Arthur: 27 Weeks

J's still gone this week for work, so it's just Arthur and I.  After our car adventure this past weekend, we are hopefully back to normal.

Likes: Anything to chew on, mom cuddles (bit clingy this week), his blankets

Dislikes: Playing by himself, not eating fast enough

Sleeping: He's been sleeping straight through from 7pm to 6am.  This is so amazing!  I have no idea what I did to get him there, but I love getting some actual sleep.

Eating: Moving forward with trying new foods.  He hasn't met one he doesn't like yet.  He's especially loving the vanilla puffs.  I even think they're pretty tasty.

Playing: We've had a few fun playdates with our baby friends this week.  He's getting more and more interactive.  He's especially been loving anything that makes noise: tambourine, shaker eggs, rattles.

Medical Milestones: 

• Throwing things (learning about cause and effect) -- Check!  He loves throwing toys and then chasing after them.
• Crawling -- Check!  He's getting more coordinated and faster.  Watch out world!  Arthur is on the move!
• Squirming instead of wanting to be held -- Check!  He holds his hands up to get picked up but once in my lap, he squirms to get down.  It's a never ending cycle.
• Answering to his name -- Mostly check!  He usually looks over if I call his name, but not every single time.

Schedule: While he was taking two consistent naps a day, now I never know when he's going to nap.

Out and About:

• Post office and library for errands
• Storytime at the library
• Shoreline walk
• Joann's for fabric shopping with other moms and babies
• Round Table for mom's stamp club
• VW Dealership for deal with car issues
• Hobee's for Saturday brunch book club

Arthur: 6 Months (26 Weeks)

This past week we returned home, dealt with Arthur's first cold, and then ended the week with our mom's group Easter Party.  It was a busy week!

Likes: Rattles, playing with anything he shouldn't (i.e. mom's craft supplies or computer cords), puffs

Dislikes: Being left alone for 5 minutes (I have to use the restroom at some point during the day...), waiting for mom to make his oatmeal or rice cereal

Sleeping: After a bad Monday night, he started sleeping 12 hours straight.  That ended on Saturday after we dropped J off at the airport.  He woke up three times that night.  We seem to have gone back to 8-9 hours without waking.  I can do that.

Eating: Anything and everything.  We've tried most of the baby food combos and haven't found one he didn't eat.  We're also starting to branch out into regular food.  He wasn't quite too sure about Greek yogurt, but he did eat a few mini spoonfuls.

Playing: In our Easter goodie bags, we included a small egg shaped tambourine and three shaker eggs (filled with rice, lentils, and beans).  Arthur's been really loving the tambourine and eggs the last few days.  He really loves to shake one of them while I'm shaking another.  We have our own little band!

Doctor Visit Stats: Our 6 month visit has been pushed until sometime next week.  Doctor had to reschedule.

Medical Milestones: 

• Pays attention to small objects -- Check!  Especially things he shouldn't have.
• Transfers toys from one hand to the other -- Check!  An old pro at this now.
• Babbling -- Double check!  He can be very serious and quiet or quite loud and talkative.  There's been lots of talking on going on now.
• Sitting by himself or with minimal support -- Check!  He can sit by himself for about 15-30 seconds before he shifts his weight and falls over.  Thankfully flopping over never seems to bother him.
• Rocking back and forth on all fours -- Check!  He's still not properly crawling, but he has a variety of ways to get where he wants.
• Developing separation anxiety -- Check!  So far he's been okay with other people.  He just doesn't like being left alone so I can use the restroom or get a drink from fridge.  It's pretty bad some days.

Schedule: We're down to two naps a day, but the times are still all over the place.  I have tried to put him down right after lunch, but depending on where we are, it can be hard.  Bedtime is the only set time of the day.

Out and About:

• Traveling back from Indiana
• Target, post office, and coffeeshop with mom
• Shoreline -- Felt nice to get back out into the fresh air
• Baby friend's house so the moms could prep the Easter bags
• Rengstorff Park -- Easter party location.  I'm really loving that park.  We will have to frequent it more often.
• Library -- Picking up books for mom and baby

Arthur: 24-25 Weeks

We're back from almost two weeks in Indiana.  We saw a ton of people, watched some crap television, and played a lot!

Likes: Food (really all kinds); cuddling; television (he rarely gets to watch)

Dislikes: Cold weather and rain (not so fun in Indiana); being put down

Sleeping: Sleep was all over the map while in Indiana.  Some nights he did eight hours straight.  Others he woke up screaming after three.  I hope our transition back home includes better sleeping.

Eating: We started eating lunch and dinner this past week.  He's loved everything except for peas and the pureed chicken and rice.  We'll try both again in a few weeks.  He's also a fan of vanilla puffs.

Playing: Lots of exploring and discovering new places to get stuck.  He still has his favorite toys, but he picked up a few new ones while traveling.  He's really enjoying his new mini sock monkey.

Medical Milestones: 

24 weeks

• Performing actions to get predictable results -- Check!  He's very interested in repeating actions and waiting for results.  He's very intent on watching everything.  Those little neurons are definitely making connections.
• More expressive facial expressions and body language -- Check! He now has a tired expression, a happy expression, a dirty diaper expression, and a mad expressions.  He has also started holding his arms up when he wants picked up.
• Interest in names of objects, basic words, and sounds -- Check! He seems more and more intent on listening to me talk and point out objects.
• Appearance of first teeth -- Not yet.  His gums are definitely hard and he loves chewing on things.  But no actual teeth poked through yet.

25 weeks

• Becoming more and more mobile -- Check!  While he isn't doing any proper crawling, he gets around just fine.
• Babbling one syllable sounds  -- Check!  I'm hearing more and more varied sounds from him.  He new syllable sounds like "Hi."  He loves babbling and repeating himself.

