Zachary is 5 months!

Oh boy, what a month this has been! It seems as though so many things have changed since my last post.

First and foremost on my mind right now is our new sleeping issues. Zachary has decided that naps are overrated. Actually, he has no problem going down to sleep, but staying in dreamland has proven difficult for him. He goes to sleep in our arms, and we put him in his crib...only to awaken 20 minutes later. Every. Single. Time. In addition, he continues to wake every three hours at night. I have been *trying* to night-wean him, but to no avail. We threw our hands up in frustration, and finally broke down and bought the book, The No-Cry Sleep Solution. So far, I'm learning a lot about babies' sleep cycles and the relationship between good naps and good nighttime sleep. There are great tips in the book about getting the "short napper" to extend his sleep, and we are in the process of trying a few different strategies. We are not proponents of "Cry it Out," so this book seems perfectly suited to our needs. Many of my friends have told me that their babies had similar sleep issues at this age, and that "everything is temporary!" I know this is true, but we still need our sleep!

Zachary is quickly developing an adorable little personality! He belly laughs daily now, and especially loves men (Daddy, Grandpa, Uncle) playing Peek-a-Boo with him. Must be related to the deep voice and the element of startle he gets, but he seriously cracks up. It's so much fun to watch!

Just recently, he discovered his toes. He lays on his playmat and raises his legs so he can grab his toes. I'm not sure he's really aware of what he's doing at this point..he probably just thinks he's grabbing a toy! Cute nonetheless.

We started Zachary on solids two weeks ago. He is LOVING it. I received a Beaba Babycook for Christmas and have been making him some great purees. So far he has eaten avocado, oatmeal, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, squash, and banana. He likes everything except the squash, so I mix in some fruit with it to make it sweet. He's a great little eater; problem is, we can't get the food in his mouth fast enough! He loves to "protest" between bites. Hilarious!

I've found my Baby Bjorn and Moby Wrap to be life savers lately. Because Zachary is in constant need of stimulation, sometimes the jumperoo, swing, and playmat are just not enough for him. He loves to watch me do the dishes and make dinner while I wear him. He is fascinated with the running water and sounds of pots and pans banging!

My little chunk is now 27 inches long and weighs 16.5 pounds. He is getting really heavy and quickly outgrowing clothes. He's still wearing mostly 3-6 months, but I was surprised to recently discover that a lot of his 6-12 and 6-9 months clothes are fitting. He's just about to graduate into the size 3 diapers. Craziness!

Happy 4 months!

It just keeps getting better everyday! Zachary continues to amaze us with new developmental milestones and the cutest personality!

We just returned from a trip to Idaho to visit my parents. What an awesome time! I was nervous about the airplane travel, but it proved to be a lot easier than I expected. Zachary was a champ, and we made it there and back with zero hiccups. I'm going back in January (without M!), so fingers crossed it goes just as smoothly.

Zachary is such a flirt! He gives the biggest, cutest smiles to the ladies! He is now laughing out loud and still continues to "talk" to us and the handsome baby in the mirror. He has pretty long conversations with that cute baby!

His neck strength is better everyday. My brother just bought us a jumperoo for Christmas, and Zach loves it! He is mesmerized by the lights, sounds, and movement! He also loves when we let him "stand," where we're holding him and he bears weight on his legs. He laughs every time we do this!

Zachary is wearing 3-6 month clothes and size two diapers. He weighed in today at 14 lbs. 4 oz. This puts him in the 38th percentile for weight. I'm curious about his length! His 4-month appointment isn't until January 3, so I'll have to wait. Just looking at him, I can tell he's long!

He is now sleeping 6 hours at a time. This means we are waking only once during the night...! We seriously cannot believe that we are getting more sleep - finally! What a blessing (and no, I'm not so naive to think that it will be like this forever...I do know how quickly he can revert back to waking more frequently, especially with teething in the near future).

We gave him a few little tastes of avocado the other night while we were sitting around the dinner table. He seemed to like them, although lately he likes anything we put in his mouth. He especially likes chewing on our fingers. He has discovered how to grasp certain items and bring them to his mouth to suck/chew, so I'm on the lookout for good soft teething toys.

