Baby and the City

What's this?? A post from yours truly two days in a row?? Well, lucky you. ;)

Charlie and I went to NYC today to visit JA at work. We drove to Hoboken, purchased our tickets for Pier 11 and boarded the ferry when it arrived. I called John when we got off in New York and told him we were waiting right by the adorable little duck pond with the waterfall and pretty flowers. Cue silence on John's end... then, "Umm, there is no duck pond at Pier 11." Uh oh! Somehow I had managed to get on the wrong ferry and was on the west side of Manhattan when I needed to be on the east side. This would ordinarily not be a problem since I could just hop in a cab, but Charlie doesn't exactly travel well in cabs without his carseat. He was riding in style in the Maclaren Spitfire, which we busted out for the first time today.

I really love this stroller! But, I digress. After asking three friendly officers of the NYPD, as well as an equally-friendly employee at the ferry station, it was determined that I was going to have to walk. So we got a wonderful tour of Battery Park and the surrounding areas and finally arrived at John's office about 25 minutes later (after one more check-in with a super-friendly Parks & Rec officer who actually exited his vehicle and showed me the path on his map!) Who says New Yorkers are mean? During the walk Charlie tried his best to avoid looking like a tourist, but he was pretty wide-eyed the whole time. But he wasn't wearing a fanny pack or anything, so we blended in pretty well, I think. ;)

After being scanned through security (which included a full-on airport X-ray system and metal detector, along with scanning my ID and printing out a visitor badge with my name and picture on it) we headed upstairs to visit JA's co-workers. Charlie was his typical charming self, though he did play it a little shy at times. I nursed him in the mothers' room they have on their floor (wish we had one of these) and then we headed to lunch. Charlie was a perfect companion throughout, though he kept opening his mouth everytime I picked up my fork or grabbed a fry off JA's plate. He's getting ready for finger foods, I think!

On the ferry ride home (John walked us to the pier and made sure we got on the right one) I started to nurse him again, but after a few minutes, he looked like this:

New York may be the city that never sleeps, but Charlie sure does! :)

Earthquake!

Yikes - today was one of the craziest days Charlie and I have had this summer. This morning we dropped off Daddy at the train, then continued on to my school to start working in my classroom. I brought Charlie's pack 'n' play, his Baby Bjorn bouncer, his Jump & Go, the Bumbo, and an assortment of toys. I also had a bunch of diapers, wipes, changes of clothing, bibs, and burp cloths. We were there from about 9 AM to 2 PM - and it was so hard to actually do work! I only managed to cover a couple of bulletin boards and unpack the closet. Charlie did his best to keep himself entertained, but he needed to see me at all times. He also (understandably) needed to move every twenty minutes or so to another activity. Plus, it was really hard to do work when my beautiful baby was there just begging me to play with him!

During one of our feedings today, I suddenly realized that the walls and floor were shaking. I immediately knew it was an earthquake. It only lasted a few seconds, but even Charlie picked his head up, looked around, and made a face as if to say, "What is that??" It was, in fact, baby's first earthquake. That's one for the baby book! :)

Charlie was not too pleased with napping in the pack 'n' play. He took two naps that were each only about 30 minutes. Poor guy. He then fell asleep for the last ten minutes of the ride home - FAIL! Since I knew he wouldn't be going back to sleep when we got home, I opted to make some food for Master Charles. In about 40 minutes time I was able to make brown rice cereal, pureed avocado, and baked butternut squash. Yummy! Charlie ate prunes for dinner, but I'm sure he'll be enjoying these other tasty treats soon.

While his bedtime is usually around 6:30, he was asleep in his crib before six o'clock. Sweet dreams buddy!

Charlie is six months old!

I wanted to take this time to recognize that our son is half way to a year! I can hardly believe that he is six months old. Charlie is such a good baby and I am so thankful that God gave him to us. Here's a little insight into what our day looks like at six months:

6:00/6:30 - wake up and nurse; diaper change; play

8:30 - nurse; diaper change; first nap

10:15 - wake up and nurse; diaper change; play

11:15 - eat oatmeal and fruit

12:15 - diaper change; second nap

1:00 - wake up and nurse; diaper change; play

3:00 - diaper change; third nap

4:00 - wake up and nurse; diaper change; play

5:00 - eat fruit or veggie

6:00 - nurse (from one side); naked time; bath

6:30/7:00 - nurse (from other side); bedtime

He seems to be a creature of habit, and I love how he's fallen into this little routine. And I am so incredibly appreciative of his 11-12 hours of straight sleep. Glorious! :)

