Now is Not the Time to Give Up Caffeine

Sleep is the word of the week in our house.  Zain has decided that 20 minutes is the proper length for a sleep session, day or night.  And he's decided that in between those sleeps, fussing and crying is the appropriate state of being.  This is exactly what we were looking for in an infant!  His reflux seems to be better this week, whether due to new strategies for keeping him upright (he's been sleeping in his jiggle chair instead of his flat cradle) or Shif's diet changes or blind luck.  But now something else seems to be bothering him.  Take your pick of reasons - not enough milk, too much milk, swaddle too tight, swaddle too loose, too quiet, too loud...  We're re-consulting all the baby books and Shif has googled every message board in sight.  (Shif and I have somehow managed to completely switch personalities since Zain was born.  She is now the over-analyzer, over-researcher, and over-worrier, and I'm more laissez-faire.)  The conclusion - after some pumping experiments, it seems like he might not be getting enough milk. So we're trying a few things to keep the supply up to keep his tummy full.  The last two days seem to be much better, so we may have hit on some good combination.

Do I look underfed to you?

One of Zain's favourite fussiness-control measures - the Superboy!

Milk drunk

Our baby boy is growing up!  And that means he's now much more aware of his surroundings.  And he wants to look around and take it all in.  All the time.  Even when he's exhausted and should be sleeping!  We've actually taken to putting a burp cloth over his eyes sometimes when we're walking or rocking him to sleep to minimize distractions!  

Not just a fashion statement

Up close and personal during tummy time

When he is in a good mood, he's a lot of fun to be around (as Shif said yesterday, "He's so content when he's content").   Smiles and even little laughs are appearing.  He's making lots of eye contact, and he can be very cuddly.  On the other hand, his emotional range is growing in the other direction, too - he's getting better at expressing his tiny infant rage.  New levels of screaming have been reached, he occasionally grabs a handful of shirt, and he has developed a perfect little pout. 

We've started reading to him.  His favourite book so far (okay, maybe Mommy's favourite) is a hand-me-down from his cousin Maya, Barnyard Dance.  Today, Shif was switching the radio back and forth from classical to jazz and explaining the concept of syncopation to him. :-)   (Don't get the idea that we are total yup parents, however.  The radio is normally on Virgin Radio and Zain's favourite to dance to is Rihanna.  Okay, again, maybe Mommy's favourite...)

This is something new - awake in the carrier



Grandma W works her magic



The big event of this past week was a visit by my mom and grandma, so Zain got some quality time with two of his grandmothers.  They definitely brought some baby-calming mojo with them. The greatest benefit to us was those blissful hours when we could turn over the little guy to the grandmas and get some sleep!  It was also really fun to hear stories of babies past.  Another nice side effect was the cooking of some delicious farm-girl food.  Since most of Shif's protein sources are currently off-limits, she's eating meat right now, so she got to share in the splendour of Mom's roast beef and Grandma's chicken and noodles. 

Four generations (and Shif)

Despite the lack of sleep, life is always interesting.  It still amazes us that this tiny person trusts us so much.  And there's always something amusing happening that keeps us from wallowing in crying-induced misery.  Last week it was the midnight poop cannon. The other day it was me struggling to find the best grip for a long walk carrying the car seat.  We usually have him in the carrier for walks, so we don't have to carry the car seat more than from the car to the house, and my biceps haven't kept pace with his weight gain.  But if  you've ever had dinner Saturday night in Greektown, you know you won't be parking close to the restaurant.  So poor Zain got to experience "Mommy's circus ride" on the way back to the car before Shif clued me in - just hang it in your elbow.... Lesson learned.

Hanging out with Cousin Naeem, who still thinks Zain is kind of boring

Missy was visiting from Ohio and came by to meet Zain and his hand-socks