four months old

our little guy is four months old today! we don't have our dr's appointment until the end of the week, so we'll have to wait until then for updated stats. i'm guessing he's around 15 pounds, and i know he seems much longer. a lot of his sleepers are too short for him now, and i'm sorting out all of the 0-3 month clothes as he outgrows them. we're still pretty good in 3 month stuff (especially carters, which is a lot of what we have) and now are doing good in 3-6 month things. it's been fun going through and putting him in some of the hand-me-downs we have in larger sizes. he went to church on sunday sporting this cute little outfit...

there's actually a pair of matching shorts, but i didn't think it was quite time for that yet.
the hat was just perfect!
we are definitely in teething mode. one of the things that we've found helps him is a rubber spoon in the freezer. we can take it out and give it to him, and he just goes to town! (as shown in the video.)

apparently with four months comes more developmental changes, including a fun "four month sleep regression." i hadn't even heard of this until today, but after a couple of horrible nights of sleep during the past week, justin looked it up and sent me a couple of links. in a way, i guess it's reassuring to know that he's normal and perfectly on track (and that we're not alone!) and in another way--it's still completely exhausting. i'm very interested in seeing what the pediatrician says. some people have mentioned rice cereal, and i'm just hesitant to jump into that already.

we have started supplementing with formula with him during the day. i realized this was necessary after a couple of weeks where we were cutting it very close with what i could pump and what he was eating while at his grandma's. i was stressing myself out in the evening, trying to pump a couple of times before bed (and staying up later to do it) and then again during the day, when my schedule wasn't working for me to pump enough times. so we're mixing a couple of ounces of formula with the breastmilk and it makes the supply last much longer so that i can actually stock up now. and i've noticed that now that i'm not stressing about it, i seem to be doing better with how much i can pump anyways. i guess it's just a relief, and davis doesn't seem to notice the difference.

his skin is so much better (though the heat from today and yesterday may have made it flare back up just a little bit.) we've been doing baths every 2-3 nights instead of every night, and when we do bathe him, it's with lukewarm water, a milder soap and then lots and lots of cream afterward. we also have some very mild steroid cream for the bad spots, and those have cleared right up. we are watching the spots behind his knees again--he has learned that if he pulls his legs up in the air with his hands for support, he can scratch behind his knees. (that's actually been one of his tricks for keeping himself awake when he's trying to fight sleep.)

we did a big test this past weekend and let justin and davis stay together for 7 hours while i went to durham to see "in the heights" with one of my work friends. i think we were all nervous about this at first, because davis has been a total mama's boy lately and has screamed when justin has tried to help with him going to bed or in the middle of the night. i end up doing it all myself because i'd rather deal with it than listen to him cry. it's a completely irrational reaction, and he quiets down as soon as i hold him. so we'd already bought the tickets before he started this up in the last week or so, and i just told him to call someone if he started getting really frustrated or needed back up. i checked in all during the afternoon while i was gone (and it was an amazing musical, by the way, sooo good!) and they did awesome together :) went down for naps and played and ate and did just fine. we tested it again this evening and he fussed--so it just seems to be an evening/nighttime thing. at least i know i can leave him for the day, and we're hoping to get back on track for sleeping and going to bed soon. goodness, let's hope so. there's only so many nights of bad sleep that i can take while still working full time during the day!

the crazy thing is--after a bad night of sleep and very limited naps today, he was still in a great mood this evening before bath time. i love hearing his laugh!

new tricks

davis has enjoyed "flying" with us--he's no dare devil, but he'll tolerate a little air time with daddy :)

getting ready...
get set...
go!
coming in for a kiss :)
sweet photo with daddy--i really love this one. so glad his eyes stayed clear and detailed...
now many people have asked how pepper has felt about davis. there's no doubt that she's gotten more cuddly with justin as i've stayed preoccupied with the baby, but she does like giving him kisses when she gets a chance. especially when we have him right at her level...
(he doesn't mind it too much either!)

and of course, a new video with his current favorite trick--trying to put his feet in his mouth!




