Category: Alex

Alex is FOUR months old today. We just love him more each day. He's the sweetest, happiest, most easy going little baby. His sisters love him to pieces and he's the perfect addition to our family.

This month, I stopped nursing and although it was a hard choice, it has definitely been the right one for us. Alex has been happy and I have been able to get a lot done since I'm not tied to the couch with him. I also went out with some friends for dinner (and drinks) while Chuck watched the kids. I also took Maddie to a birthday party (and this may have been one of the only times I have done something with just her in a LONG time, if ever). He gets really excited when he sees his bottles. This boy just loves his food!

Alex has been sleeping through the night. He loves being swaddled and it usually puts him right to sleep. He has also been staying awake a lot more during the day and will usually take a decent afternoon nap around the same time the girls have their rest times. It's heavenly!

He really likes to roll over whenever I set him on the floor. He gets really upset because he can't roll back, but it takes hi only a few seconds to roll onto his stomach. I need to set something by hi so he won't roll over and get mad.

Alex has been playing with his toys a lot. He likes to grab at toys (or my hair) whenever he can. He's got quite a strong little grip to him! He's been getting his hands to his mouth a lot more and sometimes will grab his feet, too.

He's been doing a lot of babbling. He likes to coo at you and will sit there talking to his toys. He continues to like the game of sticking your tongue out at him and he will stick his out back at you.

One of my favorite things is getting him to laugh when you tickle his tummy, sides, armpits or neck. Baby giggles are just the sweetest noise ever!

So yet another month has flown by and we have loved every minute. I'm looking forward to him sitting up more and playing with more toys and I think it will be lots of fun when he starts eating solid food in a couple months!

As I sit here nursing what is likely my last baby for the final time, I realized a few things. I feel so lucky that I have been able to nurse all three of my babies. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but I knew it was something I wanted try to do and I made it work. I struggled quite a bit with each of them at the beginning (Alex being the most challenging) and I started using a nursing shield with all of the kids and weaned off it with them all. I’ve become more confident with nursing in public, multi-tasking while nursing and the whole process.

I nursed the girls for around six months. This had worked for me. I stopped nursing around the time they started solid food, started sleep training and got their pacifier taken away. I know that sounds harsh to do them all about the same time, but it has worked for us.

With Alex, I had planned to nurse until six months as well. He’s been a great sleeper from the beginning, but hasn’t really been satisfied nursing. He enjoys it, but never seemed full. I started giving him bottles before bed a couple months ago and he would get swaddled and sleep through the night. This is when we knew that he needed more than I could give him. He would also seem very frustrated while he was eating. Maybe because he had to work to get his food, or there just wasn’t enough there.

In the end, we decided that it was time to switch to bottles and end the nursing. The past few days I have been weaning him off me and moving to bottles during the day. He’s done great and has been a happy boy. He naps longer and is happy much longer. This has given me the ability to get some much needed chores and tasks done around the house that I wasn’t getting to before because I was stuck on the couch with a baby attached to me.

I was a little hesitant to stop before he was six months old (he’s almost four months), but in the end, this is what was right for me, him and our family.

I also thought that I might have a hard time (be emotional) stopping because, well, my baby. My last baby. But I have confirmed that I’m not a very sentimental person (something I already knew about myself). I thought there would be tears or something. But I nursed him and fell asleep while he was eating. Pretty anti-climactic. And so typical of me.

I’ve been lucky enough to have this time with each of my kids, but I am anticipating the next stage of life with my kids. I am looking forward to being done with the baby stage and moving on, taking the kids on vacations and adventures and not being tied to bottles, nap times, all those things that can be stressful. Granted, I know this is a long way in the future, but it’s something I am excited about.

So there you have it. One baby closer to growing up. Me, I’ll be wearing some tight sports bras for a couple days and then looking forward to actual undergarments and fitting into my clothes again. And now that I can’t justify eating anything I want since I’m not nursing, it’s time to start watching what I eat again and work off the rest of this baby weight. Just in time for summer, right!? Oh, and wine. Don’t forget the wine. I mean, I have three kids four and under. Mama needs some wine!

