Gotcha!

I just realized that I never published this picture I got the second time I caught Dominic standing up in his crib. That day, we lowered the mattress to the lowest setting.

He looks pretty proud of himself, huh? I think I shocked him a bit when I swung open the door and snapped this pic.

My Pregnancy Prayers

When I first found out I was pregnant, and frankly even before, I prayed for a healthy baby.

After the first trimester non-invasive tests all came out showing a very low probability for health issues, I then decided maybe to make one more request and humbly ask God to give the baby a sweet personality.

At probably about the halfway point, as I was chowing down on lots of Omega-3-rich salmon for baby brainpower, I started throwing in a request for the baby to be smart.

There was a point when I even secretly prayed for a little boy, although I would have been really happy if I got a healthy, sweet, smart little girl, too!

But never, not once, did I pray for CUTE. That just seemed like too much to ask.

But we got cute anyway. Thanks for the bonus, God!

D's Faves

Loves:

Flicking wheels and other spinning things

   The "barrel of monkeys" on his exersaucer

   The swiveling patio chair

   The ride-on dump truck turned on its side

Prunes and Blueberries

Watching me yawn

Opening and closing doors

Cheerios

Computer and piano keyboards

The Baby Einstein "Baby Newton" shapes video

His walker / his jumper

Favorite books

   Hello Bee, Hello Me

   Baby's First Words

   Things that Go (Lift the flap)

   Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?

   Fun to Learn Collection - My First Book of Numbers

Graham crackers

Tub parts (like the spigot and valve handles) vs tub toys (not so much!?)

Elmer the Frog, Einstein the Duck, and Mortimer Moose

Controlling the mobile 

Pushing buttons on anything - TV remote, computer power, etc

Drinking water..  out of a bottle, sippy cup, regular cup, hose, even the tub water! eww

Ringing the windchime bell

Touching the (dry) cat food

Closing the animals on the popup animal toy

Removing the wooden coasters from their holder

Experiencing different textures

Kicking his feet when laying down

Lightning McQueen programmable car

Drums

Adult electronics

Dislikes: 

Being in the carseat

Having his face wiped

The sound of someone blowing his/her nose

Nursing and Napping

It's been almost 10 months of breastfeeding, so I thought I'd jot down some random thoughts on the subject.

First of all, I have all but forgotten how hard it was to get started.  I looked at one of my feeding logs from the first week and it was only that that helped me remember what a struggle it was.  I was writing in Dominic's baby book the other day about things he liked during his first weeks, and I started to write "eating" but Eddie had to correct me that he really didn't get going very well on that front for a few days.  I remember I had to use this "sandwich" move that Kay Gregg, the lactation consultant, gave me.  

Next, the weight loss factor.  Dang, if I knew that breastfeeding would be such an effective weight loss mechanism, I might have hooked my boobs up to siphons years ago and tried to make something happen.  I'm still no Twiggy, but I haven't weighed this little literally since high school.  And this despite the fact that I eat like I'm never going to get another meal.  Do I want a donut?  Yes! In fact, I'll take 2! :-)

I wanted to mention that I went to the breastfeeding classes at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, and I remember at the time being disappointed in them.  They spent at least 4 hours - nearly all of the first session - talking about the advantages of breastfeeding.  Eddie and I were both sitting there mumbling to ourselves that we GET it and that we were OBVIOUSLY believers in the value of breastfeeding because we were THERE, so couldn't we just get on with learning some techniques?  Well, looking back in hindsight, I realize that they really did need to spend all that time talking about how great breastfeeding is for making smart, healthy babies because around 5-8 weeks you hit a wall and you really need to have those truths firmly implanted in your mind to continue.  Dominic would eat and eat and eat and then throw up everything he had eaten and then need to eat again right away.  Ee-GAD I pretty much felt like he should have been surgically attached to the boob!  

I remember going through a period where feeding him on my right side was excruciating.  I don't think I had anything like a yeast infection or anything... just a painful period in the progress I guess.  I remember whenever I would look down at the little bracelet that kept track of which side I fed him on last (especially useful since I could barely remember my own name for lack of sleep), and when the bracelet would indicate this upcoming feeding should be on the right, I would physically cringe at the dread.  

Every time I would feel like quitting, I would remember the 4+ hour speech of the merits of breastmilk and I would try try again.  

All the pains and struggles seem like nothing more than a foggy memory now.  Other than the occasional worry that I'm having a supply problem after a particularly unfruitful pumping session, breastfeeding couldn't be easier.  In fact, it's soooo much easier than feeding regular food - way less messy and super convenient with 0 preparation and nearly 0 cleanup.  Oh and did I mention it's free?  Ok Ok... I guess you have to factor in the cost of all the donuts, so maybe it's not exactly free.