a friendly reminder that jonah's eb auction has started tonight and i have two items in there for bidding--a photo package and a set of custom letters. please click on over and bid for eb :)

baby soft skin?

davis said it was okay for me to share his skin issues with you (since so many of you were helpful with eczema suggestions last night!)

his worst spots are on his arms and thighs, though he's got little red dots across his chest and most of his calves.
(his eye makes me laugh in this one--but obviously we're looking at his shoulder)
and then the back of his knees were really bad in the middle of last week, where we think the spots broke open and were weepy. they've healed pretty well now.
so i greased him up today, with a combination of gentle naturals "baby eczema cream" and the aquaphor we'd been using on his face this winter when he got chapped.
and we have another cream and some goat's milk soap on the way. i'm really interested in hearing what our pediatrician says at his appointment next week. ironically, i'm also going to the dermatologist for the first time in almost four years this week, so maybe i can get some advice while i'm there ;) (and please pray for me with that visit--the last time i went, they had to cut a spot out of my palm and it wasn't pleasant. since then, the spot has come back and brought two others with it. and there are a couple of other iffy spots... ugh, i know it's for my health, but i don't like having stuff cut off/out of me.)

so we'll just keep working on getting this guy's complexion as clear as can be...
and enjoy the smiles that come with it--he seems like hanging out in his diaper now :)

quick weekend at home

we've had a break in the cold weather here in eastern nc, and our little family has tried to soak up the fresh air as much as possible!

davis has gotten to spend some time outside during the day, too, at his grandma's, but i loved getting a chance to photograph him in some natural light (even if he was really tired and about ready to start his bedtime routine.)

friday night, he and i headed to fayetteville so that we could go to my cousin katie's baby shower on saturday. we've learned that driving at night while he's supposed to be sleeping is the easiest way to make the trip. though he woke up as we were coming in to fayetteville and was up for a good hour or so before he would go back to sleep. my mom didn't mind it, though, and she enjoyed getting to spend some time with him this weekend.

after the shower on saturday (where he was a huge hit--nothing livens up a baby shower like a baby :) ), we went out to the backyard at my mom's house and enjoyed the sunshine.
i cannot wait to do this every day! it felt so good to soak up some rays and enjoy the fresh air.
had to get a picture of his lashes--it kills me how long they are!
after dinner last night, we got davis ready for bed again and put him in the car. unfortunately, he woke up as we were strapping him in and we decided i'd just drive and he'd eventually fall asleep. well, about half an hour later, he was still screaming and i realized he was probably hungry at this point. so i had to stop and pull into the parking lot of a highway motel and feed him. i know it wasn't the safest decision, but i couldn't drive any longer with him crying and it just seemed like the only option. after he was fed, it was only a few miles down 95 and he was asleep. i just don't think that would've happened if he didn't get a little something in his stomach. i just get so stressed out when he cries on and on in the car, and i'm driving and can't do anything about it. that's been the worst "mom" feeling so far... anyone else have crazy stories about trying to drive with kids in the car?

after such a crazy evening, he slept well last night, from 10 until 4:30 and then until 7:15 or so. he woke up happy and entertaining himself by popping his lips (a new skill he's just picked up) and letting some gas out :) we had a great morning at church and enjoyed a lazy sunday afternoon.

(he scratched his face today and i just can't break out the clippers yet. so we filed down the sharp nails and i'm just hoping it heals quickly!)
i did the grocery shopping and spent some time up at the middle school youth group before coming back home and helping with bath time.
love to see him all bundled up and clean!
we think he has eczema and tried some new bath soap and lotion specifically designed for baby eczema. his 4 month check up is at the end of next week, so we'll wait to see what the pediatrician says. any suggestions on treating eczema with infants? the internet offers a lot of suggestions, but some of them are contradict one another.

finally, a couple of videos that i had to share. my aunt nancy (my mom's sister) has really taken to davis and loves spending time with him whenever she can. he also seems to love being around her, and she got some of the biggest laughs and grins out of him this weekend (possibly because she does just about anything to get him to smile.) i remember getting to spend time with her growing up, and i always enjoyed it. we would cook, she was so much fun to play with at the beach on our annual trips, and i'm so glad davis has gotten to spend time with her as well. she's currently going through cancer treatments and her numbers have been great recently, and we pray that they continue to show improvement. until then, we just try to let her and davis get as much time together as possible--and they obviously enjoy one another's company :)