This past month has been a whirlwind. We closed on our house, started renovations (we had planned to do things more gradually, but Chuck's allergies required us to start sooner), my dad flew out to vist/help (thanks, dad!), Maddie started a new preschool (closer to home), and our little man has been a little trooper through it all (the girls, too).

Alex has been sleeping through the night for a couple weeks now. He's a champion sleeper. I love him! I've been giving him a bottle of formula before bed to really fill him up. Then I swaddle the heck out of him and he conks right out after a little nursing.

He's an incredibly happy baby and will smile at you and he's even starting to giggle. The girls love trying to make in smile.

They also love on him constantly and are eager to help with him. They are always asking to hold him. I'm so glad they love him so much. I fear he's in for loads of dressing up and tea parties.

Alex loves being in his carrier and I'm so glad I bought a new one. It's way more convenient to use the carrier in many places here I've found. Plus he just goes right to sleep.

I'm looking forward to him being a bit more interactive. He's finally starting to enjoy his playmat and likes holding toys (albeit fairly briefly). I also located the bumbo chair and he seems to enjoy the change of scenery from his playmat.

Another month has gone by and our baby boy is two months old. This month has been busy while we have been house hunting, getting settled here in Washington, Chuck going back to work leaving me to fend for myself with these three monsters, getting into a groove after the move and time change and a whole bunch of other stuff.

But our little man has been acclimating well to all the craziness! He’s such a mellow little dude and is generally a happy guy. He’s most content when he’s being held….by me…all day long. But he’s so cute, it’s hard to say no!

At his recent doc appointment he weighed 10 pounds, 2.5 ounces and was 23.5 inches long. He’s long and skinny, just like Maddie was.

His sisters just love him. Sometimes they love him a little too much. But I’m glad they aren’t too upset by a new person taking all of my time.

I haven’t taken too many pictures of him, but that’s to be expected with a third kid, right? I’ll try to do better about that next month!

I’m not sure how this blog post is here already. My baby boy is 1 month old!

It’s been quite a transition to three kids. I’m actually glad we are moving because Chuck has been home to help out with the kids. I’ve really been trying to take it easy as much as possible so I can be in top-top shape for our move. The girls get along most of the time, but whining and fighting has been a frequent thing. We have so much going on and haven’t spent as much time with them as we would like (and that they need). But they both love their brother…maybe too much at times. They are so helpful with him and so gentle. I love when they want to hug him and say good night. Dannie waves and says “nigh nigh, brudder”. Melts my heart!

As of the other day, Alex weighs 8 pounds, 9 ounces. He’s had a big weight gain (over a pound in two weeks). But I’m not surprised by that because he’s been an around-the-clock, eating machine!

Alex is such a sweet, happy baby…except when you strap him into his car seat. He very much dislikes it!

He is spending more time awake during the day. I just love his big (I think blue) eyes. He gets such a serious look on his face. I love how wise (annoyed?) he looks when he gets so serious!

Alex has definitely completed our family and we all love him to pieces. Happy 1 month birthday little man!

We are so lucky to have such great family and friends that have come to visit us! Here are some pictures from the hospital and at home.

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He's been such a good baby and so happy. The only time he really gets upset is if he's decided he is starving and once in a while he just hates his car seat.

Maddie and Dannie love to snuggle him and are so sweet and cautious around him. They need to say goodnight to him and love to help me with him. They are such good big sisters!

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The other day I took a video of my stomach moving because little man has been going crazy in there. I’m actually looking forward to him getting a little bigger so he has less room to jam his appendages up under my ribs and poke me so low that I’m afraid he will fall out. It’s definitely creepy to watch sometimes. It’s like an alien is going to push right out of you.

And I didn’t mean to take the video vertically. My camera was sideways, but decided to change it. Blah.

If the video doesn’t work, you can see it here.