Merry Christmas!

We're headed to south Germany so Jay can snowboard, hope you all had a great Christmas!

Growing like a weed

Hayden is officially out of his newborn-sized clothes and hanging out comfortably in his 3 months gear. I can't wait for his appointment in January to see how much he's grown. He looks much more like a sturdy, solid baby instead of a fragile newborn. I was certain he was going through a growth spurt the other day, because he was eating around the clock. I SWEAR he got bigger overnight! It's so awesome to watch him grow and change.

We survived our road trip to Ramstein with little events. Hayden slept most of the way there, and so did I! I rode in the back so I could take care of him if the need arose, since it's hard to stop on the autobahn. We napped while Jay drove, which was nice since Hayden didn't go to sleep until 6am and we got up at 8. We shopped and ate at Chili's, shopped a little more and headed home. Oscar is still at the farm; we decided to extend his vacation by a day to give us a little break and to give him a little more running time.

Last night we decided to let super-cuddler sleep in our bed, since he'd been in the carseat most of the day on our road trip. Sure enough, he slept pretty solidly, waking up once to eat. He woke up again at 4:30 and stayed up about a half hour, then back to sleep he went! We slept off and on downstairs this morning, but life is much easier when we get some sleep!

It's so much fun watching his little smiles, I can't wait to catch one on camera! He is making lots of gurgling and cooing noises that are terribly adorable as well. We're hoping for a white Christmas but it's not looking promising so far. We're excited for our first Christmas as a family, even though Hayden won't remember it.

A few "firsts"

Hayden is smiling! I had convinced myself that it's just gas, but we went over to Val's for a short visit so I could return maternity clothes, and she and Bennett got to hang out with Hayden for a few minutes. They were leaned in talking to him, and he smiled in response to them. Even if they are just gas, they're the cutest gas smiles ever!

Jay gave Hayden his first bottle the other night! Normally feeding is mommy-Hayden time since I'm nursing, with Jay on burping duty. But we decided to introduce a bottle once he was four weeks old so he could start getting used to it, and so I could have a little gym or errands time. Hayden seems a little leery of it, but I think once he figures out it's the same thing, just in a different "container", he'll be fine.

Hayden is also a super cuddler as of late. He'll sleep longer at night, but only if someone (read: mommy) is holding him. So we spend a lot of time curled up on the couch together, and in the bed once Jay goes to work. He's so sweet and I definitely don't mind his tiny little warm body. This weekend we're taking baby's first road trip to Ramstein, so wish us luck! It's about a 3 hour drive, so we'll see how it goes! That also means a trip to the farm for Oscar, who is in desperate need of some good running and playing with his friends. It's win-win. We also hope to go to the Christmas markets before they close for the season. Today is Jay's last day of work until the first week in January, so we're planning on making the most of our time together!

This week we also started using more of Hayden's "gear", his tummy time mat and little play gym. He doesn't care for tummy time much, but he seems to be entertained by his gym. And of course, it gives mommy plenty of opportunities for pictures (and potty breaks).

For my new-mom friends

A lot of my mom-to-be friends have asked if there are things that are more helpful than others, and after four weeks this is what we've come up with!

1. Avent 0-3 months translucent BPA-free pacifiers. Hayden seems to like this brand and shape most, and I like that it doesn't get all sucked to his face and leave marks.

2. Kiddopotamus swaddling blankets. These are GREAT for swaddling, virtually idiot-proof and help him stay asleep when his arms want to flail. They're also lightweight, which is awesome for my hot-natured baby.

3. Fisher Price Itsy Bitsy Bouncer. Hayden loves to hang out in it, and it's great for calming him when he's cranky.

4. Gerber newborn undershirts. I put these on under his pajamas when we go out, they're great for layering and he's just so darn cute in them!

5. Carter's baby mittens. They have just the right amount of elastic to stay on his hands no matter how much he fights to try to scratch his face.

6. Graco quilted Pack N Play sheet. Hayden spends MUCH of his time sleeping in the bassinet level of his Pack N Play, and this sheet keeps it soft, cozy and comfortable. It's thick and warm on his little skin too!

7. Huggies Newborn diapers (though Hayden is long since out of them, I thought they were worth mentioning!). They have a color-change strip that makes it foolproof to see if there's a diaper change needed.

