Well Baby Visit

We went to the pediatrician's today for your 4 month well child visit. You now weigh a whopping 17lbs and 11 ounces, and measure 25 1/4 inches in length. We're thinking Sumo wrestler might be a remote career option. :P

The doctor was very pleased with your progress, milestones, and health. He wanted to see if we could cut down your night time feedings, though, so that you can eventually sleep through the night without a need for feeding.

He also suggested that we might start you on a few tablespoons of iron fortified rice cereal once a day, and going ahead with experimenting with different foods from there. The no-nos for now are chocolate, peanuts, eggs and honey. Otherwise, the sky's ( almost ) the limit. We'll have you eating out of chopsticks in no time! Hehe..

It IS quite an exciting milestone, actually. We're going to take this "solid food" thing one baby step at a time and I already forsee needing all kinds of new gadgets to add to our baby stuff repertoire. ( brother ! ) Like Scoop Bibs, for example. Fun fun fun.

The immunization part of the exam though, was stressful, as before. You cried when the shots were given, but didn't cry for as long as during the 2 month visit. Once we got home, you were a little fussier and clingier than usual. When you finally settled down for a nap in the late afternoon, you slept for about 1/2 hour. Then you crashed for the night way earlier than your usual bed time...made Daddy almost crazy with paranoia wondering if you were having a reaction to the vaccines. Poor stressed baby and daddy. We'll be giving you baby Tylenol for a day or so, but I'm sure you'll be A OK in no time :)

p/s random thoughts on things that make you laugh

• mummy's funny faces
• daddy making you do a strange "Elaine" boogie
• mummy laughing exageratedly "ho ho ho"
• mummy gumming your 'pits

Month 3 - 31/2

As we are approaching your 4th month,

I find myself living from day to day, I can't really plan anything much in advance. In fact, I'm living from nap to nap to night-time sleeping time, and next morning from nap to nap to night-time sleeping again. And we're not talking about Mommy's naps. We're talking about YOURS!

You used to nap real good, but these days, you're fighting sleeping, and napping only 1/2 hour at a time. I suppose I have to learn to be less uptight and just go with the flow, not forcing you to sleep, but recognizing your sleepy mode and allow you to let me know when you are ready for some shut eye.

We got you the Fisher Price Seahorse, to try and help with that. It doesn't seem to put you to sleep, but I turn it on when it's time to nap, hoping for some Pavlovian association with the lullabies and soft glow from Mr. Seahorse's tummy.

Daddy bought a glider from Wally World to try to ease mommy's woes at helping you sleep, but at the moment it isn't quite achieving its full potential either. I do everything I can to try to help you wind down, even making up lullabies that have ridiculous lyrics and even stranger melodies. Can't blame me for not being a lullaby efficionado

We also try to have a night-time routine to help you go down for the night, part of which is a night time bath, which you love, but once you're out of the bath and getting into the PJs, you seem to know that sleeping time is afoot and you struggle to stay awake. Or you just don't know how to fall asleep on your own.

Can you tell mommy is obsessed with sleep yet? Yours and hers.

You gave your first giggle/laugh on July 6th, and it was such a surprise.. mommy was playing with you while you were on your bouncer, and suddenly you burst out in these giggles! Daddy was in the living room and even HE heard it :)

Once in a while we let you watch the Baby Einstein shows, and apparently these people know what they're doing because if you were not in sleepy/cranky mode, the images on the screen seem to have you totally mesmerised! Of course, most of the time mommy's right there with a running commentary on what's going on, on the screen.

You're doing much better at tummy time, holding your head and chest up. You're not rolling yet, but we're not too worried. We'll just let you do that all in your own time, and let you surprise us!

On the other hand, besides swatting and batting at your toys, you are actually reaching out ( sorta ) for them, and if placed in your hands, you will hold on to them, looking at and examining them, and of course, putting them in your mouth! We've come a long way from all the uncoordinated flapping around that you used to do :)

Your daddy is always amazed at each and every milestone you reach.

Daddy quotes

"Look at that arm! It's growing over his hand!"

Mommy : "I just realised that in the beginnning, my b**bs looked monstrous next to his little head, and now his head is bigger than my b**b!"

Daddy : " Yeah, and your b**bs weren't even quite as big then!"

Mommy : *brother!*

"His feet are so chunky, his socks look like snow boots on them!"

Heading out of 3-month-hood

Heeeeeeere's Jaxon!

It'll never be 50 -50

Or even 30 - 70

I know that as a fact, and that there are roles that each partner plays, but some days feel more frustrating than others.

Then I feel guilty that I feel that way. *sigh*

Random Thoughts

Things you do..

• Kick your legs at the rubber duckies during bath time
• Bat at hanging toys while seated in your car seat
• Grasp my fingers or shirt while nursing
• Give me frantic looks when I put you down on the swing while I try to do something else for a minute
• Give me shy sleepy smiles when you wake up in a good mood

Things I'm thinking

• My "luscious" pregnancy hair is coming out.. in clumps. *sigh*
• I'm torn between wanting you to develop quickly, but at the same time, not wanting you to grow up so fast.
• A lot of times I am exhausted as I wake up in the morning, after a cramped night ( co-sleeping con ) of being in the same position and hanging on for dear life on my side of the bed while you are spread out in the middle/ my side of the bed.
• I am getting fatigued from going through the feed/play/getting you to fall asleep cycle that happens every 2 hours or so, interspersed with trying to clean the house, get chores done and make breakfast and dinner. ( Not complaining.. just feeling tired, and I know it's just a phase and it will only get better from here on )

Daddy quote

" I think that now that he's been with us for this amount of time, we'd feel quite lost without him"

It's things like these that takes the fatigue away.

You laughed for the first time today.

And it was AWESOME!

I had you on your rocker in the kitchen, and I was rocking you, while going "OooooOOooooOOoo JAXON!", with my face really close to you at the "JAXON" parts. At first you were smiling, and then there was a little giggling, and then a full HA HA HA HA laugh! Even your daddy heard it in the living room.

I thought my heart was going to burst. We did that for a couple of minutes, and then you kinda got sleepy and tired of the game. I can't wait for the next laughs though! *sigh*

Jaxon Weeks 10, 11 and 12