Daycare schmaycare

We checked out our church's daycare yesterday. I've heard only wonderful things about it. After meeting the staff in the baby room and getting a tour, I agree that it truly is wonderful. The two women who work in the baby room have been there for a long time--one 4 years, the other 9, so the staff turnover seems to be pretty nil, which is always a good sign.

There were 4 babies there of varying ages, and all seemed to be very happy. One of the little boys bumped his head while we were there, and I liked how the staff responded to him by comforting him, and sending him on his way to play very shortly after.

The room is pretty small, but I wouldn't want a bunch of babies crawling far out of my sight anyway.

The staff women were very nice, and they're willing to try using our BumGenius diapers.

They won't make me pay in the summer since I'm off, which is hard to find.

The two down-sides: They don't do part-time, which is what I really wanted (but is also hard to find), and they're pretty expensive.

I teared up a little while we were there. Perhaps because I could picture Colin there, and because all the babies there seemed happy. Perhaps because in 26 days, daycare is a reality.

Since it's so hard to find a place with an opening at all, I think we're going with this place. Just gotta make the call and reserve our spot!

Catching up...pictures

I feel like I owe you all pictures! I always think uploading them will take an eternity (because sometimes it does), so I just haven't done it in the past few weeks. Now that summer school is over, it's a Saturday, Colin is sleeping, and Kevin is home, I have a chance! So here you go!
First of all, this was taken a few weeks ago.

This is Colin and his buddy Nolan snoozing in the backseat on a shopping trip with their mommies.
My Grandma turned 78, so we had a picnic to celebrate! Here is the birthday girl with *most* of her grandkids (Laurie--I should photoshop you in!) and her first and only (so far...) great-grandkid. We're at my aunt and uncle's house enjoying some beautiful weather.
Uncle Scotty holding him and loving it:My cousin Todd holding Colin so he could get a birds-eye view (Todd is one tall dude):Like Grandpa, like GrandsonOn Grandpa's lap:Colin and I enjoying a snuggle session:Just hanging out:
Kevin put together the exersaucer. If we stuff a blanket in the seat with him, he can sit up pretty well in it. It was Kevin and my mom's idea. I still think he's a little too young for it, and even though he likes sitting in it, he'd get more out of his playmat developmentally. Majority rules:That iguana is pretty much the only thing he plays with. It's motion-sensored. It lights up and says "Blue (song plays)," "Red (song plays)," "Yellow (song plays)," then it busts into "Red...yellow...and blu-u-ue. Red. Yellow and blue-u-u-ooo ooo!" I enjoy it, and we dance to it. Ask me if I still enjoy it 3 months from now.Alright, I think we're caught up! Make sure you see the "3 months old" post below that I also posted today!

3 months old

Our "birthday" photo shoot started off in the morning, with this outfit on:
By the afternoon, he had drooled all over that outfit, because he was sucking on his hands so much, so I took some more pictures. Here he is reading the sign.And here he is thinking what I'm thinking, "Already!?!? Impossible! You better go check the calendar again." We "celebrated" his birthday by hanging out around home, and then we went to a TEA party rally in town. The weather was barely in the 60s (hello...July? are you there?), but we bundled up and listened to some speakers. He was very well-behaved, and barely made a sound. I think he likes to hear loud voices on microphones that he doesn't know the source of. Then he fell asleep.

Developmental checklist:
By three months, Colin should be able to

• on stomach, lift head 45 degrees: Again, I haven't gotten out the protractor. Colin HATES tummy time, so even though I know it's important, I hate making him doing it because he's so grumpy afterward. Plus, sometimes, I forget to even work it into our day. After a scolding by the chiropractor about the importance of him developing an s-curve in his spine and good binocular vision and the threat of dyslexia, I'm better at it.

Colin will probably be able to:

• laugh out loud: Oh yes, love it!
• On stomach, lift head 90 degrees: A work in progress.
• squeal in delight: Also love it
• Bring both hands together: ...and get all cross-eyed looking at them, and then drool all over them
• Smile spontaneously: Yup
• Follow an object held about 6 inches away and move head 180 degrees: Yes

Colin may possibly be able to:

• Hold head steady when upright: Yes
• On stomach, raise chest supported by arms: No
• Roll over (one way): No
• Grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers: Yes
• Pay attention to an object as small as a raisin: You know, I still haven't really tested this one out.

Colin may even be able to:

• Bear some weight on legs when held upright: The kid LOVES to stand and squeals and laughs and smiles when he does it. (See?)But the chiropractor scolded us for this too, saying his legs were like green twigs, or like un-set concrete. Thus we don't let him do it as much anymore. But look at that super-happy face!! Back to doing tummy time instead...sorry buddy.
  
• Reach for an object: no
• Keep head level to body when pulled to sitting: He's very good at this, and even pulls it up a little more than "level to body"
• Turn in the direction of a voice, particularly mommy's: Yes :)
• Say "ah-goo" or similar vowel-consonant combination: ....or just make noise for the heck of it.
• Razz: He has done a little of this
  

It's over.

