5 Month Basti

The last couple of weeks have been full of activity, new faces, gifts and food.  Chaos!

Sat Dec 15: Poppy returned home.
Sun Dec 16: Uncle WG arrived for work meetings.
Mon Dec 17: CunCun arrived late at night, delayed flight.
Tue Dec 18: The Nanny started working...

And with the parade of new faces, Basti started bottle training.  I was super stressed out with all the added activity and anxious about Basti taking the bottle.  And he put up quite a fight: complaining and crying.  Which made me feel even more stressed out and my breast hurt whenever I heard Basti cry.  Agh.  And so I hid in my room and bathroom as Popo and Nanny tried to get Basti to take the bottle.  Tested 5 different bottles, 3 days into the torture Basti took to the Playtex VentAire wide bottles.  And then there was the issue of Basti crying whenever Nanny tried to put him to sleep.  Sigh.  Over the weekend, Popo took over the bottle feeding and it went very well.  And Basti would happily go nap in Popo's arms too!  So what is it about the Nanny???

I relaxed a whole lot more having Popo taking care of Basti...  so Philipp and I ventured out together for the first time since before Basti arrived.  We went to the movies to watch The Hobbit, the longest I have been away from Basti Bear since he was born!  Basti was an angel with Popo, so we felt more comfortable going out.  Went to the movies twice more in the following days with Cuncun: Django Unchained and Jack Reacher.  

Basti has been trying to sit up!  Sometimes when lounging in his bouncy chair, he will try to sit up but then fold over forwards...  so gotta watch him when his shoulders are not restrained.  Popo & Cuncun got him a high chair for Xmas, he's not quite ready for it but we'll be practicing sitting in it for when it's time to join us at the table.  And he has shown a tiny bit of interest in what Mommy eats...  his eyes following the granola bar as I eat it and wave it around.

Day after Xmas we all made the trek down south of SF to visit Cuncun's college friends and their families.  It so happened that Cuncun's friends daughters also had babies around the same time Basti was born:  Emma was born on July 25, and Jack on August 9.  It was very cute to have the three babies cuddle for pictures.  Basti was the biggest baby of the bunch.  We timed the car rides with nap times, and we survived without much complaining.  

Basti has managed to lick his big toe!  He has been working at getting his foot to his mouth for over a week. Well, he tries to put anything he can get his hands on into his mouth, including other people's hands, clothes, and hair.

Basti's hair keeps growing and going all over the place.  After baths, we still blowdry his hair...  and sometimes part of it lays down, other times it all stands up.  Poppy has fun styling it every time.

The last two days this little monkey has been nursing a lot.  A LOT.  Waking up 3-4 times at night.  This morning Poppy gave him a bottle with 4 oz...  and he still wanted more after chugging it.  Growth spurt coming!  And with that, I hope a very sleepy baby.

Feliz Navidad!

Sleeping Cutie

Basti's sleep training has been going pretty well, I think.  Mommy is totally in tune with his sleep/wake pattern.  Crankiness levels are way down.  If he does wake up wailing, I can usually calm him down quickly and sometimes he will even fall back asleep as I hold him.  From the last few days I gathered the following information:

- Basti is ok with 1-1.5 hours of wakefulness.  Once he starts complaining, I prep him for nap time (diaper change, close the curtains, swaddle, feed, rock to sleep).

- Naps range in duration 30 to 60 min.  Although a couple of times he surprised us with 1.5 hour naps.

- Since his wakefulness doesn't last that long, he is taking 4 naps a day.

- Real bedtime for him seems to be around 8pm +/- 30 min.

- Wake up time is now 6am (I'm feeling that one, was better for me when he would go back to sleep after that feeding).

- Although Saturday night he slept for a nice 9.5 hours straight.  WOW.  Could it be he was relieved to know Poppy was back home?  Too bad Mommy woke up at the expected 2am full of milk.  Poppy was jetlagged and awake so at least we got to hang out a bit.

Other updates on Basti's accomplishments...

He can now roll over as soon as he is put on tummy time, and he can roll to both sides.  But if he is in a good mood, he will hang out on tummy time for a bit and raise his head up higher.  He can also roll from his back to his side. So now we have to be extra super duper careful when he is placed on any raised surface.

