Cooper has started a new trend that is apparently common in breastfed babies- holding it. Oh yes, he still pees at least a dozen times a day, but as for pooping...
Try every 4 to 6 days.
Now, you might say, "My god! Poor thing is constipated!" But I can verify both through personal observation and extensive reading of baby health literature that he is not constipated. Apparently, this is pretty standard for his age and diet. However, no matter how normal you can call it, it is a long time to hold it.
So now you are curious, I know, about what happens once he reaches capacity? A physically improbable amount of material comes right on out, all at once, filling not only his diaper but also the lower end of his shirt and quite a large part of his pants. Difficult to clean, totally gross, and frankly- hilarious.
I'm glad he doesn't seem bothered by this. As for Matt and me, we are starting to be concerned about the timing of these events. So far we've been lucky and it has always been at the house and pretty contained in scope. But each time, after about three days, I get concerned when we leave the house. Will this be it? Did I remember to pack a spare outfit? I kinda fear the day he decides to let loose and I'm wearing a nice white shirt, or better yet at some sort of a social function. Yikes!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Stylish baby?
I just noticed that a few of Cooper's favorite outfits have 3/4 length sleeves, and 3/4 length pants.
Some might argue that he has grown out of them, and that they would be full length if he fit them properly.
NONSENSE!! I'm not in denial, I swear.
Some might argue that he has grown out of them, and that they would be full length if he fit them properly.
NONSENSE!! I'm not in denial, I swear.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Photo reminder, and lilac love
First, a reminder. If you have not seen the albums "Cooper" (which is 0-6 weeks) and "Cooper II" (which is 6 weeks onward) on my Kodak site, and you would like to see them, email me on my yahoo account and I'll send you the links.
Now, the fun part.
Cooper gets sweeter and funnier by the day. He is a contagious smiler and when his needs are met (i.e. when not hungry, exhausted, or sitting in a yucky diaper) he is a near constant source of giggles, smiles, and chatty baby coos. He smiles out at the world with his gummy grin and charms everyone that sees him. He enjoys being tickled, looking at his toys, sitting on our laps, walking around the house in our arms, and touring the yard while mom or dad waters the gardens.
Recently the weather here has become extremely pleasant. Therefore, I have started putting Cooper on a comfortable play-mat under the lilacs in the shade during the day occasionally. He quietly talks to the trees ("oooo? goo? eeeeeeee!!!"), waves his little arms and legs excitedly, and looks at the moving branches and leaves. He is happy under there for up to 15 minutes at a time, and then he usually either wets himself (which often results in screaming these days- the kid hates a wet diaper) or falls asleep. During his chill-out sessions with the lilacs I typically pull weeds in the garden. Excellent multitasking.
Now, the fun part.
Cooper gets sweeter and funnier by the day. He is a contagious smiler and when his needs are met (i.e. when not hungry, exhausted, or sitting in a yucky diaper) he is a near constant source of giggles, smiles, and chatty baby coos. He smiles out at the world with his gummy grin and charms everyone that sees him. He enjoys being tickled, looking at his toys, sitting on our laps, walking around the house in our arms, and touring the yard while mom or dad waters the gardens.
Recently the weather here has become extremely pleasant. Therefore, I have started putting Cooper on a comfortable play-mat under the lilacs in the shade during the day occasionally. He quietly talks to the trees ("oooo? goo? eeeeeeee!!!"), waves his little arms and legs excitedly, and looks at the moving branches and leaves. He is happy under there for up to 15 minutes at a time, and then he usually either wets himself (which often results in screaming these days- the kid hates a wet diaper) or falls asleep. During his chill-out sessions with the lilacs I typically pull weeds in the garden. Excellent multitasking.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Superbaby!
