19 Weeks Old!!

So at 19 weeks, I believe Cael has started teething. It's a very good possibility. He has been horribly fussy the last 2.5 days. Crying and whining when he's not eating or sleeping. So basically most of the day. And with naps, he fights sleep. Even more than normal. He's always fought naps. I don't understand what's so difficult about falling asleep - you're tired, you shut your eyes, you go to sleep. I know I have no problem falling asleep. Well, not with my kid. He fights so hard to stay awake, and always has.

I don't think the fussiness is a result of his shots 4 days ago. I think that would have passed by now. So I went out on Friday, and bought Infant's Tylenol. We've been giving it to him since last night, and it seems to be working. So he's in pain somewhere, I would imagine. It has to be his gums. He's also gnawing harder on my finger, wrist, Sofie, and pacifier. It's funny, because with the pacifier, he'll grab it, pull it out of his mouth, then put it back in his mouth, bite down on it, and rip it back out of his mouth; like he's biting it. So I would imagine this means his gums are bothering him. I don't see any teeth peeking through yet (my previous post about seeing a tooth was a false alarm), and I know it can be weeks or months before one does. I just can't believe my little man will be getting teeth soon! My nipples are hurting already thinking about it.

Speaking of nipples, I'm pretty sure I have an inflamed sebaceous cyst in my right breast, just on the edge of my areola. I'll be making a call to (my previous employer) the breast center tomorrow. After talking to a co-worker today, I decided that I should be seen. I was going to try and just talk to a NP over the phone, and she could tell me what to do. But since it's red and painful, it's probably inflamed, and on its' way to becoming infected. Which means antibiotics. Great. I hope not, but it's a possibility. I hope she could see me tomorrow or Tuesday, and I don't have to wait. It's becoming increasingly painful, especially when Cael latches and eats on that breast. First, I thought it was a plugged milk duct, because it's a superficial lump and painful. I tried heat and massage, and it didn't do anything but make it hurt more. It's getting bigger and more visually obvious each day (even though it's still only the size of a pea). But the clue that led to me thinking it's a sebaceous cyst, is that when I squeeze the opposite ends together (OUCH), I can see pus come to the surface, right under my skin, but not coming out. Oh well, I guess we'll see what they say tomorrow.

4 Month Appointment!

We took Cael to his 4 month pediatrician appointment today for a physical and his second round of shots. We had to leave super early because the appointment was at 8:30, so we left the house at 7:15. Matt wasn't very happy about that, considering today was his day off, but he managed.

The appointment went well. However, his growth curve is slipping a bit. Our little peanut weighs 13 pounds 7 ounces, and is 25.5 inches long. Percentile-wise, that's the 5th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height. Three weeks ago, he weighed 13 pounds 8 ounces, and was in the 25th percentile for weight. That means he lost 1 ounce in 3 weeks, and dropped from the 25th percentile to the 5th percentile. The doctor wasn't overly concerned, but he was a little concerned. He brought up the curve slipping, and said that he wanted us to bring him back in 1 month to recheck his weight.

He wants me to give Cael both breasts at one feeding, with 10 minutes on each side, instead of one breast at a time, which is what I was doing. He said that should hopefully help with him gaining weight. I did bring up that Cael has been eating for only 7-8 minutes on one side at a feeding, and will then play around with my nipple. He'll suckle for a few times, come off, cry, then re-latch. And repeat all that. Or sometimes, instead of crying, he'll smile. The pediatrician said that he could be becoming distracted or bored, which is why he's doing that. But he said to try and have him eat on both sides. Hopefully that will help him gain a little by next month.

The pediatrician also brought up giving Cael rice cereal. It is suggested to start between 4-6 months of age. I asked if we had to start giving cereal now, at 4 months, especially for weight gain. He said that we didn't need to, and that it's up to us for what we wanted to do. We could wait until 6 months if we wanted. He could tell that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months, and then start solids and cereal (with breastfeeding, still, of course). I asked if we started cereal now, could we wait until 6 months for fruits and veggies. He said of course, that it's actually recommended to start solids at at least 6 months of age. That infants younger than 6 months old have an immature digestive tract, and that actually giving fruits and veggies prior to 6 months can cause problems, including infections. I knew that, but wanted to see what he was going to tell me. I'm glad that we're on the same page.

