Pictures Galore!

Here is a big picture update - I hadn't been able to post any since our computer was out of commission, but now we are back in business! ENJOY!

Early morning fun!

Shout out to George!

Really getting excited now!

Big smile!

Giggling - too cute!

Jumparoo!

Just hanging out in his chair!

He still doesn't care for tummy time, but he is getting better.

xoxo

congratulations are in order!

CONGRATULATIONS go out from the Spear Family to Chelsea and Robby Reed who just found out they are expecting their first baby this coming April! Yea!

Let it be a boy! Let it be a boy! ... Or else Jack will forever only have girl friends ... :-)

xoxo

let there be light...i mean internet

Some of you may know that we have been lucky enough to graciously borrow free wireless internet from "larry" from the time we bought our house 1 1/2 years ago...well "larry" must have been fed up with his slow internet due to his ever-friendly neighbors borrowing said internet and he BLOCKED it!!! Grr... "larry" how could you?

So we have been without internet for the past 2-3 weeks at the house, but we finally broke down and decided to bite the bullet and get our very own internet connection at the house and COX came and hooked me up this afternoon - modem, router, and all - I'm totally set!

I have tons of pictures to post from the past couple weeks, so barring all goes well this evening with Jack (since Chris is gone I don't get any free time until he goes down anywhere between 7:30 and 8:30pm!) I will try to get some uploaded and some up on the blog!

xoxo

Down To 1 Night Feeding!

This weekend Chris and I decided to get brave and see if Jack would/could skip one of his night-time feedings. See, even though he is almost 3 months old he was still eating every 3 hours (even throughout the night) mainly due to the fact that his tummy would get so gassy if we gave him larger amounts. But he has been doing much better - he is still SUPER gassy, but he can at least relieve himself now either by burping or pooting (he still needs a little leg work every once in awhile to help out, but not very often). So a couple week ago we upped him to 3.5 ounces every 3 hours because he seemed to be hungry and for his weight he technically should have been getting more formula per day. So Friday night we pushed his 9:30pm feeding to 10:00pm and gave him 4 ounces (which he took great)! He slept until about 2:15am!!! He was starting to wake up so I went ahead and got up and got his bottle ready and fed him - I hate hearing a baby scream b/c they are hungry so I try to avoid getting to that point if at all possible! We then got up again at 6:30am and he ate again! What a difference in the quality of sleep! A longer stretch was nice!

We were again successful Saturday night although he was super hungry Sunday and wanted to eat every 2.5 hours b/c we were only giving him extra at his night feedings so we decided to just go with 4 ounces every 3 hours all the time, he did good yesterday so hopefully the pattern will continue! Wish us luck!

Another quick note - I believe I now have a NAP-FIGHTING baby - hates when I try to put him down for a nap even though he will yawn at me for 15 minutes before I do! Grr...

Thank You

Thank You Baby Jack for not having playtime last night between the hours of 1am and 230am! Your exhausted parents greatly appreciated it!

xoxo

Why Is He In His Underwears?

First off, I call Jack's diapers his underwears - just sounds better to me. Anywho, Chris picked up Jack yesterday from daycare and when he pulled into the drive at home I went outside to get Jack and Chris goes, "Um..he is naked...well I guess he has socks on." I was like, "What? Why?"...

I open the door and sure enough there is my little man all strapped into his carseat wearing nothing but his underwears (and socks)! Chris explained that they had been playing outside (Jack was on the covered porch in the shade) at daycare and Tonya said she didn't think he would get too hot, but thought he might like the breeze on his skin (I had already told her if they went outside she could strip him down to his underwears if she thought he would be hot)! Chris said Jack was just as happy as a clam, sitting in the bouncy chair just playing - in his underwears (and socks)! haha!

The site was just too cute not to snag a few photos before he woke up...

xoxo

swaddling...

My post this morning got me thinking about another "sleep" issue. Jack has been swaddled from day one and he loves it. Even when he is fussy sometimes just swaddling him and letting him lay by himself is the only thing that works. I like to sit by him and rub his belly and that calms him down and/or puts him to sleep sometimes and that way he still knows I'm close by and I feel I'm comforting him without actually holding him.

I have to admit we don't hold him that often or for extended periods of time - I know there is major debate and different opinions on the whole holding a baby too much theory, but I do it more because I want him to be independent (as much as an 11 week old baby can be), but in the same breathe I do not want to be misunderstood as a parent that does not respond to their baby. I totally don't let him cry it out alone, I hate hearing him cry - any cry, for any reason! I immediately go get him and pick him up or put his mute button (pacifier) back in his mouth if it falls out, etc. etc. etc. I never let him cry and try everything within my power to soothe and comfort him as quickly as possible.

