Archives for 2011

levi’s first chanukah

December 22, 2011

Levi celebrated Chanukah for the first time last night! Candles, a present, the whole shebang. Yes, it was the second night of the Jewish holiday, but JB and I were so busy on Tuesday that by the time we lit the menorah, Levi was already asleep in his crib.

I can’t say that Levi was particularly enthralled by or even the least bit interested in the glow of the menorah. He did, however, seem to enjoy the reflective silver wrapping paper on his gift from Grandma. And he really liked it when Daddy read him the book that she sent, Where is Baby’s Puppy? by Karen Katz.

JB and I decided to not buy Levi any Chanukah gifts this year. Why? I’m not sure exactly. Maybe because we already buy him whatever we think he needs/wants! Levi will be receiving plenty of presents from family, so we don’t feel too bad about it. Truthfully, I would’ve liked to have made or purchased something sentimental for Levi to mark the occasion of his first Chanukah, but the holiday sort of snuck up on me…and it would’ve been more for me than for him, anyway.

What did you buy for your baby to celebrate his or her first Chrismahanukwanzakah? Or did you choose not to give your little one gifts?

levi’s monthly baby photo (five months old)

December 21, 2011

Dear Levi,

You are five months old! Where did my baby go? I can suddenly see how much older you look compared to photos from previous months. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown! Sometimes when I stare at you, I can catch a glimpse of what you might look like as a little boy. Your round face is becoming more narrow, and the hair on the top of your head is growing in shiny and golden brown. That wisp of a curl behind your right ear keeps getting longer and longer, and I’m sometimes tempted to cut it, but that silly piece of hair is so much a part of you.

When you turned four months old, you were a slobbering mess. We kept you in a bib all day long because you drooled nonstop. You were just starting to put your fingers, hands and clothing in your mouth; you have since advanced to your feet and anything else within your reach. Although you don’t do it regularly, I have witnessed you pull your pacifier out of your mouth and then stick it back in (although not always in the correct way).

Your new favorite thing to stick in your mouth is the silicone spoon we use to feed you baby oatmeal. You had your first taste of solid food the day before you turned 5 months old, and you ate off the utensil like a champ. I’m pretty sure you’d be just as happy eating dirt if we fed it to you off that spoon!

Earlier in the month I thought we had nailed down a sleeping schedule (bed at 7:30pm, brief wake-up at 1am, feeding at 3am, up for the day at 6am), but our trip to Cleveland over Thanksgiving seemed to throw you off track. You refuse to nap anywhere but in your swing, and when you’re in your crib at night, you wake up screaming if you find yourself on your belly.

During the day, however, you happily roll over from your back to your tummy to your back again. I can’t wait for the day when you learn that sleeping on your stomach is an acceptable–and comfortable–position! Daddy and I have noticed that you don’t cry so much when you are upset as you do shriek and scream, which is very off-putting because it makes us worry that you are hurt or sick. I guess I just have to get used to the fact that you are a loud kiddo!

Now for some stats: On average you still eat six times a day, every 3 – 4 hours while you’re awake and once or twice in the middle of the night. You nurse in the AM and PM and get three 6 oz bottles of expressed milk while mommy works (although your nanny thinks you’re ready for bigger bottles). You’re wearing a combination of sizes 0-3 and 3-6 clothing. You can get away with the smaller sized onesies because you’re slender through your torso. Nobody could ever accuse you of being a fat baby, although you do have some delicious rolls on your legs!

Stay happy, baby guy!

xoxoxo

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I’ll be photographing Levi on the 12th of every month to document his growth this first year. He’ll be wearing a numbered white onesie corresponding to his age in months, sitting in a chair next to his blabla doll for continuity. See Levi’s four month, three month, two month and one month photos here.

{photo taken on Levi’s 5 month birthday, 12/12/11}

chanukah play set

December 16, 2011

As kids, my sister and I lit teeny birthday candles in mini menorahs to celebrate Chanukah. Levi has a couple of years to go before he’s ready for his own child-sized menorah, but we can start teaching him about the Festival of Lights and its traditions with this wooden play set from The Land of Nod.

Today only, get 15% off all toys with the promo code OHWHATFUN.

for me, for baby

December 14, 2011

This cell phone cover for me. Those leg warmers for Levi.

tired of being tired

December 13, 2011

Last week I sat in the nursery glider and I cried. It was early in the morning, and I was crying because I was exhausted. I was exhausted because my baby did not sleep through the night. While I sobbed, JB attempted to entertain Levi in the living room because baby guy refused to go back to sleep after a random 5am feeding. And by refused, I mean that he cried, and when Levi cries, he screams as though he is being tortured. My kid’s got lungs.

The nights that Levi sleeps poorly are probably caused by a lack of daytime naps. Like this past Sunday, for example. We just couldn’t get Levi to sleep during the day. He was basically awake from 9am-2pm, so we eventually stuck him in his car seat and started driving until he conked out. That night he woke up every three hours to be fed. Every. Three. Hours.

I feel like Levi’s poor sleeping habits are my fault. The routines I’ve tried just don’t work consistently. The eat/play/sleep schedule we try to follow often turns into eat/sleep/play. (Or eat/play/eat with no sleep in between.) Maybe I should have begun sleep training him sooner. Maybe I should have put him on a rigid by-the-clock schedule. Maybe I should have already tried to ferberize my baby.

New moms are judged by how long their baby sleeps at night. After wanting to know his age, it’s the first thing that most family, friends and strangers ask. At a party hosted by mother-in-law over Thanksgiving weekend, people who had never met Levi we’re more interested in how many hours he sleeps at night than whether he’s a happy baby or anything else about him. (He is actually a very happy baby…when he isn’t tired and cranky.)

Since I can’t get Levi to sleep well day or night, I feel like a failure. I know I’ve written on the topic of sleep before, but it’s been a constant thorn in my confidence as a new mom. So I’m re-reading “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby” hoping the second time around will teach me something I didn’t previously learn.

I’m just so tired of being tired. And I’m sure Levi is, too.

{iPhone photo taken when Levi was 9 weeks old}