first laugh and other exciting news

Cole had his first official laugh yesterday. He's made laugh-like sounds before, but yesterday there was no doubt. The little guy is developing a sense of humor. Tony was holding him and was doing slow motion squats...it was like slow-motion bouncing, and after each squat Cole's smile got bigger and bigger...until he couldn't help himself, and he laughed out loud. It was beautiful, like music.

In other news, I've been asked to be Nina's godmother! I am incredibly honored and excited. The big day is March 6, and I can't wait.

Also, Cole's godparents, Glen and Annie, had their ultrasound on Friday and learned that they are expecting a baby boy. They were grinning ear-to-ear when they shared the news, and they were completely awestruck by their first view of their tiny son. Now the big name debate will be getting more serious, especially since they only had a girl's name picked out.

catching up

Cole had his 3 month check-up on 1/14, and all went well. He's now 2 ounces shy of 16 lbs(!), and 23 1/2 inches tall. The pediatrician remarked that he was a very happy and healthy boy, and that the only thing he could see that Cole was missing is....a neck. He then added that he looks like a snowman. His most popular nickname at the moment is Chubbster. In the side bar, I've added a link to his 3 month album.

We missed our first yoga class (1/16) because I thought I was getting sick, and the temperature was only in the teens. Last week we made it despite the frigid weather, and Cole and I really enjoyed it. There were 2 familiar faces from the prenatal yoga classes I had taken too and it was fun to reconnect and meet everyone's babies.

This past weekend, Cole met his great grandparents from NJ for the first time. There were a lot of Ooos and Aaahhhs from both sides of the crib rail. Gram joined Mema and Pop for the trip, and so we had 4 generations together. Cole was quite the charmer and Mema was amazed by his easy-going manner. She said we must be doing a great job to have such a happy baby.

So many mornings, I wake up to Cole's call for attention, and I'm exhausted. But when I see that mega watt, toothless smile of his, I've got more than enough juice to get me through the day.

yoga baby

This morning Cole and I took a sample postpartum yoga class. New moms and babies 6 weeks to 6 months can attend. The instructor is the same one who led the prenatal yoga classes I had taken. I knew I would enjoy the class, but I wasn't sure if Cole would, so I thought it would be best to take the sample class before making a committment.

The class size is kept small, and there were only 7 of us...well 14 counting babies who attended the sample session. It was so much fun and Cole seemed to think so too. I spread out a blanket at the front of the yoga mat and he cooed and played and sucked on his blanket. We only did a few poses, but the upper body stretches felt wonderful. The babies got some exercise too as we moved their arms and legs and they even got a foot massage.

The best part of the experience is the atmosphere. Cole was fascinated by the other babies and new faces, and everyone was really friendly. No one will mind if your baby starts to cry or fuss. You can stop in the middle of class to change a diaper or feed your baby. I had to change Cole twice and I just scooped him up and went over to the corner by the diaper bag, took care of business, and then got right back into the class. It's not nearly as intense a workout as the prenatal class, but it's perfect for me and for Cole right now.

The hipster

Today's adventure was a trip to Fairfax Hospital for an ultrasound of Cole's hip. After his very first checkup in October, the pediatrician sent us there for an X-ray to check for developmental hip dysplasia. The X-ray showed a normal hip joint, but the doctors have continued to check his hip carefully at his checkups ever since.

At his 2-month appointment, the doctor said she felt "roughness" in the joint and that his leg creases didn't match--2 possible indicators of dysplasia. She had some difficulty moving his legs though because he refused to relax his right leg for her. This time she wrote up an order for an ultrasound which she said is more accurate than an X-ray in diagnosing the condition. With all the flu excitement, I just got around to scheduling the ultrasound this week.

