2 Months Old

As they say, "time flies"...and boy does it ever. I can't believe Eli is 2 months old! Well, actually he is 2 months and 1 week old, if you want to get technical. That means that I am heading back to work in just 2 and a half short weeks. :( Can you tell just how unexcited I am about that thought? Thankfully my job allows me to work from home a day or two out of the week, which will be wonderful. However, I am really not looking forward to handing my baby over to childcare. I would totally love to spend every minute of his day around him. However, work is just a part of life, and hopefully with me going back, it will just put us in a better position in the future for me to stay home with Eli and baby #2.

So, How is Eli doing? Great! Well, great, now....recovering from his first round of vaccinations yesterday. Our 2 month appointment actually fell a week late, due to scheduling. So, Eli got 4 vaccinations yesterday...poor little guy! Two of them in his left leg, one in his right, and one was done orally. However, I have to take Keith's word for it, as I left the room. I just couldn't stand the thought of watching. I didn't supect that I would cry, but I just had to get out of there. Mr. Man was in such a good mood and interacting with the doctor and nurse, and I couldn't stand the idea of his world crashing down on him. I walked out of the room before they were

administered and stood outside the door. However, I continued to inch further and further down the hall to avoid the horrifying cry that I knew was coming. Suddenly I found myself around the corner trying to distract myself with my phone...all they while, really listening for that first burst of tears. There they were! Yikes, I don't know if leaving the room helped the blow at all. I quickly made a dash back towards the door, in time for the nurse to come out and Keith to put him in my arms. While I wasn't as brave as he was, it still felt great to get to be the hero!

He held up like a champ, and quickly calmed down after the shots were given. I was really surprised at how well he did. He fell asleep in the car and slept all the way through a grocery trip, and then was wide awake back at the house. I was starting to think that Eli came through the experience without a dent, but I was wrong. I suppose it was around 8 or so, that the crying began. But, he could not be consoled....and we tried everything. Poor little guy was not happy. We suspect it was his little legs that were sore from the shots, but we don't

know for sure. The rest of the night continued in this fashion. We gave him baby tyelnol and a lot of love. In fact, he was in mine or Keith's arms from 8 last night until 8 this morning. The slightest little move from one of us would evoke squeky cries or full out balling. However, I can say that lil' man is a champ this morning, and seems to have put the past behind him. I am not crazy about the experience or the 'up all night' crying. However, I will be sure to schedule his next vaccinations on a Friday, just to be prepared for what we might face.

Eli is quite the 'big boy' now. Not only did he do great in his appointment, but I have noticed SO MANY changes in him, in just the last week. Sources say that 'week 8' is a big one for babies development change, and it is so true. I am not joking when I say that he turned a corner a day or two within him being 2 months old. He smiles at us all the time, and is quite the 'chatty kathy'. He does his baby coos in a conversational manner, and is sure to speak his mind. Additionally, he has learned different ways to communicate, rather than the automatic cry. Sure, it may turn into a cry, but that is only after he gave us some other sounds or faces first. It is so fun to interact with him and notice the small changes he has for us everyday.

I am sure you noticed the pictures scattered around this post. These are actually Eli's '2 month photos'. Keith was the photographer on this one. After watching the professional in action at his newborn/1 month shots, Keith and I replicated her set-up and did some 'professional' shots of our own. He has an amazing camera, so we will be taking all of his milestones shots from now on.

So...what is up with this carseat drama? If you are my friend on facebook.....or have ever riden in the car with Eli, you will know the lil' guy hates his car seat. I am not joking! This is not a mild discomfort or ocassionaly cry. This is about a 80%-90% chance of a full, all out hysterical fit! It was a Peg Perego infant car seat, and it induced hysteria. Eli would kick, scream, claw at himself, streams tears down his face, and sweat. You would have thought that someone was physically hurting him during the ride. And, there was nothing we could do to get him calmed down. Trust me I tried it all: pacifier, swaddling, radio, lullabys, wave noises, toys, a mirror, comfy headrest, riding in the backseat....nearly everything. Finally, after exhausting several options, I decided this was a battle we wouldn't win, and we needed a change. So, after some research, I decided a step up to the convertable seat might be the best option. I was planning to borrow some friends seats to see if he had a preference. However, thought we would try the convertable first, considering we would have to buy him one eventually, anyway.

So, Keith and I headed to the store on Saturday and got him a Britix Advocate.....and? So far, so good! We haven't seen a hysterical outbreak from him yet. Granted, he has had a few fussy crying spells, but nothing that I couldn't get him calmed down from. Now, I have yet to make a voyage without Keith. So, no telling what will happen when I take the wheel, and lil' man is left to calm himself. Wish us luck! Convertable seats don't have quite the convenience that an infant seat do. However, with Eli's extreme dislike for his infant carrier, we were never afforded those luxuries in the first place. So, every stop we make then and now, lil' Eli gets taken out and put back in (vs. staying in the car seat and that coming with me).

Well, that is about it for 2 months. Oh...the stats!

