Grant is 5 months!!

Grant turned 5 months yesterday. And at 5 months and 1 day, we got our first dreaded call from daycare. Derek and I took off today to recover from the World Series and take care of the ever-growing to-do list. At about noon, daycare called saying his fever was 99.9. No need to pick him up yet, but "don't drink any more mimosas." Ahh - they know us well. ;)

So at 1:45, we got the call that his fever was high enough to get him sent home. (It was 100.5 - they send babies home at 100.4). We scheduled a doctor's visit where they did just about every torturious thing possible to my child. He cried the entire time... that's 1.5 hours. He ended up with an antibiotic shot, and a follow-up visit tomorrow.

At 5 months, here's what Grant is up to:

*Weighs 16 lbs, 12 oz.
*Wearing size 3 diapers
*Talking, cooing, shrieking and blowing raspberries all the time
*Still not eating rice cereal very well. I've been feeding him a little bit in the mornings, which seems to work better than the evenings. And we add it to his bed-time bottle to at least get him used to the taste.
*Enjoys his exersaucer & vibrating chair, but he still doesn't love his swing.
*Rolling over in every direction
*Just now finding his feet
*He'll let you carry him and hold him over your shoulder again!
*Not sitting "unsupported" any time soon

In the past week, he had 2 new babysitters. A week ago, our neighbor offered us his Cowboys tickets. We couldn't turn them down!! Susie and Big Gaga watched him, while we suffered through the football game. The seats were GREAT - but Romo leaving in the 2nd Quarter with a broken collar bone was a downer. Then last night, Derek's aunt Susan watched Grant while we went to Game 4 of the World Series!! Thanks to my dad, I was able to make an antler hat. We tailgated for 3 solid hours before the game with Matt, Anna, Paul and Matt Lauden. We had a blast, even though the Rangers forgot to show up.
Grant was a monkey for Halloween (Jacob was the same monkey 3 years ago). He wore his costume to day care on Friday, and again last night when Susan took him trick or treating.

Raspberries

Grant's new trick is blowing raspberries. This morning, he was really showing off.
As soon as I stopped filming, he rolled over. He's doing that all the time now too!!

We are now having our first battle with diaper rash. We had just switched diapers (and went up to size 2-3), so we went back to his normal diaper to see if it clears up.

We got our new roof on last week, and tomorrow they should be finished with interior repairs!!

Rice Cereal

We started rice cereal over the weekend. We tried it hot, cold, thick, runny, with water, and with formula. Grant hated it all. I thought it would be better if we held him because he hates to sit. So Sunday and Monday we tried that. He still hated it. It is easier to get the spoon in when his mouth is open wide to wail.

Monday morning and this morning, Grant had a rash on his face when he woke up. Nothing too scary - I still left him at daycare. No fever or fussiness - just redness on his forehead. I thought maybe it was the brand of rice cereal (Gerber), but last night we tried Earth's Best (with apples - another attempt to trick him into liking it), and he still woke up with the rash. We'll skip the cereal tonight and see if that clears up the rash.
We got an exersaucer and Johny Jumper this weekend from my cousin Julie. Despite what his dad may post on facebook, Grant does like the exersaucer... but only for a few minutes. We haven't set up the jumper yet. Maybe we'll try that tonight.

Derek canceled our cable on Friday. I'm very excited about this!! Satellite is expensive - we're going to save a TON!! We're giving it a month before we decide if we're going to replace it. Nonetheless, last night Derek was in one room watching a comedy, and I was in the other watching PBS's special "God in America." It was really good!!

Ten things I'm grateful for...

1. Rach & Jesse's AC going out Memorial Day weekend. I'm especially thankful for Jesse capturing Grant's first hours alive and our first hours as parents:


2. Kicking file drawers shut - so invigorating

3. Taco Bell's Cantina tacos

4. My iPhone - it's a little crushing to admit it, but I do like having it.

5. Great friends that drive "out of town" for my hubby's bday. (Thanks to Adolph, Erin, Lane, Lolly, Cat, Jill, Kyle, Clint, Shauna, Rach & Jesse)

6. Great friends that have family members knit gifts/props for Grant (Thanks Rach)

7. Great friends that welcome us with open arms when our AC goes out (Thanks Jill & Jeff)

8. Great friends that make time for you when they have no time to give (Thanks Meadow)

9. Meeting neighbors - we met 2 neighbors & 4 kiddos on our walk this evening

10. Pics of crying babies. Comment to back me up on this Again, maybe I'm soul-less... maybe it reminds me of my Aunt Wanda... maybe it's just ADORABLE!

Grant is 4 months!