Cooper made his mom and dad very proud at the official weigh-in today (a.k.a. 2 month checkup). While we knew he was a big boy, we were excited to find out exactly how big he was- and he is HUGE! He weighs 13 pounds and 10 ounces, which is 95% for his age. His height was 24 inches, I think (I didn't pay very close attention to that part) but I do recall that his height was also 95%. His head circumfrence was in the 75%, which seemed odd to me given the other two 95s, so I asked. The nurse explained to me that this means he is both big and tall, but not "giant for his age." She said it was normal for heights and weights to align and head size to be different.
Our boy also decided to show off his amazing baby skills of smiling at himself in the mirror, doing push-ups, making excellent eye contact, and flipping himself onto his side from his back. I'm proud to report that all his physical skills are a few months ahead of average- he is apparently quite advanced at things like supporting his weight on his legs and keeping his head under control. His social skills are just about target for his age, although the fact that he laughs out loud is unusual for a two month old. I like to think it is because he is such a happy baby!
He was pretty crabby to begin with at the appointment, but he recovered nicely once I changed his diaper in the exam room. He loved looking at the doctor and the bright colored stethoscope, which made life easier in terms of the exam. Sadly, he got upset (of course) and thus even crabbier than he started after his first ever vaccinations. But he had a great nap afterwards in the stroller, and seems only slightly irritable at this point. The doctor said he might not sleep too well tonight due to the vaccines. Oh well!
Our boy also decided to show off his amazing baby skills of smiling at himself in the mirror, doing push-ups, making excellent eye contact, and flipping himself onto his side from his back. I'm proud to report that all his physical skills are a few months ahead of average- he is apparently quite advanced at things like supporting his weight on his legs and keeping his head under control. His social skills are just about target for his age, although the fact that he laughs out loud is unusual for a two month old. I like to think it is because he is such a happy baby!
He was pretty crabby to begin with at the appointment, but he recovered nicely once I changed his diaper in the exam room. He loved looking at the doctor and the bright colored stethoscope, which made life easier in terms of the exam. Sadly, he got upset (of course) and thus even crabbier than he started after his first ever vaccinations. But he had a great nap afterwards in the stroller, and seems only slightly irritable at this point. The doctor said he might not sleep too well tonight due to the vaccines. Oh well!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
May update
Updates on currently burning questions;
How is your rash?
The evil post-partum rash is on its way out. After two courses of steroids and a whole lot of anti-histamines, it seems to now be simply going away on its own. Slow but steady improvements. Thank god.
Is his hair red or what?
Independent opinions of strangers concur with our general idea that his hair is reddish. The reddest part of his hair is at his temples, so in direct sunlight and wearing a hat he gets quite a few comments like, "ohh! he looks like he might be a redhead!" from admiring passerbys.
Eye color?
Still blue, getting bluer. No signs of hazel or green.
Still big?
So big. Official weigh-in tomorrow. Very exciting. He's almost outgrown his favorite socks, and I might need to break down and buy him a bigger pair soon.
Are you losing your hair yet?
Yes, but luckily I have such thick hair anyway that the only noticeable effect is a nasty shower drain.
Does he take a bottle?
No. This is becoming very frustrating. After an initially encouraging start, he is now on strike and won't drink a single ounce. It is demoralizing for Matt and frustrating for me.
How is work?
Good! I'll be going back full-time soon. While I'd sure love to wait longer that isn't financially feasible, so I'm glad I can work from home.
Any new skills?
Cooper is starting to roll over. He is fairly good at front to back, and pretty bad at back to front. But he has done both several times, and no longer can be trusted to remain on his stomach for more then a few minutes. He also has become a master of escaping a swaddle, so now we have to swaddle and also pin him down with another blanket, or use a sleep sack. Both are viable and safe options.
Has his baby acne gone away?
YES! Finally! Yeee haw!
How is your rash?
The evil post-partum rash is on its way out. After two courses of steroids and a whole lot of anti-histamines, it seems to now be simply going away on its own. Slow but steady improvements. Thank god.
Is his hair red or what?
Independent opinions of strangers concur with our general idea that his hair is reddish. The reddest part of his hair is at his temples, so in direct sunlight and wearing a hat he gets quite a few comments like, "ohh! he looks like he might be a redhead!" from admiring passerbys.
