Friday, January 29, 2010

WII Leads to Reality

We have recently discovered the hours of laughter, gut-renching, pee-your-pants laughing with the WII. Carson is an excellent swordfighter and bowler.

We decided to try out the real thing and all went bowling last weekend! We had a blast and definitely plan to go back again and again!

Using the ball launcher!
Go Daddy!
Patiently waiting his turn! With five of us bowling, he had to be very patient!
Heavy ball but he insisted on carrying it correctly!
Perfect way to spend a Sunday morning!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ooooooh Myyyyyy!!!!

If Gerber is looking for their next face . . . here it is!!


Photos by the lovely and talented: www.jennifercorderophotography.com


Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Cutie Pie!

Check out Keaton's 5 month pic at www.jennifercorderophotography.com He's the nudie cutie on the blue blanket!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Yet Another Over-Reaction

I never worried about Carson. Yet here I am freaking out about Keaton more than a first-time mom.

First, my two panic calls to the doc that Keaton wasn't tracking well. Yes, we went in twice, a month apart because I didn't think he was tracking with his eyes or reacting to us.

Yet each time, he was perfectly fine, just a little behind, but normal for an early baby.

My latest freak out . . . Keaton's strangely shaped head. A tad flat on one side and a bit sticky-outy on the other. I was freaking out in private.

I stupidly Googled "Craniosynostosis", was horrified at the images and was certain Keaton didn't have that but was still concerned.

Then I started sharing my concerns with friends who's eyes bugged out of their heads when I pointed it out.

That only freaked me out more.

Today we trotted off to the doctor again.

Half of me planned for worst case scenario and I was already decorating Keaton's helmet with a fake mohawk and racing stripes so the other kids wouldn't make fun of him.

The other half of me said I was being paranoid and the doctor would send us home with a gentle hug and kind words that "your son is perfectly normal".

But then the medical assistant looked horrified when I pointed out the offending bump. I freaked out again.

But then the doctor came in and kindly explained that our sweet son is perfectly normal.

He has an asymmetrical head. The shape is most likely due to the time he spent breech. His still pliable skull was pushed up against my pelvis and got a little squished.

We were sent home with a hug and kind words.

Crisis averted. I can cancel the Amazon order for a synthetic mohawk and flame stickers.

On a bright note, Keaton weighs 15 and a half pounds today, his 5 month birthday.

In spite of his constant, CONSTANT, barfing, he is gaining weight like a champ.

After 3 weeks of unsuccessful feeding attempts of solid foods, Keaton's tummy, mouth, tongue, and brain put it all together last night and now he is eating HUGE amounts of food. It's so great and hopefully he can get a few more calories to stay down.

The little guy is a champion sleeper! Goes to bed around 6:15-6:30 and doesn't wake up until around 6 am. LOVE IT!

We still haven't hit the infamous 4 month tough sleep patch but I'm preparing for it ahead of time. I'm making a pact with myself to stop rocking him to sleep and start letting him fall asleep on his own.

It happened very accidentally twice now. The first time I laid him in his crib to run and grab his night bottle. I got back 2 minutes later and he was out cold! Shocking!

This morning I laid him in his crib with the mobile going to load up the car. It took longer than I planned (as it always does). I heard some minor fussing, ran and popped the binkie back in to buy myself more time. Came in a few minutes later and once again he was out cold!

Love that little guy!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

My First Sad Moment

I sometimes want to hit the fast forward button for Keaton so he can sit up, crawl, walk, be more independent.

But I don't want to wish away my last baby days.

I packed up the 0-3 month baby clothes without a second thought. Loved that they would be used by another cute little boy in someone else's family.

I did feel a funny little butterfly in my stomach when I washed and folded the swaddle blankets for the last time but brushed it off.

Today, I pulled the puffy head bolster out of Keaton's car seat so he could see his brother in better in the back seat. It was more of an experiment than anything.

But halfway through the day, I realized that the bolster was never going back in.

For the first time, I felt a little sad.

Not sad enough to want a third child but sad enough to pause, and realize that my last baby is growing up, and quickly. He'll be 5 months old in just 5 days.

I don't want to wish away the days. I want to enjoy each one as I have it with my sweet, smiling boys.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Bedtime Battles & A Few Cute Pics

Before I blog endlessly about sleeping . . . here are a few precious pics of our rapidly growing Keaton! The kid NEVER stops smiling! It's contagious!





Showing off his fabulous Tummy to Back roll over. We're not clear if his talent is real or due to the tipping of giant noggin'.

The most commonly asked question among mothers of babies is, "Is he/she sleeping through the night?"

