Three Months Old!

Dear Colin,

In January 31, 2014 you turned three months old.  Our 4th trimester is nearing completion and I have been back at work for a month.  You are a beautiful BIG baby!  You only look 3 months old when you are tucked up against me in one of our wraps.  If you are on the floor or in the swing you look much older.  Your physical attributes aren't the only thing that contribute to the general public thinking you are older than you are - your muscle tone is amazing!  You are holding your head up, you can stand on your legs, your abdominal muscles are hard at work as you try to pull your shoulders off the floor or hold yourself in a sitting position.  You are also incredibly alert and will track people and things around the house with both your ears and your eyes.  Such a smart boy!

You are wearing size 3-6 month clothes and, just like Conor, your feet are such that socks are a huge issue because they are all too tight!  You are in cloth diapers the majority of the time now, including at night, but because I cannot change your diaper during the evening you have many inserts stuffed in!  Despite this we are still dealing with a leaking issue but I am hoping that this may resolve itself when you are nursing a bit less at night.  So, for now you sleep on a blanket with a towel underneath so I don't have to worry about mattresses and sheets.

You still have reflux and you spit up quite a bit.  Because of this you really don't like to lay on your back and while you seem to like your play mat a lot - you do not like being there for more than a few minutes.  You are also very easily overstimulated (likely a product of Conor being around all the time and being a crazy 2 year old!) so Daddy and I work hard to ensure you don't get too worked up when things are a bit hectic around here.

You smile so much - you are a very happy baby (when you are not crying).  You do tend to cry more than I remember Conor crying but this is also a much busier house than the one he came home to.  But, you hold your own little man and your BIG personality is starting to emerge.

You are able to roll over!  If I place you on your tummy you will roll to your back.  You are also working on rolling from back to tummy but I think that will be a while still.  Your hair is starting to grow in and your favorite thing to do is munch on your hands so I can only imagine what's going on in that mouth of yours.

Sleep.  Colin you are a terrible sleeper.  I'm really sorry to have to say that but its 100% true!  You don't sleep well because you are always wanting to eat.  Right now you are eating every 2 hours around the clock.  CRAZY!  I have decided that for my own sanity and yours that you will only be fed at night every other wake-up.  I am determined to have you only eating every 4 hours at night by the time you are 5 months old because your Mom needs sleep!  Right now you are sleeping in your co-sleeper for the first part of the evening and then after 11pm you are moving into the bed with us.  Its not ideal but its how we are all managing the 2 hour feeds.

 

You and your brother are still a wonderful pair and it has been a lot of fun watching you respond to him.  I can only imagine how much trouble to two of you are going to get into in the future!  In this series of photos I was giving you a massage and he wanted one too.  He loves to be helpful and get diapers and wipes, put dirty diapers in the trash or the wetbag.  He also likes to try to hand you toys and is very good at helping you with tummy time.

The month has been a slow one.  You haven't had any visitors other than Grandma and Grandpa Jakan and the playgroup ladies.  But you did go bowling with Mommy and the Moms for Mother's Night Out.  It was fun to have you there and we did pretty good too!

You love the bath and while I don't give them to you too often because they really dry out your skin (which is already dry and seemingly sensitive), when you do get one you go to town splashing and kicking and trying to drink the water as I let it run down your face.  After each bath you get a full coconut oil massage to help rehydrate your skin.  You LOVE it!

 

Overall, we couldn't ask for a better baby!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  Here is the comparison photo of you and Conor

Conor on top, Colin below

Colin is TWO MONTHS

Dear Colin,

On December 31, 2013 you turned 2 months old and we celebrated your little birthday in the hospital.  The day before you had started to seem a little unlike yourself and then in the late afternoon Daddy and Mommy both noticed that your breathing sounded a little funny.  Mommy called her friend whose son has had croup but it didn't seem like that is what you had.  However, because you were so little Mommy packed you up and took you to Urgent Care just in case.  Good thing - turns out you had the FLU!  Because you were so little they decided it was best to send you up to MMC for observations incase the virus settled in your lungs or your temperature went higher (we had been watching your temp. all weekend because Conor and Mommy had been sick and you were fine but between your last check and getting to the clinic it had jumped to 101).  I had packed in haste and didn't have a cell phone charger so the lovely nurses at Urgent Care let me borrow theirs while we waited for the ambulance (yup, they required you to go by ambulance).

You did really great in the ambulance despite being nervous.  It was clear you wanted to be held but it was safer for you in the car seat and Mommy doesn't take any chances.  So, they turned the lights down low and Mommy held your hand and talked to you until you fell asleep.

