The new sleep regime

Last night, Owen slept over 7 hour straight--setting a record by far.  If only we could get him to do this between 11PM and 6AM!  Alas, his longest sleep cycle has always been the first one, so we were still up at 2:30 in the morning.  I'm going to renew my efforts to feed him one last time before I go to bed.  We now have a video monitor, so I can see when he reaches a lighter sleep state and is moving around.  Maybe if I go in then, he will be willing to wake up enough to eat. 

As we approach the 3 month mark, I think Owen is ready to begin forming sleep habits, and I want to do what I can to make sure they are good habits.  

I am putting him down in his bed before he is totally asleep in my arms and then just sitting nearby and patting him until he nods off.  I just don't have the knack for getting him rocked to sleep like Noah has, and now that I am flying solo at bedtime this works better for me anyway.  I find that rocking him agitates him as much as it soothes him, and he drifts off faster with out the rocking routine. 

Our "Mommy and Me" class leader really encourages the use of a transitional object or a "nunu" as we are calling it.  This is little soft blankie that Owen can hold in bed to help him snuggle in for sleep.  We are keeping his plush giraffe nunu around whenever he sleeps or nurses to allow him to form a bond with it. 

We are also starting to form a bedtime routine that will hopefully someday cue Owen that it's time to settle down for the night. Bathtime, then pajamas, then nursing, then singing the alphabet song and reading the bedtime book.  Then lights off and into bed.  Right now this involves a lot of whining and fussing because Owen is pretty grumpy by the time 7PM rolls around. 

And finally--the napping issue.  Yesterday Owen once again refused to nap save the 30 minutes that I was doing laps in the pool and he was under Olivia's care.  It was great timing for a nap, but not nearly enough sleep for him!  By the end of the day he was so fussy and tired that he didn't know what to do with himself.  And it's not just Owen's problem.  I get cranky when Owen doesn't take a nap too--I need a break.  This kid is giving me a run for my money. 

The new nap regime involves 2 or 3 naps per day, no excuses!!  I have read that consistency helps, so we'll try to get up around the same time every day and I'm going to put him to sleep for naps--in his bed or his swing--around the same time every day.  I'll keep you posted on how this works out.

11 1/2 Weeks

Yesterday Owen weighed in at a whopping 14lbs, 10oz.  I looked at the growth chart and this is around the 70th percentile for age.  I can't wait to find out his length, because he seems hugely longer than before.  His swaddle blankets barely fold over his toes.  Owen's hair is starting to come in, and so far it looks like it will be brown.  He started producing copious amounts of drool this week. 

He has gotten really good at getting his thumb into his mouth now.  He's also great at lifting his head up--check out his latest tummy time videos!  He can hold his head very steady when he's leaning forward about 15 degrees from vertical, and he's not slumping in the car seat at all.  On his 11 week birthday, he rolled over from his tummy to his back!  He hasn't done this again though, and doesn't seem like he's trying to, so maybe it was just an accident. 

Although his favorite activity is still watching the mobile swing around, it is beginning to lose its charm.  It only entertains for a couple of minutes, and then only when he is in a happy mood to begin with.  He is getting into rattles and things that jingle.  He still has not made the connection that those things on the ends of his arms are good for grabbing, but I bet it's coming soon.  He loves getting his cheeks and chin tickled--this almost always produces a big smile.

Last Friday, Owen got to see President Obama!  We walked over to the nearby USC campus, which is about a mile away, and attended a rally for Senator Boxer and other democratic candidates in the upcoming election.  We did not arrive anywhere near early enough to get into the rally itself, but I found a rise to stand on where we could see the proceedings.  When we saw the President, I was pretty sure I could tell which guy was him, but it was hard because they were so far away.  His speech was excellent.  We also got to hear Senator Boxer, Jerry Brown, Mayor Villarigosa, and several other political candidates speak before Obama came on.  I carried Owen in the Baby Bjorn which is my new favorite carrier (so much more comfortable than the Ergo--for both of us).  We stopped in at the Natural History Museum on the way to the rally and visited the live spider exhibit they have set up for Halloween.  It was creepy--there were some really big spiders.

