Sleeping patterns

Hey guys! Well, 3 days and no post. You're probably wondering if something is wrong by now. Well, nope, nothing. Either we haven't been home, or when we're home, we're too tired to login and post something. Evereything is going well. Baby is growing, baby still screams occasionally, baby hates baths, baby knows the difference between day and night (which is awesome!). The average night sleep is 4 hours at a time, and after feeding at night, he goes to sleep right away. During the day, it takes a little bit of swinging in his swing to get him to sleep. Sometimes he'll just stay awake for the full 3hrs, from about 7-10am and we'll have to feed him again. Usually after that one, he will sleep for a bit. We must be getting used to the sleep thing ourselves. The baby generally wakes up at 7am. Even if Michelle gets up, I will tend to wake up to and just stay up. I never thought there would be a day I would have to wake up before 9am on a weekend. Apparently now, I am not allowed to sleep in anymore. That's ok. I'm sure I can get used to it. Especially since the baby is starting to do new things and I don't want to miss anything.

I would like to thank Mike P (from Oshawa) as he has given us a great swing, that actually swings both front to back and turns so it will go side to side as well. We have found that the baby loves to swing side to side, similar to that of him laying on my legs and swaying them side to side. It's amazing! Also he gave us a little car, where the baby can sit in it. It has a bunch of rattles and toys for him to play with. We'll use it when he's a bit older.

Anyway, that's it for now, the baby is swinging away, but starting to cry a bit, so it's time to check on him.

Anyway, off topic, here is a picture of Chevy (our oldest cat) trying to stop me from leaving the house with my baseball clothes. Good try CHEVY!

Front Loading Carrier

Wow! What an invention! this baby simply straps on you like a knapsack, but on the front of your body and the baby simply hangs in it. Now he has to go everywhere you go and like it. Brenden enjoys it very much (although I'm not so sure sleeping counts as enjoying, but to us he is). We walked to the store last night and I got the opportunity to lug him around on the front of me. It kind of made me feel like I was pregnant with a 9lb 9oz baby, but on the outside. Either that, or an extra large belly. Michelle got to use it while I was at work and she said it worked like a charm and she was able to do stuff around the house without him crying about it. That was $20 well spent.

May 24 come and past

Well May 2-4 weekend was relatively laxed. Went to a wedding on Saturday, and the baby was good in church, but decided to belt out his own tune at the reception. We were forced to take that car ride for 15 minutes in order to get him asleep. He finally did and didn't wake up again for quite awhile.

Today Brenden had another Dr. appointment, and everything checks out "A" - OK. He is now 9lbs 9oz and growing as he should be. This is good news.

Now for the bad....ok well not so bad, but I believe that he has moved his fussy periods from every other day, to every day. He just loves to belt out a tune, sounding almost of that of some of the "Canadian Idol" singers. Maybe he should audition, heck, can't be any worse then most of them.

Today we went to Walmart to splurge a little. We bought a front-loading carrier so Michelle or myself can carry the baby around in while we walk and do stuff around the house. We put him in it, and he wasn't to thrilled, but I think that was because he was hungry. We also bought some other baby necessities. Heck, walking out of Walmart with a baby costs way more then Michelle and I walking out by ourselves!

He's a high maintenance, expensive baby. Afterall he does where everything designer. I dress and look like I just stumbled out of a dark alley on Halloween, compared to him. Just hope he appreciates it later on, when he'll have to start buying me designer clothes and diapers. Haha!

One Month Old today

Happy One-Month old Brenden -> http://www.babycentre.co.uk/stages/1004

Today Brenden is 1 month old. Where did the time go? It escaped us again. Brenden is doing fine. He has his good days and bad days much like most of us today. Seems to be every other day. He is smiling more now. I'll have to try and get a picture of him while he's smiling.

Last weekend we had an unfortunate mishap with out digital point & shoot. It fell on the ground and the preview screen (LCD) cracked. Now I can't view rhe pictures on the camera anymore. I found out to by the LCD and install it myself, it will cost about $75. I am trying to get a used camera on EBAY, then I can use the screen out of that one. I'll know by the end of this weekend, if I win on any items.

Anyway, I would like to wish everyone a good (Long for some) weekend! All the best!

Smile, it's Gas, or not?

Some have said to me, when the baby smiles, he really has gas. When in the hospital, one of the nurses told me that this is no longer true. It has been proven that babies do smile from the time of birth. It is true, the baby also does have this grin on his face when he releases gas (and more), but today was the first day he was truely happy! Before I left for work, while Michelle held him, I was approx. 2 feet from his face and made those cute little sounds only a baby would appreciate. Adults and children would most likely laugh at the stupid faces and sounds coming from my mouth. Brenden smiled, and not for just a second as he had in the past. Everytime he looked at me he had that cute little smile on his face.

