Anton's Updates :: 21 Weeks

New Favorites: Anton has has almost completed his second week at daycare. He is doing a great job. He especially likes the 30 minute commute each day. In the mornings he sings to me the entire way and on the way home he takes a nice long nap.

Eating: He  has started eating rice cereal twice a day. I know it's a bit earlier than the recommended 6 months but he really seems ready and so far he's doing well. It's also a nice way to keep him filled up while I'm not able to feed him during the day. I still go into the daycare to feed him 3 times daily.

Sleeping: Night sleeping is getting much better. He usually goes to bed around 6:30 at night and wakes at 11:00 and 4:00. Sometimes he wakes a bit more, but I'm still grateful he goes right back to sleep without much fuss.

Milestones: He is working on sitting up and has mastered tummy time.

Mom and Dad: We are getting used to the new schedule and loving our happy cute baby!

Anton's Updates :: 20 Weeks

 Well well well..... Anton is a big boy these days. He has completed an entire week of daycare and has made is mama and papa proud. I am so happy with our daycare set up. We are so lucky to have a infant/toddler center and pre-school where I work. It was a bit rough the first two days since Anton had never really been away from me for more than an hour or two since he was born. But by the second day, I walked in and he was fully immersed in his surroundings and couldn't get enough of the toys and kids around him. I was a bit worried since he has been on a bottle strike for over a month now, but luckily I'm able to feed him on my breaks and at lunch time. I really enjoy going to visit him every chance I get. I am happy to be back to work with my students, but my little man is always on my mind.

New Favorites: He is growing so fast and trying all sorts of new devices at daycare. One time I walked in and didn't even recognize him because he was in one of those exer-saucers that looks like its for a big kid. He is also experimenting with all kinds of sounds. He is very vocal and proud of his sounds. They can be very loud.

Eating: We've started feeding him a bit of rice cereal in the evenings since he is almost five months old and seemed ready for it. He stares at all of the other kids at daycare lined up in their highchairs and he is close to sitting on his own. I have to admit, I'm also excited to have a use for all of the pumped breast milk I had stocked up hoping he would take a bottle. Now we just mix it with a bit of rice cereal and he still gets the nutrition from the milk.

Sleeping: Sleeping at night still has its ups and downs. Sometimes he sleeps for a couple of five hour stretches and sometimes he is up several times a night. I think he is teething and might be uncomfortable at times. His day sleeping is great! I can't believe the daycare workers can get him to sleep so well. He is still taking three naps a day for them even though it can be a bit loud and chaotic in there. They have a cute little nap room with little cribs lined up with each child's name on them. I also get to put him down myself a lot of the time when I go in during lunch or breaks to nurse.

Milestones:I'd say being a big daycare boy is a pretty big milestone. This kid is so adorable and so much fun to be around these days. He is a bundle of smiles and giggles. 

Anton's Updates :: 19 Weeks

 Goodness I'm starting to get behind on my posts. 

I'm going to try to talk about week 19 when really week 20 is on my mind.

New Favorites: Anton is starting to really notice the cats. He hears them meow and stares at them when they walk by.

Eating: Not much to report. We are trying to get him back on a bottle so he can take one at daycare but so far no luck. I'm really kicking myself for not keeping up with at least one bottle a day.

Sleeping: He was a great napper this week. It's a lot of work but I was able to get him on a nearly perfect nap schedule with 3 naps a day. At night he has been waking 3 times to eat. 

Milestones: He was the ring bearer for our friends Chris and Kerry. He did a great job at many special events over the weekend and even wore some fancy outfits without much fuss.

Mom and Dad: We are just loving this little boy so much! He is such a good little boy and cracks us up with his smiles and giggles.

Anton's Updates :: 18 Weeks (Hawaii Edition)

We were in Hawaii last week with some of our good friends. Anton proved to be a champion traveler as he didn't even cry on the plane and had we all had some of the best sleep of our lives. This photo was taken by our friend Lucy and I'm hoping to snag a couple more to showcase later this weekend. We decided we'd rather snuggle our babe and carry less equipment on this trip so we left our cameras at home. Anton was not the most photogenic anyway considering he was snuggled up in his carseat or carrier most of the time. He loved the warm weather and had a blast watching the other  babies on the trip. He also took a dip in the ocean a few times. All in all it was an excellent adventure and we are glad we took the time to do it before my maternity leave is over next week. Boo Hoo!

