just a taste

Today was Eddie's first day of solid foods. We have felt that he has been ready to eat for awhile, displaying many of the signs the pediatricians say indicate such readiness: an interest in the act of eating, i.e. watches you while you eat (he has been doing this since he was born!); the disappearance of the tongue-thrust reflex; an increase in appetite; and the emergence of teeth. But the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that you wait a) until a baby is 6 months old, mostly because their digestive systems are too immature before then and they are more prone to food allergies, and b) until the baby can sit upright unsupported. Eddie is 5 months and 1 week, and he cannot sit unsupported yet, but we felt he was ready to eat because he exhibits the other signs of readiness.

So we planned to start today - bought the high chair last weekend, got him a cool plastic spoon and got the rice cereal ready - and of course little Eddie himself had other plans - his teeth seemed to be bothering him so much today and he was fussy all morning, postponing our monumental feeding to the afternoon. He was in a decent mood after his second nap of the day so we got the meal ready and presented it to a rather unenthused baby. He was more interested in playing with and sucking on his new bib. But he did eat. He sort of lapped it up very gingerly and delicately - so precious!

The teeth really seem to be bothering him though - he just woke up after sleeping only 2 hours, which hasn't happened in several weeks. So we think it's the teeth - maybe the top ones are coming in. But the added variable of newness, i.e. starting solid foods, makes you doubt and worry too. Every piece of literature that exists for new parents prepares you for the worst - allergies, adverse reactions, even death - and so when your baby's behavior or health is in flux, it is best to not add a new variable, or so I feel. So if Eddie's teeth are bothering him again tomorrow it looks like we will postpone the solid foods until he is in a better mood.

I heart technology

You know that commercial right now that shows two people kissing and says "the original instant message?" - I don't even know what the commercial is for, but I applaud its theme - not completely anti-technology because by acknowledging the power and mainstream usage of something like instant messaging it is in essence saying that these goods and services are important, but by indicating that we as humans are too plugged in for our own good, and too out of touch with each other, its message is one that I wholeheartedly agree with. I love this blog, mainly for its ability to reach our friends and families scattered from California to Maine and share with them the ins and outs of Eddie IV. But I also find myself getting a tad frustrated with our culture's addiction to technology - case in point, Facebook. Right now I am calling it Smashbook though. I got introduced to it by some college friends and although I am hardly an addict, it is something that consumes my time. So Eddie naps, and I type and search and upload photos. And uploading photos still takes way too much time, especially when I have to use one program for the blog (Picasa) and a whole separate application for Smashbook...way too annoying and time consuming. Yesterday I spent over an hour working on this thing on Smashbook called "25 Things About Me" and because I wasn't saving drafts while I worked, and stepping away to do other things, I lost it twice and had to re-type it. That was when I thought about the blog and realized that it is time to back it up, literally meaning save all this meaty info about Eddie IV so that some day, hopefully, he will be able to read about himself as a baby. And yet again I am frustrated with technology and the fact that I cannot just simply print out all the posts or even get it to look good, like the actual page layout, so back to basics: cut and paste.

But it's done and saved, which means I will probably update the layout of the blog a tad and change the surveys. So if anyone has any suggestions for things they would like to see or not see or read or not read (Charlie, I am trying to be concise...maybe I should just say yada yada yada), post a comment and I will try to comply.

size 9

We had to purchase all new pjs for Eddie this week because he has outgrown the 6 month size and is now wearing the 9 month size, mostly because of his length. We started noticing that he would fuss when we would put on his pajamas and it became harder and harder to do the snaps on the legs and around the crotch, indicating that he was too constricted in that area. It is sorta weird to me how they make these baby clothes with such short legs and arms - I know I said this in an earlier post too. It's as if the standard American child has stubs for arms and legs. They need to make an athlete baby line or something. I know a lot of parents that have athletic builds with long arms and legs and large hands and feet, and like us, they are struggling/will struggle with finding the perfect fit in clothes. Just like there are adult clothing lines for "Big and Tall" maybe there need to be baby lines too. In general the European clothes are better fitting for long and slender people, and Ralph Lauren seems to outfit the long baby as well, but who wants to spend $30+ per outfit when kids grow so fast? We got some warm fleece pjs by Gerber on sale at Target for $2.39 for 2 pairs...now that's what I'm talking about!