Grant got his 4 month shots yesterday. Perhaps I'm soul-less, but I don't really mind the shots. My job is easy, though - pin down my child and turn my head away. I may be soul-less, but I don't want to watch someone torture my baby!!

Here are his stats:

Length - 26 inches (85%)
Weight - 15 lb, 12 oz (75%)
Head - 43.25 cm (75%)

We weighed him at home, and he came in at 15.7 pounds, so the Wii is pretty accurate.

He is still in Size 2 diapers. This morning, his diaper was so full that he leaked onto me when I was feeding him his bottle. Nothing like feeling that warm liquid on your belly! It IS better than poop juice, which I have also had the pleasure of experiencing.

He still doesn't really care for the Bumbo.

He has been watching Lola a lot more closely - especially when we are all on the floor playing!

He can pass objects between his hands if he wants to. Most of the time, he'd rather pass it to his mouth.

He has been babbling more, and has added shrieks into his vocal repertoire.

I have FINALLY ordered prints of him to frame. I'll be able to decorate my office (and our house) by the weekend!

We thought he had an ear infection because he'd been pulling his ears and waking us up at 3 am, but his ears were clear. Doc says it may have already passed or he may have just found his ears.

Apparently, once you are 4 months old, you can play in the exersaucer at daycare! I put him in it this morning (with a blanket around him because he is still kind of small for it), and he really enjoyed his new perspective. We still need to get an exersaucer and jumper.

In mommy news, I have hung up the nursing bra. After this week, he will be on formula only. The doctor said we can start rice cereal whenever we want, so our lives (and Grant's diapers) are about to get a little more interesting!

Go Cowboys!!

It turns out, the Cowboys just needed a good cheerleader to win a game. I'm talking about Grant of course. On Sunday, before kickoff, I told Derek that I thought the 'Boys would win if we put G-Unit in his Dallas Cowboys Onesie. It worked!! Immediately after the game, the same onesie looked like this:

Our little man now has lethal poop because we've started him on a breastmilk/formula mix while I wean from the pump. How do you salvage such a cute (and important) onesie? You don't. We threw it away. I can't tell you how happy I was that I made that onesie rather than buy it! The only NFL onesies left are the Giants gear that his Aunt Debbie got him. I'll probably allow him to wear one next week since the Cowboys have a bye, but I'm pretty sure all he's going to do once I put it on him is poop and cry. :)

My new obsession is Grant's stocking. Now that I have it out, this will consume all of my free time until Christmas. I'm on step 36 (out of 100) now:A few quick shots of Grant. Here's Houdini in action:And a cute smile he gave me last night:

Houdini

Grant is getting really big for the swaddling blankets (the cheater ones that we have - SwaddleMe - which we call his straight jacket). He has been able to get 1 arm free for a while. This past weekend while we were staying with Jeff and Jill, he got both arms out. We'll have to start calling him Houdini. Grant was trying really hard to roll over this weekend (from his back to his stomach). He would turn onto his right side (usually while chewing on his hand), but didn't pull the left hip over. He was sooo close.

So last night, he decided to show off. I put him in his crib with the mobile running, and went to start his bath. When I came back, I found an unhappy camper on his belly... I clapped and did the whole "YEAH!" thing, then went to find my camera (instead of comforting him). He performed a few times for me - but was never happy about it. I laid him down for bed WITHOUT the SwaddleMe, since he has turned into Houdini. Less than 1 hour later, he was awake and screaming... but it sounded a little different... because he was on his belly. His leg was stuck in the crib (which was clearly torture judging by his cries). I rocked him back to sleep, and tried the same thing again (no swaddle). Isn't that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

About 1.5 hours later, he was up again, screaming & on his belly. This time, I fed him (it'd been 5 hours since he'd eaten, so it was either fill his belly or wake up around 4 am with him), swaddled him, and he was out for the night. No more rolling. AND he didn't escape from his straight jacket!! Hey - if it keeps him from waking at night, I will swaddle him until he's in kindergarten.

Trouble follows wherever we go

Our house is falling in on us. We've been tempting fate with a 25 year old ac unit and last week we decided to really press our luck. Randomly, the unit would start blowing hot air. An ac buddy of Derek's came out and fixed it with the flip of a switch (and amazingly charged nothing for this lesson at 11pm).

The fix lasted 3 days. Then 2. Then 12 hours... You get the idea. Thursday D got up in the middle of the night to fix it. in his underwear. (Crazy that parents of a 3 month old wake for home repairs and not for the baby). Friday evening, Derek tried to flip the switch and... nothing. Thankfully Derek had spent a ton of time researching units and the new one was already ordered. It will be installed Tuesday!

