Thomas Update: 11 Months

This month just flew by.  You're all over the place playing, but at the same time you like to stick near me as much as you can.  We took you on your first visit to the ocean and you slept in the hotel crib with no problem!  You still use a binky, but you're mostly happy.  Luckily you like to ride in the stroller, so you get to adventure with us.  You still seem like my little baby, and it's crazy you'll be one so soon.  

Weight: ???
Length: ???
Feeding:  We are down to the last few purees.  After watching you grab food that wasn't yours and eat it, I've decided you don't need things cut up as much as I thought.  You love bananas, any kind of meat, crackers, and any fruit.  You're still trying to figure out how to drink from a sippy cup better, and can finally eat a pouch without a huge mess.  You're down to nursing first thing in the morning, and then around 2:00 and bedtime. 
Sleeping: Most nights 9-8 or so.  You like one long nap around 11 or so, but you go with your brothers' schedules and nap when you can. 
Communication:  Waving (mostly good-bye)!  I think you also say dada.  Every now and then it sounds like you'll say a word, but none that are too clear.  You will sign "more" but you'd rather just yell.  You'll clap whenever I ask (and liked the concerts we went to this month where you danced a little).
Likes:  you love balls, playing in sand, crawling up the stairs (not down), ripping paper, music
Dislikes:  not getting to crawl around at will, you really hate laying still for diaper changes
Growth Milestones:  You are pulling yourself up on everything, everywhere now.
Health:

Thomas Update: 10 Months

You had all sorts of fun this month celebrating the end of school with your brothers. You've had more nibbles of ice cream and cupcakes than they ever got at this age.  We ran to Indiana for a weekend and you were the best traveler any nine-month-old could be- but the trip definitely tired you out.  As expected you have had tons of milestones this month. See below for all the details.

Weight: ???

Length: ???
Feeding:  Still liking everything we give you.  You get a little mad when we don't share with you.  Nursing about 4 times a day.
Sleeping:  Pretty much sleeping 9-8 or whenever you get woken in the morning.  Two naps either in your car seat or in your bed!
Communication:  Chatting a lot.
Likes:  dancing, taking a big boy bath, playing in sand, dumping everything you can
Dislikes: taking your weekly photo, being away from mama, Eli's constantly physical attention
Growth Milestones:  After your first tooth came the day you turned 9 months, three more quickly popped up in the next couple weeks.  You started crawling everywhere, even climbing a couple stairs when you get the chance (and proceeding to get stuck on said stairs).
Health:  Two emergencies this month- one was a call to poison control when you ate a mushroom in the yard (not poisonous thankfully).  The other was a hair tourniquet on your toe that required doctor intervention!  Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come this summer!

Thomas Update: 9 Months

A big month for you!  Lots of firsts:

Weight: 19 lbs 10 oz
Length: 28.5 in  I'm still working on reluctantly getting the 12 month box out, because you're really pushing anything below 9 months. 
Feeding:  When you want more food (which is all the time), you flap your arms wildly, gaining you the nickname "chicken wing".  You have started signing more, or clapping, whenever you want more food.  We can barely cut up the table food fast enough, or spoon in your purees.  You haven't encountered a food you don't like yet.  Still nursing at least four times a day.  Trying to start weaning you off of nursing just when you want help sleeping and only nursing for hunger.
 Sleeping:  You've finally outgrown swaddling.  You roll over and sleep on your belly now, and turn on your mobile while you're waiting to be rescued.  You do well with a long morning nap.  Being in the car to run your brothers places makes you take lots of little cat-naps, and I have to wake you around 8:15 in the morning so we can leave some days.  You go to sleep around 9-10 after your brothers are down.
Communication: On April 28th, I got a real distinct "mama" when you were crying awaiting rescue from the crib.  Later in the month you started saying"dadadada" and it is not the more prominent demand from you, as you somehow think that word has to do with food more than your father.  On May 15 we noticed you were starting to sign "more", and started clapping the next day whenever we delighted you.
Likes:  Taking baths in the kitchen sink, music (you're starting to dance around), listening in on storytime at the library, balls, putting everything you find in your mouth, EATING
Dislikes: Getting stuck under things/in corners (you can only crawl backwards), when mama puts you down (starting a bit of clingyness and hesitance toward strangers), taking your weekly photo
Growth Milestones:  First tooth!  9 months on the dot! (they say between 6 and 12 months is normal, so you are right on the median.  Just like you are almost the exact 50th %-ile for height and weight.)
Health:  Great!!  Glad spring is hear and your semi-permanent cough and runny nose is gone.

*Sorry you never have socks on.  But, I kept your feet covered when it was cold out.  There's just no point to baby socks yet, but I'll put some on ya when you start walking in a few months.*

Thomas Update: 8 Months

As we moved into our new house this month, you did pretty well adjusting to all the changes.  You're still my little baby, enjoying being swaddled at night, are still toothless, not really crawling, and not uttering words yet.  But I've got the feeling each of those milestones are about to explode out of you.

