Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Fan Club
Today we talked to Dorie on the street. She's an elderly neighbor who I met once a long time ago when my old stripey cat, Casey, escaped into the courtyard of her building and she let us in. Dorie's back window looks out onto our backyard, and sometimes I catch her watching us when we're in the yard. In fact, some of you may have caught her at it as well. We were walking home today and she was out front of her building, so I stopped and said hi and she complimented my baby (who doesn't love that?!). She told me that she likes our garden and she likes looking at Jacob when we're out there and he seems like such a good baby and so advanced for his age. She also told me that she notices we have friends over a lot and it looks like we have nice friends who care about us a lot. Yes, Dorie. Yes we do. She was surprised when I told her we'd only moved to New York about four years ago, because with so many great friends, she had assumed we had lived here all our lives.
Anyway. It is hard to meet people in a city where everyone keeps their eyes down, and it was kind of sweet to know that one of our neighbors has been keeping an eye on little Jacob and enjoys watching him grow from her window next door. She'll be in Italy for the next couple months, so I told her we'd look forward to showing her how much he's grown when she gets back.
Anyway. It is hard to meet people in a city where everyone keeps their eyes down, and it was kind of sweet to know that one of our neighbors has been keeping an eye on little Jacob and enjoys watching him grow from her window next door. She'll be in Italy for the next couple months, so I told her we'd look forward to showing her how much he's grown when she gets back.
Yoga
On Fridays Jacob and Mommy go to yoga. It's at the same studio where I did my prenatal yoga, and it's very fun to see all the ladies that I met when we were all pregnant come in with their babies. We have some good friends - including Adam and Daniel and Claire and Charlotte - and sometimes we meet on other days at the park or a local coffee shop.
Each week Jacob is more and more content to lay on his blanket as I do my stretches. Today there was something on the ceiling that just FASCINATED him. And there is always a baby-massage or baby stretches during the class for the little ones to participate in as well! I feel very lucky to have the community of moms and babies that we've met at this studio. Being a new mom is so much easier when there are other people around who are going through the same thing.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
2 Months Old!
Jacob is 2 months old!!! He is over 2 lbs over his birth weight...inching up on 8 whole pounds! Despite his petite frame, he is rapidly developing. He is smiling more and more - frequently giving us a goofy "happy face" that is an ill-coordinated attempt at a smile. When we go out for walks, he is fascinated by the things around us -the trees, buildings, and sunshine. We have been blessed with an unusually gorgeous July, so we go on lots of walks and talk about all the things we see on President Street and in the Park. Mommy and Daddy are taking advantage of his good nature and lack of grabbing skills by going out to dinner when we can. During the week, Jacob and I have been going to Mommy & Baby yoga classes, meeting other Park Slope moms and babies for coffee, and generally embracing the daytime baby culture of our neighborhood. We are making lots of friends, including Adam, Kavi, Liam, Quinn, Claire, Daniel, and Henry.
Before Grandma left town we had a little photo shoot to capture Jacob at this particularly tiny and alert phase he is in:
Before Grandma left town we had a little photo shoot to capture Jacob at this particularly tiny and alert phase he is in:
8 Weeks - More Pictures!
Here is a view into Jacob at 8 weeks. Grandma and Grandpa were visiting - we went to the park, had some good cuddles, took some good naps with Daddy and generally just upped the cute factor.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Let's Hope It Doesn't Go to His Head...
Jacob's first interweb fame.
He is now officially a fan (also known as a "Ten") of our favorite radio program, TBTL on 97.3 in Seattle.
Rawr!
He is now officially a fan (also known as a "Ten") of our favorite radio program, TBTL on 97.3 in Seattle.
Rawr!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Firsts
I am starting to realize that the rest of my life is going to be filled with celebrating Jacob's "firsts". Right now, however, I'm feeling even more full of them than usual.
Today's Firsts:
Jacob's first taxi
Jacob's first subway ride
Today's Firsts:
- After two days of seemingly endless determination, he got his thumb squarely in his mouth and started vigorously sucking.
- When I laid him in his crib, his eyes locked on the moving mobile for the first time - he was entranced!
- His first crib nap! Two hours and counting...
- First subway ride!
- First cab ride!
- First social visit to Manhattan!
- First babysitter!
- First nursing at a restaurant!