Video of the Week

this video is actually from last week when Eddie was more talkative...this week he has been pretty silent, but is smiling a ton and working on sitting up unsupported, plus those teeth are still coming in, so he has a lot going on!

on teething

I have read that teeth come in 4's...4 at a time every 4 months. And so far Eddie is getting in 2 teeth - the 2 bottom incisors. He is handling it all quite well. I have heard that drooling somehow helps them cope with the pain and/or alleviate the pain, and he drools a lot so maybe that is true. He does like to have something in his mouth at all times. Sometimes he seems to prefer something hard, like a wooden toy or hard plastic and we have a couple teethers that we put in the fridge (or outside in the snow - we had 4 days recently where we were without a refrigerator and so we put stuff outside - it was fun in an old school sort of way to grab my orange juice from out of the snow!). Sometimes he seems to want something soft and plush. And sometimes he likes to gum on human hands and fingers - his own and those of whomever is holding him. His fussiness is really not that bad - nothing like his 3 months of colic - but occasionally if nothing seems to soothe him we give him a homeopathic medicine made by Boiron called "Camilia" which is comprised of Chamomile and two other herbs/roots that help with pain and "minor digestive disorders associated with teething." As most of you know, I am sort of a freak about giving medicines to Eddie - actually we haven't given him anything yet, not even the TriViSol vitamins, mainly because I am opposed to a lot of the preservatives and artificial flavorings and sugars added. But this stuff seems okay - I tasted it, and it literally tastes like water that has been mildly sweetened. We have some of the Tylenol for infants stashed away in the linen closet in case he develops a fever or something, but we haven't had to use it yet, knock on wood. My philosophy has been, if he is sleeping well, then he cannot be in major pain and therefore we shouldn't give him any medicine unnecessarily. And he is sleeping well...at least by our standards. He still wakes up 2 times per night to eat, but everything that I have read indicates that this is normal and can continue until he is 8 or 9 months. He hasn't refused to breastfeed, which is something I read that babies can do when they teeth because the pain is so bad - he might actually be eating more because he uses the nipple to soothe. He has been spitting up a lot more than usual...not sure if it is because he is overeating or getting jostled around more during play or associated with teething or what, but it seemed to taper off today with only one episode when it landed on his pants and on the floor (the past few days that has happened multiple times).

In general though the fact that two teeth are erupting through his pink gums doesn't seem to phase him. He is the happiest he has ever been these days, laughing multiple times a day and smiling all the time, and at everyone that he encounters. The other night he laughed hysterically at his rubber duckie during his bath. He laughed so much that he was throwing his head back! Tonight we tried to replicate what we did to get him to laugh so hard again, but he seemed to just want to relax in the tub after a long day. Me too...I think I mentioned this on the blog already, but we retired his baby tub and now he solely takes baths in the adult tub with his Mom. And his Dad entertains him with a water show. It is pretty hilarious. We would post photos and videos on the blog, but they would have to be R rated due to my nudity...and little Eddie's ;) Maybe I will don a swimsuit soon so that we can show off Eddie's stellar swimming skills and the fun he has with splishing and splashing.

explosions

The last two mornings when I have gone into Eddie's room to get him up he has greeted me face up, covered in poop...yes, butterscotch poops all over his pj's, the bed sheets...luckily nothing on his hands and face. Thank god for mattress pads! His diaper is so full of urine from a full night's sleep that when he makes his morning poop it has no where to go to be absorbed so it just seeps out of the diaper and through his onesie undershirt and his pj's. When it happened two days ago we thought it was because he hadn't gone poop for the entire day before, but now that it happened again I realize that it is probably more because he has a full diaper, meaning we should probably change him at some point in the night. I have been reluctant to do so because changing him also implies social interaction, at least to him, which arouses him and makes it harder for him to fall back to sleep. But looks like it's time to do a middle of the night changing.

