Stats: Month Eight

River at 8 months:

Sleeping:  We had major sleep regression this month.  River started waking up at least once every night to nurse, sometimes twice.  We decided to leave him in his own room, in his own bed, despite the tempting convenience of just putting him in with us, in order to keep his routine in tact.  He still goes to sleep around 7-7:30 and then wakes up some time between 10-12 to nurse.  Some nights, he wakes up again around 3 to nurse again and then he is usually up around 7 in the morning.  Thankfully, he nurses himself right back to sleep very quickly.  I feel that this is all due to a growth spurt and major teething woes.  With time and consistency, River will start sleeping a lot better soon.  And the rest of us with him...

  

Feeding:  River is ALL ABOUT eating.  He is now eating three meals a day as well as nursing 6-8 times a day.  This month, we added lots of new foods to his menu including pineapples, mangoes, pears, peaches, zucchinis, plums, and steel cut oats.  He loves to snack on organic baby puffs but I really try to limit snacks, just as I do with the girls, to only once a day.  Nursing seems to be River's greatest teething comfort and eating 3 full meals a day has not slowed down his breastfeeding sessions at all.  I am still pumping twice a day while I am at work to keep up with this growing boy's demands.

Health:  River has been teething BAD.  He currently has two bottom middle teeth, one upper middle tooth, and one upper incisor.  He has been working on his other upper middle tooth all month long with lots of crying in between.  His amber necklace keeps the drooling and fever at bay but we also incorporate Ibuprofen and teething tablets when the pain gets too bad.  In the meantime, he chews on everything and has bitten each of us at least once.  Teething is tough business.

Milestones:  This month, River started full on crawling and pulling up in the same week!  He moves FAST and follows us all around the house.  He says "mama", "dada", "baba", and coos and shrieks incessantly. He has the sweetest little laugh and is very ticklish.  River loves to play with his blocks and his Daddy's guitar.  Shawn plays guitar and piano with him a lot and he loves to strum and beat of his instruments.  He loves to be outside and hangs out in his sling while I water the garden every night.  River learned to wave this month. When we bring him downstairs after his nap, he peeks out from our arms and starts waving at everyone, squealing and bouncing up and down.

You are the sweetest boy, River Scott.  I love you so much and need to finish baby proofing this house asap as I can only imagine the kinds of shenanigans you are about to get into!

Stats: Month Seven (One Month Late)

River at 7 months:

Sleeping:  We have officially entered that stage where River no longer just falls asleep anywhere and can nap on the go.  His naps are more routine now and he needs quiet and a bed for rest, making our days a bit more scheduled.  His cues are very obvious: he rubs his eyes, yawns loudly, and puts his head on your shoulder and you know it's time to lay the little buddy down.  He takes 3 naps a day and is still sleeping through the night.  Brees and River are sharing the nursery and we were pleasantly surprised to find that they do not bother each other or wake each other up at all.  For now, anyway...

Feeding:  River started solid foods this month!  I've been making all of his food using the Beaba Baby Food Maker and I love it!  So easy to use: you can steam, blend, defrost, and reheat the baby food all with this one appliance.  It is super easy to clean and doesn't take up much counter space. I use OXO Tot Baby Blocks freezer storage containers to store the food I make, putting everything in the freezer and taking it out the night before so that it can defrost in the fridge.  From a financial standpoint, making my own baby food doesn't really save us that much money when you add up the cost of the Beaba, the storage containers, and the food I so carefully select for River.  Making our own food is more, for me, about knowing what my baby is eating and making sure that his food is as clean and nutritious as the food I make for the rest of the family. This month, River had avocados, apples, bananas, squash, peas, carrots, pumpkin, quinoa, broccoli, green beans, and sweet potatoes.  He is a good little eater and has gobbled everything we've put in front of him up. His nursing habits have not decreased with the introduction of solids foods and he is still nursing 6-8 times a day.  I am still pumping at work and we are keeping up a really good freezer stash so far.

