Sunday best

Argh! Sea dogs!

Peter doesn't really have many "dress-up" clothes. I'm sure this would be different if he were a little girl, but we aren't complaining. He really has very few reasons or opportunities to dress up, and the few times we have tried, he has rewarded our efforts with prolific "splounching," Davis-Ross family nomenclature for baby spit-up.

But it seems appropriate that Peter actually makes an effort when going to church, especially if he's going to be an active participant.

So, we pulled out this completely adorable and just-starting-to-fit outfit from Kevin's cousin Marcie and her family. Along with this outfit came a gorgeous and personalized blanket for Peter. And with the blanket? This note, which I opened before opening the package:

My first thought: Oh, no! They sent the wrong package to us!
My second thought: Oh, sweet. I can totally use some new wineglasses. Or maybe camping gear. Or travel gear. Who knows, but Barry and Jana sound like our kind of people.
My third thought (after opening the package): Yeah, I definitely wanted the wineglasses.

Just kidding! The blanket is really quite special, and will get a serious workout when our evening walks start turning chilly.

But, back to the outfit: adorable, right? Even though I buttoned Peter's top button, an action to which Kevin "strenuously objected," and caused him great regret when he realized we snapped all of these shots of Peter looking, as he put it, "like a dork."

I say, "like father, like son."

Note: Yes, I buttoned his top button.

Check out that nice drool-pool on the front of Peter's outfit.

RIP, swaddle

Slowly we've been crossing off Peter's use of Dr. Harvey Karp's 5 S's.

Tonight, it was the swaddle.

This one was out of necessity rather than need, though: Mr. Big Boy is just a little too strong for his swaddlers, and for the past three nights has completely broken free within an hour of being put to bed.

We'll see how it works. Early results suggest it's no worse than the past few broken-free-from-swaddling nights.

Really, the kid just needs to find a finger or a thumb and he'll be set. It's amazingly how much he enjoys sucking.

Anyway, the only reason I feel remotely comfortable doing this is because Kevin comes home tonight! Single parenthood is over...for a week, at least.

Amy and Peter adventure: day 2

Peter's shirt says it all...

Yay for:

Sleeping until 9:30. It feels good to wake up at 9:30 a.m.
Showers.
Our coffee shop: I can have a treat and read the news, and Peter loves the banquette seating and lights. (And the women! Man, he's a charmer.)
The fish store.
Mid-day, 40-minute, crib-based naps.
Books!

You're (Not) So Vain: Peter's not a big fan of mirrors

Boo for:

Sleep problems. Both last night and tonight, Peter's been uncharacteristically unsleepy.
Back-breaking Bjorning. Ouch! I think someone needs a massage, pronto.
Static. Our old station crashed out, leaving us with a new one - possibly one we'd had before - that was the 60's rock/Death Cab for Cutie station. (Seriously, I heard "Watchtower" as often as I heard "Company Calls," which is to say once a night for the past week or so.) Tonight, that transitioned to Operation Air Raid. After Peter was asleep. Did I mention it was kind of tough to get him down?
Ice Cream Hogging Husbands.

Amy and Peter adventure: day 1

Peter always has his thumb tucked into his other fingers like this.

Mr. Happy, about to laugh?

It should surprise no one that my first order of business, on my first morning of erstwhile single-parenthood, was to call Peter's doctor.

Yes, yes, I am a bit of a hypochondriac. But, he did have a fairly high fever for a newborn (100.1), and parts of him were...missing. I'd be more specific, but that level of specificity may raise red flags. Let's just say it wasn't easy trying to research his symptoms on the Internet.

I'll save the suspense lest you think Peter really was ill. He wasn't. But, today's visit with the doctor brought these factoids/events:

(1) Peter now weighs 13 pounds, 11 ounces. His furious rate of growth has slowed, for now, which means we might be able to eek a few more weeks out of his bassinet. (This is good news as we've not really done anything toward showing him that his new crib is for sleeping and not only for playing.
(2) Peter looks like Kevin in the brow region.
(3) Peter is a "big boy" and a "strong boy" and "is very vocal" and is "as happy as can be."
(4) Peter pulled out several strands of Dr. Soriano's hair.
(5) Peter also peed all over Dr. Soriano, breaking her 6-year pee-free streak. I'm ashamed to admit I'm a little proud of the booger.

Clearly nothing could top that, and we didn't even try. I took Peter past all of his favorite stops on Castro Street, including the fish store. He really likes to look at the fish and the lights in the tanks. I also took Peter to the park by the library for a little photo shoot, where he might have laughed for the first time. I have to wait for Kevin's confirmation to be sure, but I really think it was a laugh.