Basti is also showing a lot more head control.  When he is propped up with a pillow in a sit/reclining position, he tilts his head forward like he wants to sit up.  And the awaited drooling machine has sort of started, Basti will drool sometimes when he is on tummy time or his head is tilting forward.  And last but not least, he is definitely more grabby...  anything within reach he tries to grab and put it in his mouth, including other people's hands.

Poppy brought home a Monchichi doll from Narita airport.  I think it is cute, but I wondered why a Monchichi.  Poppy said that because I'm often calling Basti Monchichi.  Huh?  OH.  HAHA.  Actually, I'm saying "mi chichi", which is Panamanian for "my baby".  So here is a picture of Monchichi and Michichi.

Our outings now are very brief...  since Basti's wakeful time is so short.  We have gone on a nature walk to a nearby park (but now it is getting too cold for those), a few supermarket runs, and today we went on a quick shopping trip downtown.  Basti's head is big, none of the hats he has fit anymore, they pop off his head.  So we got him a bigger fuzzy hat with ties to keep his noggin warm when we do go out.  Also got him a book in English and Spanish, "Bear in Sunshine/Oso Bajo El Sol".

CunCun arrives tonight!!!

Sleeeeeeeeep

I love to sleep.  Since pregnancy started, sleep and I don't hang out together much anymore.  Once upon a time, I could sleep 12 hours at a time...  seems like ages ago.  Sleep deprivation is not new to me...  all through high school I slept an average of 4 hours a night, doing homework and studying of course.  Now that I think back I can't believe I had that much work to do...  I was likely not very efficient, but I remember it being very stressful.  And of course, sleepless nights in college and grad school.  I occasionally have "nightmares" in which I'm back in school and I have forgotten to study for a test...  and I wake up anxious and confused.  Yuck.

Much like this scene from Top Secret.

All this to bring me to the situation at the moment: sleep training Basti.

Over the last couple of weeks, Basti was getting increasingly crankier...  especially in the evenings.  He started taking a late evening nap, and then wouldn't go to sleep until 10ish pm.  The poop hit the fan when on Tuesday he missed his morning nap, took a midday nap, and then was all out of sorts in the afternoon.  It so happened Grandma brought along a sleep book (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child) from Tia Suli's...  so I started reading it.  And I realized the signs of sleep deprivation were there: constant yawning and face rubbing, waking up from naps wailing, increasing crankiness as the day progressed, crying at bedtime.  Basti needs a waaay earlier bedtime and regular naps through the day.

That very night, I was determined to get Basti to bed early.  So at 6pm I quickly prepped him for bedtime (instead of the late nap he had been taking).  He woke up an hour later wailing, instead of picking him up to stay awake for a couple of hours, I nursed him back to sleep.  He woke up again an hour later...  I let him cry out for 15 minutes, picked him up to nurse (even though I knew he wasn't hungry), and then put him down again for him to cry another 5 minutes and he was out for the night.  He woke up twice during the night to nurse and went back to sleep right away.

I find it a little harder to be in synch with him when there are others around playing with him.  I had gotten used to being just him and me at home most days, so when Grandma arrived I sort of tuned out and wasn't tracking Basti's state of mind.  Yesterday I made sure I was in tune with his tiredness level.  Basti ended up taking 4 daytime naps yesterday.  At 5pm he got his bath and was in bed before 5:30.  But at 6:15ish he woke up wailing.  Took an hour of crying and soothing for him to pass out again.  But then he was out till 2am!  Could this be working?

It's almost 2pm, and Basti is on his third nap of the day...  so there might be a fourth before bedtime.  Tomorrow I will try stretching his awake time a little more so he goes to 3 naps during the day instead of 4.

A well rested baby is a happy playful baby.

I seem to be so preoccupied with Basti sleeping well that I can't sleep.  Takes me a while to fall asleep after the late night feeding.  And then there's Maja who has been a little jumpy lately, perks up at any noise and jumps out of bed to investigate.  So I get up with her and let her out to the backyard just in case she really needs to go potty.  And the constant battle with the thermostat and heater.  Our home is a little old (rental) and the air duct path for heating is not very well planned out.  The bedrooms get warm very fast while the main part of the house is still cold.  I constantly monitor the temperature in Basti's room to make sure it doesn't get too hot when he is sleeping.