New Favorites: Anton has a couple new sounds that involve clicking and flipping his tongue. He is really experimenting with all kinds of new sounds.

Eating: He is still on a bottle strike but I figure he will take one at daycare if he gets hungry enough. My schedule works out so I'm able to go in and feed him a couple of times a day. I must say it was really nice to travel with your feeders attached to you. One less thing to pack and worry about.

Sleeping: His naps were pretty consistent in Hawaii although some of them were in the car. Like I said before, he slept really well on this trip and mom and dad were able to get some quality zzzzz.

Milestones: He has rolled over a couple more times but he is still a bit unsure about it. I'd say a major milestone is airplane travel. He really was the best little baby on the plane. Multiple people commented that they didn't even know he was there.

Mom and Dad: We feel like we've mastered a bit of baby travel and are ready to tackle the next steps of mom going back to work next week. Crossing our fingers that it goes well!

Anton's Updates :: 17 Weeks

 New Favorites: Screeching. Anton has decided he loves to make himself heard . He practices making his voice as loud as it can go all day long with happy screeching. Sometimes if he gets really upset he uses his screeches to show frustration, but mostly its just a happy sound. Anton is an absolute crack up lately. He is so much fun to play with and interact with now. I love to see his little personality starting to emerge. 

Eating:He had is 4 month well baby doctor visit and he had a great report. He is now in the 75 percentile for weight and height. The doctor told us we could start him on solids whenever he shows signs of being ready. We have a lot of adjusting to do with daycare just around the corner so I think we might hold off for a bit.

Sleeping: We had a rough patch of night sleeping for a while there but it seems as if were back to his regular 2 wake ups schedule. He is such a champ at going to bed early which will come in handy when we go back to work in a couple of weeks. He is still napping 3 times consistently during the day.

Milestones: He is really good at holding toys with one or two hands. It has been really cool to see him gain control of his fingers and hands.

Mom and Dad: I'm going to toot my own horn for a bit and celebrate the fact that I have returned to my pre-pregnancy weight. I was just curious so I stepped on the scale, and sure enough, four months of rocking, lifting, bouncing, feeding,  and working hard as a mama has caused me to shed some serious pounds. 

Anton's Updates :: 16 Weeks

 New Favorites: His tongue! He is sticking it out and waving it around constantly. As you can see from the pictures he is really fond of making silly faces these days. He wakes up in the morning happy as can be, showing me his tongue. I have to admit, it's pretty adorable.

Eating: Eating is going well, he has decided he likes nursing after naps instead of before, which is fine with me.

Sleeping: Uughh! Not well. I've pretty much given up on getting more than 2 hours of sleep at a time. We're pretty sure teething has started. What used to be a pretty predictable night pattern has become a very unpredictable and unsettling journey every night. Some nights he goes right back to sleep when he wakes and others he just seems fussy and grunty and struggles to settle back down. It is not my favorite, but I know it is just a phase and I still manage to make it through the night fairly rested. It gets frustrating when you feel like you are going backwards with sleep habits, but I know he will figure it out eventually.

Milestones: He is really enjoying playing copy cat type games. He will copy hand movements and facial expressions. It is really fun to interact with him these days.

Mom and Dad: Doing a lot of crazy singing and dancing moves to entertain the little tyke.

Activities: Anton has his 4 month well baby Dr. Appointment this Friday. It is a bit early since we are going to Hawaii in a week!

Anton's Updates :: 15 Weeks

 New Favorites: Playing copy cat. We like to dance for Anton and he has picked up some of our moves. He will slap his knees when he sees us do it and he also tries to copy claps. He has become very vocal and has a lot to say.

Eating: He is still a good eater. He was spitting up a lot for a while and now he seems fairly adjusted to larger quantities of milk. He is a loud grunty eater and I'm enjoying nursing him more and more. He looks up at me with a big grin at times. I have a feeling he is going to start getting distracted easily soon.

Sleeping: Naps are still going really well. Three naps a day at fairly consistent times. Night sleeping could be better but I just keep reminding myself that it's temporary. He had a couple of really rough nights this week. I think he's teething already.

Mom and Dad:  I'm really starting to get the hang of this mama role. Loving it more every day. Ivalle is becoming a superstar papa. Anton's eyes light up when he walks through the door.

Anton's Updates :: 14 Weeks

New Favorites: Giggles!! This little boy is starting to crack himself up. He loves to laugh during little copy cat games we play together. He is becoming so much fun. 