Peter's development is so funny for me to watch, because it's so - for lack of a better word - spurty. He'll be hard at work on finding his fingers, only to be distracted by a new talent, like talking. Or, he'll go a day or two without saying anything, mostly because his hands are jammed into his mouth. I guess it's pretty normal for babies, and who can blame them? They have the whole world to explore, and their whole lives ahead of them. I just hope I can be patient enough to let Peter find it all - his fingers, his words, his homework, his college major - on his own.

His new "Kevin's away so the baby will play" trick is to be a wee bit more difficult to put down. (Note: Kevin hates it when I say "put the baby down" in reference to putting the baby to bed; it makes him think of rabid dogs. He also doesn't really like it when I call Peter "the baby," which I kind of do a lot.) But, n=2 does not a good sample make, so I will reserve judgement until I have additional observations.

funny faces

I think (or, rather, hope) one of Peter's favorite games is "photo shoot." (I also hope it's one of his Grandparents' favorites, since the photos really are for their benefit!)

Lately, he's been showing us so many hilarious faces. Like today:

Seriously, how can you not love this face?

pious Peter

Peter's been a good baby in church since his second visit. Mostly, he's been asleep during mass - a sleep we helped to induce by walking him the 20-minutes to St. Joseph.

Today, though, he was Baby Alive during all of mass. Cause for concern? Not for our little Rock! He was very attentive throughout mass, and even said the Our Father along with the rest of us.

Seriously. He started babbling when it started and stopped when it was over. As Kevin said, he's praying in his own language.

It was, as they say, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty cute.

weekend updates

Like most babies, Peter changes constantly - something that you think is a routine is just a passing fad, while other advancements hit you before you know it.

Passing Fads:
- Morning is "happy time." For the past few weeks, Peter's been a real charmer in the morning. Now, he's sleepy.
- Liking the carseat. Before: a fun place to take a long nap. Now: a cruel torture device.
- "Holding it in" at night. Just what it sounds like, which was pretty smart. Bye, bye diaper rash! Now, Peter lets it all go, like last night, when he gave Kevin an unprotected Holy Trinity. (Again, pretty much what it sounds like, with protection being a diaper.)
- No more golden showers. They're back. Three times in 12 hours.
- Those 8-hour-asleep nights. We're back to 7 hours. Not that anyone is complaining.
- Having hair. Now, he's going bald.

New Fads:
- Babbling. Peter has extended conversations with us, with himself, with his favorite blankets, and with his fists. He's particularly vocal in the morning.
- Complaining. Hand in hand with his babbling feat comes a new form of conversation: complaining. Not quite a cry, it's our little guy's way of letting us know he is not happy so we better hop into action.
- Falling asleep before the bedtime routine is over. For now, it makes parenting seem so easy.
- Making music. Peter's discovered both Kevin's toy piano and a rattle, and he's thrilled that he can make even more noise.
- Staring at things. For minutes!

Peter gives Grandpa's Carolina basketball logo a serious stare-down.

- Doing his exercises, singing his theme song, or any other number of silly games we've created to keep him entertained. (For now.)
- Dimples! We saw them for the first time when we picked up my parents two weeks ago.

Continuing Projects:
- The Hand Project. Still at work on finding his fingers, Peter seems content enough to jam his entire fist into his mouth.
- The Tongue Project. Alternately Gene Simmons and a lizard, Peter's really enjoying feeling his tongue.
- Drooling. Lots of drooling.
- Going for walks. Either in the Bjorn or in the stroller - Peter doesn't care, just as long as we are out of the house.
- Rolling over. Every time, it takes less and less effort.
- Watching TV. Sigh. It's time to turn off the tube.

Peter says "thank you!"

To Aunt Bridget, for another Phillies shirt. He's wearing it in mourning for the Phillies' 10,000th loss.


To the Gray Family, for a whole box of treats, including Uglydog. (Peter wasted no time getting to know Uglydog in a very...personal...way.)

yay for...

...milestones...
Peter has been rolling over like a champ in the past few days, all from stomach to back. His past few flips have been particularly cute; he will flip over in one controlled motion right after being put on his stomach for "tummy time."

Post-flip. It was so fast, I couldn't work the camera.

He's also been furiously at work on what we've called The Hand Project. Yep, he's looking for fingers in earnest. He has two main approaches. In one, he uses one hand to stabilize and guide the other into his mouth area. In the other, he will suck on a pacifier for a minute, then spit it out, stick out a finger, and plop it in (the general area) of his mouth. Alas, his grasping reflex lingers just sightly, so he's unable to keep anything in his mouth for long, but it's days away from happening.

Success! for a minute...

