Here is a video of Joshua at six weeks taken right after waking up in the morning
For comparison, you can really see his development in this second video also taken first thing in the morning at 15 weeks:
Donnerstag, 15. Juli 2010
Never a dull moment
Christian and I always say the same thing after each new challenge and hurdle, phew...now things will start to calm down and become more peaceful. Yeah right! And when they don't I always joke that, that the more peaceful times are an ever allusive pipe dream.
As it is, we have been run a bit ragged, with Leo's school year coming to an end, him breaking his arm - meaning for me not only doing without his help in things in the house, like taking back recycling cleaning the cat box and the rabbit cage, but him needing extra care. Add to that, the fact that Christian has been interviewing like mad and finally got a what seems like a good job offer. Money is not great to start, but not bad either, the job has lots of potential and better than being underpaid for his work as he has been. He started his new job this week as a disponent for DHL Supply Chain. With the commute time this has him out of the house 12 hours a day. This is also quite an adjustment for all of us.
This is the current background to the story of Joshua...
Trying to take care of this household (mostly) alone with a newborn has been a challenge to say the least. Especially with a newborn who loves to be held and wants nothing more to be carried around and adored. And while mommy certainly loves holding and adoring her baby, there are things to get done. I was using a baby wrap (sling) to carry Joshua when doing lighter household tasks, but with the heat this option has been out. It is just too hot for him to be snug on my body (and too hot for me as well!). Joshua is also getting cranky and irritated with the heat real fast. Sleeping only happens for short stints during the day until he sweats himself awake (yes, we are living in the land of no air conditioning) and at night sleeping in diapers with a fan is the only possibility
A week and a half ago, we went to the consulate to report Joshua's birth with the US officials in order to get his citizenship, as well as US passport, a US birth certificate and social security number. This was a grueling morning with mountains of forms to fill out. Both parents and baby have to be present, as both parents have to swear an oath and they want to see that the baby does exist. So in the meantime his file is on hold as I have to show proof of at least five years of presence in the states, usually in the form of a school records. So everything is on hold...I did also just apply for a new passport for myself, reflecting my name change - but all in all, the whole international marriage thing and name change has also been a paper and formula affair like no other, but hey - we have come so far and made so much headway, these are just final hurdles and we will be travel ready. We will need to get a passport for Leo as well and he and Christian will need a visa if they want to travel to the US.
We had Joshua's fourth medical examination on a week ago Monday, July 12th along with his 2nd vaccination. He has grown quite a bit in the last two months. He is now 5130 grams heavy and 60 cm long. While he is still quite petite for his age and a light weight, so to speak, he is developing well within his curve. He is below average in size but he follows the bottom of the develepmental curver perfectly. His father, brother and mama were also rather petite as babies, so it is fine. One cause of concern still is all of his spitting up, sometimes it is really massive amounts (the doctor asked if it was more than ten spit ups a day, I and said he reaches 10 spit-ups easily by noon, it is more like 20 to 30, which is too much. Some babies just spit up that much and something like 30 percent of babies have reflux due to an underdeveloped ) and to compensate he is drinking all the time, it seems. He has also returned to coming a few times during the night, but this could also be due to thirst from the heat. He only drinks a short while and falls right back asleep.
As I said in previous post he loves being pulled up into a sitting or standing position and he likes practice walking. The other day his Papa had him standing up an the kitchen table, with papa behind him. Joshua is always so proud of himself when he is standing and looks at each of us in turn, as if to say - look at me! I am so big!!! Anyhow, on this particular occasion I happened to be sitting across the table and could see him face on, but he was more interested in looking at the surface of the table. I watch him suddenly get excited and full of courage and dared to take three large carefree steps forward. His own courage and adventurousness then faltered as he all of a sudden felt out of control and I watched his face change from brave to frightened in an instant, he turned red and he started to scream, my guess is cause he thought he was all alone cause his Papa was holding him from above and behind. Quickly both I and his papa sat him down and comforted him and told what a good brave boy he was and that everything was okay. He calmed down quickly, after his bottom lip stopped quivering, he was back to smiling within a couple of minutes. I was so touched to see this little personality in action. I think he gets impatient and frustrated at times because he already wants to be able to do more than he is able to do yet.
