Thurs. November 25, 2008: Liam turned 4 months old on 11/23! He is now rolling all over the place! He started rice cereal on Sunday and he hated it (see pics of this on page 43). He started a new daycare that he attends on Tuesdays and Thursdays, today was his first day and he loves it so far! He has a Rainforest play gym and he loves it... he bats at the toys and talks to the animals.
Tues. November 25, 2008:- Picture page 42 & 43
Mon. November 10, 2008: Liam is trying so hard to roll over from back to tummy and tummy to back! He's almost there! He loves tummy time now, he feels like a big boy when he can push himself up. He tries to scoot himself all over the place. He is also trying to blow raspberries -- his version is sticking out his tongue and saying "grrrrr".
We're almost to size 3 diapers and he's in 6 month and 6-9 month size clothing. He's in love with his rainforest play mat, so much to look at and grab at. He's growing up so fast!
He's also out of the phase of going to bed by himself -- he must be held/rocked/put down asleep now, or it's meltdown city. I think he's really starting to teethe, I can't feel anything coming through yet but he's drooling more and really biting down hard on everything. I think the teething thing may have something to do with the clingyness... but mommy and daddy don't mind, we'll rock him to sleep if that's what he needs right now.
When he wakes up, he doesn't always cry, sometimes he plays in his crib, pushing his little head and shoulders up as high as he can go, babbling away. He's found his voice, getting louder and louder. He will be 16 weeks on Wednesday, boy oh boy, does time fly!
Mon. November 10, 2008:
Mon. October 27, 2008: Mr. Liam turned 3 months old on October 23rd! That date just so happens to be the EDD(estimated due date) of one of my little babies I lost. How special my miracle baby turned 3 months old that day! Did you know I had a 99% chance I wouldn't carry Liam to term? WOW! He is a fighter and the very definitaion of a miracle baby. He is doing so well! Mommy is back to work, so we're adjusting to our routine. He is in daycare 2 days per week and Grandma Juy watches him the rest of the time. We're getting into our groove, slowly but surely. What an adjustment for everyone!
Are we teething? It makes me wonder! Liam is drooling, gnawing on everything, his sleep habits change from day to day and he has been fussy. I read that teething can take months for the little teethers to pop through, so only time will tell!
In a previous update, I wrote about Liam saying "Nah Nye" (night night), he continued to do that for about a week or so but has since stopped.
He is now into watching TV. He's so much like his daddy. They watch football together and Bear Grylls. I swear men are born with the remote in their hand!
Not sure when the next update will be, with being back to work, there's not much time! Love to you all.
Mon. October 27, 2008:
Mon. October 13, 2008:
Sun. October 12, 2008:
Sat. October 11, 2008:
Fri. October 10, 2008:
Fri. October 10, 2008:
Wed. October 8, 2008: Liam is 11 weeks old today! We may have a first word on our hands here... what do you think?
I talk to him all the time, so he's got babbling down pat. He's mimicked me saying "hi" and "daddy" in crystal clear little kid voices and he's said "boo" in a semi-clear way.
I know that's all mimicking and is not considered "talking" but...
He now says "nah-nye" like "night night"... and here's how it's got me puzzled:
He's said it 2 times now.
Once, I was holdiong him in the kitchen and he was fussing a bit. I was asking him what was wrong (wasn't like him) and I was talking to him. After about 5 minutes, he says "Nah-Nye" in this aggitated little tone, lol.
I responded by saying, oh, you want to go night night? Okay, let's go! (That's how clear he said it) So I took him to bed and layed him down and he went to sleep.
Then this morning, he was eating his am bottle. He usually eats about 8 oz in the morning (he sleeps through the night). This morning after only 4/5 oz he was getting really aggitated. I tried burping no to avail. He was fussing and I asked him "what's wrong" and again after 5 minutes of this, he says "nah-nye" so I say, okay, let's go night night and I took him in his room.
I swayed him in my arms for about 30 seconds, layed him down and he fussed for about 5 seconds, until I patted his butt then he soothed himself and he's in there right now going to sleep.
Do you really think he knows "nah-nye" means "I'm tired and I want night night"???
