Ode to the Yoga Ball

Oh how we'll miss you, you big orange ball.
Endless nights we bounced soothing it all
Screaming and wailing give way to quiet slumber.
Oh, yoga ball you're the world's wonder.
I can't believe your day is done.
You're all he needed, our little one.
Away in some closet alone you will be.
Oh yoga ball, how we've loved thee.

The yoga ball has retired.  It's services are no longer needed.  My little guy has learned how to fall asleep and be comforted without the use of his yoga ball.  I realized just a few nights ago that the yoga ball had been sitting in a quite little corner of Ethan's room for a few weeks now, going unused.  Last night the yoga ball returned to the living room ready to resume its original position as exercise device.  I wonder how we would've survived all those crying fits without the help brought about by the exercise ball.  At least we're left with the comfort of knowing our baby has learned how to soothe himself.  Let's take a moment of silence to honor the special moments of the yoga ball...

Funny Kid Comment of the Day

In a completely innocent manner, "Um, Mrs. Becker, what's a herpe?"

Of course I told her to go home and ask her mother as best as I could without laughing :)

Ferber

*********Updated at 7:30 pm**************

I've written in the past about how Ethan is such a horrible napper when he's here at home. This weekend I've decided to attempt what's known as the Ferber method during nap time. The way Ferber works is to lay baby down drowsy but not completely asleep. If they cry, you're not to go in and soothe until 5 minutes. After this time, you go in, calm baby without picking them up or talking too much, then leave the room. If they fuss again, you don't go in for 10 minutes. This process repeats for 30 minutes. If baby is not asleep after that time, nap time is over for awhile.

When Ethan was obviously tired, I swaddled him from the arm pits down (just like I always do), laid him in his crib, put the binky in his mouth, turned Mr. Seahorse on, then walked out. He did fuss and cry so after 5 minutes, I walked back in and repeated the process. It didn't take long for him to calm down again so I walked out. He got upset again so after 10 minutes I walked back in and repeated the calming routine. This time he was out like a light!!!! He's been asleep for a half hour so far. If he wakes up before getting at least an hour long nap, I'm supposed to repeat the process of letting him cry for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, etc...

I'm really hoping this helps him nap longer and wake up a happy baby. I'll keep you posted.

We've spent the day attempting to Ferberize our child...can't say it works for us. I wrote this initial post during what was his longest nap of the day. He woke up after 30 minutes but I was able to get him to fall back asleep for about another hour. I had no success after this. Around 3:00 we ended up with a 20 minute nap and Ethan just could not fall back asleep. He screamed and cried and after repeating the whole process for 30 minutes, he ended up awake and happy for just a little while.

Around 4:00 Ethan decided he just didn't have enough sleep during his last nap and wanted to go back to sleep. I did the whole Ferber routine but he never did fall asleep. After a half hour of screaming and crying, I got him out of his crib and attempted to rock him back to sleep. He was just too worked up though and couldn't sleep even though he desperately wanted to. I was so exhausted myself that around 5:00 Chris came in and took over trying to get Ethan to sleep. Nothing worked. Ethan just screamed and cried until around 5:45 where he FINALLY fell asleep and remains to this point. Luckily the time changes tonight so that's equivalent to a 6:45 bedtime...just about typical.

I don't know if I can get myself to the point where Ethan's crying won't bother me. Hearing your child scream his poor little head off for hours at a time all because he's tired is really tough to handle. Every instinct you possess calls for you to rush in and soothe your baby. I was fine hearing him cry for 5 minutes, maybe even 10 minutes once or twice, but repeatedly...I don't think I can do that. Maybe it's time to just suck up the fact that Ethan loves his catnaps...

4 Months!

Somewhere along the way my little itty bitty baby turned into this little person with the cutest personality EVER! This past month, you have learned how to steal the heart of anyone you encounter and are just the sweetest little guy.

You now weigh 15 lbs. 4 oz. (50th percentile) and are 26.25 inches tall (90th percentile).
Now that you're four months old, you continue to sleep through the night. You've been getting sleepy earlier than before and want to go to sleep anywhere between 6:30 and 7:00. You are no longer completely swaddled but we do keep you bundled up from the arm pits down. I've tried one night of putting you in a sleep sack instead and you did just as well. Mommy still wakes you up for the last feeding of the night around 10:00 but instead of taking a half hour to eat, you usually finish in about 15 minutes! You're quite the efficient little man! While you do sleep through the night, you have been waking up for the day anywhere between 5:15-6:00. During the week this is no big deal since Mommy and Daddy have to go to work anyways but during the weekend, this is NO FUN AT ALL! Just this past weekend, Mommy managed to rock you back to sleep after eating and you ended up sleeping for an extra hour. With daylight savings beginning this upcoming Saturday, I'm hoping we can bribe you into sleeping just a tad later :)

You still eat about every 3 hours but it now only takes you 15 minutes or so to eat. When you hang out with Dawn during the week, you usually eat between 4.5-5 oz. You continue to spit up although it seems like you save that mostly for Mommy and Daddy now. When I pick you up from the babysitter's house now, you're usually in the same outfit from the morning! Before, you were going through 1-2 outfits a day!