That all being said, I think that Matt and I might start introducing cereal at around 5 months old. It makes me sad to think that he'll be getting nutrition from somewhere else other than just me, but it's what he will need. He's growing up, and I need to come to terms with that.

"I Know"

I cried myself to sleep last night. The death of a Pea 2 days ago is still throbbing in my heart. I know he's not my child to grieve, but I can't help but feel so sad for her and her loss. I haven't really been able to keep Cael out of my sight. I've been letting him sleep on me more than usual, and have been giving him way more cuddles, hugs and kisses than usual, too.

Considering it all, I was ok yesterday. I was sad and couldn't get it out of my head, but I was ok. However, last night, I just broke down. I was laying in bed, resting my head on Matt's arm, and just started crying. This was after I spent a few minutes with my hand on Cael's sleeping body, to reassure myself. Mind you, this is something I've done every night before going to bed, except, last night, I did it for a longer amount of time. My tears were running down my face, and onto Matt's arm. I was trying not to stir Matt, but after a few minutes, he asked me why I was crying. I told him that I was thinking about the baby and his mother. And that I could not imagine the pain and suffering she is feeling. Matt replied with, "I know."

It's only 2 words, but it's not exactly what I expected him to say. Matt is not a mean, heartless person, but most times he can't understand why I cry for "complete strangers." Like the time I came upon a guy who was struck by a car crossing the street. I'll never get that image - him laying all contorted in the middle of the road, a shoe here, a sock there, his pants down to his hips, laying motionless and bloody - out of my head. I went home after doing what I could, and cried. Matt thought it was silly that I was crying for someone I didn't know. He wasn't mean about it, but just didn't understand.

Same thing with patients that I've scanned in the past. Patient's whose baby died inutero, and it was discovered for the first time with my scanning; patients who I found an ugly, cancerous tumor in. And other horrible occurrences, such as when baby D passed away. He never understood why I would get upset for them, when I didn't know them. He wouldn't put me down for it, but just didn't get it. I guess it's just the type of person I am.

But he was different this time. I was on Facebook on my phone, while Matt was on computer. I was keeping up with all the drama on the board, when I saw the post that a baby Pea passed away. I immediately said, "Oh my God. I need the computer now." Mind you, he just got the computer from me, and I was on it for a while before I gave it to him. He asked me why, sounding a little annoyed. I told him that I think a baby in my group died, and he immediately handed the computer over and said (nicely and concerned), "here, take the whole thing."

When I read what happened and told him, he was genuinely concerned. He wasn't upset, but he could tell I was upset, and I could tell it bothered him too. Not as much as me, but it bothered him. And that's not something that usually happens with Matt.

So when Matt said, "I know", when I was telling him why I was crying, I was pleasantly surprised (for lack of a better phrase. I didn't feel pleasant). He didn't tell me I was upset for no reason, and he didn't ask me why I cared so much for a stranger. I loved him more for that, oddly enough. And I know it's something that is bothering him too, because in all reality, SIDS can happen to anyone. He's been also genuinely listening to me give him updates on the situation with the baby, and he too can't believe that it happened the way it did. I just feels so nice to not have to worry about grieving for someone without feeling guilty about it.

What Really Matters

I don't know where to start. A fellow September Sweet Pea mama lost her baby Pea today. He was 3.5 months old. I cannot even begin to imagine what her and her husband are going through. I cried, and I cried, and I didn't want to put Cael down in his crib tonight, but I did. You always think it can't happen to you. As of right now, they're calling it SIDS.

For the past year, a whole group of us due in September 2011 have gotten to know each other through The Bump. At some point during our pregnancies, a bunch of us (around 300) made the move over to Facebook, where a private group was started. From there, relationships grew, and the support we gave each other became stronger. We now had names and faces to go with the screen names we've been talking to.

However, over the past week, the whole dynamic of the group has changed. Tempers flared, names were called, people were rude, and some ladies left our group. I'll spare the details, but basically, it got real ugly real quick. Especially today, when information from a private spin-off group (which I'm also a member of) became known in the main Sweet Pea group. I joined this spin-off group to keep in touch with those who decided to leave the main group for whatever reason. Shit hit the fan really fast, and people were quick to point fingers and name names, and some were even right in apologizing. This has going on since about noon.