Today I made some more food for Charlie. This morning I headed out to Whole Foods to purchase some organic sweet potatoes and pears. I couldn't find the pears so I bought Gala apples instead. When I got home I put the potatoes in the oven to bake for an hour and put the apples in a steamer basket in a saucepan to steam for 10-15 minutes. When they were done and cooled, I simply scraped the flesh into the blender. I mixed the apples with some of the water from the saucepan since I plan to mix them with oatmeal and breast milk. I mixed the sweet potatoes with breast milk. Both got pureed in the blender (separately, of course) and poured into trays for the freezer. Voila! Charlie enjoyed some homemade applesauce and oatmeal this afternoon and we'll try the sweet potatoes on Thursday (following the four-day-wait rule). He's currently eating two meals a day (fruit and oatmeal and another fruit or veggie) and seems to love everything so far. I really love that I know exactly what's going into his body too (and what isn't, namely pesticides and other chemicals). On my list for next week: sweet peas and zucchini. Mmmmm!

Just in time...

On Monday I welcomed this new beauty:

Our avocado green washer finally crossed the rainbow bridge into appliance heaven. And since Charlie started solids, he now has what I am calling "real person poop." This makes laundering our cloth diapers interesting. :) Charlie is loving his food, so I'm glad that we can continue onward. So far he's had oatmeal, avocado, and prunes. The prunes were because he went a week without pooping. Trust me when I say he made up for it today!

Thanks for the prunes Mom!

We have an eater!

It's official - Charlie got his first taste of "solids" this past week. While on vacation with my family in New Hampshire (baby's first trip to the mountains!), he ate oatmeal every day - and he loved it! I was admittedly nervous about this and wanted to wait until as close to six months as possible. I'm really glad I did too, because there was no doubt in my mind that he was ready. After the first bite or two he was already leaning forward and opening his mouth for more. Super cute! Here is the evidence... check out that little smile after he finishes his first bite.



In case you are wondering, we are using Earth's Best Organic Oatmeal mixed with breast milk. Tomorrow we're heading to the local farmers' market to see if they have any veggies and fruits for our next eating adventures. I'd like to try avocado, sweet potatoes, squash, banana, pears, and apples. Yum!

Charlie is funny

I'm going to try my best to describe this, since it wasn't possible for me to get a picture without risking Charlie's safety. Tonight during naked time we were practicing our sitting. I sit behind Charlie while he tripods. Tonight he decided to bend his arms so he could put his toes in his mouth for a bit, then pushed himself back up again. He did this a few times in a row - hysterical! I can't leave him sitting alone just yet, or I absolutely would have gotten a picture. Maybe I'll be better prepared tomorrow. :)

I also wanted to say that today was just an awesome day. My son is amazing! He's not even six months old yet, and I'm pretty sure he didn't even cry for a second today. Amazing, right? He is on quite the little schedule lately, with very predictable naps and eating times. He also accompanied me to the store this afternoon and was a perfect companion. I know not every day will be so perfect, but I am convinced that he is one remarkable kiddo!

Next week is the big week for starting solids!! I've got all our materials ready to go. The spoons are already in the drawer.

Today I also let Charlie practice with an empty sippy cup. At first, he just tried to eat the whole thing...

But then he got the hang of it once I showed him how. He was sucking on the spout like a pro!



Wait until next week and there's WATER in there! ;)

Yay!!!!!!!

Why the overuse of the exclamation point, you ask? Well, at Charlie's weight check today he gained seven ounces in the past week. This was after gaining only three ounces between four and five months. Silly little guy was not requesting more food after he ate from one side, and since I had an oversupply, I was only feeding from one side. But he needed more, and since I've been nursing from both sides, he's moving in the right direction. Phew! It's not that I was again using formula (the ladies in my play group jokingly call it the "f" word) but I felt confident that it wasn't the right choice just yet. After consulting with a lactation consultant last week, I knew we were on the right track to continue exclusively breastfeeding. Just in time to start thinking about solids. More on that to come... ;)

In more happy news, Charlie is just starting to discover his four-legged siblings. Today, Molly was practicing tummy time with a toy just like Charlie. She's such a good big sister. Charlie repayed her by grabbing a handful of hair on her head. We're still working on how to gently pet our puppies. :)

He looks innocent enough, but Cairn Terriers beware of Charlie and his grabby hands!