Milestones:  River is doing the wounded soldier crawl mixed with rolling back and forth to get wherever he needs to be.  He is sleeping in his own bed and puts himself to sleep.  River loves to dance and gets so excited when he hears music.  He literally bounces up and down and laughs hysterically when he hears a beat that he likes.  His current favorites are Sublime and Led Zeppelin. 

River is an incredibly sweet, dare I say EASY baby.  He goes with the flow, smiles and coos constantly, and is just very mellow.  We all love him so much and I suppose the constant attention and affection has served him well.  We love you little buddy.  I'll try to get better about keeping up with your updates, okay?  Time is flying by so quickly and I don't want to miss a thing!

Stats: Month Six

River at 6 months:

Weight/Height: 17.8 lbs 27 inches long

Sleeping:  We moved River to his own bed this month and he has been sleeping all night ever since.  The transition was super easy: he was ready to have his own space to stretch out, a quiet room with no distractions.  We didn't use any special strategy or technique, we simply followed our normal bedtime routine and put him in his crib: dinner, bath, story time, prayers, and then bed.  He was a little fussy for the first two nights, understandably so.  Being alone in his bed was a new concept and so we stayed nearby and went into his room to reassure him when he cried out or fussed.  We picked him up, rocked him, calmed him down, and then put him back down.  I've never been able to let my kids cry it out, it's just not for our family.  But going into River's room to reassure him when he was upset worked for us.  After two nights of this, he was comfortable in his new bed and slept 12 hours straights, from 7 to 7.  Words can not describe the difference a full night's sleep has meant for ALL of us, baby and parents.  We are all happier and starting our days which much better attitudes.

Feeding:  River is nursing like a champ, so much so that I've had to add an extra pumping session during my work day to keep up with his demand.  I have to be very vigilant about staying hydrated and eating enough calories to keep up with my growing boy's needs.  He is showing a big interest in food, reaching for things at the table and watching us intently.  We will start solids with his pediatrician's approval after his 6 month check up.

Milestones:  River is sitting up independently and rolling over both ways.  He gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth.  He has two bottom teeth and is working on more.  He babbles "dadada" and "mamama" and squeals and coos constantly.  He recognizes faces and voices and gives me the best greeting when I get home from work.  He also protests very loud and clear when I try to put him down.  This month, River celebrated his first Mardi Gras with his first trip to New Orleans, had his first Valentines' Day, and spent lots of time with family and friends.

Personality:  River is very active now and seems to be in constant motion: rolling and scooting and grabbing.  He is a very, very happy baby and giggles and smiles constantly.  His hair is a strawberry blonde color and his eyes are still grayish blue.  He looks exactly like his Daddy to me.  He loves to hug and give kisses and play on the floor with his sisters.  He loves to play with his feet and eat his toes. He loves to be outside and enjoys going on walks.  River is a thumb sucker and loves his Sophie the Giraffe. River loves to sleep on his tummy and no longer likes to be rocked to sleep, preferring instead to fall asleep on his own in his crib.  I will admit that this makes me very sad.

This has been my favorite month so far with our little buddy.  His likes and dislikes are very clear and his cues are very easy to read.  I feel so comfortable with him and he is by far our easiest and most mobile baby. He has stolen all of our hearts and is truly a very loved little boy.

 

Stats: Month Five

River at five months:

Sleeping:  River takes around three naps a day: morning, afternoon, late afternoon/evening.  His morning nap is the longest, around 2 1/2 hours, the other naps are a little shorter.  He is still sleeping through the night with roughly a 7 pm bedtime.  On weekends, when I don't have to wake him up to nurse him before I go to work, he sleeps until 8 or 9.  This month, he started waking up for a feeding around 9-10 pm and then had a hard time going back to sleep, instead staying up and hanging out with us for an hour or so.  We brought him to bed with us, watched late night TV, read books, just hung out.  Some nights were rough as I was so tired from working all day and really wanted to get to bed. But now, as I sit here and write this, I find myself smiling.  I loved those late nights under the covers, the special time Shawn, the baby, and I had together. It was another phase, a tiring one but a good one nevertheless. 

