Saturday, November 20, 2010

Dear McCoy: (of five months)

Dear McCoy:

Well, you are a big solid food eater now. Actually we're just up to rice cereal twice a day, and you've tried oatmeal cereal too, but it's still exciting. By the end of this week we should be able to start veges. You love your cereal and eat quite a bit at a setting. And of course it's messy! You also eat baby rice cakes and banana puffs.

You still love baths. One time, Daddy was pouring water on your tummy and you tried to catch it. It was pretty entertaining.

Prudence is not so fond of you lately. You are really interested in her and try to pet her. She didn't mind that until you grabbed her ear and pulled. Now she keeps her space.

You've finally started to fit into some of your 6/3-6 month clothes. Especially your sleepers. You were just getting too long for them!

You are currently working on sitting up. You are close, but we have a little work to do yet.

Right now you sleep from about 10am-5am. And that's our rule. Most of the time you remember that.

You love to grab faces and eat them. I like to pretend you are giving kisses.

Well, time to get some supper ready.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Dear McCoy: (Of four months)

Dear McCoy:

You've changed so much in the past four months. Daddy and I were looking through pictures and can't believe how much of a difference even a month can make. Well, on to the news...

Daddy has a pretty crappy schedule during this rotation. At first we thought it would just be odd hours, but then we were made aware of the goofy meetings he has on top regular working hours. So this means that he basically has to stay at auntie Connie's during the week. He really misses you during the week, but at least he gets three day weekends.

Of course, while Daddy is away, you get your first cold. Basically it's seemed to be a runny/stuffy hose and a tiny bit of a cough. You handled it well though. Then, the day after mommy gets her flu shot, she gets sick. GR. That night was full of cuddling/nappng on the couch.

You had your four month shots this week. Turns out you are a long and lean baby at 12 lb 1 oz. I've been paranoid about you beig too little because all I see are chunky babies. Ty and Dr. Leino reassured me that you are doing just great. And as Ty stated, our society has an obesity epidemic, not a "your baby is too skinny" problem. He's secretly hoping that you will be a coordinated 6'4" like the Helland boys. I guess it would be funny to have to look up to my son.

We are currently training you to sleep through the night. And yes we are using the not so popular "cry it out" method. Believe me, it hurts to hear you cry. But I also thinks it is important to give this method a try. I have many reasons to back up that I am not a bad parent for doing this method including: Babies can sleep through the night at two months-you are four so it can happen. You have slept through the night-You used to sleep 8 hours at a time-it can happen again. Families need rules, and in our house, we sleep at night-in our own beds. I do not deprive you of nurturing-I am home with you 2 1/2 days a week and focus on you a lot during those days. Something needs to be done now-habits at 6 months are much harder to break than if you fix it before. I'm nursing and plan on nursing you until 9-12months. I don't like hearing you cry, especially since I don't let you cry during the day, but I know you are just fine. If something is really wrong, of course I would be right there to fix it. Enough of that.

We brought your high chair up from the basement to get you accostumed to it. You love it. You usually just play with your monkey keys and hang out in it for a while. It's a nice break for mommy's arms!

You now roll from your back to your front. And then you get mad because you are on your tummy and forgot that you know how to roll back the other way. Silly baby!

You also got to go to your first football game. Mommy was running out of babysitting options and the weather was nice so we just brought you with. Mommy had to direct her kids for pep band and Daddy needed to play drums. You made friends with every cheerleader when you got there and then you hung out on Mommy in the snugli and didn't say a peep. You were perfectly content being outside, listening and watching everything.

You are a big talker. You have conversations with us all the time and it's hilarious.

You still eat every two hours which keeps Mommy quite busy. And you still take a half an hour to eat. Usually babies start stretching it out by now, but i think you are just on a schedule of your own.

It's not a big deal, but you still have cradle cap going on. We work on it whenever you get a bath but it always seems to come back. Oh well.

Speaking of baths, you love them now. Even when you were sick, you just wanted to soak for a while. Granted, I made the bathroom all warm and steamy to help with your cold.

You are really interested in toys lately. Of course everything goes straight into the mouth. You like to grab for toys even if they aren't going to your mouth. This morning you were sort of petting Prudy while she was giving mommy her morning kisses.

A coupl eweekends ago, Fruncle Tralle and Frauntie Claire came out to take some pictures for us. The leaves were really pretty and it was a really beautiful day. We had a difficult time getting both you and Prudy to look at the camera at the same time.

You also got to see the Staples and Schiks again. We met at Andrea's parents house and her parents were having baby withdrawl so you got to charm them for part of the night. It's always nice to be able to get together with them.

