Busy as a bee

We've had a few very eventful days. We started Friday out with a PT appt. Finn had Katie again, his original physical therapist, so it was good to have her work with him again (it had been a month!). She was AMAZED by his progress and just couldn't get over it. She said it is very normal for babies to prefer one side when they start rolling over so we are just supposed to encourage Finn to roll to his right if he will. She said that she feels his torticollis is almost gone. He needs to develop some strength in his neck before it will be completely gone, but she isn't concerned about it any longer, which makes me so very happy. We also put him in a bumbo chair. I told her I got one on Ebay so she got theirs out to try. He is still too small for it and his head control is a little weak, but she said it won't be long (and we can prop him up it in, if need be). He looked like such a big boy in it, though (pictures to follow). He showed her how he can lift his head up while on his tummy, something he could not do without help at his last appt. We have a couple exercises to work on his arm strength so he is able to push his upper body up when on his tummy, and eventually work on getting him on his knees. I asked her about the fact that he isn't putting any weight on his legs and she said not to worry at this point, but it is something watch.

Jim had Friday off, so after the PT appt, we decided to head to Ortonville for Cornfest. We stopped in St. Cloud at Five Guys...a fabulous burger and fries joint. I thought I was going to burst, but it was SO yummy. Finn was okay for the four hour drive, but it is long for anybody. Once we got to Ortonville, we headed to the festivities and had a funnel cake, rootbeer float and cheese curds. I needed that like a need a hole in the head, but it was all so yummy. Friday night, daddy, DeAnn, Les, Grandpa Ron and I went up to the VFW to have a drink. This was a first for me and it was packed! I tuckered out before everybody else (I must be getting old). Then on Saturday, we went to the belgium waffle breakfast (so yummy...are you catching the theme from the weekend?) and then head back down to the lake to check out the vendors, games and of course the food! We decided to head back to the cities when Finn was ready for bed, which made for a late arrival time, but it was a peaceful car ride (other than Jim's car almost breaking down...seriously, can't he get a break in the car department?!?!).

Now today we ran some errands and are headed over to auntie Kristine's for some burgers. Should be fun. I can't remember when we had so much going on in one weekend. But it was so much fun and Finn had a great time at Memere and Grandpa's house. He didn't even have to think about a want before it was taken care of. He better not get used to that!!

I'll upload pictures from the weekend tomorrow. Off to Kristine's!

Ready or not

Aruba, here we come! I am really excited for Kristine and Alex's upcoming wedding in Aruba. That is where Jim and I had our honeymoon and we'll be there the week before our second anniversary, so it is obviously sentimental for us. I'm looking forward to all the festivities (it is so much easier and fun when it isn't YOUR wedding!). I have to say, while I'm super excited, I'm also a little anxious. This will be the first time I'll be away from Finn for more than a few hours and we will be gone for EIGHT days! I know I will be fine the first few days because of all the excitement surrounding the wedding preparations and celebration. But I don't know what it will be like for the rest of the week after others have gone home and we have lots of quiet relaxing time to think and reflect. I already told Jim that he has to let me cry if I feel the need. I'm hoping it won't be THAT bad, but we'll see! I bet Finn is going to seem HUGE when we get back and I'll probably not want to let him out of my sights for a while. Poor guy (mother smothering!).

I took the picture on the right yesterday because Finn hasn't been in his swing much and I thought it was cute. Here is a comparison to the first time he was in the swing on April 24:









I think it is fun to see how much he has grown. He actually fell asleep in it for a little while yesterday...something he hasn't done in ages.

We are off to Cornfest in Ortonville for the weekend. Should be fun and I know Jim is looking forward to "sharing" it with Finn. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Finn's first tornado

For those who are wondering or concerned, we survived the tornadoes yesterday. I was in Finn's room (with him) getting the next size of clothes organized (size 3 month...since he is 12 pounds, or almost) and I heard the tornado siren. It was weird because it was just raining and there didn't seem to be bad weather. But, since there is more than just my safety at stake, I picked Finn up and we headed downstairs with auntie Becky. We stayed down there for about half an hour (can I just say how glad I am...for many reasons...that our basement is finished and not a cement floor?!?!). The tornado alarm went off a little while later when I was feeding Finn, but I was listening to the radio and they didn't say anything about Hennepin County, so I figured we were safe. Oh, the joys of MN weather...actually, we can't really complain because we haven't had hardly any severe weather this year so far.

BUT, the bad weather put a major wrench in Jim's travel plans. He was supposed to take the 6pm flight back, but was able to switch to the 2:30 flight instead. However, after that, they shut down the Chicago Midway airport because of the weather, so he ended up getting home at 8pm...which is when he was SUPPOSED to get in! At least he is home. He even made it back in time to give Finn half of his num-nums (prune juice and medicine). Finn definitely missed Jim, as Finn just wanted Pete last night (some guy bonding time?!?!)...thank goodness Pete was here, willing and able to hold him!

I forgot to mention yesterday that I talked to Finn's doctor about his constipation. What is a blog entry without talking about Finn's poop?!?! He has been having lots of problems lately. He won't go for days and then when he does, it is only with "help" and it is pure liquid. He gets really crabby and his tummy gets distended. I was a little surprised at her lack of response, though. I mean, I was the one the suggested it could be from all the extra formula he is getting (it is fortified with iron) and suggested at least getting a multi-vitamin that doesn't have extra iron. She agreed...I mean it isn't much, but it is something. Anyway, I was a little frustrated. I've taken him off the Miralax, since that softens stools and he doesn't have problems in that area, obviously. He has been on probiotics for almost 2 weeks now, so maybe that will start working. Anyway, between getting home from the doctor and now, I think he has pooped at least 6 times without any help from me. So, maybe something came loose and he is better. I started keeping a poop journal, just so I don't have to try to remember the last time he went (and if we do have to go to a specialist, that information will be helpful). Oh, maybe some day I won't have to be so worried about Finn's pooping (or the last thereof!). Every time he goes, I make a big deal about what a good boy he is. Positive reinforcement!

Growing, growing, growing

We had Finn's weight check today. He weighs 11 lbs 15 oz!!! This is a great gain. Two weeks ago he was 11 lbs 1/2 oz...so he gained more than an ounce a day. I guess bottling agrees with him. I can just tell by looking at him that he is growing and filling out. This weigh gain puts him right around the 5th percentile for adjusted age...last time he was under the 3rd, if you remember. So again, great job little man. Because he is gaining so well, he doesn't have to go back in for a weight check for a month...which will also be his 9 month well child check! Can he really almost be 9 months?!?!

I also talked to a lactation consultant today about the bottle we have been using. Finn has improved his sucking strength to where they were hoping he would. So I was wondering how we transition him to a regular bottle and what kind we should use. She said this special nipple works with any standard bottle (because the bottle that came with it doesn't even hold 3 ounces), so I switched the bottle so Finn can get between 4 and 5 ounces a feeding instead (I'm hoping this helps with his evening crabbies, too!). But she said when/if we want to transition to a "regular" bottle, Playtex Vent Air slow flow is the way to go. I had already gotten some of these, but the fast flow and Finn seemed to really like them. It will be nice to have more than one bottle so I'm not constantly washing it (but it is still better than washing the pumping parts all the time!!). It is all in your perspective, I guess.

Overall, a good day!

Nope, no sleep

For the record, Finn did NOT go to sleep this afternoon after rolling onto his back. He played quietly in his crib for AN HOUR before wanting to get up and eat. Unbelievable!

Clean house

I walked into our house this afternoon and it sparkled! We just got a new cleaning lady (thanks, Kristine for referring her!). She is amazing. I feel like we have a new house. I know by tonight, you probably won't be able to tell, but for right now, I LOVE having a super clean house. I wish I were more motivated to clean more often...but I'm not and I've never been one to like cleaning. When Finn starts crawling and is more mobile, we'll have to clean more often or have the cleaning lady come sooner. We'll see. Oh happy day!

To get out of the cleaning lady's way, Finn and I headed to downtown St. Paul to have lunch with Ryan. We stopped at Gander Mountain to see Ryan's new work space (the marketing department is on a different floor now than when I worked there), so we got to see everybody. It was kind of weird, but nice, too. I think enough time has passed for it to not be weird for me (I would have had to quit anyway when all this happened with Finn, I'm sure). We had lunch outside at a place we used to go to all the time, so it was fun to be back on my old stomping grounds. Finn was a super good boy, even though he was tired. He even let me make a quick stop to look for sun dresses for Aruba (no luck!) and only got ticked towards the end when he realized he was hungry. Poor boy. Now he is playing in his crib, having rolled over after I put him on his tummy. I wonder if he will go to sleep that way?!?! He isn't mad, so I'm leaving him alone...for now!