Only time will tell! I'll update if he says it again.
Wed. October 8, 2008:
Wed. October 1, 2008: Liam is 10 weeks old today! Last night he said "daddy"!!! Tom and I were talking while I was feeding Liam, and Liam was trying to talk while eating. He was babbling all sorts of baby talk when all of a sudden he says in this little kid voice, "daddy". I was dumbfounded! We've been practcing sitting up, rolling over, standing and getting into the sitting position while on his back. He's trying to get up into the sitting position himself, he gets so frustrated when he can't.
Wed. October 1, 2008:
Tues. September 30, 2008:
Sat. September 27, 2008: Liam's Well Baby exam went so good yesterday!! Our little man is a tall boy, measuring in at 24 inches! He weighs over 14 pounds (don't remember how many ounces) and his head circumference is 17 inches. He's measuring at the high end of all percentiles for height, weight and head circumference. Doc said that's PERFECT because he's well porportioned. We asked if Liam was eating too much and doc said absolutely not, he is eating completely normally. Because he's so tall, it's expected that he weigh more.
Good news is the 1-2 ounces of breastmilk Liam gets every day is plenty to give him all the antibodies and nutrients he needs. Yay!! That makes me feel so much better.
We also asked if being a chunky baby led to being an obese child or adult and doc said no no no! Liam's not chunky, he's normal and he can't overeat at this age, actually, they can't overeat until they're 3. He said they're little bodies are amazing and they'll only eat what they need and even if they could overeat, they would spit it up anyways. Doc says as soon as Liam starts rolling over, he'll burn off calories too. Doc was very very pleased with Liam's growth and improvement.
He said we could start rice cereal by bottle or spoon (our preference) starting at 4 months but definitely by 6 months (again, our preference as to when we start). Rice cereal has no nutritional value, it's meant to help their digestive system practice digesting food. It's not okay to start earlier than 4 months because their little digestive system isn't completely developed yet. Although, some babies have to have rice cereal in their bottle when they have severe reflux, to help keep their forumla down. Thankfully, we use Enfamil AR which has added rice starch that expands in the belly to make food stay down better, and it is more nutritionally balanced and beneficial than adding rice cereal to his diet. It's so expensive so I contacted Enfamil and they're sending me some free cans and they told me to check back often for coupons. Whew!
According to graphs and statistics I've researched, Liam is in the advanced group because he can hold his head and shoulders up while laying on his tummy, mimic words (he said "Boo" the other day after I said it to him first), blow bubbles and he's able to smile and laugh.
He was such a good boy at his appointment, we were so proud of him! The office had major emoergiencies going on and out of 5 docs who were supposed to be there, 2 were on vacation and 2 others got called away so Liam's doc had to see everyone's patients. They were only about 45 minutes behind, and Liam behaved the entire time. I was nervous about that! He loved the exam room. It's meant to look like you're underwater. It has fishy wallpaper and a submarine exam table. It's so cute, it has door that little kids can go in and stairs they walk up leading to the tall exam table. It has an undersea lava lamp, dolphins everywhere and even a gum ball machine hanging on the wall. Lots to look at! He was smiling and laughing at the fishy wallpaper and at his nurse.
He was NOT happy about the shots, but who can blame him? With the first shot he started crying so hard he stopped breathing! Poor little thing. It didn't help that he missed 2 naps beforehand. The ride hom was hard for him, he just doesn't like riding in the car - hates to be restrained in his carseat, and he was so overly tired he just wanted to be rocked and put in his own bed. Tough afternoon for the little man! He's doing good this morning though, slept 10 hours straight, ate then slept another 4 - he's tuckered out! Doc said there's a 5% chance of getting a fever, no sign of one so I think we're in the clear.
Fri. September 26, 2008:
Wed. September 24, 2008:
Tues. September 23, 2008: Liam is 2 months old today!! My how time flies! We've been so very busy. Let's see, where to start? Tom and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary on September 16th... to celebrate we went away for 1 night. Liam got to spend the night on Sat. 9/13 with Grandma Deb! My mom came over to our house to stay with him for the night. It was SO HARD to leave him but he had so much fun with Grandma, he didn't even know we were gone! Tom and I went to Coos Bay and did some hiking, caught a movie and went out to dinner. It was so nice to do some of the things we've always enjoyed, but boy did we miss our little man! Grandma took good care of him though, and he loved staying with her! He loves his Grandma so much, when I got home he wouldn't go to sleep for me, he wanted Grandma, and he was not happy she left.