Feeding: River is still exclusively breastfed which makes this working mama very, very proud. I have added an extra pumping session into my workday, around 1 pm, because I don't always get to nurse the baby as soon as I get home.  Sometimes he is napping, sometimes I am running late.  I decided to add that extra pump session to keep my milk supply up and to keep River's growing freezer stash demand up. I am currently pumping about twice the amount he actually needs which ensures that we will have milk in the freezer for quite some time.  I have a bowel of oatmeal for breakfast and drink lots of water throughout the day in order to keep my supply well maintained. River is currently nursing 6-7 times per day and has the sweetest baby rolls.  His thighs are the best!

Health: The amber teething necklace has really helped to subside River's teething symptoms. He is less fussy, less drooly.  He has been a healthy, happy boy this month and is packing on the pounds.

Milestones:  This month, River celebrated his first Christmas, rolled from his tummy to his back, and started reaching for objects that he wanted.  He recognizes voices and his face lights up when I walk into a room.  He passes objects from one hand to the other and bears weight on his legs.  We started putting him in his Exersaucer this month and he loves grabbing at all of the noisemakers and teething toys.

Personality:  River is an easy going baby.  He has the best laugh and the sweetest smile and we are all so in love with him. He loves to play on the floor with his sisters, listen to Daddy play guitar, and snuggle up with Mommy in the sling. He loves to give kisses and grab hair. Wearing earrings has become a distant memory for me as River is constantly grabbing everything and putting it all into his mouth. He sucks his thumb as soon as he gets tired and talks to himself and his blankie when he wakes up. Bath time is his favorite.  

You are the sweetest little buddy there ever was.  We are so blessed to know you and love you!

Stats: Month Four

River at four months:

Weight/Height: 16.4 lbs 26 inches long

Sleeping: River is sleeping through the night!!!  I have no idea how or why or if it will even last but this has been a fantastic month for sleep.  We are still following the same routine with naps and bedtime: keeping his naps to no longer than 3 hours at a time, keeping the room dark and quiet at night, and these things seem to really be working.  I usually nurse River around 6 pm, we have bath time, and then we all end up in the living room for family time.  He starts getting fussy and ready for bed somewhere between 7-7:30 and I rock him to sleep with his favorite blanket.  River is still sleeping in his bassinet in our room.  I get him up for a dreamfeed when Shawn and I go to bed around 10 pm.  A dreamfeed is simply picking the baby up out of bed and feeding them while they are still asleep.  Trust me: it works.  A friend of mine refers to this technique as "topping them off".  I started doing the dreamfeed when River first started sleeping through the night.  This last feeding of the day basically fills the baby up and allows him to continue sleeping without needing to wake up in a few hours for a feeding.  After the dreamfeed, I place him back in his bassinet and he sleeps until morning. I wake him up at 7 am so that I can feed him before I go to work.  On the weekends, he has been sleeping in until 9 am!  It's a whole new world, little guy!

Feeding:  River is still breastfeeding like a champ and putting on good weight.  I feed him in the morning before I go to work and then pump around 10 am.  I am home from work around 1 or 2 pm, just in time for his next feeding.  He is currently nursing 6-7 times a day, sometimes more.  During the day, we don't follow any sort of schedule, we feed him on demand, following his cues. River is a thumbsucker now and has learned to self soothe, no longer using me as a pacifier.  We are still giving him probiotics every night before bed and he has had no digestive issues at all.

Health: River started teething this month.  His hands are constantly in his mouth and he gets quite fussy at times when his gums start hurting.  We have been using Hyland teething tablets and recently purchased a Baltic Amber teething necklace. The combination of these two remedies really seems to help. 

