Eleven weeks old and start of daycare

Calvin started daycare this week and it went pretty well.  He will be going part time for nine weeks and then will be home with Mom and big brother!  He did great his first week.  I got up at 6:20 and got myself ready for school. At 6:40 I came back to our room, woke Travis up so he could get ready before I left, and then nursed Calvin.  After that, Calvin went back to bed for a while, I left for work, and Travis got the boys dressed, fed, and to daycare.  On Thursday Calvin was too tired to wake up for me, so Travis gave him a bottle when he did wake up.  He woke up around 7:45 both days and they were at daycare by 8:30.  This worked pretty well as Calvin took his first nap at nine each day.  He slept 4-5 hours both days.  I had no idea how full to fill his bottles, but four ounces at a time seems to be enough for him so far. This is great, because I'm pumping 13-14 ounces while I am away from him and he's taking 10-12 ounces.  With Caleb I had a really hard time keeping up.  I would pump 13-15 ounces, but he took 18 ounces!  I'm hoping Calvin will stay content with the four ounce bottles as I don't want to use up everything I have stashed in the freezer.  Our daycare provider said he seems a little overwhelmed with all the kids right now and when he's awake spends his time with wide eyes darting back and forth trying to take it all in.  She said he's fine watching the kids for about ten minutes and then he wants her to pick him up or at least sit right by him.  I'm sure he will get used to the commotion at some point, but for now sleeping is working well for him.  Even though they are in the same room when they are awake at daycare, Caleb doesn't really pay any attention to Calvin at daycare.  Caleb is one of the biggest kids there now so he's usually getting to play with the small toys in an area the little ones can't get to.  I asked him if Calvin enjoyed daycare and he told me "I can't know.  Gayle just keep putting him in his crib for another nap."

I've found that getting Calvin a good morning nap is key to him having a good day.  If he sleeps for 60-90 minutes in the mid morning, he will take good naps the rest of the day.  If he doesn't, it's a day full of 30 minute naps.

Calvin has some eczema going on right now. To me, it looks about identical to what Caleb had beginning at three months.  I sent a picture of our doctor and she agrees it looks like eczema.  She said to give hydrocortisone cream a try for a few days to see if that helps and if not, bring him in.  It has helped some.  It's not as red, but still pretty scaly.  I think I'll give it another week and then take him in if it's not getting better.

He's really starting to coo a lot.  He really likes to lay on his back and have you lay next to him and talk to him. This is when he does the most smiles and coos.  He will do it on his tummy too, but after about 90 seconds, he's had enough and wants to be turned over.  He did roll over three times Friday and once Sunday.

Some things Calvin likes at eleven weeks:
- looking at toys hanging on his play mat
- looking at the truck stickers hanging on the wall by his changing table
- sitting up and looking around
- still likes taking baths either by himself or with his brother.

No more infant insert in his tub.  

I have no idea why he's so scared...maybe it's the older brother jumping on Mom's back. 

Calvin and Liz just hanging out in Liz's gym. 

Ten weeks old

Calvin is now ten weeks old, so that means maternity leave is over for me and I go back to work Tuesday.  I will miss my boys, but I'm looking forward to seeing my students and coworkers and finishing out the year.  It was a very, very difficult decision for me, but I've decided not to return to teaching next year.  I am going to miss teaching like crazy, but know I will regret missing this time with my boys if I don't switch to this.  Working part-time the past two years was the best of both worlds, but with two kids, we've decided that wouldn't be enough time with them.

Calvin is starting to get a somewhat predictable routine during the days.  He likes 3-4 naps a day depending on how long each one is and most nights he's been sleeping 6-7 hours in a row!!!!  We are still struggling to keep him in his own bed after 6:00 AM.  He's not hungry, but just wants to be held until it's time to get up.  We will see how this goes when I've got to get up and get ready for work!

Still happens sometimes during tummy time. 

Finally got a good smile on camera!

Getting so strong!

Nine weeks old

Look at this two month old cutie!

Calvin is settling into being a pretty content baby.  He has a few demands though:  feed him the minute he wakes up, don't make him sit in a wet diaper for longer than 34 seconds, and put him to bed early (7:30 is preferred).

We've been outside a lot this week and it seems he really likes it. He's not too keen on the stroller yet, but loves the Moby.  We went for a long walk on Sunday with him in the Moby, but had to take him out towards the end.  We were both way too sweaty.  I didn't realize it was 80 degrees out or I would have dressed him in just a onesie.

