OUCH

This is sort of an uncomfortable topic to post, but I can't resist.  I could entitle it, "What I Did on My Spring Break" or "Teething"...but I think the title I chose is best.  

Let's get this out of the way now:  Breast breast breast breast breast.

OK, now those I've offended or disgusted have left the site and have gone on to other things, thinking, "Too much information, Alexis!"  Probably...

Ethan's little tooth is causing all kinds of problems at Chez Jewett-Jones.  Even though I know that some babies find nursing soothing when they're teething, Ethan doesn't seem to be one of those kids.  He's writhing, crying, and otherwise finding nursing uncomfortable these days.  (And a writhing baby with a sharp corner of a tooth isn't too comfortable for the nursing mom, either, to be totally selfish!)   To make things a little more complicated, he and I have been having supply and demand problems since I went back to work.  And having to work harder is not what his little mouth seems to want right now!   Tonight he actually pulled away (which hasn't happened in months) and starting whimpering and sucking on his thumb after about a minute of nursing...:(  Poor little guy.  

I've been searching the baby sites and blogs for suggestions, and I read about so many women who nurse through countless cases of mastitis, serious illness, etc.  I think these women are made of stronger stuff than I am.  I don't want to stop nursing, because I love that time with the little man!  I really feel close to him.  But I don't know if he and I are exactly clicking right now. 

It's lucky for him he's so cute.  :)  And he is so cute!  He's started "talking" which basically means these lovely hilarious shrieking sounds.  He seems to be really enjoying the sound of his voice, which is good, because it's getting louder and louder.  So funny to hear, but as he got really shrill today, Brian remarked, "I don't think there's anyway to get this genie back in the bottle, is there?"

Slow down, Ethan!

Ethan-boy has had quite the week! On Tuesday, I was remarking to a friend at work that Ethan hadn't yet turned over. Apparently Ethan took that as a challenge and flipped from his tummy to his back the next afternoon. (He had actually done it the day before at daycare, but I'm glad she forgot to mention it to me - then I could pretend that he was just waiting to demonstrate this accomplishment to his mother!) It was kind of funny how he seemed to be a little taken aback by it - he kind of looked surprised, but then just started playing on his back. :)

This afternoon, when I put him in his crib for a nap, he started the usual squirming, and flipped onto his side. But the squirming didn't end there; he flipped right onto his stomach! Argh. I went in, turned him onto his back, and left the room again. It took him about 2 1/2 minutes to do the same thing, but this time, as I watched him on the monitor, he lifted his head, pushed up with his arms, and flipped to his back again. He spent the next few minutes going back and forth like that, but eventually ended up on his side for a short nap. (I'm telling you, this kid is going to give me gray hairs by the time he's eight....months.)

And last but not least, he still wants to put absolutely everything in his mouth, including my arm, hand, fingers, etc. Today he got a good grip on my finger and led it straight to his mouth - I haven't done that in such a long time that I was surprised by the hard ridge I felt. No, not a tooth already!? Yep, he's got a little white tooth poking out in front. I'm sure that not every tooth will come in with as little fussing as this one did - I wasn't expecting this milestone to come so quickly!

Too many new developments this week, I've decided. :) Ethan just has to slow his pace a little and space these things out for his parents! It's rolling over and teeth one week, asking for car keys the next!

Solid foods

I use the word "solid" lightly. Ethan's pediatrician said that we could try him on solid foods whenever we were ready, which is so exciting! He's not quite ready for sitting in a high chair, but we tried anyway since ours has the same five point harness his car seat does! (That kid isn't going anywhere..)

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I really wasn't sure what the heck rice cereal was until I did some research. (Like Rice Crispies rice cereal??? There really should be an application process to become a parent...) But apparently that's what the masses suggest starting babies out on, as it has less allergenic potential. I mixed a little of that with some breast milk to make this soupy mixture, and we went at it!

(I'm framing this one and taking it to work!)

As you can see, he's way more interested in the spoon and the bowl than the food! And that's OK, the main idea (for now) of starting the little guy on solids is to get him used to the texture of other foods and the process of eating like this. He certainly isn't getting a lot of nutrition from the tiny amounts that make it into his mouth! Anne Lamott (Sniff! Done with the book!) compares baby feedings to spackling - you know, shove some in, scrape off the extra, shove that in again, repeat...

A visit from a California Jones!

My cousin Chris is in town for the weekend - yeah! He and the California Joneses live so far away that we all see each other at the occasional wedding. (Mine almost four years ago, his brother's last year....) But he and Ethan got acquainted a little today, which was very fun! Luckily for Chris, Ethan had dumped most of his afternoon snack all over me before he got to my parents' house...unluckily for Chris, Ethan hadn't napped well at all, so their meeting was fairly brief. :)

Now Ethan, being a Jones means that you're a little nuts. I hope that's OK.

Exhibit A: The guy behind you. Need I say more?

I know it's alarming...but we're pretty productive members of society - most of the time, anyway....

Wahhhhhhhhhh!

Favorite books

I have to post about a wonderful book I'm reading right now - Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. As you may have guessed, the book is about babies - it's a journal of her first year with her son Sam. I'm going to be very sad when this book is over. (Very few books do that to me - I think The Namesake was the last one...) If I were eloquent and as talented as Anne Lamott is, this is the book I would write about having a baby! She talks about being madly in love with her beautiful boy, utterly frustrated and inept when he's colicky...she even describes the first thermometer episode, the first bath, the first time he falls off something...it's incredibly touching and also a laugh riot.


And Ethan is becoming a literary wonder, but he's starting a little slower. :) As I may have mentioned in a previous post, part of our really nice bedtime routine is to read a book or two before putting Ethan to bed. Brian and I (and I'm sure Ethan, too) are really liking Sandra Boynton! Brian will actually mimic it when we're someplace else (though I doubt you'll get him to admit it), "And the apples and eggs, but not the broccoli..."

Not quite as gifted :)

I have been looking forward to Ethan's 4 month appointment for ages! (Pretty much since his 2 month appointment...I just love his pediatrician, who is a seriously smart and down to earth guy.) Besides the usual checking up and hearing how great Ethan's doing from someone who actually knows what he's talking about, Brian and I were a little worried after I discovered that Ethan hadn't gained any weight. (I saw his weight when I took him in for something else last week.) You know, of course, that it would absolutely be the doctor's fault if Ethan wasn't growing appropriately...:)

No, the reason we were preparing for battle is that Ethan is still Volcano Boy. I think my coworkers might have gotten the stains out of the carpet from when I took Ethan by two weeks ago for a visit, but people were mopping up after us everywhere we went! He doesn't just spit up, he gushes! Brian or I will be holding him, walking around the house, and we'll hear "splat" behind us from where the boy has spit up half of a recent or even not so recent meal. Lovely! I really don't mind the laundry, but when I noticed that the boy hadn't gained weight, I was ready for some suggestions - after all, Ethan started off life in the 95% percentile - can't let that future as a sumo wrestler pass him up!

But it's all good. Ethan hasn't gained any weight, that is true, but his head and his length are still increasing proportionally. So we've got a long, slightly skinny baby. (For those of you out there who know Brian, you know this boy is taking after his dad already!)