Personality:  River babbles and coos constantly.  He has been so smiley this month and giggles when you tickle him.  He is SO ticklish and laughs and coos when you squeeze his big thighs.  He is the most cuddly baby and still loves to be held and rocked.  He enjoys tummy time with the girls, they set all of his toys up in front of him and entertain him for as long as he will hang with them.  My mother in law gave me a Sakura Bloom ring sling as an early Christmas gift and River loves it.  He is snug as a bug while still being able to look around. River's eyes are still blue and we are so curious as to what color they will eventually be.  

Milestones:  This month, River celebrated his first Thanksgiving, went on his first road trip, met his grandparents (Shawn's parents) for the first time, and helped decorate his first Christmas tree.

This was a really, really good month buddy.  You are growing so much so fast but you are just the sweetest little thing.  You are very, very loved.

Stats: Month Three

River at three months:

Feeding:  River is nursing every 2-3 hours during the day.  I don't time him: he nurses for as long as he wants to on one side and then, if he is still hungry, he nurses for as long as he wants to on the other side.  His first morning feeding is the longest feeding of the day.  I went back to work this month and River got his first bottle of pumped breast milk. We started a whole new routine with me going back to work: I feed River at 7 am right before I leave, he gets a bottle of pumped breast milk some time between 10-11, and then I nurse him when I get home from work around 1. River did not like his bottle for the first week or so and only drank a few ounces of milk while I was gone. It took about a week or two for him to adjust but he is now taking his bottle just fine.  Shawn really enjoys participating in the feeding process. I am so thankful that I only have to be away from home for about 6 hours each day because that means I only have to pump one time during my work day.  I am currently pumping about twice the amount of milk that River actually needs thanks to my morning bowl of oatmeal and a mid morning snack of lactation cookies.  Our freezer is filling up with milk stores and I feel confident that we will be able to continue this journey for a good long time despite the fact that I work outside the home.

Sleep:  This was a REALLY bad month for sleep.  When I went back to work, it completely threw River's sleep cycle off track.  He reverted back to his newborn pattern of sleeping all day and staying up all night.  He LITERALLY woke up around 10 pm and then stayed awake until 4 am.  Shawn and I were walking zombies for the first half of this month, taking turns rocking and holding the baby all through the night, begging him to fall asleep.  We went on a sleep revision mission: during the day, Shawn woke River up from his naps rather than waiting for him to wake up on his own, not letting him sleep for longer than 3 hours at a time during the day.  We kept the curtains open in our room during the day to let light in, all in an effort to teach his body the difference between day and night.  At night, we started winding down around 6 pm with a feeding, bath time, reading and prayers with the girls, and then bed at 7.  We kept the lights dim and the room very quiet at night, putting him straight to bed after his night feedings.  After about a week of this routine, River's body clock regulated and he started sleeping at night again, waking up only once or twice a night to nurse.  He is still sleeping in our room: he spends most of the night in his bassinet next to our bed as he has outgrown his cosleeper.  He loves to be rocked to sleep, my favorite time of the day still.

Milestones:  This month, River attended his first LSU game, celebrated his first Halloween, became an official thumb sucker, and took his first trip to the children's museum. He is by far the most mobile and easy going of any of our babies, most likely because he is the third child and has no other option but to go with the flow.  

Health: River has been taking probiotics for a full month now and I can not sing their praises enough. I wish so much that I had known about the benefits of infant probiotics with my older kids! Any and all colic symptoms, reflux, gas pains: it's all gone.  His gastrointestinal system is much more regulated and he is, as a result, such a happy baby.  He has regular bowel movements and rarely spits up. Probiotics are a serious God send!! 

Personality:  River laughs and smiles and coos constantly.  He loves to watch his sisters play, mostly from the comfort of his sling or the Ergo.  He loves to be held and cuddled and rocked.  He loves to take a bath and kicks his little legs in the water.  River "talks" a lot and is VERY loud.  On the rare occasions that he cries,  there's no ignoring it.  This baby boy has a voice and knows how to use it!

