7 Months!

Happy 7 month Birthday Alex!

Sleep:

• You've been going to bed around 7:30 - 8:00.  Some mornings you sleep in and I have to wake you up at 7:45/8:00 so I can feed you and get to work!
• You've been sleeping in on the weekends, until 8:30, and sometimes 9:00.
• Your naps at home have been going really well.  We're still working on daycare, but when you take one there sometimes it's for 3hrs!

Feeding:

• You are eating every 3hrs (5x/day).  You take 6.5oz bottles at daycare.
• You're eating solids once a day.  You've tried lots of different things.  I'm pretty sure your favorite is prunes!  

Weight:

• We went in to get your eye looked at and you weighed 18lbs 7oz fully clothed, so I'm guessing around 18lbs 4oz.

Length:

•  No measurement this month.
  

Diapers:

• We're still doing cloth diapers.  We use the BumGenius Elemental Organic All-In-One One-Size.  You're on the second setting.
• When we travel or are out much we do disposables.  We also do them at night.  Wearing size 3's.  I like the Huggies Little Movers the best.
• Cloth diapering with solids is (still) proving to be interesting!

Clothes:

• You are wearing 6-9/9mo/6-12mo clothes.  You have a huge wardrobe now that Christmas is over.  Hopefully you stay in this size for a while and get some good wear out of all of them!

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:

• You celebrated your first Christmas, here in NC.  Grandma and Grandpa Bouchard came down to celebrate with us.
• You got lots of fun new toys and are learning to play with them all.
• The day after Christmas we noticed your first tooth popped up.  You weren't acting too fussy, so we were really surprised.  2 days later, #2 made an appearance.
• Lately solids have been hit or miss.  You definitely do not like veggies!
• You sleep face down in your crib, butt in the air, rather cute!
• We got to go to playgroup twice this month and it was fun to see everyone again.
• You LOVE your jumperoo!  Auntie Sarah got you a new Step-n-play music toy that you stand in too and you're getting used to that.
• We went up to Baltimore and cousin Shannon watched you while mommy and daddy went to the Redskins/Patriots game.  She was sad because you slept most of the time, but loved playing with her when you finally woke up!
• You hate being on your belly, you want to either sit or stand.  We've put you on your belly a few times and you've gotten up on all fours, head down, but no movement.  It's ok, no need to crawl too soon.  :-)
• You have become pretty loud and like to make lots of noise!  You've started chanting da-da-da-da constantly.  I've tried to get you to say ma-ma-ma-ma but no luck!
• You started clapping on New Year's Eve day.
• You LOVE bathtime!  You cry when we take you out!

What we've been up to:

• Week 27
• Week 28
• Merry Christmas 
• Week 29
• Week 30

6 Months!

Happy 6 month Birthday Alex! (Posting a little late)

Sleep:

• You've been going to bed around 7:30 - 8:00.  Some mornings you sleep in and I have to wake you up at 7:45/8:00 so I can feed you and get to work!
• You've been sleeping in on the weekends, until 8:30, and sometimes 9:00.
• At home you seem to be doing pretty good.  You do not like taking naps at daycare yet so we'll see how that goes!  Most days you are so tired from not sleeping at daycare that you come home and pass out!

Feeding:

• You are eating every 3hs (5x/day).  You take 6.5oz bottles at daycare.
• We started solids just before Thanksgiving.  So far, you've had cereal, pears, apples and sweet potatoes.  You love them!  Just once a day for now.

Weight:

• You weighed in at 17lbs 4oz - 46%

Length:

•  You measured 26 1/8in - 38%
  

Diapers:

• We're still doing cloth diapers.  We use the BumGenius Elemental Organic All-In-One One-Size.  You're on the second setting.
• When we travel or are out much we do disposables.  We also do them at night.  We just moved to the size 3's.
• Cloth diapering with solids is proving to be interesting!

Clothes:

• For most of the month you wore 3-6mo clothes.  The last week or so we broke out the 6-9mo clothes and packed away the 3-6mo ones.  Waiting for after Christmas sales to stock up a bit!