In the next few weeks we are going to see big changes.  Owen is nearing the end of the "missing trimester" and we expect to see him waking up to the world, making sounds, grabbing things, and generally acting more and more cute!  And also more and more challenging as he starts to really become a little person.  Noah is currently working 5 days a week, and this past week was my first one flying solo with Owen.  It was a challenge.  I find myself bored and frustrated to be around the house yet unable to DO anything around the house.  Owen doesn't really interact much yet requires constant attention.  Even eating lunch is usually a production involving several stops and starts.  I found it helps (both of us) feel better when we get out of the house, so we're trying to do something every day--Mommy & Me classes, walks, etc.  I hope to get him on a better nap schedule so that he's less fussy as the day wears on, and so I can get some breaks!

Owen tracks jingle toy

tummy time (almost 11 weeks)

10 Weeks

Well I guess I am having a hard time getting behind this 10 weeks blog post, because I can't really pick out a theme or a new milestone for the week.  We just had more (and more and more) of the same stuff as before!  Owen is getting more and more into sucking on his hand and now is able to use his gums to crack open his fist and get his thumb into his mouth, sometimes.  He's still way into his mobiles and is following people's faces and voices around the room.  His head control is getting really good, but he still needs some assistance.  His attention span is getting longer and now he can pay attention and be happy and entertained and awake for much longer--45 minutes to an hour and sometimes longer.  We are seeing less and less crying. 

He is still growing at a fantastic rate, and was 13 lbs 12 oz on Sunday.  All his footie pajamas are too short for him. 

Owen's 10th week included his Daddy's 34th birthday, and to help us celebrate, he was a model child.  Over the course of the day, I was able to make 9 racks of ribs and accompanying side dishes while he played quietly with his mobile and napped.  I even took a conference call.  He was SOO good all day that I fear we used up some serious baby karma.  We will try to remember this someday when he's winning blue ribbons in screaming the loudest on an airplane or something like that. 

Maybe instead of Week 10 milestones, I'll talk about some of Owen's first experiences of the world.

I have already mentioned that he was lucky enough to experience the hottest day EVER in Los Angeles, when it reached 113 degrees.  He slept through it all, setting his own record with an all-day nap as we strolled around the La Brea Tar Pits museum and then the mall with Amani.   Then, that night, he set his yet-unbroken record of 6 hours of nighttime sleep. 

Not long after that, Owen saw his first sunset.  I took him outside on a nice cloudy evening when the sky was lit up pink and orange, and he was enchanted by the sight, staring up at the sky from our backyard.  The backyard in the evening is reliably one of his favorite places, because he loves to see the branches of our tree moving against the dusky sky.  Trees make excellent mobiles.  

In the past two weeks, he has also experienced some unseasonably wet weather.  It's been raining here since Saturday evening.  On Saturday morning we woke up to a very grumpy baby.  Owen was just in a bad mood.  I took him out for a hike, hoping he would fall asleep in the front carrier.  We were seeing the leading edge of this rainy weather system, and it was very cool and breezy and wet, but not really raining yet.  Owen just hated it.  Every time that cold wet breeze blew in our direction, he made a face that was simultaneously pouty and angry and annoyed.  Like you just told him birthdays had been canceled or something.  A true SoCal boy.

Owen shakes a rattle!

Paranormal amateur video

More mobile fun!

What's he so excited about, anyway??

9 weeks: mobiles are cool

Even though he looks about the same to us this week, Owen packed on another half pound and is now 13lbs 2oz.  The kid can grow, that's for sure. 

Just for comparison, here are two pictures of Owen wearing two different onsies from the same package--they are the exact same size.  Above was taken yesterday; below was taken 4 weeks ago. Look how loose the sleeves and shoulders were!  And the sleeves were rolled up. 

