No Title in Particular

So as I mentioned, we were going to try to start getting Keller to sleep in his crib for naps and for part of the night...Well, on Friday night, we put him down at about 8, which was early for him but Trav and I were going to watch a movie (The Assassination of Jesse James...) so Keller ate a little and was bundled up and put in the crib...no problem. After the movie, around 11 I woke him up, feeling a little selfish to wake him up to feed him because I wanted to sleep for 3 to 4 solid hours rather than to have left him sleep and wake me up in an hour...I got over it though when he ate happily with his eyes closed...he got a new dipe, was re-bundled and put back to the crib around midnight and slept to 3:30...pretty typical. Of course his crying woke us because he was hungry...when he was in the room with us, he wouldn't have to cry because we'd here his little "I'm hungry" cooes and lip-smacks...So as it seems for now, he likes the crib. Trav pointed out that it's much softer than his bassinet, particularly considering that under the thin bassinet mattress we have books to prop the mattress a little...I forget why...nasal drip? puke control? I really don't remember why we did that...But of course, it's a little sad that he's now "big enough" to sleep in his own room...but it sure is nice to sleep in a dark bedroom again without hearing every little grunt and groan that Keller makes. We haven't even used the monitor yet because it needed to be charged on Friday when we took it out of the box and then somehow last night it was uncharged again because somebody unplugged it...hmmm...

What else...On Thursday, my mom came down for a visit with Keller which gave me some time to head out into the world for a little while (I welcome any chance I can to get out...) Keller showed off some of his cute smiles that he's been sharing on occasion. I'll have to make a conscious effort to try to catch them on film...(can I still say that?)
And on Friday, Vicky, Becca, and Richie came for a visit. Bo of course thought they came strictly to visit him as he usually thinks when we have guests, but luckily, these guys are accustomed to a big slobbery "active" lab...Becca did a great job tiring out Bo who enjoyed chasing her and being chased by her and jumping over her when she fell;) Richie just got his little hands licked and licked and licked...and Vicky got to hang out with Keller while Lisa go to sit back and take it all in. It was kind of neat to see all the different stages of early childhood from Keller's cranks, to Richie's curiousity/button pushing/basket emptying, to Becca's conversation skills and dog-playing. After a walk to the park to air out the kids and the dog, Vicky and I speedwalked back home out of the cold air...

On that note, Mr. Squishy is up from his nap and apparently needing me...

All Wrapped Up

Ohhh cutie!!! We're finally getting into using the ring sling from Jen:) Keller has begun to prefer being held and is not as interested in hanging out in his swing or bouncy, which makes for a loooonnnngggg day particularly on those "don't feel like napping" days or "I'll fall asleep in your arms but as soon as you put me down I'll wake up..." days. Granted, he's only really had 2 or 3 of these in the All Day capacity, but regardless, the sling has been great.

Today Keller had his first nap in his big-boy crib. We know that we've got to start transitioning him into the crib sooner than later seeing as we need to get the bassinet to Jill by the end of December, so I thought he could start getting used to it by having naps in there rather than in his swing (or my arms). Today I tricked him by wrapping him in a toasty toasy blanket, swaddled so he might feel sort of like he was still in my arms when I put him down and jackpot!!! It worked! (today at least) We'll have to keep at it and see how things go.I weighed him today and he was 12 lbs!! Yikes!! We tried on some of his 3-6 month clothes...still a little big but awfully close to fitting! I put him in a button down shirt and got all sad because he looked so big and grown up. That's the thing about babies...they grow up so fast. I'm so trying to savor all of the littleness of him. I took out my journal today for the first time since September and began listing all of the things I love about little Mr. Keller. When I look at him I have so many thoughts and so many things that I want to remember about him in this moment in time...I have to make a point of writing those things down...ahhhh, sentimentality...