And let's be honest this is what you were doing most of the time in the crib for those pictures (we don't have the bumpers in while sleeping, just for pictures)

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:

• You absolutely love sitting up.  That is all that you want to do, you've pretty much mastered it.
• You sleep on your belly, face down.
• When we gave you solids, we couldn't get them in fast enough.
• You are quite the giggler now.  Especially when playing peek-a-boo!
• We traveled to NY/VT for Thanksgiving.  You did well on the plane again.  You charmed/flirted with lots of passengers.
• Spent time with both set of grandparents, and got to meet lots of new people on daddy's side of the family.
• Starting to jump in the jumperoo.
• We had our family pictures taken this month, but you weren't a big fan that day, kinda grumpy.
• You did not do as well after your 6mo shots. 

What we've been up to:

• Week 23
• Week 24
• Week 25
• Happy Thanksgiving! 
• Week 26

And because I think it's fun to compare (though I wish I could work Picasa better!)!

Giggles!

Not much going on today! We're visiting family for the Thanksgiving holiday but I couldn't resist sharing this cute video of Alex giggling while playing peek-a-boo with my mom!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day in the Life

I thought it'd be fun to do a day-in-the-life post.  I've got a few pictures (some are from different days) too!  This is pretty much how it has gone since I went back to work (except for Alex's wake-up time), so months 4 and 5, though I know it'll change frequently in the future... 

5:45AM - Alarm goes off.  I try to hit the snooze, but know that I shouldn't and I get up.  I pump and hop in the shower, get ready for the day.

7:00AM - Downstairs to make some breakfast, bottles for the day (if I haven't the night before) and pack up my bag for work, as well as anything that the babe needs for the day.  (Note, I used to bring 3-4 different bags to work - laptop bag, pump bag, purse and lunch bag and had to put the ka-bash on that.  I found this huge one from Lands End that holds everything!)  Depending on if Alex is awake, I might get to do a little laundry too.

7:45AM - 8:00AM - Lately Alex has been sleeping in until past 8:00, so on work days I try to let him go as long as possibly but I have to wake him by 8:00.  The morning is usually greeted with a smile and some loud squeals, it's always fun to have a happy baby in the morning.  I feed Alex and watch some news.

8:15AM - 8:30AM - Everybody packs up and out the door we go.  Luckily Kurt takes Alex to daycare so I head straight to work.  When I started back at work he was getting up around 7:00, so I was going to work much earlier.

8:45AMish - Time to work.  E-mail, e-mail, conference call, meeting etc.

9:30AM - Quick break to check the cameras and check in to see how the little guy is doing at daycare.  I usually open them up about this time during the day and check them randomly depending on what's going on.

10:00AM - First pumping session of the day.  I have to head down to a separate room, which is so annoying.  Sometimes there is another woman in there pumping.  Sometimes there are people using it as a conference room.  I generally am not pleasant if it's the latter and kick them out ASAP.

10:30AM - Back to my desk, more e-mail and conference calls/meetings.

12:15PM - Lunch!  I've pushed my lunch back much later now.  When I was pregnant I used to eat at 11:00 and no later!  I try to bring my lunch, but I'm terrible at remembering, so I usually just head to the cafeteria to get something quick and work right through lunch.  Definitely check-in during lunch time.  Score - nap time today (did I mention Alex doesn't like taking naps at daycare)! 

1:00PM - Second pumping session of the day.

1:30PM - Back to my desk, more e-mail and conference calls/meetings.

4:00PM - Last pumping session at work.

5:00PM - Out the door!  I try to leave as early as possible.  Some days it's 5:00, some days a little bit after.

5:30PM - I'm usually there to pick up Alex by 5:30.  I chat with his teachers to see how his day was while I'm getting him ready to go.

6:00PM - We're home and spending some time together.  Depending on the night we just hang out and play with Alex.  Some nights we eat dinner and he plays in his high chair while we eat, some nights we wait until after he goes to bed to eat dinner.  We have a 'loose' no technology rule during this time.  We are generally not on the computer during this time, though we sometimes have the TV on in the background.  We also try to stay off our phones during this time.  We play on the floor, play with Maya.