 This week's most fun new activity is watching the mobiles.  We received a really fancy mobile as a gift--it spins around and lights up and plays music and even has a remote control.  Its main features are a series of four colorful creatures that spin slowly around in one direction, and some stars that spin around in the other direction.  Since we don't have a crib, it took a little creative thinking to get it mounted above Owen's bed.  I figured it out early this week.  The moment I turned the mobile on, Owen was completely enchanted.  It has a 10-minute cycle and he will smile and coo and delightedly kick his legs for a full 10 minutes and sometimes for another 10 minutes after that.

This afternoon he woke up from a nap, grumpy as usual, and started to throw a little fit.  He had his full-face pout on and was beginning to cry a little.  Noah went in and turned on the mobile and he instantly transformed, smiling and I swear even giggling.  It is amazing.


After the great success of this mobile, we attached his other mobile to a chair in the living room above his favorite spot on the couch.  Although this one is much more simple--just some graphics on little plastic cards that dangle down--he is almost as enchanted with it.  It's really great fun.  Plans are in the works for a solar system mobile. 

This week we had a little reprise of the colicky Owen, probably related to a nap strike that lasted about 3 days.  Refusing to nap leads to major tiredness and that is a recipe for fussiness.  Yesterday and today were a lot better, so I think we're beyond this little bump in the road.  We have been walking a lot in the new stroller.  And, I think we finally found a pacifier that sort of works for Owen (after buying just about every single one on the market).  Although it won't help with a major throwdown, it does seem to help him calm down when he's just a little too worked up.   

Owen's sleep has become more consistent, although no easier for Mama and Papa.  He goes to sleep at about 7, wakes up hungry around 11 (or is willing to wake up if I wake him to feed him), sleeps again until 3 and wakes up hungry, sleeps again until 5 or 6, and at that point is ready to roll for the day.  No matter how we explain it to him, he does not seem to  understand or care that we don't like to get up before dawn.  Sometimes we can convince him to sleep a couple more hours, sometimes not.  We are still swaddling him tightly but he's getting increasingly good at getting out of his mummy outfit.  Now that he can suck on his hand, he's very motivated to work his arms out.

Owen sucks on his hand, yum!

Scout wants some attention

Owen loves his mobile

A buggy for every occasion

Happy 2-month birthday, Owen!  To celebrate, we got you your first fifth stroller!

When we first started looking at Baby Gear, I was immediately overwhelmed by the question of wheels.  Strollers come in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, purposes, and price ranges.  It is a lot like buying a bike, except imagine if bikes were highly specific in terms of age-appropriateness and weight minimums and maximums.  Where seeking advice from experienced parents ought to have narrowed the field, instead it made things more complicated.  "We never used a stroller--just get a good carrier," claimed some.  "Get the cheapest thing you can," said some.  "You have to get something simple," said some.  "OMG you have to get a Bob," said some.  "OMG Bobs are such a waste of money," countered others. 

And unlike a bike, it seemed that we would need a stroller for lots of different purposes.  Walking, shopping, traveling, jogging, to name a few.  I was convinced that the right stroller could meet all our needs.  I even made a spreadsheet of our needs and looked at every stroller on the market to try to find one that met them all. 

We like to jog, so at a minimum, our perfect stroller had to be a jogging stroller.  I found a very decent jogging stroller on Craigslist and snapped it up.  But it quickly became clear that a jogging stroller is not the sort of beast you might take into Trader Joe's for a quickie trip, and certainly would not be allowed as carry-on luggage.  In fact, this thing does not even fit in the trunk of my car when completely folded.  True story. 

So the second stroller was selected for simplicity.  We got a Snap n' Go, which is like a stroller base for the car seat.  You just snap the car seat onto it, and voila!  Stroller!  Unfortunately the Snap n' Go requires that Owen sit in the car seat all the time, and we didn't anticipate how hot and uncomfortable that was going to be for him.  It's also really hard to steer, so although it is great for restaurants and quickie shopping trips, it's really not great for walking at all. 

More and more, I have been wanting to walk with Owen.  I need the exercise and he takes a great nap when he's being bounced around on a walk.  We needed something more appropriate.  Enter the third stroller.  I was at Babies R Us one day and I saw a nice buggy with a fully reclining seat.  It looked so shady and cool inside, I just knew Owen would be more comfortable in it.  So I bought it.  But when I brought it home, I realized the buckle was broken and I started to have doubts.  Is it cheap?  Do people like them?  I didn't even read any reviews.  Is the color too trendy?  Ack!

