The Beach Revisited

We've been very excited to spend this weekend with Desmond's godmommy,  Katelin. She's been looking forward to meeting the bub and they have been getting along great, he hasn't even peed on her during diaper changes! Must be love, lol!

Since this weekend's been so warm, and since Katelin is loving the break from the polar vortex going on back east, we decided to have Desmond revisit his beach aversion. He seemed to really like it (or at least not mind it) this time around! 

There were no tears when his feet hit the sand! 

He didn't seem to mind his hat either. 

He got in lots of godmommy snuggles! 

And we finally got some photos with all three of us together! All and all a great beach trip for us and the bub! We can't wait until it's warm enough to have Desmond test out the water!

It was awesome having Katelin around again We miss her already and can't wait for our next visit!

Desmond's First Set of Wheels

What's that? Oh this is just my new ride. 

Figured I'd take it out for a spin. 

Just rollin' rollin' rollin'. 

Let's see what kinda speed this bad boy can get!

Woah!!

Yeaaaaaah!!! 

*Special thanks to Jeff Rosen for his awesome gift basket! 

Two Months Old!

Time flies when you're having fun...or not sleeping, whichever! I can't believe it, but our little bub is two months already. He's changed so much since we brought him home.

Most recently his favorite things are:

• Taking baths! This is a change from last month where he thought bath time was right up there with attempted murder.  
• Eating his fingers! Someone's found his hands and they are apparently quite tasty, lol. 
• Playtime on the activity mat! Last month he'd cry almost as soon as you set him down. Now he's discovered that there is a handsome little guy living in the mirror that keeps him entertained while he's down there.
• Bouncing! This is best done while mom or dad hold him and bounce on the exercise ball. We cannot wait until he is old enough to use a bouncer on his own!
• Sleeping while being held! Another one we can't wait for him to outgrow, this sleep deprivation is getting to me.

And his recent dislikes are:

• Getting out of the bath. This and pretty much anything that makes him chilly. Once we took a hair dryer to his towel before wrapping him in it and it seemed to help, but I'm not ready to get Sir Desmond spoiled into thinking this treatment is to be the norm or I can see him at 5 yrs old still asking for it, lol!
• Sitting still. See his love for bouncing above.
• Waking up. Whether it be from a short nap and he just ate, or while at night and he is hungry, this kid just doesn't like leaving dreamland. This baffles me considering how hard he fights actually going to sleep!
• Sleeping without someone holding him. Again, whether it be naps or night time, this kid has a radar in his dreamland alerting him to the fact he's been set down. REALLY need this phase to be outgrown STAT.

Other achievements we've seen in the past month include:

• Social smiles!!

          

• Sleeping in the crib/Pack-n-Play (When he sleeps that is)
• Recognizing mommy! Or so it seems when he cries when I'm out of sight and calms when I come back. 
• And best of all - Being a super baby!!

          

First Beach Trip

Desmond finally made it to the beach today! This was an impromptu visit as there was an unexpected power outage on campus. We decided to go get breakfast and since little man was still up after we ate, we hopped over to see what he thought of the sun and sand. Here's his reaction:

Great right? I think he'll be begging to come back tomorrow, lol!

As long as he was in arms and sand free he did much better.

We'll try again when it's warmer and he's not on the verge of really needing a nap. I think the sound of the ocean - the ULTIMATE white noise - was too much for him and it knocked out in about 5 minutes. We've got to squeeze in as much beach time as we can in case Mark gets a job that takes us away from sunny SoCal.

Day Two: Sleep Training

Verdict from last night, umm let's call it a draw. Desmond slept from 9:30 to 2:30!! That was a great 5 hrs, even if I kept poking my head over the edge of the crib to check on him with his every grunt. Mark eventually took my shoulder, laid me back down and actually scolded me! He told me to go to sleep and stop worrying because we both know Des would let us know - loudly - when he woke up and I'd better take advantage of this long stretch to get some real rest. 