Thank goodness. At least I think it's over. I'm talking about that horrendous semi-sleepless 3 month growth spurt mentioned in an earlier post. He has slept a five-hour stretch the last two nights. Although, he did the same last week as well, and then went back to his waking every 2 hrs. So let's hope those are gone this time, okay? During this time, I swear I could visibly see him growing. His 3 month clothes are *almost* ready to be packed away.

He had his 3 month birthday on Saturday, so I'll post his "birthday" picture soon. I'm taking advantage of his nap times and napping with him, so I don't have much time to spare to write a long post.

Rash

I was right; it is eczema. We were told to grease him up with some "good old Johnson & Johnsons," but I'd much rather use CA Baby, thankyouverymuch. It does seem to be clearing up, so we'll stick with it for now.

2 out of 3 weeks of summer school are done! I had 3 8-hr days away from Colin this week. They went pretty well...although I was thinking of him constantly while I was in SMARTboard training sessions, or mapping math curriculum. Thinking of him is more fun than curriculum mapping for sure. Now it's just one more week of half-days away, and then it's him and me all day long every day until school stuff starts on August 24th. I'm cherishing every day I have left with him; every nap we take, every walk we go on, every errand we run, every crying spell, every laugh, every smile.

Nasty rash

Colin has had what we perceived to be dry skin around his ear for quite some time now. Then he got a little patch of raised redness on his arm, and some larger patches on both legs. His belly has always been "bumpy"...but we thought it was dry skin. However, these patches seem to be getting worse. Today when I was putting on his PJs, I felt this HUGE patch (dime-sized is large on a baby!) of it on his shoulder. Upon closer inspection, it looks like he has tiny blisters.

Couldn't be sunburn because his shirts have covered his shoulders, and he hasn't been in direct sun. If I were to diagnose it after doing a tiny bit of researching, I'd call it eczema. Apparently it's less common in breastfed babies, but more common in children with a family history of asthma (that'd be me!). Apparently it shows up behind the ear, as well as arms and legs.

Anyway, I called my insurance's nurse line and she advised me to make an appointment at the clinic tomorrow. Until then, we're using California Baby calendula cream.

Which, by the way...let me put in a plug for California Baby Calming Shampoo and Body Wash. Colin's cradle cap is almost cleared up after washing his hair 3 nights in a row with it :) Their bubble bath looks like way too much fun...each bottle comes with a wand to blow bubbles with!

3 month growth spurt, perhaps?

Colin has been sleeping much more frequently during the day. Perhaps he misses me while I'm gone in the mornings and just wants to snuggle with me in the afternoons, and he knows by sleeping on me, he can achieve what he wants (??). And, of course, he hasn't slept well the past 2 nights. He has been waking up fussy every 2-3 hrs wanting to be fed. Then he falls asleep on me as I'm burping him, and when I put him in his crib, half the time he's restless like he doesn't want to be in there.

And eating...he has been eating more during his daytime feedings. Kevin's mom has been watching him in the mornings this week, and he has been eating 6 oz. of milk, which is a lot for him (he usually eats 4 oz)...at least I think it is since we don't use bottles very often. I could be wrong.

If this is his 3 month growth spurt (he's 9 days away from being 3 months old), let's get this thing over with. I want my sleep back!

Poll results and 4th of July

The Poll: It was a tie between Colin looking most like Kevin or a mixture of both. The pictures I posted for comparison purposes weren't the best. People who know us in real life say he's a good mix of both, with perhaps a little more of me sprinkled in there. Apparently he has my profile, which is unfortunate because I was hoping he wouldn't get my nose since he already has my ears.

What else is new? Let's let Colin tell you...
I got this snazzy swing, which I like to sleep in just long enough for Mommy to take a shower.
Daddy's family had a shower for me, and I got a Triple Fun ExerSaucer, which means I get to play on the playmat until I'm big enough to sit up in the actual ExerSaucer. I love the dragonfly. She's so pretty, and if I grab that green thing, I can pull her down to my face and she kisses me.
I still really like to fall asleep on mom and make these cute noises.

But she sometimes manages to sneak me away from her and this time, she got me to sleep in my Boppy for a little bit.
And then I celebrated my first holiday: The Fourth of July! We had a picnic with Daddy's family, and Mom made this Berries and Cream Brownie Squares dessert. I hear it was delicious. I wouldn't know. She wanted me to tell you that it's a Pampered Chef recipe, whatever that is.
I wore the 4th of July outfit I've been dying to wear. Go USA!
Daddy and Great-Grandpa F enjoy lighting fireworks, so they put on quite the pyrotechnics display last night. It was past my bedtime, so I was in my jammies watching the backs of my eyelids. But the loud noises didn't bother me one bit!

For the next 3 weeks, Mommy is teaching summer school. Grandma F., Grandma J., and Auntie Stephie are coming over to visit during the weeks while she's gone. Daddy is even staying home with me tomorrow morning! I'm sure Mommy will miss me a lot, and I'll miss her too, but it'll be good for me to see some new faces, and besides...she'll only be gone for the morning.