I returned it for the broken buckle and decided to do some more research before taking the third stroller plunge.  Amani and others highly recommended the MacLaren Triumph strollers as being lightweight and sturdy.  Amazon users give it great reviews.  We made our decision and spent our gift certificates on one.  But as soon as I took it outside I saw its fatal flaw--the sun shade was clearly designed by a Londoner, who doesn't know the first thing about sun.  It was completely in the wrong place, didn't shade from the sides, and wasn't even compatible with draping a blanket over the gaps.  Back to Babies R Us.

Further review brought us to the Combi we got on Friday.  This thing is sweet.  It reclines completely so Owen can lie down and nap comfortably.  It has a nice sun shade, which comes forward enough to allow a blanket to drape over the front, providing 360 degree shade if necessary.  Today I put a raincoat over it to keep him dry.  It has shocks, it folds up, it weighs just 13 lbs. It even has a cup holder.  And Owen loves it!

Week 8: hand, meet mouth

Yesterday Owen was 8 weeks old!  This week's big development was indeed a big one: Owen started getting his hand into his mouth.  He doesn't have a lot of control over which part of his hand--sometimes his thumb, sometimes a couple of fingers, sometimes the fleshy back curve of his palm.  But he can get some part of his hand into his mouth whenever he wants to.  He makes big, wet slurping noises.  It's a whole new world, and he is in control of it.

Another big development this week is that Owen slept for 6 hours for the first time on Monday night, and he did it again on several other nights.  This long stretch of sleep happens in the first cycle after bedtime, between 7pm and 1am or so.  This means our sleep doesn't really benefit, because we can't realistically go to bed so early.  But, Owen is easier to wake up these days, so we're going to try waking him for an 11pm feeding before we go to bed, and see if we can push his long sleep back into the overnight hours.  Could 40 winks be in our future?  Stay tuned for the thrilling resolution to this plotline. 

Michelin Man arms

Amani was here for a visit early this week!  Owen really showed off for her.  He napped all day long when we went to the beach on Sunday, and then he slept his longest-ever stretch that night .  Then, exhausted from all that hard work, he napped all day long again when we went to the La Brea Tar Pits museum and the mall on Monday.  Monday was the hottest day in Los Angeles' history.  The temperature outside was 113.  The temperature in Nordstroms at the Grove was about 67.

Owen weighs 12lbs, 9oz today.  He is getting seriously fat.  We periodically discover a new deep skin crease which hasn't been cleaned in a few days, because a few days ago it wasn't there.  His recent feeding frenzy is over and he's back to eating only every two hours or so.  I read somewhere that he will continue growing at the rate he established in his early weeks.  Does this mean he will double in weight in another 8 weeks?  Or that he will gain about 6 lbs in 8 weeks?  In either case, Noah and I have started weight lifting to get our backs ready. 

Owen's eyelashes seem to get longer every day.  He has almost no hair and a widow's peak hairline, which sometimes give him the appearance of a crew-cut gangsta.  When you look at his peach-fuzz in the light, it does look gingery red.  

We're seeing less and less fussing and the intensity of the fussing is dropping as well.  He still loves to bounce a LOT.  He also loves to be in the stroller and the car and his swing.  He has a hard time getting a good nap during the day if he isn't in one of these devices.  For his two-month birthday present, Uncle Dan and Meg got him a new stroller that is nice and cool and has a great sun shade.  He totally loves it.  I have to say, it's pretty swanky. We look forward to lots of walks and better naps now that we have a more comfortable arrangement for Owen! 

Owen drools on couch

Owen has sucks on his hand, then drools on the couch, in artsy color-tilt

I don't know what the color thing is all about...  I must have set the camera to do that somehow by accident. 

Owen bounces with loud noise in background

Papa Bear is hammering on something in the background if you are wondering what that noise is. 

Owen is not happy