His laughter has become more spontaneous also, he definitely has a good sense of humour already. Laughs when I do silly things - the other day though on his changing table he found something hysterical and I had no idea what - or maybe he was just practicing. In any case he had a laugh attack for whatever reason and had me in stiches cause he was so funny.
Joshua has become more adept at grabbing and holding on to items. He has started holding on to and snuggling with a blanket. He likes to rub it up on his face and hold it up over his face. Sometimes it completely covers his face and eyes by accident and he doesn't seem able to remove it before he gets upset cause he can't see. So he starts crying and I have to rescue him.
Joshua's personality is becoming clearer by the day. He is definitely easily bored and adventure loving. He is constantly asking to be entertained and is super curious about the world around him. There is something so beautiful wathching him discover new things (and it almost always new things. We took him out for a walk in the woods and came to a spring, known to be the purest water running in the Altmühl valley before the alps. People come from all around to fill there bottles and it lies along an old trade route. Joshua is a nature lover for sure. He loves trees above all; could lay contently looking up at a tree for hours. So this was the first time he saw water running and bubbling over rocks and he was awe struck and fascinated by the sound and the look. I am filled with awe to witness this little person discovering the world around him, and day by day he is a bit more awake and a bit more alert. So I spend most of my days trying to balance work and quality time with my baby. We always make sure to spend uninterrupted time each day gazing into each other's eyes and smiling at and flirting with each other, like the two love birds we are : )
As it is, we have been run a bit ragged, with Leo's school year coming to an end, him breaking his arm - meaning for me not only doing without his help in things in the house, like taking back recycling cleaning the cat box and the rabbit cage, but him needing extra care. Add to that, the fact that Christian has been interviewing like mad and finally got a what seems like a good job offer. Money is not great to start, but not bad either, the job has lots of potential and better than being underpaid for his work as he has been. He started his new job this week as a disponent for DHL Supply Chain. With the commute time this has him out of the house 12 hours a day. This is also quite an adjustment for all of us.
This is the current background to the story of Joshua...
Trying to take care of this household (mostly) alone with a newborn has been a challenge to say the least. Especially with a newborn who loves to be held and wants nothing more to be carried around and adored. And while mommy certainly loves holding and adoring her baby, there are things to get done. I was using a baby wrap (sling) to carry Joshua when doing lighter household tasks, but with the heat this option has been out. It is just too hot for him to be snug on my body (and too hot for me as well!). Joshua is also getting cranky and irritated with the heat real fast. Sleeping only happens for short stints during the day until he sweats himself awake (yes, we are living in the land of no air conditioning) and at night sleeping in diapers with a fan is the only possibility
A week and a half ago, we went to the consulate to report Joshua's birth with the US officials in order to get his citizenship, as well as US passport, a US birth certificate and social security number. This was a grueling morning with mountains of forms to fill out. Both parents and baby have to be present, as both parents have to swear an oath and they want to see that the baby does exist. So in the meantime his file is on hold as I have to show proof of at least five years of presence in the states, usually in the form of a school records. So everything is on hold...I did also just apply for a new passport for myself, reflecting my name change - but all in all, the whole international marriage thing and name change has also been a paper and formula affair like no other, but hey - we have come so far and made so much headway, these are just final hurdles and we will be travel ready. We will need to get a passport for Leo as well and he and Christian will need a visa if they want to travel to the US.
We had Joshua's fourth medical examination on a week ago Monday, July 12th along with his 2nd vaccination. He has grown quite a bit in the last two months. He is now 5130 grams heavy and 60 cm long. While he is still quite petite for his age and a light weight, so to speak, he is developing well within his curve. He is below average in size but he follows the bottom of the develepmental curver perfectly. His father, brother and mama were also rather petite as babies, so it is fine. One cause of concern still is all of his spitting up, sometimes it is really massive amounts (the doctor asked if it was more than ten spit ups a day, I and said he reaches 10 spit-ups easily by noon, it is more like 20 to 30, which is too much. Some babies just spit up that much and something like 30 percent of babies have reflux due to an underdeveloped ) and to compensate he is drinking all the time, it seems. He has also returned to coming a few times during the night, but this could also be due to thirst from the heat. He only drinks a short while and falls right back asleep.