Schedule: All over the place again.  Hopefully we get back to normal this week.

Out and About: Lots of new and old places visited these past two weeks.  We had playdates at our friends and a ton of family members.  We ate in a few restaurants.  We even visited the local Target.  Fun times...

Arthur: 23 Weeks

Last week was full of fun baby activities!  We had a great week and even a return to a more normal sleeping schedule.

Likes: Crawling, food, baby friends, paper, grass

Dislikes: Not being allowed to eat paper, when mom spoons the food too slow

Sleeping: We're back to a fairly normal sleeping schedule.  Down at 7:30pm, up at around 10:30pm or 11pm for a feeding, down until around 7am.  Decent.  I'll take it.

Eating: We now have a piggy pig on our hands.  He eats anything I give him and still eyes all my food.  We're attempting to add in more solid foods in addition to all the various purees.  He's really warmed up to the vanilla puffs (think cheerios) and avocado.

Playing: He's so much more interactive now.  He loves playing airplane, wrestling with the sock monkey, playing tug of war with mom, playing in the jumper, and "reading" books.  At the playdate this week, he actually interacted with the other babies.  He's shown an interest in other kids, but still prefers to play with mom.

Medical Milestones: 

• Working on language skills by conversing with people -- Check! We have "conversations" all the time now.  He loves to "answer" my questions and ask his own.  It's so adorable.
• Experimenting with sounds that objects make -- Check!  I loves making Sophie squeak, hitting various things on others, and playing with his rattles.
• Rolling both ways -- Check! He finally started rolling from stomach to back this past week.  Now he's a rolling fool!
• Sitting unassisted for a few minutes -- Check! He is still a bit unsteady, but he's staying up for longer periods of time.

Schedule:We're trying to establish a better daytime routine, but most days I never know when he's going to nap.  If we're home, he usually goes down for a mid-morning nap at 9:30 or 10.  If we're out, who knows?

Out and About:

• Shoreline walk -- Our usual, but only once this week instead of twice.
• Playdate at Mariposa Park -- Amazing! Awesome! So much fun!  We can't wait to do it again!  Thankfully we have one schedule once a month.
• Coffee at Bean Scene with Miss Angi -- We met Angi for coffee on Wednesday.  We had a nice chat and Angi got her baby cuddles in.
• Sunnyvale Library -- We walked to the library to return all of our books before our trip.
• Morning at Washington Park -- On the way back from the library, we stopped off at the park for a bit.  It was such a nice day, we had to take advantage.

Arthur: 5 Months (22 Weeks)

It's already been 5 months...  Time has flown!  We've had a ton of new developments this past week, but the biggest has been forward mobility.  Yep, he's almost crawling!  We are in so much trouble.

Likes: Our baby friends, the giant sock monkey, food of any kind, walks

Dislikes: Naps, playing by himself, waiting to eat

Sleeping: We've settled into a decent routine.  He goes down at 7:30pm, sleeps until 4am, eats, then sleeps for another 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  I can deal with this.

Eating: We're branching out with our variety of foods.  We've cycled through prunes, pears, green beans, and sweet potatoes this week.  He even tried a bit of scrambled egg and some baked oatmeal last night.  He loved it!  I'm hoping to transition him to more and more regular food and less purees within the month.

Playing: He finally figured out how to go forward.  This has opened up his playing possibilities.  He loves scooting around the blanket finding "new" toys.  He especially loved the other babies' toys at our playdate yesterday.  So much fun!

Medical Milestones: 

• Babies usually range from 23.5 inches long and 12.25 pounds (10th percentile) to 26.5 inches long and 17 pounds (90th percentile) -- Check!  In fact, Arthur is over this range.  I have a big baby!
• Investigating sounds -- Check!  Up until now, he hasn't cared about the train going by every few minutes.  Now, if we're in the living room, he stops and looks out the window.  He can't see the train from the living room, but he definitely knows it's there.  He was super excited to see the trains going by when were at the cafe the other day.
• Raking the floor to get at objects -- Check! He's moved beyond this and actually grabbing things.
• Loving the mirror -- Check!  One of his favorite toys.
• Developing object permanence -- Check!  He loves playing peek a boo.

Schedule:We're down to 2-3 naps a day.  Usually the first one is around 9:00am.  The second can be anywhere from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.  It all depends on the day.  Thankfully bedtime and wake-up time is fairly set.

Out and About:

• Shoreline walks -- We're doing this twice a week now.  The weather is so gorgeous.  It's great to get out into the fresh air and get some exercise.
• Lynn's house for co-op board meeting -- We got a ton of business done and the babies had fun playing with each other.
• Corner bakery -- I met a few moms to plan out the upcoming Easter Party.  We got through our business and even had a nice lunch (moms and babies).
• Playdate at Mariposa Park -- We had a lovely playdate at the park.  The moms put down picnic blankets and let the babies crawl around and explore.  It was a great success!  We can't wait until the next one we can attend.

Arthur: 21 Weeks

It's been a week of new discoveries (mobility) and trying times (sleep).  Almost 5 months old and growing like a weed.  He's already wearing 9-12 month clothing.  And he's ahead on some of the developmental milestones.  I just want him to stay a cuddly little baby a little while longer.

Likes: Classical music (especially Vivaldi and Bach), anything to chew on, mom, sweet potatoes

Dislikes: Dad (or as Arthur thinks of him as "Not the momma"), bedtime, not being able to chew paper

Sleeping: Well, we've been all over the place this week.  Most nights he's easy to get to sleep.  But then there are nights like Sunday when he proceeded to fuss and cry for three hours before finally falling asleep at 10 (bedtime is 7:30).  Naps tend to be very hit or miss.  I feel like he sleeps when he needs to (except for Sunday obviously), but I would really love a more consistent nap schedule.