The Happy Family

I hope all the moms had a great Mother's Day on Sunday! It was my wife's first mother's day and Brenden got her a great gift! I necklace with two charms on it. One charm has little baby feet on it and the other say, #1 mom. Mom loved it very much! Way to put that $20 to use, Brenden.

The weekend was packed with travelling from family to family for us. This jsut meant more sleep for Brenden, and more rest for our ears. The car trips are great. Very peaceful, very quiet. Once we got to our destination we knew it was feeding time. The cries began.

Our first stop was Saturday afternoon at Michelles' Grandmothers for lunch. Then off to her dads place, nearby. After spending most of the afternoon there, we went to my parents place where we spent the night. It seemed logical to spend the night, because with gas prices the way they are and the distance to travel, and since the following day was mother's day. All the while Brenden did very well his first night away from home. He was a little unsure of his surroundings at first, but he got used to it. Her mom also lives further east than my parents, so there was no reason to go home and come back again. I am sure Brenden wouldn't mind, but he had no money left for gas, since he spent his $20 for mother's day. On Sunday we spent the morning at my moms and then went to her moms in the afternoon. We headed home about 4pm.

Lately it has been much better, as Brenden hasn't been crying as much, and it seems that he is actually starting to smile more, and not just because he has gas.

One thing I find hard to believe is that this Saturday, Brenden will already be 1 month old. Wow! Time does fly by.

Got the cat by the tail

Wow, time does fly. In just 8 days Brenden will already be a month old! Where does the time go? How come when you're at work, the time doesn't go so fast? Time has always amazed me. Maybe save that one for a later discussion.

So we've now narrowed the fussiness down to, every other day. Yesterday Michelle tells me, "He was an angel." This morning. Not so much, until we picked him up and the two of us spent time with him. He smiled and did cute little baby things. He even checked out our cat, which he was quite interested in, mind you. I can't wait for the day where he can grab the cat by the tail, afterall, before Brenden was born, the cat used to step on him, so it will be sweet revenge, I'm sure. I probably should have taken some pictures this morning, but i really had to go off to work. Hopefully I can get some good ones tonight. I say that now, but if he's fussy, I don't even want to attempt it.

This weekend we are doing some traveling. Heading out to see he dad, about 1hr 30mins away, then spending the night at my parents, and doing the Mother's Day thing. I wonder what Brenden is going to get his mom? I left him with $20 this morning, so we'll see.

Anyway, have a good weekend, since my next post won't be until Sunday/Monday. If I get a good picture tonight, I'll attach it to this post. Later.

What's your sign again?

OK, I don't know if I'm jsut typing this for pure discussion or if it's because I'm confused. While googling many websites on baby astrology, and entering April 20 as the date Brenden was born, I get 2 signs. Aries on about 50% of the sites and Taurus on the other 50%. This leads me to believe Brenden could be a little of both. Hopefully he takes on the best attributes from both and eliminates the negative ones. It seems there is an actual time (and date) associated with astrological signs. The time an Aries turns to a Taurus is 20 Apr 2006 01:26 am EST. Brenden was born on the same date at 00:06 am EST, thus he should be an Aries (the same as Michelle). Traditionally we go by the date you were born, so in the newspapers you would find April 20 as a Taurus. Maybe we'll have to wait and see, and decide ourselves. Heck, it is afterall, only astrology and may mean nothing at all. You can't believe everything you read, can you?

Aries
The Rambo of the play group has arrived! With an Aries baby around, you can expect lots of action and activity in your midst. Don't expect this tot to sit still with a rattle -- it just won't happen. The Aries baby is one who makes a lot of noise and will definitely be heard. There's really no choice! As a Fire sign, the little Ram will be dynamic and always up to something. Will this be a tough baby to deal with? More than likely. To that end, parents would be wise to show this child how to work with other babies early on. Things such as sharing won't come naturally -- they must be learned. Even where siblings are concerned, the Aries child won't be a walk in the park. What the Aries baby may want most of all, however, is attention, so parents be well advised. In a play setting, the Aries tot will easily get the attention of others on their own. This baby will also start many things early, the better to get to the finish line in a hurry. To sum up, the Aries baby can be quite independent but enjoys interacting with others. This baby is a fairly physical child and craves constant stimulation. They will be ready from day one!

3rd Dr. Appointment

Brenden had his 3rd Dr. appointment on Monday. The Dr. said everything is great! He is up to 8lbs 2oz now. Growing fast. Not much else to post right now, but if I think of something later, I will add to this post.