Like everything, sleep is 1 part nature and 1 part nurture (with a dash of luck).

I am oh so fortunate to be able to answer YES to the sleeping through the night question. Both boys started sleeping through the night around 3 months. That part is mostly nature.

However, nature plays a naughty little trick on mommies when their babies turn 4 months. I'll never forget Carson's 4 month doctor check-up. Dr. M asked, "Is Carson sleeping through the night?"

With a HUGE grin, I happily nodded yes.

With a twinkle in his eye (and very little sympathy), Dr. M warned me that the majority of babies go through a ROUGH SLEEP PATCH at 4 months.

WHAT?!? Not MY baby!

And literally two nights later, Carson began the longest 3 weeks of his life yet. He woke up every time his pacifier fell out, which was hourly. It was AWFUL.

I could even refer you back to the blog post where I detailed it but in a nutshell, I called a "Sleep Specialist" in California with high hopes, found out she cost $500, and promptly hung up the phone.

Now it's time for Nurture to battle Nature (and win!):

I read every sleep book Barnes & Noble had on its shelves and purchased my SLEEP BIBLE..... Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Dr. Weissbluth.

Carson has slept fantastically ever since. "Cry it out" is the simple philosophy, modified slightly from the infamous Ferber method.

Which brings us to the present.

Keaton is sleeping fantastically. His "4 month" Rough Patch has not occurred yet. However, he is technically still an adapted age due to his early arrival. So, do the math and that means it should be occurring any day now since he is 4 months & 3 weeks old.

I'm dreading it. I'm hoping he skips it. I don't want to have to traumatize Carson and my parents (since we are still living with them) with the mighty cries that will accost our ears. Please send good sleep thoughts our way!

Bedtime Battles, is what is currently happening with Carson. He adopted a "Stalling Mechanism". He has thought of every way possible to postpone bedtime. Here are his top 10 favorites in no particular order.

1. I didn't hug/kiss everyone good-night.
2. Just 2 more minutes
3. I forgot to go pee.
4. I forgot to poo.
5. I can't find doggie & lion. (his two bedtime pals)
6. I have a booger.
7. There's something in my sock.
8. My stars turned off (which means he's been lying in bed for 45 minutes).
9. I need a drink.
10. I didn't get my teeth vitamin.

Our bedtime routine has gotten longer and longer and longer. It's ridiculous. And he lies awake for quite awhile before he finally falls asleep. Naptime is similar.

I should probably consult our Sleep Bible to see if it has any great advice about 3.5 year olds!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

!!! Remodel Link !!!

Two posts in one day! Yes, because my brain is mush and I finally am getting around to posting the link to our remodel pictures : In case that link doesn't work: http://picasaweb.google.com/jeremyrader/HomeRemodel?feat=directlink

We're in our third month now and progressing well. Things are on schedule and while our contractor is doing a fantastic job of staying on budget, we are wrecking the budget with our choices.

Builder!! GTM Construction

New kitchen!! Aura Cabinets

Interior Design!! Beth Rear Interior Design

Many more terrific guys on our crew! They work in the rain, the cold, the windy, and the wee morning hours!

Boys are SO different than Girls

My friend Julie and I constantly lament over our boys' obsession with guns and shooting.

My pediatrician says it's perfectly normal and get over it.

Two rules, don't point your gun at people's faces AND don't say "I'm going to kill ______"

So what do I do?

Buy Carson two Nerf guns for Christmas. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I even bought 40 extra whistling bullets.

However, that backfired because Carson wasn't strong enough to cock the darn gun. So then we drove all over town looking for battery powered guns. Dead end.

That led us to amazon.com where we purchased nerf disk guns that really sucked.

Finally today, Jeremy said to Carson, I'm not cocking the gun for you anymore. You have to figure it out.

Bless his heart, the kid did it. Three tries with all his strength and he finally got it. His eyes popped out of his head!

Now we have 40 bullets scattered all over the house.

Keeping with the gun theme and to prove boys are SO different than girls:

After reading Bambi 348 times in the last 39 days, we rented the movie this weekend.

A sweet, kind movie about a gentle deer who loses his mother, survives a fire, and falls in love with his best friend. Throw in a skunk named Flower and a giddy bunny named Thumper and you have a wonderful Disney feel-good movie.

But what does my son tell me after watching this? While we're cuddling before bedtime, he says, "Mommy, you know what I want to be for Halloween next year? . . . A hunter with a gun that takes Bambi's mommy away."

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a good thing camo is my favorite color.