I will say that teething does, indeed, present nursing challenges.  I have been bitten a couple of times and that is horrible.  But Kaye taught me that if he bites that I should right away remove him and put him in his crib alone for 30 seconds before picking him up and resuming the feeding.  That has pretty much put the kabash on the biting... not completely, but I don't fear a chronic issue.

My only other complaint is the state of "the girls".  The breastfeeding advocacy books say that it is the pregnancy, not the nursing, that causes the ladies to lose some of their former glory.  But personally, I think it's that period in the beginning when the baby's supply-demand relationship hasn't been established and you walk around with 2 bowling ball boobs for a bit.  Inflate... deflate... inflate... deflate.  You, too, might lose your elasticity under the circumstances!

Despite the downsides, I'm dreading stopping.  First of all, will I gain a thousand pounds when I stop sharing my calories?  Next, I'll never be able to handle a forgotten lunchpail as well once ever-present milk is not a dietary option.  And let's be honest, I just like the closeness to him I feel from this simple act, and I know I'll miss it.

As for sleeping through the night and napping... Thank God for naps!  During the week after D started standing up when he wasn't napping much, I realized that even though I love every second I spend with him, I really really need the 3 hours he naps to accomplish _anything_, whether it be a work project, housecleaning, or just a nap for myself!  Is it bad that sometimes when I see him stir in the monitor that I say "stay asleep!" under my breath?

I will offer the following as suggestions for anyone struggling with getting their baby to sleep.  I acknowledge I am no authority - I think I just lucked out and got a baby who has a talent for sleeping.  But in case something I did had even the slightest to do with his success, here goes.

When I would nurse him, I would start out with a blanket under him.  That way, when he nodded off, I could set him into the bassinet and later the crib without disturbing the texture against his cheek, holding the blanket as I slid my arm out from under it.  I remember we swaddled him a lot while he was in the bassinet, but not so much once he started sleeping in the crib.

I also do a few things to distinguish between nap time and overnight sleep time.  For naps, I say "time to reeeehssssst" and reserve the word "sleep" for the long one, in addition to reserving the bedtime routine and lavender-scented baby lotion, too, for 8:15 pm.  I also make sure to close the blinds so the room is as dark as possible during the naps.  Isn't there a chemical called melatonin in our bodies whose levels are related to light and darkness that help us get back on track after a bout of jetlag? So I think darkness is much more important than silence.  

Speaking of silence, we are fortunate that Dominic took so well to the mobile and the Einstein Duck because he uses both of those as "self-soothing" activities.  We will often hear him stir-stir-stir but as soon as he hits the duck or mobile, it's like a tranquilizer dart and he's out like a light.  And we aren't very careful to talk quieter than normal or stop the dog from barking at the postman during Dominic's naps, so that way he isn't overly likely to be awakened by a noise.  Finally, to get him to fade, I stroke his hair from his part across his forehead and gently drag the backs of my fingers across his closing eyes while I'm audibly breathing deeply like heavy sighs.  This not only seems to help him doze off, but I seem to do my best nursing when my shoulders and mind are relaxed by these practices. 

Dah-deh-darnit!

Since the day after Mother's Day, Dominic has been saying the syllable "mah".  Eddie worked really hard to get him to say it by Mother's Day, and he missed it by just one day.  Since then, he says mah-mah-mah-mah as well as dah-dah-dah-dah.  But I haven't noticed that he sees a relationship between the sounds and the people.

Yesterday, Dominic put 2 different syllables together:  dah-deh!  And I think he might actually be beginning to put those sounds together to equate them with Daddy!  I joke that I'm jealous that "daddy" is his first word (thus the "darnit" in the post title), but the truth be told, I have been repeating "I love you, Daddy" and just "Daddy" specifically so Dominic would learn to say those words.  I don't know what he will choose to call me, but I think I like the sound of Mama more than Mommy, so it's fine with me if he sticks to the mah sound alone for my "name".

Other developments:

Yesterday, Daddy installed the baby gate at the top of the stairs.  Whew, one more babyproofing step we can check off the list!

Today, Dominic climbed up one stair.  We have 3 stairs from the dining room to the living room in our split-level home, and Dominic made it up the lowest stair and had his hands tightly grasping the living room floor-level stair when I couldn't take it any more and had to pick him up.  After the big stair climbing accomplishment, I didn't want the moment to end with an injury!