Our friends Jill and Jeff have an awesome guest house where our family can stay for the next few days. Have I mentioned how great my friends are? However there isn't room for Lola (and Lo doesn't get along with Jills cat Bella... maybe bc we trained her to attack cats?). Thankfully Gaumy has agreed to look after her the next few days. Otherwise she would have stayed in the hot house. Seriously. She's a dog.

Packing for the next few days didn't take long but it did take a lot of space. My SUV was packed high with a pack and play, stroller, pump, dog crate, clothes, kid and a dog. I meant to take a pic.

On the way to Hotel Prudes, I got a text from Jill about a leaky toilet in the guest house. Trouble really does follow wherever we go. Just not the good kind.

In other news, we are now sleeping without the baby monitor at home. When he needs us, he makes it KNOWN so it is pointless to use the monitor.

Grant is 3 months!! (plus some)

Although I DID manage to snap a monthly shot of Grant when he was EXACTLY 3 months old, I haven't blogged it yet (Grant was very tired and wanted to show how big he can stretch out). Here are his 3 month stats:

• Weight: 14.1 lbs (according to the Wii)

*Note - the Wii now says he is 14.3 lbs, but these are 3 month stats*

• Diaper - Size 2

I have no idea why I thought we'd be in smaller diapers for a long time. The mega-pack of Size 1-2 was just perfect though because Grant can really go through diapers! We'll be going up a size in diapers in no time.

• Teeth - 1 cutting through on top. We've started experiencing the joys of teething.
  
• Now able to sit in the Bumbo, even though he doesn't really like to
  
• Now able to face front in the baby carrier


• Still insists on being changed at the first sign of moisture in his diaper (interestingly, I don't think poopy diapers bother him as much)
  
• Insists on being carried around the house facing forward - He hates to be held cradled like a baby or over your shoulder looking backward. Because of this, I thought he'd love the Bumbo - but he only enjoys that for about 3 minutes.
  
  Making lots of owl noises - he's not too keen on consonant sounds yet, but I tell him "Mamama" all the time!
  
• I have now switched out his clothing to get rid of all the newborn sizes. It's amazing how long mama's favorites can fit! He's mostly wearing 3-6 months.

Because I didn't divide up clothing based on actual size (I divided them based on the size stated on the tag), several of the tiny 0-3 and 3-6 month onesies will never be worn. Now I need to sort through the 2 huge bags of clothes my favorite sister gave me to prep for winter (and avoid having the same tragedy of unworn clothes)!!

I have held true to my pledge NOT to buy him any clothing. It's not easy, though. Instead of buying this at Target, I made this:
At the same time, I made a Dallas Cowboys onesie for football season. Love the iron-ons!!
This past weekend when we were in St. Louis, I contemplated making an exception for souvenir clothing - how can you resist a Cardinals onesie?! Common sense kicked in though, and we got a postcard instead.

St Louis Trip

Grant went on his first plane ride over Labor Day weekend. We spent the long weekend in St Louis with Derek's family. The plane ride there went really well. Grant slept most of the way and if he was wet, he didn't tell us (shocker)! The only event of note on the plane is the army guy that threw up THE WHOLE TIME on the window seat across the aisle from us. Allegedly an allergic reaction. The plane ride home was more of a challenge because it didn't fall at his nap time. He was a little fussy and demanded 2 diaper changes. I think we'll stick with morning flights in the future to take advantage of our sleepy boy.

Once we got fixed up (which took some time to figure out the rental car infant car seat), we picked up Great Grandma Joyce (Grant's great-great) and met up with Derek's great uncle Daryl for lunch. We spent some time playing cribbage in the hotel lobby area (Mike and I won 2 out of 3). It was a little tough juggling Grant at the same time but we managed!
In the evening, we took advantage of the cocktail hour at the hotel. This is our 2nd stay at the hotel, and I'm so impressed with it. Drury Plaza Hotel. They have cocktail hour from 5:30-7 where each adult guest can get 3 free cocktails (beer, wine OR liquor). And they have food too! That night, the food was hot dogs & chili - they didn't look great so we passed. They also have some standard snack fare.

At cocktail hour, we met a man who was there with his wife and SEVEN kids. We let him hold Grant (I think that's the first stranger to hold him). He is definitely a pro - he made a pacifier appear out of nowhere!

Sunday morning we had a delicious brunch with Grandma Joyce and Daryl. Daryl's wife is still in the hospital recovering from hip replacement, so we didn't get to see her. We were glad that Daryl could get away for the little bit of time we got to spend with him! We ran a few errands, played more cribbage (the boys beat the girls), and generally took it easy. We also got to try Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. It lived up to the hype! All in all, a pretty relaxing weekend!