4 months

Holy crap, ya'll, my kid is four months old. Read on, and consider yourself in the know:

Weight: 14lbs even
Height: 24" (can you legally call 2 feet "height"? I guess "length" is the term I'm looking for...)

Likes:
Still loving our bath time. Now he has figured out how to kick his legs in a way to create a small riptide-tsunami-bathtub-undertow type of effect. End result? Water evvvvvvvverywhere.

Rough house play. This boy thinks being tossed, fake-dropped, shaken (not like that, don't worry), or any other type of play involving potential for bodily harm to be simply hilarious. We, of course, oblige.

His Pop Pop and Nana. I'm coming to terms with the fact that a tantrum involving a crying toddler screaming "I WANT MY NANA AND POP POOOOOOOOOOOP!" is probably somewhere in our future. Serious spoilage, people.

Chewing things. Anything, really. Hands/fingers are always preferable, but we're not above stuffed animals, burp cloths, or the cat's tail. He has this interesting Venus Fly Trap move that involves both hands pushing said object toward his open little pie hole, with his feet coming up to close like a bear trap directing his capture into his gummy mouth of death and drool.

Watching the cat, pulling on the cat's fur/whisker's, trying to chew the cat's tail, etc. Luckily we have a very stupid agreeable Kitty who just sits there and takes it.

Food. 'Nuff said.

Tummy time! It's a miracle! There's lots of unnecessary grunting and straining, but brother seems to finally be enjoying the view from the flip side!

Walks or other outside activities. This boy loves him some fresh air. My dad and I took him to a park last week and let him dig his fat little toesies into the sand. Loved it.

Dislikes:
Being locked in his carseat. Car rides are fuuuuuuuuun.

Being tired and needing a nap. He fights it like a mutha'.

Anything less than instant gratification when it comes to feedin' time.


Milestones:
Turns over from stomach to back (very slowly, but dammit it counts!)

Babbles constantly, with new sounds almost every day

Likes to look at pictures in picture books

Grabbing things purposefully and bringing them to his mouth

Responds to people he knows with smiles and cooing

Tracks people/objects around the room


I know I'm biased, but seriously, he's really, really getting cute these days...

The Lake

Sometimes I have moments of regret for taking off so much time from my job. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being home with River, and couldn't have begun to imagine going back to work when he was only 8 weeks old...But...A lot of my identity is wrapped up in my job. I love teaching my students, working with my paras, advocating for the parents in my room, and collaborating with other teachers. I feel competent and needed at work, and I have missed that while on leave (not to mention I'm a control freak and hate not having total control of my classroom.)

But last week, I met my dad in Windsor on a nice, sunny Wednesday afternoon. We took sandwiches to the park - the same park, as a matter of fact, where I felt River move for the first time during 4th of July fireworks while I was pregnant. After we ate we walked the couple miles around the lake, stopping to feed River and to let him look at the waves the wind was creating.

Afterwards, as I drove home with a sleeping baby in the backseat, I took a minute to appreciate. Because as much as I love my job, I loved that day at the lake more. And as much as I miss the day-to-day work of being a teacher, I would have never wanted to miss that time with my dad and my boy.

Funny how a day at the lake can bring you some perspective. Funny how a day at the lake can be so much more than a day at the lake.

I know River won't remember this day. He's only 3 months old, and in the grand scheme of things, it was a nothing sort of adventure.

He might not remember it, but I will.

That's a #%@!ing Miracle

Can you believe that this:

Was this 3 months ago:

It still kinda creeps me out.

Boy Mommies

Boy Mommies:
Set land speed records during diaper changes (amazing how fast the threat of pee can make you move)

Boy Mommies:
Scoff at the comment that boy clothes 'aren't as cute'. Clearly these people are bitter, failed shoppers.

Boy Mommies:
Can love a beer gut (on their 3 month old)

Boy Mommies:
Secretly strive to make their son a Mama's Boy

Boy Mommies:
Know that those cute little baby toots are going to be very un-cute man farts someday

Boy Mommies:
Are prepared to learn/participate in: nerf gun wars, wrestling matches, various contact sports, Lego building sessions, imaginary play that involves weaponry and general explosions

Boy Mommies:
Understand that there are a plethera of random injuries, scrapes, bruises, accidents, mishaps, broken household objects, and potential concussions that are the direct result of having a baby with XY chromosomes

Boy Mommies:
Are damn lucky ladies

Head Gear

And now, a retrospective of the many hatted looks of River Garrett Smosna:

It all started at birth...

The flying nun look...

Auntie Celia's favorite hat...

