Category: Dear Mike

12
Feb
2014

Mike: 8 Months

Oh Mike Mike – What can I say? Your 7th month might have been the most challenging yet. But how does that saying go? The worst day fishing is better than a good day at work? Well, this challenging month beats any month before the thought of you existed. I was looking at pictures of you this morning and you are looking more and more like a boy and not a baby anymore. Your hair is thicker and darker, your face is opening up more and I catch glimpses of the boy, pre-teen, teen and man you are going to become. You are bursting even more with personality and I have a million future careers for you based on your current interests – drummer, comedian, basketball player, drill Sargent … but the world is your’s Mike. You can become whatever you ~~damn~~ darn well please.

{Sleeping} We had a rough start to the month because you suddenly decided you didn’t like footie pjs. You would be fast asleep and quickly wake up hysterical. Then would only sleep for about an hour before another bout of hysteria. All of that changed one night when we put you in footless jammies – I was so glad we figured it out. We went from the doctor telling us it was night terrors to you just being uncomfortable. Now you go to bed around 8PM and are up once around 4AM, then up for good at 7:30AM. Napping is not as easy to predict, but it seems to be once a day, midday and for a few hours.

{Swimming} We signed you up for swimming lessons at the rec center and your first ‘lesson’ was on your 7 month birthday. You and Daddy have SUCH a good time floating around and going down the ‘slide’. You have taken to the water like, well, a fish to water. While the other kids are looking very uncertain, you are chewing on a toy taking it all in as if you’ve been doing it for months.

You’ve also gotten very adventurous in the bathtub! Now we just fill it up to your hips, toss some toys in and let you go. We often watch you roll over to your tummy to crawl to get a squirt toy. Or your favorite, drinking soapy water from a stacking cup.

{Playing} Watching you play is something I can do for hours. You are so intense and curious about everything. You can entertain yourself for a good half hour before remembering other people are around you. You take each toy out of your basket one by one, examine it closely, chew on it a bit, see if it makes noise, put it down and move on to the next one. You really love anything that makes noise and you still like to jump in your bouncer.

{Crawling} You’ve done it! You started crawling and haven’t stopped yet – you can even go from crawling to laying to sitting to pulling up on your knees and back again. I love watching you do all these things and check out your surroundings in a new way. Of course Daddy has had to really do some childproofing around the house and yet, you still find fun stuff to get into. It is such an amazing joy when you see Daddy or me and you light up and start crawling over as quickly as possible to us.

Also, Mr. Determined, when you see something you want you crawl over super quick and pant the whole way as if it is the most exciting thing ever. This is how we know you are after something you might not need to be getting into. Poor Charlie’s life has changed since you’ve become mobile. We are teaching you ‘gentle’!

{Face} You are finding faces fascinating. If I’m not watching close enough I will get a tiny finger to eye or up the nose. At night when we are rocking to sleep you use this opportunity to procrastinate sleeping by giving kisses. You put both hands on the side of my face and shove my nose in your mouth or bang your face into my teeth. I can’t resist those kisses and know hat in a few weeks you will be giving kisses even more often. I love those quiet times together.

Well kiddo – it’s taken me a few days to write this note for you. Mainly because I am trying to soak up as much time together as possible before I start my new full time job and you start daycare. It will be a big change, but I know you will do just fine and are in good hands. It’s me that I’m worried about! As your favorite song says, ‘every little thing is gunna be alright’.

I’ll eat you up I love you so,

xoxo,

Momma

05
Jan
2014

Mike – 7 Months

categories: Dear Mike

Hello my little boy!

Happy 7 month birthday. I am getting smart and starting these posts early since you are keeping us very busy. I was talking to a friend yesterday and said that even though I see you every day, it doesn’t often occur to me that you are getting older. I look at pictures of you as a newborn and it strikes me how TINY you were and how SKINNY your legs were. We’ve chunked you up real good!

The end of 2013 has been quite a whirlwind. Where should we start?