Eye color?
Still blue, getting bluer. No signs of hazel or green.
Still big?
So big. Official weigh-in tomorrow. Very exciting. He's almost outgrown his favorite socks, and I might need to break down and buy him a bigger pair soon.
Are you losing your hair yet?
Yes, but luckily I have such thick hair anyway that the only noticeable effect is a nasty shower drain.
Does he take a bottle?
No. This is becoming very frustrating. After an initially encouraging start, he is now on strike and won't drink a single ounce. It is demoralizing for Matt and frustrating for me.
How is work?
Good! I'll be going back full-time soon. While I'd sure love to wait longer that isn't financially feasible, so I'm glad I can work from home.
Any new skills?
Cooper is starting to roll over. He is fairly good at front to back, and pretty bad at back to front. But he has done both several times, and no longer can be trusted to remain on his stomach for more then a few minutes. He also has become a master of escaping a swaddle, so now we have to swaddle and also pin him down with another blanket, or use a sleep sack. Both are viable and safe options.
Has his baby acne gone away?
YES! Finally! Yeee haw!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Laughing
Cooper has graduated to a whole new realm of fun sounds. He now laughs out loud, giggles, and says a whole bunch of consonant and vowel sounds. One of the most fun things is that when he is being chatty, if you prompt him, i.e. "Cooper will you say Goo? Goo... Gooo... Goo... Do you want to say Goo for momma?" then at least 50% of the time he'll put in some kind of good try. Maybe he'll say Ooo or Coo instead, but it is certainly in response to my or Matt's efforts. His real "talking" sounds are very quiet and shy in comparison to his laughs and screams, which is very funny and rather interesting. You practically have to strain your ears to hear some of his newer experimental sounds, like his hard "C" (like 'Kuh').
We ran into a very nice family that we met at birthing class last winter and their baby is very cute (although their 2 1/2 year old was cuter and extremely funny, I have to admit). It was fun to chat about our experiences, briefly, and see how they are doing after having kid #2. They had a very scary, unhappy (although in the end, perfectly healthy) birth with their first child in the hospital, so I was really psyched to hear that the birth of their second went so well at the birth center.
In a testament to the "Moby Wrap," the mom confessed that she owns 6 different infant carrying devices... slings, wraps, more conventional "baby byorn" type things, etc. And what was she wearing her four month old little boy in? The Moby wrap, in cherry red.
We love our Moby wrap too. It might be slightly a pain to get it on just right, but good lord does it work nicely once that baby is in there! Totally worth it.
We ran into a very nice family that we met at birthing class last winter and their baby is very cute (although their 2 1/2 year old was cuter and extremely funny, I have to admit). It was fun to chat about our experiences, briefly, and see how they are doing after having kid #2. They had a very scary, unhappy (although in the end, perfectly healthy) birth with their first child in the hospital, so I was really psyched to hear that the birth of their second went so well at the birth center.
In a testament to the "Moby Wrap," the mom confessed that she owns 6 different infant carrying devices... slings, wraps, more conventional "baby byorn" type things, etc. And what was she wearing her four month old little boy in? The Moby wrap, in cherry red.
We love our Moby wrap too. It might be slightly a pain to get it on just right, but good lord does it work nicely once that baby is in there! Totally worth it.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The big world out there
Up until a few days ago, Cooper wasn't really that "into" the world around him. Sure, a toy might catch his attention, or a bright light or big colorful object might get stared at. For instance, when the city bus drove by the bay window- oh boy did that look neat!
It seems like overnight he decided the world is really exciting. He has begun enjoying sitting in my lap facing outwards, where he can watch terribly exciting stuff like Dad shoveling gravel. Oooo! Crunchy sounding AND watching Dad! And Matt has started stuffing him into the wrap with his body facing out, rather than inwards, and by golly is that the coolest thing Cooper has ever seen. He stares out into the world, waving his arms excitedly from time to time. It is so darn cute!
