Eating help!

Now that I'm a mom of three, I'm learning how true the adage is that "Every child is different".

Overall, our Solomon is an extremely easy baby.  I'm not sure if that's because of his temperament, birth order or gender.  Or maybe it's just because I'm a much more laidback mom now than I was with baby #1.  And even though each child is different, I feel more equipped with tricksy mom tactics up my sleeve now that I've been at this a few years. 

Another adage I'd like to pen when it comes to children is this, "You can make a kid do almost anything -- anything but sleep and eat."

Segue to my one big issue with dear smiley Solomon Asher Horn -- EATING.  He is 10.5 months old now and wants to be independent in all ways possible.  (This tyke is already climbing up our steep staircase, trying to throw balls, and standing up and rocking himself on the pint-sized rocking chair.  Slow down, baby!)

Hence, the feeding struggle.  He wants to feed himself. Fine.  But he only has 5 teeth, some of which aren't even through all the way.  So chewing most foods is a problem.  He wants to hold his own spoon. Great.  But he also likes to play with the spoon and fling food off it catapult-fashion.  That's not so great.

My feeding strategy for Solomon is all about DISTRACTION.  I place Solly-sized chunks of soft foods on his tray and also give him a *distractor* utensil or toy.  That way he usually has two hands occupied so I can sneakily slide a spoonful of something into his mouth.  It's a dangerous and risky business this.  Truly.  I'm constantly looking for the right moment to sneak my spoon in and trying to avoid detection by Solly.  And believe me, it's not pretty when he gets a hold of or knocks away my baby-food-laden spoon.  (The picture above is evidence of our daily feeding mess.)

Because we go through this crazy eating rigamaroll Solomon usually doesn't eat enough solids during the day.  Which means he wakes up at night to be fed.  UGH.  He's been sleeping well through the night since 5 months and I will do anything it takes to keep him (and me!) sleeping well. 

I need your help and advice!  Have any feeding tips or food suggestions for me to try with my messy boy?

Solomon Asher Horn

Thursday, April 15 God blessed our family with a new and precious addition. Solomon Asher Horn was born via c-section at 10:30 a.m. weighing in at 8 lbs. 15 oz. and measuring 21 inches in length.

The c-section went smoothly though there was some serious yanking going on to evict baby Solomon. Besides being a large fella (typical for our bambinos), Solomon was residing fairly high and required the efforts of several medical personnel to bring him out. Of course I wasn't feeling any pain due to the powerful spinal block administered but the pressure was crushing on my lungs and chest. Kind of like having the wind knocked out of you continually by a Chicago Bears' linebacker.

Solomon was obviously not happy about being evicted and let out a LOUD cry of displeasure. :) Conversely, I was VERY pleased and instantly burst into tears with joy at hearing his strong healthy lungs.

As is usual per our c-section experiences, the anesthesiologist was incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and chatty. I'm sure it's part of the anesthesiologist's job to keep the patient distracted from the fact that her major organs are being removed and both Matt and I very much appreciate the distraction. (He's not one to enjoy looking over the sheet to gaze in wonder at the surgical procedures. He tries his best NOT to see anything!) Our thoughtful anesthesiologist even took a picture of Solomon with her iphone and emailed it to my mom right after surgery.

Even though I often think of c-sections as routine, they are indeed medical marvels. It's just amazing to consider what happens during the procedure. And now that I'm two weeks out from my Solomon-induced c-section, I'm awed to see how quickly my body has healed and bounced back from such a major surgery.

We are inexpressibly thankful to God for His protection of me and Solomon during the surgery. I know that health is not to be taken for granted; we are exceedingly grateful to have three happy and healthy children!

If you've not already seen our cutie-patootie baby Solomon pictures on FB, below are some coo-worthy photos for you. Enjoy!

Baby reading list

As I prepare for baby #3's arrival, I'm starting to gear-up mentally. Because my brain is more like a sieve than a bowl, I'm finding most of the baby stuff I once knew I have forgotten. Or maybe it's just that the currently unnecessary baby information is stored away someplace and will return when I need it. In any case, I've learned NOT to trust this old brain of mine.