We are so looking forward to our first Christmas with Zachie! I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas and very happy, hopeful New Year!

Today is special.

On December 10, 2009 I had my third IUI. That night, I ovulated. 8 months and 11 days later, my dreams, hopes, wishes and prayers were answered.

It's hard to believe he's been with us for a year.

Today I am celebrating with my little Elfie:

3 months!

Mommyhood has me quite busy in the past month! I've turned into such a bad blogger, but have very good reason. My little man is growing and changing so much, and we're having a blast with all the new "firsts"!

Recently, Zachary:

Sticks both fists in his mouth and chews. He does this frequently throughout the day, and it's hilarious to watch. He hasn't shown a preference for right or left yet, but he has managed to isolate his thumb on both hands and suck. Adorable!

Still wakes up twice at night to eat. Both of us have adapted to this schedule and don't feel sleep-deprived anymore!

Laughs out loud! His smiles and giggles are infectious and he LOVES to talk to the handsome baby in the mirror. His coos and squeals crack us up!

Has a much longer attention span and sleeps less frequently through the day. This has me constantly looking for ways to entertain and stimulate him.

Can hold his head up! His neck strength is amazing..he loves to turn his head and look around the room at people and things.

Weighs 13 pounds. What a chunk!

Definitely recognizes and prefers mommy and daddy when he's tired or fussy.

Sits in his space-saver high chair with us when we eat dinner. We love this family time together.

Has been making a lot of new friends in my Baby Bootcamp class. He loves to watch me work up a sweat!

Has pretty bad cradle cap, which I treat with baby oil but it always manages to return. Uggh! He also has some eczema. We are treating that and it doesn't seem to be getting worse.

Is making us happier and happier every day!

Happy Halloween!!

Our little Chile Pepper slept through all the trick-or-treaters, but not before his mommy snapped some cute shots!

My Bony Boys

A friend of mine gave Zachary an adorable sleeper set from O.ld N.avy. So...I couldn't resist a photo op with our other "baby" Charlie:

2 Months!

They all tell you ahead of time that it goes by so fast and before you know it, they're leaving for college. Well, okay, so we're not there yet, but what they've said has held true for the first two months!

Recently, Zachary:

Has been sucking on his fist non-stop! I think he might be trying to isolate his thumb, but even if he isn't, it's pretty darn cute!

Stares at us and his toys, which then prompts some darn great smiles. We LOVE seeing this! His favorite spot now is on his play mat. He coos and "talks" to his animal friends hanging above.

Still wakes up twice during the night to eat, but his first stretch of sleep has increased to 4.5 hours. This is heaven for me...and I never thought I'd find myself saying that 3.5 hours of sleep is "heaven'!!

Went a record 5 days without pooping. Yes, I had a mild freak-out, but the doctor and everyone else said that this is pretty common in breastfed babies. What I want to know is why none of the books mention it and Dr. Google is mum about something so common? Oh well. He pooped yesterday and I am STILL doing my happy dance! I've never before been so happy to change a dirty diaper.

Has a bit of baby eczema which we are treating with special lotion. Another "common" thing that nobody mentions. Huh.

Loves looking at lights. He is fascinated by the lights in the house and with all screens (TV, Computer, phone).

Is awake A LOT more than he was a month ago! This means I am constantly looking for ways to entertain and stimulate him. I absolutely love the times when he's awake, alert, and wanting to interact with me. It's unreal.

Still sleeps in the bassinet next to our bed. We figure he won't be moving out until he sleeps consistently through the night. It's just so convenient to reach over for him at 2 am and feed him in bed.

Is now up two pounds from his birth weight. We will find out his length next week at the doctor's, but I suspect he has grown quite a bit. He's long!

Is wearing all 0-3 month clothes except for 3-6 months in the O.ld Na.vy brand (they run small!).

Loves being carried in the Baby Bjorn, and almost always falls asleep when placed in it. It's our go-to nap device when he just can't settle himself enough to fall asleep. I also love carrying him in it when we're out. It's so much easier than the cumbersome carseat/stroller combination.

Went on his first overnight road trip, which was a wild success! He visited some baby friends and has made a few new baby friends. He also attended his first Gym.boree class this week. He's a very busy baby.

Continues to be our special, happy little miracle!