5 Months Old

Did our baby seriously turn 5 months old this month? Wow. And is it really September? My oh my. This sounds cliche I know, but summer came and went in the blink of an eye. Once August showed up we spent a lot of time on the beach hanging out in the perfect weather. I will be sad once the rain starts again in a few days.

We noticed some big big changes in Ollie as he went from 4 months old to 5 months, and it has been so much fun. He is so so close to rolling from his back to his tummy and I wish he would just do it because I can tell he wants to and he seems to be practicing all the time. He has perfect head control, he can reach for things and actually put them in his mouth and keep them there (and anything he can get his hands on, goes in his mouth of course). He can hold his own bottle pretty well and I can tell he just loves having these new abilities. Ollie has laughed a couple more times, but he still doesn't do it consistently and he squeals and grins more than he actually giggles.  He is really entertained by his toys nowadays too, which is fun... but when we are at home he still rarely lets me put him down on his play mat or in his chair when he knows I could be holding him. It sort of drives me crazy. He hated his Moby wrap when he was really small, but I've slowly been getting him to adapt to his Ergo carrier and he's lasting up to about 20 minutes at a time in there without throwing a fit. Huge improvement from the kid who used to go stiff as a board and shriek as soon as I got him clipped in.

For the past couple of months it really seems like he has been teething like crazy. Nothing had surfaced but he was always chomping on something and drooling constantly. On his 5 month birthday, we noticed a teeny tiny bit of tooth peeking through his gums on the bottom left. Hopefully it brings him a little bit of relief. We also just started to slowly introduce solids and he LOVES it. I've noticed that he seems to practice the chewing motion throughout the day and it's so funny. However, he still doesn't sleep much at night and naps are a total battle. Solids really didn't help him sleep better at all.

He starts swim class on Monday and I started a "stroller fitness" class on Wednesday. I really liked it and there are a couple of baby boys around the same age as Ollie. I'm hoping to get him signed up for a music class as well starting in October.

His favorite things list continues to grow. At 5 months Ollie's favorite things are:
1) Mom and Dad (but especially Mom)
2) Chewing (especially his toes)
3) Eating new foods and holding his bottle
4) Being out in public and flirting with girls from his stroller
5) Tubby Time
6) Holding his baby radio and pressing the button to make the music go (and chewing that too of course)
7) Practicing standing while being held on our laps
8) Music and being sung to

I don't know why he doesn't like to smile his usual big grin for these photos, but here's his 5 month shot:

September 3, 2012

4 Months Old

Ollie turned 4 months on August 3rd, and today he had his check up. Everything looks great and he's following the same growth curve. The only thing we are watching is his belly button because he has an umbilical hernia, which is actually pretty common in babies. Basically the button just sticks way out and appears to be a little bit bruised. There isn't much you can do for it, but wait it out. Usually it resolves on its own, but sometimes it requires a minor surgery. He likely wouldn't need the procedure until he is much older, or if it worsens drastically in the next few months. Here are his numbers at 4 months:

Weight: 17 lbs 11oz....... 95th percentile
Length: 26.75 inches...... 95th percentile
Head Circumference: 17 inches

Last night Ollie giggled a real giggle for the first time! He has been squealing and cooing a lot for a long time now, but true laughter came out for Pete last night while they were chatting and Pete was using a silly voice. It was the best sound I've ever heard. But of course he hasn't done it since. He is definitely a more content baby these days, and we are spending far less time bouncing on the exercise ball during the day. (I seriously thought those days would never end.) We are even weaning it out at bedtime and naptime. However, our good little sleeper has done a complete turn around from the 5-7 hour stretches we were getting at night. Lately he has been waking up pretty regularly every 2-3 hours. His naps are a lot better since we've been sticking with more of a daily a routine, but bedtime is tricky because we are selfish when it's August and the weather is beautiful and it's light out for so long. The doctor also confirmed today that he seems to be teething, which can definitely impact his sleep patterns. He is drooling even more than used to (which has always been a lot) and chewing on anything he can get into his mouth. Whenever he catches hold of my fingers, I can't believe how hard he can bite down.

Eating seems to be gradually moving its way down the list of favorite things too. He still gets hungry and likes eating, but is super easily distracted by the world around him. He'd rather look around and flirt than focus on a meal. I'm still only breastfeeding (and pumping for bottles), but today we talked to the doctor about starting solids. He recommends starting around 6 months, which is what I feel comfortable with too. Even though he's a big boy, he still seems so young to me and he is thriving on just breast milk.