(please ignore me eating chocolate cake in the background there. it was good chocolate cake--i couldn't help myself!)

fun videos and a mommy mistake

we figured out how to fix the videos, so here's one from the weekend with davis' rollover attempts. you can see him try for it two or three times and get frustrated (and tired... he went down for a nap shortly after this)




and here's one that justin took today of davis during tummy time. he enjoyed flipping his head back and forth and seemed to be playing a little bit with justin.



and then a picture from this morning. you'll notice his cute outfit (thanks, grandma debbie!) and the orange bandage on his thumb. that's because i took a little bit too much off his nail while clipping them this morning. i thought it would never stop bleeding!
he recovered (and went down for a nap--i guess he wore himself out) but it definitely made me realize that i need some baby-sized bandages.

and davis wanted to thank everyone for his valentine's gifts and cards :) especially the cute cup from papa and joy and the stuffed dog from grandma debbie. he definitely felt the love this valentine's day!

our valentine's weekend

it was actually a pretty quiet weekend for us. i had a short list of things i wanted to get done, which included some updated "studio" photos of davis. he was in a great mood saturday morning, so i quickly set everything up and had a great time capturing his smiles in a couple of cute outfits.
justin's dad and stepmom had given him this outfit when he was first born, and it's sized for 3 months, so i wanted to make sure we took some pictures in it before he got too big.

i love this one so much in black and white! it's just the perfect portrayal of davis in this moment.
and this is so cute--he constantly has his hands in his mouth these days, and it looks like he's giggling or has a secret.

a close up, where you can see his hair coming back in up top. also--what color do you think his eyes will be? they're a grayish hazelish looking color right now...just not sure which way they're going to go!
this is his favorite elephant toy that his aunt heather gave him. he loves to chew on the trunk right now (teething, anyone?)
and justin said i might not want to post this picture, because it shows just how basic my "set up" is. for studio shots, i take out the ironing board and throw a sheet over it. i have a black sheet, an off white one (that's actually one of our real sheets) and a light blue one that i've used before. the black and light blue ones are flat twin sheet from wal-mart that cost me about $4. i know i could spend money on portrait packages, even if it's just going up to sears. however, at this age, there's no telling what kind of mood he'll be in, if he'll cooperate at all in a different location, etc. for his earlier pictures, i just used a boppy or his changing table pad with blankets over them. for this one, i used a backrest pillow and another pillow in the middle with a blanket thrown over it. i catch him in his best mood, he's at home and is comfortable, and we get a fun audience with the animals :)
so... it's that easy. it helps to have a nicer camera, obviously, and i think a bounce flash makes the biggest difference unless you have good natural lighting and your camera is good enough to handle natural lighting.

after that, we really took it easy. we ordered take-out for dinner, got plenty of sleep saturday night and got up early for church on sunday. he was all smiles then, too.
(please disregard the dirty bathroom mirror. it's been a while since that bathroom got a good cleaning.)

and then justin and i enjoyed a lovely valentine's lunch thanks to aunt melissa who came over to watch davis. it was nice just to get out and enjoy a quiet meal without rushing through or worrying about the baby's temperament. but i was still ready to get back home to see him!

i took a couple of videos of davis *almost* rolling over. he's done it once, on my birthday evening while my mom was here watching him and she put him down in the crib after he'd woken up once. he obviously didn't intend to do it and hasn't repeated it again... but he's gotten very close! however, the videos are sorta messed up and i'll have to figure out what happened with them. you'll just have to trust me that he's almost rolling over from back to front.

alright, time for bed... and maybe pump one more time before sleep. i'm trying desperately to keep up with my growing boy during the day, but we've been cutting it close the past week or so. the training i went to where i wasn't able to pump when i needed to has possibly thrown off my supply a little bit. any suggestions for helping that boost back up? i'm taking a fenugreek supplement and eating oatmeal for breakfast each morning.

