6 Months...About Time!

Wow, am I behind. Logan's been 6 months now, for oh I don't even no how long...too long and I am too behind. The month of August was crazy busy and September hasn't slowed down any for us either. Let's start with his stats for 6 months:

Weight: 18lbs 13.5oz - 73.93%

Height: 27.6in - 75.78%

Head Circum: 17.8in - 87.58%

So even with the delay during 3/4months, Logan still caught up and doubled his weight at 6 months! This was wonderful news!

What have we been up to - Logan had a month of getting to see lots of family. The first of August my Uncle Bryan and Aunt Julie, along with cousins Taylor, Riley and Garrett all stayed with us for a night. They were on their way to Orlando and took a pit stop at our house. It was the first time for them to meet Logan. It was a really nice visit and we were so glad to have them stay and spend some time with us. Then a couple weeks later the 3 of us went to Chattanooga and met Grandma and Grandpa Clark. They were driving through on their way to Gatlinburg. We spent Saturday morning and early afternoon with them. Logan was 4 months old when they saw him last and he has changed so much so it was fun for them to see him. We of course wish that the visit could have been longer but we are thankful that we had the time with them anyway. That weekend Pete and I also celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary! It doesn't feel like 5 years, it has gone by so fast. The end of the month my mom came to visit for a weekend. We had a great time and she got lots of Logan time in.

Now for the list of what else Logan has been up to (since it is all about him now :)) He is doing more now but I want to try and just recall what he was doing from 5-6months so I don't get confused.

• He sits up like a pro now and needs no help or support
• He gets up on his hands and knees, rocking back and forth, thinking about crawling
• He rolls from his back to his stomach now
• He had his first swim in the lake while we were in Chattanooga. He hung out in a float and was happy as could be
• We are still working on solids with him. He has had the following: squash, avocado, asparagus, watermelon, peach, banana and lemon. He really hasn't loved any of it.
• He does love water and will basically yank the water glass from my hand to get him some. It is really funny how much he loves it
• Still no signs of teeth. I am sure he won't be toothless forever though so I am in no hurry for teeth
• His favorite activity is his Jump and Go. He will hang out in it for a good 30 minutes and jump and jump and jump.
• When he starts crying in the car I can almost always get him to stop by singing my own version of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands"
• He has gone swinging in the baby swings a few times now at the park also. He acts pretty sober in them but I think he is just really relaxed

That's about all. It has been so long and he is really already more developed but that will be for next time.

Since I am always on the wrong computer to post pictures, here is the link to get all the Logan pictures your heart desires, http://gallery.me.com/plevan

5 Months

It doesn't even seem possible that Logan is now 5 months old, officially on Wednesday. I have to say that this may be my favorite stage so far. His personality is really coming through. I would say he is now 90% happy, eating or sleeping and just 10% (if that) upset. He loves his mama and daddy so much.

So what's new:

• He sits by himself! Still a little unstable and I have to be there to catch him when he begins to fall over but I am sure within a few weeks he is going to be a pro.
• He giggles and laughs at us and with us all the time. We have found his tickle spots and I can't get enough of those giggles.
• He has his own chair at the table and sits with us while we eat. He just stares and smiles at us. It is the cutest thing.
• Every day when Logan sees his daddy walk through the door he gets the biggest smile on his face. It is so sweet that he recognizes us (he has for awhile but now it is so obvious).
• He wakes up at 6:20 almost on the dot every morning. I then bring him into bed with me and we sleep for another hour or two. I am really going to miss this when I have to get up to get ready for class.
• We haven't really started food, but he has now tasted spinach, asparagus, and green beans. The green beans were his favorite and actually swallowed a few pieces. The asparagus and spinach came back out with drool.
• He loves drinking out of my water glass. He has his own sippy cup but hasn't figured out that he needs to suck instead of chew on the tip.
• He talks to us all the time now, lots of blowing bubbles and mmmm's.
• He takes sink baths now without fussing. This is nice because now Pete and I don't have to bath or shower with him.
• His sleep schedule changes weekly, well almost daily, so I can't really say what he is sleeping at night. This week it's once a night, last week it was every hour. Hopefully this week continues longer.
• I have begun to wean him from breastfeeding during the day. He will still nurse for naps and then nurses at night. He gets formula during the day and this will be his schedule after I return to school. I decided I couldn't do another semester of pumping. He still gets the benefits of breast milk and the benefit of me not pumping. I feel it's the best thing for us to do at this time.
• I still love breastfeeding. It's our time that we share together. He loves it to and is always the best soother when he starts getting fussy.
• He can hold his own bottle now. He needs some help towards the end when you really have to tip it up.
• Logan loves his doggies and boy do they love him. They especially love licking the drool of his face.
• 
  

