A Smile Makes Everything Better

This week has been a tiring one for Daddy & Mommy.  Gabriel had a couple of days of refusing to nap (well, at least not longer than 30min increments) and being cranky & exhausted.  We disturbed his schedule a little - Friday I had to be at work earlier than usual and after work we all went out to a pet sitting job which made bath time & bedtime a little late.  It would have been a perfect day to nap together on Saturday with the 4+ inches of snow we received, but Gabe decided it was a no-go.  At least falling asleep at bedtime has still been successful!

• Tickle movie for your pleasure - click here
• 12 weeks old!  Wow!

 

• Came home from work Friday to blasting kids' music and this:

 

• Grasping - that's Gabe's new skill this week.  We introduced an Oball rattle, a traditional rattle (Thanks Lisa!), and a jingly hippo (Thanks Missee!).

My Oball rattle is easy to grip!

I can't fit it into my mouth, but I try really hard!

Chippy likes the Oball too!

My hippo tastes good!

Especially hippo's feet!

 

I can hold the rattle, but I haven't figured out shaking it yet!

• We've been working on tummy-time a lot more this week.  Gabe is so good at holding up his head and pushing himself up on his forearms!

The folks at my work gave us this cute mirror.

 

Sometimes I don't like tummy-time!

•  Mommy has a fetish with baby feet!  Can't stop photographing them - they are SO cute!

 

•  Gabriel is also talented enough that he can spin himself around the crib at night.  I'll put him down, swaddled so that he can't move his arms, with his head in one direction, and when I go in to wake him up in the morning he's kicked himself around 180 degrees so his feet are where I left his head!  (I actually see this in 90-degree snapshots during the night when I check his monitor while pumping.)  And he thinks it's funny!

 

Daddy & I went a little crazy with taking pictures this week...  Here are some of our favorites:

This was the "Daddy & I are just fine without you" picture I got while at work.

A moment of peace on Saturday - the cute fuzzy suit is from Janet!

I researched the correct way to use this sling and he likes it much better!

 

Just love this onesie!

"I love you THIS MUCH!" (AKA check out my wingspan!)

 

Mommy Goes to Work

Oh, I am seriously grumpy right now.  I spent a few days typing here and there into this blog post, and it just got deleted by one stupid mouse click, and the "undo" button didn't work.  Grrr!  Well, let's see what I can do to remember what I wrote and give you an idea of our week.  Of course, it will be much more concise than the original post, but oh well!  It's pretty difficult to fit in blogging with an infant around, which is why I had been adding a little each day during the week.

• Going back to work for the first time was torture!  I missed my little boy so much, but he had a good week with Daddy.  (Daddy got a few poop blowout diapers to break him in!)  Our first morning was rough (Gabriel wouldn't go back to sleep after eating at 4:30am), but eventually we got going.

 

• Gabe hit 9 lbs 1 oz on the morning of the 12th.  I can't believe he FINALLY surpassed the 9 lb mark!
• Gabriel is 11 weeks this week.  He's been doing a lot of cooing and giggling, so I took some recordings of his "talking" and added them to photos for your viewing pleasure.

 Grammy came to visit us on Friday.  Gabriel always tells her "stories" and smiles like crazy!

 

• Auntie Kristen came for the weekend to meet Gabe for the first time.  He took to her immediately and was so flirty!  (He wasn't the most pleasant baby over the weekend - I think he was going through a growth spurt.  At least she got to see his sunny-side occasionally!)

 

• I stored 32 oz of frozen breastmilk this week!  And that's what was left AFTER Gabe got his fill through bottles while I was at work.  This may sound like an awesome amount, but in reality, babies 1-6 mo of age eat about 24-30 oz of breastmilk PER DAY, so it only constitutes about ONE DAY of food, if he was fed only via bottle.  Here's my current freezer stash (well, minus the 32 oz I just mentioned) - each gift bag holds approximately 30 small bags of milk.

 

Here are some other pics from the week:

Happy after bathtime!

I love watching Mommy

I must be a "morning person" - all bright-eyed when I wake up!

Laughing!

This is how my eyes always come out when Mommy uses the flash!

Sad to see that Mickey has to retire - I am getting to big!