8. GAP 0-6 month sized socks. Cushy and thick, and they make mommy worry less about him having cold feet!

9. Aveeno baby wash and baby lotion (unscented). Super gentle, tear-free and makes him super baby-soft!

10. Crane Adorable Frog humidifier. Cool-mist, easy to assemble, clean and fill and helps his little nose stay clear!

11. Fisher Price Baby Papasan Cradle Swing. He loves to swing, and seems to like the music and bird noises.

12. Diaper depot. We have three changing stations since we have two floors, and it makes diapering so much easier. Hayden hates being wet, so the sooner we can get off a wet diaper, the happier we ALL are. The ones we have are inexpensive and simple, with room for diapers, wipes and assorted diapering supplies, and make a huge difference.

13. Diaper Champ. I like the system of simple disposal, and the fact that I can use any bags for it. It's amazing how many diapers he can go through in one day!

When Hayden allows, I'll add my list of books I couldn't/can't live without!

Four weeks and counting!

Well life has been busy, but we're all hanging in there! We've survived Hayden's first (mini) illness and all came out virtually unscathed. He had a little cough and a bit of a runny nose, but I think we're all better now. As a result of his cough, I am now in love with and forever indebted to his adorable frog humidifier.

Nights have been in a word, challenging. Hayden would sleep for about two or three hours after dinner, and 10 or 11 pm is when his night really started. Unfortunately for me, nights wouldn't end until around 4 or 5 am, so I was exhausted. My trial and error process never seemed to produce the desired effect (sleep) for very long, so we've been a tired house! I had a pretty strong moment of clarity about a week or so ago, realizing that Hayden is in general probably pretty stressed out about his life. For nine months, he was in this cozy little haven, eating and sleeping anytime he wanted, with perfect temperature control and no dirty diapers or spit-up to deal with. So being out has probably been a giant culture shock for him. I realized his absolute helplessness was making him cry whenever he needed something, and that he is completely dependent upon us to fix whatever is making him cry. So while it may be stressful for me, nights are probably torture for him.

The problem with nights was that I literally had to be "on" and active for four hours in the wee hours of the morning. Feeding, burping, changing, rocking, bouncing, swaying, dancing, singing...trying to figure out what he needed to be calm and to sleep. Of course, Jay turned the lightbulb on for me yesterday when he gave Hayden his pacifier. I've been pretty resistant to the pacifier, until I discovered my baby is a "super sucker", meaning the sucking reflex is probably what calms him the most. I had tried a few times to give him the pacifier and he resisted, so I gave up pretty easily. Yesterday I watched Jay hold it in his mouth for about 10-15 seconds until he stopped crying and immediately started sucking on it. I realized I just needed a little more perseverance. Sure enough, a few more seconds of waiting and he LOVES this tiny piece of BPA-free plastic and silicone!

The big test came tonight after he went "down for the night", which is a joke for a four-week-old breastfed baby. Two hours later, he woke up and I fed him. After the burp, I reached for the pacifier, and the skies opened up. Back to sleep at 1am with little effort! He still has a little trouble deciding what's night and what's day, but the quiet at 3am (with a little help from his bouncy seat, our lifesaver right now) is priceless. I imagine there are about a million more hurdles to sleep in our future, but for now I will take this victory! I'm starting a new book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, that many of my fellow moms swear by.

Jay and I spent the day cleaning and once we tackle a few small tasks tomorrow, we'll be back on track with a presentable house. Life seems much easier when I can walk in a clear path in my living room, and when I'm not tripping over shoes in the bedrooms. Things are looking up, and we're finding that we can do this parenting thing!

Hayden's first doctor's appointment

Yesterday I took Hayden to the clinic for the Army's first look at him. He's gained almost a pound in two weeks, so he's up to 9 lbs, 8 oz! So apparently nursing is working out for us. They measured his head and his length (he's proportionate!), and we met Dr. Garde, the pediatrician on post. Unfortunately there's only ONE pediatrician, so for our next appointments we may be going off-post. But we'll wait until January to see!

