2 Months!

Hello family & friends!  I am 2 months old today!!!  Don't I look "bright?" (thanks Aunt Patty!)

Liam is 2 months old today!!  According to Babycenter.com he is doing very well:

Mastered skills   (most babies can do)
• Vocalizes: gurgles and coos-oh yes he does, especially when he thinks no one is watching him!
• Follows objects across field of vision-he does this, but you have to get his attention first which can be difficult, he is always looking around (so curious).  Works best if mommy or the camera are the objects!  Eye contact is the same--he can stare at mommy for a few seconds or a few minutes (depending on what she's doing/how exciting she is at the time!).
• Notices his hands-I'd say so, the past few weeks he loves sucking on his fingers and balled up fist.
• Holds head up for short periods-honestly been holding his head up since a couple days after birth

 Emerging skills  (half of babies can do)
• Smiles, laughs-not necessarily on cue (although sometimes he will smile if mommy smiles at him). We get smiles daily and the occasional giggle from time to time.  The other day he laughed after I laughed... really lit up my heart!
• Holds head at 45-degree angle- oh yes, mostly does this when we do tummy time on the side of the recliner (he hates tummy time on the floor and therefore doesn't do much of anything, except cry!).
• Makes smoother movements-funny, we were just talking about this the other day.  Kevin commented "he sure is a lot less flail-y now a days."  Agreed he definitely is a lot more graceful now!

 Advanced Skills (a few babies can do)
• Holds head steady-this is very true.  Liam can hold his head up for a decent amount of time with no assistance and has even began to master lowering it without a huge FLOP into your head/shoulder.
• Can bear weight on legs-I have proof of this in a photo/video below.  He has no problem bearing the weight, it's his balance he struggles with!
• Lifts head and shoulders when lying on tummy (mini-pushup)- I don't really notice the shoulders coming up as much as I do the head.  His shoulders come up on the recliner, but I think that is due to how we position him.

Liam has put himself on a night routine (with some assistance from mom/dad).  We have taught him to cluster-feed (space feedings closer together at certain times of the day, for us it's the evenings). We begin cluster-feeds around 5/6 (depends on the previous feed time) then he eats again at 7/8 and again at 9/10 (the last feeding he gets a bottle so we can control the amount of food he takes in--which we've recently bumped up from 4oz to 5oz per Liam's request for more).

In other words our night feeding schedule is either 5, 7, 9 or 6, 8, 10.  On the 5, 7, 9 nights he usually stays up and takes a little more from mommy around 10:00-10:30.  So, we're thinking he's more so on a time schedule than he is a feeding schedule, as he usually knocks out for the night between 10:00-11:00.  Making the feedings closer together seems to tank him up for a long sleep (we're consistently getting 6 hours, sometimes 7 hours now).  Sometimes he wakes around 4am, fusses a bit until you turn the vibrations/heart beat sounds on in his bassinet and stick the paci in (which he sometimes takes/sometimes doesn't).  This never fails, always puts him right back to sleep.  He still sleeps in his bassinet in our room.

We have somewhat of a day schedule as well.  He wakes between 5am and 6am (depending on what time he went down the night before).  He eats (which he has become faster at-maybe he is more efficient or I am producing more so he gets full faster?! --either way mommy LOVES not having to nurse for 1hr/1.5hrs!).  If he feeds from mommy we stay in bed until half-time.  At half-time he's burped, his diaper is changed, he is re-swaddled (don't know when/if he'll outgrow swaddling) and then we finish the feed.  Usually when he begins to fall asleep on mommy he's full, so he's burped and returned to his bassinet semi-awake.  He watches the bears on his bassinet mobile and falls asleep on his own.

When daddy does the 5/6am feed (usually on the weekends so mommy can rest) he brings Liam out to the living room to prepare a bottle and feed in the recliner.  Daddy follows the same routine as mommy (as far as feeding/half-time goes) but daddy spoils him by rocking him to sleep and making sure he is really "out" before putting him back in his bassinet (mommy would prefer Liam to self-soothe, but respects daddy's decision (if I am not getting up, who am I to make special requests?!).

After his feeding, he usually sleeps until 7am/8am and then wakes ready to feed again.  We feed, burp, change his diaper and finish the feed.  Usually he falls asleep at the breast and I let him sleep even though I know this is discouraged by many professionals (the theory is that this teaches the baby to use sucking as a "soothing aid" and they warn he will associate sucking with falling asleep; commonly referred to as negative sleep association).  I certainly disagree, and so would Liam. I feel this is probably the most positive, natural, pleasant sleep association a baby can have.  Besides, as mentioned previously I DO put him to sleep semi-awake in the wee hours of the morning and he does just fine putting himself to bed.  I feel he honestly just likes a full, warm tummy then a nap (sort of like a kitten or puppy).

I digress--usually he takes a nap until his next feeding, sometimes he stays awake after the 7/8am feeding to play for twenty-thirty minutes, then takes a nap.  The remainder of the day goes sleep, change diaper, feed, play; sleep, change diaper, feed, play and so on until we begin our nightly routine of cluster feeds and every other night baths!  He has napped a few times on his own in his swing, but it takes a lot of effort on mom/dad's part (swaddle, shushing, swinging anywhere from 10-30 min).  I know I shouldn't but it is just easier to hold him and try to do things with one hand!  I really need to work on going back to putting him down, but I promise you no matter how deep he is into his sleep he knows the instant he's not in your arms!  Besides, he'll only be a baby once, why not hold him while I can, right?!  Even if nothing is getting done around the house!

