« The Nights That Suck | Main | Baby Leggings »
November 19, 2005
Monthly Newsletter: Month Four
Dear Dashiell,
On Monday you turned 4 months old.
Definitely not always the happiest month, as it was the month that you were officially diagnosed with Cri du Chat syndrome. However, we're not going to let that get us down! As I understand the test results you missed the (really) severe stuff, and from watching you, you don't seem to be affected at all right now, so hopefully it'll be mild. We are dealing with NY State right now to make sure that we get you all the help availible. You have evaluations coming up in early December, and we'll see what steps will be taken after that. We also have another visit with the geneticist coming up in December, where I'll double check about missing the severe stuff.
Other than that, you've done well this month. You've rolled over twice during your tummy time! Once while your dad was watching, and once just after I gave up hope of capturing it with the video camera. Such is life. I'm sure that soon enough you'll be rolling all over the room and I'll be sick of the sight of it. Your head control is getting really good, and you just love to sit up and look around. There is still no equilibrium, and we need to work on your strength in the trunk region, but it's coming along pretty well, the Bumbo seat we ordered for you should help with that as well as satisfy your need to sit up like a big person. During your tummy time you're really lifting your head high to watch what's going on, which is great. It would be nice though if you'd be content on your tummy for a bit longer at a time.
You love it when we hold you so that you're standing up. You already bear your weight on your legs, but the knees and waist can be a bit wobbly, but it's all getting better. As always you're a super happy chappy early in the morning after you've had enough sleep and the prospect of that first clean diaper makes you quite giddy. The cuteness is overwhelming which is still the only thing that makes the broken sleep, late nights and early mornings worth it.
Feeding time can be frustrating, a lot of times I have to calm you down or sucker you in by letting you suck on my finger first, usually after that you'll latch on. Sometimes you won't, and then I have to try and pull off a bait-and-switch without you realising. Often I need to bounce on the exercise ball with you, or sling you, or walk around with you. It's frustrating because I know you're hungry, you just won't eat. Stubborn little fella, aren't you?
You've discovered that your hands can reach your groin area, which has made poopy diaper changes significantly harder, as you now try to flail your hands into your poo, or grab your tackle, as well as dig your heels in, which was the only thing to contend with previously. An action that was easily side-stepped by grabbing you by the ankles and lifting your little butt off the changing table. So a two person hazmat team is preferred for the poopy diaper changes. Seeing as the frequency of the poo diapers has dropped to about one a day, this also means that you save it all up, and it ends up in a blow-out so that whatever diaper cover you were in, has to be sacrificed to the laundry basket gods. I'd almost consider a little pulley system to keep not only your ankles in the air, but your wrists too...
Your hands also get in the way with feeding as well, as you like to try and add in a few fingers or knuckles of your own with the nipple in your mouth. Or you stick your hands in first just as I'm trying to latch you on. This makes life unneccessarily difficult.
For your first Halloween, which we spent in Salem Mass., you went as a teddy bear, and you got so much attention. Your dad and I went as "under-dressed new-parent goths"... it didn't matter anyway, because you were the main focus of everyone's cooing. You were adorable as hell, even if I do say so myself.
If people were ever to say that babies don't have personality, I think I'd be inclined to slap them. You certainly have a personality, and as small as you are you definitely know what you like and dislike, and you're downright stubborn and ornery about it. It's just a learning curve figuring out what it is that you want or don't want at any given time. The communication is getting better, thankfully, more of the time we have a better idea of what you want, even though sometimes we're still left confounded with an inconsolable infant. A few tricks that work are putting you in the sling or mei tai and bouncing with you on the ball, or naked time. Even though it results in some serious temperature-related testicular shrinkage, you like nothing better than for us to pop you down on the floor on a chux pad with your bits flapping in the wind. Who am I to complain though? it works, and that's good enough for me.
Anyway, I look forward to embarrassing you again in public next month,
Love,
Mama
(Click on the images to open larger versions)
This is what happens when you don't strap him into his bouncer:
Tummy Time:
Halloween costume:
Posted on 08:51 PM to: Dashiell , Newsletter , Photos