In other updates, Basti's hair seems to be all over the place.  Some days it flows to one side, and other days it starts to lay flatter, and then it's back up floweing to the other side.  Also, his eczema is better and worse.  The spots on his face and arm are pretty much gone, the ones on his neck are the same, but the one on his left ankle is worse (even crusty).  So I have been putting more ointment on and 3+ times a day instead of two.

Ah, and Mommy B reached pre-pregnancy weight.  Woohoo!  I was not expecting it to happen for a long time (if ever), especially since I am always hungry and constantly eating.  Now, if only I could get myself to do some ab exercises to tone the belly...

Feliz Dia de las Madres!

Today is Mother's Day in Panama, and to celebrate I made lunch for Mom, Tia Carla and Tio Chris (who drove up from SF to meet Basti).  And Poppy sent balloons and flowers!

Great accomplishment for Basti today: he rolled over from his tummy to his back three times in a row!  YEY!

Sleepy Baby

After getting 2 shots yesterday, Basti slept most of the afternoon.  Waking up a couple of times with a loud wail, but I was able to nurse him back to sleep.  Maja camped out and snoozed in Basti's hamper through all this...  I guess his clothes are nice and soft?  And I fell asleep curled up on the recliner (I woke up after dreaming I had peed on the deck...  thank goodness I didn't do it in my sleep).

Silly me got crab for dinner at home with Mom...  when I put the crab on the table I wondered how I would eat it one handed (holding Basti in my other arm).  But where there's a will there's a way...  I strapped Basti into the front carrier, so I had both hands free.  Hee hee.  Halfway through the meal I had to put Basti down for a nap.  And then I was able to finish eating without having to worry about dropping pieces of crab on his head.

Basti went to sleep at 10ish last night, but woke up at 1:30ish.  And then again at 3:30ish.  And then again at I don't know what time because all I remember is looking at the monitor and wondering if he would go back to sleep again on his own and then I passed out.  Oops.  And then I woke up at 7:30ish in a panic...  what did I do with Basti?!?  So I rushed over to check on him and he was sound asleep.  Woke up on his own at 8ish.

Here is me testing out Basti's travel crib:

That's right!  No pictures of Basti in this post!!!

4 Month Check-Up

Mommy loves tickling little Basti...  and he likes to chuckle and squeal.  Here's a candid video Poppy took of us during a tickle session:

Tia Huebo complained that Basti is often wearing the same clothes in pictures...  well, yes it's true.  There are some outfits that are my favorites, so I will put them on him if they are clean and available.  Also, if we have nowhere to be, Basti will just hang out all day in his PJs...  sometimes I don't change his PJs for 2 days unless they get spit up on first.

Sunday after Thanksgiving, we moved Basti to his own room.  And he seems to be enjoying his independence.  Although now sometimes he wakes up from his naps with a loud wail.

Today Philipp left for an 11 day trip.  Grandma is in town to help out and tickle Basti some more.  He has doubled his size since Grandma last saw him!

At the 4 month check up today, Basti measured at:
- Weight: 16 pounds 1 ounce
- Length: 25 inches
- Head Circumference: 42.5 centimeters
Right on track with the 50% curve.
He also got 2 shots, and all is well.  He seems a little cranky and sleepy tho.

Fantastic 4

Basti is 4 months old!!!  To celebrate, Basti wore a bear outfit with furry feet, we ventured out in the rain, got a small German chocolate cake, and had a mini party in the office.

Going out in the rain requires lots of coordination on my part.
1. Carry Basti in his car seat down to the car through the laundry room to the garage
2. Check for umbrella and baby front carrier in the car
3. On arrival, I sit in the back seat, balancing the open umbrella over the open door to make a canopy
4. Get Basti out of car seat and into the front carrier
5. Exit car with umbrella
TADAH!

A few days ago Basti and I drove down to SF.  Yup!  And we made it there and back without incident.  Crazy Mommy wanted to face her anxiety of being in the car alone with Basti for an extended period of time.  So we went to visit friends in SF.  I timed it so that the drive would coincide with Basti's nap time...  so he slept for most of the 1 hour drive, both ways.

