Category Archives: baby

March 15, 2011 · 6:00 AM

Sick Baby

Song Lyric of the Day:

Hospital food / It’s gonna help the medicine go down / Want some hospital food

Heads up: This post is going to contain lots of references to baby vomit, enough to make up a drinking game. Consider yourselves warned.


Having a sick baby is no fun: They’re too little to medicate without a doctor’s input and they can’t tell you exactly what’s wrong. The past couple of days were bad ones for Coraline. She started out with the sniffles on Saturday and by Sunday was really congested with a runny nose, a hacking cough, and absolutely miserable. A saving grace: She did not have a fever. Sunday was a lonnng day of trying to keep her as comfortable as possible — she was whiny and cried inconsolably most of the day, she felt so bad. No sooner had I given her a six-ounce bottle than bleeecccccccchhhhhhhhhh I was wearing it. All of it — she didn’t keep any of that bottle down. (Being on the receiving end made me think of that vomiting scene in Family Guy.) That’s when I started to panic. After changing her and getting out of my now-soggy clothes, I hopped online to look up symptoms of pneumonia in infants. Thankfully, she didn’t have the big symptoms: lethargy, fever, and weakness. She was still active, had a normal temperature, and was as strong as she always is. Coraline even got to feeling better after vomiting, albeit temporarily, it turned out. The vomiting was definitely a flag, though, so Rich and I agreed we’d take her to Children’s Hospital if she vomited like that again; we couldn’t risk her getting dehydrated. She managed to keep her next bottle down in its entirety. She only spit up a little during her overnight feeding (which I handled; I’m lucky that way), but nowhere near the amount she did that afternoon. I did have to change shirts again, though.

She looked better yesterday morning when we woke her up. When I called my mom, who keeps Coraline while we’re at work, to check up on her, the news was good: Coraline had a normal temperature, hadn’t vomited, was playing with her toys, and was trying to watch TV (she is my daughter, after all). Last night at home went pretty well, with her even feeling up to doing her best jumping bean impression in her exersaucer. Here’s hoping she finishes kicking this bug to the curb soon.

Not feeling too shabby on Saturday.
Not feeling so great on Sunday.
On her way to feeling a bit better on Monday.

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March 8, 2011 · 7:00 AM

My Latest Music Obsession: Neon Trees

The first time I heard “Animal” by Neon Trees, I loved it. Fun, catchy, sounded like a song influenced by music from both the ’80s and the ’90s — right up my alley. And it was danceable. What’s not to like? (And guess what? They’re not British!) Once I heard their second release, “1983,” I knew I’d be downloading their album. Sure enough, from the first notes of their album, Habits, I fell in love. The opener, “Sins of My Youth” and “Your Surrender” are prime examples of the band’s accessible lyrics — catchy without dumbing things down, introspective and longing at the same time. And lead singer Tyler Glenn does a great job at conveying emotions via his vocals; “Love and Affection” is a prime example. Overall, the album is fun throughout, with great songs that will have you singing — and dancing — along in no time.
Their first single, “Animal”:

The year that I was listening to Thriller, “1983”:
You can check out the viral version here.
The song I think should be their next release because I love, love, love it, “Sins of My Youth”:
And proof the band doesn’t take itself too seriously: their awesome cover of Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” with a little bit of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” thrown in for good measure:
Now don’t you want to listen to more by them?

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March 3, 2011 · 10:45 AM

The Beauty of Sleep

Song Lyric of the Day:

And now It’s always good / I fell asleep from day / And all the promises

Chemical Brothers featuring Hope Sandoval / “Asleep From Day“

When Coraline was first born, she didn’t sleep well. It seemed like she actively tried to sleep as little as possible overnight. Of course, newborns can’t tell night from day, but still. No sooner had I finished nursing her than she’d wake up again in 20 minutes wanting to be fed again. And 20 minutes after that. And so on. Needless to say, this did not sit well with my former insomniac self. Bad late-night TV only got me so far.

Snug as a bug in the hospital.

A few months in (three, I think), she finally started sleeping for four-hour stretches. Me being me, this first time this happened I woke up in a panic thinking something was wrong. By then I was so used to being woken up by her that when she didn’t wake me up, I still woke up. So I still wasn’t sleeping well, keeping my bat-like hearing on high alert for even the smallest peep from her. Seriously — I used to wake up in our ranch house in Virginia from the cats walking on the carpet. In the living room. Bat. Like. Hearing.


Swaddle Pod!

And on she slept. She could finally tell night from day and soon started sleeping up to six hours at a time. But she did her best to average four.

No Swaddle Pod can hold my arm in!

Coraline really started sleeping well once she graduated from her bassinet to her crib at the start of this year. I think the combination of more space and a firm mattress made the difference. Or else Rich and I were snoring while she was in the bassinet in our room and she relished the peace and quiet her very own room afforded her. (I admit: I tend to shout/chirp/mumble in my sleep. The spouse loves that habit of mine. LOVES it. I’ll bet Coraline loved it, too.)

All this room, this firm mattress — so luxurious!