In the midst of all this controversy; in the midst of watching our group fall to pieces; in the midst of seeing our group of 293 strong drop down to 280-something - this Sweet Pea posted that her sweet baby boy died today. It was a slap in the face. It was more than a slap in the face. It was not expected. It seemed that all the petty bullshit, all the name calling, all the high-school drama came to a screeching halt. We were all in a state of utter shock.

A lot of Sweet Peas were bickering, fighting, defending themselves, defending others, and forgetting what was really important. What really mattered, and what made us all get together in the first place. Our Sweet Peas. While all of this was going on, while some of us (myself included) were "ignoring" our Peas, or having our husbands, mothers, fathers, etc watch our Peas while we intensely watched the drama unfold on our computer screens, a fellow Pea passed away.

It's not internet relationships that matter. It's not he-said-she-said, high school drama crap that matters. It's my son that matters. It's their daughter, and their son that matter. It's our Sweet Peas that matter, and I think for a while, we all forgot that. It's easy to lose sight of what really matters in your life. It's easy to take things for granted; things you think you will always have. I cuddled Cael a little longer tonight because I realized this. I will probably not be able to sleep because of this tonight. Or tomorrow night. Or the night after. And the fact of the matter is that it's very unfortunate that it took a tragedy to yank myself and others out of this la-la land we were in, and snap back to reality.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first Pea that has passed away. We had two other Pea's pass away. Sweet Pea, D, passed away in October at 2 months old. His passing shook our group to the core, and everyone was affected greatly by his passing. We all cried, and we all hurt for his family. We all pulled together to raise money and support our fellow Sweet Pea and her husband. And we're all still there for her when she needs it. She still remains a part of our group, and I am so happy about that. Although I cannot imagine how difficult it is for her to see us all talking about our babies.

And Sweet Pea A passed away in June. He was stillborn at 25-26 weeks. That was another passing that shook us all, and we all pulled together and raised money for her as well. She's not part of our group on Facebook anymore, but I will never forget her. I think about her constantly, and I wish her and her husband the best of luck.

This is all so sad, and I just felt the need to write about it. It's very unfortunate that it took such a horrible tragedy to pull our heads out of our asses, and see what really matters in life. Yes, friendships and relationships are important, and to be honest, if it wasn't for all my fellow Sweet Peas, I'd be completely lost. They have been my rock throughout my pregnancy and after Cael was born. They're my go-to people with questions I have, and I always get answers from them. BUT, my family and my son are the most important things in my life. Not drama, and not petty nothingness. My son, my husband, my family. They are what really matter.

18 Weeks Old!!

My lil' munchkin is 18 weeks already! For the last few days, Cael has been developing so much! He's been semi-reaching for things and bringing them to his face. He has a little blankie that grandma gave him, and if you put it in front of his face, he reaches for it, and brings it to his face, and snuggles it. It is so cute! He was also playing with a mailing envelope today, and was trying to eat it. Luckily, he had a pacifier in his mouth and couldn't put it in his mouth (yuck! Germy!). We made sure to wipe his hands down after he was done playing with it.

It was my first birthday with Cael yesterday. I turned 26! My mom keeps teasing me that in 4 years, I'll be 30. One year at a time, mom. One year at a time. It was a good day yesterday for the most part. Cael was up really early, and was cranky. He got up at 2am, and wouldn't stop crying or fall sleep until 4am. Then he was up again at 7, ate, and did the same thing. I was exhausted and couldn't take anymore, so at 9am, I went out and asked if Laureen if she could watch him so I could get some sleep.

I knew he was overtired and needed to sleep himself, so I was hoping he would sleep for Laureen. Well, I fell right to sleep, and 3 HOURS later, woke up, and realized that Laureen hadn't come back with him. I went upstairs, and found out Cael was sleeping on Laureen, so I went back in our bedroom, and slept for another hour. It was A.Maze.Ing! I was so appreciative, and felt so much better after the sleep.