When we got to the hospital they checked you out an confirmed you had the flu.  It was not pleasant to deal with the resident because she kept wanting to pretend she was HOUSE and do a spinal tap to rule out "anything else that could be causing his fever".  Ummm....no, you are not sticking a needle in my baby's spine.  Don't worry Colin - Mommy is great at speaking her mind and standing her group.  I made it clear from the start that it wasn't going to happen and, in the end, they did not (though I also had to use reverse psychology and encourage them to call DHHS on me). 

Since we were confined to the room because you had something that is considered highly contagious and there were other, much sicker babies on the floor, we spent the day talking, reading, and watching TV.  Daddy and Conor also came to visit and brought Mommy and you some clothes and the much needed cell phone charger!  You were very unhappy in the hospital.  They required you to be in the crib whenever I needed to use the bathroom or when they came to check your status.  You hated that crib and you hated all the wires they had on your body.  So many of them were unnecessary but since they were not intrusive I permitted them to stay.  When they finally came off you were so happy!

Not happy about having your vitals taken.

Yeah!!!  No more wires!

I will not sleep in this metal thing!!!

Daddy is a great Daddy and he brought your Rock n' Play so you slept in there the night of your two month birthday until your third wake-up and then you slept in the chair with Mommy.  We weren't allowed to co-sleep in the parent bed in your room but the nurses said the chair wasn't a bed so they could look the other way.  Therefore they brought me a GREAT reclining chair from another space and we slept there (it was basically a twin bed).

I took your monthly photos a few days later once you were feeling better (and so was everyone else in the house)!  At two months old you were sleeping in 3 hour stretches, sleeping in the co-sleeper for the middle part of the evening, you recognize the faces and voices of your family members, you engage with Conor, and you are starting to uncurl your fingers and toes.  You loved the bath, Mommy's face, and Conor.  You were still terrible at breastfeeding but Mommy was used to it now and we just go went it.  You hadn't taken a bottle yet but had spent some time with Daddy without Mommy around. 

You are wearing size 3 months clothes and have started sporadically wearing cloth diapers.  You love the bath and make BIG splashes....your tub must be in the tub or there is big cleanup!  You adore the ringsling and dislike the structured carrier.  You aren't crazy about the swing or your playmat at this point either.  You are still on medication for reflux and you spit up variably thought out the day.  Tummy time is slow to come since it causes you to spit up.

Your two-month exam went well.  You are incredibly alert and your reflexes and muscles are developing beautifully.  Here are your stats:

You were a big heavier than Conor and a half inch taller than he was at this age.  But the two of you love the doctor's office and it makes for super cute photos!

However, you did not like getting your immunizations.  Right now there are many parents that are choosing not to inoculate their children against anything and everything.  Some people are on delayed schedules or they are choosing to give some immunizations and not others.  Right now, after a lot of research, your Daddy and I have decided that we will continue to immunize Conor and we will immunize you for everything except Hep A and Chicken Pox.  Until there is more concrete evidence out there that immunizations are causing terrible side effects in children I would rather you not suffer the diseases that your family members in the past may have had to endure.  I held you close as your shots were given and the first one stunned you for a moment and you unlatched from the breast and screamed like you had never screamed before.  At that point the next two were just about over and I was able to calm you down and settle you into nursing for a few minutes in order to comfort you and take the pain away.

Waiting on shots.

Back to your monthly photos.  I did not have the same outfit that Conor wore because it was Valentine's Day when I took his monthly photos for month 2 but I did have a similar baseball type outfit so that is what I used.  Here you are in all your two month glory!

And because Mommy likes to compare her two little boys because everyone says that you two are so alike I did a comparison photo.  The two of you are a lot alike but there are differences and so Mommy always knows who she is looking at in the photos!

Conor above, Colin below

It has been so much fun watching you grow Colin - I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

xoxo
Mommy

I LOVE YOU

Dear Conor,

It was only fitting that the week of valentine's day you started saying the phrase "I love you".

We love you too little man!

xoxo
Mommy

Conorisms

Conor's vocabulary is growing too fast to write down all the words and phrases but I wanted to take a quick snapshot of some of the more interesting ones before we loose the first attempts to the real words.