Then, on Tuesday 9/16, Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Pat came to visit us! They brought Liam so many gifts, they spoiled him! (and mommy and daddy too, as formula and diapers are so expensive! A big thanks for all they did!). They babysat Liam while Tom and I went to dinner for our anniversary. Liam had so much fun with them and he was a good boy while being watched by others, I'm so glad Mr. Crab decided to stay away... lol
Liam is still sleeping through the night in his crib like a big boy - he usually goes to bed at about 10 pm now and has been getting up between 6 and 7 am for a feeding. His reflux seems to be doing better too. He's not spitting up as much and can sleep through the night without waking in pain.
He's a little piggy! I tried so hard to breastfeed but, even with the help of lactation consultants, my doc and his midwife, there was no hope for my dwindling supply. It makes me so sad because he latches on perfectly and nurses like a champ, I just can't make enough milk for him. :( I still nurse him some during the day and I pump at night but I can only get a few ounces per day... not enough for my growing little man! We have to supplement formula. He eats about 7 ounces for his first morning feeding, 6 for his second morning feeding and 5 ounces of formula every two hours (like clockwork!) during the day. Oink oink! I never knew how expensive formula is... we're spending $200/month on it... holy moly.
Liam and I took a walk today, we couldn't pass it up - the weather is too beautiful. It's sunny and warm. I put him in the Baby Bjorn and he loved it... he was in awe of the outside, he wanted to stay awake even though his nap was long overdue. He did eventually go to sleep, but not until he made sure he wasn't going to miss anything exciting!
We have a Well Baby exam this Friday, including shots. I'll post later about his height/weight.
Tues. September 23, 2008:
Sat. September 20, 2008:
Fri. September 19, 2008:
Wed. September 10, 2008:
Sun. September 7, 2008:On Friday, I was changing Liam's diaper and I was saying "Hi" to him over and over. He took a deep breath and said "Hiiiii" in this precious, crystal clear little baby voice. I was shocked! He hasn't done it since, but it was so amazing to hear him mimic me so clearly! Now if I can only get him to understand what it means...
Liam went outside and played in the grass for the first time today! He hated it. Haha! You can see pictures of it on page 17. He looks so cute in his baby sunglasses!
Sun. September 7, 2008:
Fri. September 5, 2008:
Thurs. September 4, 2008: Liam turned 6 weeks old yesterday! He took his first trip to Portland last Saturday. He got to see Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Barb, Uncle John, Uncle Curtie and his cousins Robert and KC. He was such a good boy! He had fun seeing family, and Mr. Crabpants didn't make an appearance, so it was nice!
His reflux is still bothering him, still congested and spitting up a lot and waking during naps, but we're hopeful that his meds will work soon. His ped said they should work in 1-2 weeks, so we're looking at another week or so before we will see if they're working.
He's still sleeping through the night, from about 9/10 to 4:45... barring the restlessness from his reflux, poor guy! He's still sleeping in his own bed and sometimes cries just to lay down in it. When he won't go down in our arms, we will sometimes lay him in his bed and he'll put himself to sleep.
Liam has found his tongue. He licks everything! It's hilarious! I was watching him the other night on the video monitor and he was wide awake, licking his crib sheet! He's starting to laugh more and has favorite toys now (tickle bear!). He favors his right hand when he grabs for things. He now loves bathtime... he's a water baby for sure. He splashed around in the tub last night and was having fun in the warm water! He talks to us all the time and I'm trying to teach him how to say Mama and Milk... he mimics the "mmm" sounds. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what they mean, but it's neat how he mimics me.