{Your First Christmas Eve} This was the first year Momma hasn’t spend Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and I was VERY excited to start our own traditions. We opened our jammies and you looked very festive in your red and white stripes and you didn’t even try to take off the matching hat! We went to church and even though it was the adult service, you hung out in your wrap and enjoyed bouncing to the music and making faces at the people behind us. Your friend Sarah was there also and you both were AMAZINGLY good! Next year we will try for the children’s service.

{Your First Christmas Day} For only being 6 months old, you were pretty into the presents. You would sit on our lap and we would start to open the gift and you would get this intense, thoughtful look on your face and ‘help’ us open. You were really lucky to get some awesome gifts from everyone. The highlights? Daddy and I got you some Melissa and Doug toys, a light up remote and a bunch of books. Grandma and Grandpa got you an activity table, Bubbe got you some stuff to make eating solids more fun and Pop-Pop got you some cool clothes. And that was just scratching the top of how lucky you were this year!

{Crawling} I don’t think you are ‘officially’ crawling yet, but darned if you aren’t trying your hardest. You get up on all fours, rock back and forth, pull your knees forward and propel yourself forward. You just aren’t ready to make the connection that moving your hands and legs together will get you around much faster. Or perhaps you have your Momma’s coordination!

{Sitting} You are sitting like a champ, which is a fun milestone for Daddy and I because we can plop you on the floor sitting up, but some toys in front of you and you are entertained for a bit. And then for a kid who isn’t officially crawling, you sure do manage to get around. We are starting to keep a closer watch on you!

{Rough and Tumble} I was telling your Daddy this morning that you are going to be a rough and tumble boy. You are already pulling up and trying to standing and climb over me to get what you want (usually a tablet or cell phone). The higher we toss you, the fast we ‘drop’ you the more you laugh. As much as I want you to crawl, I can see our future is going to be busy chasing you around. Just be safe little guy.

Sweetie Pie, as rough and tumble as you are you are equally as sweet. As we rock endlessly on those nights when you are having trouble sleeping, it’s impossible to get TOO frustrated with you when you reach up and gently touch my face, or grab my cheeks and throw yourself into my neck. I hope this is a glimpse of the future – budding independence, but a calm sweetness. I could eat you up I love you so Mike-Mike.

Though you always fill my heart, this month I thought it would explode. When I imagined having kids, I thought of all the things that I loved, like Christmas and inserted a baby there. It was so much more fun than I could have imagined. Until next month …

A thousand kisses,

Momma

P.S. – Please sleep tonight. Please.

11
Dec
2013

Mike: 6 Months

categories: Dear Mike

Mike Mike –

When did you become a 6 month old? You went from sleep, poop, eat, snuggle, sleep, poop, eat, snuggle to a bouncing, solid food eating, laughing, Baby Einstein watching, teething kid. I laid in bed with you this morning and told you how much I loved you and how waking up to you every day is a lot like Christmas morning – having me excited about what new, fun thing would we have to see or do. You promptly yawned in my face.

I have a feeling this post will take a few days to write since you refused to nap on your 6 month birthday, things are busy at work and you are keeping me busy in the evenings. At some point I have to sleep right? You don’t seem to agree. You fall asleep around 8PM, then wake up at either midnight or 4AM for a small bottle and a snuggle. I don’t mind so much, because I sit in our rocking chair snuggling you and catch up on ‘our’ favorite podcast, the Mike O’Meara Show. He had a baby a month after you were born and it’s fun to hear his stories and think back to those experiences. I would say for the most part, I don’t get frustrated when you are up at night. Sure, I am tired, but it isn’t forever and I will miss the weight of a baby, MY baby, in my arms. It’s our time.

You had your 6 month check up and Miss Joanna confirmed what we already know – you are perfect! 28 inches long and almost 20 pounds. That would explain why you are in 9 month clothes already. I wonder if this indicates a future line backer or a point guard?