Basti is going through a sleepy phase now.  Yesterday evening he took a 2 hour nap (rare event), and last night he slept for 8 hours straight!  WOW!  I woke up right before he did...  and my first thought was: oh my gosh, did I forget to turn on the monitor?  I didn't hear Basti all night is he ok AAAHHH!!!  So I quickly checked the monitor and he was still there.  Phew.  And he is on his second nap of the morning.  Nice!

On Thursday I took Basti to the doc to check his little rash patches.  He them on his right temple, right side of his neck, right elbow, and left ankle crease...  and they don't look any better after 2 weeks.  Basti weighed in at 15# 12oz and the rash was diagnosed as eczema...  hereditary.  Yes, I have eczema on my right hand and it flares up when winter rolls in or I have been washing a lot (which means I have it now).  So I was advised to put some Aquaphor ointment on the patches, avoid contact with fabrics not washed in baby detergent, and no need to bathe every day.  Rash already looking a little better, especially the one on his face.

Basti has outgrown his next set of clothes, so I need to do an inventory of his wardrobe and pack away what doesn't fit anymore. This morning I made a run to the Outlet and got him a couple of pairs of footie PJs and a set of layering onesies.

My fuzzies:

Geeky shirt:

Trying to eat the ball:

Laundry:

Basti is ticklish...  but you have to really jam your fingers into the sides of his belly to get him:

Oh, on the mommy front...  my hair has started to fall.  Boohoo.

Basti's First Thanksgiving

Oli & Parents came to meet Basti for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Oli will soon be a big brother, so it was interesting to see how curious he was of Basti...  but would get jealous when his parents held Basti.  

Sisters and babies.

Oli holding Basti.

During their visit, we visited the Charles M. Schulz museum, had Puerto Rican food, hiked the Regional Park nearby, had Japanese food, and cooked several meals at home: crabs, pork loin, pork ribs, salmon.

Oli showing Basti how to pretend play.

Hee hee.

Family Photo.

Thanksgiving meal was at Philipp's bro's house.  There was a bbq turkey and all the usual sides.  We were in charge of corn bread and dessert...  apple strudel and creme brulee.

 Mommy and her Turkey.

Thanksgiving Table.

Thanksgiving Group.

Through all this, Basti has been waking up 3-4 times at night.  WWWHHHAAA...  which means Mommy is super exhausted and feeling very zombie-ish.  All for a good cause...  Basti weighs in at 16# and has grown a little over an inch.  WOW!

Plotting the next big meal.

Look Who's Talking

Basti started talking talking talking last night.  

Rain Rain Rain - Day 4-5

Rain in the forecast for the next few days.  Bummer.

Seems Basti is developing a pattern of sorts...  He wakes up at around 8am.  Hangs out for a bit before feeding.  And then he takes a nap in the mornings at around 9am.  With a feeding right before.  So he is in good spirits to go out of the house at around 10am.  That's it.  HA HA.  The rest of the day is a guessing game.

Since it was drizzling when we got out yesterday, we just made a stop at P's bros to drop off sister-in-law's bday gift...  Uncle and Auntie were happy to get a Basti-fix.  Hee hee.  Maja also got her big doggie fix.

 Maja gives Charlie a hug.

Basti fell asleep in the car so I kept driving...  and ended up in Tomales.  There is a tiny bakery there I had been wanting to check out.  So I got a sticky bun and a hot chocolate.  Then we took a stroll around the town (it is one block long) so Maja would get some time out of the car.

Basti napped a lot in the afternoon...  and then didn't go to sleep until after 9 pm.  But he woke up at 11-ish pm! That hadn't happened in a loooong time.

 Where's the party?

Today was another rainy day...  But I was determined to run a couple of errands downtown.  So out we went.  Fortunately it was barely drizzling when we were out.  Still, I was equipped:  Basti in front carrier, check; Maja with poncho and leash, check; giant umbrella and rain boots, check.  So off we went.  Stopped at the bank to deposit checks, strolled through a tiny park next to the bank, dropped off Maja in the car and went to the grocery store.

Mommy hanging on to the kids.

This afternoon Basti didn't sleep much, 15-30 minute cat naps, but he nursed a lot.  Keeping fingers crossed and thumbs pressed (German thing) he sleeps a lot tonight..................  Basti likes to keep me on  my toes, never know what the day/night will be like.