Our KKK hood...

And the Hugh Hefner smoking jacket...

The "Baby's asleep so dress him in stupid hats you find in the store" look...

Farmer Joe...

Peruvian baby...

A warm knitted look for morning walks...

Hat buddies...

The XXS owl hat, complete with fat squishy face.

I think I have an addiction. The first step is admitting it. The second step is buying just one more adorable hat.

Hired Muscle

Don't *&^% with PopPop, or River will break your legs.

Things That Suck

There's no great way to introduce the topic, so let's just put it out there: Deb has breast cancer (again) and that blows.

I've never been a person that has a ton of friends - instead I have only one or two really close friends that become intregal parts of my life. Deb is one of those people for me, and has been for almost 7 years.

Years ago there was a student in our program that couldn't say "Deb" and started calling her "Bob" instead. (The same kid called me "Neo" and Cindy "Indy", which also stuck). Bob has worked at Werner since the school opened, and was one of the pioneering staff members to bring an inclusionary program and philosophy to students with severe and profound disabilities. We call her "Saint Deb" because she's so sO SO patient and good with students (she seriously makes the rest of us look bad, that bitch.)

Deb has been with me through the most momentous occasions in my life - she was on the comittee that hired me for my job, she was one of the first people I told when I got engaged, she stood next to me as I got married as my maid of honor, she supported me through our infertility, she rubbed my belly, threw me showers, and kept me motivated during my pregnancy, and she is the best, most excited honorary aunt a boy could ask for now that River is here. The most important moments of my adult life have Deb somehow intertwined into the experience.

After being an 18 year survivor, Deb found out that she has breast cancer again. It was devestating, unfair, sad, and scary.

On April 10th, Bob will have a double masectomy and reconstruction. It will suck for her and it will suck to watch her go through it and not be able to do anything to fix it. But I'll be there for her, like she's been there for me. River will do his part with some baby therapy. And because she's one tough bitch, I know she'll be just fine. But god it hurts to watch people you love go through things outside of anyone's control.

There's no smooth way to wrap this one up. Fuck cancer.

3 Months

Here's the story:

Chunk factor: 12.5lbs

Likes:
Bath time (we now take 'big boy baths' without the infant net in the baby tub. His little legs kick like a retriever in a lake).

His Happy Crinkle Owl with the big creepy eyes.
Being tossed in the air (and caught, natch.)
PopPop's singing, PopPop's glider rocking abilities (and willingness), PopPop's generous nature with bottle-making/feeding, and PopPop in general.
Looking at his fine self in the mirror.

Tummy raspberries.
Sucking on his hands (we call it his knuckle sandwich).
Having his hands held while he sleeps.
His new Bumbo from Nana.

His swing (finally!)
Waking up at 2am to 'talk'.
Being talked to, looked at, or generally recognized.
Walks in the backpack carrier.

Hates:
Tummy time (he does the face down "I'm going to *&%^ suffocate myself if you don't get me the hell up" move).
Being hungry or the thought of possibly being hungry.
Waiting for a bottle to be made (approximate time to make a bottle = 2.4 seconds).
People sitting down while holding him. (Yeah, that's a fun one...)
Napping anywhere other than someones arms (thanks PopPop).

The Day:
Still breastfeeding with some supplemented formula to help make up for some supply issues I've struggled with.

Taking naps every 3 hours or so for about 30 minutes a pop plus one good 2 hour nap in the afternoon.

Starting to sleep in his co-sleeper at night (mommy can no longer sleep with a 12lbs dead weight slopped across her chest). Goes to bed around 9:30pm, wakes up at about 2am and 4am for about 10mins for feeding/snuggles and sleeps in until about 7:00-7:30am.

Milestones:
Opening up his hands and grabbing onto things when they're placed in his palms.

Lots of babbling (love that).

Smiles and laughing in response to funny voices, being thrown in the air, and other inane things that grown adults are
willing to do to see babies smile.

Will track mommy around the room and turn toward my voice (that one chaps daddy's ass when he's holding River and playing with him and River just stares at me...that's my boy!)

Is brightening to the faces of familiar people.

Got 3 month shots and handled them like a champ (I, on the other hand, was racked with mommy guilt). He gobbled down the liquid Rotarix immunization (that the nurse warned us that babies hate) like it was some sort of infant chocolate. The shots got a minute of surprised, indignant tears and screams, but within a minute or two he was just fine. So sad, though.

We Now Return to our Regular Programming...

We've been busy smiling-eating-napping-laughing-talkin'-growing and getting a littly chunky. But we're back. So watch out.