Sunday marked Eddie's 5 month birthday and we went bowling to celebrate...well not really, but we did go bowling with some friends on Saturday and Eddie seemed to like it despite being tired from missing a nap and being freaked out by the announcer's loud voice. Here is an update on him and his development:

physical: not a ton of major changes from your 4 month summary. You are rolling over from stomach to back a lot now - at least twice a day - but still only in your crib. You move a lot in your crib and Dad watched you one day to figure out how (now I wish we had one of those visual LCD monitors so we could watch you): basically you get your butt up in the air by bending at the knees and then push off with your feet to sort of propel you forward, like an inchworm. Or you will go from this position to arching your head and that is how you roll over. You are getting in position to start to crawl with arms out and knees bent and sometimes make a kicking motion or pushing motion with your feet, but off course you are not moving yet. We are working on getting you to sit unsupported which you can do, sort of hunched over, for a maximum of 2 minutes before tipping over. You still love to stand and are good at picking things up - when standing you will actually bend with your knees to pick something up.

You are very tactile - like to scratch and rub different textures and objects - your Dad says that you get this from him. You are also starting to want to pat and bang things - like to drop toys and hear what sound they make. You can "play" the piano - when we sit at the piano you can bang the keys with your hands and make music.

You are getting teeth. Your two bottom incisors are coming in (bottom center teeth); one is about half its way out and the other its one-quarter of its way out.

language: you are talking a lot now, especially in your crib when you wake up and sometimes before you fall asleep. It is usually one constant sound, sort of gurgle-y and throaty. Sometimes you still make the coo-ing sound, almost like a kitten purring, especially when you are feeding and come off the boob to say "hi" to mom.

expressions and personality: you are very smiley now. You smile at people when they come over to the house, and of course you smile at mom and dad a lot. You smile when you recognize certain songs and when we play little games with you, like "doobey, doobey" on your tummy or wiggle you on our heads or when we fly you around like a rocket. You are still pensive and serious at times, especially when playing with toys. You seem to get frustrated at times when the toys aren't doing what you want then to do, when they go out of your view or your reach. You seem frustrated with your body too, and its inability to move the way you want it to. Everything goes into the mouth...you are exploring everything, but you are also very content at times with just one toy and can play with it for a solid 15 minutes. You still like to be around a lot of people - no stranger anxiety yet - and really like it when mom or dad talk on the phone, even better when there are many people in a room talking...its seems to soothe you and you can just sit there for hours taking in all the sounds.

books we've read: you have chewed apart Pat the Bunny. We are reading a new one by a Japanese artist called "My Friends." Also you like your Penguin book from Grandma Bonnie and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

toys we play with: you still love Mr. B. and also like his friend Mr. Frog, a similar stuffed toy with long slender arms and legs. You like your rombino wooden rattle and the triangle toy from Aunt Evie. You like the orange girl that Nanni gave you for Halloween, which is interesting because a couple of months ago you would have nothing to do with that toy - it is a German grasping toy which is basically a soft baby holding onto a wooden ring and you can undo the baby's arms and detach the ring. Today you put it so far in your mouth that you gagged and spit up all over it, so I detached the wooden ring wiped it off and now will put the fabric part in the washer.

songs we sing: we have a lot of the "Musical Magic" (the place we go to music class on Mondays) songs in our head: "Let's Pretend," "Peek-A-Boo," and "Rockin' Robin." Also you love the music your mobile makes and when Mom hums along to it. You can be the worst mood and when we pull the string and make the mobile music play you smile and relax.