Anywho, got off topic. OK - Jack loves being swaddled, but he is getting to the point where he can sometimes get 1 arm or even 2 arms out, but he will continue to sleep or he goes back to sleep - assuming he woke up and wiggled his way free...so I guess we don't really have a problem per se yet, but when should we transition from swaddle to swaddle-free sleeping? I mean is it bad, weird, odd, restricting to have a 6 month old that is still swaddled? Right now he is sleeping on his Bobby Lounger in our bed right next to my pillow (I know I said I would never do it, but I did and I'm not going to make an excuse for it). Up until about 6 weeks old he had slept every night in his pack n play bassinet, but this is when the reflux started and it scared me that he would wheeze and cough and spit up - even though he was only 2 feet away from me, so I moved him into the bed. I am planning to start putting him back in his pack n play TONIGHT, but he will still be in our room - I don't want him in his own room...yet...I would miss him I think.

So opinions on swaddling? When is enough enough? I don't mind swaddling him and he likes it, but I also don't want a 5 year old in a giant burrito!!! See picture...




xoxo

it's 1:00am - do you know what your child is doing? mine wants to play...

So Jack has a new habit forming that I really don't appreciate! I've been telling everyone how good he does at night time. For the past month or more he would fall asleep anywhere from 7:30pm - 8:30pm; we still wake him to feed every 3 hours or so, but he would always go right back to sleep (heck, most of the time he was basically eating in his sleep - eyes closed and all)!

Well the past 2-3 nights after Chris feeds him at 12:30am he is like wide-eyed and ready to play! It's horrible! He isn't fussy, he is actually really, overly happy. He just smiles at you and talks and almost giggles. It's so hard b/c its so cute, but I try not to even look at his face b/c I don't want to encourage this behavior - at least not at 1:00am! He will usually stay awake until somewhere between 2:00am - 2:30am...grr...

So last night I broke down and said, "I'm going to rock him!" See we don't rock him or hold him until he falls asleep - never have, never wanted to, still don't want to. He has put himself to sleep (with the few occassions of maybe not feeling well or something) since he was probably a month old. We just wrap him up, give him his pacifier (which may need to be replaced every once in awhile) and he hangs out content until he falls asleep. But I'm affraid that I may have to start rocking him if he continues on this path of late night playtime! Any thoughts? Should I rock or not rock? I rocked him last night and within 5 minutes he was asleep and I could put him to bed, which was fine. I'm just concerned that even consistently rocking him at this one time of night could totally throw all our work out the window and he will start to refuse to go to sleep on his own all the time...

I'm thinking of maybe trying to keep him awake longer after we get home from daycare and then after his 6:30pm feeding - hoping that he will be more tired and not wake up so much at his 12:30am feeding.

Oh...Baby Jack why can't your little digestive system catch up so you can eat more (volume) at once and start sleeping longer stretches in the night?....Maybe by 3-4 months we will get you all figured out!

On a happier note, we have successfully (so far) increased his formula intake to 3.5 ounces every 3 hours, so I'm hoping in the next 4 weeks or so we can slowly increase him to 4 ounces every 3 hours and then hopefully eliminate at least one night time feeding!

A quick note about the Reflux situation: I think I mentioned this, but we started out trying Zantac - didn't work, took the edge off of his pain but just wasn't strong enough; then we tried Prilosec - seemed to work great for about 7 days, then slowly started wearing off and his symptoms were starting to return; now we are on Prevacid - so far so good, but it's only been 7 days and the doctor said 1 to 2 weeks for full impact - but he has been doing pretty good. I could tell he was having some issues late in the week last week and over the weekend, but yesterday was really good. He is still refluxing, but it doesn't seem to be causing him pain, which is my main concern!

Whoa - this got long! Sorry!

xoxo

I BECO'D...

So I did it. I bought a Beco Baby Carrier... I really want to start wearing Jack more when we go on outings rather then lugging him around in his carseat everywhere! I found a website that had the Beco's on sale, free shipping, and 2 free Babylegs with every purchase! So I thought it must be a sign!! I'm super excited and can't wait to get it in the mail! Then I just have to find an excuse to use it...hm...where can we go...I know! SHOPPING!!! Haha!

I still plan to use the Babyhawk for awhile, but from what I've heard the Beco's are way more comfortable, especially as he gets bigger! I also got a great comment idea and might sell the BH in the future and get some money out of it!

On another note - We are in for a LONG WEEKEND! Chris' brother Cory is getting married so tonight we have the rehearsal and dinner and then tomorrow is the big day...Jack is going to be SO worn out by the end of this!

xoxo

To BECO or Not To BECO...

This is the question...

My good friend Chelse has a Beco Baby Carrier that she loves and I'm trying to decide if I want to buy one. I already have a Mai Tie Babyhawk Carrier, but I don't see it lasting for very long as he gets bigger - it's supposed to according to the weight limit, but I'm skeptical...

Well I've been looking at the Beco Carriers for a few days now and just can't decide... Any mom's out there have an opinion? Any other good carriers to recommend?

xoxo