Eating: I weighed Anton at a moms group this week and he was 16 pounds. No wonder my back and arms have been so achy lately. He is a monster to carry around. I'm thinking we might need to transition from carrying him in the carseat and use the ergo more often instead. What a chunk!

Sleeping: We're still on a wonderful nap schedule. As long as I do the regular routine, he is pretty easy to get down for a nap. He even responds to napping in unusual places if I can get enough of our routine going. Swaddle, rocking, bouncing, shhhing and sound machine on the iPhone usually gets him sleepy enough to nap in my arms. Nights are still a bit iffy. Sometimes he sleeps 4 or 5 hour stretches but more often than not he has had nights with 2 and 3.....ouch - it makes for a tired mama in the morning. Now if only I could learn to nap too.

Milestones: Still working on tummy time and rolling over. I'd say his biggest milestone this week is just seeming so much more comfortable in his own skin. He is really happy and friendly now and seems to have past the crybaby days of the 4th trimester. Hopefully we can enjoy this pleasant little man before the teething days kick in.

Mom and Dad: Like I mentioned before, my back is killing me. I really need to work on better posture while holding him and rocking him all the time. Dad has been serenading his son with sweet guitar tunes in the evenings and Anton even likes to sing along. It is really a sight to see.

Activities: We really outdid ourselves this week. We've been to OMSI, Mama matinee movie, lunch with friends, moms group, neighbor play dates.... I think next week we might take it a bit easier. I've been trying to squeeze everything in since I'm starting to feel the end of my maternity leave is right around the corner. Grammy and Grampy are coming to visit next week and we are looking forward to some time with them!

Cruisin!

This awesome lovetoon was created as a special valentines day commission by our friend Mark. He did such a great job  - my favorite part is Ivalle's eyebrow. Anton makes that exact expression and it always cracks me up! Here is a link to Marks etsy site:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LoveToons

 It captures the essence of  how I've been feeling lately. All three of us on a journey together and loving it. Peanut and Buddy included. They actually get to go outside again since we felt they were getting neglected and needed some type of entertainment. I am completely smitten with my sweet little family. The 4th trimester is over and Anton is finally the sweet cuddly happy baby I always dreamed of.  He is an energetic little baby boy who loves his tummy time and exploring the world around him. I am loving this new phase and cherishing every moment before I go back to work in April. 

I admit now that I was a bit naive about the newborn phase. I've always loved newborns, but realize I had not spent much time with them before. It was a bit of a rocky road at first. I did a lot of convincing myself things were fine... which they were. But still tough.  I wanted so badly for Anton to just feel good and act happy but he had to figure out this great big world he had entered. We had to get to know each other and learn how to trust one another. I feel much more comfortable with him now. I feel like a confident mama. I know now that with each new phase there will be some figuring out to do.  I also know that I will learn from what I have accomplished so far. I was just discussing some of the funny and frustrating moments from the early days with Anton. Here are my favorites:

-Remember when we had to turn on the hairdryer full blast every time we changed his diaper because he would cry his head off?

-Remember when I wore him in the ergo carrier 24/7 because he refused to be put down even for a minute?

-Remember when I was terrified to take him anywhere in the car because he usually cried the entire time?

-Remember when I thought breastfeeding was impossible and I just wasn't cut out for it?

-Remember when we tried about a million combinations of clothes for him to sleep in and never quite figured it out?

-Remember when I wouldn't  even close my eyes to sleep because I couldnt stop staring at his cute little face.

-Remember when the only way I could get him to nap was to put him in the stroller and take a two hour walk.

-Remember when I googled EVERYTHING all the time? I had soooo many questions.

-Remember when I did about 50 (not kidding!) laps around the living room holding him at 4 in the morning to see if he would go to sleep.

-Remember when the house was a complete disaster and I was ashamed every time Ivalle came home from work?

-Remember his first bath when we were doing it all wrong and it was no fun for anyone?

-Remember when he was so tiny we could barely find any clothes to fit him?

-Remember when I barely ate because every time dinner was ready Anton would wake up and need to eat also?

These little frustrating bits and pieces seem so silly now, but in the moment they were such a big deal. I'm so excited to tackle the next phases, whatever they may bring. Along with all of the frustrating moments from the past - there were so many wonderful moments as well. Onward..... can't wait to see what the future holds.

