October

One handed typing b/c I'm a sucker and want my baby to get a good nap. i do have to put him down soon to feed the dogs.

couple nice days here so we got a lot of outside time, even went to the dog park - what was i thinking! He is still easy enough to take care of but getting more demanding as in, he is actually worth playing with now, so we do, also needy and doesn't like to be left alone.

sleep continues to be irregular, took a 3 hr nap the other day, but last night didn't get to bed until 9:45pm! i would like a routine for naps but am not going to be a slave to a forced schedule, he gets to sleep often, if not for too long.

we have no Halloween plans but will still get dressed up, for a while at least, its supposed to be 80 almost

rick is good, they have storms so power and internet have been iffy. we talk just as if he was in california but i guess just not several times a day.

4.5 months

15 pounds, 7 ounces - 50th percentile
25 3/4 inches long - 50%
42 cm head - 75%

lungs, heart good, head shape good, eyes straight. very simple appt. looked in ears, mouth, etc. nothing really to report. will keep an eye on the spit up in case he starts to get bothered by it, i can start food anytime now, got vaccines but no flu shot for under six month olds.

he can roll over, but doesn't. he is getting more stable at sitting up - assisted for now. very good at putting weight on his legs.

doing well at night, sleeping about 5 hours, then 4 more. continuing to find a routine for naps, it will be better now that the house is back to normal.

going to start back on the vitamin drops since it's getting wintery.

Sleeping

So it's been up and down. Mainly inconsistent, but we're sticking with it. He's been in the crib all night, generally waking up every 3-5 hours still, but last night was better. We went for a 2 hour walk so that might have tired him out, but he took a little cat nap at 5:30 or so, so I let him stay up later than usual. So bath was at 7 instead of 6:20.

He was asleep by 7:45pm, woke up at 12:20, back in the crib at 12:50am and then I got him out of bed at 7am! YAY. napping now in the crib too.

it's cold here, which I like b/c he looks really cute in sweatpants.

Day 1

I know this makes for dull material, but it's my life right now.

7pm Last night went to bed well in the crib. was very tired, didn't eat much, didn't expect a long duration here

7:40 awake, easily put down again. (I guess he's one of those babies who can't put himself back to sleep easily after a sleep cycle)

8 up for a little burp, down quickly

9:10 up and down easily again

10:50 up and down still in the crib

2am awake and ready to go

3am still awake, not drowsy. here i give in. we go to the big bed.

4am he finally nods off after chattering the whole time

7:30am awake for the day

so far i have interrupted 2 good naps, by putting him in the crib. got about 75 minutes out of him b/c i had to sleep too, see above why.

Operation Crib Sleep

Get the baby into the crib to sleep has begun. I know I'm doing it wrong but it doesn't work anyway. I nurse him in a dark room with white noise and he falls asleep, put him in the crib, he wakes up, i burp him, he falls asleep on my shoulder, put him in the crib, he wakes up. Lie down with him in the bed, he falls asleep.

I get the whole, put him down drowsy but awake thing, and have tried, but that just leads to cranky and very awake. I would prefer that b/c trying to transfer him to the crib when he is asleep is asking for trouble.

He does sleep on his stomach (for supervised naps) very well. Will ask the doc if this is okay b/c he has good chest and head control.

Meanwhile, I have to move him out of 3 month pajamas. he is just too long.

Jackpot

Just got back from our second Giants game in two days. And it was all free! Last night we were coming up the elevator and the other family in there asked us if we had tickets yet, we said no and they gave us some, for free! And they were good. lower deck, right field line. The uy worked for Petco and just had extras!

Today, we met Julie for the game who was in town for a ENT conference. She had gone out last night and met some relative of Jon Miller (the Giants (& ESPN) radio guy) and gave her tickets. Also good ones, same area. It was a good game too, but we were in the shade and it was breezy. It is October, but SoCal's supposed to be sunny and 70 all the time right! So we paid $35 for parking for 2 days right next to the entrance. Good to go!

Anyway, final dinner at Outback tonight then an early morning!!!

Four months

Still in California, so no unofficial weigh in. And b/c we were late with the 2 month appt and shots have to be 8 weeks apart, we don't go back to the doctor for a week or so.

Having a really nice time with Rick, he only worked til about 6:30pm (early for him) so we got to hang out this week a fair amount. Bobby and I just killed time, walking, some errands, went to the Ocean, not much. It also meant bedtimes were a little later, but he seemed to do fine with it, he just had to get in some Dad time.

Carolyn came in for work Thursday night, so it was a great coincidence and we were lucky she was able to bring Cash and stay at our hotel. This meant I got to babysit Cash on Friday, which was actually super easy. Mostly due to the fact he took a 3,5 hour nap in the middle of it, and then we just read and explored the rest of the time. Bobby even got his morning nap in undisturbed. There was only one little boo boo ("hurt"). I was watching closely actually but nursing I think and Cash slipped on a book and whacked his eye on his truck I think. He barely whimpered but it looks bad and it's right on his eyebrow so could have been worse, but he's a tough kid, who now looks Tough.

Saturday Rick didn't have to work like usual and we went to breakfast at Mimi's, (they had a seasonal pumpkin spice muffin, yum) Then to the SeaLife Aquarium at Legoland. It worked out so well, it is about 2 miles from the hotel and opened at 10, and we got there 10:30 or something. Plus the cashier gave us coupons so tickets were $5 instead of $18.95! Kids free. It was worth about that. Not crowded, inside, cool fish. Cash was a little stubborn and Bobby slept the second half, but it was a good day. Then Carolyn got on the road earlier than planned so she could get home and rest, but it was a lovely visit.

Saturday afternoon we rested too, because the Giants are in town. So I felt pretty bad driving down to San Diego as the sun set, thinking what am I subjecting my kid to? But he did great at the 7pm game. Didn't sleep b/c it was just too loud and bright, but here it is 10:30 the next morning and he's still asleep. Got to get his 12 hours. (non continuous of course) Silly me thought I'd be able to run a few errands for us this morning.

I leave early Monday and fly all day. Rick leaves midnight Tuesday, direct to Iraq.