Monday, July 25, 2011

Back on Track!

We saw Dr. Maxouris today and you are back on track with your weight gain.  You have gained almost a pound (you are up to 13 pounds 9 oz) and grown 1 1/4 inches in the past two weeks!  We are able to stick with nursing for now, although the dr. did say that feeding you fruit in the late  morning may  help you nap more.  We will try it out for a few days and see if it helps.  I bought you some organic apples today and plan to make you some applesauce tomorrow.  I hope you like it!

Camping!

This past weekend we went camping at Devil's Lake in Wisconsin.  We had a lot of fun, and as usual you adjusted to the new environment quite easily.  Though it was hot and humid you maintained your generally happy attitude, slept well, and went along on all excursions pretty happily.  You did get a little cranky now and then, but that is understandable when the temperature is in the 90's and you are being carried right up against your mom.  We went hiking, mini golfing, and survived a short-lived  but strong thunderstorm in our tent Saturday night.  You mostly got really sick of being in the car and were very unhappy by the time we got home on Sunday.  Here are some pictures from our adventures in Devil's Lake.
Hanging out in the tent



Spiky hair due to Mom pouring water on your head to keep you cool

Enjoying your own personal tent in the morning


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Four Months Old!

It is hard to believe that you are already four months old.  That is a third of a year.  Time is going by so fast.  I regularly remind myself to slow down and enjoy each day with you.  Your routine and activities are constantly changing so no day is ever quite the same as the one before. It is amazing how much you have changed in the past month.  Not only do you look bigger and older but you are also getting a lot stronger, and physically capable.  You can now roll onto your side from your back.  You don't get all the way over, but you love to lay sideways when you are playing on the floor.  You can sit with some help, and your favorite thing is for us to hold you so that you are standing.  Your legs are so strong and seem to never get tired, you just need to work on your balance a bit.  We have started putting you in the Jumper that hangs from the door frame and you just smile so big any time you are in it.  You are usually not content to sit still very long which makes me nervous that once you get moving you will never stop.  I am really not in a hurry to have you crawling, but I know that day is coming soon.
Your dad and I joke that you are way more social than either one of us.  You must have gotten that from your Nana and Papa.  You love people, and will smile at anyone in close proximity to you.  You will also carry on conversations with other people, yourself, or Samson when he is barking.  Going along with your social nature, naps have become a huge struggle with you.  You never want to  miss out on anything, and you especially do not want to be in a dark room all by yourself.  You will scream and scream, and when I come into your room you will just smile and giggle at me.  You apparently think this is a fun game, but I would disagree.  I am hoping this is just a phase that will pass quickly and that you won't turn into a kid who never naps.
At your four month doctor appointment we learned that you have not been gaining enough weight.  You had only gained four ounces since we were there a month ago.  The doctor thinks this is a result of me having the stomach flu and losing a bit of my milk supply.  I am working hard to build that back up and help you gain some weight.  It is a lot of work but it is worth it to me to keep you off of solid food for now. We go back in a couple weeks for a re-check to make sure things are getting back to normal.  Luckily Dr. Maxouris is not trying to convince me to supplement with formula, and has given me a lot of tips to get you back on track with just nursing.  You have been sleeping all night again the past couple of nights so to me that is a good sign that you are getting enough food during the day.  All other things looked good at your appointment, and you got out of your shots for now since we have to go back for the weight check anyways.