Height: 23 3/4 inches --> 75%

Weight: 11lb 2oz --> 50%

Head: 15 3/4 inches --> 50%

So, things are looking good! Also, verdict is still out on the whole 'silent reflux' things. So, we are going to try going without the medicine for a little bit to see if we notice a change in him. If no change...then we will stop the medicine and rule out that 'silent reflux' was ever an option. However, if we do notice a change...then God help us all, and 'sorry Eli for taking you of medicine that you needed!'

The Great Road Trip

So, as many of you know, Eli and mommy made their first road trip last week. Where was the great destination? San Antonio! I know, odd 'first trip' spot. However, it was an effort we made to spend more time with 'daddy', because he has been traveling SO MUCH! Seriously, he will have been out of town for 6 of my 12 weeks of maternity leave. Just recently, he is traveling for 4 out 5 weeks...frustrating! So, Eli and I decided to head down to San An where he was working.

The Trip Down:

Eli and I left the house around 11am, although that was later than I intended. The real finish line for us was not San Antonio, but Austin. No, we weren't staying in Austin. But, anyone that has ever traveled through Austin at, or around rush hour knows that you might as well spend the night. So, I was trying to get through Austin by 4, so I could make it into San An.

The trip was supposed to take 5 and half hours total. However, you have to add on all of the pit stops to feed the little man. So, lets just say 7 hours to be on the safe side. Well, go ahead and try 8 hours! Yes, a 5 and half hour trip

turned to 8...argh! We actually made it through Austin before traffic - Hallelujah!. However, it was an unexpected traffic jam in San Antonio and poor hotel layout that added on the extra hour. Seriously, I drove by the hotel two times before

every making it inside! One can imagine how annoying that might be with a screaming baby in the back and 8 hour trip on the road.

Overall, it was a good learning experience. I learned how much to appreciate silence! Where as most people would get frustrated with silence on a road trip, I welcomed it. I spent many hours of the trip listening quietly to road noise or the sounds of waves from my 'white noise' iphone ap. Also, I learned with a baby you spend as much time looking in the rear view mirror as you do the road. Crying or not, I would stare at him in my rear view mirror/baby mirror. Although, I admit that 'check in glances' doubled when he was sleeping. Every little bump we hit or outside sound turned into a grimace and glance to make sure he didn't wake up. There were times that I even avoided turning on my windshield wipers just to avoid a 'situation'.

Needless to say, we made it! Me and my little man are regular road warriors.

First lunch outing:

Believe it or not, Eli and I had never been out to a lunch 'outing'. With his short temper and my avoidance public breastfeeding, I had managed to avoid it. However, I made plans to meet up with a co-worker for lunch, so it was 'sink or swim time' for us.

Eli actually managed to throw a major fit in the Babies R' Us we had to run into, and cried up until our arrival at the restaurant. We arrived 30mins early where I fed him and popped him in the carrier. I also, spent the last 15mins before the lunch meeting walking him around the complex to see if he would fall asleep, which he did.

I had us seated by the door just in case of fussy spell, I could make a quick evacuation. He woke up at one point and began to cry, but a small amount of milk from a bottle seemed to satisfy him just enough. I never got to eat my actual lunch, because I spent it bouncing him in my carrier/lap. So, I got everything wrapped up to go and ate it in the parking lot after he proceeded to fall asleep in his car seat (miracle!).

The vacation part of the vacation and first public breastfeeding:

So, after a few days of hanging around San Antonio, we decided to head to the Riverwalk. We loaded Mr. Man up

into his carrier (picture above) and walked up and down the river. He got a lot of attention from all of the tourists who thought he was a cutie. Also, Keith and I finally decided on a restaurant among the 230 Mexican eateries down there.

We ordered some amazing margaritas, guacamole, and dinner. It felt like a real life date! Little man stayed passed out for quite awhile, when he decided to start fussing as our meals arrived. This is where the 'public breastfeeding' was about to come into play. I managed to get him positioned in his carrier and get my 'hooter hider' situated so we were 'in position'. Things were going well, and I was feel very confident.

I guess we exuded confidence because the mariachi band appeared and offered to serenade us. They saw little Eli and thought he was sleeping, so made a comment about 'not waking the sleeping baby'....then proceeded to walk 5 feet to our right and BLAST La-Bamba to the table next to us. Thank God for that 5 feet, because there was no way Eli heard any of it (extreme sarcasm). Ha ha...but, at least I can remember my first public breast feeding experience with the sweet music of the marichi band. Keith and I joked, that is going to be like 'Pavlov's Dogs'. As Eli grows up, every time he hears marichi music he will ask himself, 'why do I suddenly feel hungry?".

All and all, it was a good trip. Also, I'll have you know that

Eli and I made it back to Dallas in just 6 hours and 15 minutes! Woo hoo! We cut off nearly two hours from our trip because he did much better in the car. Oh, I included a picture from our trip home. I actually swaddled him in his car seat (not recommended), but that is what it took. But, after our two hour stretch I check in the back seat to discover that he has popped his little hand free from the confines of the swaddle blanket and car seat restraints. ha ha!

Overall, it was a great trip, one that we would even take again. In fact, maybe sooner than later. Keith is scheduled to go back down to San Antonio/Austin next week. So, me and Mr. Man may just tag along for another get-away. Of course, we will be sure to share all of our fantastic stories.