Sick Baby

When I picked Kyler up from daycare today they told me he was sick. He had woken up from a nap a couple of hours before and just vomited all over. Then he was a little lethargic the rest of the afternoon. When I picked him up and held him in my arms he turned to me and very lightly gave me an open mouth kiss. It was so sweet but I would much rather have seen his usual big smile.

This is the first time Kyler has vomited. He has had a cold and runny stools before but this time he is really not feeling too hot. He wouldn't even take his bottle of formula - and that is very uncharacteristic of my little eater. I got him to drink a little water after we got home but within 20 minutes that came right back up. But he's such a sport. He doesn't even cry. He just gives me a sad look and sort of yells to let me know he's not all that happy. And then other times he will sit there and play or talk to his toys and you wouldn't even know he was sick.

He's such a trouper, even tougher than his Mama and WAY tougher than his Dad. We are more of babies when we're sick than he is at 5 months old. Hopefully he feels better by Sunday for his first Chiefs game!

Kyler and Baxter

These two have an interesting relationship...

There is mutual affection...

And tolerance from both sides.

Baxter knows his master...

And lets him do whatever he wants...

He secretly likes it...

Why else would he put up with this?

Well, sometimes he has no choice...

But mostly I think he likes the attention.

5 Months

At 5 months, Kyler...

• Sits supported and can support his weight standing with help,

Driving Grandpa's boat.

• Eats solid foods (baby cereal, pureed fruits and veggies) - he is a great eater and hates when his bottles or food are gone - he even grabs the spoon to try to get the food into his mouth faster,
• Has stopped nursing (not his choice) and holds his own bottle,

Getting sleepy drinking his bottle.

• Puts everything in his mouth including books as we are reading them and his own feet,
• Has a new funny face (wrinkles his nose and breathes heavily through his nose when he thinks something is funny),

Making his new wrinkle-nose face.

• Makes lots of sounds (sometimes really loud ones and occasionally responds to us when we make a sound he can repeat),
• Rolls around a lot on the floor and kicks to splash out of the tub at bath time,

Grabbing for the camera.

• Still looks like a little man (it's the 1st thing everyone says when they see him),
• Is all boy - he loves remotes, phones, anything with buttons and he grunts a lot,
• Is not afraid of strangers - he will go to anyone and smiles at everyone (he has learned how to flirt),

Getting pumped up with Dad.

• Laughs occasionally - but only at the dogs,
• Interacts with the dogs - he is really good at grabbing their collars when they are nearby.

No More Nursing

I have decided to wean Kyler from breastfeeding starting this week. I am really really glad I did it but I think it is the right time to stop. I thought I would nurse for a full year but some things happened that just made it a lot harder that I originally expected. This isn't a post that many of you will be interested in, but I thought I better document why I stopped in case someday I have regrets.

1. Pumping at Work - Originally I did not plan to return to work after Kyler was born. But now that I am back 3 days per week I have to pump on those days. And let me tell you, that is just not any fun. I have to lug around a big bag with a pump, cooler, and bottles. I have to keep track of time and pump when Kyler would normally eat. This started out at every 3 hours but he is now eating every 2.5 hours at daycare. This is especially hard when I am out of the office. Sometimes I have had to pump in the vehicle. Besides the inconvenience, I cannot pump as much as Kyler eats at a feeding so then I end up having to fit in extra pumping sessions at night. It is just a constant battle that I am tired of.

2. Pregnancy Prevention - While it is definitely not foolproof, breastfeeding is somewhat of birth control. We have decided to have one more child in the near future and breastfeeding will prohibit that from happening. Especially because my doctor will not start fertility treatment again until I have stopped nursing for 3 months. You can check out my other blog for more information on what we hope to be our upcoming second pregnancy.

3. Attachment Issues - I feel a little guilty about this one because I think it is the most selfish reason but it is a big one for me. Kyler is really whiny around me a lot of the time. And when I hold him he almost always wants to nurse. So he ends up crying in my arms and I have to either nurse him or hand him off to his dad. (And this is often after he has just eaten so I know he isn't really hungry.) He is also starting to use nursing as playtime and after he is done eating or not hungry he will bite and pull which is, as you might imagine, not comfortable.

4. Convenience - I guess this one is a little selfish too but I spend a ridiculous amount of time pumping and nursing. In the past couple of days I have started giving Kyler more bottles and it is so nice. I don't have to leave the room or go to a bathroom in a crowded public place to nurse. I can actually be folding laundry or cleaning up the kitchen while he takes a bottle (he can hold it on his own). I don't have to think about when I am going to pump when Brett and I go out without Kyler. I know washing bottles will be somewhat time consuming but I can do that while Kyler is taking a bottle - and I won't have to clean a pump all the time.

5. Confusion - Kyler thinks anyone and everyone can nurse him. Anytime someone (especially women and more specifically well-endowed women) holds him, he will turn and put his mouth on their goods. It is sometimes very embarrassing with people we don't know that well and they always think my child is starving. Typical guy I guess?

So I know for some people these would not be good reasons to stop nursing at 5 months. But for me, they are more than enough. I have gritted my teeth and done it a month or two more than I really wanted to but now is the time. I did enjoy it a lot at first when I knew I was sustaining my baby and giving him the most healthy food available. And especially recently when he gets full and gazes up at me with a big smile on his face before going back for a little more. That is something I know I will miss immensely but it would have to stop eventually because my little baby boy is growing up fast!