Well, I guess that's it for now.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Dear McCoy: (of 3 months)

You exhaust your mother. We're just putting that on the table right off the bat. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact. On with the news:
About a week and a half ago, you rolled over. And you did it a lot! Both at home and daycare. Mommy was so excited when it happenned that Prudence was worried and started barking. Of course, now you stopped showing off this new skill and Daddy hasn't gotten to see it. BUT.....
Last night Daddy made you laugh! And it was only for Daddy. You thought he was absolutely hilarious. He was just talking to you after changing your diaper and you cracked up. Best sound ever.
Both Mommy and Daddy like reading bedtime stories to you. One of our favorite books right now are these nursery rhyme board books that Frauntie Lisa bought you. They have pretty colors, lots of stories and are nice and sturdy for babies. Mommy usually sings the ones she knows the tunes to and reads the rest. But Daddy, well, he interprets them for you. Example: Ring Around the Rosie=Bubonic Plague. Both you and I listened that night. We learn a lot from Daddy. But a note of warning: sometimes Daddy makes up stuff. Like medical words. He adds "itis" to anything and tries to convince you that it's a real illness. He's smart, but not that smart. Just kidding!
You are supposed to be getting about 18 hours of sleep according to the baby books. I don't know what type of schedule you are on, because one day (while you were home with Mommy) you only took a few half hour naps during the day and then slept your normal 6 + 3 hours at night. But then the next day at daycare, you take about three 1 1/2-2 hour naps and sleep the same at night. And you aren't crabby. Man, when I don't get enough sleep.....I turn into a monster!
You still eat about every 2-2 1/2 hours. Word has it that pretty soon you start stretching those outs, but eat more at a time. We'll see.
You love to watch TV. Specifically football with Daddy. Or maybe you just like hanging out with Daddy?
Your neck is still really strong, but you don't quite lift your chest all the way up. Your next milestone should be trying to sit up, but you really don't have an interest in that.
Last night, you played in your activity center for I swear like 45 minutes. Daddy just sat by you and worked on the computer while I tried to get some house stuff done and you just kept talking, and playing. You bat at all the toys and were grabbing the puppy one. I thought at one point you were going to grab Prudy's tail, but luckily she moved. It will be interesting when that happens for the first time.
Speaking of Prudy.......she's needs to go out....more later.....

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Dear McCoy: (Of 11.5 weeks)

Dear McCoy: (Of about 11.5 weeks)


Well, I am officially obsessed with all things McCoy. Maybe I have been all along, and now I've just realized it, but it's happened. I think you are the most perfect baby boy out there and have converted the top of my office piano at work into a shrine of you. Anyway, here is what you have been up to:


You still sleep in the bassinet, but you are in your own room now. I thought it would be a tough transition, but it really wasn't too bad. Grandpa Ben is fixing your crib, and he said it's ready, so we just have to get it and then we'll move you into that.


You love daycare. I think you love watching all the other kids play so much that you exhaust yourself. After a full day there, you will come home and take two huge naps before bedtime. You are very lucky to have such a nice place to be. Even though I hate being away from you, I know you are in good hands.


You outgrew your swaddlers and you weren't happy about giving them up. We tried a blanket sleeper, fleece sleepers and heating pads. Finally we discovered you were happy with any type of sleeper as long as you had socks on underneath and you needed to be swaddled with a receiving blanket. Right now you have your last meal at 9:30pm and sleep from 10pm-3am. Then you wake up for good about 6am. I've tried to let you "cry it out" if you wake up at any other time, but I give in after about 10 minutes. I just can't do it. Call me a bad mommy, but it hurts to hear you cry at night. I'd rather just nurse you quick so we can both go back to sleep. Maybe I'll regret it later, but you're still little.


You've completed another 5k. This one was in LeCenter. Daddy ran it, (and got second by like 30 seconds), Grandma Helland ran/walked it and you and I walked it. Before we started, I wasn't sure if we were going to make it because you had a rough previous day/night sleeping, but we made it!


You've been to two of cousin Morgan's volleyball games. You actually do pretty well. The noise doesn't seem to bother you at all. We just had to leave early both times because Daddy needed to get to bed since he gets up so early.


It's been a rough patch with Daddy's rotation. He doesn't get many days off, and gets home pretty late even if it's not a late call day. Luckily there's only a few more weeks left and the rest should be a bit more reasonable. You're going to love this spring when Daddy has off before residency. You will be at a very active age and you two will just play and play and play all day long!


I love having conversations with you. You usually like to talk after getting your diaper changed. No giggles yet, but I swear we're close.