Eating: This past week we branched out to sweet potatoes (which he loves!) and pears.  I also introduced real mashed sweet potatoes along with the pureed stuff.  I didn't know how he'd react to the texture, but he gobbled it right up.  Pears were also a big hit.  And he ate one of his vanilla puffs (like Cheerios).  We will be attempting green beans and then apples next.  My plan is to introduce the pureed either before or with the real mashed food.  He still has some gagging issues with the thicker mashed textures of regular veggies, so I don't want to overwhelm him.  But the sweet potatoes were a hit.  I have high hopes for others.  Lastly, I offered him some water in a sippy cup.  He played with it for about 10 minutes intermittently attempting to drink it.  We'll try again this week.

Playing: Lots of new toy discoveries this week.  He's really latched onto the giant sock monkey and his wire ball (loves to fling it around the room).  He's also discovered the fun of crinkling and then attempting to eat paper.  Thank goodness it was just a completed grocery list.  I've got to hide the regular books now.

Medical Milestones: 

• Consciously choosing toys -- Check!  He definitely has his favorites and seek them out.
• Imitating sounds -- Check!  He loves making weird noises repeatedly.  And he does love to imitate my noises.
• Mimicking facial expressions -- Sorta check!  He smiles when I smile, but that's about it.
• Entertaining himself for short periods of time -- Check! He can do about 15 minutes before I have to get down and play with him.  But it's a start!

Schedule:Once again, we are flying without a real schedule.  He naps or he doesn't.  He plays or he doesn't.

Out and About:

• Shoreline -- We walked on Monday and Thursday this past week.
• Dinner out with Auntie Pam -- She took me to a Korean food court for my birthday dinner.  Arthur tagged along.  He enjoyed watching all the other people and trying some shaved ice (just the plain ice part, not our crazy flavored dessert).
• Dinner out with mom and dad -- J took me to get sushi for my birthday weekend.  Arthur charmed all the waitresses while hindering my ability to eat sushi without dropping pieces all over my plate.  Still, it was yummy and Arthur lasted through the entire dinner without imploding.  I call that a success!
• Target -- Random stop for some food items and house essentials

Arthur: 20 Weeks

Last week was a week full of new experiences and exploration.

Likes: Cuddles with mom, playdates with other babies, exploring

Dislikes: Pureed peas, not being able to see mom, naps

Sleeping: We have experienced a sleep regression.  He hasn't sleep 8 hours straight this entire past week.  Instead, we are getting 2-3 wake ups from 7:30pm to 6:00am.  Not so fun.  And he's fighting naps some days.  But when he does calm himself down for afternoon naps, he sleeps 1-3 hours.

Eating: Big developments on the eating front!  Arthur starting eating solids this week.  We began with a few days of rice cereal (documented below).  He wasn't a fun right away, but quickly warmed up to it.  Then we added in pureed peas, which he did not like.  We tried those for three days, but it was struggle.  We then switched to bananas for week's end and he liked those much better.  He still makes a horrible face when eating, but after swallowing, he opens for more.  Today we are going to try a different vegetable, probably carrots, and hope for a better outcome than the peas.  Or I might introduce him to avocado instead.

Playing: We went to our first true playdate this week at the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo.  We were supposed to have a playdate at a park, but it got rained out.  So we moved to the baby area of the museum.  About seven babies aged 4 1/2 to 14 months arrived and proceeded to crawl around (not Arthur yet, but the others).  Arthur contented himself by sitting (with a bit of help) and watching the other babies.  I suspect that next time, Arthur will be crawling around with the others.

Medical Milestones: 

• Grabbing everything -- Check!  He latches onto everything that comes near his hands.  This includes my glasses and especially my hair. Ouch!
• Displaying some personality -- Check!  He recognizes and gets excited when he sees people and toys he knows.  The rest he gives the grumpy cat face.
• Possibly starting solids -- Check! We started this week, but it'll be slow going and small amounts for awhile.
• Becoming mobile -- Check!  He scoots on his stomach backwards and in circles.  He rolls from back to stomach.  He gets up on his elbows and knees, but goes nowhere.  I'd say he's making some progress.

Schedule: Well... we don't really have a schedule anymore.  Arthur tends to take 2 or 3 naps a day but they are of varying lengths and at varying times.  On one hand, it would be nice to predict his naps.  But on the other, we can still get away with going out to places at almost any time of the day.

Out and About:

• Shoreline walk on Monday -- 4 miles down on a super sunny day
• Doctor office well visit -- See last week's post for the details
• Lots of errands on Wednesday -- Target, grocery, Walgreens, library
• Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo -- For a fun playdate with the mom's group
• IHOP for brunch on Sunday

Arthur: 19 Weeks

Every week Arthur has new and exciting skills.  I love watching him grow and change.  Even his personality is starting to show.

Likes: Walks, anything he can put in his mouth, his cloth books

Dislikes: Bedtime (fighting it every night now), not being able to eat my food

Sleeping:He fights sleep at nights now.  We have to go through a few times of putting pacifiers back in and/or rocking him before he drops off.  Plus, he is only sleeping 4-5 hours at a time again.

Eating: I bought him some rice cereal, but i've decided to wait until after his vaccinations to try it.  I'm still waiting to see if those vaccinations have any ill effect.  Maybe Wednesday or Thursday...

Playing:He loves hanging out on the blanket and checking out all his toys.  He's reaching and grabbing and figuring out stuff.  I love watching him explore!

