The other side of the pillow

It's been 2 weeks since Chris's elbow surgery. When he first came home, he had instructions to keep it elevated, so he propped it up with a pillow. Now I understand how he felt all those many months I needed to have a pillow jammed between us in the bed...it takes up a bunch of space and it's pretty annoying! :-P

Having Chris's elbow out of commission means that I've been doing the lion's share of taking care of Cameron. I'm the one who has to pick him up out of the crib, put him down in the crib, put him in the car seat, carry the car seat to the car, lift the car seat out of the car, etc. I'm not bitter about it; it's just what needs to be done while Chris recovers. But boy, since doing all this work has coincided with me going back to work at the office, I'm one tired mama.

Chris has picked Cam up a few times (which is actually against doctor's orders), but he still has a lot of healing to do. The doctor says he needs to get full range of motion back in his elbow before he lifts anything. Hopefully some PT appointments will help whip him back into shape!

Working mom

I've now survived my first week back to work. It was hard, yes, but not really as bad as I thought it might be. I think it helps knowing that Cameron is in the capable hands of Nana and Grandma while I'm away. But that doesn't make waking up and knowing I have no time to cuddle my little man any easier!

It has been tough for me to get back into the swing of things at the office. I feel like I've been expected to hit the ground running, and I'd rather be strolling leisurely. My brain just doesn't seem to function quite as well as it used to!

While I had learned that "pregnancy brain" is all too real, I now know that "mommy brain" is too. I find myself saying the wrong word for things all the time: simple stuff like telling Chris "the pasta is in the fridge" when clearly the pasta is sitting in the sink. Doesn't bode too well for an editor when words are mixed up, forgotten, and complete sentences can't always be formed, huh?! Sheesh. I hope it doesn't take too much longer for me to feel comfortable in my old skin again.

The newest pacifier

Yep, the thumb. I was finally able to capture some photographic evidence...


I'm not happy about it, to be honest. I'd rather he be hooked on a pacifier, as it would be easier to wean him off of that when the time comes. The thumb is always with him. But, he's self soothing, and that is a success in itself. So for now I just tell him not to do it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. ;)

Half roll

Cameron decided to show off today by rolling from his tummy to his back. We did prop him up on his elbows to start, but still. Go baby, go!

3 months!

Tummy time!

So, ever since we started tummy time (when Cam was around 4 weeks old), he's HATED it. He would lie on the floor in a puddle of cries and tears and suck on his hand for comfort. Well, I'm pleased to report that tummy time has become much more successful lately!




Now, I'm not saying it's a rousing success, he's still a little unsure about the whole idea, but we're getting there. His head is up off the floor, he's looking around, and while there may be drool, there is an absence of tears. Score.

End of the year

So 2009 has come and gone, and Cameron has changed so much in his short time with us! Some of the bigger changes I've noticed lately:

• No more swaddling; it was great while it lasted, but Cameron just isn't tolerating having his arms pinned by his sides anymore. Sleepsacks, here we come!
  
• Giggle contests; these are the best things EVER.
  
• Hair growing back in; he still has a bald spot on the back of his head, and he never lost that "old man" ring along the base of his neck, but he's starting to sprout new fuzzy growth on the top of his head!
• Hand discovery; chewing on the hands has become a comfort, and no longer relates to whether or not he's hungry. Oh, yeah, and he's been caught sucking on his thumb more than a few times! :-\
  
• Switch to 3-6 month clothes; he's plumping up nicely, and has outgrown all his 0-3 month clothing. I love all the rolls and dimples!

I can't wait to see how much he's changed by the end of 2010. :)

Merry Christmas!

It was a busy few days! On Christmas Eve, we headed out to spend time with Chris's extended family. There were lots of people and many new faces, but Cameron handled all the commotion very well.

Then on Christmas day, we woke up and headed north to have breakfast and presents with Chris's family, then came home and had presents with my family, and then made dinner for both families.


We tried to make dinner more low-key this year by asking our guests to each bring a little something, but somehow, we still ended up taking on more than we anticipated. Ah well, it was still a good meal even if we ate later than planned!

2 months!

Okay, so clearly I've been slacking with the blog updates. I have a TON of free time on my hands lately, so I really don't know what my excuse is! ;)

But really, everything is great. We now have a 2-month-old on our hands, and he's doing very well. Gaining weight like a champ, and growing taller each day. See?

We're getting lots of smiles these days, and it's a lot more fun to interact with him. His personality is really starting to shine through!