Here’s how your month went:

You are obsessed with electronics already. You want anything with a battery in your hands or in your mouth and when it doesn’t happen immediately, you let the world know you are NOT happy. We can be snuggling in bed and suddenly you get my iPad in your line of vision and you don’t stop reaching. Perhaps because we FaceTime with Bubbe, Grandma and Grandpa and play games on it. But also the remote, our laptops, our phones … I can only imagine what technology will be when you are a teenager. Your dad and I are excited to say, ‘back when I was your age …’

Your first Thanksgiving! You were a champ, through all the pictures, food, family and excitement, you were your typical chill self. Of course you were seated between Daddy and Uncle David during the meal and you promptly poured applesauce in your lap while no one was watching. You were quite tickled with yourself!

Your First Hanukkah! Hanukkah was early this year, so it overlapped with Thanksgiving. Bubbe and Great Aunt Phyllis came to see you the weekend before for a lunch and you loved the attention. Daddy and I picked out a bouncy toy for you to sit in and it is by far your favorite past time. Bubbe got you some books, and Aunt Phyllis got you a cool push toy that makes noise. You will really enjoy that when you are trying to walk.

We were really excited to get our Christmas tree up this year. I really love the lights and the glow and I was certain you would too – I was right! You will be doing something else then suddenly remember it’s there and just stare at it before going about your business. I am sure next year will be a challenge when you are a little more mobile.

You met Santa Clause: And you weren’t scared! Our community hosted a holiday event and we took you and Charlie to see Santa. You were curious, but ultimately unfazed. Charlie, freaked out for the first time since we’ve had him. I’m so proud of you considering you are probably at the age where strangers make you nervous. Especially strangers with lots and lots of facial hair.

The biggest challenge this month were your teeth. Or ‘toofers’ as I like to call them. You have 2 pretty white teeth coming in on the bottom and they are NOT making you happy. You are chewing on everything – wood, plastic, hands, everything. We’ve gotten you lots of different things to chew on and I think it’s helping, but it is no fun to see you unhappy.

The good news about the holiday season is spending lots of time with your cousin Mollie. She loves to crawl circles around you and you love just watching her. It won’t be long before you guys are splashing around int he pool and riding bikes together.

Well sweetie, as I predicted, this post took me 4 days to finish. But that’s okay because you’ve kept me busy and happy. You amaze me everyday.

I’ll eat you up, I love you so,

Momma

06
Nov
2013

Mike: Month 5

categories: Dear Mike

Dear Michael A –

I know I say this every month, but wow! You had quite a busy month! You are growing at the speed of light, your last appointment clocked you at 17lbs, 6oz. You have rolled over a handful of times, but aren’t very interested in doing it regularly. I think it’s because you are more interested in getting some place quickly and rolling isn’t cutting it. You are doing well with trying to sit up – you ‘tripod’ and love it.

I call you my ‘Whatever Baby’, which describes you perfectly right now. Oh, we are going for a walk? Whatever. Oh, we are going to sit here and work? Whatever. Time for a bath? Whatever. I love your go-with-the-flow attitude and how adaptive you are. I hope it stays that way!

You started daycare this month 2 days a week with Miss Gita, who lives down the street. Momma and Daddy were a little nervous leaving you, but you seem to LOVE it! And it is obvious you love her and the 5 other kids there. She has confirmed what we already know – you are smiley, happy and deeply interested in the world around you. Something else I hope that stays with you!

Food, glorious food! You have started semi-solid foods and are just now, 3 weeks in, getting the hang out of it. Before you were pushing it out and not very happy with the delayed gratification. Now you are devouring everything from peas to peaches to butternut squash. You seem very happy to be sitting in your highchair at the table when Momma and Daddy are eating and discussing our days. We want to make that the norm for you – a sit down dinner.