I think you are going to be tall. Your clothes don't get too tight around your waist, just too short.


You got baptized on August 22nd. You did really well during the service. I don;t know why, but I was nervous about it, which is silly because what would it really have mattered if you cried!


The day before your baptism, you got to meet some more of Mommy and Daddy's friends. Tom, Lisa, Paul and Al all got to hold you. You were pretty good for them too. Except for when you had a ginormous spit up on the Karlen's deck. Gross! You also met their puppy Peppy. What a sweetie!

Mommy starts school again this week. She's not ready to be away from you so much, but at least she's home with you Tuesdays, Thursdays and Friday mornings.


Speaking of school, Mommy better make sure she is ready!

Mommy

Friday, August 20, 2010

Dear McCoy: (of 2 months)

Dear McCoy: (of 2 months)
You're actually a bit older than 2 months. Mommy forgot she wanted to post. Oops!
Someday I may want to look back and remember what these days were like, so here's a day in the life of the 2 month McCoy:
6:15am=Wake up. Nurse in the rocking chair.
7am=Change diaper. Play time! Play in th floor activity center. Batting/kicking practice. Tummy time. Mommy eats breakfast and has coffee while sitting by you. Then Prudy gives Mommy her morning kisses. We also take Prudy out during this time.
7:30am=Quick Nap
8am=Eat again
8:30-10=Play for a while, do some one handed chores like empty the dishwasher, and then short nap in the car seat while Mommy showers
10am=Eat again
10:30am=Play for a while, then nap in the bouncy while Mommy gets her lunch ready, supper planned for that night, and whatever else needs to be quickly cleaned
2pm=Eat again
2:30pm=Play for a while, then sometimes a short nap
4pm=Eat again, then either get cranky, take a nap or play with Daddy whenever he gets home
6pm=Eat again, then nap or be cranky
8pm=Eat, then bath if it's bath night, or just get pj's on
9:30pm=Last feeding of the night
10pm-4am=Sleep
4am=Eat
4:30-6:15am=Sleep
6:15am=Repeat

At night, you sleep in your bassinet in our bedroom. Mommy isn't quite ready to move you into your room yet, but she knows she has to soon. You are very smiley now and I think you really want to giggle, but haven't figured out how to do that yet. You are better in the car now that Mommy put a mirror that has this brightly colored elephant on it for you to look at. You usually do pretty well in church on Sunday morning, but when Mommy plays for the Wednesday services, you like to be fussy for Auntie Vicki. Mommy really likes to play dress up with you and you will let it happen for short bouts at a time. Your cranky time is usually around supper time, which is not so fun for Daddy because that's right about when he gets home from work. One day last week, cousin Layne came with us to Mommy's school so she could get some work done. You loved her long hair! You kept grabbing at it and got a few strands out. Poor Layne! Next time we'll bring a ponytail! You still are a rock star with a bottle and will drink about 5 oz at a time. You are starting to handle your baths a little better. It's not that you really like them yet, you have just stopped screaming bloody murder during them. You think it's funny when Mommy talks whale and will usually smile. Yesterday we had you go to daycare for a few hours to get used to it. You were just fine, but Mommy kept checking her watch to see when I could go get you again! You still don't have much hair. You have started to bat at objects. I also think you like to have noise around you constantly and you don't seem to mind Prudy's kisses.
Oop, Daddy's home which means time for a little father son time before Daddy has to go to bed and you get your bath!
Love,
Mommy

Friday, August 6, 2010

Dear McCoy: (of 7/8 weeks)

Dear McCoy:


You've made it to week seven. I've been a little behind on posting, so I hope I rememer everything!


We took you to your 2 month appointment just a little early because originally we thought we'd need the extra check for weight. Turns out, you are 10 lbs, 10oz, and 23 inches long, which means that you are growing even more than you are supposed to. Exclusively breastfeeding, and letting you go on your own schedule instead of the every two hour deal is working for you. What a huge relief! This appointment also meant that you got your 2 month shots which Mommy wasn't exactly prepared for. Luckily, Nurse Heidi asked another nurse to help hold his legs so I didn't have to. I think those shots hurt my heart more than they hurt your legs! You did pretty well though. You were just sleepy when we got home so Mommy cuddled you a lot. And checked your temperature about a million times because I was paranoid that you would get a fever as a side effect and I really wanted to be on top of it. I know-first time mom!