Daddy's home tomorrow night! Yeah. His flight is supposed to get in around 8pm but the nice thing about Southwest is if you get there earlier and there is room, you just take the earlier flight.

3 month already?

Finn is already getting too big for 0-3 month clothes! Okay, that might seem a little weird because he is 7 months old, but if you remember, I just put away most of his newborn size clothes a little over a week ago. I think bottle feeding is agreeing with him (or his weight at least). That is bittersweet...he is obviously gaining weight on bottles, but I just wish I could have provided what he needed instead. Oh, well. Lessons learned for next time. Anyway, so he has only been wearing 0-3 month clothes for two weeks or so. I found the next tub of Austin's clothes, so I guess I'll have to switch clothes out again. I can't wait to see how much he weighs on Wednesday!

His nap "schedule" has changed recently, too. For a really long time, he would wake up, eat, go to sleep, wake up, eat, sleep, rinse and repeat. Now he is awake a lot more between naps and also naps for shorter periods at a time (which I attribute to him rolling over and getting mad that he can't be on his tummy to sleep!). While it was nice having him nap a lot to get stuff done around the house, I am actually having fun with him now. We work on tummy time and he can hold his head up with very limited help for prolonged periods of time...but he still gets mad after a bit. He loves his play gym and will play for a long time, even if he is crabby otherwise. Go figure (but I'll take it!). It also helps for getting out of the house because I always felt guilty going somewhere because Finn needed to sleep. Now I know he can go a couple hours without a nap and be fine. Yeah!

Nursing, naps & nighttime

I made a decision last night, to be implemented starting today. Since Finn is getting so much fortified breast milk via bottle now and since he doesn't think he needs to nap longer than 30 minutes any more, I have decided I'm not going to wake him up to eat any more. When he wasn't gaining weight, I had to wake him every 2.5 hours so he could eat. Now, I'm not nursing during the day and since he isn't sleeping well, I decided it is better for him to sleep than be on such a regimented schedule. I guess we'll find out this week at weigh in if it is a good idea or not. But he looks so much healthier and chubbier than before, so I think we are on the right track.

Along with that, I decided that I'm not going to set my alarm at night to wake him up to eat either. He gets a bottle right before bed and if he is hungry, he can wake me up. I was waking him up at 3:30 to eat more to keep my milk supply strong than anything, so now I will just go with what he tells me. Yeah for longer than 4 hours of sleep at one time again!!!

On to the nursing, Finn is basically just nursing at the over night feeding. While I am very sad that he weaned so quickly (or is weaning so quickly), there are benefits to it too. Because I don't even try to nurse him during the day any more, there isn't frustration for either of us. And if I do try to nurse him (if I'm full or something), I really don't "care" if he eats or not...so no pressure. I already miss that cuddle time with him, but it is easier just knowing that he needs a bottle, so I plan accordingly. I still pump before I go to bed each night, but that is more for my comfort than anything. I have a feeling all will be done in the next week, if even that. Good bye good friend.

Bed time has slowly been moving earlier and earlier. When Finn first came home, bed time was 11 or 12! Then it was earlier until it was regularly between 9 and 9:30. Well, as of the last week or so, he is usually ready for bed by 8pm. Honestly, I didn't mind the late bed time because I'd rather stay up with him than get up early in the morning, but after his 6:30 or 7 am feeding, he goes right back to sleep. I guess I can't complain about that! Night time is still Finn's toughest and crabbiest time of the day, but it is "normal" crying and not colic any more, so we are SO thankful for that.

Jim is traveling today through Wednesday. Yuck. I hate that he has had to travel so much lately. I didn't mind nearly as much when it was "just me" to take care of and I probably mind less than I will in the future when Becky and Austin aren't here any more. It is what it is. But it just makes the days so long when there isn't a break or another parent to pass baby off to once in a while. Oh, well. Wednesday will be here before we know it, I'm sure.

I caught him

Finn's rolling over yesterday was NOT a fluke. He has done it pretty much every time he's been in the crib since. I guess once you figure something out, you just know how to do it. I tried to get it on camera yesterday, but was unsuccessful (he knew I was in the room). But today, this is what I got:


Sorry it is a little dark, but his light was obviously off in his room, since he was supposed to be napping! This minute of taping is after about five minutes of trying. He is persistent (or stubborn!) if nothing else. The bad thing about this new development is that Finn won't sleep! He rolls over and won't fall asleep on his back. It has been a little frustrating, but my joy at seeing him roll over completely unassisted today made up for any frustration. Now if he can master rolling back onto his tummy, naps will probably be a little longer!

Finn, Austin and I joined our friends Amanda, Taylor and Gavin at the Splash Pad today. While all the kids loved it, I was surprised they didn't want to play longer. I think part of it was the massive crowd of kids and people (the other part was they wanted a snack!). I guess that is what happens when you go to a free attraction on a really nice and hot day. But our kids got to play together and I think everybody had fun. Austin wants Gavin (just Gavin, keep in mind!) to come over and play. He is so funny some times.

Watch Finn play

A short video of Finn playing with his play gym (battery ran out otherwise it would probably be a little longer):

I also uploaded a couple other videos, so take a look on our video website (link on the left).

Rolly polly

Finn rolled over today! Okay, I didn't see it, but I put him on his tummy for his nap and when I went in to get him afterwards, this is how I found him:What a big boy! I only wish I could have seen him do it. He has been SO close for a really long time, but just gets frustrated (and his darn head is so heavy!). Oh, and I laid him with his feet to the end of the bed...he never wakes up where I put him any more. Notice how he is staring at Goldie? He LOVES Goldie. So cute (and makes dad so proud!).

His head continues to get more stable and his neck stronger. PT was canceled today because the therapist was ill. I was going to try to reschedule, but I figured I can work with him this week and just go to our appointment next week. We are having poop (or the lack thereof) and also teething issues today. Poor guy. I just gave him some Tylenol, so hopefully that will help.

Friends and frustration

Our day started out well. Finn finally got to see his favorite twins again, Lily and Juliette. We had scheduled some play dates but then both girls had to go and get sick and rather be in the hospital than see Finn! But seriously, it was great to catch up with Becky (who is AMAZING...I complain with only one to take care of and she handles two with such grace) and to make sure the girls were okay with my very own eyes. They are little cuddlers, so I also loved that as Finn is quickly out growing that stage (boo, hoo).

The problem I had today was Finn wouldn't latch on all day (except the two feedings in the morning). I was very frustrated as there was no reason for him not to latch on and he was obviously hungry. By the dinner feeding, I was in tears and by the time bed time came around, I didn't even try to nurse, as I knew it would just end up in a pit of frustration. Maybe we are closer to weaning than I thought, but I was hoping to spread it out over a few weeks at least. Who knows. It will be easier in a way when we are completely bottling, but just for selfish reasons, I'm not quite ready. Tomorrow is a new day.

Jim was supposed to be back this evening from a one day trip to NY, but of course, his flight was delayed so much that he missed his connecting flight in Milwaukee, so he was rerouted to Atlanta (the worst airport in the country, in my opinion) and now is expected to arrive sometime around 2am.

Basilica, finally

I finally got to see inside the Basilica! Finn and I had a play date with Meytal and Lyla today and they live in that area. We were walking around and I realized it was about two blocks away and asked if she minded if we walked over there. Well, it was open, so we went in to look around. What a beautiful place. Meytal said the only place she has ever seen something like it was in the movies! I wish I would have brought my camera (I left it charging at home instead...darn it). I can't believe I've lived here for so long and never been to the Basilica...well, I guess now I have. I'd LOVE to go to mass there some time...but I have a feeling parking would be terrible. Finn got a little crabby when we were there and I think it was because it was a little dark and he thought he had to take a nap! Too funny.

Baby is sleeping and I think mommy needs a nap, too. Laundry first. Boo.

Blast off

I think it is safe to say that Finn exploded last night...literally. He hadn't gone poop in over two days, which is a REALLY long time for him. He usually goes at least twice a day. I haven't talked about poop in a while, so you should be expecting some poop talk. So, we gave him a bath, hoping it would relax him enough to go. After his bath, we decided to give him a suppository because we were getting worried (even though he wasn't exceptionally crabby or didn't seem to be in pain). Well, Jim gave it to him and had to fight to get it to stay in (TMI, I know!). All of a sudden, poop projectiled out of Finn and onto everything! He continued to poop for at least the next several minutes. It was all over...the wall, the changing table, the changing pad, the teddy bears, the carpet, the rug, Finn's baseball hats, Jim, me, Finn...everything.Can you see all the poop on the wall? Sorry, had to share! When he was finished going, Jim brought him straight into the bathroom for another bath and I got to clean up all the poop. I've said it before and I'll say it again...oh the joys of parenthood. At least he went and he was so happy afterwards! Poor boy.