Matt and I also had plans to go out after he got home from work. Without Cael. Yes, for the first time ever, we went out together, and left Cael home with Laureen and Rick. For more than 10 minutes! Ten minutes is the longest I've ever left Cael with anyone. So needless to say, I was quite nervous and anxious about it. But in the end, it turned out fine, and Matt and I had a great time together. He took me shopping for some new clothes, which I really needed. Most of my shirts have holes in them, and they're just t-shirts. So I got a bunch of shirts that I would have never bought before. They're more "grown-up", and much different than my regular boring t-shirts I always wear. I also got ultra-skinny jeans, and a pair of awesome boots. As it turns out, Matt saved up a bunch of gift cards that he got as bonuses from work, and used them on me. So we didn't even have to touch the bank account, which is good. We also went out to dinner after shopping, and then went home. It was a great day, and I can't wait to wear my new clothes, and be a sexy mama! :)

Today, Matt's family made me a birthday cake, and I went up and ate dinner with them. After dinner, we had my birthday cake, and it was really good. Matt wasn't there because he was bowling, but that was ok with me. Cael loved staring at the lit candles, but once the lights went off, they sang to me and everyone cheered when I blew them out, Cael got terrified. He cried hysterical and I felt so bad. But the lights came back on, I cuddled him and he was fine. As part of Matt's family tradition, everyone usually puts the letter/number candies on their forehead with icing. Laureen put a "C" on Cael's forehead for the first time, and it was so cute!

Ah Poop!

We have a pooper! After 7 days of not pooping, Cael pooped twice this evening. However, this was not without havoc today. I drove up to Binghamton early this morning to get to the bank, this way I could meet a friend for lunch at 12:30. Unfortunately, she had to cancel, so I took my time up there. I called Cael's pediatrician at 9 this morning to find out if I should be concerned about his lack of poop for a week strait, so I was waiting for a call back. I was honestly not concerned at all, because of everything I've read. It's all said it's normal for a breastfed baby to go that long. So I left Binghamton, and headed home.

Wouldn't you know that while I didn't have service, they called me back. I returned their call by leaving a message, and they called me back within 20 minutes (confusing, right?!). After some questions, being put on hold so that the nurse can talk to the doctor, being hung up on (accidentally) and called right back, they said they wanted to see Cael in the office today. They asked if I could come in at 2:00. Mind you, it was 12:40 when they asked me this, and I had only been home for 10 minutes. I sighed, and said yes, I could be there. Off I went to re-pack Cael up, get him in the car, and start the drive up there again. By the end of all my driving today, it was in the car for a total of 5 hours.

Long story short, the appointment went fine, and Cael is fine. The doctor said as long as he's eating normally, not showing signs of distress or discomfort, and is having regular wet diapers, he's fine. He probably has a slower metabolism, and therefore a slower digestive tract. Therefore, Cael is fine.

Twenty dollars later, we were on our way home. Again. I was exhausted, and had a hard time keeping my eyes open. But I was happy that there was nothing I needed to worry about. I knew it, and I wasn't concerned in the first place. I was actually shocked when they said to come in. This is why I left Binghamton after my first trip up there, or I would have stayed around waiting for the call.

So we were home for 3 hours, and I had Cael sitting on my lap on the couch. And wouldn't you know, he let out the noisiest poop yet! Go figure! Two-hundred miles on my jeep, 5 hours on the road, and a $20 copay later, and he pooped. It's just like the time we had him in the ER at 4 days old for not peeing. We paid a $100 copay, got home and he peed everywhere. Two hours later, he had another bowel movement; this one bigger and leakier than the last. I'm relieved he finally pooped, and I'm sure Cael is too.

Motherhood

Let me start out by saying that, Motherhood isn't what I thought it would be. In both positive and negative ways. I thought motherhood would come easily and naturally to me, and I was caught by surprise when it didn't. The first three weeks (at least) after Cael was born were horrible, difficult, and nothing like I imagined.

I never thought in a million years that it would take time for me to bond with my son, and have feelings for him. I also never thought that it would take me so long to recover, and be able to actually move around and do things normally again. I thought that with the bed rest and being taken out of work early, that something would have to go easy for me after he was born. Nope. Even breast feeding wasn't what I thought it would be (though it's going much better now), and add to that the infections I had and post-partum depression, it was not fun.