A Day in the Life of Charlie (5 months old)

It's been a little while since we've documented our day, so I thought it was time for an update. Here's what our day looked like today. It started with this handsome face greeting me. :)

5:00 - wake up to nurse, then back to sleep

7:00 - wake up for the day; change diaper and clothing; nurse; play

8:00 - bring Daddy to the train station

8:30 - nurse for a few minutes; 1st nap (Mommy does laundry, tidies up the house, and does some internet research on her new washing machine and first birthday party ideas - she's Ca-Raaaazy!)

10:00 - wake up; diaper change; nurse; play

11:45 - diaper change; nurse for a few minutes; 2nd nap (Mommy makes and eats lunch)

12:30 - wake up; nurse; diaper change; play

2:20 - 3rd nap (Mom naps too)

3:00 - wake up; nurse; kind of fall asleep again

4:00 - play

5:00 - nurse; play

5:30 - nurse from other side; play

6:00 - naked baby time (air out diaper area); bath; massage; jammies

6:30 - wind down; hum our bedtime song

6:45 - nurse for a few minutes; bed

That's it... hope you enjoyed some insight into our day!

I hope that one day...

... I'll be as great of a mom as my mom is to me. I had a bit of a rough week and she drove down from MA today just to check in and say hi. And then my dad surprised her by accompanying her on the trip. So Charlie and I got to see them both and hang out together all day. It was awesome! My favorite parts of the day were when my dad was making Charlie laugh during lunch and when my mom got to change Charlie's outfit three times. Love my happy spitter! ;)

Speaking of spitting, I tried out our new drooler bibs from Apple Tree Boutique today. Love them! Here is Charlie modeling the doggie version while he practices his sitting up skills.

Edit - I forgot to mention that my dad lowered the crib mattress today. Tear! Baby Charlie is growing so fast...

Changing Tables

I never really gave much thought to those changing tables in restaurant bathrooms. Until, of course, I became a mom. Today Charlie had a massive poopy diaper while we were out to lunch with friends. No problem, right? I have a beautifully stacked diaper bag ready to go. Unfortunately, the bathroom did not have one of those tables. Have you ever tried to change a poopy diaper on a five-month-old without a flat surface? I wouldn't recommend it. I'm surprised Charlie is still talking to me, frankly. ;)

Where were you at one o'clock this afternoon???

And because a few people have requested a new photo of Master Charles, here ya go... Don't worry, I didn't include any of today's diaper incident... Just pure, summer fun. :)

Raspberries

Here's a cute little video so you can hear Charlie's giggles. Quite possibly my favorite sound in the world! (Sorry for the crazy camera angles... I was recording it myself on my iPhone.)

Breastfeeding Goal #2...

...accomplished! You may remember that my first goal was to make it to six weeks (the time most experts say is the toughest to get through - so don't give up!) After making it to six weeks, I set my next goal to be the end of the school year, i.e., through the three weeks of pumping while Charlie stayed home with family. It was a rough start and I definitely felt a little overwhelmed at first, but we did it! Charlie took his bottles like a champ and I was able to replace the 20 oz. he consumed while I was at work. Phew! Along the way, I learned a few tricks that I think will help me immensely when I go back to school in September.

1. If possible, keep your pumping equipment set up so you don't have to waste time at each session. I will be pumping in the closet in my classroom and I'm going to set up a comfortable little station for myself. I'll keep a comfy chair in there next to a small table. I can keep the pump set up on the table with the tubing and power cord ready to go. This way, I'll just have to attach the tubes and switch on the power cord.
2. Probably the most time consuming maintenance part of pumping is washing the parts. Someone recommended keeping the parts in a Ziploc baggie in the fridge between sessions. Brilliant! I'm lucky enough to have a mini-fridge in my classroom so this will be very easy. At the end of the day I'll just bring the baggie home and wash them along with the bottles from day care.
3. Most people know that your supply is greatest in the morning. I pump once at home after Charlie's first feeding at 5 AM and get at least 5 oz. from one side. I also plan/hope to feed him again before we leave for the day. I'm not sure I could pump more than 15 oz. at work so this system works well for me. I could probably also pump before I go to bed since Charlie last eats at 7 PM, but sometimes I go to bed not long after him. :)

So that's it - the plan for back-to-school. I'm sure there will be some days when I'm going to want to quit, but I know I can do this. It's very important to me that Charlie get only breastmilk until he's a year old. I take those recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics very seriously!

