Sleep, Glorious Sleep!

Dear Cassius,

In the past two days, you've figured out how to sleep.  THANK YOU! (and yes, that's screaming, and hooting, and hollering and jumping up and down!)

On Saturday, we went to a sleep class and apparently it was just what we needed to get the job done.  That night, you slept for 10 hours.  You woke up once and "Hero Daddy" went up to check on you just a few times before you put yourself back to sleep.  You completely skipped your typical 1:30 am feeding and you skipped your 4:30 am feeding!  Holy Shit Batman!

Then, last night, you did it again!  But this time, you slept until 5:30, ate a bite and then slept in until 7:30.  That's 12 hours!  "Hero Daddy" went in once around 12:30 and didn't have to go back in... you are that good!

We've also started some nap training with you.  You are too funny since right at the 10 minute mark, you crash.  You've got your  new little lovie and you crash.  We're right about at the 45 minute mark, which is quite impressive.  Your previous clock was set to wake you at 30 minutes... no make that 32 minutes, give or take 30 seconds.  This 45 minute business rocks! 

Keep it up baby boy!  Keep it up!

Love you more and more (especially when I can sleep a bit!),

Mama

A great weekend

This weekend was awesome!  A bunch of little things but the best was tonight.  Matt was feeding Cash some sweet potatoes and Cash wanted to feed himself, so Matt let him have the spoon.  He couldn't quite get the spoon in his mouth on every try, so he would hit his eye, his chin, etc.  Matt started cracking up- a serious case of the giggles- and then Cash started to laugh too!  It's the first time he's laughed in relation to someone else laughing.

My kid is so freakin' cute!

4 months

Dear Cassius,

Just this Tuesday you turned four months. This last month has been a bit of a whirlwind.. you see, you are actually becoming a great little baby and not some terrible infant.

You smile more and more, you cry less and less (for the most part), you eat more and more, you sleep more and more, you move more and more and I love you more and more each and every day. I didn't know that was possible since I've loved you from before you were born, but I actually really like you. You are neat, spiffy, groovy and rad!

Let's see.. some specifics.

We just got back from the doctor. You weigh in at 16 lbs, 12.2 oz (90th percentile). You are 26.5 inches long (96th) and your head measures in at 42cm (51st). You are slowly coming down in the charts, which I have to say I'm quite happy about. From your measurements in the beginning, I was starting to think you'd be a giant...or that you'd grow up too fast. But you are slowing down just a bit... (though 90th percentile is still HUGE!) and I thank you for that. I kinda wanna keep you this size for awhile.

You are standing a ton now for several seconds, if not minutes, in my lap. You still love to watch Sibley where ever she goes/is. If you are unhappy and she comes into the room, you immediately stop crying and watch her. Unfortunately, I don't think she shares the same admiration just yet (but I'm betting when you start eating Cheerios, you'll win her heart). You rolled over from front to back a few weeks ago and just yesterday morning you started to twist while on your back so back to front rolls are not too far off. You sit really well when assisted and you love to sit in anyone's lap- it must make for a better vantage point. You love to suck on your fingers- specifically your right hand's thumb and your left hands pointer finger.  You love to look at yourself in the mirror after you take a bath and have the towel around your head- you smile, beaming, at yourself.  You love being out and about- walks, shopping, strolling. You tried rice cereal for the first time in the last month and I think I even snuck in avocados and a teeny bit of a coconut popsicle. You see, I thought you were ready since you intently watch us eat, but it turns out, you really just like our fingers in your mouth. We are off to buy you your own spoon soon. Oh, and you started a bit of formula this month too. It's still mixed with mama's mil, but it's helping you get full before bed because you just want to eat so damn much before you hit the sack!

This past week you started going to our neighbor's house one day a week. Her name is Lyndsie too, so I hope we don't confuse you. She has a little girl Haven who is just one day older than you. You two seem to get along pretty well and seem to enjoy your time together. She comes to your house for a few hours a couple days, so you get to see each other often.

We have started to call you Cashy Pupu Tray for no apparent reason, but this weekend we hope you get to experience your first Flaming PuPu Tray from Uncle Yu's. I'll let you know how it goes.

Cassius D, you are the joy in my life. I can't stop snuggling you (or cleaning out your ears). I can't stop melting when you smile. I love you.

Love,
Mama

PS.  You were quite serious for your 4 month photo shoot.

Snippets of my life...

*Cash is asleep right now, in his crib. He fell asleep completely on his own. I just put him in there, watched him smile at me for a bit, then left the room. 15 minutes later, I'm guessing he is asleep because I hear nothing.

Yup, just checked. He's conked out, with his little sheep nearby. My god, he's cute!

*Changing the sheets on the crib sucks. He's been in his crib for almost 3 weeks now (maybe longer) and I've kept meaning to change his sheets but I would only remember at nighttime, just as he was about to be put in the crib- not the ideal time to change the sheets. So I did it just before nap above and it sucks.

*If you aren't supposed to use bumpers, then why do they make them? Why do they come in sets with sheets? What if they get their hands/feet caught in the bars? I'm so annoyed.

*My kid wakes up to eat a full meal every 3-4 hours (sometimes 5) at night. Shouldn't he be sleeping longer?

*Cash is more fun, more smiley every day. It's awesome to start a new day with him.

*There is more to my life than the baby, but right now, I can't think of much outside of him. sigh

Roll Over Beethoven!

Cash rolled over! From tummy to back! My God he's CUTE!

A Follow Up to Ferber

We caved. We are not true Ferber advocates.  The first few days were okay, not horrible and they seemed to work.  Then the crying continued, and continued and it didn't get better.  Scratch the Ferber method- it wasn't working.  Or maybe it was, but I couldn't stand the crying for days on end.  I was willing to try it for a few hours for a few days... but then, no more, that's too much for a 3 month old.

So, we went to a more gentle method and it's working like a charm.  I think the increase in crying might have been due to a growth spurt but none the less, the gentleness is working better for us.

He still goes down like a rockstar.  We change him into pajamas, we read a book (if he's not demanding the boob) and then he nurses.  He nurses until he falls asleep or fusses to be done and then in the crib he goes (with a smooch on the forehead).  Tonight, he went into his crib wide awake (but sleepy) and he went to sleep in less than 5 minutes. The last few nights he's been waking between 1-3 times a night for full feeds and then back to sleep with barely a whimper. 

The "rule" is that he's allowed into our bed after 6am- to snuggle aka feed and fall back asleep. We love it.  We are getting decent sleep.  We love our little man (not that we didn't, but man, that sleep craziness is maddening!)

Giggle...

I haven't been able to pinpoint many of your first because they sneak up on me.  You started to smile around 5 weeks, but it was a half smile and it wasn't consistent... then 6 weeks came along and you started smiling all the time, but there wasn't really a first.  Same thing happened with your laugh.  You started to coo and make noises and a laugh was in there somewhere, but it wasn't necessarily elicited... but....

Yesterday, January 16th, you giggled for the first time.  The first occasion was on the changing table when I was tickling your belly and shaking your legs.  The second was playing peek-a-boo.  Your dad was holding you, facing out.  He'd turn you around so that you would see me and you'd giggle.  It was too cute!

The photo above is of Cash not giggling.  I woke him up from a nap in his crib because I was trying to take a picture of him reeeallly close up.  Bad mama.