You were pretty sick this month kiddo. You were coughing, sneezing and generally pissed off at the world. After a trip to the doctor, we found out you had Respiratory Syncytial Virus, which was not the end of the world, but still made us feel terrible for you. You spent a lot of time reading books with Momma in a steamy shower and finding snuggles. You still have a bit of a cough, but nothing as mean as what you had before. It was no surprise you smiled through the sniffles.

Remember how you hated the bath? Well we turned a corner! Now you and Daddy get in the bubble bath together and have the best time. Momma sometimes sits on the edge and plays with squirt toys that you find to be the funniest thing EVER.

You had your first playdate with 2 little girls from church. Vin who is about 3 months and Sarah who is 10 weeks. You were the oldest for the first time! You were very interested in watching them. I am sure you will be seeing more of them since they go to our church.

You are still very interested in music, much to our excitement! You have also discovered the iPad and enjoy the books Daddy reads to you at night. Momma’s favorites are the Llama Llama books and you laugh when I laugh.

For your first Halloween, you were a cow, and Charlie was a rodeo bull (or something). You didn’t have much interest in the holiday, but it was fun dressing you up and knocking on our neighbor’s door. We saved your Snickers for when you get older. Ha!

Well my love, you are in your crib stirring since it’s almost time to get up. This has been an amazing month and you make each day a true adventure. I am stealing snuggles and kisses when I can. Next month is going to be a little more crazy, but I know my Whatever Baby can handle it.

If I loved you anymore, my heart would explode in a glittery mess,

Momma xo

08
Aug
2013

Mikey – 2 Months

categories: Dear Mike

Dear Mikey Bug –

We are laying in bed together and I am listening to your sweet coos and giggles, not really sure who, or what, you are ‘talking to’, but I am pretty sure it’s the wall sconce above our bed. I can’t believe a few minutes ago you were screaming bloody murder about nothing, or perhaps everything. We walked, we ate, we burped, we sang, we danced, we walked some more. Then suddenly, it was over. Your ‘witching hour’ episodes seem to be far and few between thankfully, but it leaves us all exhausted. And through it all, you are 2 months today!

We went to visit Miss. Vivienne, who was born a few weeks ago to some friends from church. We took them some dinner and had a quick visit. I marveled over how tiny she was and remembered you were once that small! Granted it wasn’t for long – you now seem HUGE. We had you 2 month check up today and you are a whooping 13lbs 2oz and almost 24 inches long. I don’t remember the size of your head, but you are in the 98th percentile for that. Such a big boy already!

You’ve had a busy month little guy:

You smiled for the first time! It is up for debate as to when it actually was, but your Daddy and I act a fool trying to get that smile from you and as the month’s gone on, you are giving them up more freely. When you get REALLY excites, who whole body smiles. Your eyes disappear (like Momma and Grandma), your arms bounce around and your knees go to your chest. It’s like every single thing you laugh at is the funniest thing EVER. Especially when we sing in different voices or tap your nose. It’s beyond satisfying to know you are showing us you’re happy. I can tell you are going to have an amazing sense of humor.

You met your Pop-Pop! And man, was he smitten with you. He cuddled you and talked to you and offered you sage advice, as a Pop-Pop should. Now we Skype with him once a week and he is 100% focused on you and how your week is going. Most the time your week is going well

You had a few overnight trips already and are proving to be a stellar traveler. You visited Grandma and Grandpa a few times, then stayed at Bubbe and Aunt Phyllis’ house for Bubbe’s 60th birthday. You were the star of the show, and I think the birthday girl seemed just fine with that.

We’ve been dipping you in a fish shaped baby pool on the balcony and you’ve seemed to enjoy it, probably because we fill it with warm bath water. We are desperately trying to make you a water baby! One weekend we decided to put you in Grandma and Grandpa’s pool expecting you to scream, like most babies do, and you made a funny face, but warmed up to it pretty quickly. We even put you in a baby float and you liked kicking your feet! You were beyond adorable in your little swim suit and navy blue Gilligan hat.