Week 7

Up until this point, Cam has been napping anywhere: on us, in his bouncy seat, in the swing, in the Moby or Bjorn, etc. But now we're starting the process of getting him used to his crib. And he successfully napped there for the first time this week! Basically, we want to transition him (eventually) to be sleeping in the crib in his own room at night, and to do this, we have to get him comfortable with that environment, since he's only known in the bassinet upstairs in our room. So far, so good...

We're not quite sure yet when we want that transition to happen, but I'm thinking maybe sometime in December? January is going to bring about lots of changes what with me going back to work. Different caretakers, more bottle feedings, etc. I'd like to try to space out the new things as much as possible.

We also started tummy time this week. He is able to lift his head off the blanket and shift from one cheek to the other, but man, he is NOT very happy about it. Most of the time is spent lying there and crying. I'm sure it must be frustrating to be face down and not be able to do much about it! I just keep thinking about how much his big head weighs. :-/

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm extremely thankful for so many things this year...


I feel very lucky to have had a pregnancy that I can look back on with fond memories, and a lovely, charming little man to show for it. I'm enjoying motherhood, and Chris is proving himself to be a wonderful father. The kitties are adjusting well to life with a new being in the house. We're all healthy (so far; knock on wood!) and happy. Life is good. :)

Newborn photos

We had some photographs taken when Cam was just 9 days old. It's amazing to see how much he's changed since then!

Week 6

We had Cam's 6-week checkup today. He's growing so fast! He now weighs 11 pounds 2 ounces, which means that he gained almost 3 pounds this past month.

And his stats...woo baby! He's measuring in the 75th percentile for length, the 85th percentile for weight, and get this...the 90th percentile for head size! The pedi saw those numbers on the computer screen and immediately said, "okay, so which one of you has a big head?" I raised my hand; I know all-too-well that that trait comes from my side of the family! ;)

He also got 2 vaccine shots today, which rendered him a pretty unhappy camper. It's so hard to watch him dissolve from a happy little man to a screaming, red-faced mess. :( He's napping at the moment though, so hopefully he'll feel a little better when he wakes up. Hopefully!

I had my 6-week checkup yesterday, and I'm happy to report that I'm doing well too. I've been cleared to exercise now, my doc says that I can do pretty much anything I'm comfortable with. Yippee! I have some work to do on my abs, as there's been some separation of the muscles. It's all totally normal and par for the course, but it's pretty weird to feel a big ol' divot where there wasn't one before! I also got my H1N1 shot (as did Chris), so hopefully this will be a healthy winter in our household. Again, hopefully!

Week 5

So I started pumping this week, and Chris has been giving Cam his bottle each night. I'm pleased to report that all is going well! He seems to be having no issues bouncing back and forth between the boob, the bottle, and the pacifier. :)

Cam is smiling more lately, and we've even heard a few laughs. One occurred while he was sleeping. It was adorable; his little belly started shaking, he had a big grin on his face, and he made a "huh huh huh" sound. I wish we had been able to catch that on video!

In other news, he's losing more hair from the top of his head. The back of his head, however, still looks the same. Pretty soon he's going to look just like my grandpa. Oh, and he's graduated from newborn size clothing to 0-3 month clothing. He's already taller and putting on some weight!

Week 4

We introduced a pacifier for the first time a few days ago. It was weird and not very tasty at first, but eventually, it was accepted. Score!


I plan to start pumping this weekend, and we'll introduce the bottle for the first time. The pedi says to start with one bottle a day, and to be consistent about offering it each day, as the window for getting babes to accept the pacifier/bottle is small (from 4 to 6 weeks), and once it's closed, it's CLOSED. Wish us luck that it doesn't interfere at all with his other feedings!

Cam is more alert during the days and seems to be more responsive to our faces. We've gotten a few smiles, and they are just the most precious thing I've ever seen. I have yet to capture one on the camera though, they're fleeting!

Birthday recap

Two years ago, if you asked me what I would be doing on my 30th birthday (which, incidentally, was also my golden birthday: 30 years old on the 30th of the month), I probably would have said that I would be out with a big group of friends, drinking and living it up.

And though my birthday was actually nothing like this, it was great in a totally different way. Chris made me breakfast as I fed Cameron his breakfast. I came downstairs to find a present from each of my guys. Chris got me a box of dark chocolate truffles from this little shop in Berkeley (totally yummy!) and Cameron, that little sweetheart, got me a gift certificate to the spa. You know, in case he stresses me out sometimes, he wants me to be able to relax a little bit. :)

We went out and about for a little while, hit the farmers' market, and came back home to chill for a little while. We took a walk downtown to pick up dinner from a new restaurant. Sushi, oh how I've missed you!

I also had a bit of wine with dinner, maybe about a third of a glass. I'm such a lightweight now!