7:00PM - We start bath and bedtime routine.  We give him a bath every other day usually (Kid LOVES bathtime!).  He eats, and we read a book and then it's time for bed.  Most nights he is in bed at 7:30.

7:30PM - It's usually a scramble and different every night.  This is a variety of laundry, some nights work (I have weekly conference calls on Tuesdays at 9pm - the joys of working for a global company), tv/dvr catch-up, dinner (if we didn't eat earlier), blogging.  Time to wash bottles and pump parts too.

10:30PM - Last pumping session for the day. 

11:00PM - Bedtime.  I honestly have no idea why we stay up so late.  It just seems to happen.  We look up and it's 11:00 already!  Where did the night go.  I wish I could go to bed earlier but it never seems to happen!

Cloth Diaper Update part 1 (before solids)

So like I mentioned before we decided to go with cloth diapers.  We ended up just going all-in right from the start with 1 brand.  I thought I'd share a few lessons learned, pros/cons, etc.  Though, I'm guess some of my opinions will change when we start solids and I have to break out the diaper sprayer!

Lesson's Learned

• There is no need to buy all of your diapers before baby arrives and make your final decision before you give a few a try.  Ok, I'm just one of those people that plans things and does them all or nothing.  This is one of those things I wished I'd waited on.  Now, don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean I'd chose different diapers, it just means I wish that I had tried out more options.  Say maybe starting out with a sampler pack.  Plus (at least for us), we went with disposables for the newborn size and started cloth once he moved up to size 1's.
• It's ok to just have a day where you want to use a disposable.  There are just some days that are tough and you have to give yourself a break some time, so go ahead, use a disposable!  We use them traveling and when we'll be out of the house for an extended period of time.
• More detergent does not mean cleaner diapers (who knew?!?!).  When Alex was about 4 months old we were having some major leakage issues at daycare.  I did some research and it turns out that if you use too much detergent then you can have some build up in your diapers.  Following the directions on the BumGenius website we stripped our diapers one weekend and all was better.  Stripping means washing in Dawn Original Dish washing detergent, followed by several rinse cycles.

Pros

• I don't have to run out to the store because we're out of diapers.  Usually we wash at night so we put a diaper on him (a disposable) and then hit the washing machine with the dirty ones 2-3x/wk.
• Though some might disagree, I feel like we're at least being more environmentally friendly.
• I don't have to worry about having diapers in the next size, since ours size up with a just a few changes in snaps! 
• Less blowouts!  I had soooo many #2 blowouts with disposables.  But I think we've had 1 #2 blow-out with cloth.

Cons

• Holy upfront investment!  It's a lot to buy all of the diapers at first!  Then you add in wetbags and detergent.
• Not all clothes fit.  So maybe this is kind of stupid but, we have trouble with some of Alex's clothes fitting once he reaches the bigger end of that size and have to size up on pants so that fit over his cute tush!  
• One-size/All-In-Ones can be bulky (see above) and sometimes just look plain funny.  I found once you size up to the next size, much better!
• New diaper changers need some guidance.  We got snap diapers since I was worried about velcro issues.  The down-side is that if someone new is hanging him, we have to show them which snaps to use so they make sure that they're tight enough.
• Laundry - Ick, I hate laundry, though these are really easy (so far).  A rinse cycle, a wash cycle, throw them in the dryer with a towel and they're dry in 2 60-minutes cycles. 
• The absorbancy without an added layer isn't as great so things like overnight just don't work as well unless you invest in some other liners.  So far I haven't done that and I'm just not sure it would really work well with the All-In-Ones, so we're just sticking to disposables.

You can do it at daycare too!

• Just Ask!
• When we were looking for daycares this is one of the questions that we asked.  And it was high on our priority list.  If we couldn't find a daycare that we liked that would do cloth diapers then we might have nixed the idea as a whole on the diapers, because at that point the investment didn't seem worth it to us.  But, luckily 2 of our top 3 daycare choices would do cloth.
• It took some 'training/getting used to'.  We had to show them the right snaps a few times and you will have more leaks in the beginning until they get the hang of it (or you strip you diapers because you had build-up :-) ).
• We bring in diapers at the beginning of the week, plus some wet bags (we got 3 Planet Wise large bags).  Each night we bring home a bag of dirty ones.  Usually on Wednesday we wash and bring in more clean ones and the empty wet bags!