Jacob's first taxi
Jacob's first subway rideSleeping Soundly
Before I even begin to write this post, I need to de-jinx myself by saying that all things in this world are temporary, especially baby-related things, and this is only a report on what has been happening the last couple weeks, not a prediction of things to come.
SO, with that disclaimer...
For the last week and a half, Jacob has been sleeping through the night!!!
Around four weeks ago, we started emphasizing a bedtime routine that includes dimming the lights, putting on pj's, reading a story, singing some songs, having a final nursing, swaddling him, and rocking him to sleep. The first week went well, but the last phase of rocking would take up to 45 minutes and several times we resorted to sticking him in his stroller and taking a walk to lull him to sleep. After about a week, though, he started predictably drifting to sleep fairly peacefully.
Up until about a week and a half ago, Jacob would wake up to nurse around midnight and then around 3 and then get up sometime between 5 and 8. But then he started dropping his midnight nurse. Then he started sleeping just a little bit longer. And for the last five or six nights he has slept consistently from 8:30pm to 7:00am (a couple times even longer!) and only getting up at 3am to nurse. This means that I get at least two chunks of sleep around 3 or 4 hours each, and THAT, my friends, counts as sleeping through the night!!! Even though he'll still get up in the middle of the night for many more months (little babies got to eat!), he rarely fusses and usually drifts right back off to sleep, so I am beginning to enjoy that quiet mid-night time together instead of desperately wishing I were back in bed.
Naps, however, are a different story. Some days he naps on and off all day long. Other days he won't close his eyes for more than 10 minutes at a time and won't let me put him down. We don't really have a routine for naps because each day is a little different, what with doctor appointments, visitors, yoga classes, etc. I've tried generally to establish a long morning nap and a long afternoon nap, but sometimes he really fights against it, even when he's obviously tired.
Today, however, when he started fussing and resisting his nap, I tried two things that I never had tried before. First, I swaddled him, which we always do at night but never do during the day - don't know why, it just never occurred to me. Second, I set him in his crib and dimmed the lights and turned on some music. He sleeps at night in the bassinet next to our bed, so the crib is entirely new territory. This has been so successful that I have showered, eaten lunch, and written this post, and HE'S STILL ASLEEP. Fantastic! This is the first time that I have attempted to shower while he was in the other room instead of carrying him in on his nap-pillow and having him sleep on the bathroom floor. Success!!! What progress we are making! Although we don't get to call it progress, I guess, until we can replicate our results.
There is nothing quite like a sleeping baby. I could just stare at him all day long.
SO, with that disclaimer...
For the last week and a half, Jacob has been sleeping through the night!!!
Around four weeks ago, we started emphasizing a bedtime routine that includes dimming the lights, putting on pj's, reading a story, singing some songs, having a final nursing, swaddling him, and rocking him to sleep. The first week went well, but the last phase of rocking would take up to 45 minutes and several times we resorted to sticking him in his stroller and taking a walk to lull him to sleep. After about a week, though, he started predictably drifting to sleep fairly peacefully.
Up until about a week and a half ago, Jacob would wake up to nurse around midnight and then around 3 and then get up sometime between 5 and 8. But then he started dropping his midnight nurse. Then he started sleeping just a little bit longer. And for the last five or six nights he has slept consistently from 8:30pm to 7:00am (a couple times even longer!) and only getting up at 3am to nurse. This means that I get at least two chunks of sleep around 3 or 4 hours each, and THAT, my friends, counts as sleeping through the night!!! Even though he'll still get up in the middle of the night for many more months (little babies got to eat!), he rarely fusses and usually drifts right back off to sleep, so I am beginning to enjoy that quiet mid-night time together instead of desperately wishing I were back in bed.
Naps, however, are a different story. Some days he naps on and off all day long. Other days he won't close his eyes for more than 10 minutes at a time and won't let me put him down. We don't really have a routine for naps because each day is a little different, what with doctor appointments, visitors, yoga classes, etc. I've tried generally to establish a long morning nap and a long afternoon nap, but sometimes he really fights against it, even when he's obviously tired.
Today, however, when he started fussing and resisting his nap, I tried two things that I never had tried before. First, I swaddled him, which we always do at night but never do during the day - don't know why, it just never occurred to me. Second, I set him in his crib and dimmed the lights and turned on some music. He sleeps at night in the bassinet next to our bed, so the crib is entirely new territory. This has been so successful that I have showered, eaten lunch, and written this post, and HE'S STILL ASLEEP. Fantastic! This is the first time that I have attempted to shower while he was in the other room instead of carrying him in on his nap-pillow and having him sleep on the bathroom floor. Success!!! What progress we are making! Although we don't get to call it progress, I guess, until we can replicate our results.