No more swaddling, no more bassinet. Just a sleep sack and a big crib. Soon, even longer stretches of sleep followed. And finally, a couple of days before she turned five months old, the magical proverbial switch flipped: She now sleeps through the night, going to bed for the night between 8 and 8:30.

Sucking her thumb while she sleeps on her tummy.

And yet her mommy still sleeps with both her ears open.

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February 23, 2011 · 6:00 PM

Dear Coraline: Month 5

Dear Coraline,

As of 1AM this morning, you turned five months old. You continue to gain weight (approximately 16 1/2 lbs. as of today) and grow bigger by the day, coming very close to filling out clothes sized six months. This past month has been really great in that your personality is starting to shine through. You smile readily whenever you see any of your family, particularly when your cousins perform like circus monkeys for your entertainment. And you are such a happy baby. Everyone comments on that (and your luxurious mane of fine baby hair) — how you have such a sweet, wonderful personality already.

You’ve slept through the night four times this month (nights 137 and 142), including two nights in a row as of last night (nights 151-152). And, yes, Mommy is still counting your age by the day (your first Valentine’s Day was day 144). You’re quite the stomach sleeper, often rolling over from your back before we’ve even finished turning off your light. Your big discovery this month: your thumb. You don’t suck your thumb for very long when you do, but as soon as it makes its way to your mouth we know you’re getting sleepy. You also do it sometimes when you’re getting hungry, but you usually indulge when you’re getting drowsy, your right hand making its way to your mouth, index finger pointing straight up along your nose. 

We bought you an exersaucer for our house after seeing you just about projectile launch yourself out of the one at your abuelo and abuela’s house. You LOVE bouncing around in it like a little nut. You still really enjoy your gym, particularly all the loose toys and rattles we put out for you to play with. Basically, they all end up in your mouth. Your silver Nambe rattle and Henrietta the Hippo rattle seem to be favorites, as well as your star teething ring. 

By far my favorite development this month has been your giggle. You first giggled on day 132, after I’d tickled your belly for a bit. Your giggle is quite possibly the most magical sound I’ve ever heard and it never fails to make me happy. We still have to work a bit to get you to giggle; you don’t just spontaneously laugh at anything, but it’s worth the effort we put in to hear you giggle and see you smile. As of right now, you respond the most to zerberts on your belly and me pretending to eat your cheeks while saying “nom nom nom nom” in an exaggerated manner (like there’s any other way to do it). You also giggle when we tickle your sides and say “coochie coochie coo.” It’s awesome.

The biggest development this month? One we didn’t expect this early: your first tooth. And then your second tooth. I first noticed your bottom left incisor last Tuesday, day 145. I noticed a flash of white along your bottom gum, called your poppa to come see, and sure enough, we felt the razor-like edge of your first tooth. Which we realized probably explained your Sunday night meltdown (night 143) — you were probably experiencing severe teething pains. You almost never cry for no reason, like you seemingly did that night, so for that we apologize and now have Baby Orajel on hand to soothe you when you do. You can imagine our surprise when we noticed you had a second tooth coming in just days after your first one (day 148), your lower right incisor. You’re quite the little overachiever, teething on the early end of the scale.


You’re also thisclose to sitting up. Which is but one of the countless reasons I can’t wait to see what month six brings.

love, 


Mommy

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January 26, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Photoblogging: Happy Girl

Coraline enjoys some time on her gym (118 days old, 1/19/11).

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January 23, 2011 · 8:15 PM

Dear Coraline: Month 4

Dear Coraline,
As of 1AM this morning, you turned four months old. You’ve grown leaps and bounds this month, weighing in at just over 14 pounds and fitting into clothes sized three to six months (closer to the three still) and size 2 diapers (albeit closed very tightly). Your poppa and I think you’re more interactive than ever. You smile very easily and have a quasi-giggle when something amuses (or tickles) you; a real giggle is just around the corner, I’m sure. You seem to know who family is, smiling readily whenever you see your grandparents, aunts, uncle, and your cousins. You love to observe everything happening around you, from the cats walking by to the dogs wrestling to us cooking in the kitchen.
You celebrated your first Christmas when you were 93 days old. Of course, being as little as you are, you didn’t really notice much except the Christmas tree lights and star. Oh, how you loved the star on top of the tree. Your poppa and I (along with the rest of your family) really enjoyed shopping for Christmas gifts for you, even though you didn’t really notice what you got. Still, just having you around this year made it our best Christmas ever (having the first white Christmas in recent memory only added to how special the day was). Just think how much more fun this year’s Christmas will be, though, since you’ll be able to help unwrap your presents.

For some reason, I find myself keeping track of how old you are not by weeks but by days. Although at the rate you’re changing and discovering new things, it’s getting harder to keep track of the days. Still, on day 99 you celebrated your first New Year’s Eve with us and a handful of friends, all of whom enjoyed meeting you for the first time. The first day of the new year, day 100, you napped in your crib for the first time ever. You took to it like a fish takes to water, probably because you’d outgrown your bassinet and a real mattress made a big difference in the quality of your sleep. On day 108, you spent your first full night in your very own room, a milestone that was bittersweet for me. I was happy to see you take to your crib and your room, but I missed (and still miss) having you only a few feet away from me in our bedroom. Lucky me, our walls are thin enough that we can hear whenever you need us even without the baby monitor.

