A Bump in the Road: June 2011

I have had this post ready for some time, but I have been waiting to see if we could figure out how to post a video. We have some cute ones! No such luck so far. Chris is working on compressing the files or something. No pressure or anything, Chris:) Anyway, I will post them when we can.

I used to really enjoy the Fourth of July and all the fireworks. In fact, I am sure I still will on the 4th. However, it has become apparent to me that this will be a long week. We live in the middle of firework central where you can pretty much shoot off anything. It is also a sport for all of our neighbors. Particularly past 10 o'clock at night. As I type this, several fireworks are going off-in the middle of the afternoon! Now, I don't consider myself Miss Stodgy Pants, but with the combo of dogs and baby I have changed my once care-free position a smidge. Fireworks go off, dogs bark, baby wakes up or can't go to sleep at all. Sigh....a long week indeed.

To pick up where I left off last post, Cohen's first road trip went rather well! He slept pretty much the entire way down and half the way home. Overall, he was the perfect baby. Bring his play gym along and he doesn't care where he is! The same facts that exist here, existed there. He was upset if he was hungry, tired, or overstimulated. But, we really enjoyed visiting some of my family, some of Chris' family, and my cousin's wedding was beautiful! We wish our family lived closer because we never get to spend enough time with them. But, we never spend enough time with our family that lives here, either. Time just gets away. There are so many people we want to see and spend time with, but it's just not very easy any more. Life is so complicated yet so simple. Plus, Cohen and I are somewhat hermits. I want to get out and see people and do things, but sometimes the thought of it is overwhelming. Also, we are looking for a new car. (Chris has decided on a Pontiac Vibe if you know of one that is for sale!) The only one I have right now during the day has no A/C. No bueno. So, that limits my outings during the day.

Cohen is really teaching me that things are out of my control, which I knew was coming! I can have the best, well-executed plan to go out or do something and he has other ideas that makes it a no-go. And I am late everywhere for a reason, now. The diaper bag will be packed, the dogs put away, I am dressed, Cohen is dressed and we are buckling him into the car seat then we hear that all-too-familiar noise and look on Cohen's face that means we need to make another stop at the changing pad. I think I am adjusting fairly well or at least improving as the days go by in being more flexible!

Cohen had his second treatment at the chiropractor last week. We really think it is helping curb his fussiness and helping him sleep better at night. Lately he has been sleeping through the night and going 6 to 8 hours without waking up. Chris took Cohen to "Boot Camp for Dads" class that he had participated in before Cohen was born, but this time he helped teach the class. Anyway, the facilitator had asked him and another "veteran" dad about sleep. Chris answered that Cohen sleeps through the night and has off and on for weeks and the facilitator was quick to point out that this was not the norm and not to expect it. And others say if we have another one, not to expect the early days to be this easy. But, we will take the sleep where we can and appreciate our fairly easy to take care of baby! We are just so glad he is healthy!

We had been killing ourselves to get our required tummy time in any way we could. Chris was researching it and I was trying all sorts of things out at home and using a plethora of distractions, but we could really only get him to be content for five to ten minutes at a time. Thirty minutes four times a day was just not happening no matter what! I am enjoying reading all of his books to him in segments while we are trying to get through this dreaded activity. I breathed a sigh of relief when the chiropractor said if we were doing it a couple of times a day for ten minutes we should be good. That is a lot more doable!

Overall, Cohen is smiling and "talking" more. He loves his hands and tries to reach for things and is playing with some toys more. He is getting more control over his neck and loves to look around . It never gets old watching him and playing with him. Every day is something new in the midst of his old routine. We are loving it!

And now some current pics:

9 weeks


Lil' froggy

Sock monkey outfit

10 weeks

Tummy time

Kind of a smile!

More tummy time

Trying to be creative with tummy time! This is probably the one he tolerates the longest.

Little Bug

We have been busy! I can't say exactly with what, though. I guess just the new day-to-day stuff. Cohen did have his dreaded 2 month check-up yesterday. He is still doing very well except for the threat of a helmet if I don't make him do enough tummy time. Yikes! So, 30 minutes four times a day of tummy time for all of us to endure from now on. Other than that, he weighs exactly 11 pounds which puts him in the 50th percentile and is 23.5 inches long and in the 75th percentile. The nurse explained all the shots and why they were necessary and the side effects, etc. but that doesn't prepare you for the actual giving of shots. Cohen probably did better than me, though. You see, so far, Cohen doesn't really cry a lot. So, pretty much every time he wails, I cry. He cried for a little while, then Chris comforted him and we gave him a bottle. He then fell asleep. Whew! It was still difficult to look at his bandaged thighs, even though it was Mickey Mouse. The other concern is that we leave tomorrow on our first road trip to go to my cousin's wedding about 5 or 6 hours away. That should be a challenge. I am already having a difficult time packing for a baby!

Other exciting news is that Cohen is starting to smile! Especially for my dad. He must think Grandpa is pretty funny! He absolutely loves his play gym and lays under it looking at all the animals, the color-changing smiley face, himself in the mirror and dances to the music. This is the new solution to taking a shower! I just bring him into the bathroom with his play gym. However, I have not looked at the instruction manual in detail and the darn music turns off after a short time. So Cohen is going at it dancing and moving and talking and then he is just still. Completely still, looking up quizzically at the center of his play gym. I'll need to fix that! Cohen is also sucking on his hands and playing with them more. He has grown out of his newborn clothes and is sometimes awkwardly wearing his 3 month clothes. It seems as though most of the country has wide but short kids? A lot of his outfits fit at the snaps but have a ton of extra room on the sides. He's just a tall little guy!

I can tell Cohen's personality is starting to come out. He is sweet and easy-going. He is playful and cuddly. The other day I put him in bed with me and he was kicking and moving until he was right next to me. He then rolled on his side and fell asleep touching me. Sweetest moment ever! But, never again since I learned this is a no-no because of SIDS. That is my new worry. It seems so random and I want specifics. Most nights I watch him breathe while he sleeps telling myself I will do this all night, then I succumb to sleep and trust the Lord to watch over him like He has Cohen's entire life. But, like one nurse told me, there will always be something to worry about. We have already learned to rely on God so much during the pregnancy that we just need to continue!