oh, and happy valentine's day! especially to my wonderful husband who is an amazing father and does such a great job with davis when i'm working late or out running errands. we are both so blessed to have him!

hodge podge

a picture from this past weekend's birthday celebration--with a delicious peanut butter explosion cake from the fresh market. ahhh, how i love the fresh market and their baked goods....
a cute one of davis and my grandma (his gigi--for "g"reat "g"randma). the toy he has there is one of his favorites. justin says it looks like a cow crossed with the nbc peacock. whatever--it makes the boy happy!

a moment from tonight. justin's been having a tough time getting in quality time with davis. unfortunately, by the time justin gets home, davis is in his "witching hour" mode and can be very fussy--not all the time, but just a high likelihood. then, if i ask for help during the middle of the night, it's because he doesn't need to be fed and is just needs to be put back to sleep. not the most fun task in the world. so we've been trying to let him get some relaxing time in as well. this was after davis had fallen asleep, and justin just got to enjoy holding a sleeping baby.
ooh, got a 31 order in, which included a matching thermal tote for davis's diaper bag. love it!
i've been traveling during the day for the past two days to a training in raleigh. today, as we were leaving, my coworker stephanie took a wrong exit and we had to turn around. in the process of turning around, i spotted... a trader joe's! we'd gotten out of the training a little early and all agreed that we could enjoy a quick shopping trip. i've never been to a trader joe's, but have always wanted to check it out. in addition to the stuff shown here, i got some oatmeal, granola bars, hummus, animal crackers, dog treats and drinks. i definitely wish i'd had a freezer bag! maybe next time...

and two important links to share--i can hardly believe that jonah's 2nd birthday is coming up! to celebrate, the 2nd annual jonah's eb auction is getting started, including a giveaway right now. click on over to check it out, and bookmark the page for later in the month when the auction begins. i will have a photo session and a set of custom letters up for grabs.

and finally, i want to continue patrice's charge for finding a "forever family" for anton, a 1 year old boy with EB who is currently in a hospital in russia. he was born as a twin to a surrogate mother, and his parents chose to take home his healthy twin and leave anton in the hospital. he's at risk of going to an orphanage, where he likely wouldn't receive the care and medical attention that he needs. there is a paypal button at his reece's rainbow page, as well as fundraisers on the hopeforanton page to contribute to his adoption fund. the hope is that a family will be able to adopt him, and a large chunk of the adoption fees will already be paid for through these efforts. please check out all of these options and consider donating or participating in one of the fundraisers!

more fun facts about my boy

he does not like being harnessed in (most times.)
he actually did okay with this once we got outside and moving. til about 3/4 of the way when he started to get hungry. he is still pretty iffy about car seats, but i did have a mostly pleasant ride to and from the sitter's house today. we might be on the upswing...

yesterday was the super bowl, and he got to wear his steelers onesie one last time.
(these are 0-3 month sized, so he'll outgrow them very soon.)
he didn't stay up for the game, but he commiserated with his daddy today.

he's the kid of a million faces.
(the pout still kills me. seriously, could you resist that face?)
and the most entertaining feature right now? his receding hair. he's gone from having a full head of hair to a horseshoe pattern to his current mohawk...
that's dangerously close to becoming a rat tail...
we're assuming it will eventually all fall out and be replaced by the real hair that's coming in across the top of his head right now. mostly white blond with some light brown thrown in.

grace likes his changing table. (we've also seen evidence that she likes his crib. she's our most agile animal and tends to get herself to the most interesting places.)
and i think we're very very close to some serious teething. early, yes, but right on cue compared to when my brother and i started teething. he's loving his hand/fist, stuffed toys (especially one elephant toy that he can pull towards his mouth and gnaw on the trunk) and a couple of teething rings.
and that's it for tonight. i ask for prayers for tomorrow and wednesday--i'm going to a training and will have to be away from davis for the longest time we've had to do so far (and travel an hour away.) i'm worried about being able to pump there and making sure he has enough milk to make it through the day back here at home. i just want to feel at peace about it and know that he'll be fine (which he will be--but you know what i mean.)