Meltdowns, Much-Needed Sleep And Pictures - Lots And Lots Of Pictures!

Say Cheese

He'll probably want to kill me one day, or at least set fire to all of my photo albums. But I just can't help myself – I love (potentially embarrassing) pictures of my baby! Babies are just so cute that I just can't resist putting Gage in cute settings as well. I figure there will come a time when I won't be able to do those types of pictures, so while I can I've decided to do a picture a month in a setting that fits the season or holiday - and lucky Gage, this coming month is Easter!

So Gage donned bunny ears (I love Etsy – that's where I found them), lay on faux cabbage leaves and smiled – kind of. About a month ago we had his newborn pictures taken and he slept through them and they were oh so cute because we could pose him. So I, mistakenly, thought he'd sleep through these as well. While he was asleep, I slipped his clothes off and that's as far as I got. As if to say, "Mom, why'd you just wake me up from my peaceful slumber", he let out a yell; and then another yell, and another. So that was the end of that photo shoot that never happened. I learned my lesson. Later in the day – while he was awake and had a full belly – I tried again. And success! I love my little bunny rabbit!

When Being Average is a Good Thing

We had Gage's one-month check-up this week. The doc told us he is right smack dab in the middle of the charts. He is in the 50 percentile for weight, height and head circumference, meaning he is right where he should be. He's 9 pounds, 6 ounces and 21 5/8 inches. He's now starting to make noises and smile even more (granted it still typically comes right before a poo – but I guess that's a decent trade-off for cleaning a dirty diaper).

Glutton for Punishment?

Now that Gage has made it past the one-month mark, I've been getting out – everyday. It's like I'm making up for lost time. So far, he's done really well. I'm getting it down: feed him, change him, then run like the wind to get him in the car seat where the hum of the car will keep him calm until we get where we're going.

I also found if I put him in a carrier, he seems to like it. But today, I pushed my luck when I went to the mall. I got as far as the jewelry counter when things started to go downhill. I wanted to buy a pair of earrings to match a suit for when I return to work. I had picked out a few pairs and was going to study each in the mirror when all of a sudden, instead of being just fussy, he took it up a notch. We were one step shy of meltdown mode. That's when I told the clerk – I'll take all of them! I'll figure it out later and return what doesn't work. I couldn't get out of there quick enough! Of course as soon as we got outside, he became quiet and the sweetest little boy ever. I guess that's the way it goes.

3 Hours of Uninterrupted Sleep – WooHoo!

I used to be the type of person who got 8 hours of sleep. Always. If I went to bed late, I'd just sleep in. As any parent can tell you, those days are gone. I got my wake-up call to that February 21. However, I feel more rested now than I have in the last month. This week is one for the record books. Gage went five hours one night from one feeding to the next, and the next night he went four hours. Granted, after that stretch he only goes about three or two hours, but it's getting better! I'm hoping we're in for another five-hour night tonight!