Mickey Mouse - "bibits"
Minnie Mouse - "minmin"
Baby Colin - "Baby Do-Ro"
Sarah - "yaya"
Grandma - "mummum"
Nolan - "yolie"
Carter - "RoRo"
Braden - "Bray ray"
blueberries - "bwubewies"
Elephant - "Ella"
Diaper - "diapdiap"
Food - "num nums"
Drink - "ahhhh"
Stairs - "steps"
Dinosaur - "bedoopbedoop"
Elmo - "la la"
Car - "beep beep"
ABCs - "AB9s"

Most used phrases:
"me take baftub with Dada" said every night after dinner
"escuse you baby do-ro" said every time Colin burps, poops, spits up
"me wrest in mama's bed" said whenever the idea of a nap is brought up
"mama dada baby do-ro n me" said whenever he wants the family to do something together
"back to me house" he loves his house and often asks to go back to it when we drive away
"baby do-ro touched me" said whenever he makes Colin touch him
"mama/dadda wread dis book a me" said throughout the day when he wants a book read to him

A Greater Meaning

Dear Conor and Colin,

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words and those words might be  expressive, literal, figurative or meaningless.  During your birth Colin, there were many pictures captured but one holds my heart.

This is a picture of your brother cutting your umbilical cord.  Once the cut was complete you were an individual; you no longer relied on me for your life.  Your blood started pumping of its own accord and your lungs were your only source of oxygen. 

Now, many people might have picture of Dad's cutting cords but this picture is different from those.  This picture says more than just "welcome to the world".  This picture says things that may never have a place being said outloud to anyone.  Because of this, I am writing them down for you boys to forever know how special your relationship is & how special you each are to me.

Colin, Conor will always take care of you.  He is your protector, your friend, your brother.  He will make certain you are always safe, warm, loved, and given the chance to be who you want to be.  He will not require you to walk in his shadow but will step aside when needed to give you room to grow and spread your wings.  However, he will be quick to put you in your place if you stray in the wrong direction.

Conor, Colin will forever look up to you.  He will want to mimic your actions, words, and beliefs - so proceed with caution but not so much caution that you hold back who you are and who you were meant to be.  Colin will be your sounding board, your protector, and your scapegoat - just don't get him into too much trouble please.

I am your mom.  And this picture says to me how lucky I am to have two loving sons.  Two boys who will see each other through the best and worst of time.  Who will potentially serve as the others best man at their respective weddings, who will comfort the other when times of sadness and hurt surface, and who will jest and cheer the other on when the time is right.  I love you both so very much and this picture captures the moment when one (Mommy & Colin) became two; but when two (Conor & Colin) also became one.....and together we are a team of three. 

First Glance

First Hug

Mommy and her Loves!

I love you boys!

xoxo
Mommy

PS.  Grandma Mary is also in this picture (that's her red fingernail) and so this picture also captures three generations bringing a new individual into the world.

Colin is ONE Month!

Dear Colin,

You are now one month old.  Your first four weeks of life simply flew by.  The weather was terrible so we were stuck inside most of the time which made it challenging to keep both you and your brother entertained and together but apart at times!

Your first week of life was challenging to say the least.  Your Grandma Mary was here and your Daddy put us to work trying to get some more tasks in the house complete.  We may have pushed a little too hard the first day home (going to 3 different stores) because Mommy was very tired later that day and was useless the following day.  You and I had to stay on the couch and poor Conor got underfoot and Daddy couldn't get his work done.  So, the rest of that week I was careful to take it a little slower.  Your grandma also had to leave a little sooner than we all expected.  We were so sad to see her go, she was amazing with Conor, loved on you so Mommy could spend some 1:1 time with your big brother, she helped keep the house clean and it was simply so nice to have her here.  I'll admit - when she left Mommy felt very nervous because I wasn't sure if I could do it without her.

The next three weeks are a complete blur - the task each day was really just to manage life.  We got up, ate breakfast, nursed, played with Conor, did lunch, took Conor for his nap ride, nursed some more, played more games/toys with Conor and then survived until dinner, bath bed for your brother and you.  Unfortunately, you are not a fabulous sleeper and you prefer to sleep on someone than alone and on your side instead of on your back.  Everyone swore that you would be my good sleeper but I am beginning to have my doubts!

This month we also discovered that you have acid reflux.  You were put on Zantac first but that constipated you and therefore you were changed to Prevacid.  This medication has worked much better for you and I don't hear you gurgle at night in your sleep.  Your reflux is the kind where you spit up a lot so we have burp cloths around the house everywhere because we never know when you might strike!