Doctor Visit Stats:

• Weight:17 lbs. 11 oz (85th percentile) — I thought he was over 17 pounds and I was right!  He's almost doubled his birth weight.
• Length: 25 1/2" (65th percentile) — I don't think this measurement was correct.  The nurse had a heck of a time holding him still.  I measured him at 25 1/2" at 3 months and I know he's grown since then.  I'm estimating him closer to 26 1/2"
• This visit was a bad one. As soon as Arthur entered the exam room, he started screaming.  Not fussing, screaming...  It was horrendous.  We hardly got through the physical exam.  And then we got to the vaccinations.  He had one oral and two shots.  Amazingly enough, the vaccinations were less traumatic than the rest of the exam.  He cried the entire way home (thank goodness it's only about 4 blocks) and for another 1 1/2 hours at home.  I did a lot of walking and rocking to get him to calm down.  I eventually gave him a bit of Tylenol.  And after another 30 minutes of rocking, he finally fell asleep. Thankfully he woke up smiling and fairly happy.

Medical Milestones: 

• Averaging 11-14 hours of sleep each day with fewer day naps -- Check! He usually sleep 8-10 hour a night with three small naps during the day.  He averages about 13 hours of sleep a day.
• Attempting a sippy cup -- Nope. We haven't tried this yet.  Maybe soon.
• Insecurity around strangers -- Sorta check. He doesn't cry when others pick him up, but he doesn't usually smile either.  Smiles are reserved for those he knows.
• Developing preferences of toys -- Check! He definitely has his favorites: Sophie and Taggie monster.  He plays with other toys, but these two will always elicit a smile.

Schedule: He's settled into a fairly predictable schedule.  Three naps a day.  In bed by 7:30 with a bedtime routine of bath, bottle, and cuddles.

Out and About:

• Olympus Caffe -- We met the mom's group for coffee and a chat.  It was a nice little afternoon in the cooler weather.
• Mom's doctor appointment -- I had to take Arthur with me to my appointment.  Thankfully he was great and charmed all the ladies in the office.
• Campbell Community Track -- We met another mom's group to walk the track and chat.  We had a nice time and I hope to do it again.
• Book Club -- Sunday we met Pam and Angi for book club at Specialty's.  We had a lovely chat and brunch.

Arthur: 4 Months (18 Weeks)

This past week was a bit difficult.  J was home most of the week with nasty cold.  Arthur caught a little bitty cold on Wednesday.  He had a fever and screamed off and on all day.  It was torture.  Sleep that night was practically nonexistent.  Thursday he seemed back to his usual self, but Friday the fever and fussiness came back.  Another round of Tylenol and a lot of cuddling with mom and he was back to normal by Saturday.  I'm so thankful that he didn't completely catch the cold, but what he did catch was nasty enough. Because of scheduling issues, Arthur's four month doctor's appointment won't be until next Monday.  Next week's update will include stats from the doctor's visit and hopefully a not cranky baby after this round of vaccinations.

Likes: Playing airplane, his Taggie Monster, other babies, mirrors

Dislikes: Bathtime if Dad does it (literally screamed the entire time, according to J), going to sleep (he fights it sometimes)

Sleeping: Sleep has regressed to 3-4 hours at a time throughout the night.  Ugh!  And he was doing so good with 8 hour stretches...

Eating: He eats 6-7 ounce bottles every 3 hours during the day.  And he's attempting to steal food off of my plate.  And he watches food go from my plate to my mouth.  It's really a bit creepy.  I think we are going to have to start rice cereal soon, like within the next week.

Playing:All the things!  At this point, he turns everything into a toy.  Loves exploring for new play opportunities.  This week we're having a baby playdate with the mom's group.  At some point, I'm hoping that he starts playing with other kids.  Plus, we have a few new toys coming in the mail this week.

Medical Milestones: 

• Range from 23 - 25.5 inches and 11 - 15.75 pounds -- Check!  Well, actually he's above both of these stats.  At last home measuring, he is over 26 inches long and 17 pounds.
• Sleeping through the night -- Previous check...  By the end of the week not so much.
• Rolling over -- Check!  He's got back to front down pat.  However, he gets stuck on his stomach and has only rolled from stomach to back accidentally.
• Following objects from side to side -- Check!
• Babbling and other noises -- Check!  His current favorite noise to a crazy rolling sound.  So adorable even if he's a bit loud sometimes.
• Finding his feet -- Check!  Changing his diaper has become an issue as he spend the entire time trying to put his feet into his mouth.
• Exploring things with hands and mouth -- Check!  Everything he grabs goes straight into his mouth.
• Entertaining himself for up to 15 minutes -- Check!  While he still relies on me to entertain him most times, he does play by himself for small amounts of time.

Schedule: We've moved into the land of three naps a day.  He's fairly consistent with three, but the length varies each day.  At least he still can nap while we are out and about.

Out and About:

• Walk at Shoreline — Our usual walk got moved to Tuesday this week.  We still managed to do 6 miles and then had lunch.  Always a good start to the week.
• Sunnyvale Library -- We walked over to the library mainly because I had a book that was due.  But, it was a nice excuse to get moving again (2 miles!) and get Arthur out of the house after his sickness.
• Lunch at Palace Cafe -- Sunday we headed down the block to the Palace Cafe for lunch.  Arthur spent the entire time watching people walk by the window.  J and I had a nice peaceful lunch.

Arthur: 17 Weeks

It's been raining here most of the week, so our activities were limited.  Since we are currently in the middle of a drought, the rain was a nice welcome.  But people around here just don't know what to do when it rains.  It's comical...

Likes: Watching people do anything, especially watching me eat, all his toys, his blankie (necessity at nap time now)

Dislikes:Waiting for food

Sleeping:Arthur's been sleeping fairly consistently lately, usually a 7 hour stretch and then another 2-3 hours.  Saturday night, he slept 11 hours straight.  Crazy!  I'm not going to expect that to happen again any time soon, but it sure would be nice.

Eating: Consistently 6 ounces at each feeding.

Playing: Loving all the toys.  His new favorite one is actually his feet.  He can finally grab them and roll around.  Yesterday, he even came close to pulling his socks off.

