Cloth Diapers . . . and Cuteness

After taking a little break from using cloth diapers last month while battling an antibiotic-induced yeast diaper rash (sure hope these tubes mean no more antibiotics!), we are back in cloth and I'm remembering how much I like it.  It's so soft and looks so comfy for a baby's tender tush . . .  not to mention cute! I never posted a picture of newborn Davis in his very first cloth diaper, so here's a blast from the past for you.  (I will never get over how amazing it is to see how much a baby changes in 10 short months!) Oh. My. Goodness.  So adorable! And in case I'm not the only one out there who can't get enough of the cuteness that is Davis Reid Mueller, here are a few more pictures of our cloth-diapered, window-kissing cutie!

From Loving the Life We Live

Ten Months . . . and Tubes

Davis celebrated his 10 month birthday (!!!) by getting tubes put in his ears this morning.  Fun fun fun. Actually, it wasn't bad at all.  I was mainly worried about how Davis would handle fasting for 8+ hours before the surgery, since he still wakes in the night and nurses.  Other than that, I was not too thrilled at the thought of my little baby getting "put under," even though I know the risks of anesthesia are low. My strategy was to stuff as much milk into Davis as possible before midnight and then to make Greg go in and soothe him for any additional night wakings.  Was I actually kind of looking forward to my dear husband taking a turn at the night-soothing duties for once?  Maybe.  :)  Davis went to bed as usual between 7 and 7:30 and woke up just as I had crawled into bed between 9 and 9:30 (if that sounds early to you, you are not the parent of a baby who doesn't sleep through the night).  He wasn't full-out crying, and I could tell he'd probably go back to sleep in a few minutes if left to himself, but since my plan was to fill his tummy with milk at every opportunity, I scooped him out of bed to feed him.  He was probably a little confused because he wasn't hungry and really just wanted to go back to sleep, but he cooperated and was soon "topped off," conked out in my arms and back in his bed.  I next heard from him around 11:20 or so, this time giving more of an "I'm really awake now and want my Mommy" cry, which worked out great for getting one last feeding in.  I crawled back into bed, thinking, "Now it's Greg's turn if he wakes up again!"  I was picturing him trying to comfort a hysterical baby who just wanted his Mommy's milk and couldn't fall back asleep. So of course Davis didn't get up until close to 6:30 a.m., when we were going to need to get him up soon anyway to get ready.  (Sure, he let out a few cries once in the night, but the kind where he was back asleep on his own after a minute or two.) I think that Greg really lucked out, don't you? The second part of my strategy was to and stay away from Davis as much as possible (as sad as that sounds), since I knew as soon as he saw/smelled Mommy, he would realize that he was starving.  That worked out pretty well, too.  There were some tears here and there throughout the morning, but mostly he was okay during the car ride to the surgery center and with Daddy holding him once we got there.  He even fell asleep in Daddy's arms by 8:30 and took a nice little half-hour nap, which was great since the 8:45 surgery ended up taking place at 9:15. Greg and I both went into the ER with him and I held his hands and talked to him while they held the mask to his face (it helped that he recently had to wear a mask for breathing treatments, so it wasn't a totally foreign concept to him).  His eyes started to droop, then closed, and he was peacefully sleeping.  No fussing, no tears, no big deal. We went back out to wait and it couldn't have been more than 15 minutes before the ENT came to talk to us to tell us that Davis did great and to give us post-op instructions and drops for his ears.  We were then able to join our brave little boy in recovery, where he had already woken up and was crying. Mommy to the rescue!  I fed him right away and he was one relieved little baby.  I'm sure his ears felt funny, though, and he was cranky and out-of-sorts.  We could have stayed longer if we wanted to, but I thought that Davis would probably feel better being at home, so we loaded our sad baby into the car and headed home.  After a while, the crying stopped, and by the time we got home he was sound asleep. Cuddling and drinking more milk to his heart's content segued into a nice nap in Mommy's arms for over an hour and a half, and he woke up feeling much better. Only a few hours after the surgery, he was happily crawling around with a smile on his face (although he seemed a little tipsy - he must be having to readjust his balance) and ripping up the Target and CVS ads (a favorite activity that can keep him occupied for long, long periods of time). And - so far at least - that has been our experience with getting tubes! Pretty anti-climactic, isn't it? He seems a bit sleepier than normal and is now napping in his crib.  You can't beat that. At 10 months old, Davis is starting to get more of a "big boy" look to him.  Multiple people have commented that his hair is starting to grow in more.  He still likes to pull up and stand, and will sometimes support himself with only one hand or transfer from one piece of furniture to another, although he's not really "cruising" yet.  There have been a couple of times where he has let go with both hands, but quickly found something to grab onto.  We try to encourage him to hold our hands and take steps, but he's not really interested in that and just buckles at the knees.  He can sit up on his knees and he can crouch.  He has that amazing baby flexibility and has been observed multiple times sleeping with his feet up by his ears.  He likes getting into cabinets and taking things out of them.  The bottom door of our double oven is at just the right height for him to pull up on and I think he likes to look at his reflection in it (don't worry, we keep him away from the oven when it's hot!).  He loves the remote control and really wants to play with the computer.  If you take something away from him, he gets mad - for example, he was holding Mommy's water bottle on the way home today and cried when I "borrowed" it back from him to take a drink.  I gave it back, he "kissed" it, and pretty soon he fell asleep with it still clutched in him hands (pretty adorable). He still has no teeth and no sign of their coming.  I have read that late teethers are typically late eaters.  He has shown marginally more interest in food lately, if you happen to catch him in the right mood.  He really only wants fruit, and I've recently made some apple-banana-blueberry and peach-pear-blueberry-rice cereal purees that have been big hits.  We have given him banana "Baby Mum-Mums" (flavored rice rusks) occasionally over the past 3 months or so and he has only ever played with them before, but last week I managed to pop the end of one into his mouth and, although he initially made a face, he then bit down and seemed to think "not bad," proceeding to gobble up the rest of it.  What a big boy!  On Saturday, I offered him some bits of melon while we were shopping at Sam's Club (gotta love those free samples) and he chewed them up and opened his mouth for more!  So I experimented later that day with giving him pieces of blueberries and a few toasted oats (like Cheerios).  He wouldn't self-feed, but if I popped them into his mouth, he chewed, swallowed, and then accepted more.  I thought that was a big step for him! I'm having trouble understanding how you're supposed to know when your baby is actually saying words and meaning them rather than it just being a coincidence.  I have suspected for a while that Davis might be saying my name (umm-ah) and one day when he looked at me and said, "Mama" clear as a bell, I felt like it was a first word.  But then he hasn't really continued doing it, so I'm unsure again.  He babbles "dada" a lot, but I don't know if he connects it with Greg.  It was funny, though, because as I picked up the cell phone to call Greg at work and tell him that I thought Davis had said "mama," Davis reached for the phone and said, "Da-dee."  Coincidence?  Just babbling?  First words?  I have no idea. I am trying to get Davis to do things like wave bye-bye, play peek-a-boo and patty-cake, and clap his hands like "the books" say he should be starting to do, but I think he just thinks I'm crazy.  Oh, well.  I figure all kids know how to clap and wave by the time they go to kindergarten, and he's going to do those things on his own timetable and not mine! It shocks me to realize that Davis is already 10 months old.  He is so special and such a loved little boy! And, of course, I have pictures to share! Apparently, Davis didn't get the memo that children under 2 shouldn't watch any TV. A recent "heat wave" proved to be a great opportunity for a winter walk! Cheese!  Our big boy!

