Sleep training

So this is what happens when little boys are so, so, so tired… while you’re trying to sleep train them!  

He finally soothed himself to sleep after an hour and twenty minutes of effort, but he fell asleep slumped over, head face down in the mattress between his legs. 

It was all fine and dandy til mommy had to wake him up 15 minutes later (doh! bad, bad mommy!) to take him to a meeting at the clinic.  I was frantically calling neighbors to see if anyone was around that could sit in the house for an hour or so til I got home.  But to no avail…

Fortunately he was on his best behavior, like usual, at the clinic… despite the naptime being cut super short.  And later in the afternoon, he returned to take a nap (this time after about 35-40 minutes of effort) which lasted two hours and fifteen minutes.  Ahhh…

Day 5 and counting…

Times two!

These first two teeth seemed to take forever!  I mean forever.

But now they’re here, and the calm has returned… at least for a little while.  And we’ve learned a lot about empathizing with other parents (and babies) who are teething. 

I snapped these shots on March 30, 2010, which seemed to be the first day I could really see both teeth fully broken through the gums and actually looking like teeth. 

 

Some days were rather trying to say the least…our little guy didn’t seem like himself. He was more irritable than usual.  He all of a sudden became clingy.  He would scream during feedings.  Yes, even our smiley, laughing baby would scream.  And Scream. Plus naptime and bedtime became huge battles.  What used to take a few minutes to get him to bed was taking what felt like hours.  Thank goodness for Humphreys and Motrin!

He now seems to be pretty much back to his normal, cheery self, minus the napping and bedtime routine.  That’s where sleep training comes in… which is what we’re in the midst of now.  This probably makes my friend, Rachel, a bit happy inside (it’s OK to admit it), because she has always envied Sebastian’s good sleeping habits compared to her little boys! Part of me wonders if she told him to act up like this in one of their private conversations they’ve had recently!  Sebastian sure won’t tell.  He’s great at keeping secrets!  So, Rach…Was it you?!

The first of many…

That’s what I’m told at least. 

That this will be the first of many:

Sebastian took a dive right into the corner of a wooden box/activity center and gashed his eyebrow open.  Talk about an ache in a mother’s heart!  That’s what hit me after my immediate first aid responder reaction, which involved gathering him up in my arms, rushing him to the sink to clean out the wound, then holding pressure while nursing til he stopped screaming.  After several minutes, his wound was still oozing, and my objective doctor brain turned off and my mommy brain and emotions kicked in.  And then came the ache.  I decided I should run down to the clinic to have one of my partners look at him. 

So one of my dear doctor friends (or better said, dear friends who happens to be a doctor), Rachel, came to the rescue.  She was initially talking about putting Dermabond on his wound, which is a glorified version of super glue.  It’s made for skin and holds things together nicely so you can avoid stitches.  Rachel’s words to me were: “so, do you want to hold him or should I board him?”  What!! Board my baby?  No way, I said…!  But then we decided that a steri-strip would be just fine.  So Doctor Rachel did just that.  And there was no boarding involved.  Thank goodness. Sure, I do it to other kids (strap them down on a board for procedures), but not my own baby!

She did a darn good job, that Rachel.  And she was kind, tender-hearted and compassionate as she did it (no strapping Sebastian down on a board or anything).  She even kissed little Seb when it was all over.

This booboo happened about 3 weeks ago, and the wound has healed very nicely.  There’s a faint little scar, which you can hardly see unless you’re looking for it.  Hopefully over time, it will fade altogether.  Especially if this really is the first of many.  Geesh. 

Easter 2010

It feels like forever since I’ve written any entries on our blog.  Life has carried on at a super fast pace, and blogging just couldn’t be a priority… however, I’ve got lots of catching up to do, so hope to be able to fill in some of the gaps. 

I’ll start with Easter.  The weather couldn’t have been any better.  It was gorgeous.  We started our day with breakfast at the house, followed by church, where we were able to join together in fellowship and support for our niece, who was baptized.  It brought back vivid memories for me, as I recalled being baptized myself some 25 years prior on Easter Sunday.  What a special way to celebrate our risen Lord and Savior! 

We then came home to enjoy brunch.  It was our first day off the Maker’s Diet, so technically we could have eaten whatever we wanted.  We hemmed and hawed about the possibility of going out to eat somewhere, but in the end decided to come home for brunch.  Funny, though… we ate only things which are acceptable on the Maker’s Diet.  We had scrumptious omelets and Ezekiel bread toast. 

In the afternoon, we headed out to Tim’s parents’ house for our family gathering.  Most folks went to the nearby park to hit some balls, but I stayed back at the house, because Sebastian had chosen to save his nap-time for the car ride.  We didn’t want to take him out of the car seat for fear he’d wake up – he desperately needed a nap – so we rolled down the windows and let him nap with me close by in hearing distance.  It wasn’t until two hours later that he decided to join the party.  I wasn’t complaining at all, though, because he napped well and I got the chance to sit in the warm sun and just relax… which seemed long overdue.

Tim’s family has a tradition of doing an Easter egg hunt with all the kids, so Sebbie got his first shot at finding some eggs.  He had a little help from his uncle and parents, but he did a good job! 

  I know I shouldn’t boast, but seriously… how cute are these two? Sebastian is spoiled to have many cousins nearby to play with and grow up with.  He continues to be a very social baby… and he loves to be up on his daddy’s shoulders, with or without a friend!  These guys are going to have so much fun together! 