This month was a big adjustment for all of us with my return to work.  I am so thankful that Shawn is now in a position in life to stay home with our younger two children.  Leaving home to go to work is a thousand times easier when you are leaving your children with their father.  Shawn has taken on his role as a stay at home dad with great pride and determination and I am so incredibly proud of him. Our son is a very lucky boy to have such an amazing father to guide him through life.  

Stats: Month Two

River at two months:

Weight/Height: 14 lbs 24 inches (90th percentile)

Feeding:  River has fallen into a more predictable feeding schedule, nursing every 3-4 hours during the day and 2-3 times per night.  He wakes up for his first feeding of the day around 7 am and the rest of the day goes from there.  We are still following the EASY routine and leaving the house has become easier as I am better able to predict when he will be hungry.  I am no longer engorged or sore and my milk supply has leveled off.  I still have to block nurse for the first few feedings of the day due to a heavy morning supply.  Block nursing is super helpful with forceful letdown: when letdown occurs, take the baby off the breast, cover your breast with a towel or cloth to absorb the milk flow.  Once the milk flow has slowed down, put baby back on the breast.  This helps the baby to deal with a forceful letdown and avoid gagging, choking, spitting up, etc.  It really works!  

As good as my supply is in the morning, it tends to decrease dramatically in the early evenings.  I had to call myself out on the fact that this is our family's busiest time of the day and I have neglected myself and fallen into bad habits of not eating or drinking enough water.  I am trying to be more intentional about having a glass of water near while I make dinner, help with homework, and orchestrate bath time.  No matter how busy things get, it is important to take care of myself so that I can take care of River.

Sleep:  River's naps have fallen into a more routine cycle this month.  He wakes up around 7, nurses, gets dressed and plays for about an hour, and then takes a morning nap.  He wakes up again around 10, nurses, plays, and then goes down for a mid day nap.  This cycle is repeated throughout the day until bed time at 7 pm.  He sleeps in his bassinet in our room for naps and in the big bed with Shawn and I at night.  I rock him to sleep every chance I get.

As good as nap times are going, night time sleep has been incredibly unpredictable.  Some nights are great, with River sleeping as much as 5 hours at a time.  Other nights, we are up all night with a wide awake baby.  It differs every single night despite our consistency and night time routine.  Such is the way with infants, however, and we have learned to just be thankful for the good nights.  He is sleeping in his cosleeper much better but still prefers to be right next to me, head on my shoulder, arm around my neck.  I don't mind one bit.

Milestones:  This month, River went on his first hiking trip and his first trip to the zoo.  He slept through both adventures but we're sure he had a great time regardless.  He also gave us his first smile, a moment that made everyone in the family cheer and shout!

Personality:  River is the sweetest boy and has really captured all of our hearts.  Belle and Brees have done an amazing job adjusting to the new baby and we saw them begin to bond with their baby brother this month.  They went through their toys and found things they thought he might like, waving dolls and rattles in his face during tummy time and entertaining him more than any activity mat ever could. River spends much of his day in his wrap, preferably outdoors.  He has become much more alert this month and likes to be up on my shoulder looking around.  He gets really excited when Shawn plays guitar for him.  Bath time has gotten better and he no longer cries through the whole process.  

Health:  River had some colic issues this month, getting very fussy in the early evening hours and struggling with gas pains.  We had several nights of crying for hours at a time no matter what we did and it was exhausting for all of us.  I have cut dairy out of my diet and started River on infant probiotics and the colic symptoms have subsided considerably.  Hopefully, his digestive system will continue to improve as his little body develops.

We really enjoyed this month with our precious boy.  The whole family seems to have emerged from the newborn haze and we are venturing out more and more together.  It feels good to be active again, to get out into the world with River.  This month, I feel proud of how well we have all come together and worked as a team to adjust to life with a new baby.  The whole family seems to have taken a collective deep breathe and the stress and chaos of the early days has subsided.  Happy two months of life, River Scott!  Feel free to slow time down, okay?

