Sleep update

I wanted to jot down a few thoughts about James dropping a nap (going from three to two)...

- He was quite fussy the week we returned from our week-long vacation to Arkansas.  He did not sleep well at all on vacation (to be expected), though at the time we had NO IDEA why he was so sad all the time.  Teething?  Ear infection? Gas?

- For all three naps, he was only sleeping about 45 minutes during this very fussy week (instead of 1.5 hours).

- He was waking very early during this fussy week (5:30am or so).

- I happened to read that some babies drop a nap around 8 months.  James was 7.5 months, but the short naps, fussiness and early morning wakings fit the picture of him possibly wanting to drop a nap.

- We did it cold turkey!  One day, I only put him down for two naps and it went GREAT!  It was the first day all week that he didn't cry all day long.

- I opted for the 2-3-4 schedule, where he goes down for his first nap 2 hours after waking in the morning.  He goes down for his second nap 3 hours after waking from his first nap.  He goes down for bedtime (roughly) 4 hours after waking from his second nap.  So, this is what his day looks like now on a two nap schedule (in terms of sleep):

6:30-7am wake
8:30am lay down for 1st nap
9:30-10am wake from 1st nap
12:30-1pm 2nd lay down for 2nd nap
2-2:30pm wake from 2nd nap
6:15-6:45pm bedtime routine (bath if needed, lotion, read, bottle)
6:45-7pm lay down for the night

He is doing great on two naps!  He hasn't really had a terribly fussy day since dropping the evening nap (he used to also take a nap from around 3:30-5pm, with a 2-hour wake time in between each nap).

Visiting dad at work

Helping dad make phone calls:

Playing with mom while dad goes to deliver a baby/see a lady in the ED/runs to save someone's life/etc:

Destroy shark week decorations:

Snuggle dad:

James' first meat

I had read several times about the health benefits of whole sardines (high in protein, calcium, omega-3s, vitamin D, low in mercury...) and they are cheap!  But I just couldn't bring myself to start eating tiny, whole fish with skin and bones.  Blech.

Then, I ran across an article about sardines being a good food for baby... And I reconsidered.  Anything for the health of my tiny boy!  So, when it was time for James to have his first real-meat-food, I bought a single, simple tin at our favorite grocery (for $1.29, cheaper than canned tuna).  I mashed them up with some avocado, and James didn't seem to mind at all.  Success!  I split the tin with him, and had some for lunch myself.  Not bad, as long as I can mash them up and not see the skin or bones.  I'm thinking they will become a pantry staple in our house!

Post-sardine consumption.  Still smiling. :)

Photo bomb

James: 8 months!

It's unreal that we have an 8-month-old baby.  He is so, so fun and sweet and wonderful right now.  He is still happy almost all of the time, though two weeks ago he had four or five days that he just cried and wanted to be held all day without explanation, except that we had just returned from a week of vacation (no new teeth, no fever or sickly symptoms, no gas or signs of belly pain...).  It is funny to watch him as we return home from an overnight trip somewhere.  It doesn't matter how tired he is, once we walk in the door (and especially once we go up to his little bedroom) he gets so excited and kicks his legs all around and laughs so much. I think he's quite the homebody (just like his dad and mama).

Weight: unsure, though we weighed him on the airport scale on our way to Arkansas in late July and it read 16.5 lbs.  so, somewhere around there

Length: unsure, but he looks so long!  He is still mostly in 6 month clothes, though the footed ones are getting a bit tight at the toes.

Meals: 6-8oz bottle, four times a day on organic soy formula (though I would LOVE to get him off soy... Been looking into some milk banks/donation programs, so we'll see about that) and solids a couple of times a day:

Breakfast: oats with fruit and cinnamon

Lunch or later afternoon: lentils usually, with orange and green vegetables

Before bedtime: either some Cheerios for fine-motor practice, or avocado

Real foods: new are lentils, butternut squash and peaches, which he loves.  Next up we'll add in some fish and meat! And eggs! And leafy greens!

I help him practice drinking water from a sippy cup, which he thinks is fun, but doesn't really understand that he can actually get anything out of it yet.

Sleep: bedtime is 7pm, and he sleeps until 6:30-7am (so thankful he decided to sleep a little later... 30 minutes can make all the difference!) He went to two naps about two weeks ago, so we're on the 2/3/4hr schedule, where he's awake 2 hours after waking for the day, takes a 1.5 hr nap, then is awake 3 hours, naps another 1.5 hours, and is awake 4 hours between his second nap and bedtime.  So, naps are usually around 8:30 or 9am, then 12:30 or 1pm.

Loves: being tickled, rough-housing (especially with dad), reading books, toys!, his bird mobile, practicing animal sounds, singing songs, library story time, playing in the water, stroller rides/jogs, eating with his fingers

Hates: missing naps (though he is more flexible than he used to be), and not being able to crawl yet

New tricks: waving hello (sometimes even on command), sticking his tongue out, rolling to wherever he wants to go with surprising speed, and we've been practicing high-5s

Peaches!

This is by far James' new favorite food.  On their own, mixed with oats and cinnamon, or lentils or even peas... He'll eat them any way.  Too bad they are hard to find fresh and organic (not to mention expensive).  We'll have to try frozen soon and see if he finds it an appropriate substitute for other times of the year (besides late July/August, when we can get them fresh)!