Consolidating Sleep

In yet another sign that our little Charles is growing up, I think he's starting to consolidate his sleep. Charlie was king of the forty-minute nap. But lately, he's started taking longer naps in the morning and afternoon (one and a half to over two hours long!) It's just so weird to think of him having any sort of predictable schedule, but it looks like he's on his way...

And I know it's been a while since I posted one of these videos... Can you believe how big he's getting??

Breathable Bumpers

Not long ago Baby Charlie would lay on his back, swaddled in his crib. He would awake in the exact same spot. Fast forward to the past week - our little man is moving! This afternoon when I put him down for his nap, he moved from his back to his tummy, and from the middle of the crib to the edge. This makes him mad! I totally understand... I wouldn't want to sleep pressed up against my hard headboard either. Enter this little contraption:

It's a breathable bumper made of mesh fabric. This will hopefully keep Charlie comfortable and keep his arms and legs inside the crib. The mesh makes me feel better about keeping air circulating too. Hopefully a win-win situation. The reviews seem good so I ordered two (one for home and one for my mom and dad's). I'll keep you posted on how it works...

This weekend I also ordered a new portable crib mattress for the pack n play down the shore. With my summer vacation approaching, I'm hoping Charlie and I will be able to enjoy a few days relaxing at the beach/pool. He actually does really well in the pack n play, but I feel badly with him sleeping on that lightly padded cardboard. As he gets bigger I think the mattress will be more comfortable. As I've mentioned before, using cloth diapers and nursing has kept our expenses down tremendously since Charles was born. It makes it that much easier to justify these unexpected expenditures to keep our guy happy and safe, especially when he's sleeping. A happy, sleeping baby = a happy mommy!!

Tummy Sleeping

Well it's official... we have a tummy sleeper. Charlie rolls on to his stomach as soon as you lay him in the crib and puts himself to sleep that way. We are no longer swaddling (obviously) and he's doing a great job! Last night he slept from 7-5:15, with a few little wake-ups. I only had to go in once because he put himself back to sleep within a few minutes each time. He also returned to his typical nap schedule (two in the morning and two or three in the afternoon for 40-50 minutes each). Phew... I was so nervous about the de-swaddling process but he solved it for me with his new rolling skills. ;)

I also wanted to report that I am becoming an expert pumper! When I first started at work it took over half an hour, but I've gotten it down to about 20 minutes now. I don't really enjoy pumping, but with my Simple Wishes bra I'm able to eat lunch, play on my iPhone, or do whatever else I can while sitting at the table. And between my early morning pumping session and the two or three I fit in at work, I'm able to replace the twenty ounces that Charlie is drinking while I'm at work. This experience is helping me feel more confident about being able to continue nursing when I'm back in the classroom in September.

How sexy is this??   ;)

Tomorrow I am home with Charlie (I'm taking my last personal day) and I cannot wait to spend the day with him. It's amazing how much I miss him during the day - he's all I think about! We might also stop by a friend's house and Charlie could have his first experience in a swimming pool. You know I'll be taking photos. (Well, someone else will be taking them since I'll be holding him.) ;)  Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Imagination vs. Reality

As you may know, Charlie had not yet rolled over. I wasn't too worried about it since he had plenty of tummy time and great head and neck control. In my mind, I envisioned his first roll over experience. We'd be playing together on the floor... maybe singing songs or giggling together. I would place a favorite toy to his side and put my face near it. Charlie would be so in love with us both that he'd reach over and roll. He'd be so excited and I'd be so proud! Yay Charlie!

Now here's how it really went down. At 2:30 this morning Charlie woke up. I clicked on the video monitor and prepared to wait a few minutes to see if he'd put himself to sleep. After a couple of minutes went by I clicked it on again... and there was Baby Charlie on his tummy! Yikes! I ran into the room and flipped him back over, which made him freak out even more. I then had to unswaddle him (freakout #3) and tried to help soothe him back to sleep. He did finally fall asleep about an hour later... and then woke again around 4:30. I fed him them and put him back down. He slept for another hour or so. The rest of the day has been interesting to say the least. We have quit swaddling cold turkey for naps and tonight will be our first experience for bedtime. You'll remember that Charlie has a problem with finger sucking and keeping himself awake. The over/under on how many times we're going to have to get up is five. I'm taking the over and JA took the under (he claims to be an optimist.) I hope he wins.