The idea of getting out of the house and running errands with Cael seemed like a figment of my imagination. The reason for this, is because I felt I needed to time and plan everything. But that too got much better after a few weeks. I learned that if I feed him right before we got out, even if it's to "top him off", he'll be good for at least 2 hours. Looking back now, at those first couple of weeks, I wish I knew then, what I know now. That it does get better, everything will fall into place, and to make sure to cherish all those moments when he was oh-so-tiny, because it does go by fast. Even with the complications and difficulties.

With all that being said, I couldn't be any happier with where I am right now. I love my son with all my heart, and then some. And I wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world. Even if it meant trading it for a job and money. I'd rather be jobless, than not be a mother. He brings me such joy and happiness. I love seeing him smile at me in the morning when he wakes up, and sees me for the first time. I love how he laughs at the silly things I do. I love how he holds onto my finger. I love how he suckles at my breast when he eats, and how he cuddles into my chest. I love it all. All the bed rest, complications, depression, lack of sleep, ongoing dizziness, etc is all worth it. For Cael.

Motherhood is an ongoing battle, and an ongoing learning experience. It tests the limits of your mind and body. It forces you to be a better person, and most of all, it makes you open your heart up wider than it can ever go, and love more than you ever thought imaginable.

I love being a mother, and love this journey of Motherhood that I am now on.

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In other news

I had my appointment at the WIC center today. AND, I also got a phone call from NYS Unemployment yesterday. The employer representative confirmed what I told my NYS claim's representative, and NYS released my unemployment payments from the last 6 WEEKS! Do you know how helpful this will be?! It was supposed to be in our account today, but since it was only released yesterday, it can take up to 3 days to show up in your account. This couldn't have come at a better time. To be honest, we currently have $.32 in our bank. Yes, thirty-two cents. It is an absolutely horrible and disgusting feeling to feel poor. Especially when you're looking for a job.

Given the fact that my unemployment benefits have been reinstated, we no longer qualify for WIC. This is perfectly ok with us, because if we were given the choice, we'd rather have the money from my UI to pay bills, than have checks for food only. The money from my UI will be able to go towards food and bills.

Another good thing, is that Matt will now be able to get direct deposit of his pay check into our bank account. This is huge, because it means I no longer have to make weekly trips up to Binghamton, just to go to the bank. The money will be automatically put in there, which saves us tremendously on gas. I have to make the trip up there tomorrow, because the UI money isn't in there yet, and, obviously, we need the money. $.32 won't cut it for the next 2 days. But if that's the last time, or second to last time, that I have to drive up there for the bank only, I'm fine with it. Finally, things are getting better financially for us. For now, anyway.

Finally, Cael has reached a record for how many days he's gone without pooping. At 9am tomorrow morning, it will be exactly 7 days since the last time he pooped! Poor Cael. Although, he doesn't seem uncomfortable, or unhappy because of it. He's actually been doing really well the last 2 days. Including taking naps in his crib. Putting himself to sleep, nonetheless! Yesterday he took a 2.5 hour nap in the crib (woke up once, and fell back to sleep), and today, he took a nap for just under 1.5 hours. Matt was off today, so while Cael napped, he burned all the cardboard, and I took the tree down. We're so happy to have our living room back. We have so much more room now. But anyway, back to the lack of pooping. I'll be calling the pediatrician tomorrow morning to see if I should be worried about his lack of pooping, and if there is anything I have to do.

4 Months Old!

My lil' munchkin is 4 months old today! Time is a flyin' by! I posted yesterday about there being a possible tooth coming in. Upon looking at it further, I'm now thinking that it isn't a tooth, but maybe a small blister. The area that I thought was a tooth isn't very big, but really only a small dot really. I guess we'll have to wait and see if it gets bigger.

And right now, I have to report that I am typing this with 2 hands, as opposed to the normal 1 hand. That is because Cael is napping. Not on me (like usual) and not in his swing, but in his crib! He was tired, so I fed him, and tried putting him in the swing to sleep. But he was fussing and crying, but you can see he needed a nap. So I picked him up, and put him in his crib and tucked him in. After only about 10 minutes (at the most), he was asleep. He slept for about 25 minutes, and then woke up about 10 minutes ago. I went in, and could see he was still tired, so I tucked him back in, gave him his pacifier, and turned the Seahorse back on. And as of right now, I don't hear anything on the monitor, so I'm assuming he feel back to sleep. This is HUGE!