You continue to take wonderful naps at the babysitters and have gotten much better at home. Your naps range anywhere from a typical 30 minute nap to around an hour and a half. After a lot of trial and error, we learned that you sleep best with a dark blanket over the window, the fan on, and a white noise track on the iPod. Just yesterday the blanket over the window fell down but you continued to nap in the light for well over an hour! I continue to swaddle you during nap time which helps you sleep a bit longer.

You continue to wear mostly size 0-3 clothing but some of it has been retired to the storage bin. In the past week we've tested out a few 3-6 (6 month) outfits and they're starting to fit. Those outfits are a bit too large but they work since you're so tall. You're officially in size two diapers.
This month you've been practicing rolling from back to belly. You've been able to roll to your side but can't quite figure out how to roll all the way over. You've become more patient during tummy time and allow yourself to lay there for about 5 minutes now. You can lift your head and chest far enough off the ground to watch the stuffed birdy fly above your head! Oddly enough, you haven't rolled from belly to back since we first saw you do it well over a month ago...odd.

On Sunday, you learned how to blow raspberries for the first time. It's so funny to see you communicate this way while drool runs down your plump little cheeks :) You crack up laughing and giggling all the time now! I just love those sweet little baby sounds.
Your favorite toys are the telephone rattle from Grandma and a crinkly teething towel with satin and rubber tips. Daddy likes to call this your starfish.

This month you got to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa Becker's house again because both Mommy and Daddy were sick. While you were such a good boy during the day, you had a rough time at night and woke Grandma up every two hours :( I guess you just missed us and your own cozy bed.

Now that the weather has started to get a little nicer, you've gone on two stroller rides around the neighborhood. The first time we put the car seat into the stroller but you didn't enjoy that much. In fact, you cried most of the time until getting your paci and falling asleep. The second time we decided you were big enough to go into the stroller facing out. You LOVED this and spent the whole walk taking in all the new sights and sounds. I think we'll have to do that again sometime very soon.

Birth Stats
7 lbs 11 oz. (50th percentile)
21.5 inches long (95th percentile)

1 Month Stats
8 lbs 15 oz. (25th percentile)
22.5 inches long (80th percentile)

2 Month Stats
11 lbs 11 oz. (50th percentile)
24.5 inches (75th percentile)
Head Circumference........... 16 inches ( 50th percentile)

4 Month Stats
15 lbs 4 oz. (50th percentile)
26.25 inches (90th percentile)
Head Circumference.......17 inches (60th percentile)

You're learning so much and becoming such an amazing little guy. Mommy and Daddy love you very much!

I Wish I was the One...

...you run after when I walkout of the room.
...you beg to return to your side at night because the bed is too large and cold without me in it.
...you call in the middle of the day just because you wanted to hear my voice or tell me a story.
...you love to tell a joke to because you love to see my smile.
...you want to sit next to on the couch because being on the opposite couch was just too far away.
...you change the channel for just because you know one of my favorites is on.
...you want to go on weekend trips with just because it's fun.
...you were able to reminisce with while simultaneously dreaming about the future.
...you sit with on creaking front porch rocking chairs watching the sun set.
...that brought you willingly into a church because you were genuinely interested in getting something out of it.
...you talk to our son about when you tell him the miraculous story of his existence.
...you were so excited to marry and couldn't imagine a day passing by without me by your side.
...you don't want to live without because you simply can't imagine what life would be like without me in it.

I wish I was The One again and not just a roommate. I want The One that I fell in love with so long ago.

Eefers has Teefers...and other news.

I noticed two days ago that my little, tiny baby boy is getting his first tooth. I can't believe that at only 3 and a half months he's ALREADY getting a tooth! Ethan was all out of sorts when we got home Tuesday: refusing to eat, refusing to sleep, all very unusual for my typically happy baby. I don't know what coerced me to look into his mouth but right there in the very front was the tiniest little hard, white tooth bud. So cute! Now as long as I don't feel those teeth, we'll be good!

In other news, I fit into a pair of pre-pregnancy pants for the first time today!!!!! I'd like to say I achieved that award through hard work and countless hours of working out but that would just be a blatant lie. Instead I can thank a four day belly bug that left absolutely nothing in my stomach. You know what they say, desperate times...

Now if I could just lose the extra 5 or so pounds, I'll be a happy camper :)