Also, don't let friends/family badger you in either direction.  My mom was not a fan/advocate of cloth-diapering.  (Ok so maybe that made me want to do it even more)  She has only changed cloth a handful of times and didn't have any trouble.

Cloth diapering is sooo over-whelming when you start.  It's like bam-information overload.  Where to begin.  I've learned a lot from the posts I linked to the first time.  I also had a co-worker who did cloth and helped a little, though I use completely different diapers than her and that's fine too!

If you find it doesn't work for you, then don't do it anymore.  There was a point where I was ready to just call it quits, sell the diapers and move on.  They were just becoming a pain because there were so many leaks.  Once we figured that problem out, things have become much better (I should say that I was dealing with other issues at the time so it was all so overwhelming).

That's my update for now, ask me again in a month when we start solids, how much a really like it!  Installing the diaper sprayer is #1 on the honey-do list right now!  

5 Months!

Happy 5 month Birthday Alex! (Posting a little late)

Sleep:

• You've been going to bed around 7:30 - 8:00.  Some mornings you sleep in and I have to wake you up at 7:45/8:00 so I can feed you and get to work!
• There was about a week or so where you were up every night several times.  Luckily we nipped that quickly and we're back to normal.
• At home you seem to be doing ok with some naps, but it's generally hit or miss.  You do not like taking naps at daycare yet so we'll see how that goes!  Most days you are so tired from not sleeping at daycare that you come home and pass out!

Feeding:

• You are eating every 3hs (5x/day).  You take 6oz bottles at daycare.
• Still no solids yet though you definitely seem interested!

Weight:

• No appointment but we're thinking about 17lbs.
• Everyone says you're a big boy!
  

Length:

•  Not sure, no appointment this month.
  

Diapers:

• We're still doing primarily cloth diapers.  We use the BumGenius Elemental Organic All-In-One One-Size.  You're on the second setting.
• When we travel or are out much we do disposables.  We also do them at night.  You are wearing the last of the few size 2's that we have.

Clothes:

• Wearing all 3-6 month/6month still.  Still in the same for PJ's.
• One piece clothes are out of the picture.

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:

• You are still trying really hard to sit up on your own.  You're getting much better at it!
• Your baptism was this month and you loved getting dunked into the water.
• Uncle Keith and Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for your baptism.
• We visited the NC State Fair this month.
• You love hanging out on your floormat. 
• You started rolling over this month.  I watched you do it on the camera at daycare (October 19th), but it was several weeks before you would do it at home for us.  Now you roll back and forth without too much trouble.  You sleep on your tummy now.
• You love it when someone claps your hands together or the bottoms of your feet.  A sure-fire way to get you to laugh.
• Everyone says lately that you are a mix of both mom and dad.
• We finally got to meet up with everyone from playgroup and went to the pumpkin patch.  It was so great to see everyone and your 'girlfriend' Kate was there!
• It was your first Halloween.  We went to 2 parties on Saturday and dressed you up like a football and mom and dad were football players.
• For Halloween night and at daycare you were a monkey and loved every minute of it!
• You are completely fascinated by Maya lately.  You love when she comes by you and in the morning we usually get a big smile when you 'pet' her (aka she licks you) for the first time.  You like to sit next to her and pet her (aka tug on her ears).  She's pretty tolerable so far but you're always on our laps.  We/she better watch out when you're mobile!

What we've been up to:

• Week 18
• Week 19
• Week 20
• Baptism
• Week 21
• Week 22 (Since only 1 day of this falls in the next month)

4 Months!

Time to play catch-up!  I'm feeling much better!

Happy 4 month Birthday Alex! (Posting a little late)

Sleep:

• You generally go to bed around 8:00 and are up somewhere between 7:00 and 7:30.
• For about a week or so you would wake up and squeal with delight for 10-15 minutes (somewhere between 5:15 and 6:30) and then go back to bed!
• At home you seem to be doing ok with some naps, but it's generally hit or miss.  You do not like taking naps at daycare yet so we'll see how that goes!

