21 weeks

Wow did this week fly by! I think time goes too fast when you're trying to savor moments. We had a good week! Things are continuing to go better at daycare. I think Kasper actually loves being there. I feel bad picking him up at the end of the day because he looks like he's having so much fun! Usually he's in an exersaucer when I pick him up. Rob got a video of it on Friday. It's a little blurry but it's clear he's having an awesome time.



We set up our own exersaucer last weekend and he just doesn't seem to like it as much as the one at daycare. Maybe that one is nice and broken in.



So daycare is ok. We're still looking to get in at a couple other places, but Kasper's fine here for the time being. There continue to be a couple weird things that happen during the week but it's nothing dangerous or anything so we live with it. I know the teachers love him and I can tell he likes being there.

Kasper has continued to sleep in his crib and is generally sleeping through the night except for 1 wake-up at around 2. He's pretty hungry at 2 so I feed him and he sleeps until we get him up. I'm so happy the transition into the crib wasn't a big deal. I was worried. I suppose I should just trust that the little dude can handle it. He's such a good baby.

Since he seems to really dig jumping, we also pulled out the Johnny-Jump-Up. I lived in this thing when I was little. I think K's a little too small for it at this point because all he does is spin around but I think he'll get it. He just looks so silly.




Since Kasper has been sleeping at daycare, he usually refuses a nap when we get home, although I always try. One afternoon I was a little sleepy so K and I laid down on the couch and took a one and a half hour nap. That was refreshing and sweet!

I thought maybe I could change to the less constricting Woombie for naps. Nope.


Since he's happy in the evenings, we've had such a great time together and I don't feel like I never see him. We play in the jumper or play rolling over or we just go and lay outside on the off chance it's sunny.







We headed up to St. Cloud on Friday after work. We had lasagna at Sandra's then Saturday morning Rob did the Apple Duathlon in Sartell. It was a beautiful morning and Rob did AWESOME! He placed in 61 place overall in a pretty competitive field.


After the race, we raced back down to the Cities to clean the house quick for an afternoon showing then headed over to my Aunt & Uncle's for my cousin's grad party. It was the first time we'd seen anyone from that side of the family since Kasper was born!

Kasper got to meet his Great Grandpa and Grandma Keller.



He was a little overwhelmed as soon as we got there but got over it pretty quickly and did a great job of being passed around. He's a very social baby.

After the party, my Mom, Dad and sister came over to our house to babysit while Rob and I went to a movie! We went to see Bridesmaids. I actually laughed until I cried. I thought it was hilarious. We got ourselves a big bucket of popcorn, a cherry coke and quizzed ourselves on state capitals until the movie started. It was nice to be able to do something just the 2 of us again. Would you have guessed that Rob knows all the state capitals? Of course he knows them. He's a savant. I knew the capitals of the states that touch Minnesota and Kentucky because of a saying I used to learn them in 5th grade. "Ken-U-Tucky a Frankfurter in your pocket?" Feel free to borrow that.

While we were on the way to the movie, Steph called and said Kasper started to roll back to tummy! I guess he was rolling all over the place for them! He only does these things for an audience and the audience seems to have to have my sister in it. He must be showing off because he knows she's a PT. He only started rolling tummy to back last week! Next thing you know he'll be walking!

This weekend was also memorable because we started solids! I think he has been clearly ready for awhile now. You remember the chewing? He was doing it all the time.



So we got some rice cereal, mixed it with a little bit of milk and let him eat! I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe he'd spit it out or make a funny face. Nope. Dude ate it like he's been doing it for years. He was almost working the spoon himself. And he looks exhausted because he was. He went right to bed after his meal.





He was almost like, "Finally, guys!"

After breakfast, cuddling with Mom and Dad




It looks like Memorial Day is going to be dark and stormy this year in MN. It's a nice excuse to stay inside and cuddle and play for one more day before heading back to work tomorrow. At least that's what I'll tell myself when I look outside and get grumpy that the street lights are on at 10 am.

21 weeks: Big changes for the little guy - rolling all over the place and eating real food!

20 weeks

What is with the weather in MN this Spring?? I think I can count the number of nice days on one hand. It stormed all night and has been raining/storming/tornadoeing all day.