I guess this is what's called "Sleep Training". ST is when a baby can fall asleep on their own, without being held or soothed. A lot of ladies on my Facebump group were talking about this. I had no idea what it was until yesterday. They say that you don't have to start ST until 6 months. I'm not trying to enforce ST by any means, but I needed a break from him sleeping on me, so I figured I'd give it a shot. And wouldn't you know, it worked!

Time For A {Blog} Name Change

I was getting bored with my original blog name, Even Miracles Take A Little Time, so I wanted to come up with a new, creative name. I wanted it to revolve around the idea that my life is surrounded mostly by men - my husband, our son and our 2 male dogs. So I enlisted the help of Matt, who is far more creative than I am. He came up with Life In The Men's Room, which I thought was pretty clever. So now, that is my new blog name, and the theory behind it. :)

Is that a toof?!?

I think it may be. Last night, I stuck my finger in Cael's mouth and felt along his gums. I was astonished to feel that his gums weren't completely smooth anymore. On his lower gums, to his left, it feels like something is there. I looked in his mouth, and saw this little white area in his gum. I'm pretty sure it's a tooth starting to come in. I'm really upset over it, because it means that he's growing up even more. But I'm happy because it means he's developing at just the right pace. If I can get a picture of his gums, I will, but
it's hard to even just look in his mouth without him moving around a lot.

In other news, Cael is rolling over so much now. It's like a piece of cake for him now. I had him in the crib this morning on his back, turned around for a minute, then turned back, and he was on his belly with this huge grin on his face. And I would roll him back onto his back, and within a second, he'd be back on his belly. Same thing as on the floor. I had him on his playmat this afternoon, and he would roll over so fast. For three times in a row, I put him back on his back, and he'd roll right onto his belly. He's getting so big. He'll be 4 months old tomorrow. I can't take this.

He's also eating his feet a lot more now. Every time I change his diaper, he pulls his legs up with his hands, and then pulls his foot into his mouth. It is *so cute*. Matt hates feet, so he thinks it's gross, but I think it's the cutest thing ever. It's baby feet - what's so gross about that?

One last thing. I have an appointment on Thursday with the WIC center right in town, to apply for WIC. With just Matt's salary, we are eligible and meet the financial requirements. But then there's my unemployment. Which, by the way, is still in the process of being resolved. I did speak to NYS today to give them the true facts (as opposed to the information that my previous employer gave them), but the representative said it still needs to be reviewed, and I should have an answer within 7-10 working days. So therefore, I have no idea if I can count that as income. If we include unemployment, we wouldn't qualify for WIC. I am going to fully disclose all this information to the WIC office, and hopefully something good with come out of this.

Top 11 of 2011

The following 11 photos are ones I've taken in 2011 which I feel are my best pictures. They were all taken with my Nikon D3000. I have several other pictures that I feel would be worthy, but unfortunately, they're on my other computer. And that computer stays on for only about 5 minutes, due to overheating. So, without further ado, here are my top 11 of 2011.

17 Weeks Old & Happy New Year!!

Cael's first New Years! And he's 17 weeks old today, too! That's two holiday's that Cael turned a new week older on, in a row. We spent New Years Eve at our friend's house, and spent the night there. It took a lot of encouraging on our part to get Matt to agree, but he ended up having fun in the end. It was a great night!

I ended up drinking more than I wanted to. I didn't get "trashed", but I definitely had a nice buzz going. Which makes me feel like a horrible mother. It was well after Cael was in bed, but when I think back on it, he could have waken up at any point to eat, and I would have been in no shape to feed him. I hoped he would have slept until 7 in the morning, but we had no such luck. As soon as Matt and I went into bed at 3am, wouldn't you know that he woke up to eat. Oh well, the last time I had a drink was around 12:30am or so, so I was fine.

As more time goes on, the better Cael is getting throughout the day. He no longer cries all day long, but only a few times a day. And that's usually when he's overtired and needs to sleep. He will also fall asleep in his swing now too. He still only sleeps for about 30 minutes, but it still gives me 30 minutes to get what I can done, as opposed to laying on the couch for 2 hours while he sleeps on me. Although I do love the cuddle time.