I'm not sure if this represents a pure mental shift, or a mental plus eyesight improvement (along with huge strides in upright head control), but it is very funny and interesting to watch Cooper engage with the world around him. Stuff that previously was ignored is now utterly fascinating. I feel like he must have a constant running inner voice that goes like this...
"LOOK! There is that big black dog again! and a window! and now we are going outside! There are plants outside! And we are going into the shed! There is pointy stuff in the shed! And we are going outside AGAIN! So exciting! LOOK! A chicken! And there is our house! And more flowers! So exciting!"
As an added bonus, he likes to look at himself in the mirror. He smiles at "the other baby" that lives in the mirror and seems to really get excited when that baby is also smiling. Of course, "the other baby" simultaneously gets excited, so the whole thing feeds itself. Very funny.
It seems like overnight he decided the world is really exciting. He has begun enjoying sitting in my lap facing outwards, where he can watch terribly exciting stuff like Dad shoveling gravel. Oooo! Crunchy sounding AND watching Dad! And Matt has started stuffing him into the wrap with his body facing out, rather than inwards, and by golly is that the coolest thing Cooper has ever seen. He stares out into the world, waving his arms excitedly from time to time. It is so darn cute!
I'm not sure if this represents a pure mental shift, or a mental plus eyesight improvement (along with huge strides in upright head control), but it is very funny and interesting to watch Cooper engage with the world around him. Stuff that previously was ignored is now utterly fascinating. I feel like he must have a constant running inner voice that goes like this...
"LOOK! There is that big black dog again! and a window! and now we are going outside! There are plants outside! And we are going into the shed! There is pointy stuff in the shed! And we are going outside AGAIN! So exciting! LOOK! A chicken! And there is our house! And more flowers! So exciting!"
As an added bonus, he likes to look at himself in the mirror. He smiles at "the other baby" that lives in the mirror and seems to really get excited when that baby is also smiling. Of course, "the other baby" simultaneously gets excited, so the whole thing feeds itself. Very funny.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
My giant baby
OK, Cooper isn't THAT big. But he's a big kid. People often guess his age as several months older then he is, and when I put him next to babies his age he is almost always much, much larger. He fits a lot of his 6-9 and 6-12 sized clothing, and some of his 3-6 stuff doesn't look right anymore.
On Saturday I saw a cute baby and asked how old he was- he was 4 days younger then Cooper. He looked soooo small to me, and had these teensy weensy feet. Like TINY feet. This kid's feet must be what they manufacture most baby socks for! We had two sets of baby socks- one set of two pairs of smartwools (which are AWESOME and I highly recommend them) that fit really nicely, and one set of three pairs of cute fuzzy cotton baby socks.
When Cooper was a few days old, I put the cotton socks on him. They were too small.
Note to everyone who ever wants to give anyone a baby gift- buy big. Not tiny. All babies grow (fast)!
On Saturday I saw a cute baby and asked how old he was- he was 4 days younger then Cooper. He looked soooo small to me, and had these teensy weensy feet. Like TINY feet. This kid's feet must be what they manufacture most baby socks for! We had two sets of baby socks- one set of two pairs of smartwools (which are AWESOME and I highly recommend them) that fit really nicely, and one set of three pairs of cute fuzzy cotton baby socks.
When Cooper was a few days old, I put the cotton socks on him. They were too small.
Note to everyone who ever wants to give anyone a baby gift- buy big. Not tiny. All babies grow (fast)!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
I exude pure lard
Matt left out a used and rejected bottle for a while yesterday- it doesn't matter because you can't retry a bottle that has been mouthed and sucked on. Some bacteria from the baby spit could get in there, and then they could breed and make him sick. Better safe then sorry.
After about an hour, the milk separated into the fat and watery parts.
Delicious!
Apparently, I'm creating milk with about 10% fat. No wonder he grows so darn fast.
After about an hour, the milk separated into the fat and watery parts.
Delicious!
Apparently, I'm creating milk with about 10% fat. No wonder he grows so darn fast.
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