Medical Milestones: 

• Sitting with assistance -- Check!  He really really wants to be able to sit by himself, but he's not quite there yet.  The boppy and a pillow makes a great sitter.
• Improvement in hand-eye coordination -- Check!  He's getting so much better at grabbing toys without too much trouble
• Propping up on arms --  Check!  Of course, he's been doing this for months now.
• Blowing raspberries, laughing, imitating sounds -- He doesn't blow raspberries, but he does laugh and imitate other sounds.  He does roll is tongue and make some seriously funny sounds.
• Interested in other people -- Check!  He loves looking at new people and new babies.

Schedule: Up by 7 at the latest, bed by 7:30, and everything in between is fairly random.

Out and About:

• Walk at Shoreline — We did a 6 mile circuit this week.  It was a bit chilly out, so perfect for me to walk and not overheat.  Arthur loved the walk part, but started to get fussy at lunch.  We left pretty quickly after I finished eating.
• Valentine's Day Party -- The rain caused us to choose a different meeting place, but we still had so much fun.  Fifteen moms and babies met to exchange Valentines, play, and chat.  It was nice meeting some new babies as well as hanging out with some old friends.
• Lunch at Boudin -- For lunch on Saturday we headed to Boudin.  The rain had kept Arthur and I in the house for most of the week.  I felt the need to go out for lunch.

Arthur: 16 Weeks

Another week of fun mom's group activities and exploring the world. I've been seeing a huge amount of development these past few weeks.  Can't wait to see what he'll learn to do next.

Likes: All his toys, all the new people he's met (especially people who hold him), walks in the stroller, bath time

Dislikes:Dad (we really need to work on this, but he totally prefers mom), not being paid attention to, not being able to grab a toy correctly (he gets so frustrated sometimes)

Sleeping:We are now getting a consistent 7-8 hour stretch during the night.  Unfortunately it's usually 7:30-4ish.  I would love for him to wake at 10:30pm and then do his 8 hours, but that's not the case.  He's still sleeping until 6:30-7:00am.  I can do that wake up time.  Before 6 and I am just a zombie for the rest of the day.

Eating: Still really interested in my food, but we're not there yet.  For now, he's eating 6 ounce bottles during the day and usually one in the middle of the night.  Such a piggy pig!

Playing:All the usual toys, but his new favorite is the mirror.  He always wants it positioned so he can see himself.  It's extra fun when he can see himself and me in the mirror.  A guaranteed way to make him smile and laugh.  Best $15 spent in awhile.

Medical Milestones: 

• More vocal -- Check!  He just discovered how to roll his tongue so he's constantly making these random noises.
• Doubling birth weight -- Check!  We're just about there...
• Imitating speech sounds and patterns -- Not quite there yet, but I can tell he's getting close.  He loves to "talk" with me about a variety of topics.
• Grabbing hair, clothing, jewelry -- Double check!  He's always grabbing my hair and pulling hard.  I've taken to wearing a ponytail most days just to avoid that.

Schedule: Still with the more or less random napping.  Although I try not to let him nap after 5 so he will go to bed at 7:30.

Out and About:

• Walk at Shoreline — This week our taskmaster was back and pushed us to walk 3.8 miles.  Woo!  I was sweaty afterwards, but it was a great workout.  Plus, we met two new ladies and their babies.
• Olympus Cafe -- One from our mom's group organized an informational meeting to discuss forming a childcare co-op.  About 14 ladies showed up.  A great turnout!  We're having another meeting in two weeks to elect board members and vote on our bylaws.
• Target — Arthur loved hanging out in the baby carrier while I shopped.  He really likes watching other people.
• Michaels -- We had to get some supplies for our upcoming Valentine's Day party with our mom's group.
• Walk at Shoreline (again) -- This time it was with a new mom's group.  We did another 3.8 mile circuit and chatted a bit afterward.  It was a small group (only 4 of us moms), but a real friendly and motivated group.  We've already made plans to tackle The Dish in Palo Alto this coming week.  A 5 mile circuit with incline...  I'm a bit hesitant, but we are going to try.
• Card Makers Meet and Greet -- We walked down to Panera (1 mile there, 1 mile back) for my monthly meet and greet.  I had fun chatting with my fellow crafters and working on Valentine's cards for our upcoming mom's group Valentine's party (Arthur's first party!).

Arthur: 15 Weeks

We're back to our normal routine...  Oh wait!  No we're not!  We've joined three mom's groups and have an activity almost everyday.  So excited to socialize with other moms and babies.

Likes: Checking out other babies (new favorite activity), the iPad (pretty pictures), going on walks

Dislikes:Dirty diapers (renewed his hatred for soiled pants), playing by himself, not eating mom's food (yeah, he's already interested)

Sleeping:Sunday night he slept for eight hours straight!  Of course that was an aberration.  Usually he wakes up 3 times a night. Thankfully he's been sleeping until 7 or 8am.  I can do that time.

Eating: I met a mom today who is using the baby led weaning method.  After picking her brain for awhile, I think we are going to definitely use this when Arthur turns 6 months.

Playing: Chewing on Sophie constantly (see below).  Cuddling with monkey at night.  Drooling on the taggie monster blanket.  Grabbing the hanging toys.  Fascinated by the toys on the jumper.  Flings the links around.  I'd say he's loving playing with new toys.

Medical Milestones: 

• Rolling over -- Check!  He's got back to tummy down.  The other way not so much.
• Reaching for and possibly grabbing a variety of toys -- He's dexterity is really improving.
• Sucking on hands for comfort -- Always always always...

Schedule: Depending on the day, nap times are pretty random still.  I can't wait until we have more set nap times.  Although it might impede on our activities.