Here's Your Sign

TAURUS - Parents of a Taurus tot are going to have to be very sensitive to this baby's need to be touched. Loving caresses and a tender touch are what the Taurus baby lives for! Along those lines, this is a child who needs to be comfortable. Things to keep in mind are providing a room and bed that are neither too hot nor too cold, food that is tasty (a budding gourmand has arrived!), soothing sounds, and whimsical toys. As Taurus rules the Second House, the House of Possessions, this baby's playthings will be very important. When it comes to the learning curve, the Taurus baby is not in a hurry to grasp new concepts. This tot will learn things at their own pace and be unresponsive to pressure, yet persevering in the end. In light of this, a gentle manner to get this baby to react and respond is the sensible course of action. Also familial in nature, the Taurus baby will enjoy having the family in close proximity, especially siblings. You can consider this baby a people person in general; they are also likely to control the play circle where that well-known Taurean stubbornness will reveal itself! To sum up, the Taurus baby wants to be touched, will revel in delicious toys and, as an Earth Sign, will want to have both feet firmly planted on the ground!

Sleep baby sleep

Lately after the baby wakes up, we change him, feed him, change him again (sometimes), then try and get him to sleep. Most of the time he wants to keep his eyes open for awhile and occasionally cry. Rocking helps to ease the crying, but trying to make the baby go to sleep is a chore. Once asleep after approx. 45 mins or so, we put him in his crib. 10 to 15 minutes after that, he starts crying again. When picked up, he's fine. Put him down, he cries. We've come to the point now to put him down and check on him every 10 minutes or so if he's still crying. Most of the time he will eventually fall asleep, sometimes for 30 minutes at a time. Most of this happens during the day which is good. This routine wouldn't be to good if it were in the evening. Anyway, we're managing the best we can. It would be great if I could just teach him my sleep patterns, then he would sleep for 12 hours straight.

Michelle had a baby shower yesterday and received a lot of gifts from family and friends. We would like to thank everyone for their contributions of gifts for baby Brenden. Much appreciated.

It's Friday (TGIF)!

That time has come back where I can actually say, "It's Friday!". While I was off, I didn't need to say this, but once your back to work, as so many put it, "TGIF (Thank God It's Friday)".

We have learned this morning that the 3hr feeding schedule we were trying to enforce doesn't seem to agree with one individual. There was a 66% vote for the feeding schedule and apparently one decides to vote against it. I wonder who that could be? This morning he was fed at 6am, then decided to wake up at 7am for no apparent reason, other than the possibility of being changed. Michelle did that and put him back down. Nope, doesn't want to sleep. We decided to try and give him a little more, kind of a "Top Up". Put him down, wrapped him tightly and so far he hasn't made a peep.

I have this issue with our local radio stations. They say some babies like classical music. Do you think I can find a classical station that will come in on the clock radio in his room? Last night I found some for about an hour, then the station changed to talk only radio. I know there has to be something out there. I may have to hook up a stereo system in his room with full surround sound, an MP3 player, and play some nature sounds throughout the night. That thought HAS crossed my mind. What would be better than having surround sound as a baby? Ither than the kitchen sink, nothing I can think of. Heck maybe I'll even move in the same room to have a listen.

Grandma Visit

Well yesterday Michelle and I decided to take a break. My mom came over and spent the night last night. We got some yard work done yesterday, and are going to do some shopping today.

Yesterday went well at the Dr. I was in the office until the Dr. pulled out the metal tools and knives and I had to leave. I am not one to watch any kind of cutting going on, and knowing that exactly what was being done didn't help. Let's just say, I don't think Brenden was impressed by the procedure. He was out most of yesterday due to children's tylenol, but today has been up since about 8am, and crying for most of it. It will take a few days, at which time he will forget all about what happened and sleep much more comfortably. Us too.

Grandma will head back home today and for me, my holidays are over. It's back to work for me tomorrow. *sigh* Holiday's always seem to fly by so fast.

Growing Up

Went to the Dr. today and found that the baby has gained more weight. He's now 7lbs 7oz. Up from last week. He has grown upward about 1-2cm from last week as well. He is very healthy and strong.

Last night he slept for 4 hours straight from 2am-6am. It was great to get that extra hour sleep. After that he woke up at 9am. It seems between 9am-12pm is his crusty time. Wants to cry and doesn't want to sleep. I'm not sure if it's because he has his days and nights mixed up, but for now I'm ok with that. I would rather him do it between those times rather then throughout the night. Sleep is good.

Looks like 10pm is time for his next feeding tonight, so I gotta go. Tomorrow will be a horrible day. He is getting the "C" word done. I don't think I can be in the room for that. Ouch!