I finally went through Cael's drawers, too. I packed up most of his 0-3 month clothes that didn't fit. Depending on the brand, there are some 0-3 month clothes that still fit, so I've left them out. But boy does he have A LOT of 3-6 month clothes! Hopefully he'll get to wear them all at least once.

The cloth diapering is also going very well. I can say I'm thoroughly enjoying it, even though I do an extra load of laundry a day. He hasn't had any leaks, and he had a horrendous poop the other day that definitely would have leaked out of a disposable. I'm quite satisfied with the decision to cloth diaper, and my only regret is that we didn't start it sooner.

Finally, I have to report that Cael was able to put his foot into his mouth after his bath tonight. He discovered his feet the other day, and pulled his feet up to his face, but didn't actually put them into his mouth. Tonight, he did this. It was so adorable. Although, Matt was disgusted by it. He hates feet, even cute little baby feet. Oh well, it's his loss. It was cute!

(Oh, and PS: There's water in the beer pong cups :) )

That's A Foot!!

So today, at 16 weeks 5 days, Cael discovered he has feet! When I was taking a picture of Cael this morning, I got one of him looking at his feet, like "Hey there! What are you guys?". I figured that it would be a while longer before he would be able to grab his feet, but nope. He did it after his bath, while I was trying to put a diaper on him. He lifted his legs up to his hip level, grabbed his foot, and brought it to his mouth. It was the cutest thing ever! Next to his laughing, of course.

Now *That* Was A Laugh!!

Cael did a belly laugh tonight for the first time! It was the cutest thing ever. I gave him a huge hug after the second, and final, laugh. And the best part? Matt was sitting next to us on the couch when he laughed, so he got to hear his first real laugh too! I was making funny noises, and he just let it go. Up until tonight, he would start a laugh while inhaling, but would never "let it go", as Matt puts it. Well, he let it go tonight, and it was the cutest thing ever. Totally made my day.

16 Weeks Old & Merry Christmas!!

Ho ho ho!! It's Christmas day, and Cael is also 16 weeks old today! It was a rough day today, though. Cael was extremely fussy. For the first time in a long while, Cael was up at 3 am to eat. And then again at 7. But he didn't fall right to sleep like he usually does. He stayed awake, overtired, and cried. And cried, and cried. And he did the same thing for most of the day. I have all these happy pictures of Cael because I know how to time them. He gave us a few 10 minutes spurts where he was in a good mood, and those were my windows of opportunity. 
He didn't hate his Jolly Jumper, which was his big Christmas present today. But he also didn't love it. Actually, his cousin Briley LOVED it! She jumped around for more than 20 minutes in it. I can't wait for Cael to enjoy it just that much. Anyway, I'm happy that Laureen was around, because she took him several times today while he was crying to give us a break. He was really testing my patience today, as I'm still not feeling well. I feel horrible getting frustrated with him, but a person can only take so much crying. Hopefully he sleeps through the night tonight. 

And now a non-Christmas update. We had Cael to the pediatrician on Thursday to check his circumcision. The doctor saw what I was talking about, but thinks it may be the way his circumcision was done. His words were, "it looks like the circumcision took on the top, but didn't so much on the bottom." He said it could be adhered on the bottom (underneath part), but he didn't want to mess too much with it. He said it's not bad, and sometimes they don't take enough of the skin off, and it can re-attach to the top (glans), and that this wasn't the case here. We told him we were concerned for when he was older, if the skin would be too tight, and he said it shouldn't be a problem. As far as the white fiber that in his skin, he said to leave it alone, and it should work its way out. He didn't want me to try to do it because it could irritate it or cause an infection.

So basically, it was not as bad as I thought it was, thankfully! He gave us a cream to use twice a day for 2 weeks on his penis. He said that if the skin was adhered, that the cream would help separate it. And that if its just the way the circumcision was done, then it wouldn't help, and we wouldn't see a change at all.

Oh, and Cael weighs 13 pounds 8 ounces (just under 25th percentile), and he said that his weight is good because he's following the curve. Overall a very good appointment. I'm so happy and relieved that the pedi didn't need to do a procedure, or pull the skin back.