Playing consists of music time (we sing together/with his stuffed monkey), reading a story, playing with rattles, grasping/holding toys, some tummy time, laying in his play mat, sitting in his chair (mommy offers him toys, but usually he ignores them and spends his time looking out the window) or bouncing in his jumperoo (mommy does most of the bouncing, although Liam can really get himself moving, see the video below).  Around noon Liam is put into his swing to entertain himself while mommy makes herself lunch, eats, goes to the bathroom, pumps and if Liam is still doing well she'll tend to cleaning bottles/dishes.  He is getting better at this independent time (used to only last 5 min. now he's averaging 15-20 min.).

He is still enjoying bath time, he especially loves getting into the "big kid" bath with mommy or daddy.  He loves when we float him around the tub, he even kicks his legs and pushes off of your tummy/sides of the tub.  So far rolling over has been a one/two time thing, although with a lack of tummy time who knows what he can really do!  He still grabs his paci/holds it in, but cannot seem to put it back in yet (we'll love when he masters this skill).  Although, quite honestly we still think he's not really crazy about the paci (he'd much rather have his fingers/hands).

Liam will get his shots next week (mommy is not looking forward to it and asked daddy to go into work late to accompany us to this appt.).  We will be meeting his new pediatrician on this day.  Mommy switched doctors because the previous ped. would not offer single vaccinations (instead he does combo vaccines-5 in 1, 2 in 1, etc. to lessen the amount of "sticks" baby has to endure).  Unfortunately, a 5-in-1 shot is still 5 shots-i.e. a series of chemicals reacting with one another, the effects of which have not been determined.

Napping before my 2 month photos

Mommy has done a lot of research on the effects of too many shots at one time and their reactions to one another (most still unknown) so we've elected to stagger his vaccines.  As soon as I found out our previous ped. would not offer single shots it was time to seek out someone who supports our decision as parents (although when I met with him before Liam's birth he seemed on board with whatever we decided-guess that proved to be untrue).  Besides, I was not too impressed with the lack of concern he had with Liam's fussiness/digestive issues (he has completely ignored the signs he shows of acid reflux) and I never got that warm/fuzzy feeling from his office staff! On a happier note, I really think the new pediatrician sounds like a match made in heaven and am really excited to start going there.  Liam will follow this schedule for vaccinations:

Dr. Sear's Alternative Vaccine Schedule (he spaces the vaccines out throughout their youth so they aren't getting too much medicine at one time):

• 4 years: DTaP, Polio (IPV)
• 6 years: Chickenpox
• 12 years: Tdap, HPV
• 12 years, 2 months*: HPV
• 13 years: HPV, Meningococcal (once Meningococcal vaccine is approved for age 2, Dr. Sears will move it there and delay Hep B by 6 months)

Odd months are shots-only visits b/c most doctors don't do well-baby appts. those months.

The MMR shot is probably one of the most dangerous and criticized culprits of autism and is needed before starting public school so I will wait as long as possible. This schedule divides them up, however there has been a change to the MMR vaccine since Dr. Sear's created this schedule: it's no longer split up into 3 different shots. As a result I may choose to wait until Liam is 4 to get the MMR shot (unless we put him in preschool, then he will get it at age 2/3) and he will only get that shot during that visit. Before age 4, he has to have 2 MMR vaccinations, if he has the vaccination after age 4 he may only need 1 dose (depends on what state we live in).  However, if there is an outbreak in our area of any of the three diseases, I will consider vaccinating him immediately.

I'm leaving the Flu shot out of this schedule b/c there are footnotes that basically say to start it with 2 doses between 6-12 months during flu season, then get one each year through age 5.

Until the 2 month appointment, we won't have any stats but we're guessing he is at least 10lbs (he sure feels heavy, he is definitely growing--his little face is getting rounder and he has such chubby cheeks!). This week a NB onesie was stretched to capacity when I put him in it.  MOST NB clothes are too small (a few brands still fit) but for the most part we've transitioned to 0-3 month clothes (some brands are still too big, others just right and some have a bit of growing room).  Pants do NOT fit him (frustrating for mommy who wants to dress him up in all of the adorable clothes he has received!).  Something about his torso--all pants are too big.  For that same reason he is still in NB diapers, although they are starting to leave some red around the waist.  We decided to loosen them up but this leads to blow-outs, so we've basically decided that his waist demands a tight diaper.  When we finish this batch of NB's we're thinking of trying size 1's so we can tighten them up hopefully without causing any redness.

Last week we went to a BBQ for Kevin's work.  It was 2 hrs from home (one way).  Liam did so good traveling!  He hates getting in his car seat but loves going for rides, especially road trips!  We had lots of fun showing him off to daddy's co-workers (and their wives loved holding/loving him up).

Here are some photos/videos from the past week or so.  2 month stats to follow next week!

Mom says this is proof that I nap on my own

Peaceful

Daddy bought me a Navy sweat shirt (it's 6 months, I have some growing to do by winter time)

Really bad video, but he was just too cute in this one!

In the car on the way to daddy's command BBQ

This is pretty much all I did at daddy's work BBQ (hey it was a long drive!).

Lounging

I LOVE this jumperoo!

I am strong enough to stand (with some help from the recliner for balance)