From Loving the Life We Live

Daddy's Little Helper

Perhaps this is a sign that Davis has inherited his Daddy's passion for cleaning?

From Loving the Life We Live

Blue Christmas . . . and Happy New Year!

As our family has enjoyed a break from our usual routine over the past couple of weeks, I have also taken a bit of a break from blogging, but I do have things to tell you about our happy (and unhappy) holidays! Number One: Tubes Davis is getting tubes in his ears.  This is currently scheduled for Monday, January 16th, his 10 month birthday.  We went to the ENT a few days before Christmas and they confirmed that his hearing was still normal and that, although he did not have an active infection, there was still fluid in his ears.  Based on his repeated ear infections every time he's caught a cold the past three months, and the use of multiple antibiotics, he was declared a good candidate for tubes.  As much as I hate to think of my baby having a "surgery," however minor, so many people have sung the praises of tubes and I am very hopeful that they will make a positive difference for Davis.  I joked to the ENT that maybe Davis will even start sleeping through the night, to which he responded, "If I could promise that, I'd have a line out the door!"  At least it should relieve the annoyance and pain of ear infections and, if he does get one, we can treat it with antibiotic ear drops instead of an oral antibiotic, which is good since we don't want him to become antibiotic-resistant. Number Two: Bubbles Just a cute little story . . . After Christmas Eve service, we went out to dinner with some church friends on the spur of the moment.  I offered Davis my glass of water and he blew bubbles though the straw, which was just so cute and funny! Number Three: Blue Christmas Davis' first Christmas was kind of a bust.  In the early afternoon, I thought he felt a little warm, and he did have a low-grade fever which worsened throughout the day.  A sick baby does not make for a very fun Christmas.  He enjoyed having both sets of his grandparents visit, but by the end of the day he was a very miserable little boy, which makes for a pretty miserable mommy, too.  I guess it's a good thing he won't remember this Christmas! Number Four: Mama Called the Doctor Of course, the doctor's office was closed on Monday after Christmas, so Davis had another terrible day.  His fever was 102.3 at 7 am, which didn't bode well for the rest of the day.  By that evening, it was a little over 103 and all he wanted to do was rest his head on my shoulder listlessly.  It was sooo sad!  He was acting much better on Tuesday, but we got him in to the doctor and it turns out that they had been seeing kids with the same symptoms all day - fever, coughing, rattling in the chest.  He had a double ear infection again (making me glad for the upcoming advent of tubes) and got shots in both legs for that as well as getting a breathing treatment, which he screamed through.  Poor Davis pretty much thought it was shaping up to the be the worst week of his life.  We got a nebulizer that evening and started giving him treatments every 4 hours to hopefully ward off pneumonia.  He seemed to get better over the next couple of days, and his doctor was pleasantly surprised at his follow-up appointment on Thursday that his ears looked much better and his lungs sounded a lot better, too.  We're still giving breathing treaments off and on (well, we're trying to - he has kind of lost patience with them), but he is a much happier and healthier baby! Number Five: We Wish You a Merry Christmas #2 Later in the week, we went to my sister's house to celebrate Christmas with my family.  We went to the Boar's Head Festival at a local church and opened presents the next day, although Davis decided it was a great day to take an extra long nap (can't argue with that) and I ended up opening most of his presents for him.  He looked super cute sitting in his great-grandmother's little rocking chair, though, and enjoyed touching one of Aunt Shalimar's chinchillas and pulling its whiskers. Number Six: And a Happy New Year! What a great blessing 2011 brought us!  It was a hard year at times, but so rich and rewarding.  We hope that 2012 will bring us many more happy memories and look forward to watching Davis continue to learn and grow.  I, for one, have had a happy new year so far - enjoying three nights in a row of Davis sleeping much better at night and relying more on his thumb-sucking than Mommy to get him to sleep.  Of course, for all I know, three nights might be as long as that streak lasts, but I've tried to enjoy it while I can.  And a girl can hope, right? HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

