Elliot in Retrograde

Sleeping rules. It. Is. Awesome. And since the heavens have decided to bless me with a child who sleeps - which I believe is in reparation for the stretch marks (we're not even yet, by the way) - I get to enjoy my fair share. So how pissed was I when about a week ago I was woken up not once, not twice, but three and sometimes FOUR times a night for several nights in a row by a child screaming bloody murder. My first thought was, "gee, maybe his bedroom is haunted by spirits and they wake him up." My first rational thought was "gee, could he be teething already?." It goes without saying that, either way, I was none too pleased, but at least the "haunted room" track gave me the creepy/cool factor in telling the story.

But after the fourth or fifth night it stopped. On a dime. Then something else happened. I was getting him ready for a bath and he was laying there being all cute and grabbing his toes and babbling to me when he just rolled over. Just like that. No fanfare, no "hey mom, look what I can do!" Just a matter-of-fact action like it was old hat. So, for now, the screaming has stopped. But a whole new era has begun - that of a semi-mobile baby. Now, when I put him on a blanket with some toys and step briefly out of the room there is no guarantee that he will be where I left him when I return. In fact, it is a much better bet that I will find him flipped over and spun 180 degrees around.

Hey, I am pleased he is developing, don't get me wrong. But his new skills can scare the crap out of me. Take, for instance, the day I put him down for an afternoon nap and noticed 10 minutes in that he was awfully talkative. When I went into his room to investigate, the first thing I saw were two chubby legs dangling though the crib bars. Here, he had flipped over and turned sideways and was propped up talking to himself in the mirror. Cute as hell, sure, but all I could imagine was him trying to turn back over and wrenching one of those knees between the bars. Then, a near heart attack occurred when I went to get him one morning and found him asleep on his stomach. What made my heart skip was that, thanks to some early morning shadows and a seriously overactive imagination, his face appeared to be a dusky purple. It freaked me out so bad I yelled his name and startled the poor thing from a sound sleep.

The moral of this story for me is that my son regresses with his sleep when something big is about to happen. He has done it with his most recent growth spurts and now this. I guess we better hold on to our butts, this could be a bumpy ride.

Bigger, Bigger, and Bigger

Elliot is four months old now, and officially out of the larvae stage during which he spent 90% of his time wrapped like a baby burrito. And while I miss part of the burrito days, like being able to run errands and have him sleep quietly the whole time, I really love that he is developing into a little person. But I guess he is not that little. At his four month checkup today, the nurse said "gee, he looks really big to be only four months old." That's right. I lied. He's really two, I just think four months sounds cuter. The nerve. But, as big as he seems (I think he's just right, by the way) he is very "average" for everything - height, head, and weight.

What gets me is his diaper size. See, he has these really chubby legs, so even though he can still technically fit in a size two, I have to yank the tabs to fasten them. Then, they leave red marks on his cute michelin man thighs. So. Today I did it. I bought size threes. No big deal, right? I mean, it's just a size. But it's not! It means he is getting bigger and bigger and soon he'll be telling me I am being "ridiculous" when I tell him he can't go on a road trip with his friends at 16. Ok I exaggerate, but it really seems to be going fast!

Earlier today, I took him to my office because I had to do a few things. Of course, he was a hit. More than one person threatened to eat him. But he loved my boss' office best because he has fun things to grab on his desk like a business card holder and a paperweight. Everything he saw he reached for with this facial expression like "I. Want. That. IT MUST GO IN MY MOUTH" But tonight, we got to put him to bed and then listen to him babble to himself for about ten minutes before he fell asleep. I should be tape recording it because it is so freaking cute. He likes to say ooooooh oooooooh ooooooh and then go AH! really loud. Fun times.

Meanwhile, he gets to see his cousin Betty tomorrow. And since she is only two and a half weeks old, that makes him older and able to give advice. He has already demonstrated how fun it is to try and grab a baby's face - she did not enjoy that lesson.

Happy Weekend to All!

Aching back + prenatal massage = happy preggo

Hi. My name is Jami and I am terrible about posting my pregnancy thoughts, joys and complaints on our blog. Sorry!

Seriously though - the prenatal massage I had at Ladies and Gentlemen was one of the best hours of this pregnancy. It was heaven and I HIGHLY recommend all the preggos out there make an appointment. Samantha was the massage therapist I had. The massage starts out with a lovely warm foot soak while you sit in a candlelite lounge and sip on water or tea. You get a choose a scent for aroma therapy during the massage. When I walked in the room there was quite the pillow contraption awaiting - this was the item that made this massage so wonderful because I was able to lay on my stomach and my back during the massage. I want that pillow for my bed. (sleep, what is sleep? I've been missing it for awhile!) I can't say enough about this massage and it is well worth the $$$$.

On to pregnancy news. First of all the feeling of the baby doing gymnastics, running around my uterus and I think practicing martial arts is AMAZING. It is surreal and I am loving every movement. I feel bad for Joey because almost everytime I say the baby is really moving alot and he puts his hand on my belly, the movement stops. He did feel a few good kicks last night though. Secondly, I have been going for weekly appointments the past few weeks and the baby looks perfect. I get to have NST (non stress tests) weekly which checks out the well being of the baby. I am hooked up to a monitor for about 20 minutes and I push a button when I feel the baby move. Every other week I get to see the baby during a BPP (biophysical profile). This is an ultrasound that checks to see my amniotic fluid level (uncontrolled diabetes causes levels to get too high - mine is great thank G-d!), checks to see if the baby is practicing breathing, moving around and the size. As of Tuesday we're at 4 pounds 3 ounces - amazing! I get these extra tests due to diabetes because the placenta can mature more quickly than those without blood sugar issues. I'm enjoying the extra peaks at the baby and I can't wait to meet this little one!

According to my last appointment, the latest I will deliver is September 15. I will be induced if I have not started labor on my own. I've had mixed feelings about this because if I didn't have a high risk pregnancy I would probably choose to labor at home as long as possible and try alternate methods such as a birthing ball and meditation in the beginning stages. Unfortunately, that will not be the case but I've come to terms that as long as the baby is happy and healthy I'll be okay with the birthing process being more medical. That being said - I'm not thrilled with either option for how this baby will arrive - we'll see if its slot or chute!

We are starting on the nursery this weekend and I'm excited to have this finished. The crib will be delivered next week. I can't believe only about 5 weeks left!