After bath giggles

Headed to bed the night the Pats played the AFL championship

Mommy introduced my to an Oball rattle

Happy Birthday Daddy!

This week we celebrated Craig's birthday (the big 44!) and Gabriel's 10 week "birthday."

I ordered a beautiful card from Shutterfly for Craig from Gabe; it arrived just in time for Daddy's birthday party!  Here's a look at the cuteness:

Front of card

Inside of card

Back of card

• Gabe is regularly sleeping from 8pm to 4-4:30am, feeding fairly quickly, and then heading back to sleep till 7:15-ish.  It kind of works with my schedule, as I intended to be waking up by 5am to get ready for work so that I can be feeding him by 7:15 before I leave for the day.  I have been heading to bed by 9:30 to combat this early rising.  This week I've been enjoying a late afternoon nap with my boy, and I'm sure that will continue until I get used to the early wake ups (plus the every-3-hour pumping schedule during the night).
• Gabriel has been "talking" a TON this week.  He mimics the sounds we make fairly well, actually.  My favorite is his attempt at "I love you" when I say it to him first.  Makes me smile every time!  For a little taste via video, click here; for a recording of him singing along to the ABCs, click here.
• I didn't realize how complicated it was going to be to go back to work and figure out how/when/where to pump.  I had to send several e-mails to make sure I had coverage for 20-30 minutes during my teaching labs and to let the Dean know I will be checking out every 2 hours or so to pump during the two days of faculty workshops this week.  Luckily, especially with laws supporting breastfeeding moms nowadays, everyone at work has been very supportive.  I am making pumping a priority, which should help me maintain my milk supply.  
• I am determined to do everything I can to breastfeed (whether at the breast or through bottled milk) Gabriel for the first year of his life.  I have successfully made it to 10 weeks!  Only 42 more to go, haha!  At least after the next 16 weeks (until the end of the semester), I'll have 3 months during the summer to be at home with him again.  I'm sure time will fly!  [On a side note, Chelsea shared a news article with me about Pope Francis supporting breastfeeding women in church.  In my research of the US laws about breastfeeding in public, the fine print actually says that "places of worship" are excluded.  I'm happy to hear the Pope supports us breastfeeding mamas!]
• Craig & I had our first date night without Gabe (thanks Justine for babysitting!) to celebrate his birthday.  We went to our favorite Japanese hibachi restaurant, Takara, in Kelley Square.  I have to admit that I was a little anxious because it was the first time Craig & I were both away from Gabriel at the same time.  All went well, and we enjoyed our hour and a half out of the house alone together.

Dinner out for the new parents

• We had our usual monthly LaTour family birthday party (plus Gabe's Godparents & Wyatt), this time for Craig.  Tacos & cake - yum!  Thanks to all the ladies in the family for helping out with bringing toppings!

Happy 44th to Papa Bear!

There aren't nearly enough candles on that cake...

Grammy, Auntie Lorene, & Gabe at Craig's birthday party

• Craig & I finally got around to taking Gabriel's hand & foot prints.  (We got footprints from the hospital when he was born, but they don't do handprints.  Babies clench their fists, which makes it really difficult; I saw this firsthand when both Gabe & I ended up with inked fingers during this process!  Somehow, the ink on him came off easily with a wet washcloth but my fingers remain black, even after several handwashings - not fair!)
• So, with the addition of the prints, I finally completed the "Gabe wall" by our front door.  It will get his monthly picture added as he gets older, but it's all set until February for now!

Finally filled the frames!

• A fun fact:  I was reading in the book "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child:  Birth to Age 5" (thanks Missee!) about the one to three month milestones for babies.  I found out what the reflex is called when babies who are laid down onto their back throw their arms out to the sides (kind of like they are saying "Wasssssssuppppp?") - the Moro reflex.  This reflex is lost around 3-4 months of age.  I will be sad to see it go - Gabriel does it mostly when I'm setting him into his little bath sling for tubby time.  (And I always say, "Wasssssssuppppp!" and laugh!)

Here are some other pictures from this week:

Ready for the playoffs!  Go Pats!

Mommy was playing with the new camera flash

You can see how lovely I am decorating my bib with spit-up!

I have the cutest smile!

Watching TV with Daddy

Hanging out with Mommy

Love this face!

Getting ready for my bath!

Mommy makes me laugh!