Babies chillin'.

Poppy will be home tomorrow afternoon.  YEY!!!

Wowsa - Day 3

Basti rolled over this morning!  Happy day!  YEY!!!  Ok, so he wasn't so happy.  He was so frustrated about being on tummy time, that he managed to push himself with his right arm and roll to the left onto his back.  And it only happened once.  But it's still a great accomplishment!  Friend told Philipp that rolling to the left means he will be left handed.  ?!?  Ok, we will see when the time comes.

Might be Basti's lovely hair is falling off, or just normal shedding?  I found a couple of lose hairs on his mattress, and another one wrapped around his fingers.  Cradle cap seems a little better though.  Will continue to wash his hair every other day, but might cut down on actually soaping his body to avoid over-drying or dermatitis.  My face is dry and my legs are itchier...  that time of the year.

Today I decided to be extra adventurous and go for a walk/hike at a Regional Park 10 minutes from our home.  I had been meaning to go for a while...  but was feeling a little anxious about going on unfamiliar territory with baby and puppy.  And I am glad we made it.  The main trail was paved and took us about 45 minutes total.  The views were great.  There were some hills, which were tough for out-of-shape-mommy-pushing-a-stroller-up-hill. I was tired and starving by the time we got home.  Good thing I had chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato waiting for me in the fridge!

Basti spent a good chunk of the afternoon sleeping...  Is it growing time?  And his late evening nap has been longer than usual...  which makes me wonder if he's out for the night or what.  Could it be his internal clock off because it gets dark so early?

Since I had a little extra time on my hands this afternoon, I did some laundry, watched an episode of Law and Order CI, made beef lentil soup, played tug of war with Maja, tried ordering a gift for a friend's new baby arrival (tried because after two attempts the transaction just won't go through).

Alone Camaron - Day 2

Would you believe it?  Basti slept for 8 hours straight lats night!  WOW!  I woke up twice during that period.  Bummer.  Once to pee.  Another because I heard him moving, but he fell back asleep on his own.

Maja loves to cuddle with Basti.  This morning after wake up they had a little cuddle session and it was funny to see them together.

You lick one hand, I lick the other.

We have been using the baby carrier for 15-20 minute periods.  This morning Basti even fell asleep in it...  good sign!  According to the bathroom scale, he is about 15.5 pounds now.

Last night Tia Huebo and I diagnosed the little red rash on Basti's face...  contact dermatitis.  Likely from him rubbing that side of his face against my sweater when I rock him to sleep (head cradled in my elbow).  So I will have to be more careful what I put on and how I hold his head.  Which made me notice how it is more comfortable for me to cradle him in my left arm and not my right.

 Ow.

The adventure of the morning was a 30 minute walk through downtown and a park.  Then a stop at the store to get some food supplies.  In the absence of P, I am not so inspired to plan for dinner...  so to make meals easy and quick I got a roasted chicken, blanched some broccoli, and roasted sweet potatoes.  Tadah!  This should keep me fed for 3 days or so.  I also got veggie juice and fruit.  Which reminds me I haven't been as mindful of eating fruit now as I was while pregnant.  Don't know why it doesn't appeal to me as much, and I get lazy thinking of the peeling and cutting involved.

In the afternoon we stopped by the office, since it is medical insurance enrollment time and our plans have changed a bit.  We will be merging Phililpp, me and Basti into a family plan.  The ladies at work were happy to hold Basti during the meeting, but it ran a little long and he started getting cranky.  I had to swaddle him on the spot and he fell asleep in my arms just as the meeting was wrapping up.  And since it is a bad idea to wake a sleeping baby (you will pay for it in crankiness later), I just held him and walked through the office until he woke up.

Rest of the afternoon was uneventful at home.  Although Basti was more cranky and sleepy than usual.  We will see what the night will bring...

Ew!  Who farted?

Noticed while playing catch with Maja that my second toe on my right foot hurts.  Did my feet grow and shoes are tighter???

Oh, and thanks to Hen's editorial services, I finished and ordered a photo book covering my pregnancy and birth of Basti.  YEY!  I feel so accomplished.  Ha ha.