We had a great Saturday. Aunt Kelsie, Memere and DeAnn came over for a little visit. Then our friends Stacey, Sam, Dillon and Connie came over for dinner (well, they brought the dinner!). Connie grew up in Louisiana and is an amazing cook. She made homemade gumbo for us since neither Jim nor I had had it before. OH MY GOSH! It was amazing. I might even like it more than jambalaya (another Cajun dish), which I didn't think was possible. The evening progressed to a great game of Trivial Pursuit (which the girls won by a land slide!) and lots of drinks and fun in the hot tub. We didn't go to bed until 5 or 6am...which is WAY too late for me. I'm too old for that. But it was a much needed fun night for me and I really had a great time. Maybe just a little less alcohol and more sleep next time! Needless to say, yesterday was a very quiet, sleepy day (neither Finn nor I got our of our PJs all day!). Oh, and Connie promised Bananas Foster next time (a dish invented in Louisiana with rum that you set on fire!), which I've never had but love the idea of them. Can't wait!!

Happy 30th birthday, Amanda! See you Friday at the Splash Pad (hopefully the temp is a little warmer than last time!).

Crackin' up

For the last several days, I thought Finn was starting to laugh, but it was fleeting and only happened a couple times. Well, Finn for sure laughed for Jim yesterday morning (I'm sure it was because Finn was so happy daddy was home!). I hope we can get it on video, but it is very hard to catch. He is such a little peanut and such a joy!

Funny thing about nursing. Now that I've decided it's okay to slowly start weaning and the pressure if off...Finn is eating well (not great, but much better than he was). I'm still in the same mind set about weaning, but he has eaten at every feeding so far the last couple of days (albeit not a lot every time)! Little bugger. Just goes to show you who is really in charge (and that "somebody" puts a little too much pressure on herself sometimes)!

Oh and apparently Finn doesn't like thunder! Who knew?!?! I got up at 3:30am to feed Finn this morning only to find both my boys asleep in the chair in Finn's room! Jim said Finn kept waking up from all the noise (probably the lightening, too). Poor boys. I guess we'll have to remember to keep the radio on during thunderstorms in the future.

Little guy not so little

Finn was such a good boy at PT yesterday! Maybe he is starting to get over his fussy stage. I hope so. He was even tired and hungry at the appointment and did a great job. I talked with the PT lady and she said that even for his adjusted age, Finn is still delayed on his head control. I was thinking that same thing, so at least I'm on the same page as they are. She said it is closer to a 2 month old than a 3.5 month old. Not to worry, though, because he is making a lot of progress, which I obviously love to see. With limited help getting him into the position, he was holding his head up while on his tummy! That was huge for me to see because he hadn't done that before. She gave me a couple new exercises (I'll know the whole book by the time we're done!) to work on head control. I'm excited to do these because holding his head up is a huge milestone that will be fun to get to.

In honor of Finn's 7 month birthday, here is a little comparison on his size for some perspective:
Left is from 3/30 and right is from 8/5. I guess Finn IS getting bigger! I packed away all of his preemie and most of his newborn clothes last night. It was hard to look at all those clothes and know he will never wear them again. Maybe baby #2?

Happy 2 year Anniversary! For our house, not our marriage! We bought our house exactly two years ago today. My, how different your life can be in two short years...

7-Eleven

Just kidding, I don't think we have any 7-Eleven convenient stores around here. Anyway, Finn is SEVEN months old today. Time really does fly by. I'm not feeling nearly as emotional about him being another month older as I was for the first six. Maybe that is a sign my baby is getting big :( But am kind of freaked out that he will be one year old in only five months! Crazy.

Finn weighed 11 pounds 1/2 ounce yesterday at the doctor appointment. I was hoping for 11 lbs 4 oz, but the doctor said now that he is older, we can't expect him to continue to gain an ounce a day and she said she was really happy with that number. The numbers keep him under the 3% for his chronological age (they don't chart lower than 3%) and around the 5% for adjusted. His growth curve remains fairly constant, so that is what we are supposed to focus on rather than the numbers. Just as a comparison, a "normal" 7 month old at the 50 percentile weighs 18.5 pounds! I wonder if Finn will make that weight by the time he is 1?!?! Maybe. Probably not!

I also talked to the doctor about nursing/weaning. She said it was fine to do it slowly and since my supply isn't huge to begin with, she said it might not take too long. We'll see. And we are supposed to keep Finn on the 24 calorie formula for now. She laughed when I asked if we have to worry about him eating too many calories! Duh, Stacy...I think we're a ways away from that worry!

My cousin Erica (11) and soon-to-be niece Grace (9.5) spent Monday through Wednesday with me this week. It was so nice having extra (and VERY willing) hands to hold Finn. Plus, it helped me not to notice that Jim was traveling this week (Mom, don't get mad I didn't tell you, I figured I would be fine this time!). He gets home tonight after going to New York, Boston and Chicago in three days! Poor guy. Hopefully he got some pizza in Chicago. That makes it all better (for Jim anyway!).

Oh, I forgot to mention that Finn had a bit of an accident while he was eating when we were visiting the lactation consultant. He not only pooped out of his diaper, it was up his back, all over the Boppy pillow, caked on his onsie, on his arm and on his head! Seriously, gross. Luckily the nice lady helped me clean everything up (and I'm so glad I had an extra outfit in the bag!). Oh, the wonderful joys of parenthood! You gotta love it (and I do!).

We have a PT appointment today, so I'm hoping he is just as good of a boy today as he was last week! Fingers are crossed (I seem to be crossing my fingers a lot lately).

To wean or not to wean

Finn and I met with the lactation consultant at North Memorial again yesterday. It was a good visit. Finn was his normal fussy eater self, so she gave me a few more tips. For the most part, we talked about continuing nursing and the options available if I wanted to start weaning. So that made me feel good. She said she was there to support whatever decision I made and didn't make me feel like I HAD to keep nursing if it wasn't what I thought was best for Finn and me. So, we have a doctor appointment today and I am going to talk to Finn's doctor a little bit more about it. I like to have all the information available before making a decision.

It still makes me sad to think about not nursing any longer, but it isn't like once I decide, I have to stop immediately. So I think I'll have a better handle on the situation after tomorrow. On the good side, I can now talk about stopping without bursting into tears, so I take that as a good sign. I must be grieving this loss, which is good so I can eventually move on. I am so thankful that Finn is healthy and able to eat well (overall). Things could be so much harder.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the lactation consultant put Finn on a special bottle at our visit last week. Finn's suck was too weak, which was part of his problem. Simply by turning the bottle in Finn's mouth, it adjusted the pressure needed to get milk out. It is ingenious but weird looking. I'll try to remember to take a picture of it. So last week we started out on the fastest flow and Finn was even struggling with that. By yesterday, he was consistently eating from the medium flow and even allowed me to move it a little closer to slow. The lactation consultant was VERY impressed with his improvement after only a week. She said improving his suck strength will help his physical development as well as making him able to eat solids better down the road! I'm happy with that, even if it is a struggle to get Finn to eat with this bottle. Most things worth doing aren't easy.

We have a weight check today, so my fingers and toes and anything else possible are crossed for a good number!

Splish splash part 2

Okay, my problem earlier...the file was too large! How am I supposed to know to read the fine print when uploading a video?!?! Anyway, here is the aforementioned bath video. Enjoy!

(I'm so happy I figured it out...after waiting since 10am this morning for the other one to load. Duh!)

Splish splashin' away

*I tried uploading this earlier, but I can't get the video to load on the blog. It just says it is uploading for hours, but never does. Darn it. So I'll keep trying, but here is my post and you can check out the bath video on our picture website*

I finally figured out how to upload video to our picture website (hopefully I can figure out how to upload to this blog, too!)! Okay, Erica helped me, but nonetheless, we figured it out. Keep in mind it only took me almost seven months, but whose counting? And the only help I needed from Jim was how to plug the camera into the computer (to my credit, you have to plug it in THREE places...come on people!). Here is the latest video of Finn taking a bath in the "big boy" way (without the infant hammock): http://picasaweb.google.com/JimandStacyT/Videos#5365928504515917858

The lactation consultant suggested doing it this way so he is more submerged in the water which allows him to relax a little more (since evenings continue to be Finn's "crabby" time). He LOVES it. This is actually the second time he's bathed this way. The first time, I was rolling on the floor laughing because he was kicking so hard everything including me was soaked. He eventually kicked so much he scared himself and we had to get out of the tub. What a goof ball. I'm so thankful that he likes bath time (as evidenced in this video!). Enjoy!