Feeding:

• For most of the month you were eating every 2.5hrs (6x/day) - 7:30, 10:00, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 7:00, about 4-5oz bottles when you took a bottle.  
• Towards the end of the month you got sick and stretched yourself to ever 3hrs.  (5x/day) - 7:30, 10:30, 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, about 5-6oz when taking a bottle (sometimes wanting more)
• Still holding out on solids for another month or 2 hopefully though your interest in food is starting to show. 

Weight:

• 15lbs 11oz (60%)
• Everyone says you're a big boy!

Length:

•  24.5in (30%)

Diapers:

• Wearing a size 2 in disposables (I like the Huggies Little Snugglers the best, thought the Huggies Snug & Dry work well too), though once we run out we'll probably just go to size 3's when we need disposables rather than buy too many size 2s.
• Cloth diapers are working out pretty well still. 
• Still using disposables at night and sometimes when we go out.

Clothes:

• Wearing all 3-6 month.
• One piece clothes feel like they're getting too short. 

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:

• Auntie Marcy came to visit this month and you were a big flirt!  She baby sat for a night while mom and dad went to a wedding and you did great.
• Auntie Sarah also baby sat on your 4mo. birthday and mom and dad went out to dinner.
• Still, likes to watch T.V. so we have found the Disney channel and put on some Mickey Mouse occassionally.
• Got you a jumperoo and you are a big fan!
• The floor mat is starting to become a favorite of yours.
• You giggled for the first time on Friday, October 16th!
• Love it when someone claps your hands together or the bottoms of your feet.  A sure-fire way to get you to laugh.
• You are working hard at sitting up on your own as evidence in the pictures we tried to take this month!

• Grandma worked hard at teaching you to blow bubbles and you are all about the bubbles/raspberries!

• The girls at daycare love you and say that you are a sweetheart and so easy going.

What we've been up to:

• Week 14
• Week 15
• Week 16
• Week 17

And for comparison:

n

And then it hit me

In 4 days my baby boy will be going to daycare.

In 6 days I'll be back to work full-time.

It all hit me today as I dropped off the paperwork.  My chest got a little tight and I started to feel a little teary-eyed.

The anxiety started to settle in and my mind is playing the game of 20 questions with myself . . . .

How can I leave my baby boy all day? 
How will they know what's wrong when he cries?  
What if he doesn't take any naps?
How can I manage a job, a house, a marriage and a baby?
Can I keep up with pumping/breast-feeding at work?
Can I keep up with washing the cloth diapers?
Will I ever make it to work on time?
Will I ever get to exercise again?  (selfish - maybe, but valid)
What if he stops sleeping so well at night with all the change?
What if I can't get out of work on time to pick him up?

And the list goes on and on . . . . . 

Then I look at my baby boy and he just melts my heart (crazy eyes and all).

And I know that we'll find a way, somehow, we'll make it work, it'll all be worth it in the end.

I may not get as much sleep.
My house might not be as clean as I'd like it.
I might be late for work.

But we'll figure it out and do what works best for us (or so my husband has reassured me).

Monday Randoms

1. I'm a 'single parent' for the better part of the week.  Kurt suddenly had to go out of town for work all week, so not fun. (though who can resist this smile at 8AM)

2. I went to Target last week and saw this onsie.  It was only $1 I couldn't resist!



3. I am sooooo happy that football is back.  Whenever I could yesterday I watched whatever game was on (Thank you Alex for taking a 2hr nap in the afternoon!)  So ready for another season of fantasy football!

4. M is coming all the way from CA on Thursday to meet Alex.  So excited that she's going to be here!
5. While she's here I'm going to do some back to work/fall shopping.  I need some inspiration.  I think I'll head over to Pinterest for the first time!
6. I finally made our home organization binder late last week and we're using it this week.  I'll probably wait to post about it until next week or so after we've put it to use for a bit!
7. I've got several posts started and so many things I want to do before I go back to work.  (in 2 weeks :-/)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

3 months!