the worries

What is it about the innate power of parenting to make one worry so? I have the mommy worries all the time...there is always something new that emerges that makes we worry or get concerned about my baby. And of course it's usually nothing major, but enough to consume my thoughts, make me search endlessly on the Internet (which my husband wishes he could somehow ban) and call all my friends who are parents to get their opinions. This week it's Eddie's skin - major dry patches, which all the books distinguish as baby eczema, common to about 20% of infants. And of course everyone here in Chicago (did I mention it has been below zero temperatures for several days now?) has issues with dry skin in the winter and my side of the family all has eczema or some other sensitive skin ailment...but I am wondering if there is a way to tell if it is just related to genes and environment vs. a possible food allergy? I haven't found any info that helps distinguish between them. It's sort of like the whole colic thing...no one knows the true cause, there are just suggestions on how to improve or help it. So we apply lotion liberally (California Baby's Calming Botanical Cream) and of course use fragrance-free detergents and organic cotton clothing and bedding. The spots that have the most flare-ups are behind the knees, the elbows and upper arm area and there are a couple patches on his back/shoulder area. Eddie moves a lot in his crib - he is always in a different position than that which we put him down in - and so the placement of the patches of irritated skin do seem associated with areas of friction from movement. But then there is the whole association of eczema with allergies, and the most concerning for a foodie like me, is with food allergies, specifically to cow's milk. About 7% of infants are allergic to the protein in cow's milk. The protein is in the whey and/or the casein and so it's not as simple as just not drinking milk or eating cheese, yogurt and butter - whey and casein are also found in a lot of other foodstuffs and all baked goods. Since I am breastfeeding exclusively, the only way to determine if he has an allergy is by me eliminating cow's milk from my diet for 3 weeks just to see if it helps. And since these products are a major source of my current diet (I eat yogurt and cheese every day), I want to discuss with the doctor first to see what she suggests. He has all the symptoms associated with a cow's milk allergy, all but excessive vomiting/diarrhea, but maybe all of his little issues are all unrelated...maybe his dry skin is just dry skin, maybe his coughing is due to the fact that he is teething and drooling a lot and the drool goes down the back of his throat (this was described in one of my books) and maybe his colic was just simply colic, an unknown that lasts for 3 months and then is just gone. What can a parent do but worry?

tooth

Yes, its official, Eddie is teething! He has been acting fussier at times, sometimes even at the breast, which is rare. Sometimes it seems like all he wants to do is suck on something and other times he throws down his toy or teether and seems to want nothing in his mouth. So yesterday when I put my finger in his mouth and felt something sort of sharp on the lower right side I was glad to finally have an explanation for some of his odd behavior. And then while he was whining with his mouth opened, I noticed the first tooth still lingering below the surface, but seemingly ready to break through skin. Luckily it has not troubled him too bad and has not affected his sleep at all.

A quick update on sleep. His naps are in no way on a schedule...sometimes he has only 2 long naps (2-3 hrs ea.) a day, sometimes he has 4 short ones (1 hr. ea.). We just sort of play it by ear and put him down when he shows his drowsy signs, but in general he still cannot stay awake longer than for a 2 hour window. He is sleeping very well at night, waking up only twice throughout the night to eat. Recently he has been babbling a lot while in his crib and for the last few nights when he wakes up the second time, around 2 or 3 a.m., he has a hard time falling back to sleep even if he seems to fall asleep on the boob. He just keeps making noises and talking. So it requires a couple interventions or a diaper change to get him to calm down and go back to bed. He is also rolling over a lot now in his crib during the night and during naps, which is frustrating because he cannot seem to fall asleep on his back so when he rolls over onto his back he wakes up and starts talking. Oh well, all of this seems so minor compared to the challenges we faced when he was colicky and when we first started sleep training. He still cries 80% of the time before going to sleep, but 90% of the time it is more like moaning or whining and not the full out wailing...it's almost like he needs to make those noises in order to fall asleep. The most stressful is the 10% of the time when he does still wail and it seems to always be when we have people over or we are going out and leaving him with a babysitter (happened both times when both grandmas babysat). He is a smart boy, it's as if he knows we are leaving and it upsets him. And when we have people over it's as if he wants to be up and socialize with us. Although it still stresses me out that he cries, I have to remind myself that a) he's a baby and babies cry, and b) he cries because he loves us and wants to be with us, but c) sleep is important and we need to allow him the opportunity to sleep.