I'll be trying to upload older videos to the picture website as I have time. We'll see how that goes (I don't want to forget how, though!).

To heir is Finn

Jim and I made our official and legal "last will and testament" yesterday. It is something we've been meaning to do for several months now (well, since we got married, actually), but just never got around to it. We decided we needed to do it before we leave the country for my sister's wedding in Aruba at the end of September (probably a good idea!). So, it is done. We did it online and now just have to wait for the official papers to be sent to us (probably later this week). It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. One thing checked off our list.

Finn got a new toy:He doesn't have a lot of play time when he is laying down, so I got him a play gym. I've been wanting one for a while, so I picked it up last night when I was on a Target run (it also has a raised end, so we can use it for tummy time, too!). They have way fancier (and expensive) ones, but he LOVES it. He was crabby (because he was tired and wouldn't nap long enough!) last night and Jim put him under it and he just talked and looked at it and was happy. He even reached out and moved the toys a few times! Yay, I guess it is a keeper.

I think the "where's mommy" syndrome last week might have been due to Finn being so tired as he was fine this weekend. Lately he has been taking short cat naps and is tired all the time. Not sure how to convince him that he needs to sleep longer. I keep telling him that I know what is best, but he doesn't seem to care! Ha, ha. Hopefully we have a few month reprieve before he starts playing stranger to others.

Where's mommy?

New development: Finn now has the need to keep me (or at least "somebody") in his eye sight at all times! While in a way, this is endearing, in another much bigger way, this is very annoying! I mean, when it is just the two of us and we're going to the grocery store (we took our first trip out alone yesterday...I figured Lunds couldn't be too bad), I can't be in the back seat with him and he can't face forward. Argh. I was pumping before we left and he was two feet from me, but the toy in his bouncy seat obstructed his view of me and you would have thought his leg fell off or something. I'm really hoping it was because he was tired and not a new phase. He has done well today. Auntie NaeNae and Nick watched him for a while and he was fine. I guess we'll see! Maybe he needs more daddy time in the evenings (I know mommy could use a break)!

He also has started watching us eat. We were told this is a sign that babies are getting ready to eat solids. Since most babies start solids at 4 months and Finn is 3 1/2 months adjusted, it might be right around the corner. Probably a good question to ask at his weight check this week. I don't know if I'm ready for solids for him, though! Ha, ha.

Oh and I think daddy must have the magical touch. He was able to get Finn to latch on to the dreaded left side during two feedings today! He's hired. Too bad the job doesn't pay well enough for him to do it full time!

Give it a few more days

I talked with the lactation consultant today. We've just been struggling on and off and I know bottling would just be easier. She said that Finn's behavior is very unusual and would like me to keep trying to nurse at least until my appointment with her on Tuesday. As far as my milk supply, she said it is really hard to tell if I'm getting more because if I am, Finn would be eating the extra! So, my diet of mangoes, avocadoes and oats is still on. Plus the supplement and vitamins. I'm definitely feeling better about the fact that in the near future, I will have to stop nursing, but the thought of never nursing him again, still makes me cry. Maybe I'll have Jim video a good session, so I can have that when I'm sad. I don't know if that would help or not, but it wouldn't hurt. So for now, I try to nurse him, give him his bottle, try to nurse him again and based on his results, pump or not pump.

On a different note, Finn is reaching out to things and "playing" with his toys! He was in his crib earlier this week and he had actively grabbed the little elephant on the side and was pulling it back and forth. He also reaches for my fingers when he is nursing/eating, I think it gives him comfort. He will also shake his rattle if we help put it in his hands. It is so fun to see these little developmental milestones. While I can't help wonder when he will be sitting, I don't stress about how old he will be when he does it. He will do it when he does and we will be so excited!!

Good news all around

Finn was an excellent boy at physical therapy today! I always cringe when we walk in there because of his past behavior. But today we had a new therapist (Katie's schedule was full) and Finn did amazing both in temperament and activity. He held his head up for a prolonged period of time while on his tummy and didn't get mad at all and rolled over with limited help from both his tummy and back. He had full range of motion with his head (last week he wasn't looking all the way to the right). She was very pleased with him today. We have two new exercises to do this week that work on rolling over and working his trunk muscles (lower abdomen and upper legs). Overall, the best appointment he has had yet (and we didn't even need his pacifier)!

And, dare I say, I think Finn's colic is going away! He still gets upset but he hasn't had an atomic meltdown (other than when eating, but I don't think that is colic related and probably isn't at the atomic level) in several days. I think making sure he gets enough sleep during the day helps a lot or at least that is what I'm telling myself. I'm so hopeful that this stage is almost over.

The eating front is about the same as yesterday. Except now, he will barely latch on to my left side. I don't know why he doesn't like that side except that I do know it produces less than the other side, so maybe he knows that! We'll see how the weekend goes.

Life is about perspective. And the perspective that matters is the long term one. I'm trying to keep that in mind. Things could always be worse and I need to be grateful for what I have and appreciate where we've been.

So far, so good

Finn has been eating really good today. I got him up at 3:30 and he ate until I'm pretty sure I was dry. Then he woke up at 6:30 to eat and latched right now (and fell asleep at the breast, so I couldn't even get in his fortified bottle!). Then he ate at 10:30 with no problems and put up a mild resistance at 1:30, but ended up doing a full feeding both times (finished by fortified bottles). I know mornings are usually better for him, but I'll take four in a row. Nicki made some tea for me yesterday that is supposed to help with milk production and I wonder if that might be part of it too (I feel like I'm a little fuller). Regardless, I'm very pleased.

My friend Lorry's grandpa passed away last night after a long fight with cancer. While it is always sad to lose somebody you love, he is in such a better place, but will be greatly missed. My prayers are with her and her family today while they deal with this tremendous loss to their family. Lorry came over for a bit today to get away, so it was nice to catch up with her (and she brought me lunch...yum!) and she got lots of Finn time (nothing like a baby to help deal with a death, right? Works for me, anyway). Time heals all wounds.

Boy meets boy

Finn FINALLY has a friend that isn't a girl. I mean, don't get me wrong, he loves his girl-friends and one day I'm sure they will all break his heart, but a guy needs other guys! This was Finn and Dane's first play date. (Dane is the son of our friends Darren and Nicki, who is Jim's coworker.) The boys were fast friends, as you can kind of tell they were already holding hands in this picture! They were pretty comparable in size (Dane was born in May), but Dane was a little bigger. Oh, well. Hopefully Finn will catch up one day or at least be able to stick up for himself.

Today was a little tough with feeding. Finn did well this morning, but wouldn't really eat during our play date, so by the time we got home, he was in meltdown mode. I decided to just give him a bottle and put him to bed instead of trying to get him to nurse, too. Hopefully he will nurse well tonight after a good long nap. I'm doing all the tricks I've been told to do and I don't feel like I'm getting any more milk. I'm not sure how long it should take to see results. So, we'll see, I guess. Oh, I have a wonderful recipe for "Lactation Boosting Cookies" if anybody is interested! So yummy!

Baby steps to good eating

Finn just had a great feeding (well, great by our new standards) tonight before bed. It started out pretty hairy, but after "arguing with him" I gave him his 2 ounces of fortified bottle, then calmed him down and he ate from both sides! I was so happy, I almost cried. I kept telling him what a good job he was doing. We are trying the method of laying down to eat because then he is able to reposition himself without unlatching like he had been doing. I don't know. I'll take it. Baby steps.

Lactation appointment

I met with the lactation consultant today (a specialist who works with mothers who have difficulties with breastfeeding their babies). At the appointment, Finn was not latching on, which I guess was a "good" thing because then she was able to work first hand with him to see what tricks might work. By the end of the feeding session, he had eaten about an ounce. Since I didn't feel very full, I was actually pleased with that. She said he should be eating around 3.5 or 4 ounces a session and we usually supplement with 2 ounces. She gave me a new bottle to try and a prenatal vitamin designed for lactating mothers. I have an appointment next Monday (which I think I will have to change to either this Thursday or next Tuesday because I have Austin Mondays and Fridays). She was very optimistic and hopeful.

I was, but then Finn had his next feeding session at home and was very stubborn and fussy. I did get him to eat a little bit, but then had Becky watch him so I could pump the rest. It doesn't help that I've had a migraine all day and I'm sure my patience level is nonexistent. I think this new bottle is supposed to increase his sucking ability (he doesn't have a very strong suck, which is why his pacifier doesn't stay in!). I'm in the "we'll see" state of mind. If he doesn't get better, it just isn't worth it. But I SO want him to get better! And the weird thing is that he eats fine the first two or three feedings of the day and then progressively gets fussier during the day (maybe a side effect of colic?!?!). I don't know. Again, thank you so much for all the support. I just wish this weren't such an emotional thing for me and I wish I didn't want it so badly. But it is and I do, so again, we'll just have to see. I've sent prayers up to the Big Guy, so anything is possible, right?!?!