As I said in previous post he loves being pulled up into a sitting or standing position and he likes practice walking. The other day his Papa had him standing up an the kitchen table, with papa behind him. Joshua is always so proud of himself when he is standing and looks at each of us in turn, as if to say - look at me! I am so big!!! Anyhow, on this particular occasion I happened to be sitting across the table and could see him face on, but he was more interested in looking at the surface of the table. I watch him suddenly get excited and full of courage and dared to take three large carefree steps forward. His own courage and adventurousness then faltered as he all of a sudden felt out of control and I watched his face change from brave to frightened in an instant, he turned red and he started to scream, my guess is cause he thought he was all alone cause his Papa was holding him from above and behind. Quickly both I and his papa sat him down and comforted him and told what a good brave boy he was and that everything was okay. He calmed down quickly, after his bottom lip stopped quivering, he was back to smiling within a couple of minutes. I was so touched to see this little personality in action. I think he gets impatient and frustrated at times because he already wants to be able to do more than he is able to do yet.
His laughter has become more spontaneous also, he definitely has a good sense of humour already. Laughs when I do silly things - the other day though on his changing table he found something hysterical and I had no idea what - or maybe he was just practicing. In any case he had a laugh attack for whatever reason and had me in stiches cause he was so funny.
Joshua has become more adept at grabbing and holding on to items. He has started holding on to and snuggling with a blanket. He likes to rub it up on his face and hold it up over his face. Sometimes it completely covers his face and eyes by accident and he doesn't seem able to remove it before he gets upset cause he can't see. So he starts crying and I have to rescue him.
Joshua's personality is becoming clearer by the day. He is definitely easily bored and adventure loving. He is constantly asking to be entertained and is super curious about the world around him. There is something so beautiful wathching him discover new things (and it almost always new things. We took him out for a walk in the woods and came to a spring, known to be the purest water running in the Altmühl valley before the alps. People come from all around to fill there bottles and it lies along an old trade route. Joshua is a nature lover for sure. He loves trees above all; could lay contently looking up at a tree for hours. So this was the first time he saw water running and bubbling over rocks and he was awe struck and fascinated by the sound and the look. I am filled with awe to witness this little person discovering the world around him, and day by day he is a bit more awake and a bit more alert. So I spend most of my days trying to balance work and quality time with my baby. We always make sure to spend uninterrupted time each day gazing into each other's eyes and smiling at and flirting with each other, like the two love birds we are : )
Mittwoch, 14. Juli 2010
Promised 4th of July pics
Here is Joshua with his brother Leo who sadly has a broken arm. That doesn't deter him from holding his baby bro though.
Joshua and mama, color-coordinated ;)
Joshi being entertained by Bernhard:
Joshua and mama, color-coordinated ;)
Joshi being entertained by Bernhard:
Sonntag, 4. Juli 2010
Happy Fourth of July!
Today we went to the Amerika Haus because they were having a 4th of July party for the German-American community. This was of course Joshua's first 4th of July, but also Christian and Leo's first. I have been a member of the AAUPW (American Association of University and Professional Women) for a number or years now one group present at the event. The AAUPW also has a seasonal choir, which means choir members put together songs for different events, like the x-mas party, etc. to make things more festive. I have joined the choir on many occasions and this time we did a medley from the Music Man musical. We had about 5 rehearsals at Annie's house, to all of which I brought Joshua. He was given lots of attention by the other 8 singing ladies and he really enjoyed the music, especially as it became more and more familiar to him. It was nice for me to get out of the house and do an activity I love and nice for him as well.
