Dane has been teething now for weeks and weeks, but his mouth is still empty. I am pretty sure that teeth are fast on their way. Today was pretty rough on the little guy. A slight fever and major clinginess! We know all the tricks, and are employing the age-appropriate ones. The best help so far have been these little mini-marshmallow looking homeopathic tablets that go under Dane's tongue and dissolve almost instantly. They're called "Hyland's Teething Tablets". I got them behind the counter at Target (because the pharmacy sells them, but not Target) and I paid $5.05 for 125 tablets. They settle Dane down pretty quickly and he takes them just great (although he gets uber-excited to put anything in his mouth). It's a nice alternative to Tylenol, which we treat as a last resort for now. This teething nonsense is a mess and poor little Dane is so uncomfortable. Here's hoping his tooth pops soon and this can all be over with.
Wait. What? This goes on for another 2 years?! Nooooo!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Weekend Wrap-Up
This weekend we got our butts into Christmas gear. Our tree has been sitting in our house all week - UNdecorated. We finally took care of that and got our lights up outside. A few presents are wrapped and under the tree, stockings are hung and cookies are baking. Not since we were children ourselves have we been so excited for Christmas. Dane isn't getting tons of gifts, but he's really going to love what he gets and we just can't wait to spend our first Christmas together as a family. And we're happy to be adding a couple of new books into the reading rotation. Now we can give Mickey a break (Yay!).
By the way, Daniel's first day at his new job was today. We want to thank everyone who congratulated him, wished us luck, and prayed for our family during this stressful past month. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness. God has provided, as he always has and as he always will.
By the way, Daniel's first day at his new job was today. We want to thank everyone who congratulated him, wished us luck, and prayed for our family during this stressful past month. We really appreciate your thoughtfulness. God has provided, as he always has and as he always will.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Picture of the Week
You get two this week because we each liked a different one.
Tell us which one you like.
To celebrate Danny's new job, we thought we would post a pic (or two) of Dane at work. Here are a few of him at his desk, doing what he does best: playing and looking adorable.
Dane's at such a fun age (albeit the sleep deprivation). He's so alive and fun. Every day is something new and we are loving being the lucky parents of this little munchkin.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Sleep Training: Round 2
In Dane's early weeks, he'd only sleep if we held him. We could eternally alternate sleeping while the other held Dane, or we would have to condition him to sleep in his bassinet. So we turned to sleep training. It took only a couple of nights (a couple of the longest nights of our lives) and we used a modified cry-it-out method called the Ferber method (Google it). It goes like this:
Get him drowsy and put him down. When he cries, wait 5 minutes to console him. Get him drowsy (but awake) and put him down again. Next time wait 6 minutes, then 7... until he's asleep. It took about 4 days and he learned how to put himself to sleep and back to sleep.
He started sleeping through the night at 10 weeks. When he turned 4 months old, and we were good and spoiled with sleep, he began waking again. He gradually woke more as the days progressed and before we knew it he was waking to nurse every hour and a half. He isn't hungry; he eats for a minute and passes out. Mommy is not a pacifier! And so begins our second round of sleep training. He will be fed once in a specific time window a night, should he need, and that's it. This time, we're going cry-it-out all the way. We have one of those super cool video baby monitors, so we don't have to worry about whether he is all right or not. We get to watch him kick and scream and pull at his crib bumper and push himself sideways in the crib without having to go in his room.
We've actually been sleep-training him for a couple of days before Jackie screwed it up. It was going very well until last night. We put Dane down as normal and when he awoke 30 minutes later Jackie figured "well, if I feed him now and get him full, he won't wake to eat later...". Whoa, wrong! He was up all night yelling. It was the worst it's ever been! So all that you hear about consistency being key is TRUE, as well as the fact that once you screw it up, the "sleep training week" resets itself. We'll stick to it (We will, we will, we will...) and hopefully we'll get some sleep in a week. Root for us. We'll keep you posted.
Get him drowsy and put him down. When he cries, wait 5 minutes to console him. Get him drowsy (but awake) and put him down again. Next time wait 6 minutes, then 7... until he's asleep. It took about 4 days and he learned how to put himself to sleep and back to sleep.
He started sleeping through the night at 10 weeks. When he turned 4 months old, and we were good and spoiled with sleep, he began waking again. He gradually woke more as the days progressed and before we knew it he was waking to nurse every hour and a half. He isn't hungry; he eats for a minute and passes out. Mommy is not a pacifier! And so begins our second round of sleep training. He will be fed once in a specific time window a night, should he need, and that's it. This time, we're going cry-it-out all the way. We have one of those super cool video baby monitors, so we don't have to worry about whether he is all right or not. We get to watch him kick and scream and pull at his crib bumper and push himself sideways in the crib without having to go in his room.
We've actually been sleep-training him for a couple of days before Jackie screwed it up. It was going very well until last night. We put Dane down as normal and when he awoke 30 minutes later Jackie figured "well, if I feed him now and get him full, he won't wake to eat later...". Whoa, wrong! He was up all night yelling. It was the worst it's ever been! So all that you hear about consistency being key is TRUE, as well as the fact that once you screw it up, the "sleep training week" resets itself. We'll stick to it (We will, we will, we will...) and hopefully we'll get some sleep in a week. Root for us. We'll keep you posted.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Built Tough
Dane's got a busted lip. We don't know how it happened and it's nothing so big that it would even show up in a picture. Our first instincts said to feel sorry for him, but it doesn't bother him at all. You could tell Dane was going to be fierce when you watched them poke and prod him when he was born. If you consider that in addition to the couple of times we dropped him (just kidding), his early defenses against ferocious(ly loving) dogs, and the way the repercussions of the wild flailing of his limbs go unnoticed, you know he's tough. All of this plus crazy, invincible, adventurous genes and we're all in for it.