Mixed results

So, I have mixed feelings about the nursing marathon. It started out really good. Finn was eating every hour to hour and a half and latching on well. But then he started getting tired (sleeping on me isn't the same as in his bed!) so I put him in his crib and he slept for 3 hours! After that, he wouldn't latch on and screamed constantly (keeping in mind, it was around 7pm and time for colic anyway!). So we went for a walk, which calmed him down. Then I tried feeding him before bed and he latched on for 5 minutes and started screaming again. So I just put him to bed and he was sleeping in one minute. Jim thought he was just tired from sucking all day. I don't know. I'll talk with the lactation consultant tomorrow to see what she suggests. On the bright side, he has eaten well twice today!

6 month picture reminder!That is a little teaser of his "oh so cute" pictures! If you are interested in ordering any of Finn's 6 month pictures, they will be available online for viewing/ordering until Friday, July 31. To order 1) Go to jessicahislop.com and click on "proofing" 2) type the password: smile 3) Select a gallery (Finn's is the only one that will show up) 4) Go through the slideshow and "add to cart" the pictures you want. Please let me or Jessica know if you have any questions.

Oh, Finn and I both wanted to thank Memere for visiting and helping out last week. It was a tough week for me and having the extra help and pair of hands was much appreciated. Finn is lucky to have such wonderful family that loves him so much.

We also wanted to send out well wishes to our friends Becky and Ben. Their twin preemie girls have the dreaded RSV (I didn't know you could get it in the summer!) and are at Children's hospital. If all goes well, it should run its course in the next few days and they should be able to come home. While they are already in our prayers, I'm sure a few extra wouldn't hurt!

Finn's doing a marathon?

Finn is on a nursing marathon today. What that means is that Finn will be breastfeeding as much as possible today. Hopefully all that extra suckling time will send a message to my breasts to make more milk. It is worth a try. You are supposed to stay in bed all day, but that doesn't seem very practical to me. I also continue to take the fenugreek supplement and I must be getting used to it because it doesn't taste nearly as bad as it did the first time I took it.

Finn's colic seems to be getting somewhat better, too. Now that I say that, he will probably have a terrible night tonight...you know how babies are! But we've found that if we keep him on a consistent dose of Tylenol and if he gets plenty of sleep, his bouts of inconsolable screaming seem to be less often and less intense. He has had colic for three weeks now, so it is my hope that he is transitioning out of this phase as well.

Finn is SO close to rolling over (from tummy to back)! This is a huge step for us because even a week ago, he showed no signs of even attempting it, let alone almost doing it (he couldn't even lift his head to start the process of rolling over). I think it is in large part because he sleeps on his tummy for naps. I found him several times partially rolled over and just his arm was in the way. I wonder if I had let him lay there longer if he would have figured it out. Each time, I help him finish rolling over, so he starts to know what it feels like to do it. So, we'll see!

I have hope

I definitely felt like I had no hope about nursing yesterday (well, maybe for the last week). To be honest, I cried most of the day, which is definitely not like me. BUT, Finn's doctor returned my call and referred me to the lactation consultant at North Memorial Hospital. I called her right away and she reassured me there are things we can do to increase my milk supply. She immediately "prescribed" an herbal supplement called fenugreek or "more milk plus", which I picked up about half an hour later. I take this four times a day starting last night. On Monday, we will set up an appointment to go in when Finn is ready to eat. They will weigh him before and after he eats, so we know how much he is getting. Then, she will help to make a plan based on that information. She was actually at the desk when I picked it up and she again reassured me that we would figure this out. She also suggested avocados, mangoes and oatmeal. And she included a cookie recipe that has something in it because they call them "milk cookies" or something like that! Who knew?!?! So I need to run to the grocery store, I guess!

Now, keep in mind that this herbal supplement tastes AWFUL! But I can take 1-2 oz of liquid with it, so I've found that apple juice helps a little. But, whatever works, I will try. Hopefully between the feeding changes I'm making, the herbal supplement and the food, my milk will come in strong and little man can get the nourishment he needs from me! (my saving grace is that when I was pumping for the two months after Finn was born, I was over producing, which bodes well for my chances now!) I got up at 5am to feed Finn (he wasn't really awake, but I "encouraged" him to be so he could eat!) and there was definitely milk there, he didn't have issues latching on like he has the last several days and he got enough for a feeding. I was very happy. Thank you for all the support. Not being able to properly feed your baby definitely makes you feel like a failure. At least now I feel like I'm doing something about it!

Jim asked me last night why nursing was such an emotional issue for me and why it was such a big deal. It made me think a little bit. I think part of it is that it stems from a survival instinct (if you don't feed your baby, they won't survive). Now, obviously that isn't true today, with formula, but I think it is definitely instinctual. The other part I think for me is that I didn't get to "be" Finn's mom for the first three months of his life. I didn't get to hold him or bathe him or feed him or anything. Now that I can, I WANT to, maybe a little more than I would have if things had been different. I don't know, but he did make me think.

We (John, Sasha, Sonia, Becky, Austin, Pete, Jim, Finn and I) went to watch the River Rats last night. It is a ski show on the Mississippi River. They "practice" every Thursday night for their national competitions, so the show is free. While the announcer needed some work, the show was phenomenal. Finn was even a good boy, but then again, he was outside with lots to hear and see. We had a "small town moment" when we were there. We randomly ran into my aunt Angie, Erica and Gavin there! It is weird to run into people you know when you are in Minneapolis. Afterwards, Lynn offered to stay home to put Finn to bed, so we (John, Sasha, Sonia, Jim and I) went to El Loro for dinner (I ordered guacomole so I could eat some avocadoes!). I really needed the time out. I felt normal again and even had a margarita! Yummy.

Progress and frustration

Finn had a wonderful physical therapy session today. I was bracing for it, considering last week he was in full meltdown mode the whole time. This week, he wasn't exactly happy, but he didn't meltdown and with the help of his trusty pacifier, keep him at least calm. He is improving in a lot of areas. So much so, in fact, that his torticollis has switched sides! Before he was looking to the right, tilting to the left and now he is major tilting to the right and somewhat looking to the left! Needless to say, we are stopping the exercises to get him to look left and tilt right! He also did a great job lifting his head and holding it midline when his body is at an angle. These are all things that he absolutely could not do before. So we are supposed to focus on exercises that strengthen his neck. Overall, a very good appointment.

On the flip side, I am struggling with some major nursing frustration. Now that Finn is taking two bottles a day, he just isn't nursing well and I feel like my milk is going away! Oh, and he wouldn't latch on last night, which complete broke my heart. I broached the subject with Finn's doctor yesterday and was basically told to not worry about it because he is gaining weight. Well, I'm worried. I'm just not ready to stop nursing. I went over to my friend Becky's this morning, and basically emotionally puked on her...which I felt terrible doing because she has her own struggles! But, she has been there and had some wonderful suggestions, lent me a book about nursing and gave great advice. The book said it is better to wake his up to eat than let him sleep through feedings. Yay...that is what I felt I should do, but needed somebody to tell me it was okay. The book also said that instead of giving Finn two full bottles a day, we should split that amount between each of his feedings, which I think will help with him latching on and feeling like he is getting enough. I just don't think Finn realizes when he is hungry because he sleeps 12 hours at night and goes 4 or 5 hours between feedings sometimes during the day! So, I am going to try to nurse him every 2 1/2 hours during the day and get up once during the night. Becky also suggested doing a nursing marathon where you basically "nurse" him all day long, so I think I'm going to try that on Saturday.

I don't know if any of this will work or not, but at least I feel like I'm doing something. I also called Finn's doctor and left a message to see if I could meet with a lactation consultant. I just need some help! I know this is "small" potatoes in the big scheme of life and in Finn's journey, but it is a very emotional subject and for whatever reason, I'm just not ready or willing to let it go yet. I just enjoy nursing him so much more than bottle feeding him.

Big bottle for a big boy

Finn is eating so much, we had to transition him over from his 5 oz bottles to the 9 oz bottles this morning:
This is Memere giving Finn his first big boy bottle. It looks like he is holding it, but he really isn't! Very cute, though. And he ate a full 6 oz. I'll take that any day.