Conor continues to love you though he has been testing the waters.  He likes to smother you with hugs and rub his face all over yours.  We have tried to be tolerant of this to ensure that we don't create jealousy and you are handling his "love" very well.  However, he has started thinking its a game to run up to you and hit you (lightly but still hitting) to see what reaction you have.  We are working with him on this and you are never alone in a room with him. 

You continue to look a lot like your brother and the photos prove it!  Here are a few from your first month.

One Month Old! 

Wearing the same outfit Conor wore in his 1 month photo

So sweet!

Brothers

Sleeping on your first full day home

Conor wanted to lay in your crib with you while I cleaned your closet.

First nap in crib - lasted 10 minutes

First bath - 2 weeks old

First smile!

Your first month was a busy one little Colin - Can't wait to see what your second month brings!

xoxo
Mommy

TWO

Dear Conor,

Tonight I snuck into your room (as quiet as a mouse for fear of waking you) before I sat down to write this because I wanted to be near you, to freeze you in time.  Today was your second birthday and time is slipping by like sand through the hour glass.  This year has been a year of discovery, growth, frustration, sadness, and challenge but nothing can change that all in all the year has been a blessing.  You continue to amaze me each day with all that you learn, do, say, and feel.  Your independence makes me proud (though it might frustrate me at times) and your stubbornness reminds me of my own.  Your shyness is endearing and your comedic timing is awesome!

This year you have moved mountains.  You no longer stumble but run, you speak in sentences (fragmented as they are) instead of barely understood words.  You recognize your friends and ask for them by name when you miss them or are thinking of them.  You do the same with family (you call all your grandmas "mummum" and your grandpas "papa"  Danielle is "dani" Sarah is "yaya" Nolan is "yoyin") and you are very clear as to whom you are speaking about if we don't get it right the first time.  You have favorite things and preferences.  While you still have chubby hands, wrists, and ankles you have thinned out and no longer have the body of a rolly polly baby but that of a fast paced moving toddler but you are still beautiful.

You are a loving son.  You have started giving great big bear hugs and sweet little kisses.  You ask for "ups" when you are feeling sad, tired, or disconnected.  You amaze us everyday with your knowledge of the world around you.

This year, on your own, you mastered the letters of the alphabet.  You know what each one looks like and you can say them no matter how they are presented to you.  You also know your numbers though not as well.  You are learning to sing the alphabet by looking at the cards hanging on your playroom wall.  You also know your colors and have taken a strong preference to orange ("me wike arrange" you tell us).  You have taken swim classes and music classes and you have regular play dates with your friends.  You see your Jakan grandparents just about every week, your Papa Tom almost every month and you talk to your Trayner grandparents weekly via FaceTime.  Your aunts adore you and call you often and visit when they can.  Your godfather cherishes you and showers you with love and, even now, encourages you to be all you can.

Here is a list of your favorites as we perceive them:

Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Song: Wheels on the Bus
Favorite Book: Little Blue Truck
Favorite Character: Mickey Mouse & Thomas the Train
Favorite Activity: playing trains
Favorite Person: Baby Colin
Favorite Food: French Toast & Sausage
Favorite Comfort Item: "Ella" your blanket & Mommy

We no longer nurse and it has been wonderful to snuggle with you hold you close without needing to worry about you wanting milk.  In fact, you rarely ask anymore at all.  You are able to talk about Colin's milk and while I wouldn't say you are jealous you sometimes tell him he's had enough and you try to push him off the breast a little bit.  But you are easily reminded that he needs to drink milk and we often go and get you something to do, eat, or drink.

Speaking of Colin, a wrap up of your second year of life wouldn't be complete without talking about the amazing brother you have become.  Some thought you were too little to understand what was going on inside Mommy's tummy but I just knew they were wrong.  You had a strong connection to my pregnant stomach the entire time I was pregnant.  You kissed it, hugged it, talked to it, read it stories, and were always careful around the big belly.  You never exhibited any signs of jealousy and that did not change when Colin was born.  You were the first to see him and it was love at first sight.  You love him so dearly and while we struggle sometimes with how to safely love Colin I'm amazed at how tender you can be and how protective and proud of him you are.  You have loved introducing him to your friends and you never let your friends hold him without you right there.  His love for you is also very evident.  He smiles for you and tracks your every move with his eyes.  He stops crying when you laugh or bring him toys.  I pray that the two of you continue to be as close as you are now as you grow.

Conor, Mommy and Daddy both are so thankful to have you in our lives and we are so proud of the little man you have become over the last year.  But, no matter how much you grow you will always be our Baby!

Happy Second Birthday Conor Thomas.

xoxo
Mommy

First Birthday

Second Birthday