Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Weston - 4 Months

I have no idea how four months have already come and gone.  Seems like a couple of weeks ... except the sleeping.  Thank goodness the sleeping is better.
 
 It was very nearly impossible to get this kid to hold his arms and legs still, so most of these pictures are in various states of blur.
 He's now well over double his birth weight at 10 pounds, 15.2 ounces, so close to the first percentile.  So close.
 He's now 23 1/4" long, from either 17" or 19" at birth, depending on which nurse measured him...Sixth percentile.
 With an oddly shaped head 15.75" around - Seventh percentile.  His doctor has recommended PT to help round out his noggin and avoid a helmet, so that's in the works.
He is such a mellow, cheerful little guy.  All you need to do to get a grin is make eye contact.  Aside from the eating "schedule," he's so low maintenance.
He has two facial expressions, giant grins and perpetually worried.
We've made a lot of headway in the sleep realm.  I was swaddling his body but leaving his arms free, the way Charlie preferred it, but have switched to full swaddling and he's napping and sleeping at night much longer.  He's averaging three to four full nights sleep a week, with one short feeding the other nights.  He's still sleeping exclusively in his Rock'N'Play (or on me) - greatest baby item of all time.
He's completely out of newborn clothes, nicely filling out 0-3, and kinda filling out some 3-6 month items.  His feet are too tiny for shoes, even the size 0 sandals I have are way too big.  Good thing he's not walking much :)  Size 1-2 diapers from Costco are fitting perfectly...hoping they'll keep fitting for awhile, cause they are a crazy good deal.

He no longer takes a bottle, just gags and sputters, which is kind of a bummer.  he's also weaned himself off pacifiers, preferring his fists.
Bath time is a favorite, as is watching his sister prance around (photo bomb by Charlie), eye contact with anyone, and having someone move his arms around wildly chanting, "So big and so strong!"
He has started laughing but makes you really work for it.
On the low end, he's rocking two chins, but he can get up to four.
It is so fun watching his personality emerge, learning his quirks and temperament.  We heart him.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Weston - Three Months


So, Weston is three months old!  well...three months and three weeks.  I'm behind, but the pictures were taken at three months exactly, so there's that. 

 
 9 pounds, 2.4 ounces - almost double his birth weight!

 Always wiggling
 Keeps amazing eye contact and tracks people around the room

 Coos and grins pretty much any time someone gives him undivided attention.  Unless, evidently, the camera is out.

 Still a big eater, but more consistently going three hours between feedings (even through the night at three months.)

Prefers to fall asleep in the Ergo than anywhere else - we're working on it.
 Loves to eat his hands - when he can catch them.

He caught his first cold (so sad) - here's a sneeze for posterity.
 He's an amazing out and about baby - pop him in the Ergo and he's happy until you put him back in his carseat.
He's an attention grabber - even bundled into the Ergo people stop and admire his sweet teeny tiny face.

Love him.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Weston - Two months old

Weston is two months! (plus two weeks...super on my game here.  But these pictures were taken when he was two months and two days, so good enough, right?) 

 Stats:
      Weight: 7 lbs 1.4 oz ...still not on the charts
      Head size: 14.5", putting him squarely in the third percentile.
      Length: 21.25", also the third percentile
 Disposition:
    So smiley.  This boy loves to grin and coo.  Unless he's hungry.  Then watch out.
 Favorite things:
     Milk.  Boy-o can eat.  If I handed him a cheeseburger, I think he'd find a way to make it happen.
     Staying up late.  Getting to bed before midnight is a treat.
     Sitting up.  If you're holding him and he's not eating, he wants to be upright looking you in the eye.  Or ear.  Whatever is more interesting.
 Wearing:
    Newborn and a very few 0-3 month clothes
    Newborn diapers, but I think we'll switch to size one very soon
    No shoes.  The size 0 pair I have are too big
    He has outgrown about 5 items so far
 Schedule:
     Wes eats as close to every two hours as he can manage, and as close to every three as I can manage
     There is no sleep schedule.  Until about a week ago, he'd just go to sleep whenever, wherever.  Lately he's too busy smiling at things and mostly cat naps while eating with maybe two longer stretches a day.  At night he usually has a three hour stretch and a four hour stretch.  Every now and then he'll do five, and the heaven's rejoice.
     I've been putting off getting him on a schedule since he weighs slightly less than your average one day old, but it's gonna have to happen soon, cause I'm on the brink of exhaustion.
   