Anton's Updates :: 13 Weeks

 New Favorites: Tummy time! He finally likes it. For the longest time he would just scream his head off during tummy time and I couldn't bear it so we'd only make it a couple of minutes each time. Now he seems like he really enjoys seeing the world from a different angle. It definitely wears him out after awhile though. It's best if we do it right before nap or bath so he can take a rest.

Eating: Nursing is going really well. I am so thankful it is working out so well after such a rocky start.

Sleeping: I'm loving the new nap schedule. It is wonderful to have a moment or two to myself during the day and I think it makes Anton much happier when he is well rested.

Milestones: He is very close to rolling over from tummy to back and back to tummy. I'm not pushing it though. It's going to be a whole new ball game when he starts moving around the world.

Mom and Dad: Starting to be able to make plans on weekends and do the things we love. I'm actually going to get a hair cut and Ivalle is going golfing this weekend. It feels like our lives can work their way into Anton's now.

Activities: Today is my favorite holiday ever. Anton and I have a very special gift for Ivalle and we are doing our traditional lobster feast! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Anton's Updates :: 12 Weeks

 New Favorites: Car rides! Finally he has warmed up to being in the car. He will fuss a bit sometimes but I think he is now starting to enjoy being out and about. Maybe he likes the new car? We were flabbergasted when he slept the entire way to and from Medford. That's two - four hour naps! Wahoo. We had to idea what to expect but it turned out to be a really relaxing drive. Now if he can only pull that off when we fly to Kauai in March.

Eating: Nothing new here. Just the regular every 2 to 3 hours. I'm getting quite a freezer stash for when he goes to daycare or when I have a rare night out.

Sleeping: Finally a nap schedule is starting to emerge. I was sure this would never happen but it finally has. He basically takes a nap after being awake every 2 hours or so. Usually a 9 o clock 11 o clock and then a late shorty at around 4 o clock. The duration of said naps is still a bit iffy. They are anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. I'm just excited that he isn't fighting going down for a nap anymore. We have a little nap routine and he just shuts his eyes and goes to sleep. So much less pressure to figure it all out. It's also nice to be able to plan activities and outings around his nap schedule. Thank goodness Anton taught me how he takes naps. I don't think any book could have explained his little routine better than him. And I'm counting on some changes to deal with eventually too.

Milestones:He is reaching and grabbing for things. He is also starting to notice his feet and has been reaching and grabbing for them as well.

Mom and Dad: Feeling rested and happy. I'm getting geared up to do some indoor tv workouts. I practiced a bit last week and Anton finds it hilarious to watch so I think it's a win win.

Activities: The urban mammas website has been amazing. We have been heading out the door at least once a day for new mom meet ups, library activities and walks with friends. Anton has been so cheery and cute this week aside from the occasional mystery fit. He is really developing a little personality and is so much fun to watch.

Anton's Updates :: 11 weeks

  New Favorites: Bouncy Chair, Listening to dad play the guitar, blowing spit bubbles.

Eating:Pretty good, almost too good. He's become quite the snacker. I'm not complaining. He's a growing boy and I'm glad he enjoys nursing. We had to work really hard the first couple months to get to where we are now.

Sleeping: Still pretty inconsistent. He wakes up to eat quite a bit but goes back to sleep really easily. Some nights he only wakes twice and others he wakes several times. Naps are the new challenge. I've been working on getting him to sleep for longer periods during the day. He used to sleep two hour stretches no problem but is now taking little short 30-40 minute cat naps. At least he has transitioned to his co-sleeper which is where he sleeps at night too. It's nice to have him out of the rock n play, because I hear some littles have a hard time leaving that cozy nest.

Milestones: I'm noticing he fights sleep a lot less. He's starting to get more comfortable with transitions and routines during the day. He has a lot more fun happy baby time and less crying and sleeping time.

Mom and Dad: We are looking forward to our first road trip with Anton this weekend. 4.5 hours to Medford we go. We're hoping for some long naps from Anton with a stop in Eugene to eat. We have no idea how this will go. At least we have a new car to try it out in.

Activities: We went to book babies again this week. I think Anton truly enjoys it. They blow bubbles and sing songs and he just looks around wide eyed the whole time. I found this little 49ers jacket at goodwill over the summer. I had no idea they would be going to the super bowl. It's a bit big for the bon bon but he's going to rock it anyways. He looks like he's already cheering!

Burn the books!