Out and About:

• Walk at Shoreline -- We restarted our weekly walk with the mom's group. Walked 2.5 miles this week!  Hope to up it next week.
• Target -- I had to return some pants.  Arthur was so good hanging out in the baby carrier.
• Donut shop -- We popped over on Friday for yummy breakfast.  I needed the pick-me-up after a horrid sleep.
• Brunch at Buck's -- We met some of J's co-workers for brunch.  Arthur loved watching everyone and everything at the restaurant.
• Book club at Le Boulanger -- Hung out with Liese, Angi, and Pam.  Pam even held Arthur for the first time (he's less "floppy" now).  Plus, we walked there and back, so two more miles to my exercise tally.

Arthur: 14 Weeks

After our first full week back in California, we're getting back into the swing of our routine.  We've also restarted our weekly activities.

Likes: Laughing at mom, lots of toys, his new jumper (sorta, we're still working on it)

Dislikes: Middle of the night diaper changes (it's a necessity but he hates it), getting stuck on his tummy and not being able to roll to his back 

Sleeping: It's been all over the place lately.  We had a couple of good nights with 5-6 hour stretches and then nothing.  Thankfully he's still a decent napper.

Eating: He's pretty consistent with his eating right now.  I've been thinking about when and how to introduce real food to the baby.  Right now, I leaning towards baby led weaning.  But I guess it really depends on when Arthur gets fed up with just formula.

Playing:He's still learning to love his jumper.  I turned him to a different side and he's really into the links and toys.  Plus he loves the music from his monkey bouncer.  He's been exploring more of his toys.  The wire ball and taggie monster blanket are his current favorites.

Medical Milestones: 

• Mouthing toys -- He's putting everything in his mouth now.  Definite check!
• Pushing up with arms while on tummy -- He just started doing this in the past week.  He's also attempting to army crawl, but can't get those legs working.  So cute!
• Making more sounds -- All kinds of sounds come out of his mouth.
• Noticing when I leave and come back -- Yeppers...  I get a big smile every time I go in and get him from a nap.

Schedule: I thought we were getting onto a decent schedule: sleeping for 1-2 hours stretches during day, playing/awake time for 2-3 hours, then napping again.  It was a fake out.

Out and About: We mostly stayed around the house and hung out.  On Saturday we walked down to the Farmer's Market for lunch and popcorn.  The essentials of course!  And yesterday we restarted our weekly walk at Shoreline with the mom's club.  Over 3 miles walked next to the bay.  Can't wait until next Monday!

Arthur: 3 Months (13 Weeks)

We're finally back in California.  Thank goodness!  I really needed to get back to the warmer temperatures, my own bed, and J.  Tomorrow is Arthur's 3 month birthday.  I'm so excited to see him grow and explore.

Likes: Toys, toys and more toys.  He's really loving all his new toys!

Dislikes: Not being held, loud noises

Sleeping: It was really nice having Arthur sleep 6 hour stretches while in Indiana.  Unfortunately, we have reverted to 4 hour stretches back at home.  I'm hoping he's just adjusting back.

Eating: He usually eats 4 ounces at a time.  But sometimes he downs 7 ounces or so in an 1:30 stretch.  He's such a piggy pig sometimes!

Playing:Oh my goodness!  He is really loving all his new toys.  He's especially fond of his taggie monster, the wire ball, and his hanging toys.  This week we tried out the new jumper.  He's slowly warming up to it.  He hasn't gotten the hang of pressing buttons or making the toys move, but he does love the music and lights.

Medical Milestones: 

• Can see up to 20 feet away -- Definitely watches me walk around the apartment.  He also quiets when I come into his view.
• Drooling -- Oh yeah...  He's a drooling machine now.
• Rolling over -- Finally!  Yesterday he rolled from back to tummy all on his own!  He hung out there for a while and then rolled onto his back again.
• Holding toys -- He's grabbing more things and sometimes he even grabs one of his toys.

Schedule: He is all over the place right now.  I'm trying to re-establish a good night time routine to encourage sleeping through the night.  Naps are hit or miss during the day.

Out and About: We finally made it back to California on Saturday evening.  The few days before getting back we mainly spent them in my mom's house as it was absolutely freezing in the Midwest.  Since being back, it's nice to go outside and enjoy the warm weather. Yesterday Arthur and I made our first solo trip to the grocery.  I stuck him in the baby carrier and we walked around shopping.  He did amazingly well!  No crying, just a happy baby looking around at all the new sights.

Arthur: 10-12 Weeks

Arthur and I have been in Indiana visiting with family and friends. We've been so busy, I didn't have much time to do his weekly updates.  So, I've combined weeks 10-12.

Likes:Being held (so spoiled while being here), bath time (even in a different tub), his new stuffed monkey (latched right onto it)

Dislikes:The cold (right there with you kid!), playing by himself (so spoiled right now), his new baby "uggs" (seriously kicked them right off)

Sleeping:I have been so lucky while in Indiana.  Arthur has been sleeping for longer periods during the night (usually 5-6 hours).  And our schedules have synced up a bit.  He's up and ready to play between 7-8am.  I can do those hours.  5am is a bit early for me.

Eating: Usually he eats 4 ounces every 4 hours.  But during the evening time, he cluster feeds and ends up eating ~7 ounces in 5 hours.  Crazy kid!

Playing: Since we've been in Indiana, he's noticing more and more of his toys.  He's especially loving his tambourine with a mirror in the middle.  I'm still waiting for him to actually grab his toys.

Medical Milestones: 

10 Week Milestones:

• Responding to his name -- Sometimes, but not always
• Recognizing mommy and daddy -- Check!
• Grasping toys -- Nope... he tries but it doesn't really happen

11 Week Milestones:

• Full-body smiles -- Check! He gets so excited and waves his arms when he smiles.
• Searching for mom and dad -- Check! He follows me around the room and turns his head when I start talking.  Very cute!