Well wake me he did! I was pleasantly surprised by how fast he ate and went back down. Two and a half hours later though he decided he'd had enough of the crib and after many attempts to calm him and put him back down, Desmond won and made it into our bed. BUT he did sleep until 8:30! 

This is definitely progress so I'm calling it a draw since he still made it into our bed. With the 5 hrs I got last night I may even extend this 3 day experiment to a 4th! I know this long sleep stretch can be a tease like when he slept through the night a few weeks ago, but I'm going to stay hopeful/delusional, lol. 

Other changes on the way, little man will be moving his pack n play from our room to his nursery tonight. The hope is that this momma can hopefully get a bit of sleep when he is down and stop cracking an eye open with every grunt or other noise he makes - which is pretty much a near constant serenade. 

Here's hoping tonight goes just as well, if not better! 

I think a photo is the best way to end this post. This was waking up from nap time since it was still too dark for a pic, and he was kinda pissed, when he woke up to get out of the crib this morning. 

Sleep Training is Tiring

Desmond has a preference, like most babies, of sleeping on someone rather than being out down. The next best thing being sleeping in one of his seats at an incline. He's also, I believe, started to learn that crying gets him attention. This is a very bad combination when you are trying to train your baby to sleep in his 'crib'. (We have a Pack n play instead of a crib since we'll be moving sooner than later.)

Last night was the first night in our 3-day trial experiment of transitioning the bub from his Rock n Play or Bouncer seat to his crib. Why 3 days? Because if we fail, I don't think I'll be functioning very well after 3 sleepless nights and I'm willing to fold for a good night sleep. Can always try again, right! 

It was a sleepless night to say the least...for both of us. He'd go down for 10-30 mins, realize he's no longer being held and wail. Pick him up, and he'd settle down near immediately. Rinse and repeat. Now he's so tired he can't even nap. 

He does look so adorable before he wakes up though!

Wish us luck (and energy)! So far the score is Desmond 1, parents 0. 

Rough mornings

Des says, 'That was one rough morning, better make that boob a double.'

Last night someone decided to want feedings every 2-3 hours, but that was alright because he slept 4 hrs in the last stretch til morning so momma was alright. He even gave me a few smiles when I got him ready to eat. That, my dear family, should've been my first tip off of what was to come.

Not five seconds after he began eating, I heard the familiar sounds of him making room for breakfast with an explosive poo. I wasn't worried, it was normal. Well I wasn't worried until I moved my hand to readjust my hold on him and felt slimy goo all up his back through his sleeper and, of course, all down my pjs too.

I got up to check out the damage in the bathroom mirror. Oh so much worse than I thought! There was no where I could hold him besides his feet that would avoid the poo-splosion. I called for Mark to come help, but there was no answer. Duh! He was already at work, missing out on all this fun ::)

Oh mind you this entire time Des was still hooked on eating away.

I go to the nursery and, with my toes bc my hands are covered in poo, grabbed the last blue hazmat bed liner we nicked from the hospital. You know the ones they have you sit on after your water breaks to save the bedding from getting wet? Yeah well we took a bunch as I figured they'd make great disposable liners for the changing table (read as less laundry). But I digress. I took that liner and wrapped up Des in it so the poo wouldn't continue to get everywhere. And no, he didn't relinquish the boob for a second to help me out here.

Once he was finally done, I said eff it and decided the only solution was for both of us to get in shower. Since he was wrapped in the blue liner I could put him down to get his poo saturated clothes and diaper off. Then we got in the shower. I was expecting the wails. I prepared for them. He is all smiles and cooing faces. Guess he likes shower time better than bath time!

Both of us now poo free, I turn the water off .... aaaand there go the wails!! The kid does not like to be chilled for a second!! So after the drying, lotioning, diapering, dressing, hair brushing, and of course more feeding, little Des-monster is now fast asleep again while momma has to wash some clothes in the tub before the orange poo stains set in to both of our favorite pjs. (The ducky sleeper!! Say it isn't so!!)