Squeals!

Arms up, arms out, arms down now elicits very loud squeals of delight!

Visitors!

Today the Gitlow-Hecker crew came by for a visit. They braved the snowstorm and even brought bagels. This time we remembered to take pictures (probably wouldn't have if Elissa hadn't mentioned it!). A great time was had by all. My Bologna found a new buddy in Ian (check out the matching ears). We were worried that Ian would recognize all the equipment he's letting Dexter use and want to take it home with him. He recognized the swing and bouncy seat and walker but was happy to show Dexter how to use it and didn't demand anything back. Good boys!

Raspberries

When I got home from work Thursday afternoon, I got big smiles and giggles from a drooling Dexter. Then, he gave me a raspberry by pushing his lips together and blowing air through his drool while cooing. He thought this was hilarious (so did Ben and I!) and has added this to his repertoire of baby sounds. We'll try to get a video of it - it's pretty damn funny.

Check-Up

Despite waiting more than 40 minutes past our appointment time, and the fact that it was running into his late morning meal time, Dexter was all smiles and giggles for the doctor. I couldn't have been more proud and relieved. According to the doctor he's doing great developmentally, his little head shape is "wonderful" and he is growing appropriately. Ben and I were sure he'd weigh in at about 20lbs (quite frankly, 30lbs wouldn't have surprised me) but he was 15lbs 12oz and in the 50th percentile for length and 75th percentiles for head circumference and weight (he's solid). The poor little fellow had to get 4 shots and that put an end to his flirting with the nurse - his head turned the bright red color of a ripe tomato and he screamed at the top of his lungs. Apparently, this too is a good sign.

Standing Tall

Another wonderful Chapin Hall hand-me-down (thanks Cheryl and Elissa!). He loves having having arms and legs free.

Bumbo

Or, as we tend to call it, Boomba (we wonder how Dexter would like it if we put him - in the Boomba - on top of the Roomba for a ride)...Thanks Julie and Matt - he loves it (and that means we love it)!

All Night Long

Last night, Dexter slept a full 12 hours (and 5 minutes) from 7:15pm until 7:20am! That means Mommy and Daddy and My Bologna also slept uninterrupted all night long (I did get up at 3:30am and checked on Dexter but then went right back to bed and slept until the alarm went off at 5am). We were all feeling pretty good today. What a wonderful milestone to reach!

Two Firsts

Yesterday, Dexter enjoyed two new adventures! First, Ben and I took him out to a Hyde Park Mediterranean restaurant for lunch. Dexter woke up in his car seat in the booth, looked around with a confused and concerned expression on his face, and started to cry. Luckily, the pacifier pacified him and we were able to finish our meal. Then, Dexter had his first "play date" visiting with Elijah (almost 3) and Arthur (almost 1). Elijah and Arthur seemed more interested in Dexter than he was in them but it was nice to socialize a little bit. It was a big, fun day and our little boy did great. Too bad we forgot the camera (again)! What kind of parents are we?

Maternal Instincts

Despite the fact that I have had no real problems pumping breastmilk, and that I have a private space in my office to do it, it's hard to step away from the work of the day and try to relax enough to really get the milk flowing. Sometimes I look at a picture of Dexter but after a few minutes my mind wanders back to work. I recently started viewing the 3 year old "baby" Giant Panda Tai Shan on the live PandaCam and discovered that it doesn't have to be a human baby to get my maternal instincts in gear. If only we had a DexterCam!

I added the PandaCam link (see left). After you get to the site, just scroll down on the page to see the live panda action.

The Blanket Game

Sleeping Like a Baby

Can it be?? Is he really getting better at this sleep thing? For the past four nights, he's awoken only once for a feeding giving Mommy about 6 hours of sleep at a stretch!

No Rest for the Weary

Since I've gone back to work, Dexter has decided that he's not going to sleep for long 4-5 hours stretches at night anymore. Maybe he's making up for lost "mommy-time" during the day. But last night he went down for 5 hours, did a quick feeding around 12:30 and slept again until 3:45. This would have been fantastic for me except that I was plagued with nightmares where I was in the middle of the Israeli/Palestinian war in Gaza, trying to escape with Dexter. I'm guessing that this has something to do with some unresolvable internal conflict I'm experiencing lately. Balancing work and motherhood perhaps??

So That's What It's For!

We are used to Dexter shoving both hands into his mouth like his Daddy shoves a double cheeseburger into his but yesterday Dexy discovered that it felt good when he chilled out a bit and just sucked his thumb.

Spring Forward in the Stroller

Yesterday's 65 degree temperatures lured us all out for a family walk using Dexter's fancy stroller (thanks Grandma and Grampy Fowler!). We may have overdressed young Dexter but he didn't complain.

Love Bite

Dexter gave me a hickey! While we were playing this afternoon, he grabbed my arm and pulled my wrist to his mouth and sucked and sucked and sucked until he left a little love bite. No wonder we never had any real problems with breastfeeding.

Chatterbox

TV Excitement

I just brought a load of clean laundry up from the basement and found Ben, Dexter, and My Bologna on the couch staring at the TV. What was so enthralling? Curling. Olympic trials. Go figure.

Wild Bill Hiccup

2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back

What can I say? We panicked. After about a half hour of screaming and fussing at bed time, we went back to one arm out of the miracle blanket. Sure enough, he was asleep in minutes. We'll try transitioning to the sleep sack again next weekend.