Thurs. September 4, 2008:
Sun. August 31, 2008:
Sat. August 30, 2008:
Fri. August 29, 2008:
Tues. August 26, 2008:
Tues. August 26, 2008: Liam turned 1 month old on 8/23/08! Wow, time flies when you're in newborn land! Boy, has it been a long week! Poor baby Liam was diagnosed with Reflux on Monday by Dr. Heimuller. I knew something wasn't right, so I googled Reflux symptoms and Liam has every single one of them, poor thing! He was given a prescription for meds to help him, but there was a snafu at the pharmacy so he won't get his meds until tomorrow or Thursday. He's been fussy and spitting up quite a bit.
The good news is that he's somewhat on a good sleeping schedule (I say somewhat because who knows with a newborn!)... he's been going to bed at 9pmish and not waking up to feed until about 4:30/4:45am!! The bad news is that because of his reflux, he constantly wakes during that stretch and I need to soothe him and pat his back. He sleeps in his own crib, like a big boy! That means mommy gets to sleep in a real bed (not a make-shift couch bed!) and SLEEP is the key word there. I am grateful for any sleep I can get!
Liam is now 11 lbs, 1 1/2 oz and is 22 inches long... he's growing great! According to his ped, Liam has "exceptional motor skills". Dr. Heimuller saw Liam grab his ear and said it's unheard of for babies his age to do that. He is smiling and *almost* laughing at mommy and daddy and talks up a storm. He likes to grab his hair and run his fingers through it, and yes, that IS a slight red tint to his hair! He reaches out to me and grabs my hair and my shirt and clutches it, so precious. He's growing up so fast! I can't wait to get these meds in him, hopefully he'll sleep straight through the night and won't be in pain anymore. Please keep him in your prayers!
Tues. August 19, 2008:
Sun. August 17, 2008:
Fri. August 15, 2008:This week has been a week of milestones! Liam smiles at us while playing, he loves Patty Cake, mommy's hair tickling his face and loves any and all play time with daddy. He can roll from tummy to back but hasn't quite mastered it yet and gets so frustrated when he can't remember how to do it. He loves sleeping on his tummy, and will sleep much longer in that position. He can lift his head enough to move his head from left to right while laying on his tummy. He turns his crib toys on and off by hitting the button, it's not intentional, but it's so adorable.
Our birth announcements arrived, hopefully I will get those mailed out sometime soon, in my "spare time", haha! I got them for free from vistaprint.com and I'm really happy with how they turned out!
Fri. August 15, 2008:
Tues. August 12, 2008:
Mon. August 11, 2008:
Sun. August 10, 2008: Liam recognized daddy's voice today! Liam was laying in my lap facing me and turned his head and cranked his neck when he heard his daddy talking in the room behind him. He did this until daddy came over to him.
Sun. August 10, 2008:
Sat. August 9, 2008:
Thurs. August 7, 2008: Baby Liam was circumsized today. He was such a good little boy, only crying during the shots given to numb him up. The procedure was fast and went well and the little man is asleep in my arms - like it never even happened. Liam also gained nearly 1 pound since his last appointment, he is now 8 pounds, 12 ounces.
Thurs. August 7, 2008:
Wed. August 6, 2008:
Mon. August 4, 2008: Liam's cord fell off, he's got a cute little innie now!
Sat. August 2, 2008:
Fri. August 1, 2008: Weight check appointment with Dr. Heimuller, Liam now weighs 7 pounds, 15 1/2 ounces. He's gaining weight and is doing great! Circumcision is scheduled for Thursday, August 7th.
Thurs. July 31, 2008:
Tues. July 29, 2008:
Tues. July 29, 2008: Liam learns to use his hand to hold his pacifier in! He seems to favor his right hand.
Mon. July 28, 2008: First appointment with pediatrician. Weight is 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Dr. Heimuller is pleased with weight and says weight loss is normal for breastfed babies and Liam is definitely within healthy range (baby can lose up to 1 pound). We go back on Friday to check weight again. If Liam is gaining, we will go ahead with scheduled Circumcision next week.
Fri. July 25, 2008: Discharged from the hospital, Liam comes home for the first time!
Thurs. July 24, 2008: Liam can hold his head up for short periods of time, he has no difficulties lifting his head but needs help bringing it down or he headbutts.
Wed. July 23, 2008: Baby Liam is born! 11:43pm, 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 20 inches long.