Our Little Bruiser
He's a stubborn, scratching, hair pulling, kicking ball of energy and his only mode is ON. Is this a curse or a blessing? Probably a little of both. If one thing is for sure though, it's that --- Ahhh! Dane, stop banging that on your head!!!
He's a stubborn, scratching, hair pulling, kicking ball of energy and his only mode is ON. Is this a curse or a blessing? Probably a little of both. If one thing is for sure though, it's that --- Ahhh! Dane, stop banging that on your head!!!Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Done with Dane!
With his Christmas shopping, that is! We actually have been for a while. Dane has so much that we decided a while ago that we would only get him one big thing and a few smaller things. Our living room has been so overtaken by toys and baby play stations that to bring more in would mean we'd have to ditch the furniture. So we got Dane some books, a few necessities, a couple of small toys, and a very cool Santa gift (good luck getting this down the chimney, big guy!). We're excited for him to have it, although we can't really wrap our heads around him playing with something geared toward babies 6 months and up. He is 5 months old (today) and it just doesn't seem right.
We're spending some of the money we're saving not buying out Target's baby toy aisles by participating in the Salvation Army's Angel Tree, buying and donating a few toys for babies Dane's age that could really use them more than he could. It's a pretty cool way to give back, and we want to instill the values of generosity and compassion in our son. The rest of the money is going into the bank in an account for Dane.
Dane really doesn't need anything for Christmas, but we now understand the burning desire to buy things for the little ones we love. If you would like to get Dane something, he'd love a new book, a travel toy, or anything monkey. He does not, does not, does NOT need clothes, and while the thought is appreciated, it just doesn't feel right to accept clothes that many other babies actually do need. Maybe buy some cute things (or take the money you would spend) and donate them to a children's' charity, shelter or hospital in Dane's name. It's the thought that counts, and that would certainly be thoughtful! But please do not feel that you have to get him something. He needs nothing and wants for nothing other than membership into the "No More Naps For Life" Club (and don't you dare get him that!).
We're spending some of the money we're saving not buying out Target's baby toy aisles by participating in the Salvation Army's Angel Tree, buying and donating a few toys for babies Dane's age that could really use them more than he could. It's a pretty cool way to give back, and we want to instill the values of generosity and compassion in our son. The rest of the money is going into the bank in an account for Dane.Dane really doesn't need anything for Christmas, but we now understand the burning desire to buy things for the little ones we love. If you would like to get Dane something, he'd love a new book, a travel toy, or anything monkey. He does not, does not, does NOT need clothes, and while the thought is appreciated, it just doesn't feel right to accept clothes that many other babies actually do need. Maybe buy some cute things (or take the money you would spend) and donate them to a children's' charity, shelter or hospital in Dane's name. It's the thought that counts, and that would certainly be thoughtful! But please do not feel that you have to get him something. He needs nothing and wants for nothing other than membership into the "No More Naps For Life" Club (and don't you dare get him that!).
Monday, December 1, 2008
Weekend Wrap-Up
Thanksgiving has come and gone and we are geared up for Christmas. Here's a few words about Turkey Day before this blog becomes entirely about Christmas.
We went to Uncle Brian and Aunt Jeannie's in the morning. Sophie is really getting to be something. She gets cuter by the minute and she's definitely got spunk. I think we'll all be in for it when she and Dane start getting into stuff together. Dane was surprisingly mellow there, and for the rest of the day actually. Maybe he was just out of his element.
We next headed to Aunt Jenny's. It was pretty much a fiasco with a million kids in the (HOT) house and adults running in between trying to set things up. Dane did NOT have Mountain Dew (despite that it was diet. Somehow that makes it better for infants? No.), but this is why you may see a post soon about how WE are not feeding OUR child food yet. By the way, Danny and Bobby were both sick this weekend, Jen. Did you poison the turkey? I'm suspecting fowl play...
And then Jackie broke out at 3am to get in line at Wal-Mart for the sale. Her hurdling shopping carts and aisle navigational skills would have made you proud. She got what she wanted, then went home to find Danny desperate for the sleep he'd lost while Dane kept him up all night. Maybe someday, Danny.
That was Thanksgiving. It was fine. Now can we move on to Christmas already?!
We went to Uncle Brian and Aunt Jeannie's in the morning. Sophie is really getting to be something. She gets cuter by the minute and she's definitely got spunk. I think we'll all be in for it when she and Dane start getting into stuff together. Dane was surprisingly mellow there, and for the rest of the day actually. Maybe he was just out of his element.
We next headed to Aunt Jenny's. It was pretty much a fiasco with a million kids in the (HOT) house and adults running in between trying to set things up. Dane did NOT have Mountain Dew (despite that it was diet. Somehow that makes it better for infants? No.), but this is why you may see a post soon about how WE are not feeding OUR child food yet. By the way, Danny and Bobby were both sick this weekend, Jen. Did you poison the turkey? I'm suspecting fowl play...
And then Jackie broke out at 3am to get in line at Wal-Mart for the sale. Her hurdling shopping carts and aisle navigational skills would have made you proud. She got what she wanted, then went home to find Danny desperate for the sleep he'd lost while Dane kept him up all night. Maybe someday, Danny.
That was Thanksgiving. It was fine. Now can we move on to Christmas already?!
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