From Loving the Life We Live

"Mommy, WOW!"

"I'm a big kid now!"

From Loving the Life We Live

Nine Months

When Davis was a newborn, nine months seemed like such a long time and I seriously doubted if we'd ever make it that far.  But time has a miraculous way of passing, and here we are! Our little man had his nine month checkup yesterday and got a good report.  We're so pleased that his ear infection(s), which have been plaguing him chronically all fall, are gone!  (We had already made an appointment with an ENT for next week, and we will still be keeping that appointment even though his ears look good now, since he appears to be prone to frequent ear infections.)  Davis was very happy that he didn't have to get any more shots.  Now our next regularly scheduled doctor appointment won't be until after his first birthday, which is only three months away.  I know, I can't believe it either! Nine Month Stats Weight: 21 lbs. (73 %ile) Height: 29.5 in. (90 %ile) - (this number is inflated, though, since the top of his head did move away from the top of the measuring thingy quite a bit when she stretched his leg out) Head Circumference: 18.25 (86 %ile) At nine months old, Davis loves to crawl and enjoys pulling up and practicing his standing.  He is a very curious baby and likes to explore his world.  Earlier this week he used the handle to open a desk drawer and was intrigued by the contents therein.  We will be doing a lot of babyproofing over the Christmas holidays! A few funny moments that we have had recently: While eating some yogurt, Davis got the shivers.  Brain freeze?  I guess he's not used to eating cold food! During bathtime one night, we were having some silly time and I was whipping my hair back and forth in front of my face.  Davis thought it was totally hilarious and laughed so hard his face turned red. When we had some friends over, I suddenly heard him making little distress noises.  He had crrawled under/between the legs of his play table and was stuck!  It was so funny to see his little bottom and legs sticking out from under the table.  I had to lift it off of him to "rescue" him! We think our nine month old is awfully cute and he has such a sweet, endearing personality.  *Sigh*  I sure love that little boy!!!  Sometimes I feel so much love that I can hardly stand it! Posing like a little man in his new Christmas outfit Meeting Santa   Blurry, but so cute! Little stinker Family = Love

From Loving the Life We Live

December

It's hard to believe that it's already December 13th.  How does December seem to come around so quickly every year?  We celebrated Thanksgiving with Greg's family in Missouri (Davis did a GREAT job travelling again!), counted our many blessings and gave thanks for our precious son.  We finally got the Christmas tree put up . . . with one important new addition - a "baby fence" around it to protect a certain curious little boy from the temptation of fallen needles, hooks, and ornaments (and perhaps to protect the tree from him!).  I've had a good time picking out gifts for Davis, as he is outgrowing many of his baby toys and starting to want toys that interest and challenge him more.  This Christmas season is going to be a lot of fun!

I have tons of pictures that I haven't gotten around to posting, and it would probably take me six hours to upload them all to this blog, so I'm going to try to restrain myself and just pick out a few (okay, more than a few).

Playing with his measuring cups

 The cutest leopard in the world!

 All packed for Grandma's!

 Cheese!

 A happy camper

In a big boy chair!

 Mr. Messy

Playing with friends

 Getting into his toy box (He is so cute - he likes to pull stuff out of it.)

Bathing beauty

 What a big boy!

I have more to post soon . . . like pictures of Davis with Santa Claus and a nine month update . ..  so stay tuned!  I would like to post more often, but this little boy keeps his mommy pretty busy!  :)

From Loving the Life We Live