Happy 3 month Birthday Alex!

Sleep:

• We figured out that you need your last bottle by 7:30 and then to bed after that.  Goal is before 8:00.  You generally sleep straight through to 6:00 or later.  
• Naptime is still pretty crappy.  Catnaps is where it's at with you.  I'm really working hard on this and taking your cues as to when you're tired and putting you down as soon as possible.
• Finally sleeping in your crib.  First night August 19th and there was no trouble switching.

Feeding:

• About 6x per day.  Have a pretty decent schedule of 6:30, 9:00, 11:45, 2:30, 5:15 and 7:30.  They're not all even intervals but that seems to be about when you get hungry, give or take 15 minutes.
• Still nursing, but you do pretty good with a bottle.  When you take one, it is 4oz, and sometimes you want more!
  

Weight:

• Not too sure as our scale seems to be way off.  I think somewhere in the upper 14lb range (or maybe 15lbs).
• Everyone says you're a big boy!
  

Length:

•  Not sure this month, we'll have to wait for the 4 month appointment.

Diapers:

• Wearing a size 2 in disposables (I like the Huggies Little Snugglers the best, thought the Huggies Snug & Dry work well too)
• Cloth diapers are working out pretty well still.  For some reason whenever dad puts them on is when we have a wet leak!
• Still using disposables at night and sometimes when we go out.

Clothes:

• Wearing mostly 0-3 months and I've pulled out a few 3-6 month.
• Had to break out the 3-6 and 6mo sleepers just after 2 months.  Why are they so short!
• One piece 0-3's have mostly been put away, they're too short!
  

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:

• This month was your first plane ride and you did awesome!
• Likes to watch T.V. so we have found the Disney channel and put on some Mickey Mouse occassionally.
• Starting to hold onto things if they are given to you.
• Sometimes I think you're trying to put your pacifier back in your mouth.
• Like to lay on the floor and hold arms/fists in the air.
• Like to lay on the mats at Moms-in-Motion and one week it was like you were talking to Kate.  Many times at class you guys will turn and look at one another and sometimes smile.
• Love to sit up or stand up.
• Grandma taught you to stick out your tongue and you're getting the hang of blowing raspberries and bubbles.
• Thanks to the slope in the mattress your rolled over from your back to your belly, but quickly wanted to return to your back.
• Tummy time is getting much better.

What we've been up to:

• Week 9
• Week 10
• Week 11
• Week 12
• Week 13

Flying with baby, the aftermath

Alex and I just returned from our trip to NY to visit my parents. We had to stop once each flight with a short layover. I was really nervous if you remember my previous post asking for advice. But, honestly everything went better than I could have asked for. Sorry for the long descriptions, but I thought it might help someone.

To NY:
We got to the airport a little later than I had hoped, seeing as when I put Alex in the carseat to leave he proceeded to fill his diaper so we had to take a few extra minutes and change him. Getting through security was pretty good. The guy sent me down the crew line and I went right up to the machines first in line and no one behind me. There was another TSA officer there and he folded up my stroller for me and put it through (and a second pulled it down and set it up when it made it to the other end). I brought 2 bottles of milk just in case and there was no problem with those. I made it to our gate without too much trouble. Of course there was a couple there that gave me the look like oh great a baby on the flight (mind you it was 5:00AM). When we were on the first leg of our flight, I knew that the seats weren't full, so I asked if I could bring the car seat on and she said yes. We headed straight to the back and had our own row to ourselves plus the row across from us and several rows in front of us (plus a small one behind us). Everything went great. I fed him on the way up. We had 2 mid-air diaper changes but other than that he was pretty happy. We got off and had a little bit of trouble because we had to go down the steps of the plane to the tarmac and then get gate checked bags (stroller frame) and then back up the stairs to the terminal. Someone carried the frame up the steps for me and there were no problems.

The next leg was a full, jam packed small plane. Someone from the airport came and carried the frame down again and bagged up the caraway for me. The flight was rather bumpy with lots and lots of turbulence. He slept most of the flight. I had planned on feeding him on the way down but given the bumpy ride and how full the plane was I decided to wait and he was fine. I nursed him after we got our bags.