He got his first round of shots this week and he was in rough shape.  He slept nearly all day and screamed when he was awake.  Eating didn't even calm him down!  We ended up giving him some Tylenol and icing his legs a little and that seemed to help.   Everything looked good at the doctor.  She said his neck still feels a little tight and he wouldn't move it to the left for her either. She said to keep doing what we are doing, but if it gets any worse call and she will get us a referral for physical therapy.  He still looks both ways when on his belly, which is a really good sign.

We had a couple of rough nights transitioning Calvin off the boppy lounger at night time and nap time, but he isn't sleeping on it at night now!  He still does for some naps, but that doesn't make me as nervous since we are frequently checking on him.  The first night without it, he did ok.  It took us over an hour to get him to bed, but he did better during night time wakings and went back down without it.  The next night went so poorly we gave him the pillow back, but the past three nights he's been sleeping as well as he did on it.  It takes a bit longer for him to get asleep initially at night without the pillow, but he's doing it!  One of us usually ends up sitting on the floor with our hand on his belly for a little while before he will stay asleep.  It always backfires laying him down completely asleep as he wakes up screaming about 15 minutes later.  He prefers to fall asleep in his bed or at least wake a bit as we lay him down and then go back to sleep.

No pillow!

The zoo sure is scary

Waiting for the doctor

Oopss!

Eight weeks old

Calvin is eight weeks old and has been a pretty content baby this week.  He will lay on the floor and look at the toys on his activity gym for about 10 minutes now before he wants back up.  He doesn't reach for the toys quite yet, but has had some success kicking the ball that hangs above his feet.  He's been having a difficult time turning his head to the left, so we have been moving his head to the left multiple times a day and that seems to be losing his neck up. I had my chiropractor look at him and she said it feels tight on the left side, but nothing needing treatment.  I'm going to show our doctor this week as well just to make sure she agrees that all we need to do is keep moving his head to both sides.  It doesn't seem to hurt him anymore to move it to the left and once it is loosened up, he does now voluntarily move it both ways.

This little guy just keeps on growing.  It's impossible not to compare the boys (especially since it is so easy with their birthdays begins so close), and Calvin is definitely heavier than big brother.  Caleb was 11 lb 8 oz on March 8, 2012 and Calvin was 12 lb 6 oz on March 6, 2015!  For the past three nights Calvin has dropped one of the middle of the night feedings and is going from 8:00-3:30 without needing to eat!  He wakes and stirs a bit around 1:00, but the pacifier and my hand on his chest for about 30 seconds is all he needs to go back to sleep for a couple hours.  He's also continued to be pretty easy about going to bed at night.  I feed him, we swaddle him (arm out), and get him calm in our arms and lay him down in his bed.  If he cries, we go sit by his bed with our hand on his chest and sometimes head next to his head and he drifts to sleep.  Some nights it takes three or four times of this, but most nights only twice.  I feel bad not holding him until he is asleep, but this seems to be working for us.  When we tried to hold him, it was taking up close to two hours to actually get him asleep in his own bed and not screaming frantically.  Our next step in the night time sleep process is getting him off the boppy lounger he's sleeping on.  We aren't comfortable having him sleep on that alone in his room and he's starting to move off of it, so it is time.  He's done a few naps without it, so wish us luck tonight!

Caleb was so excite their matching PJs fit.

What a little cutie!

He could stare at the tow truck all day long. 

Successful nap in his crib not on the pillow.  The iPad was playing his white noise.

Seven weeks old

Calvin is seven weeks old!  He's starting to be awake for longer stretches of time, but also isn't as easy to get to fall asleep.  Sometimes he likes to be held to fall asleep and other times us holding him makes him more upset and he just wants to be laid down.  Unfortunately, we aren't always sure which he wants!  He had a couple of first this week...first time going to church and first USD basketball game.  He also rolled tummy to back once today, but hasn't done it again, so might have been a fluke.

Calvin is growing like a weed...tipping the scales at 12 lbs even last Thursday.  He's moved into his 3-6 month clothes already!  His 3 month still fit, but 0-3 are done for.  

I'd like to point out that Calving is starting to adjust to the chaos that is his brother...notice he's not sucking on his pacifier in all pictures.

Boys in matching pjs

Wearing the pjs Caleb bought for him the day we found out he was a boy!

Sleeping with flat Kate

Perfecting the stink eye