Instead, I've compiled a reading list and am plowing my way through to get my mind back in baby-mode. Here's what I'm working on:

• Babywise: I'm not a hard-and-fast Babywise advocate but I DO relish the structure and scheduling principles therein. I messed up Clive's sleep badly because I abandoned Babywise tenets and my aim is to intentionally regulate baby #3's sleeping and feeding patterns. I also truly appreciate the premise of Babywise -- namely that our children are NOT the center of the universe. And that my relationship with Matt is priority numero uno.
• The Happiest Baby on the Block: I've received rave reviews of this book so decided to see what all the fuss was about. Inadvertently, I requested this book as a dvd from my library. And boy am I glad I made that mistake! I watched the dvd last night and was completely floored, enlightened, and awed by Dr. Karp's consistently successful calming techniques. They showed him with several crying, fussy, screaming babies and every single time he used his 5 calming techniques and the baby INSTANTANEOUSLY stopped crying. Seriously, the man and his techniques are magic. His techniques weren't rocket-science; most were common sense. The one that totally threw me was the "shushing" technique. He literally put his mouth to the baby's ear and did a LOUD shushing sound. According to Dr. Karp, the baby's first 3 months are super hard on him because of the shocking change in environment. If you can mimic the womb environment, you can trigger the baby's calming reflex and fussiness stops. Great stuff. Will certainly put those techniques in my arsenal!
• Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child: I read this book on a friend's recommendation after struggling many weeks with Clive's sleeplessness and fussiness. It's an excellent read especially due to the medical studies and research it's premises are based on. The huge concept I remember from this book is the overstimulation factor. With Clive we never realized that our incessant rocking, holding and cuddling were actually doing more harm than good when he was tired. After reading the book, we saw clearly in Clive that he was entering the never-ending cycle of fatigue, over-tiredness and over-stimulation. What he needed was to hang out alone! When we finally picked up on his sleepy cues (as detailed in the book) and put him down during that sleepy window, he slept like a champ. And when we finally took him out of our room and put him in his own room to sleep, he immediately began sleeping through the night. Can't wait to read this treasured book again!

That's my list thus far. I've heard The Baby Whisperer is another good one. Any other recommendations for me? What resources have been helpful to you during the newborn baby months?

I'm also determined to try nursing baby #3 (didn't go well with Chloe & Clive). Any nursing resource recommendations are welcome!

Boy, oh boy!

I'll let the following VERY CLEAR ultrasound image tell you our exciting news about baby #3. (I sure hope he doesn't feel too violated that I'm posting pictures of his privates on the internet).



















That's right, soon Chloe and I will be outnumbered! And that's probably a good thing. :) Two drama queens in the household are more than enough!

The ultrasound, as always, was an incredible experience. Now that we've been through a few of them, body parts and organs are more recognizable and less blob-like to my trained eye. Each ultrasound moves me to involuntary tears. It's just so amazing to be able to see my little guy's heart beating, his lungs working, and the tiny details like the joints of his teensy fingers and toes.

Chloe was pretty funny about the whole gender reveal. As you can imagine, she was rooting for a girl all the way. But it wasn't until the day before the ultrasound that she finally asked the big question, "Mommy, how will we know if it's a girl baby or a boy baby? Will she have girl hair?"

And me, wanting to take every advantage of the learning opportunity presented by her question, explained quite a bit. In real anatomical terms. So, I should NOT have been surprised when Chloe asked the ultrasound technician politely if she could show us the baby's penis or vagina. That sure made the tech giggle and made me blush. :)

Chloe is excited though she had a few moments where her disappointment showed through. For instance at the doctor's office that afternoon the doc asked if Chloe was happy to be getting a new baby brother. Chloe thought for a minute and then replied, "Oh, yes. I'm very happy the baby is a boy. I'd be even happier though if the baby changed into a girl!"

We are pumped that we're adding another fun busy boy to our family. And now the name debate has officially begun . . . .

Mystery

First, thanks to all of you for your pumpkin bread recipe contributions! I feel as though I am often tapping you dear bloggy friends for recipes, advice, and know-how.

Forgive me, it's just that recently I've been somewhat brain dead. More than just the regular mommy brain too.

And the reason for that is a mystery for you to figure out. That's right a spooky mystery just in time for Halloween! See if you can puzzle your way through this one. Here are your clues . . .