To NC:
The airport in NY was a little bit more difficult on the way back. There was only 1 open security line and they basically took my entire bag apart because I had too many electronics on top of one another in 1 bag. So keep that in mind next time you pack! The airport personnel weren't helpful here getting things on and off the belt or when trying to get on the plane as they were here in NC. Also it's really hard to get a carseat in the bag when you're alone, but I'm glad I did it. The first leg was full but I sat next to a nice lady and fed Alex mid-flight and he pretty much slept the rest of the time.

The next leg was a bigger plane and I did have an extra seat next to me but wasn't smart enough to check before hand. It was only a short flight and Alex again slept.

Getting on/off both of these legs of the trip there were some other passengers that were super helpful and I am very grateful for their help!




What I packed (what I used in italic):
Change of clothes for me
Change of clothes for Alex
Burp Cloths/Lap Pads
Nursing Cover
Swaddling Muslin Blanket (Used while nursing also)
Diapers (~8)/Wipes
Bottle/Milk
Pump (Only because I didn't want it in my checked bag)
Scout the Dog
Layers for Alex/me
Bag for carseat (worth the $19 at BRU and the seat did not get dirty)
Kindle/iPad

What I'd do differently:

• I didn't ask if the flight was full, totally my fault when I could have brought the carseat on the second leg of return flight.
• I would try to pack a smaller carry on. I was trying to be efficient and packed a few things that wouldn't fit into my checked bag in the carry on.
• Don't pack so many electronics on top of one another in your carry on!

All in all I felt pretty good about it. It was super tiring. I was exhausted when I got home yesterday, hence why I didn't get a post up. Hopefully next time I fly I won't have to do it alone.

"You is kind. You is smart. You is important."

I went and saw "The Help" a week or so back and when Abileen says this to Mae Mobley it really caught my attention. (the context, not the grammar). I had forgotten about it when I read the book.

Having a little one, everyone always says what a cutie, how adorable, how precious, etc, etc. I'm do it as well, to him and other babies. But I also want him to know that he is other things too. Sometimes people get so caught up in looks and appearances that I want him to know it's about more than just that.

He is kind and always has a smile for people. He is smart and is learning things every day, it's amazing to see him grow and change from day-to-day. He is important. His daddy and I love him so much and even though he has good and bad days I take them all. He means the world to us and I can't imagine if he wasn't here.

He's so little now that I'm sure he doesn't understand but I say this to him at least once a day. I want him to know how much he means to us and that there is more to him than what he looks like. I know that he will grow up soon and have more good and bad days but no matter what, he will always be kind, smart and important to us!

2 months!

Happy 2 month Birthday Alex!

Sleep:

• Much better in this department.  You generally give us a 12-hr stretch with 1 feeding, usually after about 7.5hrs.  This has been for about 2 weeks now.
  
• So far the earliest bedtime is 9:30.  We try for earlier but you aren't a fan.  We're going to wake you up earlier (usually you get up at about 9:30 in the morning) and see if that helps you go to bed a little earlier.
• Naps are still so-so.  We shoot for the philosophy that you shouldn't be awake for more than 2hrs at a time and then a nap.  It typically amounts to 2 - 45-minute naps in the morning, 1 - 1.5-2hr nap in the afternoon and 2 - 30 minute naps in the evening.  Hoping with a bed-time shift this will get better.
  

Feeding:

• About 7x.  1 at night and 6x during the day.  Usually in the morning you go longer between feedings and then at night 2hrs on the dot (must be building up for overnight!).
• Still nursing, but you do pretty good with a bottle.  When you take one, it is 4oz, and sometimes you want more!!
  

Weight:

• Went for your check-up today.  13lbs 3oz (83%)
  

Length:

•  Went for your check-up today.  23-5/8" (60%)  

Diapers:

• Wearing a size 1 in disposables (I like the Huggies Little Snugglers the best)
• We bought way more disposables then we needed for our trip, so we've been trying to use them up before you grow out of them.  
• We had a few weeks where stuck with the cloth diapers (except for night-time and leaving the house) and they worked pretty well, though a few minor leaks.