Jerry was a racecar driver...polyester makes me sweat...I know, random, but Travis put in some random CDs and right now I'm hearing a little old school Primus...reminds me of Tom Barry and working at the liquor store, the Phish show at Great Woods with Jen and Donna wearing my favorite polyester shirt from Sally's...Then there was the Toad the Wet Sprocket that came on before Primus reminding me of freshman year of college and Mike Brown...Crazy the memories that music holds...Oh the soundtrack of our lives;)

1 Month (and 1 day)

So, I'm a day late on the one-month post. But I did take the pictures yesterday, in betweencrying fits (his, not mine, although I confess to having shed a tear or two myself in there at times...) His doctor visit was Monday and she reports that Keller has the look of a healthy breastfed baby...whatever that means...I asked and she only mentioned his "calloused" lips...but I think she was implying that he has certainly begun to "round out." He weighed in at 10 pounds, 11 ounces...yup...that's up 1 pound 6 ounces in two weeks! He likes his eats just like his mama! In fact, I think yesteday's misery stemmed from him not eating enough...we had a freezer issue the night before (the door wasn't all the way closed--my fault from stealing cookies out of there) and so the frozen milk in there needed to be used since it already began to thaw so we decided yesterday would be a bottle-day...and figuring he should be done eating after a 3 or 4 ounce bottle (at one month) I didn't get that he wanted more...thought he was just fussing. Poor baby...I'm stickin' with the boob from now on...

Let's see, now that Keller is one month...he has begun tracking us or other objects with his eyes, he actually sees and watches the singing and dancing birds on the top of his swing, he is fitting better into his 0-3 month clothes (actually beginning to grow out of some...already!) He likes the bink only sometimes, which is fine with us, he actually slept 5 hours in a row last night!!! (not getting my hopes up though), he holds his head up briefly for tummy time, he's still so cute:)
As for the mom and dad here, yesterday I went to the bedroom at about 7:30...pumped, brushed teeth, and was ready to sleep by 8:00. Slept for 2 hours and was awaken by that fussy fussy baby again...I let Trav handle it awhile then got out of bed to switch shifts. It was much easier after having that little burst of sleep that I had missed the night before. After trying all kinds of consoling, it was the boob that made everything better. All hail the sacred boob! After a fairly decent nights' sleep, Trav was taking the dog down to the park this morning when a neighbor told him he looked exhausted (and that's after a good nights' sleep)...I guess the cumulative effects take a toll on you. But overall, we're just fine, just needing to recover a little and remember that there's good sleep nights and not so good ones and that it's all worth it when we get to hang out with our cute little munchkin and smile at all of the precious things he does. Must now shower before the little man awakens!

Poop!!!

Last night; 1:10 am...Keller awakes for his first feeding of the night...by 1:45 he's back in his bassinet sleeping...good boy.

3:15 am... up again, a little earlier than I'd have liked but what are ya gonna do?... feed him, put him down... try to go back to sleep amidst all of his grunts and groans (is he making a poop? is he gassy? is he hungry? how come I can't always tell the difference yet? frustrating...)

3:45 am... Trav says, "He sounds hungry." I argue, "How do you know that's not gassy?" No comment. I feed him, again...out comes the gas/poop he was trying to get out while also being hungry, I guess...that's why we couldn't figure out what kind of noises he was making.

4:15ish... I get up to change him. Diaper off, still grunts and groans when all of the sudden out comes a surprise...SQUIRT...but no, not of the pee pee kind...ugh!! I never knew of projectile poop until last night...straight out of the hiney, squirted everything in its line of fire...the pile of clean diapers, clean paper towels/wipes, the changing pad, and yes, even the wall...I had to call Trav out of bed for this one...and just when things were just about under control out comes the pee pee squirt! A mess!!

4:45...back to bed

7:15 the day begins...

While every night we're up for a few feedings/changes, last night was a particularly eventful one I thought I'd share! Amy, Jen, Candace...are you ready for these eventful nights again??!!