Which brings me to the second part of the title...Finn is a big boy! We had a weight check today and he weighed 10 lbs 6 oz. Based on his weight from last week, he should have weighed 10 lbs 3 oz, so he gained even more than he "should" have. I was so pleasantly surprised (a big change from how I felt after his appointment last week!). His body must just need more calories than I can provide right now. Hopefully the bottles won't be forever (or maybe we can transition to one a day?!?!). Regardless, Finn is gaining weight again and it feels so good!!! Grow, baby, grow!

Far sided momma

Finn was a bad host last night. Laura and Matt came over and Finn slept practically the whole time they were here!Don't worry, though. Matt and Jim managed to keep occupied by playing Nintendo all night (Tecmo Bowl and Contra). It was funny to see two grown men get so into such an old game! I did finally wake Finn up a little after 8pm because he had to eat before going to bed for the night. Laura even gave him his bottle, which isn't an easy feat. Good job, Laura! Sorry he spit up on you a little bit!

Finn had his eye appointment this morning, which Memere joined us for. I was bracing for any bad news, just so I wasn't caught off guard like I was for Finn's last doctor appointment. But everything went well and they didn't have to use the retractors to look in his eyes, so he didn't even scream! Yeah for not screaming. They did several tests to see how Finn's eyes are in general (does he squint to light, can he follow objects, do his eye tear, etc). They also have a fancy way of checking to see if they are near or far sided (never knew you could do something other than the eye chart!). Finn is far sided, more so then they usually see. While this isn't necessarily reason for concern (I, too, was very far sided as a child), we have to watch to see if his eyes start to cross...a common side effect of being far sided. The ROP is inactive and fading away, which is what they told us at the last visit, but good to know that is still the case. Finn has another appointment in 6 months because of being so far sided, whereas usually they would wait for 12 months. So, yay! Overall, a successful appointment...and he didn't meltdown for the entire hour and a half appointment! Another yay! Now I just hope he doesn't meltdown at his next PT appointment on Thursday!

So nice to be home

We had a very nice and relaxing day yesterday. Jim brought his original Nintendo back from O-ville on Saturday, so he spent most of the day getting reaquainted. My aunt Karen came over with her three kids, one of which is my godson John. He lives and goes to school in Indiana, so I don't get to see him very often and he hadn't met Finn yet.It was a really nice visit and I really appreciate them coming to us! He leaves tomorrow to go back to school. I really miss him when he is gone.

At Finn's doctor appointment on Thursday, I talked to his doctor about Finn not being able to go out in public. I just feel like others think we are being too cautious and I wanted her opinion on it. She said that it is okay for Finn to go stores, as long as we are very careful about not touching him, letting others touch him or letting him touch the cart, etc. I'm not ready to go out by myself with him, but hopefully we can start taking family trips to Target and to get groceries so Jim doesn't have to keep doing it all by myself. The other thing is big crowds. She said that this if far more dangerous for Finn than going to a store (because we can't control the environment as easily). We were told he couldn't be around crowds for the first year, but she said because he turns one in January, which is during RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) season, he actually shouldn't be around people until he is ADJUSTED one year old! I was not expecting this. We will obviously do what is best for Finn's health, but next April is a LONG time away!

Finn continues to sleep in his crib. He sleeps on his tummy for naps and his back for night time. He occasionally falls asleep in the swing, but not very often. He is starting to tolerate tummy time a little better and loves to lay on his side (a developmental "exercise" we are supposed to do to encourage rolling over). He is able to hold onto his rattle and bring it to his mouth to suck on. Jim even got him to grab for it yesterday, which is a new thing for him. What else? Are there any other things I need to update or haven't talked about in a while? When I do these posts every day, I sometimes forget to revisit things.

Jim's mom and dad are here today and Jim's mom is staying all week. I'm sure Finn will be ridiculously spoiled, but that is her job! It will give me a chance to catch up on laundry and mail and everything else.

What a day!

Jim's flight ended up coming in late, so we decided to go out to O-ville this morning, which meant 1. I got up at 6am on a Saturday and 2. a long day in the car! Man, when I get up that early, I'm used to going back to bed after feeding Finn! Finn was a good boy on the way there, but he hardly slept at all, which is very unusual for him (he LOVES to sleep in late...just like daddy!). The baby shower was wonderful with great food and lots of people. Thank you to everybody who attended and the very generous and "oh so cute" gifts. We are very grateful that so many people love Finn and care about his health and journey.

Then we spent some time at Jim's mom where Finn had a meltdown. We headed for home around 4pm. We got home around 8pm between which time Finn had at least two more meltdowns. Oh, you gotta love colic. He ate like a champ and is now in bed, hopefully for the night. He didn't really sleep all day except for little cap naps, so I'm sure he is exhausted. Now we are home and Jim and I are ready to crash, too! Hopefully a nice, slow lazy day tomorrow.

I just wanted to thank the hosts of the shower for putting together a wonderful event. It truly was lovely. All the effort is much appreciated.

There's my sweet baby

My sweet baby boy is back. Well, at least for last night. He was his normal cute, cooing, smiling, just crying (not screaming) self and it was AWESOME! I kept telling him how much I love him because when he is screaming, it is the last thing on my mind. I don't think his colic is over yet or anything, but for one night, I got a reprieve. Maybe that was because I had my own meltdown after Finn's doctor appointment yesterday. Just too much to handle and it didn't help that Jim was out of town. Thank goodness my mom was visiting!

We had a fun, albeit cold, play date today. Finn, Austin and I met my friend Amanda and her two kids, Taylor and Gavin, at a park in St. Louis Park. I think the kids had fun and it is always great to catch up with Amanda. I'm still cold, though! What happened to summer? It was SIXTY-ONE degrees and windy! I wonder if there was a wind chill (ha, ha!). Hopefully we can do it again soon when it is warmer out because they have a splash pad water area that Austin REALLY REALLY wanted to play in.

We are off to O-ville for Finn's baby shower on Saturday. Not sure if we are leaving tonight or EARLY tomorrow...depends when Jim's flight gets in and how tired he is. Should be fun! Austin said that Finn misses his daddy and that is why he was crying in the car on the way home from our play date. Too cute. Finn is lucky to have such a great Big Cousin!

Not so big

Well, Finn had his 6 month well-child appointment this morning. I'm very sad to say that he only weighs 9 pounds 13 ounces, 5 ounces less than the last time he was weighed in June. He should have weighed just under 12 pounds to stay on track. We have to go back to two fortified bottles a day so he starts gaining enough weight and weekly weight checks. As you know, this makes me very sad for several reasons. Mainly, I love breastfeeding him and I hate having to pump. However, I will obviously do what needs to be done for Finn's health. I just was not expecting this and thought we were beyond it. When is enough, enough? He is in the 3rd percentile for weight for his adjusted age (which is 3 months). He is 22 inches long and his head is 16 centimeters. He also got his 6 month immunizations today (not sure how Jim got out of both his 4 month AND his 6 month shots!), so I'm sure I'll have a crabbier than normal boy on my hands. Bring on the Tylenol!

Grandma's here to save the day! My mom came to visit since Jim is out of town for basically the whole week. Last night Finn took a really big nap until just after 7:30 pm, woke up, took a bath, and then ate. SO...she didn't get to spend too much time with him, but she did hold him after he ate until he was ready to go in his crib. What a good grandma! I really appreciated the break. She is staying until this evening, but not staying over, and then daddy is back tomorrow, but his plane doesn't get in until 8pm. Oh, well. Yeah for daddy coming home!

Finn had his PT appt yesterday. Let's just say it didn't go very well. He had taken some good naps during the day, so I was optimistic, even after the last appt when he had a major meltdown. However, the appointment was at 4pm, so I knew it was getting into his meltdown time. We got there and he was all smiles for me in the waiting room, which these days, doesn't happen very often. The second I took him back and took his clothes off and we started, he had a complete and total meltdown. Katie, his physical therapist, is going to start thinking it is her! She tried to show me some new exercises, but ended up just giving me the handouts because he was impossible to work with. Oh, Finn. Then he crashed in the car on the way home.

I finally gave in

I joined the ranks of Facebook last night. I've been resisting it FOREVER on the basis that I'm too old, but when several of my aunts joined, I figured I couldn't really use that excuse any longer (not that they are old!). Everybody says it is so easy to keep in contact with people, so I really like that aspect of it. We'll see, I guess!

Finn had a visit from a teacher with the Minneapolis Early Intervention program yesterday. It was kind of short (he is only doing so much developmentally to "test"). What she saw, she was very pleased with. I feel like he is behind, but that is probably because I've "known" him for 6 months, but he is only doing 3 month old things...which is what he is supposed to be doing. Hopefully he will progress for each monthly visit. I believe the next one will be the end of August.

