Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Sit-Up, Stand-Up


Silas would like to take a moment to show you two of his favorite activities: sitting and standing. His balance and strength have really improved, though he still needs a helping hand. Silas loves to go from a seated position to standing, and will initiate this by pushing upward on his legs. Mom is happy to help him up a bit and support him while he learns to balance on those wobbly little legs. We suspect he will be sitting up on his own before to much longer.



Saturday, May 26, 2007

Baby Bjorn


Silas has decided that he no longer hates being carried around in baby carriers. He tolerates the slings for a limited period of time now. But the clear favorite (at least for this week), is the Baby Bjorn. Mom's been out and about on lengthy walks, carrying Silas in the Bjorn for an hour or more at a time, and he's been quite content, as long as she doesn't stand still for too long. He seems to like being able to dangle his feet, all the while actively looking at the world around him.

Si did not like the Bjorn much when he had to face inward, but now that he has better neck strength, he's able to face outward. Mom uses a bolster behind Si's head, just in case. Instead, when our walk is nearing its end, he leans his head forward a bit and dozes off.

It's wonderful to be able to enjoy a daily walk together in our beautiful neighborhood!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

New Skills

In this image, Silas is demonstrating two new abilities.

Grasping: Silas is able to grab on and hold a small rattle for an extended period of time. Whether he knows he's actually holding something, or connects the movement of his arm to the noise that results, well, that's anyone's guess.

Hand sucking: He's actually been sucking on the side of his hand since he was in the womb (we saw it on the ultrasound at 19 weeks), so what you see here I'll call "advanced hand sucking." He now makes a fist and attempts to insert the entire hand in his mouth (sometimes both hands, if the second one is available). What's changed in just the past week is that rather than doing so only because he's hungry, he now sucks his fist just to suck his fist. No other reason is needed, but I suspect that since we haven't introduced an artificial pacifier, the hand is a readily available alternative. Thumb sucking may be just around the corner.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Big Baby, Little Reader

You're never too young to enjoy a good book. Mom, Dad, and Silas enjoy storytime every morning (today we read five books!). Silas particularly likes books with high contrast images and rhyming phrases. Current favorites include "I kissed the baby," "Maisy goes to the Library," and Dr. Seuss.

Silas became the youngest card-holding patron of Kitsap Regional Libraries. Yea books!

This was a big week for Silas. In addition to signing up for a library card, Silas also went to Silverdale to meet some of mom's friends (and cried through almost the entire car ride, both ways) and also had his two month medical appointment. Si's a big baby now, weighing in at 13 pounds. Those 3-6 month clothes are starting to fit him nicely now!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Two Months Old Today!

Silas is two months old today. By now, he's developed some very strong opinions on a few things. Here's a running list of some of his likes and dislikes, to date.

LIKES:
  • Naps (most days)
  • Mom's milk
  • Dad's shoulder
  • The sound of the bathroom fan
  • His cool Clash t-shirt (Thanks William and Jessica!)
  • Tibetan singing bowls
  • Cello
  • Sitting upright (with support from a big person)
  • Black and white photography
  • "Talking" (cooing sounds e.g. aaahh, aagoo, aaoo, etc.)
  • Storytime
DISLIKES:
  • Car rides ("hate" may be a better word)
  • Being held in cradle position
  • Being out of mom and dad's arms for more than 5 seconds
  • Direct sunlight
  • Negative people
  • Miami Vice (the movie)

Monday, May 14, 2007

The Good, the Bad, and the Pouty

The good...The bad...
and the pouty...

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Silas is Sleeping...




















I know a lot of our earlier blogs were pics of our sleeping newborn, but I couldn't resist adding just a few more (will they be the last?). After all, what's better than a peacefully sleeping beautiful babe?

Speaking of sleep, Silas is still doing well at night. He even slept for a 5 hour stretch the other night, but so far, that appears to be a one-time deal. Usually he sleeps for two 3 or 4 hour stretches, then perhaps another 2-3 hour stretch. Broken up with nursing and diaper changes, we are generally in bed between 9 or 10 hours and I (mom) get perhaps 7 or 8 hours of sleep. Not bad!
Si has also been consistently taking a long nap in the afternoons, and I cannot, I repeat, cannot tell you how wonderful that is! I'm able to eat, do a 30 minute exercise routine, clean up a bit, and maybe even post a blog entry now and then. This is a huge improvement from the days when I was luck if he slept for more than a couple half-hour stretches during the daytime. And, as all of you with children know, he is usually in a better mood if he's had a good nap. So, sleep well, Si, and pleasant dreams to you...

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Baby Carrying

Since Si was born, we've tried four different baby carrying "devices." First off, I tried a padded sling, which Silas immediately vetoed. He cried every time I put him in it and I couldn't adjust it properly. I also tried a a Bundle Baby Wrap, which is a long piece of fabric that ties around both mom and baby. This promises to be useful when Silas grows a bit bigger, but proved too awkward for us at the newborn wobbly-neck stage. Louisa loaned us a Maya Wrap (pictured), and this has met with better luck, as has the Baby Bjorn Grandma and Papa Bryant sent. However, Si's tolerance for any of these carriers is limited. Unlike many babies, who get carried in a wrap all the live-long day while their mothers go about their business, Silas just doesn't go in for this. The next picture shows Si in the position he prefers above all others, in what I call the "over-the-shoulder baby-holder" pose, also known as the "my arm is now completely numb" hold. He loves for daddy to hold him in this position and will often drift off to sleep. For the sake of the circulation in our arms, we are hoping Silas continues to adapt to the Maya wrap and Bjorn, especially once his neck strength allows him to begin to face outward (we're almost there!).

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Sobin and Silas

Mom's lap is pretty full most evenings, with Silas and Sobin both claiming their space (yes, that's me beneath the cat, baby, blankets and pillow). A lot of people have asked how Sobin has adapted to life with baby. He was, after all, the creature we lavished the most attention on, pre-baby. His first contact with Silas was to take a quick sniff, then turn up his nose and walk away. He wasn't particularly happy, and seemed to intuit that life was going to be different from now on. This is still largely his reaction, though you can see he's now willing to sit in close proximity (as long as he doesn't actually have to touch the baby). The biggest thing is that he shows no aggressive tendencies towards Silas, so perhaps some day, they can be friends. For now, his policy of ignoring Silas works for us.