Peter's also able to entertain himself for what must been an eternity for a newborn; today, he spent a happy half-hour just babbling away in his new crib.

He's also made the transition to out-facing baby in the Bjorn, which he LOVES. Peter really enjoys looking around and being part of the action, so we weren't surprised by how much he likes his new Bjorn position.

Peter's just beside himself checking out the world.

AND, he really has been sleeping through the night for the past week! It's glorious. So, not only is he an awesome sleeper (going down without any problem at all), but he stays asleep for hours upon hours.

...adventures...
Peter really enjoyed his trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He particularly enjoyed looking at the jellyfish. They're like nature's television. He didn't really like the crowds or the noise, and after a few hours it was a bit overstimulating, but he was such a good baby during our trip there.

Eyes on the prize.

Transfixed.

Peter also really enjoyed his first boat ride, a ferry to and from Alcatraz Island. It was a little windy for the baby while we were walking around the island, and there weren't many places to breastfeed or change diapers while on the tour, but he happily went along for the ride. He did NOT like the drive home, however...

Cruising.

Island living.

Peter was NOT such a fan of our trip to Big Sur, however; it was just a little too windy for his tastes.

Peter'd already visited the McWay Waterfall...

...family and friends...
Peter's loved getting to know his Grandma and Grandpa Davis and aunt Kimberly this past week.

Two true-blue Carolina fans

And, he really enjoyed meeting his new friends Maverick and Mariella.

Born on 7-7-07, the 6th and 7th members of the Underwood family

...new homes...
After a ridiculously protracted and arduous ordeal, Peter has a crib that isn't broken. And he LOVES it. Even if it does look like baby prison.


...babies!
Peter changes so much everysingleday it's amazing. Some of my favorites, today:
- he's such a charmer! With those gorgeous where-did-he-get-them eyes, how could he not be?
- he's such a good baby. Really. We could handle a rougher baby, but it's so nice that we don't have to.
- he loves us so much. (But, too much?)
- the cute startled-curious look he gets when you blow on his feet.
- how, when he's done with his pacifier, he will spit it out.
- his fake pout.
- how big he is. (According to our week-by-week, he's roughly the size of a 14-week-old baby.)
- his growing vocabulary. We've started having little conversations with him.
- how he folds his hands like a little old man, or C. Montgomery Burns.
- how strangers will come up to stroke his cheek, comment on how well behaved he is, or otherwise lavish love and adoration on our baby. Bring it on!

a mother's touch

So, it's no surprise that Peter's two favorite people are Kevin and I (in reversed order of preference). His happiness with us is so fun and flattering. A few days ago, I sneaked into his peripheral vision while he was happily playing in his pack and play. When he looked over and saw me, he broke into the happiest of baby smiles.

But...

While driving home with my parents and sister from San Francisco on Friday, Peter started a serious freak-out. The kind where he has to catch his breath, cough a few times, and then start the wailing again. The kind that breaks your heart into a million tiny pieces.

My mother and sister were unable to comfort him, and, thinking that perhaps he was still hungry, I exited the freeway and struggled to find a parking spot.

And...

As soon as he saw my face, peering at him in the backseat, he stopped crying. And started smiling.

Object permanence. You gotta love it.

Peter says thanks to Aunt Brey for his Phillies outfit, which fits just in time for the All-Star game.

shots

An hour long nap in his carseat? Peter really MUST be upset.

Today was Peter's two-month checkup. As we expected, we learned that he's doing just fantastic. It's looking more and more likely that Peter will have hernia surgery in the next year or two, though. Poor kiddo. (Actually, it might be nice to have that little bit of intestine sealed up within his abdominal wall. It's a little...gurgly...for my tastes.)

Some updates:

Length: 23.5 centimeters
Weight: 13 pounds, 6 ounces

He's still a chunky boy (around the 90th percentile this time), but he's starting to lengthen, moving from the 35th percentile to the 75th percentile.

Alas, two-month checkups come chock full of vaccinations. Judging from Peter's reaction, they feel like a mountain lion attack. Like a true son of mine, he's coping by taking many, many naps.

big and little

My dad is so in love with Peter it's heartbreaking. When we met my parents and sister at the airport yesterday, it was my father who was eagerly awaiting a chance to hold his new grandson, and that excitement continues - like a little kid who has just received the most awesome, exciting, and completely adorable toy ever, and who just doesn't want to put said toy down.

a 5,000 mile hello

Peter wanted to tell his Gram and Pop hello, and he hopes they're enjoying their trip in Ireland!

a very good boy

I want to make this point very clear: Peter is a very good baby. To wit:

He sleeps well. For the past two weeks, he's given us 6 hour stretches at night. For the most part, he goes down very easily as well, and if he DOESN'T go down easily, he's just wide awake , not fussy. When he wakes to eat at night, he doesn't cry or scream, but simply sits in his bassinet, grunting away, until someone comes to pick him up. In fact, he's only flat-out cried at night only two or three times (one of which, you may recall, involved nuking Russians).