12 Week Milestones:

• Becoming social -- Check!  He's met so many new people and smiles and talks to everyone!
• Pushing arms up during tummy time -- Nope.  He still hates tummy time.
• Pushing legs into a standing position -- Check!  Loves attempting to stand and push his legs against things.
• Sleeping for extended periods during the night -- Check!
• Discovering his hands -- Check!  And also his feet.  He's still a bit confused by them, but so cute.

Schedule: While in Indiana, he switched to going to bed at 10 or 11pm and waking for good at around 7am.  Usually he takes a nap during the mid morning and one during the mid afternoon.  The rest of the time, he's wide awake or taking a cat nap.

Out and About: So many places we visited these past few weeks! Here's just a few:

• Plane ride from San Francisco to Chicago to Fort Wayne
• Firefly coffeehouse
• Granite City
• Jefferson Point shopping center
• Target, Kroger, Half Price Books
• The Halls, The Buffenbargers, The Waites

Arthur: 2 Months (9 Weeks)

Look who's 2 whole months old!  Seems like yesterday that he arrived and now he's mastering skills left and right.

Likes: Talking, still.  Even more cooing and gurgling going on over here.  He also really loves bath time.  We have a routine of how we do bath time.  As soon as I lay him down on the towel in the bathroom and start the water, he gets so excited.  He loves to scrunch down in the water and kick his legs everywhere.  And he really enjoys the lavender lotion massage afterward bath time. Christmas music, especially Bing Crosby's "White Christmas"

Dislikes: Vaccinations (obviously!), waiting for a bottle to be made (so impatient!), tummy time (still not his favorite).

Sleeping: We're back to decent sleep.  Usually he goes 3-4 hours during the night, but sometimes we get a 5 or 6 hour stretch in there.  Overall, he's been good about going right back to sleep after feeding, but we've had a few fussy nights.  I think starting him in his crib on day one was a great idea.  He usually takes naps out in the living room, but I'm thinking about starting to transition him to crib naps (after our Indiana vacation of course).

Eating: Fairly consistent with our feedings now.  In a 24-hour period, he usually drinks about 32 ounces of formula.  Right on target for his age.

Playing: He's starting to attempt to hit his toys.  No real development yet, but I can feel that it's coming.

Doctor Visit Stats:

• Weight: 13lbs, 6oz (75th percentile) -- Such a solid baby!
• Length: 24 3/4" (99th percentile) -- Yep, you read that correct, 99th percentile!  I have one long baby. He barely fits into 3-6 month clothing because of the height issue.
• He had three shots and one oral vaccination this time.  Took them like a champ!  Thankfully the nurse was super quick and we got them done in just a few seconds.  He screamed when it happened, but as soon as I could pick him up, he quieted down.  He was a bit fussy for the rest of the day, but nothing too horrible.  He just needed more cuddle time and his pacifier.

Medical Milestones: 

• Smiling √
• Cooing and grunting √
• Rolling over -- not quite...
• Holding head up √
• Following objects with his eyes √
• Staring at faces √

Pretty decent for our developmental checklist.  He scoots around on his back, but isn't super interested in rolling over.  I find him in all kinds of orientations in his crib throughout the night.  I imagine the rolling over will come soon.  I'm just afraid that once he masters that, the crawling won't be far behind...

Schedule: Still not much of a schedule, but we have started putting him in his crib for "bedtime" around 7:30-8:00pm.  Some days we also do a bath around 7:00 to get the routine started.  By 7:45pm at the latest, he gets a bottle and then is rocked to drowsiness.  This has seemed to work well with only a few nights where he woke up right after I put him in the crib.

Out and About: We stayed close to home this week as it was freezing for the area (mid 30s at night, mid 50s during day).  I ran a ton of errands in preparation for our trip, but Arthur mostly stayed in the house...

• Post office and coffeehouse -- Nice little walk on a chilly day
• Doctor's office -- 2 month visit

Look who's two months old this week!  Highlights from our photo shoot:

Arthur: 8 Weeks

Another big week of learning and growth.  This kid is like a weed!  I've had to retire so many clothe this week because he's just too tall for them.  Crazy stuff!

Likes: Talking.  He's constantly cooing and grunting.  So adorable!  Mom and dad cuddles.  Being warm (seriously chilly around here this past week, high 30s at night, high 40s during the day and windy). 

Dislikes: Sleeping by himself (I suspect part of it is due to being cold; we've had to wear our fleece sleepers and use our heavy blanket), dirty diapers (very insistent on immediate changing now),

Sleeping: Our decent sleeper disappeared this week and was replaced by a pod child who only slept 1:30 - 2 hours at a time.  It started to get better as the week wore on, but my goodness are we tired!  I'm hoping he will get back to 4-5 hour stretches by Christmastime.

Eating: Sometimes he's a pig drinking 5-6 ounces in 1:30 hours and other times he'll eat 2 ounces and be done.  Mid afternoons have turned into almost constant snacking instead of drinking one full bottle at a time.

Playing: Still just watching things.  No real grabbing yet.  But every once in a while his flailing arms hit a toy and he gets an adorable surprised look on his face.  I'm anticipating reaching and grabbing to develop soon.  He's also tolerating tummy time much more than last week.  He'll play for at least 15 minutes before getting completely fed up.

Medical Milestones: Arthur's definitely smiling now, but usually only a few times a day.  He seems to recognize the bottle when I go to feed him and almost lunges toward it.  Working on that memory development!  Lots of muscle development going on.  I mostly notice when he grabs and pulls at my hair.  Ouch!

Schedule: The only two constants -- he's awake and alert around 7am every day and super cranky around 7pm every day.  Other than that, every day is different.