 He's rounding out pretty well, sporting a sweet double chin,  and pudgy belly.  His arms and legs, compared to last month are filling out too, but are still tiny and stick like.
 If Wes had his way, he'd never get in a carseat again, though once the car is moving he almost always passes right out.
 His hands are still his nemesis, even finding their way into his mouth while he's nursing.  They are getting a little better at helping him retrieve his pacifier after they've tossed it from his mouth though, so there's progress.
We love our "big" boy, and his charm.  Excited for what the future holds with this one.  Maybe sleep?

Monday, January 13, 2014

Photo dump (or, since it's been two years...)

Since I seem to have the blogging bug again, and since those of you who aren't my facebook friends don't have pictures of my babies thrown in front of you constantly, I thought I'd go ahead and show you a few dozen recent pictures :)

A bit after Charlie's third birthday I took her to a local park and promised her a tea party in exchange for some pictures.  I had two outfits, but one was immediately soaked in the wet grass, so most of the pictures ended up dressy.  (Also, there was a smudge on my camera lens I didn't notice until we got home.  Bummer.)

About Charlie:
 Three years old!  A little more than 30 pounds, and a little more than 3 feet tall.
 She makes up and performs her own songs on a daily basis - especially when she's supposed to be sleeping.
 Her favorite things are Minnie Mouse and Doc McStuffins.
 She suddenly loves to eat - anything and everything.  Including fruits and veggies, which she was never willing to touch before a few months ago.  Broccoli is a favorite. (What?)
 She won't go to bed if anything is out of place in her room.  She won't allow any toys in there after dark.  It will be interesting when Weston moves in.
 She doesn't have a true favorite toy, a security blanket, or anything she needs to have with her all the time.  What she does require is access to someone's (preferably mine) neck.  She has to stroke someone's neck in order to drink her milk.  Which she also has to have.  All day long.
 In her own words, robots are not her favorite.  In fact, the only thing that scared her in Monsters University was the robotic humans the monsters scared.  
 She has no concept of familial titles.  She thinks her dad is her granddaughter, and her uncle is her sister.
 She never stops talking.  Never.
 She loves to read.  Even if it is the same book over and over...
 Wearing jewelry and playing dress up makes her happy.  Today she put Weston's pants on her arms so she could be Weston.
 She is a hilarious, spunky, impatient, noisy, sweet, loving, priceless little girl.

Weston was given 1-12 month stickers made by the girls at one of my showers.  Here are some of the shots from month one, as well as some pictures I took to capture his tiny size.
 Weston's personality is taking its time to reveal itself, but one thing we know - the boy loves to eat.  Breast milk or formula, he doesn't care.  Just hand it over.  He's probably eat a cheese burger if I offered one.
 He fought jaundice for over a month, requiring several days under a bili bed, and TWELVE foot pricks to test his levels. 
 We're curious if he'll ever look like a baby, or if he'll just keep looking like a very small old man throughout his youth :)
 He will not sleep if he's moving (except in the car).  If you walk with him, push him in a stroller, or shift his Rock'N'Play, he's up.  And wants to eat.
 If he loses his pacifier, he goes into immediate Zombie mode.  I can tell you how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night to grunting, growling noises as he tries to get that thing back.
 His hands are his worst enemy.  The delight in pulling out his beloved pacifier, throwing themselves in his mouth when he's going for milk, and poking his eyes.
 His poor skin is so dry, the changing pad is covered with dandruff after a change.
 He doesn't enjoy laying flat.  As evidenced by the last two shots.
 His fists are barely bigger than quarters, although his fingers are incredibly long.

 His feet are long and skinny, just like his body.  (Look how big that pacifier is on his face)

 
Our little man has brought us so much joy already, we're excited to learn more about him as time goes on.
 
We are abundantly blessed by our sweet, adorable kiddos.