Clothes:

• Wearing 0-3 months.
• Sleepers are too short, cannot straighten out your legs.  Circo brand sleepers are a bit longer so we bought a few of those.  We also have a few without feet that work.  There are some 3-6 month sleepers in the washer right now, but I'm sad to put away the 0-3's already!.
• Some one piece outfits are a little too short in the body, I can still snap them but they're a little tight.  Though, onsies and pants still fit without a problem.
  

 Letters for your room came finally!

Personality/Likes/Miscellaneous:

• Today you had your 2month shots.  Rather fussy in the afternoon and wouldn't nurse, but after we tried a full bottle, it was like a totally different kid, much happier.
  
• In the middle of the night, sometimes, we look at the pack-n-play and there are just feet flying in the air while you're sleeping.
• Still grunting quite a bit.
• Much louder now!  When you wake up in the morning for good, most of the time you will just lay there and talk to yourself for a while.
• You like to smile, but sometimes make us work to get one out of you.
• New favorite thing is sticking your fist in your mouth.
• Rather than lay down, you prefer to be sitting as upright as possible or 'standing' on someone's lap.
  
• Tummy time is ok, but you don't like it unless you're elevated a little bit. 
• Mesmerized by ceiling fans and lately the T.V.  (better be careful about this one!).
• This month we traveled (via car) to PA then to NY and back home.  Did pretty ok with this, though after about 11hrs, you had enough of the car and were ready to get out.
• Mommy and Daddy went out to the movies while in NY and left you home with Grandma.  You didn't care and just laid around with cousin Avery the whole time.  :-)

What we've been up to:

• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
  

1 Month!

Happy 1 month Birthday Alex!

(the decals haven't arrived yet, they should have been here by now. Maybe next month!)

Sleep:

• Not too much of a routine yet. We are starting to get a little bit of a feel for your sleep patterns.
• During the night there is at least on long stretch, generally 5-7hrs (yes we had 1 - 7hr night and it was wonderful).
• You generally sleep better during the day for dad than me.
• You sometimes fight sleep and need to be swaddled and walked for a few minutes. Do not like your arms swaddled but after a few minutes give up the fight.
• If you sleep more during the day we generally have a better night.

Feeding:

• Nursing every 2-3 hours during the day.
• During the night you will give us one long stretch, though we've had a few times where you'll give us a 5hr+ and 4hr stretch afterwards.
• Started taking 1 bottle a day for the most part.
• Nursing is going well and working on building up a stash already.

Weight:

• We don't have a 1 month check-up so we you weighed at home and it looks like you are about: 10lbs 9oz

Length:

• At 2-week check-up you were 20", sounds like you shrunk from birth but most likely they just measured quickly, plus, had kind of a cone head from delivery. We'll see at 2 mo. check-up.

Diapers:

• Wearing a size 1 in disposables (I like the Huggies Little Snugglers the best)
• Decided for now, wearing disposables at night and when we go out somewhere, not ready to venture into handling cloth yet.
• Started wearing cloth diapers for the last few days and so far ok, one minor leak today.

Clothes:

• Wearing 0-3 months.
• The newborn clothes only fit for a few days.
• There is 1 brand of 3-6 I found in the closet that seem to fit already (BabyWorks). Not sure where they are from but we just have a few onsies. They seem to be shorter, glad I noticed them now and not when we started moving to the next size and realizing they were too small before you even had a chance to wear them.
• With the NC heat, spending lots of time in just onsies or just a diaper and anything one piece is better.

Personality/Likes:

• You are a grunter. Sometimes in the middle of feedings and afterwards. Sometimes in the middle of sleep. It's funny.
• Making lots more noises now.
• Generally pretty happy. Seems like you're starting to smile a little bit too (at someone, not just randomly).
• A poopy diaper generally starts with a pretty loud fart so we can tell.
• Started to like the bouncy seat and the swing a little bit.

What we've been up to:

• Week 1
• Week 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Newborn photos