Another development that I _think_ I noticed before but feel sure about today is that he has developed some self-awareness about the state of his diaper.  Here's what I mean...

Dominic's "routine" (self-imposed) usually includes 2 naps: 10:30-12 and 3:30-5.  When he learned to stand up a few days ago, the naps were put on hold, seeing as he began to view the crib as a "stand-up station" rather than a BED FOR SLEEPING.  But as the days since then have unfolded, he has started to use EVERYTHING as stand-up assistance (including my leg when I'm trying to brush my teeth), so on the 14th, he returned (pretty much) to napping on schedule.

Well today, I nursed him to start the 3:30 nap winddown, but when I laid him dozing in the crib and left the room, I saw on the monitor that he immediately awoke and struggled, groggy, to a standing position.  So I went back in, cuddled him until he was dozing again, and put him back down.  Same story... 30 seconds later he was standing/crying.  I was starting to get frustrated, thinking that we were regressing back to no-napsville, when I realized he was carrying a load in his diaper!  Goodness gracious!

Once changed, he couldn't fall asleep fast enough.  I'm hoping this is a sign he will potty train easily.  Don't worry, I realize it's probably not.  Haha.

Here are some photos and movies to enjoy!

Here's Dominic wiped out after Huntington Beach's 4th of July parade (rumored to be the largest this side of the Mississippi River!)  Love the little Converse high tops!

On July 5, we met our friends, Saye and Brad, at Fashion Island for lunch.  Dominic enjoyed the pop-up water fountain there.

On July 6, Gram came over after church and helped Dominic practice his walking.  Later that day, we went to the concert behind HB's Central Park Library.  Dominic's favorite seemed to be the tympani in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".

Here's a photo of the second time I caught Dominic standing up in his crib, which was July 9.  (The first time was 7/7.) Needless to say, we moved the crib mattress down that day.

This picture from July 10 shows how his seat attaches to the breakfast bar.  This was the first day he ate "big people" turkey.  I diced up a slice of deli turkey that I, too, had in my sandwich.

Here's Dominic, also on July 10, pushing his stroller around.  He pushed it and pushed it all over the dining and family rooms for probably upwards of an hour.  While he did do some straight lines (God help the walls and furniture), his favorite was going around and around in circles.  Made me dizzy just to watch.   He was very intent and rarely looked up during his important work.

Uh Oh... Here we go!

Today (7/7), I went to visit Chuck & Lynne Stoner during the hour and a half that would normally have been Dominic's 2nd nap: 3:30 - 5pm.  Dominic was getting really tired, and he fell asleep instantly on the 3 minute drive back from our visit.  

But once we got home, and I tried to move Dominic to his crib to finish his nap, he woke up.  Nevertheless, I laid him in the crib hoping he would get just a little rest before we hit the home stretch, those last exhausting activities of the day that prompt the deep all-night sleep Dominic has been enjoying since he was 3 months old.

No such luck.  I watched Dominic on the monitor twist and writhe and kick and squirm.  I watched him turn on his mobile and then turn on his little Einstein Duck.  I listened to him whine and complain, hoping he would eventually realize he should be sleeping.  

I got on a business phone call, and during the call, I noticed Dominic's monitor became suddenly quiet.  I pushed the video button on top of the monitor expecting to see him finally still and sleeping.  Oh, he was still alright, but not sleeping!  Nope, instead he had pulled himself into a kneeling position along the foot of the crib. Gasp!

Trying not to let on to the customer on the phone, I sprinted up the stairs 3 at a time.  I threw open the door to find not only had he been on his knees, but he was now fully standing up.  For a microsecond, I considered running for the camera.  But I thought better of it realizing that I could never forgive myself if he toppled over the foot of the crib onto the floor and hurt himself while I was focusing on documentation.  

So here are some milestone dates that I should've been blogging about:

  nine months

7/7 - stands up on his own

7/6 - 4th tooth (first upper)

7/1 - first voluntary wave "bye bye"

  eight months

6/21 - 3rd tooth (his lower left)

5/31 - first official crawl

  six months

4/19 - 2nd tooth

4/9 - 1st tooth

  five months

3/22 - 1st solid food (banana)

3/20 - 1st belly laugh

3/10 - rolls over

See You in Heaven

Once, when Dominic was only a few days old, he was having trouble falling asleep after a late-night feeding.  I had been cautioned to lay him only on his back to reduce the risk of SIDS, but Dominic kept wanting to curl onto his side to sleep.  I would dutifully roll him back onto his back and then cinch in his receiving blanket on both sides so he pretty much couldn't move onto his side, but he was just crying and fussing.  The idea came to me that maybe I should let him be on his side... sure, I wouldn't sleep because I'd be sitting there watching his little chest rise and fall, ready to give CPR should the dreaded SIDS make an appearance, but at least one of us would get a little shut-eye.  