So the party was interesting, not as "American" as I would have liked it, but they had some barbeque, Starbucks and KFC were also there. There was a Jazz band playing and the AAUPW choir performance went over well. It was hot, hot, hot though - the kind of hot where you know a storm is brewing and by evening there would be (you hope there would be)a nice summer night thunderstorm. The heat and stickiness bugged Joshua a bit but mostly he was in good spirits, wearing his red, white and blue "born to rock" shirt. Be patient, pics to follow!
So the party was interesting, not as "American" as I would have liked it, but they had some barbeque, Starbucks and KFC were also there. There was a Jazz band playing and the AAUPW choir performance went over well. It was hot, hot, hot though - the kind of hot where you know a storm is brewing and by evening there would be (you hope there would be)a nice summer night thunderstorm. The heat and stickiness bugged Joshua a bit but mostly he was in good spirits, wearing his red, white and blue "born to rock" shirt. Be patient, pics to follow!
Samstag, 3. Juli 2010
Drooling and Spitting
My biggest challenge with Joshua has become keeping him dry. He is what is termed as a "happy spitter". He spits up unbelievable amounts after meals. Sometimes, I wonder how much he keeps in him, but according to how much he is filling out and increasing chunkiness of his thighs, he is definitely getting the necessary calories. So maybe he drinks too much and spits out the excess? I also make sure he is wearing a bib during the day so that I don't have to change his clothes after every feeding. Joshua has also started drooling and blowing spit bubbles. He loves this activity and while it is super cute it another source of wetness. So I have a drooly, spitty baby.Joshua has become ticklish and lauphs quite heartily now when I tickle him. He loves it.
Besides smiling, laughing, spitting and blowing spit bubbles, he loves standing! Loves when we hold him in a standing position. I predict this baby will skip crawling and go right to walking...let's see if I am right.
We are dealing with hot weather here (finally!!!) which Joshi is not used to, so sleeping has been more challenging. He finds it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep in the heat. What is more, he must be having another growth spurt as he has returned to coming for 2 middle of the night feedings around 3 am and 5 am. Hope he takes back to sleeping through the night again soon.
That is all for now. Today we have house cleaning and a walk in the forest on the roster. Will try to post more tomorrow!
Besides smiling, laughing, spitting and blowing spit bubbles, he loves standing! Loves when we hold him in a standing position. I predict this baby will skip crawling and go right to walking...let's see if I am right.
We are dealing with hot weather here (finally!!!) which Joshi is not used to, so sleeping has been more challenging. He finds it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep in the heat. What is more, he must be having another growth spurt as he has returned to coming for 2 middle of the night feedings around 3 am and 5 am. Hope he takes back to sleeping through the night again soon.
That is all for now. Today we have house cleaning and a walk in the forest on the roster. Will try to post more tomorrow!
Mittwoch, 30. Juni 2010
3 months old!
I have no idea where the last three months have gone, but it has been a wonderful and challenging time. Joshua is 3 months old today! He is growing well and really starting to enjoy life. We definitely work on giving him lots of stimulation, without overstimulating of course! We try to have an outing every other day and lots of walks. Now that the weather is cooperating, this is easier to accomplish.
Joshua has hit these milestones recently: Today he rolled over from his stomach to his back in both directions. He has done this before, but more by accident and couldn't repeat it. Now he has it down pretty well. I think the motivation has been he doesn't like being on his tummy unless he is on me, his brother or father...otherwise tummy time is only shortly tolerated. He also does well with tummy time when I give him his baby massage. He especially coos when I massage his butt cheeks ; ). He likes the back rub so much he temporarily forgets he doesn't like to be on his belly.
He is able to bat at toys and grasp at things and hold on pretty well. Mommy's hair has been a fun target for him.
He also started actual laughing this week. He has been doing it on occasion since he was 2 months old but only sporadically. He also sporadically coos but not that often yet. We had a little conversation today though, and he loves to play stick out your tongue at eachother (he has been doing that since about six weeks though!)
Joshua loves to be sung to, and he loves to smile. He also loves water...he loves getting baths. When I put him in his tummy tub he stares at me almost the whole time with big, curious eyes and we took him swimming on Sunday, June 27th for the first time to the baby pool. He loved it as you can see from these pictures.