A playdate with Ramona, Max and Anton

....The parenting books that is. I have finally come to the realization that there is not a book in the world that has all of the answers on how to sleep train, feed, entertain, communicate, or love your child. I'm a huge fan of information and as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I started seeking it. I was determined to become an expert informed parent. I figured the more parenting books I read, the more I would know about parenting. It turns out, the books started driving me crazy once the baby actually arrived. And don't even get me started on googling. The internet can be a very dangerous place for someone who is a constant information seeker. I think I googled "how to get baby to take a nap" 20 times one day. Until I realized he just wasn't really sleepy right then. It reminded me of my masters in teaching program, where they have you read truckloads of educational philosophy - then you step foot in the classroom and you end up in survival mode. I've been asking my mom a lot of questions about how she raised us, because in my mind, she did everything right. She usually says she doesn't remember specifics, she just went with the flow. I keep going back to one of her comments - "I don't think I tried to figure everything out". This statement is pretty powerful to me right now. Don't get me wrong, I think a little parenting info from professionals every once in a while can be helpful, but I think it needs to be balanced with your own intuition. I'm a pretty mellow person, I am going to focus on being a mellow parent and let go of schedules and answers for everything and just enjoy my baby.

So, I'm taking it easy on the books. I was beating myself up about not having Anton on a sleep schedule. Everyone kept reminding me that he's only 2 months old. Babies are all over the place at this age. "but the book says......" This phrase became pretty common in our house the last couple of weeks. Ivalle would come home from work and scoop up Anton to snuggle and play, right when I had just simmered him down for scheduled nap number five. I would get tense and frustrated, until I noticed he was much happier hanging out with daddy than being forced into one of my parent scheduled nap times. I realized it's much better to trust your own instincts. I've been much more relaxed since then. And so has my baby:)

Anton's Updates :: 10 weeks

  New Favorites: Smiles, little baby chuckles, watching dads silly dance moves.

Eating:Been pretty normal. I'm trying to feed him with a bottle at least once a day to keep him used to it. Ivalle wanted to give formula a shot so we whipped up a bottle the other night. Anton wanted nothing to do with it. Looks like its all breast milk for now. I'm getting a nice little freezer stash.

Sleeping: We had a six hour stretch last night! Woo Hoo. I think we were letting his late afternoon naps get a bit long and he was way too rested to make it through the night. After a couple nights of him waking every 2 hours we've extended his bedtime to 8:30 or 9 and kept day napping short. I was getting really frustrated with his short day naps, but have decided to just let it simmer. Everything changes weekly right now anyway.

Milestones: Lets see.... he cries less in the carseat. I've been really enjoying his sweet little smiles and coo's. Not much more to report. He's started drooling, but I'm not sure it's a milestone.

Mom and Dad: We bought a new car! A 2011 Subaru Outback to replace the old one. Hooray for a cozy car for our long commute when I go back to work.

Activities: We've been trying to get out for walks on sunny days. We also tried out book babies at the library. Anton was by far the youngest but he seemed to really enjoy the songs and activities. There is a part at the end where the babies get to crawl around and play with toys, Anton just laid there  like a lump smiling from ear to ear. I guess that's what you do when you are 10 weeks old.

Anton's Updates :: 9 Weeks

 New Favorites: Sitting in a bouncer chair on loan from a friend. Smiling and cooing at books that I read to him. Trying to copy me when I stick out my tongue. (and let's get real - screaming in my ear and scratching at my neck with his tiny fingernails) I mean, it's not all fun and games, but I will savor all of the snuggle moments when he finally curls up on my lap and takes little baby snoozes.

Eating: Huge breakthrough. I feel like we are finally on the right track with nursing. No more round the clock pumping.

Sleeping: We're working on it. The doctor said "thats great!" when I told her he was sleeping 5 hour stretches at night. I didn't realize that was supposed to be "so great". I guess he's doing the normal breastfed baby thing. It takes time to get them to sleep longer. It's not like you can just tell them to. (Although Ivalle's grandmother would beg to differ)

Milestones: We visited the pediatrician this week and got all kinds of stats. Turns out he is in the 95th percentile for height and 50th for weight. We've got a baller on our hands. Tall and skinny.

Mom and Dad: Let's see. Is anything really about us anymore?

Activities: Anton and I have been going to La Leche league meetings together. Which is a breastfeeding support group. Or rather, A bunch of really awesome ladies with tiny babies and toddlers to make us feel like everything is ok. So far Anton has been loving the meet ups. He acts like the perfect baby sleeping and smiling in my arms and then waits till we get back in the car to wail like crazy. What a faker.