The end of swaddling

No one was more pro-swaddling than me. I swore I would do it until he was five years old if it helped him sleep through the night.

As a newborn, Connor slept with his arms by his face and we had no reason to swaddle him. At about 7 weeks old, he started to get a little fussier during the early evening "witching hour" so we tried it. Magic!
Here's a photo of his first time being swaddled at home at 7 weeks old.

At first, I thought maybe it was a fluke, so I tried it again the next day in his pack & play here. It worked!

We are extremely lucky that the swaddling helped so much! He's been sleeping through the night since about 3 months and we get to sleep too!

But Connor now loves to roll around and get on his tummy to sleep. Daycare doesn't swaddle him anymore. His last swaddle sack is getting too small and I can't find anything long enough. This is what I saw in the monitor last week: arms up and swaddle sack by his feet!

So we've been slowly transitioning from it by just swaddling his body and legs or using nothing at all for naps. It takes a little longer to get him to fall asleep sometimes, but he's doing pretty well! He's still sleeping every night and Mommy & Daddy are happy!

Retiring some good friends

Fisher Price Rock & Play
This is one of my favorite baby things! Whoever thought of this thing was a genius! It worked for 7 months and we used it every chance we got. It was the perfect height to sit right next to the bed and I could rock it with one hand while I tried to rest. It was perfect for naps and the curved shape was a slight swaddle so Connor slept really well in it. Connor still fits in it, but he seems to think he can roll out of it so it doesn't seem like the best solution anymore.
Well, it's been a good run, my friend. 7 months of great sleep and I'm sad to see you go!

3 Month Clothes
We officially retired most of the 3 month clothes during the last week. The solids have really helped him put on some weight and he got a little thicker! He's still wearing some 3-6 month larger things though. And then there's still the few 0-3 month pieces that I am convinced will just never fit!

Size 1 Diapers
We're almost done with the last pack of them. He could probably use one more box, but I already have a bunch of 2s at home so it's just easier to switch.

My baby is growing up way too fast!

A Day in my Life (working mom style)

This was an idea started by Jen in our August 2011 group. It's pretty interesting to read how everyone spends their days and I'm sure this will be funny for me to read in a few years.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

5:00 am
Alarm goes off and I get up. Time to shower and start to get ready for work.

5:21 am
Go downstairs and give Kitty his breakfast. Then I get some Peanut Butter Cheerios for myself and take it upstairs to eat while I watch the news.

5:27 am
Wake up the munchkin & feel horrible that I have to wake him while he's still completely asleep. Make sure Daddy is awake and in the shower.

5:32 am
Nurse Connor while I watch the news and catch up on Facebook.
6:05 am
Finishing getting Connor and I ready to go.

6:25 am
Connor, Hubby and I are out the door and on our way.

6:54 am
Get to work and turn on my computer to see my favorite face. (My coworkers set this up for me on my first day back after maternity leave.)

8:27 am
First pumping session
This is the mother's room at work. There's two little spaces with shower curtains and a small fridge to store milk. The one in the photo is "mine" since there's only 2 of us pumping right now.

For my first pumping session of the day, I always read the newspaper.

9:12 am
Headed to the bathroom and figured I'd take a photo so I can remember how I dressed for work. I dress up 2-3x a week and wear jeans for the other days.

9:46 am
Morning snack

10:17 am
Not really feeling too creative today, but at least it looks like I'm working.

11:24 am
Second pumping session
I usually check TMZ and CNN on my phone. I play Solitaire until I win and then I read magazines.

12:07 pm
A quick workout at the gym across the street from work. I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and then some abs and arms.

1:07 pm
Warmed up my frozen Smart Ones for lunch

2:21 pm
Last pumping session for the day while I played Solitaire on my phone and read some emails.

3:00 pm
Meeting with the checks team and we actually got out at a decent time! Usually the meeting goes for almost 90 minutes because we end up chatting about reality tv.

4:07 pm
Out the door and on my way home!

4:33 pm
Stopped at the cleaner to drop off clothes

4:49 pm
Paid some bills (Yes, I have sock monkey checks!)

4:57 pm
Do the dishes left in the sink

5:03 pm
Play with Kitty for a few minutes

5:09 pm
Watch Parenthood from last night while I put away laundry

5:27 pm
Migraine and I can't stand it anymore!

5:35 pm
Daddy and Connor are home! Connor was sleeping from his ride home.

5:51 pm
Hubby was playing video games tonight, so I made a quick dinner of microwave Jack Daniels shredded chicken and club soda. I ate dinner while I nursed Connor and watched tv in bed.

6:34 pm

Diaper change on the bedroom floor

6:41 pm
Playing on the floor

6:52 pm
Saying hello to himself in the mirror

7:00 pm
Time for my tv shows and play time in the boppy

7:13 pm
Dance party during commercials! I played fun songs from YouTube and we danced.

7:30 pm
All swaddled and ready for bed

7:42 pm
Worked on some Valentine's Day crafts for a little bit

8:00 pm
Snuggled up in bed with Kitty and passed out by 8:30!

Busy day in my life, but that's my typical day!

The no-fail swaddle

This does NOT exist. I swear I've read tons of reviews and blogs that say this or that product is great and their child will never break out of it.

I'm here to tell you that's not true.

Or maybe I just have a *gifted* child.

He will break out of all 4 types of swaddling products we have! Maybe it's magic, but he somehow finds a way to do it.

I still love 'em, but just saying...

Week 10 & some new toys

Somebody used his Bumbo chair for the first time this week! You might be a little too small, but it was so darn cute! You just looked so happy and proud of yourself to be sitting up on your own! You can only do it for a few minutes, but we practice every day so you'll be a pro in no time.

I could not resist taking these adorable pics of you and your brother, Kitty, passed out while your Mommy & Daddy were on laptops. This pretty much sums up our lives : )

This week, we also went to a play group with the new moms we've been hanging out with. It was really fun to see all the kids playing and learning to move on their own. You were the youngest, but you enjoyed watching them play. Of course, you fell asleep on the floor while the other kids played!

We also went to play at daycare this week so Mommy could have a better idea of what to expect when you're there each day. We spent about an hour playing and talking to the teachers. It seems like a very nice place for you to learn and make new friends. While we were there, you played with a new rattle and I realized we had the same one at home in your closet. I took it out when we got home and you love it!

Since you found your right hand last week, you've been hard at work watching it move. You spent a lot of time wiggling your fingers and moving your arm in circles. You still haven't found your left hand, but I'm hoping any day now!

Love your little monkey feet : )

This is a good close-up of your face to show off your perfect skin. Your baby acne is healed and you're back to smooth, clear skin!

Mommy loves to hold your hand.

Dressing up in honor of football on Sunday with Daddy!

I don't have a photo, but I also wanted to mention that we transitioned you to sleeping in your crib this week. I thought it was going to be really difficult, but it turned out to be pretty easy. Once we swaddle you, you're happy to sleep in your crib. I think you also love the white noise and little blue nightlight. I love watching you play with your hand in the video monitor too.

So one more week before Mommy has to go back to work : ( I'm not looking forward to it and I'm going to miss you tons! I hope week 11 will be lots of fun for us!