Logan has brought so much joy to our lives. It is hard to have a bad day when there is such a sweet face looking up and smiling at you constantly. I am sure there is more but this is a good start.

My goal is to start posting more about our days. We don't do a lot but we do go swimming or on walks, lots of tummy time and batting at toys. He's even been to the top of Stone Mountain.

Quick 4 Month Update

The appointment yesterday went great. The Dr is very pleased with Logan's weight gain now and actually was surprised he starting gaining so well. We just needed a boost and I am glad we caught it soon enough.

Weight: 13lbs 13.5ozs - 21.85%

Height: 26.4in - 84.52%

Head Circum: 17in - 36.85%

We no longer need to supplement with bottles and I just need to keep an eye on his weight. She also mentioned if we want to start some cereal in a month or so we could. Obviously this is not to substitute bottles but just for his interest and to get his refluxes working properly for when we start actual solids.

Our 1st Major Hiccup - Weight

I am with my sweet baby every day and every day you would think I would notice whether or not my baby was gaining weight or not. Of course now that I look back over the last several weeks the signs were there. I didn't notice and I feel awful about it.

While we were in Kansas my parents commented on Logan's weight and that he was looking pretty skinny. So we decided to weigh him with my grandmother's digital scale. The number made my heart drop. He was still the 13lbs. He weighed 13lbs his 2mth appointment. It's the worst feeling when you find out that you have practically been starving your own child. I thought the nursing was going so well. He had all the signs of getting enough to eat except for the part he wasn't gaining weight of course.

The Monday we were home from our trip I called the Pediatrician and got Logan in for an appointment that day. It was confirmed that Logan had in fact not gained any weight and actually had lost some weight. The Pediatrician wasn't going to be able to see me that day and was going to call me to discuss our options. I was so upset about Logan's weight I had started crying and the nurse felt so bad for me she got the Nurse Practitioner in to talk to me. I was so thankful to have a chance to talk with someone and I felt so much better afterwards. We were put on a strict regimen to jump kick the weight gain. Logan was to nurse on each side and he was not allowed to fall asleep until he had nursed on each side really well. Then after he nursed he was to have a 4oz bottle 3-4 times a day. This was to continue for the week until his next checkup on the following Wednesday.

So last Wednesday we went in and he had gained almost a half pound! I was also working on building up my supply. I am taking 4 pills of Fenugreek 3x a day and I also have gotten on a prescription called Reglan, which I will take for 14 days. I have noticed an increase in my supply and have made sure Logan is nursing often. I was also using a nipple shield from the very beginning and I have been working on getting Logan to suck without using the shield and it seems to be helping a lot. We haven't used at all the last couple of days and I really feel like Logan is able to get more milk.

I am so hoping that this all works and I can continue to breastfeed. I feel some of our family doesn't understand how important this is to me and how good this is for Logan. It is the best thing he can have right now. I feel a lot of pressure to give up and give him formula. The Mister and I both agree though that as long as I can we want to continue breastfeeding. It is recommended to breastfeed for the first year and I know that I may not be able to breastfeed for a full year but if we can it's definitely what I want to do.

I am not against formula and he had his first formula bottle just the other day. I have used up my freezer stash so when Pooh and Ogo watched him the other night he had to have formula. I am okay with that but the longer he can have breast milk even better.

Later today we go back to the Pediatrician for his regular 4month checkup so I will update with his 4month stats.