He eats well. He'll take a bottle from Kevin just as greedily as he'll take milk from me. (My favorite noise he makes, by far, are these hungry, excited grunts that he makes when he is "lowered into position.") He's really good about self-managing his intake as well, which means that, while he does spit up, he doesn't do so often.

He's a really happy boy. It's easy to get him to break into a smile, or to distract him away from fussing. He loves people as well; I'm really kind of proud of how willing he is to hang out in a stranger's arms. He's also incredibly tolerant of his parents' sad attempts at parenting.

He's possibly the most adorable baby ever created, garnering the attention and devotion of all who meet him. Beware the powers of this baby, lest you be enslaved by his charms.

two months down...

Since my parents and younger sister are coming into town tomorrow, Peter's proper 2-month birthday, I am posting some updates today...

- Two nights do not a trend make. Yes, Peter gave us two blissful nights of 7+ hours of sleep, but he went right back to his around-3 a.m. feeding last night. As Kevin rightly pointed out, he DOES sleep for 6 hours at a time, and really, one late-night (nay, early-morning) feeding is really quite manageable.

- Peter had an enjoyable, fuss-free dinner out last night with Kevin's officemate and wife. As they are expecting a baby boy of their own in late August, I think they were quite happy to see how good babies can be. (And they could be naturals themselves; Kevin's officemate was quick to pick up Peter's "complaining" cry from his "aah! help urgently needed!" cry.) (They related a cautionary tale, and tried to convince Kevin to move to Toronto.)

- Peter's really started drooling in full effect. It's startling just how much slobber he can generate. This morning, the front of his onesie was so thoroughly drenched I thought for sure that he'd spit up...but no, he'd just slimed all over himself.

- As a result of a case of cradle cap (or, cradle crap as it's called around here), he's starting to lose his newborn hair. Sigh. It was a good run, kiddo.

milk drunk

Feeding Peter is one of the most satisfying experiences I think I've ever had, if only because it's one of the most satisfying experiences he's ever had.

Dainty eater.

Milk drunk.

Post-lunch nap.

dreamland

Peter sleeps with the fishes...and the tortoise, and the shark.

Last night was an interesting one. First, we tried to go to the drive-in for Peter's first movie, but he was...passionately uninterested...in getting into his carseat. Next, Peter was also uninterested in what had become his "normal" bedtime zone, which is 8:30 to 9 p.m. He was, as we like to call it, Baby Alive (a state of almost eerie alertness), mixed in with some unusually persistent fussiness to boot. Thus, we had a pretty unpleasant and late bedtime of around 10:30.

Finally, Peter woke at 6 a.m.

Yep. That's 7.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep from our little tiger. We tried to recreate the rich alchemy that lead to this little miracle tonight - was it the weak swaddle? The fussy last feeding? Uncle Shaq on TV? Only time will tell if last night was a fluke or if it was for real. I'm suspecting fluke, if only because I don't want to get my hopes up.

The only thing that would have made last night even more dream-tastic is if I'd actually been asleep the entire time. Alas, my internal clock forced me awake at 3 a.m. (typical feeding time), and then again at 4 and 5 a.m. I have a feeling I'll be much more prepared to sleep through the night along with Peter tonight, though.

videoland

A few videos of our favorite baby:

"Hickies"

We found a strange red mark on Peter's arm the other day, and weren't sure how it got there...until we realized he was giving himself some serious hickies. The kid's a lover, all right. In these videos, you can see how seriously he's sucking his arm.





"Fishy Kisses" - or, "how Peter might already be a bit of a Drama King"

Here, Peter's making out with his fish, Monterey. Note how he freaks out whenever we take the fish away...although, it's what we're learning is his "fake freak-out,"* especially evidenced in his second freak-out. (Note how he flashes a smile at the end, like he knows he's just playing his parents for suckers.)

*"Fake freak-out" is characterized by an adorable pouty-frown, and a few dissatisfied grunts. I'm pretty sure it's totally fake, because if we ignore it, it usually goes away. Lately, Peter's been giving Kevin his fake freak-out pretty regularly...like, whenever Kevin looks at him, or whenever Kevin comes over to play with the two of us. It's sad. But funny.



"I Dream of Moro"

Here, Peter demonstrates why swaddling is so helpful - it's a Moro reflex in the middle of otherewise peaceful sleep. In this example, he falls back to sleep. Usually, he wakes up screaming.