I think the biggest change has been more for our family – Momma went back to work last week! You probably don’t remember, since you were still growing in my belly, but I was laid off from a great job in March. It was very sad and worrisome, but it ended up being a good time for me to rest and prepare for you! The good news is I was offered a different position at the same company part time AND you can come with me as long as your needs are still pretty simple. We go to the office 2 days a week, and we work from home the rest of the week. You are so content to explore a new place and snuggle into your sling and sleep while Momma works. Sometimes it’s frustrating for me trying to meet the needs of the company and you are the same time, but I have to admit, I like being 110% focused on something, then glance down and see you peering up at me and smiling. You are such an easy going baby Mikey Bug. All my coworkers like having a cooing baby to snuggle with during the day. It’s been a tough adjustment for Momma, but we are figuring it out.

You also met a bunch of new friends, one such friend was Aunt Sara, who is not really your Aunt, but she has known Momma for the longest time. You were SO flirty, it was hilarious. You looked at her curiously and broke into a huge smile, cooed and made lovey dovey eyes. I think we are going to have a hard time when your hormones start moving!

My sweet baby, this has been a wonderful month. I can’t wait for the next month and milestones.

Love you,

Momma

05
Jul
2013

Mike: 1 Month

categories: Dear Mike

Dearest, sweetest Mikey –

I just glanced at you sleeping in your cradle and then glanced at the clock and I realized, one month ago, you were 8 minutes old. 8 minutes! I hadn’t even seen you at that point, but you were getting to know your Daddy. This month has been equal parts challenge and overwhelming joy. I’m not sure who I was before you were born, or even conceived. You are already so full of personality and I feel like you are growing and changing drastically every day. As much as I pray for time to stop, or even just slow down, I am patiently waiting for the next milestones. Here’s a recap of your first month – things we’ve learned about you and things we’ve done:

You are one gassy baby! You burp, pass gas and get the hiccups pretty often and they don’t make you happy. Daddy and I are trying different burping techniques, and one that works is putting you on your belly, on my neck pillow and patting your back between your shoulders. Gassy drops seem to help too.

In the hospital, you hated being naked or changed. Now you tolerate it and sometimes like being naked. Being changed is another story. And you STILL hate baths unless we are scrubbing your back.

Along the same lines, you have a gift for spitting up down my shirt – every. single. time. I could be wearing a turtle neck and you could have eaten 3 hours ago and still lean over and spit up. Again, you’re gifted!

You love snuggling on our chest with your head firmly planted under our chins.

You are not a morning baby, much like your Dad, Uncle and Grandma. The best part of my day is watching you (try) to wake up. You fuss a bit, stretch a bit, fall back asleep, then 10 minutes later you fuss some more, wiggle your eyebrows, open your eyes, then fall back asleep. And oh boy! You make some grumpy faces! I know from the minute you start fussing I have about 20 minutes before you wake up. Just enough time to jump into the shower.

You were born with your eyes wide open and they are pretty much that way today – so alert! You love laying on your play mat watching the flashing lights, or sitting in your vibrating chair mumbling to your ‘friends’ who are hanging in front of your face. Bright colors can keep you entertaining for hours. Like Momma!

You’ve had lots of visitors – grandma and grandpa, Bubbe, Aunt Rachel, Uncle David, cousin Mollie, Siobhan, Miranda and some other friends from church who are helping keep Momma and Dad fed. You’ve enjoyed them all and looked at each of them with a burning curiosity.

We had a rough go of it with breastfeeding, but you have chunked up quite a bit and are a great eater! Not the most patient, but you do your best Sometimes we have to pull the bottle away so you can slow down a bit and boy do you get mad! You start moving your arms and legs, and grunting like a pit bull. It’s pretty entertaining. We just imagine you saying you are starving and haven’t eaten in days.

