Five Months!

Caleb is 5 months old!

Weight: Around 18 pounds? But I’m not really sure :)

Length: I’m not sure :)

Head Circumference: Again, I’m not sure.

I opted not to try to figure this out at home this month since his 3 month estimates weren’t super accurate.  I’ll wait and find out how big he is in April!

Diaper Size: 3! And they fit great :) We’re having so many fewer issues with laundry now that he’s in the right size.  We also do use liners overnight and those seem to help a lot.

Clothing Size: He’s outgrowing his 3-6 month clothes.  He can still wear most of the 6 month things (although I have had to pack a way a few things) and he is starting to fit into the 6-9 month things.

Continuing to grow!

Nicknames: Caleb, Baby, Caleb Baby, Curious Caleb, Mister… Those are the main ones I’ve noticed.  Oh and his cousins call him Baby Caleb a lot :)

Health: His cradle cap has been much better this month.  I actually have switched to just giving him a little gripe water before bedtime.  I’ll only give it to him during the day now if he seems gassy.

Sleep: Caleb naps really well in his rock n play in our room (which is where he sleeps at night).  If I try to get him to nap anywhere else, it’s a struggle.  I spent this month trying to get him to nap in his crib or in his rock n play in his room.  It’s definitely been rough!  We’ve made some progress, but he definitely doesn’t sleep as well in those places compared to in our room.  He’s doing well overnight!  He usually will just get up once to eat.  Occasionally he’ll get up to eat a second time in the night for no known reason.  I just go with it :)  Actually the last two nights he’s slept completely through the night! That’s been amazing :) (This was what happened last Monday.  That pattern hasn’t continued into 

Month 6… Haha)

I love his grin!!

Diet: Nursing is going well.  He’s not spitting up much anymore.  We’re looking forward to starting him on solids any day now… His doctor brought it up at his 4 month checkup, but he hasn’t seemed super interested yet.

Loves: He still loves tickles and funny faces!  I just love his giggles <3

He loves to “talk!”  It’s fun hearing him experiment with new noises.

He loves to grab things! People’s hair, shirts, mouths, eyes, etc!

He always puts things in his mouth!  That’s pretty much all he spends his time doing now :)

He specifically loves eating his toes!

Eating his feet!

Specifically his big toe :) 

Dislikes: Sleeping unswaddled… Actually he hardly sleeps if he’s not swaddled :) He doesn’t like us trying to get him to sleep unswaddled ;)

Teething… His teeth still seem to be bothering him – he’s constantly gnawing on things, but none have broken through yet!

Milestones: He can roll both ways, but he doesn’t seem really interested in doing it.  He’s more interested in trying to scoot/army crawl.  

Trying to crawl! 

He can rotate himself in a circle if I put him on his tummy.  (He had just spun himself around in the picture above.) He can also sometimes push off with his legs and move forward some.  So, I’ve left him on the floor while I leave the room to do something.  I come back and see him with a toy that was out of his reach, etc.  So, I’m careful now about what’s on the floor near him!

He can sit up pretty well.  He’ll last a long time if he’s leaning forward on his hands, etc., but he can do a short time without leaning on the floor.  Usually if I try to make him sit up, he tries to stand instead!

Caleb was dedicated this month!  It’s not so much a developmental milestone, but it is a milestone in his life!  It was a really special day because his 2 cousins who are closest to his age were also dedicated.  And then my brother Jon was ordained and installed as Associate Pastor at our church.  Talk about a fun day!

Both of Caleb's Grandpas laying hands on him as he was dedicated <3

Baby Gear Love: I don’t feel like there’s much to add here this month.  We still love the SwaddleMe wraps, the Bright Starts Bunch-O-Fun Monkey, the Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends 4-in-1 Projection Soother, and the Bright Starts Springin’ Safari Bounce-A-Round.  We use all of these things every day.  I think he would love a door jumper… We have one, but haven’t put it up yet because there’s not a good place on our main floor for it to hang :( I’m disappointed that we haven’t gotten to use it yet because I was looking forward to putting him in it.  Hopefully we’ll find a good place for it soon!

Random Thoughts: I continue to feel like we’re settling in.  I know his schedule and know his cries (or maybe I just know that it’s been long enough that he should be hungry or tired ;) Ha).  I feel like my baby is starting to turn into a little boy.

Caleb's first selfies!

Really, though, this is just Curious Caleb in action, 

trying to grab the camera!