So without further ado... here is his monthly favorite things list (pretty much in this order):

1) Chewing (especially on his own toes and fingers)
2) Mom and Dad
3) Bathtime
4) Eating
5) Bouncing

And his 4 month photo:

4 Months~ August 3, 2012

3 Month Photos

When Ollie turned 3 months old we thought it would be a good idea to get some professional photos taken. So when we were visiting my family last month, we got our lovely wedding photographer (Emily Takes Photos) to pay us a visit. She got some awesome shots of our handsome little man. He wasn't in a great mood that day, (what else is new? lol) but he managed to give us 30 minutes of his more charming side. Here are some of my favorite ones.

July

Here are just a few photos from the past week or so. Ollie has done some exciting things which include feeling both the grass and the sand between his toes for the first time... As well as mastering the 'stink eye.' He is getting so big and so much more entertained by the world around him. I can't believe he will be four months old next week!

Summertime trip to California

Here are a bunch of photos I took from our trip to California. We started in the Bay Area and worked our way down to Palm Springs where we met up with our friends from Boston. It was really hot of course, but still a lot of fun =) Plus, having a two and a half year old around really made me excited for what is to come with our own little Mister.

Photos from the real camera:

the floaty thing that was far too big for a 3 month old

giving "Ollay" some love

Miss Maize looking cute

Mister Ollie looking handsome

just days away from finding his toes

baby bum

Photos from the phone:

asleep and stylin

George's first bday... as a Grandpa

Ernie is hot in Los Altos

Ollie watches Englad vs. Italy

 Palm Springs. Maizie and her buddy.

catching Lizards

Happy Birthday Nicole!

hanging out with the kiddos

3 Months

Oliver turned 3 months on July 3. We are away in California right now, but thought I should post the pictures I took. I will post our vacation photos when we get back.

We have seen some really big changes in Ollie over the course of the month. He is still often disgruntled and grumpy, but his happy times are lasting a lot longer than before... and during them he is usually smiling (and almost giggling). He can pretty much keep his head up, and it's fun to watch him have the mobility to explore the world around him a little more every day. He usually sleeps from about 10pm to 4am, but since we've been away it's been a bit more unpredictable (and pretty frustrating to see him backtrack). One of the more interesting things I've noticed is that while he still enjoys his meals, he is satisfied for longer and he eats a lot faster. His once ravenous appetite has FINALLY slowed down and he no longer screams out the second he gets hungry. I definitely have more of a life now, and I am not confined to nursing him on the couch all day long.  His new favorite trick is watching us blow raspberries with our mouths and then copying us! It's so cute and even though it is also very simple, it goes to show what little sponges babies are.

I am also proud to announce that both Pete and I have made Ollie's "Favorite Things" list. And not only did we make the list, we seem to be right up at the top. So adding to the list I started a few weeks ago, I present you, at 13 weeks, Oliver's Favorite Things (yes in this order):

1) Bouncing
2) Mom and Dad
3) Eating
4) Bathtime
5) Blowing bubbles

3 Months- July 3, 2012

Two Months

Ollie met his new doctor and had his 2 month check up today. Everything looks great. He is healthy and growing so well.

Weight: 14lbs 2oz....... 95th percentile
Length: 24.5 inches..... 95th percentile
Head circumference: 16.5 inches

He also had a handful of vaccinations at the appointment. I teared up a little bit when Oliver turned purple and started screaming as the doctor jabbed him in his gloriously chubby thighs I was holding down. But he recovered pretty quickly, so I guess it couldn't have been too bad. He was also surprisingly pleasant throughout the appointment (minus the shots and getting weighed). He just sat there in his diaper smiling and drooling while Pete held him. So far the rest of the afternoon has gone smoothly and he doesn't seem any fussier than usual and he's not running a fever. Hopefully the shots were the worst of it. Our next check up and round of vaccines won't be until the 4 month mark in August.

Ollie continues to smile/coo more and cry less. Even diaper changes don't seem to be a battle anymore. I know I've discussed how much he loves bathtime before, but his latest discovery is how much fun it is to kick and splash water all over the place. This week he's been going to bed earlier and sleeping longer! Last night he set a record and slept from 9:30pm-4am and then from 5am-8am (not to mention the 2.5 hour nap he had between 2:30-5pm yesterday afternoon).

I have been trying to take photos of him in the same place between two stuffed animals as he grows. Here's the collection so far....

2 Months- June 3, 2012

1 Month- May 3, 2012

1 Week- April 10, 2012

And here are a few more, just because I am so proud of his pudgy little body :) It's been a lot of hard work breastfeeding such a hungry little man but it's definitely getting easier as the weeks stretch on. For me it is SO rewarding to see him fill in and add on some fabulous rolls. On the other end of the spectrum, I am also sad to retire some of his adorable outfits and jammies :-(  He is already starting to wear 6 month clothing in some brands!

Ollie and his doggies

Our beautiful boy