We’ve taken a few short trips out and about – the Fair Oaks Mall to window shop once a week, PetSmart to pick up Charlie, Target with Grandma and most recently, The Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum and Babys R Us with Daddy. You usually sleep through these adventures, but I love how strangers ask how old you are and marvel at your alertness and adorableness. They are right on both points.

Well baby, time for another bottle. Happy 1 month birthday. Life has never been the same or better since you arrived. Can we try for sleeping through the night next month?

Love you,

Momma

10
Jun
2013

Your Birth Story

categories: Baby, Dear Mike, Pregnancy

One day, Mikey is going to ask about the day he was born and frankly, it was pretty boring compared to some other stories. But it is his story and one I am so very proud of.

Dearest Mikey –

I am sure when you ask about your birth story, you will still be achingly adorable. Here’s what happened. First of all, you were SO wanted. So much so, we had extra help and time to make sure you would arrive for us. We joked you were already an expensive baby and you weren’t even born yet!

We spent lots of time getting ready, with help from lots of people. And as your original due date got closer, and you kept getting bigger, Dr. Hashemi decided it was time to schedule a c-section, so instead of June 9th as we originally planned, you were going to come on June 5th at 9AM. No waiting for contractions, or pacing the hospital through contractions. You had a date and a time of arrival! That gave Daddy and me time to go to the movies and eat out a lot and enjoy your time together thinking about you.

The night before, we stayed home, ordered pizza and watched a pretty lame video. We made sure to get a good nights sleep since we had to be at the hospital very early and drop off Charlie to day care. Grandma was going to pick him up and later and stay with him until we got home. When we got to the hospital, we took the very long walk through labor and delivery and had to change into hospital clothes. The nurse, Karin, came in and helped us get ready and I know I was feeling very calm. 9 months to think about this moment and it was finally here! I had an IV put in and all my vitals taken. The only concern was my crazy high blood pressure, but thankfully this wasn’t going to stop your arrival, especially since I was feeling fine.

I had to go into the operating room by myself while Daddy waited outside and they put in the numbing medicine and helped me lay down. I was really happy to have some music to listen to to take my mind off the surgery. I also thought about you! It seemed like forever, but Dad and came in and held my hand while the doctors worked their magic. I felt some pulling and tugging and the doctor told Dad, ‘Okay, Dad, in 90 seconds have your camera ready!’ The next thing I heard was your HUGE cry. You didn’t even make us wait to know you were here. I am sure that hasn’t changed. Daddy got a huge grin and rushed over to the table to see you and help get you all cleaned up. The nurse held you over the curtain quickly and all I saw was a big head of hair and a red, angry face.

Once you were cleaned up and measured, which again, felt like forever, Daddy and you came to see me. The nurse put you to my face and you were so soft and squishy. I couldn’t wait to hold you, but my hand was held down by the IV. You turned your head towards me and your mouth opened and you tried to nurse my cheek! We had some pictures taken and I was being stitched up.

Everything happened very quickly after that, but we were whisked into the recovery room where I was able to hold you and you started to nurse. A few hours later we went to our hospital room where we were going to stay for awhile and where all your visitors came – Grandma and Grandpa, Bubbe and Great Aunt Phyllis, Great Aunt Cathy and Miranda. You loved being passed around and cooed over. The big discussion was who you looked like. The verdict was your face was mine, but your profile is Daddy’s. We loved having the crib between my bed and Daddy’s and watching your head and eyes follow the sounds of our voices. We had a hard time believing we created you and you were our’s!

You had a slew of amazing nurses who thought you were the cutest baby ever and loved coming in to check on us. I got very sick with a fever and blood pressure, so we stayed an extra night. You didn’t seem to mind. You did your job – sleep, eat, potty and go back to sleep. You are only 5 days old and have been home 1 full day, but you seem perfect to us.

I hope you ask about this story often because it is quickly becoming my favorite one to tell. And hopefully by the time you can talk, my hormones will be back to normal and I won’t cry every time I think about it!

With every ounce of my love,

Mom

10
Jun
2013