Out and About:

• Monday -- Out at Shoreline for our weekly walk and lunch with the mom's group.  We did 2 miles this week! And Arthur once again won the best behaved baby award.  He really loves talking walks in the stroller.
• Saturday -- Walked with mom down to the Farmer's Market to get lunch and popcorn.  It was chilly, but we bundled up.  Two people stopped to comment how alert and beautiful Arthur was.  A bit creepy, but thanks I guess...
• Sunday -- Walked with mom and dad down to the Palace Cafe to get take out brunch.  Arthur slept through it...
• Various walks around the neighborhood throughout the week

Arthur: 7 Weeks

So much personality development in the last week.  Arthur's finally starting to seem like a little person.

Likes: His activity gym (finally!), cuddles, car rides, walks in the stroller, mom's chair (laying by himself in it)

Dislikes: Dirty diapers, spit up, gas

Sleeping: Twice in the past week he slept for 5-6 hours at night.  I'm hoping this is a sign of good things to come.  

Eating: Such a piggy pig this past week.  He will eat 4 ounces, but then two hours later, he wants another 3-4 ounces.  Last night he ate 6 ounces in one sitting.  Holy crap kid!  Where do you put all of that?

Playing: As evidenced by the pictures this week, Arthur's really warming up to playing at his activity gym.  He hasn't grab any of them yet, but he loves watching them.  Usually I knocked them around a few times so he can concentrate on the swinging.

Medical Milestones: Another huge week of developments.  Arthur newly found interest in hanging animals is probably due to the bright colors and shapes.  He's also very big on following objects and people move around the room.  Last night he kept following me flipping his head this way and that as I put away clothes and dishes.  And I've seen a ton more eye contact.  Most meal times, he stares right at me the entire time.

Schedule: None yet...

My Recovery: I had my 6 week postpartum appointment last Wednesday.  According to the doctor, everything looks great.  My scar is healing nicely if a little slowly for my taste.  I can now exercise again.  So far, I've only been walking.  Hopefully I can start some strength training and longer walks.  My endurance is still very low.

Arthur: 6 Weeks

We made it out of a very bad week.  Growth spurt in both a physical and mental sense.  It made Arthur a very cranky baby.  Now that things have settled, he is a such a delight.

Likes: Enterprise mobile, Jedi Mickey, staring at mom and dad, talking, scooting around his crib

Dislikes:Direct sunlight (lots of flinching and fussing), sleeping alone

Sleeping: Arthur sleeps in his crib at night, but the daytime naps are in his monkey bouncer.  Now if only we can get him to sleep more than 3 hours at night.  We're still working on getting Arthur to bed faster without as much fussing.

Eating: Consistently eating 4 ounces every 3 hours or so.  But lately he's been playing with his bottle instead of just drinking his milk.  He seems to have a lot of fun spraying me with formula.  Hope this ends soon.

Playing: Arthur's discovered that he can wiggle himself around the floor or his crib.  He seems to get enjoyment around wriggling around.  He's also actively looking at his hanging toys.  Pretty soon he should start grabbing at them.

Medical Milestones:Lots and lots of big developments this week.  First my favorite development -- Smiling!  Finally I'm seeing real smiles in response to talking to him.  I'm loving the adorable smiles.  He's also working on grabbing and holding onto my fingers and shirt.  Plus, I've noticed different cries for being hungry, needing a diaper change, and wanting to be held.

Schedule: No new developments yet, but I've been in many discussions with other new moms about when and how to work on a set schedule.  I'm thinking of holding off on trying anything for another week or so.

My Recovery: I have my 6 week follow-up tomorrow.  Hope to be cleared for exercise.

And to finish our update this week, highlights from our Thanksgiving photo shoot.  Thanks to Grandma Heidi and Papa Bill for the turkey hat.  Arthur tried to eat it, but seemed to grow to like the hat towards the end.

Arthur: 5 Weeks

With the acquisition of the company, we have to switch insurance.  So not happy about this at all!  My 6-week post-partum appointment will still be covered under Kaiser, but we're done at the end of the month.  This means that we need to get Arthur's 2 month appointment with vaccinations scheduled before we leave for Indiana on the 17th.  To do that, we have to have his social security card which isn't processed until 6-7 weeks after birth.  We still don't have it.  So frustrating...

Likes: Staring at new things, sounds from the rattle, being talked to, lots and lots of cuddles, sleeping in mom and dad's bed (apparently, this is the magic place, but I don't want it to become a habit)

Dislikes: Not being held, specific noises (microwave beeping and door closing and opening, dryer door opening, dad's coughing), time between getting out of the bath and getting a diaper on (really really hates that)

Sleeping: Not going so well.  Many nights he's up every hour or hour and a half fussing and wanting food.  This does not help mom or dad get any decent sleep.

Eating: Constantly.  It seems like the thing he wants to do all the time.  Hope this growth spurt ends soon.

Playing: Tummy time is not the horrible thing that it was.  He actually seems to like it for a few minutes.  Plus, he's shown more interest in looking at his hanging toys.  I hung a chime/rattle thing from the bunk bed so he can look at it during diaper changes.  He seems to be very interested in the sounds it makes.  Still working on warming up to the taggie monster rattle and blanket.  Maybe next week.

Medical Milestones:Week 5 is all about physical developments.  Arthur is definitely using his body more.  Lots of kicking, punching, and wriggling.  He's also grabbing at things, usually my hand or his blanket.  I've seen a few fleeting smiles, but have yet to capture a good one on camera.

Schedule: We were doing pretty well with 3-4 hour stretches, but those days are gone.  Arthur has been going through something this past weekend resulting in very little consistency.  Argh!

My Recovery:After giving up my pain meds and healing well, I regressed a bit this week.  I have no idea why, but my entire body has been sore for the last few days.  Not just my incision, but absolutely everywhere.  Possibly I am fighting some kind of buy.  All I know is that I have had to take a few ibuprofen to get through the day.  Hope this disappears soon.