Dr. Garde checked his heartbeat and breathing, his belly button and abdomen, his circumcision site, and basically poked and prodded all over while he slept the sleep of babies (especially the ones who have just been fed, burped and changed). I learned we have to get another "heel stick" because the American standard is to check for about 22 disorders and issues, while the Germans only check for about half of that. We also have to get a shot of Vitamin K, because in the states it's administered as a shot and here in Germany it's given at birth as drops, which aren't absorbed as well. We would have gotten both of those done yesterday, but the lab and immunization section were both closed from 1200-1300 and of course, our appointment was over at 11:45. She also gave us some vitamin D drops, which are given to breastfed babies. We've been giving him the tablets that the german hospital gave us, but you have to dissolve them in water and they're a terrible pain, so we'll see how this goes.

I asked lots of questions and Dr. Garde assured me Hayden's development is all "perfectly normal" and that he's doing well. No immunizations until his two-month check up, so I have from now until then to steel my nerves for that. We'll be going back tomorrow for them to stick his heel and give him his shot, and then running about a million errands to get lots of paperwork done. I spent an hour yesterday getting his German birth certificate, which we'll need for his passport, only to find out I also needed the International birth certificate in order to enroll him in the Army's system. Bummer! So tomorrow we'll be going back for that as well, and possibly taking his passport photos. There's lots to be done to get him all squared away, and not a lot of time to do it, so wish us luck!

Tis the season!

December is here, which means we're preparing for Hayden's first Christmas! We got our first "real" tree, and we're so excited about it. It only took us a few minutes to find one we liked, and luckily Jay had already made room in the trunk (and tested said room by getting IN the trunk), so we paid, loaded up and headed home in the cold winter air. We had picked up lights and a tree stand, which completed our tree project. We got home and Jay trimmed it up to even things out and then we realized we didn't know where to put it! Both places the tree had been in Christmases past wouldn't work, thanks to the addition of Hayden's swing and playpen, so we set out moving furniture. Two hours later, we were sitting on the couch, drinking hot chocolate, watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and admiring our fresh-smelling, decorated tree. Since Hayden is so small, that means one more year without worrying about ornaments getting destroyed! Oscar manages to break or disfigure one or two over the course of the holiday season, but he's getting used to things. We got Hayden a "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament this weekend as well, so our tree is officially ready for the season!

Hayden also had his picture taken with Santa Claus! He's sleeping in his picture of course, but hey, at least he's not crying. Unfortunately we'll have to get it scanned before anyone can see it, but trust me...it's adorable!

Getting into the swing of things!

I'm happy to report that we all survived Hayden's first real bath! Not without incident of course, because we're new parents. Jay was hanging out with Hayden while I got the bathroom ready for his bath. Diaper, wipes, bath towel, washcloths, check the water temperature, soap, turn on the heater, close the door. Finally we're ready, and strip off his diaper. Jay goes to sit him in his baby bathtub, and is certain the water is "just too cold". I assure him I used a thermometer, and it's just right. He insists I check it again, and lifts Hayden out. So what happens when you put a baby in water and take him out? Of course, he pees. What happens when your six-foot-tall husband is holding him? Of course, he holds him right over your shoulder. So we all got a little wet, and as it turns out the water was the perfect temperature. Lesson learned! But we had fun washing him and rubbing his little baby lotion and getting him ready for bed, so it was worth it.

Thanksgiving was Hayden's first holiday, and we finally got our first family picture (minus Oscar). We spent it with our friends, The Pollards, and said goodbye to the Millers and Lambsons who are headed back to the states. Turkey, all the trimmings and of course, video games for the boys. The kids all had a blast playing with each other, and Hayden somehow slept through all the crazy noise. Oscar enjoyed the leftovers, and some much-needed attention from the kids and adults. He's been a little neglected since Hayden got here, but he's taking it well.

We continue to get used to Hayden at home. Some nights he sleeps two hours, wakes up to eat and goes right back to sleep for two more hours. More often, he wakes up at 2:30am to eat, and is awake until at least 5am before he nods back off. So we still have our days and nights mixed up, but we'll get there! He makes the best faces in his sleep, and we love to look at his little arms and hands. Like mommy, he kicks the covers off his feet, and like both of us, he likes to lay his head on his arms. He has so much personality already!