Month Three - In Review

Here's a quick review of November 2008 - our third month with Peyton:

Digit Discovery!

Not quite a master, but well on his way, Peyton has been exploring the many amazing things he can do with his fist and more recently the 5 pudgy digits at the end of each hand! I am reminded each day of the thrill life really can be. When you feel down, pause a moment to see the world through the eyes of a child. I felt this way often, when I used to teach elementary school. Now, even though he's only 13 weeks old, I feel this way daily. I watch and am in awe at how he takes in the world around him. He watches things, faces in particular, with a look of wonder. The fact that he has already learned how to react with emotion: a smile, laugh and yes, even a cry, is mind blowing to me. Now, he's learning how to react to his world with touch and taste. Wow! His feelings and emotions, while not yet defined for him, are raw truth. Yes, there is much to be learned about how to live and view life from our little people.

I love my Daddy!
Evidence of our efforts to follow important, yet still unsolicited, advice.

In a moment of weakness, we let our guard down and unsolicited advice came rolling up to us: You give your baby lots of skin to skin contact, right? We responded with blank stares. To which the solicitor exclaimed: Oh you HAVE to! It's SO important! This solicitor, whom I admire dearly, moved quietly along, but my guard was still loose at the hinge and in walked GUILT. Some advice seems marginal at best, but this advice made sense and seemed so obvious. No harm could come from tying this and besides it is a win-win for all parties involved. I was so cognitive of the importance of skin to skin contact following Peyton's birth. It was even specifically mentioned in my birth plan. How could I forget? Yet, I did. Somehow in the days and weeks following the birth, my focus was blurred. Here I thought I was taking care of all of his essential needs, but the fear that my son would somehow freeze if he wasn't fully clothed took precedence over his need for physical touch. Guilt be gone because I stand corrected!

Baby sleeping. Shhhhhhhhh

This was an unusual month for sleep. A month ago, 11/7/08, Peyton surprised us by sleeping about 7.5 hours and only woke up because I made him. Even though he slept soundly, I had been up so many times to check on him, anxious he wasn't waking up and reassured each time to find he was still breathing, but convinced he needed to be fed (mainly because I needed to feed him). So, I finally went to get him. Interestingly, he wasn't impressed with my decision, but did not reject my breast milk when offered. Two nights later he slept 9 hours, uninterrupted this time. These long stretches have persisted off and on for several weeks giving us hope for catching a few z's ourselves. As the night sleep got longer, unfortunately so did the wakeful hours during the day. Unless we work really hard to make him sleep (hold, rock, shoosh, bounce) often with the loud, unbearable cry, our son won't go to sleep. And then, when he does during the day, he won't stay asleep unless I hold him for the entire duration! Here's an excerpt on the sleep issue from my daily journal: Some days seem so normal and comfortable, others are still challenging. Peyton has been sleeping through the night most of the last few weeks (6-10 hours straight) but it's tricky because every few days he throws a curve ball and we're up feeding just like when he was a newborn. This was a welcome blessing at first [sleeping through the nights], but with the long [restful] nights we've adopted long [sleepless] days. He seems so aroused by the world that he resists daytime sleep at all costs these days. It's like he can't will himself to close his eyes because he's afraid he'll miss something. This was so cute the first few days I realized what was happening. Not so cute now! We've had to endure several overly exhausted, burn out, cry - rage really - sessions as a result.

Let's all hope that this is a short phase that vanishes as quickly as it appeared.

Peyton with Auntie Hazel and Uncle Gavin on Thanksgiving

We celebrated Peyton's first Thanksgiving at my parents house. My Aunt Mollie and Brian ventured on over and Gavin and Hazel carpooled down with their friends Papillong and Shannon. They were a welcome addition to our usual small and quiet family gathering. The feast was a group effort, or so I hear. I was on baby duty this year.

Hazel and Gavin decided to work off the feast later that weekend with a little exercise: The Seattle Marathon. Note the look on my son's face. He's just heard about the marathon and is thinking: "Are you crazy! 26.2?" They were just that crazy to complete the impressive distance, in surprisingly dry, mild weather, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Way to go you two!

Memorable Firsts This Month:
First dinner out at a restaurant - Mercato (slept like the angel that he is the whole time)

First Sunday outing to church - Slept right through the service. He's fussed and cried each Sunday since.

First Presidential Election - and what a historical one it was

First sniffles - only little but definitely a bit of congestion, gooey eyes and nose

First two month wellness check - involves the first of many vacinnations

First night alone with Daddy - Mommy ventures to book club

First "date night" for Mommy and Daddy since the little barracuda arrived

First good nights sleep - Peyton begins to sleep through the night, well most of the time

First two long weekends, several nights alone without Daddy, or Grandma, to help - Steve was away doing business 2 4-day weekends in a row. We survived no problem, but I appreciate the fact that I am not a singe parent and we sure did miss Daddy!

First football game - We bundled him up and Steve carried him in the Baby Bjorn. Peyton spent the first half of the game in shock and awe (I guess. I'm not sure how else to describe his blank stare) amused by the sea of people and the roar of the crowd and band. He settled into the Baby Bjorn for a nice long nap the second half of the game. This was the OHS Bear's second post season game. A close game, but they didn't make it to the next round of playoffs.

First major holiday: Thanksgiving