* I've been gaining weight
* I'm extra tired and going to bed at the same time as my children
* I'm irritable and emotional
* I'm taking a new medication (prenatal vitamins)

That last clue should pretty much give it away!

Most days I think we're insane for expanding our family to 5. BUT I know that God put this desire in our heart for more kiddos AND I know what an inexplicable blessing and joy children are AND I'm incredibly excited to see how this new bambino enhances our family dynamic.

We're about 13 weeks along now and my burgeoning belly has most definitely popped. Though I'm still trying to stave off the maternity wear for another week or two. I go in for my first appointment next week and I'm pumped to hear the baby's heartbeat! That will make this pregnancy seem more real. Right now I feel like I'm just getting fat. (The flab could also be due to the cheeseburger craving I must satisfy every week.)

Breaking the 2-kids barrier has met with mixed reviews. It's interesting the notion some have that 2 kids is the "ideal family". While I whole-heartedly believe parents should be prepared to provide for their offspring, I don't believe that means two children is the perfect prescribed number.

We are rejoicing and so thankful to God for this wonderful new gift of life!

Anyone need baby announcements?

Now that Clive is 7 months old (where did the time go?!?) I should finally admitting that I will not get baby announcements sent out. Ah well.

So can anyone take these announcements off my hands? I have 18 blue and white polka dot cards, 20 blue envelopes, and 19 "It's a boy" stickers. Some of the stickers aren't so sticky anymore thanks to my dear Chloe.

I'd happily mail these out if you can use them. First one to comment gets 'em!

Did you send out announcements to proclaim your children's births?

Some cute baby photos for your Friday

When Clive woke from his morning nap, I changed his diaper and discovered this impression from his outfit on his tummy! Just a funny natural effect of tummy sleeping I suppose. Have any of you moms seen this kind of thing on your kiddos' torsos?

Once I had him naked on the changing table I couldn't resist taking some photos of him in the buff. Naked babies are pure unbridled cuteness in my book! And Clive is so incredibly good natured and happy - even when he's cold and naked. He gives smiles freely and easily (he's nothing like his sister in that way).



I read somewhere that it's been scientifically proven that when we look at a baby, it triggers a pleasurable sensation in a specific part of the brain. I can't explain it but it's the truth with me! No matter how crummy I feel a smile from Clive always makes me joyful inside.

Here's some joy for your Friday!

Blogging baby bounty!

Recently several blogger buddies birthed new babies. Congratulations to all of you! I'm praying for your speedy recovery and that God grants you special grace for these first tiring weeks!

Check out the pix of these new cuties using the links below:

Jonas Mark Conley

Malachi Elias Johnson

Megan Nicole Miller

Ezekiel Simeon Tolosa

Sleeping poll

I preface this post with a promise NOT to report you to the FDA or your local health department if you put your baby to sleep on his tummy. :) I'm filled with curiosity on the whole sleeping position issue and I know you all have oodles of baby experience out there that I must tap into!

Chloe was always a back sleeper and we had nary a problem. She ate and conked out easily in her newborn days. Clive on the other hand obviously prefers sleeping upright or on his tummy. He gets restless and wakes up quickly when I put him on his back. Not sure if I can tell this so early on in his young life but he seems to have nose problems; that might have to do with his tummy sleeping preference.

Which way do you (or have you in the past) lay down your babies to sleep? Back or tummy?

One-handed wonder

As we survive these newborn days, I'm rediscovering my talents as a one-handed woman. As I carry Clive around to soothe him (walking calms him like nothing else), I try my best to accomplish tasks one-handed. Though it's a slow business at least I feel like I'm doing something helpful.

Here's a sampling of my many one-handed tasks.

• Made jello
• Peeled an orange
• Helped Chloe pull down her undies for potty time (don't worry, I washed my hands afterwards)
• Blogged
• Completed crossword puzzles (helps to keep my brain functioning in the wee morning feeding hours)
• Worked for my online job (one-handed typing is tortuously slow!)
  
• Applied makeup
• Loaded the dishwasher
• Addressed mail
• Put Chloe's toys away
• Brewed coffee

What's the weirdest thing you've done single-handedly?