I really identified with what this mom wrote on Baby Center:

Before I had a baby, I had always thought of myself as a capable person. I could change my car battery, program my VCR, and navigate my way around all five boroughs of New York City without getting lost or mugged. But after my daughter Nina was born, my can-do attitude went out the window. Normally confident, I couldn't imagine how I would care for a new baby and what I was supposed to do with her all day long. I dreaded seeing the door close as my husband hurried to catch the train to work every morning. I wondered if flinging myself at his feet would stop him from leaving me alone for 10 hours with my lovely but oh-so-dependent baby. I loved Nina and we had our blissful moments together, but I was frightened by the responsibility and daunted by the drudgery of caring for her all the time, and overwhelmed by the newness of it all.

No one ever tells you what daily life will be like with a newborn. If they did, they wouldn't be able to look you in the eye because the truth isn't pretty. Imagine this: All those wonderful family members and friends who helped you out right after the birth have now returned to their own lives. You're fatigued beyond belief. Breast milk drips all over your clothes, but you can barely remember to bathe. Basic tasks like eating or deciding what to wear seem to take too much effort. Armed with little or no previous experience, you're now responsible for the care, nourishment, safety, and stimulation of a new baby. No wonder new moms feel overwhelmed. But know this: You will not be the first mom to feel this way, and you will figure things out. While that may be cold comfort during the early days, it's a start.

So for any other new moms out there - you can do it! We are doing it every day. Our little ones are growing and thriving because of us and we should be proud of that!

To document this one-month milestone, here are a few million photos I snapped of Charles this evening. I think his aging is appropriately reflected in his receding hairline. :)

And my personal favorite, where Charlie does his best to tell you he's ONE month old! :)

Breakfast - cinnamon raisin English muffin with butter; OJ

Lunch - black bean soup

Snack - natural peanut butter on a deli flat

Dinner - Amy's vegan "steak and potatoes" dinner with green beans (tasted better than it sounds) :)

Dessert - orange

A Schedule??

I realized today that Charlie has a bit of a routine going. It's nothing to set your clock by or anything, but I feel like I'm starting to understand him a lot more as he gets older (he'll be a whole month tomorrow!) He usually wakes up in the morning between 5 and 6. After a feeding, we nap together until 7 or 8 and then start our day. He'll eat again, we'll play for a bit, then he'll go down for his first long nap of the day. We repeat this pattern a few times until 5 or so. This is when he gets his last "happy baby" feeding. All bets are off after 6 PM. :)  Many people refer to this time as "the witching hour" even though it lasts more than one hour. He is really good about napping in his bouncy seat or pack and play early in the day, but in the evening, Mommy's lap is the only place to be. His comfort/sucking reflex is off the charts during this time too, and I will let him suck on my finger for a little while to calm himself (sorry Mom!) Everything I've read said this is normal and important, so I'm doing it just a little. Oh, and for all my internal debating about the pacifier - I finally bought one, and he doesn't like it!

I do realize that typing this post means Charles will probably completely change his "routine" to something involving a total of 10 minutes of sleep. ;)

Breakfast - two organic eggs with American cheese and ketchup on whole grain toast; OJ; decaf tea with honey
Snack - organic apple
Lunch - vegetarian burrito from Q'doba (rice, black beans, guacamole, mixed veggies)
Dinner - vegetable pad thai
Dessert - two chocolate chip cookies and organic, chocolate soymilk (which I never got to eat yesterday for dessert, so scratch that off the list!)

Bibs

I've mentioned before how much Charlie spits up. He doesn't usually seem uncomfortable when he's doing it, and he appears to be gaining weight well (and making enough dirty and wet diapers) so I'm not too concerned about it. As one breastfeeding website says, "It's a laundry problem, not a health one." On days when he seems a bit more fussy than usual (like today for instance) his spit up does seems a bit worse and I'm trying to make sure he gets lots of opportunities to burp when feeding. I'm also trying to keep him more upright while nursing and to keep him upright for at least 20-30 minutes after eating (I love the Baby K'Tan "hug" position for this. These things all help, but don't completely solve the problem. Good thing I'm doing laundry everyday! :) Also, Gerber cloth diapers used as burp cloths are lifesavers for a baby who spits up.

We are still receiving so many fun gifts from family and friends and our friend Abby inadvertently gave the perfect gift the other day - bibs! Our little guy should get used to wearing these since Mommy is tired of changing his clothes 18 times a day (which is also torture for a baby that hates getting naked!)



A bib for every special occasion!

Also, I snapped a picture of the first newborn outfit that Charles outgrew. ::Tear::

Breakfast - Fiber One Toaster Pastry
Snack - Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips

Lunch - veggie burger on whole grain toast with one slice of American cheese, ketchup, and mustard; baked fries; half a Vitamin Water

Snack - one chocolate chip cookie; decaf tea with honey (I have a bit of a sore throat) :(
Dinner - spinach lasagna
Dessert - one chocolate chip cookie; organic chocolate soymilk

Oh No!

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Today I officially started a bag of clothing that Charles has outgrown. Gasp! Some of the newborn sleepers are just too small. I tried to convince myself that they just shrunk in the dryer, but I think Charlie is getting bigger. On the bright side, we can start wearing all the adorable 0-3 month items we have. Fashion show! ;)

Breakfast - two organic eggs with one slice of American cheese and ketchup on whole grain toast; cranberry juice; Greek blueberry yogurt
Snack - two homemade chocolate chip cookies (thanks Alice!)
Lunch - veggie burger on a deli flat with lettuce, ketchup, and mustard; baked fries
Snack - Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips; organic apple
Dinner - black bean soup; slice of bread (thanks again Alice!) :)