Mama Update: I again don’t feel like I have much to write here this month.  I lost a lot of my opportunities to accomplish things during my days as I worked towards having him nap in his crib.  I needed to be a lot more present.  Our life is currently crazy as we prepare for my grandparents to move in with my parents.  (Update: They moved in on Saturday!) 

Some funny outtakes... It was hard to get Caleb to sit still for these pics!

Our little model!

Posing! And check out those cheeks :)

Four Months!

Caleb is 4 months old!

Weight: 16 lbs, 4oz.  He’s around the 75^th percentile for weight.  (They had just changed the doctor’s computer system.  She couldn’t figure out how to get the exact percentiles :) )

Length: 26.5” He’s above the 90^th percentile for length! Such a tall boy :)

Head Circumference: 16 and 7/8” This was also around the 75^th percentile

.

All of this told me that our at home length and weight figures weren’t super exact :) He was probably not quite as heavy and probably longer as I got for last month haha

He's grown and changed so much!

Diaper Size: 2 – We actually have size 3 coming in the mail.  Size 2s are too short on him now.  Looking forward to the bigger size! (The size 3s have since arrived.  We’re using them over night and finishing up with the 2s during the day.  We also have now ordered diaper liners to use for him over night.  Those should help with the leaks he’s been having!)

Clothing Size: 3-6 months and 6 months!  He is still fitting well into 3-6 month things and he’s now able to wear the 6 month outfits too, which run a bit bigger than 3-6.

My smiley guy <3

Nicknames: He still gets Curious Caleb and Mister a lot.  I also call him my “Snugabug” when he’s all swaddled up :)

Health: He gets gripe water before bedtime and naptime.  His cradle cap flares up once in a while.  Otherwise, nothing to add to this category! We regularly thank God for giving us a healthy, big, strong baby! <3

Sleep: Caleb is napping so much better, but he has backed off on the whole sleeping through the night business ;) I guess technically he is sleeping through the night – he usually sleeps 5 or 6 hours straight, it’s just not as long as he used to go! (His overnights have been rough this week, but it’s technically month 5 now :) Hopefully by the next blog post, things will be a bit more settled!)

Diet: Nursing is going well.  We were having some issues with spit up.  So, I started nursing him more upright (Pete’s suggestion!) and then keeping him sitting up for a while after he eats.  This seems to have made a big difference!

He almost always has his binky in!

Loves: He loves tickles!  I just love his giggles <3

He loves funny faces :) I always make him laugh by sticking my tongue out obnoxiously haha

He loves high pitched noises (hearing them and making them!)

He loves to grab onto things – me, his toys, anything – and try to put them in his mouth!

He loves lights… He always stares at lights, lamps, light up toys, etc

Dislikes: Being hungry.  Being tired.  But honestly, who does like being hungry or tired? :)

Teething – Poor boy :(

Caleb loves grabbing his feet whenever he can! 

It makes it hard to change his diaper sometimes! haha :)

Milestones: He still laughs a lot, is super smiley and talkative :)

He rolls both ways now!

He has started “sitting up.”  If we prop him up into a sitting position where he can lean on his hands, he’ll stay there (almost bent in half) for a while.  I think he’ll start really sitting soon.  He always tries to sit up!

Baby Gear Love: We did buy the next size up SwaddleMe wraps and that’s been really helpful!

Caleb LOVES the Bright Starts Bunch-O-Fun Monkey he got for Christmas from his Aunt Rachel & Uncle Dave.  He plays with it daily!

He loves his Bumbo.  We have a stand up suction toy that can attach to the tray and he spins it.

Playing with that toy at a Marriage Seminar we recently attended.

We really love the Fisher-Price Rainforest Friends 4-in-1 Projection Soother.  It really helps him with sleeping, especially during the day!

Caleb also loves the Bright Starts Springin’ Safari Bounce-A-Round.  It’s basically an exersaucer, but with a bit of a bouncy bottom.  It’s fun watching him discover the toys on it!

Random Thoughts: Caleb has continued to change a lot!  We love him so much and can’t believe the way he is growing and changing before our eyes <3 He looks so much bigger than when he was born.  It’s hard to fathom than we’ve been home with him for 4 months, that he’s the same person as that itty bitty newborn that would sleep on my chest all day.  Now he kicks me and laughs about it when I try to snuggle up with him like that!  I like that we’re getting a system down now.  I know about how long his naps will be (or should be, on a good day! Haha).  I know about how long he’ll go over night before needing to get up (before the last few days at least, but this doesn’t count as month 4 anymore!).  It just feels like we’re settling in and it’s nice!