Cole was an angel throughout the test. He was perfectly content to roll over on his side, relaxed his hips and legs, and sucked away on his Nuk the entire time. The best part was the diagnosis---2 perfectly normal hips!

load of croc

Am I the only one who noticed that the Steve Irwin totally did not support the head of his one-month old son? I gotta say this disturbed me as much as the presence of the crocodile. Bob's head just dangled off to the side, and in the extended clip when the Croc Hunter made it look like Bob was running away, the baby's head flopped from side to side. Some of our friends and family have been too nervous to even hold Cole until his neck gets stronger...and he's almost 3 months old!

some more firsts

Yesterday, Cole discovered himself in the mirror for the first time. He was entranced by the baby in the mirror and it was so much fun to watch him admire himself.

Today, Cole destroyed his first outfit. We've had some leaks before, but this time his clothes were unsalvageable. I was about to take a shower when I heard Tony call for me. When I saw Cole at the changing table, I realized it would be easier to bathe him than to use up a box of baby wipes. So he got his bath before my shower, but it all worked out. The giraffe footie pajamas were the only casualty.

Cole also took a bottle for the first time today. I have been diligently using the breast pump to store up a supply for him in the freezer, but up until now he's refused to take a bottle. Today I had to make a trip to Springfield to buy a bridesmaid dress and with traffic I couldn't be sure that I could make it back in time for his next feeding. I set up a bottle for Tony to give him and brought my cell phone in case Tony needed me to come home right away. Cole devoured his bottle and was still hungry for more by the time I got home. I set up a second bottle, but he refused to take it until I left the room for about 20 minutes. It seems he'll only accept a bottle if I'm nowhere to be found, but that's okay since that's really the only time he'll absolutely have to take a bottle. I'm surprised how much I enjoy feeding him. Once we both learned our parts, it became a nice quiet time to spend together...but the bottle will give me back just a little bit of freedom and that's a good thing too.

First Christmas

Well, Cole's first Christmas was memorable, but not for the usual reasons. The morning of Christmas eve he woke with a fever, but it was difficult for me to tell at first since I had come down with the flu the Sunday before. When he started crying every time I moved him, I could see his joints were hurting him, so I had to break open the package on the rectal thermometer. It was not fun, but I knew he needed me to take care of him, and if that meant taking his temp, well, I had to get over it. Poor Cole who is usually such a happy little boy was just not himself. He was screaming crying and was barely consolable. The pediatrician had already closed when I called, so I left a page for the doctor on call who told me to take Cole to the ER. By this time, Cole had begun to calm down, but his sudden stillness made me even more nervous. I packed him up along with a diaper bag full of everything I could think of and we headed out.

Once at the hospital, Cole was seen right away. His temp was up to 102.2 and they gave him Tylenol for the fever. Tony met us there and then the waiting game began as we sat in shared room with an elderly couple from California. Worse than the waiting, was when they tried to put an IV hookup in Cole. It's difficult to find a vein on a baby, even harder on a pudgy baby. They poked and prodded his wrists, ankles and elbow creases as he screamed for at least a half hour. Unsuccessful, a second doctor came down later to try again, and finally found a vein on her last try...otherwise, I was told they were going to put the IV in his head! I held him as the tried to put in the IV, but if they had tried to put a needle in his head, they would've had to hold me down too! 6 hours after our arrival in the ER we learned Cole was being admitted, and then in another 2 hours we were given a room in the pediatrics wing.

The nurses on the floor were amazing and they had a huge impact on our stay and on Cole's recovery. I am so grateful to them. Cole had a tiny monitor attached to his toe to check his oxygen levels and his heartrate. The monitor had a small red light that reminded us of Rudolph while we watched it glow at night. Tony and I camped out in his room during his stay, staying cozy in a twin bed, but at least we were all together for Christmas.

When we came home on Friday, my mom came down to stay with us. While Cole was doing much better, I was still pretty sick with the flu because I hadn't gotten much rest during Cole's hospital stay. Mom cooked for us and helped to relieve Tony too so he wouldn't get too worn out. Nurse Kittenhead also made sure I had someone to snuggle with during my brief naps.

We're all fully recovered now, and we're looking forward to a healthier new year...and we'll definitely be getting flu shots next fall!