As I released the tension on the blanket and Dominic made himself comfortable, an amazing peace came over me.  It was as if God Himself spoke to me saying that He was the one who brought Dominic into my life, and it would be He who decides when we would be separated from each other by death.  I realized that every day - even every breath - we get to share is a gift from God, and that one day one of us would go on and have to wait for the other in Heaven. 

That night I slept like a baby, and the feeling of seeing Dominic alive in the morning absolutely brought tears to my eyes.  It was like giving birth all over again.   My heart almost popped out of my chest at the thought that I get to spend some more time with my Baby Angel.

Those of you in Southern California may remember last February the funeral of the first SWAT officer to be killed in the line of duty in L.A. named Randall ("Randy") Simmons.  I've been inspired by the speech that his 15 year old son gave at the funeral in which he told of how his father would always say his daily goodbyes as if they would be his last, thanking God for the time they had together and promising to meet them in Heaven if he didn't live to see them again. 

So every night since hearing young Mr. Simmons' tell the story of his father's goodbyes, when I lay Dominic in his bed, and when I go into his room in the morning and find him alive, I pray, 

"Thank you, Jesus, for another day together!  I pray we please get another one tomorrow!  But if not, I'll see you in Heaven, Dominic!"

I hope I continue to pray that prayer long after Dominic has grown up and started his own family.  I hope he comes to understand just how grateful I am to God for the wonderful gift that is him, and for every minute I get to spend with him.  I'm sure there will be days when we will frustrate each other, and I hope on those days the feeling of that moment of waking up so thrilled that both of us are alive to enjoy another day will return to me... and maybe Dominic can share that feeling then, too.

Dominic = Belonging to God

Those of you who saw Dominic's birth announcement know that his name means "Belonging to God."  We pray over Dominic every night and every morning (and sometimes in the middle of the day, t00) for God to help us to surrender him to God's guidance and for His purposes.

Although we do this daily, this June 29, we _formally_ dedicated Dominic to God at our church.  It's our version of a christening, as we believe that a person should decide for themselves to have a water baptism and that babies are too young to make such a decision.  So what we do is modeled after I Samuel 1, where Hannah makes a promise to God that if He will give her a child, she will dedicate him to God forever.  Basically, our pastor just held Dominic up in front of the congregation and said a short prayer before the regular lesson of the day. Here is what our pastor, Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, prayed:

"And now, Father, we hold Dominic up to You.  Again, Father, we pray that You would just put Your hand upon this little life. And You'd begin to guide him, Father, according to Your perfect plan. We realize, Lord, that there are so many destructive elements in the world - influences, that are just tearing down.  Lord, guard him from those.  And bring into his life, Lord, those influences of Your Holy Spirit whereby he might just be drawn close to You, and become the man You would have him to be, accomplishing, Lord, Your will.  So, Father, we dedicate Dominic now, and we pray, Lord, Your hand to be upon him, in Jesus' name, Amen.

Here are Dominic and Pastor Chuck during the prayer.

And here we are after all the babies were dedicated thanking Pastor Chuck.

Then the lesson of the day just so happened to be on a topic quite appropriate for us parents of this newly dedicated child of God: "Pressing Toward the Mark", covering Philippians 3:12-14. The gist of the message was that we must, ourselves, rededicate ourselves to our service of God, constantly reminding ourselves that we were "apprehended" for His purpose, and that we should seek out this purpose for our lives day-in and day-out.  Needless to say it was a good reminder as I can get caught up in not only selfish sinful behavior, but also just in the mundane business of getting through the days.

We had a BBQ at our house afterward for anyone who could be there to celebrate this important day.  I felt a bit bad because I hadn't sent out invitations or even got the word out about the "event" until a few days before. But in my defense, I was seeing this moment not as one to be made a spectacle but rather as genuinely an opportunity to commune with God on an intimate level... it seemed almost inappropriate to invite an audience.  Yes, I can see how that sounds incongruous with the whole point that Dominic was being presented to God publicly, but the "public" was members of our church.  Anyway, the bottom line is that I realized there were a lot of people who love Dominic who would've really loved to be present, and I'm sorry I didn't take better care to make folks aware earlier of the date.

Here are just a few photos of the BBQ.