Mama Update: I don’t feel like I have much to write here this month.  I’m enjoying being able to accomplish things now that he naps more regularly.  I can pretty much count on having an opportunity to do dishes or do laundry or take a shower :)

Kisses from our little Valentine <3

Three Months!

Caleb is 3 months old!

Weight: 15 lbs. (We didn’t go to the doctor this month, so I weighed him at home.  I’m sure this isn’t as exact. This weight was higher than I expected, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's really between 14 and 15 pounds?)

Length: 24.75" (Again, checked it at home, so not sure how accurate it is.  Another time I measured, it seemed like 25".  And looking at him, he seems longer... So who knows!)

Head Circumference: No idea :)

2 days old on the left and 3 months old on the right!

Diaper Size: 2 – We switched him back to Pampers brand this month.  We originally used Pampers, then we tried Parents Choice (Walmart brand).  He got a diaper rash from those.  We tried Luvs, but we had to return the package without even using any.  The scent on them was too strong for us!  So, we started using Wegmans brand.  Those seemed to work well, but he was constantly leaking out at the leg openings; I felt like I had to wash poopy onesies daily.  So, we decided to switch back to Pampers! :) So far, so good

Clothing Size: 3-6 months!  I’ve been putting him in his 3-6 month white undershirt onesies for a couple of weeks and gradually putting away his 0-3 month things.  I’ve been trying to get one last wear out of his Walmart PJs that are that size (they seem to run bigger), but I think they’re just about done.  I’m also trying to get one last wear out of his 3 month outfits (which seem a bit bigger than 0-3 month ones, too).  He’s just about done with all of those.  Growing boy!

Chunking up!

Nicknames: He still gets Curious Caleb and Wiggle Worm… I call him Mister a lot :) I don’t think there are many new ones right now :) Pete calls him random things like Dragon, Monster, etc., but nothing consistent

Health: His tear ducts and baby acne are all cleared up!  We still give him gripe water at night.  He’s actually getting it before nap time too (see below).

Sleep: I’ve been pushing (and struggling) to get Caleb to nap this month.  He would always nap well if we were holding him, but not if I put him down.  He’d wake up within a few minutes.  It was frustrating!

I tried to do it all like bed time, swaddled, etc.   I tried him in multiple places – Swing (in living room and in nursery), pack n play, rock n play (in our room and in nursery), bouncer seat, crib.  It just wasn’t working.  He would rarely stay asleep more than a few minutes, but even then, it would only be about 30 minutes. 

Finally (based on my mom’s suggestion), I gave him ½ a dose of gripe water before his nap.  He slept for an hour and 20 minutes in his rock n play!  He has napped well in there for a few days now.  We’ll see if it continues!

He has been sleeping through the night (6-8 hours) for a few weeks now!  We’ve had maybe 3 or 4 nights in the last 3 weeks where he hasn’t slept through.  That’s pretty good!

You can see his birthmark on the bottom of his foot!

Diet: We’ve had some times where he’s been fussy while nursing.  I have a couple ideas of what was going on.  I think it was a combination of teething pain and him wanting the milk to come out faster.  I sometimes had to feed him on each side twice during a feeding, instead of just once like normal.  He seems to be doing better though; I suspect my supply increased some to meet his needs.

Loves: He loves tickles!  It’s been fun to find his ticklish spots this month :)

He loves Daddy’s funny noises :)  Pete makes all sorts of sounds at Caleb and they usually make him smile and laugh!

He loves to lick things and to grab things (my hair, my lips, my shirt, etc!).  He hasn’t yet figured out that he can hold his own toys, but he’ll get there soon.

He loves to DROOL! Ok maybe he doesn’t love it, but he does it all the time.

He loves music!  I tried to play him some music to see if it’d help him go to sleep, but he lit right up and started smiling instead :)

Licking his sweatshirt :)

Dislikes: Being put down/being alone.  He’ll often cry on his activity mat until we pick him up.

Milestones: He has great head control!

He’s started babbling a lot, discovering new sounds (and sound levels). 

He started teething.  I don’t think anything has broken through (although one spot feels like it might).  Oddly enough, it seems to be his canine teeth.  So, we’ll see what happens!

He laughs a lot now!  He gave Pete his first laugh and would giggle a lot at us.  Just in the last couple weeks, he’s gotten very “generous” with his giggles – laughing at our friends, his cousin Jocelyn, and Grandpa & Grandma :)

I love this sweet boy <3

Baby Gear Love: We still love the Fisher Price Rock & Play, the Boppy, and the SwaddleMe!  In fact, we’re going to buy the next size up SwaddleMe wraps because he’s just about outgrown the smalls.