This week went so fast and yet it seems like last weekend was forever ago. After his terrible night Saturday, I decided Sunday he would start sleeping in his own room. I didn't know when we were going to make the transition but I reasoned that if he wasn't going to be sleeping well anyway, why not make the move. He slept through the night Sunday and every night since (knock on wood). He started in his Rock and Play since it was a familiar bed in an unfamiliar room but on Thursday he spent the entire night in his crib. I can't believe how well he took to the move! He is usually broken out of the swaddle by the morning and on his side, but he's able to sleep so I'll take it.

The first couple days of the week were terrible. Kasper still wasn't sleeping at daycare and then he decided he wasn't going to eat either. He would eat maybe 6 ounces during the day then would sleep when we got home from 5 pm until 6 am. I never got to see him and he was clearly not enjoying life. He constantly had these red spots all over his face and mouth. I thought maybe it was allergies but he would get them even if he hadn't just eaten. Yadda, yadda, yadda it was a bad start to the week.

Can you see the poor face?



On Wednesday I asked again (I had asked before) if they would swaddle K for naps. I was told they weren't allowed to because of licensing rules but I could make a special request. I made the request, they swaddled him, he took 3-1 hour naps. He was even in a good mood when we got home and didn't whine to go to bed. I had baby class Wednesday night and was still at my peak anxiety about the whole daycare sitch so was pretty negative. Little did I know it was about to get worlds better. Since they swaddle him, he takes nice long naps and he drinks just about all the milk I send. I don't know if it was just an adjustment period for everyone or if it was really the swaddling but things are good. He's much more pleasant in the evenings, so I get to have some time with him.

We even spent some time outside one day after work!






His face started to clear up and he almost never has spots on his face unless he has been gnawing on his hands a bunch. Sadly I think it was stress. It breaks my heart to think that the poor kid was probably super stressed out about everything and it made him break out in hives. It seems like he is now getting used to daycare and all the stimulation and is feeling a lot more comfortable.



The feet now go in the mouth when the diaper is off


The whole week, it seemed like Kasper was SO CLOSE to rolling over from his tummy to his back. He would get his butt up into the air and throw it over to the side but his arm was in the way!


On Friday, Steph came over for pizza and K rolled over for real. TWICE! FINALLY! I have been waiting for him to reach this milestone for awhile because I felt like he has been so close! He can also scoot a little on his tummy to reach a toy. Here he is rolling today. He does it pretty much every time you put him on his tummy now.


My Mom's birthday was on Thursday so the kids and Dad surprised her with a day at the spa down here in Minneapolis! She had a mani/pedi, 1 hour massage, facial, hair style and lunch. Steph, Kasper and I joined her for lunch. Kasper went through some pictures with her.


After her spa day, Steph dropped her off with my Dad and they had dinner at Kincaid's and stayed at a hotel in St. Paul. Doesn't that sound like a great day??

We spent the weekend doing basically whatever we wanted! We had an open house Saturday while K and I were out to lunch then shopping with my sister. Rob took the dog for a nice long run in the rain. We grilled out Saturday night and sat outside for the first time this year. Kasper did lots and lots of rolling. He is also practicing sitting up but isn't there on his own yet.



I managed to take a bunch of pictures.








I have to include this video as well. One funny thing K started to do this week is chew on his tongue when he's hungry. I think we'd better start food soon. He seems clearly ready for it.


I would like to think that all of the struggles we have gone through these past few weeks were the result of Wonder Week 19. They say it lasts from 14.5 to 19.5 weeks and sure enough at 19.5 weeks (Wednesday) Kasper was a different baby. Sleeping, eating, mastering tons of new (BIG) skills. I'll just assume the Wonder Week is over and will enjoy my happy baby until 22.5 weeks when he starts to notice relationships. Can you say "Stranger Danger"?

Kasper says "HAVE A GREAT WEEK!"


Week 20 - Rolling, chewing, sleeping, oh my!

Hmm...

Do you like Kasper's outfit?



Yes? Well I'll be sure to tell CVM because that's whose clothes these are. Rob picked K up from daycare and must not have a good grasp on the boy's wardrobe because he brought him home wearing someone else's clothes! The clothes are clearly labeled with initials that are not KQW. If it's not one thing with this daycare it's another. It is totally stressing me out.