After the visit, Finn and I went over to Meytal and Lyla's in downtown. I was a little nervous, just because if you don't know exactly where you're going, downtown can be crazy and I'm not very familiar with the part of downtown they live in (and I don't have my GPS any more to help me!). We found it with ease and had a wonderful afternoon with the girls...albeit Finn screamed or slept for most of the visit. Meytal used a sling when Lyla had colic, so we tried that and it really seemed to work. We won't tell Finn it was PINK! Ha, ha.

Erica was supposed to visit today, but she got sick instead! Yuck. Poor girl. I told Finn last night before bed that she was coming, so I'm sure he will be sad today that she isn't. Hopefully the fact that grandma is coming this afternoon should make him feel better!

Oh and somebody is three months old adjusted today! What a big boy!

Crib is dusty no more

I weighed Finn yesterday and I hope our scale is wrong. It had him only weighing 9 1/2 pounds WITH clothes on. I'm not too worried only because our scales sucks and I'm hoping it is just wrong. I guess we'll know for sure on Thursday!

Update on the crib/carseat situation. So DeAnn had Finn sleeping in his pack-n-play when we got home on Saturday night, so Jim and I looked at each other and decided to see if he would stay asleep if we transported him to his crib. Well, surprisingly to us, he did! He got up at 5am the next morning to eat, but I'll pick my battles. He has slept in his crib each night since then, too (three nights in a row)! Finally, we're getting some use from the crib. He still sleeps in his carseat for the naps he NEEDS to take and sometimes in the swing, too, but I'd say this is a big step. The one bad thing about it is now he won't go to sleep easily. Before, he would eat and be sleepy and I'd lay him down and he'd just look at me and then go to sleep. Now, I have to rock him until he is really out and hope he doesn't wake up on the way over to the crib...and I have to hold his pacifier in until he is back to a deep sleep. Hopefully he gets used to the crib and sleeping flat on his back shortly. At least I don't feel like I'm making his neck worse by putting him in the carseat each night! Jim is traveling for the rest of the week, so it should be interesting without him here and making all these changes.

Oh and FYI, Nana...90% of colic cases are gone by 9 months of age. Not sure if that is 9 calendar months or 9 adjusted months for Finn, but worse case scenario, another 6 months of colic (probably not, though!). Also, Janice, I think laying Finn on his tummy on my legs seemed to work yesterday. At least for a short time. Hey, I'll take whatever I can get!!

Weekend

The walk about was a blast. I think it was the funnest one for me yet. Jim and I didn't shut the place(s) down because Jim had a little (or a lot) too much to drink and I needed to pump! I hate pumping and dumping, but it was worth it to have a fun night out. Thanks, Beth for organizing it (oh, and happy birthday!).

Jim's cousin's Sasha and Sonia from Washington state are also visiting. They flew in Friday afternoon. They hadn't met Finn yet, so that was nice (even if Finn had a mini-meltdown 5 minutes after they arrived!). They are in Minnesota for two weeks, I think, so we should get to see them quite a bit. Which is a good thing because they are great girls and we love them lots!

Finn continues to have colic, but not as regular as it had been. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. He didn't meltdown Friday or Saturday night, which we were very grateful for. However yesterday, he melted down in the afternoon, which was odd. Jim eventually got him to sleep and then we went for a BIG walk in the evening, so he was fine then (until 5am this morning!). Argh. This too shall pass. Thank you so much for all the support, comments and suggestions! They are very appreciated.

One "free" night

Don't tell Finn, but he didn't scream last night. Or rather, didn't scream for a prolonged period of time. He had a little bout in the afternoon and was a little crabby later, but no meltdown. It was so nice, but I kept cringing just waiting for it to start. I'll take it, though. Hopefully he is a good boy tonight for babysitter DeAnn...she is a brave woman. The good thing is that we are sticking very close to home and can be home in minutes, if needed. Fingers (and toes if it were possible) are crossed!

I headed to my mom's family's reunion in Benson today. It was a long drive for a somewhat short visit, but good to see everybody. I hadn't been to this family (the Valentine family) reunion for I think close to 15 years! I must be old when I start saying things happened 15 years ago! Yikes. We took pictures, but I haven't had time to upload any yet.

Also, happy birthday to Grandma Kathy! I made her a cake and we sang to her, so that was very nice. Now we, the whole gang, are headed to the walk about for some fun and drinking. I hope everybody survives. Especially Renae since this is the first time she has been able to come along. I'm sure we'll have a bunch of people crashing on whatever available space they can find tonight.

Colic, seriously?!?!

Several people have suggested that Finn has Colic. Well, first I didn't really know what it was or what "caused" it, so I brushed it off. Second, I know it was when babies cry a lot and it was my thought that all babies cry, so it wasn't really anything. However, last night we were at our whits end, so I looked it up online.

Medical experts define colic as excessive crying in an otherwise healthy baby lasting more than 3 hours a day, 3 times a week. A baby usually establishes a daily pattern of crying, such as early morning or evening. Doctors have yet to discover the causes of colic. A fussy, crying, colicky baby is inconsolable, and the crying is not due to hunger or pain. The condition affects up to 20% of newborns (not sure if preemies are more susceptible to it or not).

After reading that, I looked at Jim and said, "I guess Finn has colic." Every night since last Saturday, Finn has had what I lovingly like to call an atomic meltdown. It occurs between 5 and 9pm...but always hits its zenith at 7pm. He doesn't cry, he screams. The only thing we found to help was one night, I gave him a bath and then we went for a walk. He just had a short lived meltdown that night. I still don't know what having colic "means" or what we can do about it. My friend Steph's little girl had it, so I sent her an email, hopefully getting some much needed advice. Finn also has his 6 month well-child appointment next week, so I will talk to his doctor about it. Last night it just got to the point where we swaddled Finn and put him in his pack and play. He cried there for an hour...falling asleep once, just to wake up with more energy for more screaming. It breaks me heart, but also frays at my nerves.

I just feel like, "now this...if it isn't one thing, it is another." I mean, haven't we already gone through enough? Can't we avoid having to deal with this, too?!?! It makes me dread the evenings and not want to do anything with anybody because I don't want to have to deal with Finn while people are over...or having anybody baby-sit him because it isn't fair to them. This, too, shall pass, but I just wonder what will be next.

On a slightly better note, Finn slept in his crib for a little while yesterday for a nap...albeit on his tummy, but we'll pick our battles.

He said, She said

It is really "They said, They said", but that doesn't sound as nice. I am frustrated. We had Finn's PT appointment yesterday. And we were told that he should not be sleeping in the car seat and he can be swaddled with his arms inside the blanket. These two things might not sound like a big deal, but they are to us. We were told after asking several people that it was fine for him to sleep in the car seat. Now, I think it is at least partly responsible for why he has Torticollis...or at least why it is to the degree it is. And the nurses/doctors at the hospital told us to NEVER, under any circumstances, swaddle him with his arms inside the blanket...so we didn't swaddle him at all once he got home. If we could have swaddled him like this (which is how he was swaddled in the hospital), he would probably have slept just fine in the crib and this whole thing could have been avoided.

I'm frustrated because I feel like I made wrong decisions regarding Finn and his health...but I/we made the best decisions based on information we received at the time. How do you know what questions to ask and who to ask them to? How do you know whose opinion to trust and whose to question? How do you know you ARE making the best decision for your baby? My confidence is shaken. At least the "harm" is nothing that can't be undone...hopefully.

Anyway, the PT appointment was interesting. Finn was in meltdown mode the whole time. He decided he didn't need his morning nap, so he was tired. The poor physical therapist. But she still worked on and with him and was really good with him. We are supposed to keep doing the neck exercises. We are also supposed to try to get him to lay in the fetal position. This is supposed to give babies the most comfort, but because he was deprived of being in the womb, he doesn't hold his limbs in like a normal baby would. So, we are to hold his arm(s) by his chest and tuck his legs up. This might help calm him.

That brings me to the other point I haven't brought up the last few days...Finn officially hates the evening. I know this is very common for babies, but I was hoping to avoid it. The first night it happened, I commented on it on here (atomic meltdown). Then it kept happening and I was hoping it wasn't a trend. Well, it is. From about 5 - 8pm every night, he just cries and can't be consoled. On advice from Becky, I gave him a bath tonight (instead of doing it during the day like usual). After which we decided to go for a walk because Finn loves being outside. Both seemed to help a lot. I guess it is trial and error until we either figure out what is wrong, or he grows out of it. We are earning our parent stripes for sure!

Are you ready to see our cute baby?

Jessica Hislop is amazing. If anybody out there is looking for some pictures of their kids or family or Senior pictures or whatever...Jessica is the person to contact. Visit her website is website. She books up fast, so contact her early!