Over the Rainbow

Logan and I made a trip to Kansas. It was time for Logan to meet his great grandparents, uncle and cousin. Logan did so well on the plane. He only had a few moments as we were landing, pretty sure he was having trouble with the pressure. Everyone thought he was adorable and couldn't believe he was only 3mths old b/c he holds his head up so strong and steady.

We had such a good time and Logan was definitely a hit with the grandparents. It was also great to see my neice again. She is such a cutie. So instead of writing a story here are some pictures from the trip. I am pretty sure the Mister was glad to have his son home too.

Logan with Grandma

My adorable niece Kynslee

Logan checking out the wildlife with Grandpa

Logan with Great Grandma

3 Month Update

Like every post I am a little behind on getting this posted, but I have finally gotten to it. Logan is such a different baby and I suppose no longer a newborn. We made it through the "4th trimester" without any major hiccups and now have an infant who is happy and yet sometimes rather serious.

So what is Logan up to these days:

• From my own calculations it appears he is about 15lbs now and 25ins long. Everyone comments about how long he is when they first see him.
• He fits best in the Carter's onesies for 6-9mths. They are longer and skinnier than most brands. I can't believe that my 3mth old baby is wearing 6-9mth clothes though.
• He is still nursing like a champ and I am actually starting to think that he may be getting interested in solids. I don't think we will be waiting for the 6mth before starting them.
• We have no trouble making him smile or get a giggle out of him. He especially loves it when we make funny noises. He is also starting to enjoy peekaboo.
• However when we are out and about people comment on how serious he looks. I think he is taking it all in and I am sure thinking very hard.
• He rolls over now constantly from his tummy to his back. He doesn't do it when we have tummy time but if he is awake in his crib he is rolling over. I think it's because he knows tummy time in the crib means sleepy time :)
• He is still sleeping pretty good at night. We start bath time around 7-7:30, then he nurses and falls asleep and then I can get him in his crib without any fussing. So he is usually in bed by 8:30. Sometimes he gets up from nursing and wants to play for another 10 minutes. He will sleep usually until 4:00-4:30 and on a good night to 5:30. He eats and then goes back to sleep. Lately though he has been waking in the middle of the night and I get up put the paci in his mouth and he is back to sleep in a few minutes. Hopefully this stops soon.
• He is so strong and sits up with little support from us. We use the bumbo and he does really well in it and also his jump and go that hangs from the doorway. He also loves to stand up.
• He has gotten pretty mobile too. He will start at one end of his crib and will work himself down to the other end in no time. He gets his legs under him and pushes off. I'm not sure if he is doing it on purpose though.
• We are still cloth diapering and have been dealing with a slight diaper rash. It doesn't seem to bother him though.
• He went to his first Braves game on Memorial Day weekend. He did so good. He ended up sleeping from the 2nd inning to about the 6th inning. When he was awake he loved looking around at all the people and was really pretty content.
• He also met his cousin Sam for the first time this past weekend. Sam is his second cousin who lives in Athens, GA and will be 1 this month.

Now for some pictures.

Florida Vacation and Mother's Day

Our week long trip to Florida was wonderful! Logan did pretty good in the car as long as I was sitting in the backseat with him to give him a bottle or keep him entertained. We really didn't do a whole lot on this vacation. It was meant for relaxation and that was accomplished. We did go to the pool 4 days. Logan really enjoyed himself in the water. On Mother's Day we went to dinner and the Mister's parents, who were also in Florida for part of the time we were there, also went to dinner with us. Logan got me a beautiful nursing necklace that he can pull and tug on while he's nursing. It was a wonderful Mother's Day and I am so blessed to have such a great husband and a beautiful, happy and health son!

On this trip we learned just how much we like cloth diapers. We decided to use disposables on the trip and lets just say they didn't hold anything in for us. We went through a lot of clothing changes. Logan also finally started taking a paci. It definitely helps calm him down when he is sleepy and I can now lay him down in his crib and give him the paci and he falls right to sleep, wonderful accomplishment! We also saw him roll over during the trip. Pretty amazing!

So here are some pictures of our trip.

Logan enjoying the pool

He loves to talk and show us that adorable smile

Logan and his daddy having a morning smile and giggle fest