You enjoy being read to these days. This month we’ve read through all your board books as well as some classics, like Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who and The Cat in the Hat (you much preferred the latter). You’ve started rubbing your eyes when you get sleepy. You reach out to touch my and your poppa’s faces when we hold you or feed you. You grasp one of our fingers and move it up and down while you eat. You love eating rice cereal in your milk even though you slap the spoon away when we try to give it to you out of a bowl (you first tried it on day 104). You love sitting on your poppa’s or my lap when we’re on our computers (although we try not to do that too often). You love kicking around on your little gym and grabbing at the toys hanging from it, especially the panda and the blue igloo teething ring.

You even hit a couple of major milestones this week. This past Tuesday night (day 117-118) marked the first time you slept through the whole night. That Wednesday afternoon, you rolled over from your back onto your stomach during an afternoon nap. I went in to calm you down when you started hollering; I think you startled yourself that first time and didn’t quite know what to do once you were on your tummy. Now, just a few days later, you roll over in the blink of an eye and have turned into quite the stomach sleeper. This afternoon your poppa and I got a huge kick out of watching you roll onto your tummy then back onto your back within a matter of minutes. It’s the little moments like that, with all of us hanging out on our bed, that make everything we do for you worthwhile. That, and your million-dollar smile. I can’t wait to see what month five brings.

love,

Mommy

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January 19, 2011 · 1:00 PM

Trying Not to Drown on Dry Land

Song Lyric of the Day:

Oh it tears me up / I tried to hold on but it hurts too much / I tried to forgive but it’s not enough / To make it all okay

I’ve been doing my best to stay positive of late. Our A-frame in South Knoxville has still not sold, Coraline’s fighting nursing, our roof is leaky, people close to me have ruined their relationships, reality shows continue to take over TV, etc. Even something as mundane as work computer problems yesterday felt like another nail in the proverbial coffin. Last night I curled up under my Slanket and had a good cry. I’m doing a lot better today, so that’s good.
No matter what stresses we’re dealing with these days, at least we had a good long holiday weekend. Saturday Coraline’s Grandma Carol and Grandpa Doug came over for awhile, followed by our good friend and Coraline’s honorary aunt, Tamara. After the grandparents left, Tamara joined Rich and I for two games of Settlers of Cataan. Guess who didn’t win no matter how competitive she got? Someday I will win at that damn game. I’ll be sure to shout it from the rooftops when I do. Sunday we went over to our new neighbors’ house, where I finally got to formally meet the mom and her three sons. I won’t say Coraline was flirting with the boys, but let’s just say she certainly enjoyed the attention. After that, errands and then some downtime.
Monday we finally took down the Christmas tree and decorations. I insisted on keeping them up that long since Coraline got so many (eight? nine?) Christmas outfits I wanted to take photos of her in front of the tree wearing some of them. Because that’s what being a mom is all about: dressing your baby up for your own amusement.

As crappy as some things have been lately, Coraline never fails to cheer me up without even trying. And last night she hit a milestone: She slept through the whole night!

The part you can’t see says “Just ask Grandma.”
Coraline Claus reporting for duty

You know I really can’t sit up in this thing, right?

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January 13, 2011 · 7:00 AM

Photoblogging: The Kind You Don’t Take Home to Mother

You think her outfit has attitude, you should meet her in person.
1/10/11, 109 days old

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January 12, 2011 · 2:00 PM

All Aboard the Baby Night Terror Train

Song Lyric of the Day:

Sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare / Somebody pinch me, your love’s too good to be true / (Turn the lights on)

No sooner had we gone to bed last night than Coraline woke up to be changed and fed. It was Rich’s turn to check on her; within minutes of him heading to her room, I heard her screaming like I’ve never heard her scream before. When I got to her room, Rich was trying to console her, to no avail. I tried to calm her, also to no avail. Based on the sheer terror she was exhibiting, we figured she had to be experiencing night terrors. According to BabyCenter, babies don’t experience night terrors until the age of about nine months, but we’re stumped as to what else it could have been. Anyone else out there experience anything like this with their almost-four-month-old? She was looking at us, but it was like she didn’t see us. Nothing we did calmed her down: holding her, rocking her in her glider, walking down the hall with her. She screamed so loudly she even set off the glass-break sensor, setting off our house alarm in the middle of the night. This went on for almost a half hour. We finally got her calm enough to lay her down in her crib again; she slept for a few hours after that, probably out of sheer exhaustion. I’m cautiously optimistic that it won’t happen again tonight, but we’ll see. Fingers crossed we all have a better night tonight than we did last night.

Saying her bedtime prayers

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January 10, 2011 · 7:00 AM

My Happy for the Day: Coraline Hits the Gym

This is one of my favorite things these days: watching Coraline play on her gym. She “talks” to the flashing, smiling sun at the top of it, the one that blinks in time with the music. She’s just now started grabbing the toys that hang from it and staring at her reflection in the mirror. Filmed on 1/5, 11, when she was 104 days old.

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