There is nothing quite like a sleeping baby. I could just stare at him all day long.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Dairy Schmairy
After many exams and experiments, Jacob's doctor is chalking up his persistent diarrhea and slow weight gain to a dairy and soy allergy. At first we thought it was just dairy, but after his mommy stopped eating dairy for two weeks and the diarrhea continued, we added soy to the elimination list and things started clearing up. Some of you may be wondering what, exactly, is the difference between normal newborn poos and diarrhea, and without going into too much detail, I'll just say color and frequency.
The doctor and lactation consultant are confident that he'll likely grow out of these allergies, probably even before he's done breastfeeding, so my new diet isn't forever. And his milk intake is totally on-track, so once we get this diet thing ironed out he should start catching up on his weight. Not that he is THAT far behind - he's up to over 7 and a half pounds, so he's close to 2 pounds over his birth weight. He's starting to fill out some of the clothes that he used to swim in, and has actually grown out of a couple things! Jacob's poor little tummy is still bothering him, though, and hopefully in a couple days that will have cleared up too!
In the meantime, there is some very good sleep-related progress, but I don't want to jinx it because it's only been a couple nights, so you'll have to wait to hear about that!
The doctor and lactation consultant are confident that he'll likely grow out of these allergies, probably even before he's done breastfeeding, so my new diet isn't forever. And his milk intake is totally on-track, so once we get this diet thing ironed out he should start catching up on his weight. Not that he is THAT far behind - he's up to over 7 and a half pounds, so he's close to 2 pounds over his birth weight. He's starting to fill out some of the clothes that he used to swim in, and has actually grown out of a couple things! Jacob's poor little tummy is still bothering him, though, and hopefully in a couple days that will have cleared up too!
In the meantime, there is some very good sleep-related progress, but I don't want to jinx it because it's only been a couple nights, so you'll have to wait to hear about that!
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Peek-A-Boo
Where's Jacob?
There's Jacob!!!
Jacob's Moby wrap, which nestles him right up to my chest, has a soporific effect on our young man. Sometimes it is the only thing to convince him that a nap is in his best interest.
There's Jacob!!!
Jacob's Moby wrap, which nestles him right up to my chest, has a soporific effect on our young man. Sometimes it is the only thing to convince him that a nap is in his best interest.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Fourth of July
Jacob made a big trip out to Pennsylvania to visit the Luksic Family for the Fourth. We were out at my Aunt Monika's place in the country, and Jacob was a huge hit with cousins and grandparents alike. He spent most of the afternoon sleeping soundly on his Great Grandmother's chest.
It was about a three hour drive up to PA, and Jacob did great in the car! On the way up he slept about half the time, and spent the other half of the time enjoying Mommy and Daddy singing Beatles songs at the top of their lungs. I'm sure he enjoyed it. We waited until after his bedtime to drive home, and he obligingly slept the entire way! This bodes well for a young man who will be spending many, many hours of his life driving to visit relatives and friends.
It was about a three hour drive up to PA, and Jacob did great in the car! On the way up he slept about half the time, and spent the other half of the time enjoying Mommy and Daddy singing Beatles songs at the top of their lungs. I'm sure he enjoyed it. We waited until after his bedtime to drive home, and he obligingly slept the entire way! This bodes well for a young man who will be spending many, many hours of his life driving to visit relatives and friends.
First Bath
Until now, Jacob has been enjoying sponge baths on his changing table, but last week he got a good grip on the bowl of soapy water and dumped it over everything in sight, so this week he graduated to a real bath! Our bathroom sink was not big enough, so he got a kitchen-sink-bath. He is NOT a fan. Didn't like the water, didn't like the cushioned sling, didn't like anything about it. Maybe we'll try putting the baby tub in the bathtub next time, or maybe we'll go back to sponge baths for awhile. Or maybe we'll just forego the whole thing and resign ourselves to having a dirty, dirty baby. How do they get so dirty!?! He gets the most amazing toe jam and I have NO idea how he gets so much dirt under his fingernails. It's like he's out digging in the garden when I'm not looking!
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