After swimming he was really tuckered out and fell fast asleep:
Joshua also loves to be in mommy's arms, apparently the best place in the whole world and loves going out in his baby carriage. He gets excited, his eyes light up and he starts kicking when I put him in it. If I then take too long getting out the door he starts screaming. As soon as I open the door and we are out of the apartment he is instantaneously silent.
He has started sleeping through the night pretty consistently for about a week or so now. He will sleep 8 to 9 hours without nursing! The he will nurse for about 20 minutes and go back to sleep for another couple of hours. His pattern has been to sleep from about 9 or 10 pm to 9 or 10 am, with a 6 or 7 am feeding. Quite a comfortable schedule actually. I was worried at first about him sleeping so long at only 3 months and going so long without nursing. But apparently some babies are like that. He definitely makes up for it during the day, where we have hourly feedings nearly the whole day with a break of 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon. So during the day, projects are slow going as my main activity is nursing.
Anyhow, I love this baby more than words can describe. Joshua is happiest in the morning, he loves mornings alone with mommy. Evenings he tends to be cranky, but this crankiness is getting less and less.
Here is my current favorite picture of the babe (Christian says my favorite picture of him changes by the hour)
Here he is wearing a hat, born to ride, sent by his Aunt Peggy and Uncle Gary.
I also want to share pics with you from our "honeymoon" in Switzerland, nearly three weeks ago now. Finally have them up in Facebook, enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=246003&id=768494464&l=764f60f119
Joshua has hit these milestones recently: Today he rolled over from his stomach to his back in both directions. He has done this before, but more by accident and couldn't repeat it. Now he has it down pretty well. I think the motivation has been he doesn't like being on his tummy unless he is on me, his brother or father...otherwise tummy time is only shortly tolerated. He also does well with tummy time when I give him his baby massage. He especially coos when I massage his butt cheeks ; ). He likes the back rub so much he temporarily forgets he doesn't like to be on his belly.
He is able to bat at toys and grasp at things and hold on pretty well. Mommy's hair has been a fun target for him.
He also started actual laughing this week. He has been doing it on occasion since he was 2 months old but only sporadically. He also sporadically coos but not that often yet. We had a little conversation today though, and he loves to play stick out your tongue at eachother (he has been doing that since about six weeks though!)
Joshua loves to be sung to, and he loves to smile. He also loves water...he loves getting baths. When I put him in his tummy tub he stares at me almost the whole time with big, curious eyes and we took him swimming on Sunday, June 27th for the first time to the baby pool. He loved it as you can see from these pictures.
After swimming he was really tuckered out and fell fast asleep:
Joshua also loves to be in mommy's arms, apparently the best place in the whole world and loves going out in his baby carriage. He gets excited, his eyes light up and he starts kicking when I put him in it. If I then take too long getting out the door he starts screaming. As soon as I open the door and we are out of the apartment he is instantaneously silent.
He has started sleeping through the night pretty consistently for about a week or so now. He will sleep 8 to 9 hours without nursing! The he will nurse for about 20 minutes and go back to sleep for another couple of hours. His pattern has been to sleep from about 9 or 10 pm to 9 or 10 am, with a 6 or 7 am feeding. Quite a comfortable schedule actually. I was worried at first about him sleeping so long at only 3 months and going so long without nursing. But apparently some babies are like that. He definitely makes up for it during the day, where we have hourly feedings nearly the whole day with a break of 2 or 3 hours in the afternoon. So during the day, projects are slow going as my main activity is nursing.
Anyhow, I love this baby more than words can describe. Joshua is happiest in the morning, he loves mornings alone with mommy. Evenings he tends to be cranky, but this crankiness is getting less and less.
Here is my current favorite picture of the babe (Christian says my favorite picture of him changes by the hour)
Here he is wearing a hat, born to ride, sent by his Aunt Peggy and Uncle Gary.
I also want to share pics with you from our "honeymoon" in Switzerland, nearly three weeks ago now. Finally have them up in Facebook, enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=246003&id=768494464&l=764f60f119
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