Video of the Week

Grandma Bonnie really got Eddie to laugh!

more babies

Just wanted to post a quick congratulations to my friends Carrie and Jackie who both just had their second sons...on the same day! Nicholas and Gabriel were born yesterday, January 7th.

Also wanted to officially announce that Eddie will have a cousin in the summer. My sister is pregnant! She told me back in early November, but just made it public this week as she announced it at work, so I felt that it was only appropriate to announce it on the blog as well. Her baby is due July 16th. I am so excited for her and a tad jealous that she is at the beginning stages of the miracle of life. I thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancy, despite the horrendous nausea, and sometimes miss the Bomba being inside of me. Of course it is so much fun to enjoy him in the real world, but there is something so magical about life growing inside of you. Another thing I miss about being pregnant, at least the latter half of my pregnancy, was feeling truly healthy and oh so alive. I was going to save this vent for another blog entry but, what the heck, I'll just cram it into this one. Postpartum hormones suck. No, I'm not referring to emotions...for some reason I have been a-ok in that department. I am referring to the fact that I feel as though I am falling apart: I am losing my hair - just check out recent photos and you will see that I look like a cancer patient; my skin is awful, akin to how it was first trimester or more like junior high; I had three cavities when I went to the dentist - probably from all the throwing up and middle of the night bananas; my feet grew, rendering it difficult to wear any of my shoes and causing painful ingrown toe nails; and, last but not least, my period has returned. I guess it's not that big of a deal and I can still breastfeed and all, but the return of the menses brought some sadness to me yesterday. It sort of marks the official end to pregnancy and postpartum life...now I am just...a normal woman again. And being a normal woman who bleeds every month is something that I did not miss. It has been such a long time since my last period, well over a year, that I had to search around my bathroom to try to find a tampon and came up rather empty handed. Thank god for those giant maxi pads that I bought for the month after the birth. Ok, I will stop sharing all the details...just know that despite the joy of my friends' births and my sister's pregnancy, I am sort of sad today.

books, baths, babbles and bubbles

Eddie's really moving along on his developmental milestones, in particular he seems to have very advanced fine motor skills. He is handling all objects now, often putting them in his mouth. And can pick up objects, pass them from hand to hand and at times it seems like he throws them. He is starting to get really into books. He handles them and turns the pages (mostly turning them backwards). He also puts the corners in his mouth. I have realized why they make those board books and cloth books now - while reading "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" (a non-board book) he got a papercut from trying to turn the crisp, white pages. Another one of his recent favorite things to do is take a bath with Mom. We have retired his small plastic tub that we would put on our bathroom counter - he seemed to get cold because he was only 1/3rd submerged into the water. In our regular sized, antique clawfoot tub he "swims" and kicks, and tonight also started to bat at the water creating heavy splashes. And he is finally laughing more and making a lot of squeals, screams and general happy sounds. One morning we awoke to him "talking" to himself at 5:30 a.m. His talking is still pretty inconsistent - one day he will be a loud mouth and the next he will be silent, so not sure exactly what brings it on.

Today we also attended our first music class, a gift that Daddy Eddie gave us for Christmas. The class has 6 other babies and Eddie is by far the youngest - the others are in the 9-11 month range. He spent much of the class starring at all the other babies and studying their more advanced movements. He liked the finger puppets, an activity called "parachute parade" in which all the babies are on the floor while the adults lower and lift a large, brightly colored parachute over there heads and last but not least, he had his first encounter with bubbles...fascinating!

xmas photos