We also still like the Moby Wrap and the Infantino Music and Motion Activity Gym and Play Mat. 

He did finally start liking his bouncer and swing!  That was helpful :) They’re both from the Bright Starts Playful Pals line.  We got the travel swing, which is nice to be able to fold it up and put it against the wall.

Although we don’t swaddle him with the Aden & Anais swaddle blankets, I really like them!  They’re easy to lay on the ground for him to play on or to grab as a nursing cover.  I also suspect they’ll be an easy way to provide shade in his car seat or stroller when the weather is nicer.

Random Thoughts: Caleb has changed so much this month!  He has a little personality now.  I love to see the things that make him smile and laugh.  Sometimes I’ll put him down on his activity mat while I go to get lunch or something.  I’ll hear him in the other room practice different noises; it’s so funny!  I can’t believe he’s already 3 months old!  I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since we found out I was pregnant.  It feels like it was just last week… This year has flown!

He's so cute!

Mama Update: I’m right about where I was last month – 6 or 7 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight. I definitely gained in December, but I’ve lost that now.  I’m planning to be more careful about sweets and desserts as I work towards getting back in shape.  I might stop posting about my weight until I’m back to my pre-pregnancy weight ;) Maybe that’ll be next month, or maybe not for a few!

I’m feeling so much better physically!  I’m looking forward to being able to put Caleb in PrimeTime at the Y so I can go for it more with working out.  I was thinking I would start him now that he’s 3 months, but I’m not so sure about that now.  The flu, as well as a nasty cold, has been going around.  I don’t know that it’s specifically going around at the Y, but I just want to keep him out for a bit longer because of that.

A Reflection on 2014!

 Happy New Year!

~ From our family to yours :) 

2014 has been quite the roller coaster... We started and ended the year with tragic, painful losses. However, we also started and ended the year with amazing, beautiful new life!
In January, Peter's brother Jonathon passed away. We were shocked and we miss him so much!

Just 6 days later, we found out we were expecting our first baby!  We were so thrilled, but struggled with the fact that our baby would never know Uncle Jon (Appleton).

Over the next couple of months, we had the joy of sharing this news with our family and friends :)

In May, we went on a great vacation/"babymoon" to an inclusive resort in Mexico.  It did not go at all how we had planned due to plane delays, etc., but it was still a wonderful time together!

We came home and had an ultrasound done to find out that our baby was A BOY! We shared this exciting news with our families on Mothers' Day :)

In the beginning of June, we found out that my brother and sister-in-law were expecting their 4th baby!  We were so excited to find out that Baby Junior would have a cousin so close to his age :)

(This was obviously from when we were much further along!)

In the end of June, we purchased our first house!  We've been working ever since to make it into a wonderful home for our little family.

As my belly grew and due date drew near, we eagerly anticipated the birth of our son.  We had baby showers, went shopping at yard sales, chose a name, picked paint colors, and prayed A LOT!!

We celebrated my 25th birthday in September, while I was 37 weeks pregnant :)

I was unexpectedly induced just shy of 40 weeks.  It wasn't exactly how we had hoped it would go, but I was still able to have the natural labor we had aimed for, despite being induced.

Caleb Eugene was born on October 9 at 1:41 in the morning.  He has completely changed our lives and stolen our hearts <3

In November, we celebrated Pete's 27th birthday with my family on Thanksgiving, his first birthday as a dad :)

Photo courtesy of Nick Dantonio Photography

In December, my Grandma Lonneville sadly passed away.  My heart broke because she was never able to meet Pete or Caleb.  We rejoiced, however, that her suffering had ended and that she was reunited with her husband <3

Just 3 days later, we welcome our beautiful niece, Jillian Hope, into the world!  She is so teeny tiny and so precious... It'll be such a blast to watch her and Caleb grow up together, being merely 10 weeks apart!

It was a blast celebrating Christmas with each of our families!  Caleb is the first grandchild for Pete's family; he sure livens things up and makes life exciting :) Caleb has 4 older cousins and 1 younger cousin (Jillian) on the Lonneville side; that was a very active Christmas day! :)

Jillian was not born yet, 

so add another itty bitty to this picture to get an idea of our Christmas day!

Photo courtesy of Nick Dantonio Photography

Photo courtesy of Nick Dantonio Photography

Last year, we had no idea of the ups and downs we would face this year.  We entered 2014 with the hopes of having a baby this year.  We now enter 2015 with joy and expectation to see all the things Caleb will learn and do :)

We are looking forward to 2015, believing God for amazing things!