Now, onto Finn's 6 month pictures! If you're interested, here is how you can take a peek at Finn's 6 months pictures:

1) Go to jessicahislop.com and click on "proofing"

username: Finn6months
password: smile (you just need this to log in)

2) Select a gallery (Finn's is the only one that will show up)

3) Go through your slideshow.

Warning: your heart will melt!

If you find a picture or two you can't live without, please feel free to place your own order (as small as one picture or as many as you want!). Just type in the "special message" area who you are so we can keep the orders separate. All the pricing is listed when you "add to cart" and also on her website under "pricing" (go figure!). Please let me know if you have any questions.

Enjoy the wonderful pictures of our adorable baby!

Next day delivery

Talk about speedy. Jessica (Finn's photographer...like he has his own?!?!) already has a preview from Finn's photo shoot yesterday on her blog. Check them out! She amazes me every time. Can't wait to see the rest of the pictures!

Another birthday and a busy day

A big huge happy birthday wish to Finn's Auntie NaeNae who turns the BIG 21 today! I can't believe my baby sister is twenty one...that makes me feel really old. Happy birthday little sister and enjoy your first taste of alcohol! Watch out for this weekend at the walk about...I doubt you'll be able to walk! Hee, hee.

Mike, Katie and Quinn stopped by last night to meet Finn (and so I could finally meet Quinn!).Quinn is about 18 months old. It is fun for us to see what Finn will be like in a year or so and I think it was fun for them to remember what its like to have a baby. Mike was able to quiet Finn down, so he is for sure hired as our permanent baby sitter when they move back this fall! They found a couple houses they really like, so now it is just buying one.

Finn had a big day today. He had his 6 month photo shoot this morning, which turned into this afternoon, too. Whenever I make plans around when I think he will sleep, he always proves me wrong. I scheduled the pictures for 10am, knowing he is usually sleeping, so we could get some sleeping shots, and then he would wake up and be his normal happy morning self...didn't happen! We finished the photo shoot around 1:30, after two attempts to get him to nap, two feeding sessions, one lunch break, a million attempts to get him to smile and daddy coming home for lunch. I think after all that, we got three smiling pictures...but it wasn't for lack of trying! Luckily, I think Finn is cute anyway, so I'm sure the pictures will be cute, even thoughout a smile. Jess hopes to have them ready by the weekend! Yay! I'll obviously post when they are ready for your viewing.

Then we headed over to our friend Becky's house. She is the mom of Lily and Juliette...also preemies born at 29 weeks gestation in March. I love this picture...Finn with his girlfriends...notice he is the stud in the middle. We had a great talk and the babies behaved themselves for the most part (other than Finn being super tired and refusing to sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time). Because Finn just didn't sleep much, he is now in meltdown mode (he might have just fallen asleep...I really hope so). Becky is home with her girls for a few months at least, so hopefully we can do regular play dates with them!

Happy half birthday, Finn!

Our baby is 6 months old TODAY! I just can't believe it. Erica said I should do a comparison picture from then to now, and I think it is a brilliant idea.
January 6, 2009:
July 6, 2009:My, what a difference 6 months makes! It is weird to stop and think about what Finn has gone through in these quick 6 months. The time in the hospital seems like a dream or like it happened to somebody else. We are so grateful and blessed to have a healthy 6 month old. He still has obstacles he will have to overcome related to him being born so early, but we didn't have nearly the mountain to climb that we could have. God truly has been watching over our family in so many ways. Thank you so much for all your support, too, which we couldn't have survived without.

We continue to work on his Torticollis. Some days it seems so much better and then the next day, not so much. It is a journey. We are still working on having him lift his head from a flat position. He is fine if he is inclined (like laying on your chest), but not from the floor. That goes along with remembering to give him tummy time every day (harder to fit into our day than it sounds!). He is kicking his legs like crazy, so I don't think that is a concern any more. I am also trying to be better about just letting Finn lay on the ground instead of being held or in his swing/bouncy seat. This makes it easier for Austin to "play" with Finn, which is so cute. We will know more developmentally after his PT appointment this week. He doesn't go in for his 6 month check up until the 16th (his doctor is/was on vacation). Should have lots to update on then.

Who knows?!?!

Finn survived the night. We still don't know what was wrong, but once he was out, he was OUT. Jim actually slept next to him for most of the night, just to make sure Finn was okay. What a great dad. I was perfectly happy sleeping in my own bed (bad mom?). Finn was awake at his usual time this morning and very ready to eat, since he hardly ate anything last night. He ate well and seems fine today. Hopefully just a case of being over tired.

Side note: We love it when people tell us they keep up on our blog. It is nice to know people care so much about Finn and his continued health and journey in life. BUT we also like to KNOW you are following our blog! Please leave a quick comment over to the left, or a comment at the end of any post. As simple as "hi, glad you're having a good day" would be enough! Then we know you're reading! And thank you to those of you who comment regularly...we love it. You can leave a post as "annonymous" (but be sure to put your name in your post then) or you can create a Google account and log in as yourself. Either way, we'd love to hear from you! If you need help leaving a comment, just let me know. Hope to hear from you soon! (P.S. notice the "top commentors" below on the left...somebody better give Katie a run for her money!)

Atomic meltdown

Happy 4th of July! We stayed close to home all day and didn't make it for the walk we were hoping for. Here is our little boy on his first Independence Day (his shirt is red, white and blue!):Okay, if you didn't already think he was adorable, this picture HAS to change your mind! I just LOVE it. I want to kiss his cheeks and squeeze him all over.

Our friends Stacey, Sam and Dillon came over in the afternoon and it was great to spend some time with them. I think they stayed longer than they planned, but that is just testament to the good time everybody was having.

Back up to the begining of the day. Finn spit up at least six times today. He hasn't done this at all since he went to breastfeeding, so I mentioned it to Jim and said we should just keep an eye on him in case something was up. He has also been sleeping a lot during the day, so we just wanted to be watchful. Well, he slept well this morning and just took a short cat nap once our company came. I thought, "no big deal...he'll take a good nap once they leave." Well, that wasn't the case. He started to lose it a little bit when they were getting ready to leave, but I thought he might just be hungry and tired. Then Finn had a complete and total meltdown. He was screaming at the top of his lungs to the point where we couldn't calm him down, he wouldn't eat, he could barely catch his breath and he wouldn't take his pacifier. We pulled out the big guns and threw every trick we knew at him. Finally about an hour and a half later, he fell asleep in my arms. I'm not sure if it was from the Tylenol, Orajel, exhaustion from crying so much or what. We are hoping it was just him being over tired and nothing more. It sucks that you just don't know with babies. Both Jim and I wanted to call the on-call doctor, but there really wasn't much to say, "Um, our baby is crying more than usual." So, he is passed out right now. I have a feeling it will be a long night, but at least he is sleeping now.

Oh, the wonders of being a parent! We were hoping to go see some fireworks, but will probably have to wait until next year (because you'd be crazy if you think I'm going to wake Finn up after all of that!).

BIG walk

Jim, Finn and I just got back from a big walk. Jim and I disagreed on where this walk should take place. He wanted to walk to Lunds...for no reason other than to walk to Lunds. And I wanted to check out the walking path along the west side of the river. So, we went to the river. It was beautiful and nice shade from all the trees. Jim agreed he liked it when we were done. Finn was SO good the whole time. We ended up going 2 1/2 miles (we started at the Broadway bridge and ended just short of the Guthrie in downtown!). I was exhausted when we got back to the car, but I think that had more to do with lack of food and water than physical activity. There is another river path on the east side of the river north of our house, so I think we might check that one out tomorrow!

There promises to be some big fireworks in downtown tomorrow night, so we are hoping to be able to see them. Until our walk today, I had no idea we were THAT close to downtown (we drive there all the time, but it seems further by car for some reason). We might need to head over to the river to get away from all the trees around our house. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July!

Twelve is better than eleven?

Well, Finn slept through the night again last night...close to twelve hours this time! I just can't believe it and can't help but wonder if it is his new schedule or just a temporary thing. Whichever it is, I'll take it while it lasts. Although, I have to admit, I kind of woke him up this morning because I had milk that needed to be consumed.

Erica, Austin, Finn and I went for a walk down to what was the Lowry bridge, the one that was blown up. They were working on it and we could hear loud noises, so Austin wanted to check it out. We were there for quite a while and probably would have stayed longer, but it was really cold again today! And Finn's little hands were like icicles (I remembered socks, but I guess I needed mittens...who'd have thunk since it IS July today!). I carried him in the Snugli front carrier and he seems to like that. I like that my hands are free but he is still secure, although probably still a little small for it!