Charlie did roll over once more for me this morning, but only once he got really annoyed with lying on the floor. It is wrong that I cheered when he started to cry after the roll? Yeah, probably... ;)  Anywho, wish us luck with the de-swaddling process. Hopefully it will be like our transition to the crib and we'll be back to normal by week's end!

Four Month Visit

Our baby is growing! Charlie went in for his four month doctor's appointment. He is currently 13 pounds, 3 ounces and 26 inches long. He is a lean, mean, baby machine! ;)  At first I was nervous that he was too skinny, but the doctor assured me that he was fine. She also said that the growth charts and percentiles are based on formula fed babies so they don't necessarily apply to breastfed babies. We talked about starting solids and I've decided that we'll start sometime this summer (when he's about six months old). Very exciting!

Charlie also got a few more vaccines today and handled the needles like a champ. He actually stopped crying once I picked him up. I nursed him right afterward and he was all smiles again. He seemed fine the rest of the day and even attended a neighborhood party this afternoon. He is such a good boy!

Only eight more days of pumping work before I'm off for the summer. I can not wait to take Charlie swimming and to the beach (with proper clothing and shade-cover, of course). How cute is he going to look? Especially in this adorable pirate ensemble from Auntie Abby:

I'll be sure to take lots of pics when Charlie dons his first swimsuit. :)

Working Girl

So I've survived my first two days back to work. My mom is doing a phenomenal job with Charlie (like I knew she would) and I am actually enjoying being back at school. What I'm not enjoying, however, is pumping. Ugh... what a pain. I dislike preparing and washing bottles and I especially dislike having to worry about when I'll have the time in my schedule. Yesterday and today worked out well because the teachers I was subbing for had prep times in the morning and afternoon. But tomorrow through Friday I'm in a Kindergarten classroom (that's a whole other challenge!) and she only has one prep in the morning. My plan is to pump then, pump at lunch, and pump right after school. Lunch is at 11:30 and school ends at 3:00. Not ideal, but what can you do? This is also really making me question how this will work in September when I'm back in my classroom. I have forty minutes for planning time and forty minutes for lunch each day. I'm new to pumping so maybe this will change, but it takes me five minutes to set up, twenty minutes to pump, and about seven minutes to clean up and store my equipment. That doesn't leave much time, does it? And how do I make copies, meet with parents, or talk with colleagues? I just don't understand how this works... I'm going to have to consult with my friend Alice... :) 

Charlie is four months old!

That's one-third of a year people - can you believe it?? I sure can't... At each month mark I find myself reflecting on when we first brought Charles home from the hospital. He was so tiny, and I was so clueless. Well, he's definitely grown, and I'm a little less clueless. We've come a long way...

I go back to work tomorrow, and I know that everything will be fine. Charlie's in good hands and it will be god to see my colleagues again. Wish us luck!!

Trial Run

Tomorrow I am visiting my classroom as a mystery reader. I'm so excited to see my class and to be back at school, especially since I get to bring Charlie with me. On Monday I have to go back to work without him... that will be a bit more challenging. :) Since I carry our health insurance I have to go back or we would have lost it for the summer months and had to pay out of pocket - ick. Thankfully, my mom, JA, and JA's mom are going to watch Charlie so we won't have to start day care until September.

This little trial run will give me a good idea about pumping at work. I am really struggling with how this is going to go. As a teacher, I have set times each day for planning while my class has PE, music, art, etc. The problem is that those classes are not necessarily at the same time each day. The only thing that stays constant is my lunch period. If Charlie is eating every 2-2.5 hours, then I should also be pumping at those same intervals. There's no way this will happen at work. Best case scenario - I feed him just before I go, pump during my planning time, pump at lunch, and pump right after school. It won't be so bad for these next few weeks because I'll just be subbing, as opposed to returning to my classroom. But next year, in addition to pumping during planning and lunch times, I'll have to find times to make copies, meet with parents, and collaborate with colleagues. It's already stressing me out (which won't be good for my supply either!) Oh boy... I think I better go to bed before I really get myself all worked up.