Thursday, January 07, 2010

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

GOOD:

Carson:

is hilarious. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally, but often.

mouth starts at 6:40 am and doesn't stop until 8 pm. He is in bed by 7:30 but we can hear him talking and singing for at least another 30 minutes if not more.

favorite number is five. Everything is five. Five more minutes. Five snacks. Five shows. And he is especially proud to show us five on his fingers.

five month problem of "slicks" (medical term for nasty, gross, poop skidmarks) has finally come to an end. I think, I hope, I pray that we have found the perfect balance of Mirilax and FiberTabs to keep his #2's firm but not hard. I promise that I will buy Keaton ALL NEW underpants when his time comes. Carson's are all getting thrown out.

Keaton:

discovered his toes and loves to play with them. However, he doesn't know how to let go.

discovered his voice and uses it loudly and often! From screeching to laughing to cooing, he also "talks" a lot. Fun for us but is making it VERY difficult to keep taking him to the office.

is ticklish. And boy do we all love to tickle him to hear his hilarious laughs. It sounds like torture and probably is.

prefers standing to any other position. Barely has to hold our fingers.

LOVES his jumper. We got it out of the barn the weekend after Christmas and it took him about a week to figure it out but will stay in there bouncing for a good 30 minutes.

hates eating rice cereal. Don't blame him, it tastes awful. Going to try some sweeter foods this weekend.

LOVES bathtime and would probably stay in there all night if we let him.

NEVER stops smiling. I truly didn't think we could have a happier baby than Carson but Keaton is trying to prove us wrong :)

Sleeps through the night 6 days a week!! We have an occasional random wake up once a week but overall he is just as great at sleeping as his brother.

Graduated to the "big boy" seat in the jogger. No longer has to be stuck in his car seat but is LOVING the view of Baby Boot Camp and all the fun things happening.

BAD:

Carson:

Naughty, naughty, naughty! This 3.5 year old has discovered "fibbing". Favorite thing is to go to one parent and say the other parent said it's okay. IE: To Daddy, "Mommy said I could eat 10 cookies" NO WAY JOSE.

Hiding. While later in life this will be a fantastic talent, the kid can hide for hours without a peep, it is driving us crazy. I literally have to search the house for him when I'm trying to get out the door.

Guns & Shooting: Our pediatrician says this is just a phase but we're struggling with all the talk of guns, shooting, and bullets. Carson even told me one night he was going to kill me. That crosses the line and he got in huge trouble. I don't understand where it even comes from!!

"Shut up" - I was told by my lovely son to shut up. And he shook his fist at me while he said it. UNACCEPTABLE. Yet, oddly, while he used it in context, later he tried explaining to me that SHUT UP means the bad guys are shooting things. Huh?? Is this another fib to get himself out of hot water?

Keaton:

Poor kid continues to struggle with his barfing. We now own 20+ bibs and at 3/days, that isn't even a week's worth. I've tried several different formulas and am shelling out $166/month for Prevacid.

When he occasionally wakes up at 5 am instead of 6:30, he has no interest in going back to sleep. I have to rock him in the dark for an hour before he'll succumb to the back of his eyelids.

UGLY:

We had a super traumatic event several days ago.

I placed Keaton in his baby swing and walked away. We never strap him into anything. We never strapped Carson into anything.

Then, THUD.

My heart stopped.

I saw Jeremy go running.

And I rounded the corner just in time to see Jeremy scoop Keaton up off the ground and then the screaming started, Keaton, not Jeremy.

It was awful.

And those who know me, know I am pretty relaxed about kids falling and safety things, to the point where other people are probably uncomfortable. And if he had just fallen out of the swing and landed on his back on the carpet, I probably wouldn't have freaked out.

But.

Poor Keaton. The swing was right next to a bar stool with a metal footrest. No way to know for sure but it would have been nearly impossible for him to fall without hitting it on the way down.

AND. He landed on the metal post of the swing.

I am the worst mother in the world.

Thank goodness kids are resilient. Pliable, flexible, they recover quickly.

We found no bruises, no marks, his pupils didn't go nutty. He didn't throw up. Nothing.

However he did fall asleep almost instantly afterward which of course was stressful. I kept pinching his toes to make sure he wasn't paralyzed.

Poor Jeremy heard the thud and looked up just in time to see Keaton's body falling to the ground since his head hit first. I am so glad I did not see it, as it would be burned into my brain.

So, clearly our child is strong, in more ways than one. We are now UBER careful with him as he is always arching his back to try to roll over. He is strapped into everything and never left unattended on the changing table.

Pictures next time. I promise!

How Old is Carson?

How Old is Keaton?