 A good day was had by all… and in the end, we did have some non-Maker’s Diet foods, such as peanut butter eggs, pie and ice cream.  We were trying to enter back in slowly, for fear that our bodies might not tolerate such a shock to the system so well.  But it was oh. so. tasty. to have that cold creamy friend sliding down my throat!  And at the first bite of a dark chocolate peanut butter egg, I said to Tim, “the Lord has risen.”  And his response was “He has risen indeed!”  

Eating is fun!

This kiddo loves the food his mommy makes for him! I hope he laughs like this forever!

The visit

Today was Sebastian's 9 month well child check... at about 9 1/2 months. He's getting to be such a big boy!

He weighed in at 20 lbs, 2.5oz (40%); height was 29 inches (67%); head circumference was 18.5 inches (87%). That's right... our baby continues to have a big head! I'd like to think it's full of brains, of course! ;)

He got one shot and did great... he only had a few, brief seconds of wimper.

In the past couple of days, he's started clapping at EVERYthing, shaking his head "no" (I'd really like to know how he learned that - sigh...), and cruising holding on to things. He's also started making a very interesting sound by smacking his tongue on the top of his mouth repeatedly.

He got his first taste of spinach today and wasn't the biggest fan. When I disguised it with his curried carrots, he didn't seem to mind, until he figured out that I was mixing the two and started to shake his head "no" anytime I would put his spoon near the bowl that had spinach! I'm sure he'll learn to love it soon enough. Last night I also made a Mediterranean Chicken Vegetable dish from an organic baby cookbook that my MIL gave me for my birthday. Sebastian was a bit uncertain of the first couple of bites, but didn't seem to mind after awhile. This was indeed an adventure and a burst of a few new flavors for him (I know - breaking the rules, adding multiple new things at one time), because it had onions, red peppers, rosemary and potatoes, none of which had been tried before. It also had zucchini, carrots and chicken, which are old standards for Sebbie. Tim and I love bold flavors, so we're hoping to season our son in a similar way!

Oh yeah - that little white line in his bottom gum has become a little more evident, but he's stil trying very hard to hide it well. He's definitely not interested in showing it off much.

Alas, the journey continues... each new day is something fresh and exciting. We're having a blast at this parenting thing. So much to do and so much to learn!

Dancing with my baby

Just remembering happy times when I was dancing with Sebastian in a playground that overlooks the ocean in California.  Sebastian loves loves loves the outdoors… and I’m certain he just can’t wait to get his little toes kissed by blades of grass on his bare feet.  It seems like he’ll soon be doing his own dance, or at least running all over the place.  :)

A good dose of happy!

If you're needing something to brighten your day, take a look at this cutie pie having a grand old time in his bouncer!

Butternut Squash Stir-Fry

I have promised many people that I'd post this recipe, so here goes... for all those waiting for scrumptious yumminess!

Butternut Squash Stir-Fry (from 1000 Classic Recipes from Around the World)
Serves 4 (I double the recipe for big groups and/or leftovers)

Ingredients
2 lbs 4oz butternut squash peeled (this is about one average-sized butternut squash)
3 Tbsp peanut oil (I substituted coconut oil to be compliant with the Maker's Diet)
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds (I used ground coriander)
1 tsp cumin seeds (again, I used ground)
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2/3 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. salted cashews (can't have cashews til Phase 3 of the Maker's Diet, so I used pecans instead, which was very nice... and since they're raw, I added a dash of salt to the recipe)

To Garnish
freshly grated lime rind
fresh cilantro
lime wedges

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the butternut squash into small, bite-sized cubes.
2. Heat the peanut oil (coconut oil) in a large preheated wok (I used my electric frying pan, because I doubled the recipe and needed the space... plus I think I sold my wok at a yard sale).
3. Add the butternut squash, onion, and garlic to the wok and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fresh cilantro and stir-fry for one minute.
5. Add the coconut milk and water to the wok and bring to a boil. Cover the wok and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
6. Add the cashews and stir to combine (I actually left the nuts out and had people sprinkle some on top of their individual portions).
7. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with freshly grated lime rind (I didn't use lime rind), fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve hot.

*I actually like this with more of a lime-y taste, so I added in about 1-2 Tbsp of lime juice about half-way through step 5. That's for a double recipe...

**The cook book says you can use sweet potatoes instead, if butternut squash is unavailable or not in season.

***Two weeks ago when I made this, I let it simmer on the longer side, plus I then had to reheat it on top of the stove for my dinner guests, and it got a bit mushy... so I'd recommend going on the shorter end of cooking time if you plan to reheat it. Tonight's version seemed just right in terms of tenderness, firmness... and consistency overall.

Yummy, yummy, yummy.

You know it’s time when…

You know it’s time to lower the crib mattress when you find this:

Last weekend, while Tim was home alone with Seb, he found him standing up in his crib upon waking from his nap.  Clearly it’s time to lower the mattress!  He seemed pretty darn proud of himself.  And Tim was sure to document the event very well, so I would be able to see what had occurred! 

Now it’s no longer a novelty, but rather just part of the regular routine. 

In other news… there’s a little white line in his bottom gum on the right hand side, and when I run my fingers over it, it feels sharp!  Some babies get their first teeth at 4 months, and others at 9 1/2 or 10 months.  Quite frankly, I’ve been simply content to have a toothless baby! :) Sebastian’s demeanor hasn’t changed much, except that he has not been the best napper this week, but we’ll see what the next few days or weeks may bring!