19 weeks

Well, we made it through our first week of daycare. Barely. Kasper did well Monday and Tuesday. He didn't sleep but he ate well and was pretty happy and chatty. They say he only sleeps 10-15 minutes per nap. I think he's getting used to sleeping with so much going on. At home he has a relatively dark quiet room to sleep in. Hopefully he gets used to it soon because he basically crashes as soon as he gets home which means I don't get to spend time with him in the evenings. Sigh.

Here is Kasper after his first day of daycare.


I can't get him to snuggle with me like this anymore! (One thing I miss about the newborn days.) His first day he didn't nap so when we got home, I tried to get him to sleep in his crib. Nothing. I tried in his bed upstairs. Nothing. So I just held him and he fell right to sleep. We stayed like that for a good hour before Rob came home and I had to get started on dinner. It was such a treat to have my boy sleep on my chest again and you'd better believe his head was wet with kisses by the time we got up. Oh how I love that boy.




Tuesday was about the same. After daycare, I threw K in the car and drove up to Maple Grove to meet my girlfriends for dinner. He was such a good baby. I didn't hear a peep out of him for the whole drive up. He was a good baby during dinner although he didn't seem to want anyone else to hold him. Then I didn't hear a peep out of him the whole drive home. I am so thankful I can take him places. The girls were meeting because one of us is leaving. Again. Em - I hope you enjoy California but remember that some of your heart is back here in Minnesota.

Tuesday night, Kasper DID NOT SLEEP. I wrote about it. I thought maybe he was overwhelmed with daycare or something. He hasn't been sleeping since I went back to work but this was especially bad. Wednesday morning he felt a little warm but the thermometer said 98.4 under his arm (add 1 degree to that for the actual temp) so off to daycare he went. He took a 2 hour morning nap at daycare (!!) and was "fussy" the rest of the day. When I picked him up, he was being held by a teacher and sort of cry moaning. He moaned all the way home and sounded so sad. I hadn't heard him cry like that before. We got home, I took his temp - 100.4. His poor nose was running, he was so warm and it was obvious he was uncomfortable. I took a video of it.


Bad Mama! Don't worry, I had given him some Tylenol and he was on his way to bed. He wasn't interested in nursing and I noticed that his diaper from daycare was completely dry. I put a cool rag on his forehead and the poor thing slept from 5 until the next morning waking up at 7:30 and 2 am to eat.

I had posted this picture in my Ode to Sleep post but Blogger had some issues this week and it's now gone.


I took the day off Thursday and took the boy to the Dr. He just has a cold but they wanted to rule out an ear infection, which they did. Side note - the boy is now 15 pounds. He has doubled his birth weight! K couldn't go to daycare because of the fever so Thursday was ours. K slept most of the day but when he was awake, he seemed to feel better as the day went on.






We had a great day. It's only been 2 weeks since I was home with him but for all I know, it could have been months. I missed it SO much. I love being home with him.

We did some great tummy time




Some lounging


Some sitting


Notice the snot bubble in this one





It was back to daycare on Friday where he was pretty much back to his normal self. He didn't eat as much, but he had a great time playing and when I came to get him, I think he would have rather stayed and played with his toy!

So we made it 4 of the first 5 days at daycare. While I am sure he is getting good care, I just don't feel 100% awesome about sending him away during the day. He doesn't sleep well - during the day or at night. I don't think he gets any tummy time during the day and you know I'm all paranoid that he isn't rolling yet. There's always some anxiety when I go to pick him up because I have to ask a bunch of times for all of my bottle parts and his clothes. He has some cut on his lip. And to top it off, yesterday every time I would nurse him, he would get these red splotches all over his face. They went away pretty quickly but I'm worried he's starting to be allergic to something in the milk. It's like he was a strapping young boy then went to daycare and is falling apart. Wah.

Rob was gone most of the weekend at a frisbee tournament and a bachelor party, so it was just me and my baby. Since the weather was crummy, we had nothing better to do but enjoy each others company.






This picture cracks me up. You can see the weird cut on his lip.


This week is a new week. Hopefully Kasper gets into a daycare routine where he actually sleeps. I think tonight we start sleep training. K woke up every hour on the hour last night and I just don't think the current arrangement is working. In to his own crib it is. Wish us luck.

Week 19 - Daycare is exhausting. For both baby and Mama.