Update: This turned out to be a good decision. Kyler is now much happier with me. He has stopped fussing so much when I am around or holding him. Within a week he was all smiles around me and it has helped our relationship tremendously. Even B noticed he became a happier baby. He also stopped trying to put his mouth on everyone else's ta-tas.

Loud

Kyler has been quite chatty lately. And it is no longer quiet little coos. He knows that he can make noise now. Usually it is a series of "ahh" sounds. And sometimes it is him yelling "AHHH" or letting out a squeal. Whatever it is, it is a lot of fun. Especially when he repeats me and has sort of a conversation. His new favorite book is called "And the Cow Said Moo." And when I recite it (I have it memorized) he chimes right in.

He has also been loving his feet. He will sit and just look at them in amazement. I'm not sure he realizes that they are his and he is the one moving them. He grabs them and pulls them close, especially when getting his diaper changed. Today he was sucking on his foot, sock and all, while sitting in the Bumbo chair.

Doggies are Funny

Kyler has been laughing a lot lately and thinks the dogs are especially funny. You can't help but smile when you hear him giggle.

These days...

Kyler has been doing all kinds of fun things.

Like smiling.

And getting his rest for the big game the next day.

He is all set for fall football weather.

And really enjoyed the game this week.

He is liking tummy time more and more.

And is a happy boy when he can jump around.

Or swing around.

But sometimes he just wears himself out.

Giggles

What a treat... tonight I was playing around with Kyler and he started giggling at me. Not the fake cough laugh he usually does but a back of the throat giggle. He has been kind of a crabby baby over the last week and that's just what mama needed. Hopefully we can get it on camera one of these days.

Four Months

Here is what Kyler is up to at four months...

Vital Statistics:
Kyler weighs 13 lbs 12 oz and is in the 25th percentile for weight. He is 24.5 inches long (50th percentile), and his head circumference is 16 (10th-25th percentile).

Socially:
People have been telling us more and more about how much he looks like a little man. That his features are very grown up and they can tell what Kyler is going to look like when he is older. We also get many comments on how expressive he is for his age. He has a lot of facial expressions. And he is actually less afraid of strangers than he used to be. I think that has a lot to do with him being in daycare. They say he is an awesome baby at daycare, only crying when he is tired or hungry. He loves it there. Sometimes at home I think he is bored because there just isn't as much going on. He has become quite the daddy's boy. There are a lot of times now that I have to hand Kyler over to Brett because only he can calm him down.

Eating:
Kyler started trying some solid foods a couple of weeks ago. His favorites are bananas, applesauce, and peaches but I haven't found anything he doesn't like. He does a really good job eating from a spoon. He will open his mouth for the next bite when the spoon comes near. He is starting to figure out how to get food in his mesh bag into his mouth.

Moving:
He can roll over both directions but doesn't do it very often. He is always grabbing anything he can get his hands on and putting it right in his mouth. My poor hair is getting pulled all the time, and he has a really strong grip. He is getting better and better at supporting himself. And he is still our little mover and can be a handful when I am feeding or rocking him.

Talking:
He has started babbling a little more lately. When I read him a book that he likes, he will start talking along like he is reading too. He thinks it is funny to watch his mama or dad have an adult conversation with someone and also enjoys when I scold the dogs. Sometimes, especially with his dad, Kyler will get pretty loud when he is talking. Brett is able to get him to talk a lot easier than I can.

Sleeping:
Kyler will go to sleep on his own. Once he is getting tired I just give him a paci and something soft to hold and put him in his crib and he will fall asleep. When he wakes up he doesn't just cry for us to come get him. A lot of days we will hear him making happy little noises in his crib. And sometimes loud banging as he kicks his legs around. When we go check on him, he has a huge smile (even behind the paci) when we look down at him. The doctor told us today to start putting him down on his tummy since we only have a couple months to even out his head shape (it is pretty flat on the back).

Coming up:
We are still waiting to hear a really good belly laugh. And I think he will be able to sit on his own pretty soon. He does pretty good but usually ends up leaning way forward or sometimes falling to the side. When his legs get just a little longer he will be moving all over the place in the walker - he can go a couple of inches at a time right now.

Back to Front

Apparently our little guy can now roll from his back to his front. I knew he was getting close. He has been rolling all the way to one side and then kicking his legs up really hard and landing on his back again. Last night in the bathtub I think he would have went all the way over if I hadn't caught him to stop him from going face first in the water. This morning he woke up before I left for work. I fed him, changed him, and put him back to bed. We always put him on his "back to sleep." Brett called me a few hours later and said that while he was showering and getting ready for work he put the monitor in Kyler's room so he could hear as soon as he got upset. He could hear him making noises. He usually lies in his bed talking to himself or his mobile and then starts fussing when he is ready to get out of bed. When he started getting upset, Brett hurried up to go get Kyler out of bed. But when he got there Kyler was on his tummy way over toward the side of his crib, almost hitting the rails. He had rolled over to his tummy for the first time and he did not enjoy the predicament he found himself in!