This past week was a bit of an adjustment for you and I. Daddy started a new rotation at North Memorial which means that we are home alone all day and Daddy doesn't get to help with the night feedings because of his commute. We're figuring it out but we still have a lot of kinks to work out. I've played with your schedule a bit to see what helps you sleep best. The past two nights I've been giving you your bedtime feeding at about 9:30pm, and then you've been sleeping until 4am. You'll go back to sleep, but wake up again at 6am and be ready for the day. You are a morning person, and mommy just has to get used to it!
We finally have baptism set for you on August 22nd. We had a hard time finding dates and we changed churches in the middle of our planning. But now we are good to go. You'll be wearing Uncle Erik's outfit. Now mommy just has to plan the meal and we should be all set!. Eeks!
Youve been flashing lots of smiles lately! Daddy and I know how to get them out of you and we've captured some on the camera! I'm still waiting for that giggle. It seems like you are soooo close!
You've just moved into your 3 month/0-3 month clothes. I love dressing you up everyday. Garage saleing is also really fun because I've found some really cute stuff. Turns out, I'm a sucker for plaid shorts, dinosaurs and monkey outfits!
At the end of July, you had a Helland family get together/baby shower with your second cousin (that's what we'll call her!) Claire. You fussed and slept a lot. But you also got a ton of clothes! Like I said before, I have waaay too much fun dressing you up!
Your eyes are still that beautiful dark blue and I really think they are here to stay! I'm pretty sure it came from the Helland side because they are all blue eyed! I have blue/green eyes, but I have one sister and my mom with blue and that's it.
Last week you got to visit your daycare home. The kids were all very excited but of course, you slept through the whole thing. Next time I'm sure you'll be ready to show off!

We also completed our first 5k. You and I walked the whole thing while Daddy and Auntie Steffie ran it. After they were finished they came back and walked the rest with us. I was nervous about how you would act, but you did awesome. You were awake and content for about half of it, and then fell asleep for the second half.
Since Auntie Vicki is done doing daycare, she held a garage sale to get rid of her toys, but you got to pick some out first. You have some fun riding, pulling, exploring type toys plus the big legos. I'm excited for when you actually get to play with them!

Being a mommy is definitely an adjustment. One thing I've recently noticed is that watching the news really seems to affect me. I hear all these stories about bad parents, or crazy things that happen to kids and I want to hold you even closer. I was somewhat of a news junkie because it always seemed to be on when I was feeding you. I've tried venturing into other genres, but there is only so much of "Jersey Shore" that one person can take!

Well, Mommy should move on to some housework/schoolwork. (Even though she'd much rather ramble on about you!) We'll talk soon, and I'll try to get better about updating this more often!

Mommy

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Dear Mr. McCoy: Of 5 weeks

Mr. McCoy:
You are already a man of 5 weeks. This has been a very trying week for you and Mommy. Daddy has been in Texas for a week so we've been living the single parent life. Whew, I'm glad this week is almost done. You had good days and not so good days. On the not so good days, you won't let me put you down for 10 minutes. Even when you are sleeping, you need to be held. Don't get me wrong, I like holding you, but my arms, back, neck-everything gets sore after a few hours. Sometimes I wonder if you don't get enough sleep during the day so you are over tired and just get cranky. Because of that whole weight gain issue, I've been feeding you religiously every two hours, except at night. So, it's been-eat for 30-40 minutes, fall asleep for 5 minutes, mommy tries to put you down and you wake up angry, she changes your diaper, swaddles you and walks around with you as you fight sleep, then you fall asleep, and after about 20 minutes, we do the whole thing again. But today, I let you take a long morning nap, which meant you skipped a feeding (but the previous one you got a supplement, so I was hoping that evened things out), but when you woke up for the next one, you ate really well and were happily awake until the next feeding. Did you just need a longer nap? Who knows.
Other news: You have found yourself in the mirror and it's really fun to watch you watch yourself. You enjoy your playtime in your activity center(the one that you just lay in on the floor). Prudence also enjoys her playtime in the activity center! You like to look at your little book with the black and white pictures, and will follow a rattle across your face. I think you've flashed me a smile that wasn't gas, but I can't always get you to do it on cue, so maybe it's still just gas! You laugh/smile in your sleep and it's hilarious. You still wear all of your newborn clothes. Today you accidentally hit the toys that hang on your carseat and were surprised that they made noise. That was pretty entertaining. You generally take your last feeding at 10pm, wake up at 2am to eat and then are ready to wake up for the day between 5:30am and 6:30am. You are a morning person. You are very alert after your first morning feeding. You still hate baths, and are still super gassy. I love watching you make your silly faces and when you stretch when I change your diaper. Hopefully by the next posting we'll be seeing lots of smiles and maybe catch a few on camera!