Stats

River at one month:

Weight: 12 pounds (95 percentile)

Feeding:  River has been exclusively breastfed since birth.  For the first few weeks, I fed him on demand but followed the EASY routine.  I've posted on this method before: it is NOT a sleep training method or a strict routine.  It is simply a way to ensure that all of your baby's needs are met and to assist your baby in finding a natural rhythm to their day.  I first read about this theory when I was pregnant for Isabelle and I have used it with all three of our kids.  It is taken from the book "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems," by Tracy Hogg.  In Hogg's words:

E.A.S.Y. is "a routine that gives the day structure and makes family life consistent, which is important because all of us, children and adults, as well as babies and toddlers, thrive on predictability."  "With E.A.S.Y., you don't follow the baby; you take charge.   You observe him carefully, tune in to his cues, but you take the lead, gently encouraging him to follow what you know will make him thrive:  eating, appropriate levels of activity, and a good sleep afterwards.  You are the baby's guide.  You set the pace."  (page 16)

At around 2 weeks old, River began a predictable cycle of nursing every two hours.  At night, his feedings have spread out to every 3-4 hours.  There are days when he nurses more often, however, and I am careful on those days to follow his cues and feed him as often as he needs.  

At one month old, River and I are settling into a good routine with nursing.  I experienced a fair amount of soreness and engorgement for the first two weeks, to be expected, but those things have settled down and I am feeling much more comfortable these days.  River has a good latch and has not experienced any reflux or colic issues unlike his sisters. Breastfeeding has gone so well with this little guy and I am hoping to continue nursing him well into his first year.

Sleep:  River literally slept through most of his first month of life.  Almost every photo we have of him shows him sleeping in one place or another.  For the first two weeks, he had his days and nights mixed up and typically chose to be awake through the late night hours. The only way he would sleep at night was in my arms and so we spent the first two weeks of his life sleeping in our rocker/recliner in the living room.  I watched more late night TV this month than I ever have in my life.  Sleeping sitting up with a baby in your arms is not the most restful way to spend the night, I can promise you that.  But, at around two weeks old, he started to shift into a more natural rhythm and began a more predictable sleep cycle.  He is now sleeping with Shawn and I in our bed, getting 2-3 hours of sleep at a time and then waking to nurse.  The EASY routine addresses sleep as well as feeding and helps baby to differentiate between night and day sleep cycles.  River is slowly but surely figuring this all out and is getting better rest because of it.  

Health:  River is a big, healthy boy!  He had an ultrasound done to his hips this month due to a family history of hip dysplasia and his very large gestational size but the results came back perfect.  I am learning what I can and can not eat in regards to his digestion and so far have limited my intake of caffeine, dairy, and oranges.

Personality:  River is, overall, a very calm and sweet baby.  As the third child in our family, he has adjusted well to life inside this loud, full of life home.  He tolerates his sisters' shrill screams, barely flinching when they run right by his bed making more noise than a heavy metal band.  He loves to be held and worn, spending much of his day in my Solly wrap or Ergo carrier.  He is the first of our children to actually like his baby swing and is content to sit in his swing while we cook dinner or get a few things done around the house. He responds well to music and loves to be swaddled and rocked to sleep.  He enjoys being outdoors and I have found that the quickest way to soothe him if he is fussy is to take him on a walk in the fresh air.  He does NOT like bath time, being cold, or getting dressed.

River is a month old already and I am amazed by how quickly time has flown by.  The first month is always a bit of a haze between the sleepless nights, constant breast feeding, and the overall delirium that accompanies a new life.  It has been a wonderful month, though, as we all get to know the newest member of our family.  We have not traveled far from our nest these last few weeks, instead choosing to hibernate for a while, heal, relax, and spend time with each other in the quiet and comfortable environment of our home.  These days together have been so precious to me and are such a nice change from my usual schedule. We have all been making an effort to practice extra patience and grace with one another, to be understanding of the effects a life change such as this one has on a family, and to make changes accordingly.  I am so proud of our family and have been overwhelmed by the amount of love I have witnessed this month.  It's been an amazing ride so far.