Weight: 19 lbs
Length: ??  Definitely need 9-12 months for sleep and play outfits, but I'm trying to put you into more "real clothes" lately and less pajamas.  Size 3 diapers, though mostly in cloth
Feeding:  You still nurse 5 or more times a day, but you're very happy to feed yourself now.  Cheerios and puffs, as well as small bits from whatever meals we are having.  You loved sweet potatoes when you tried them, and mama even let you try some pancakes.  You are a bit spoiled compared to your brothers who I was a bit stricter with.  We do still do some purees, including yogurt ones, and we can never feed you fast enough. 
 Sleeping:  When we moved, you spent some good nights and naps in our second master closet, which was great because it was so dark.  Since moving you into "your room" (the guestroom) you don't seem to be sleeping as well.  We need to get it darker in there.  You dropped to only one good nap a couple days, but you really still need two.  You had a few hard nights, but still sleep pretty soundly other nights.  I can't quite figure out your patterns right now.  Still swaddling.
Communication:  Some days you are so quiet, but other times you will babble away and make some "Mmmm" sounds.  I just started signing a bit with you, since food is super motivating for you I hope to use it to draw some words out of you.  Your face lights up whenever we sing with you.
Likes:  You LOVE to sit in shopping carts.  You flirt with all the other shoppers and try to get some big smiles out of them.
Dislikes: Bath time is less and less fun for you.  You hate being laid on your back to get changed.  When you scoop backwards and get stuck in a corner or against the wall.
Growth Milestones:  You have never really rolled around much, but you're definitely getting moving now.  You sit and scoot a lot, and can push yourself backwards, but you haven't figured out the forward crawl yet.  
Health:  Pretty good this month.  A little runny nose, but no cough!  And, no teeth yet!

Thomas Update: 7 Months

This month you're really leaving the infant stage, sitting up and playing and feeding yourself a bit even.  You really have enjoyed all the outdoor time as the weather has warmed up.  Mama never thought to put you in a  swing at the playground yet, but daddy popped you in and you loved it.  And then you mastered sitting in the grocery cart at the store.  You're getting to be a big boy! 

Weight: ??
Length: ??  6-9, 9-12 month clothes, size 3 diapers
Feeding:   We fed you as recommended last month, waiting appropriately lengths of time between new foods.  But now, we're trying a bit more of a baby led weaning approach.  We've still done a lot of purees (Beech nut are my favorite, and you've had peaches, pears, spinach, zucchini, peas, orange, pineapple, mango and lots of other things), but we've also let you feed yourself bits of rice, chicken, cheese, eggs, and bananas.  Basically whatever we're having we pass a little to you.  Makes it easier for us all to eat together.  You've started on puffs too, though very few seem to get into your mouth. 
Sleeping:  Morning nap.  Afternoon nap.  Sleeping a good 10-12 hours at night about half of the time.  Still waking around 4:30 other days.  Still swaddled for almost all naps unless in the car seat.  You stay asleep a lot longer if you are in complete darkness.
Communicating: It's still pretty easy to read your cues, as to whether you are hungry, tired, or bored. You like music and will have spurts of babbling away. You are very ticklish and giggle a lot.
 Likes: Sitting in your bumbo next to your brother's train track, or your toy box.  When we stack towers for you to knock over.  Teethers.  Pulling hair and jewelry.  Being in the big boy stroller.
Dislikes:   Tummy time.  Starting to have a harder time being left with sitters (MOPS, gym, etc).
Growth Milestones:  Mastered sitting up.
Health:  Unfortunately another month of coughs and runny noses.  Hoping the spring weather helps you put these colds behind you.

 *Another late post just waiting on a photo.*

Thomas Update: 0.5 Years

This month, we learned that your snow suit is basically a swaddle since you can't move in it.  You really like to eat baby purees, but don't like having to process them.  Having your first little fall made you very, very angry with mama.  And you are quite ticklish.

Weight: 17 lbs 1 oz
Length: 26.75 inches, same size as last month
Feeding:   Nursing is the same, but we've added in some cereals and purees since you have been so interested in dinner time.  You've tried squash, green beans, rice cereal, prunes, and bits of our bananas.
Sleeping:  About the same as last month.  A few more all night sleeps, but also a few nights you needed lots of snuggles because your cold made it hard to sleep.
Communicating:  We found your tickle spots, and you're quite a little giggler now.  Realized how much you like music and singing, something mama isn't great at providing.  Still chattering a little more each month.  You definitely save the best smiles for mama and dada.
 Likes: Sitting in your bumbo next to your brother's train track, or your toy box.
Dislikes:   Bathing has become your least favorite thing.  And laying flat on your back. 
Growth Milestones:  Sitting up more and more.
Health:  Still a running cold.

Thomas Update: 5 Months

This was a fun month, starting with our big road trip to Indiana for Christmas, beginning the new year, and having a nice mild start to winter.  You've had some big changes this month. You're finding your little laugh, love to be vertical most of the time, and are getting to be at expert with your chubby little hands.

Weight: 17.5 lbs
Length: 25.5 inches, 9 month clothes really fit best, but I squeeze you into most of the 6 month things still.  Mostly cloth but some size 3 diapers.  (Same length, and a pound shy of Eli at this age.)
Feeding:  Normally 1 early morning, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, first supper, and second supper.  Typically just 15 minutes a time, but sometimes 30.  You are in that stage where you love to hold on to every "thing" and pinch and grab.  Makes feedings a little less fun.  You may have had a tiny taste of banana cream to sooth your gums, but we'll wait until next month to really start food.
Sleeping:  We have tried your crib a few times, but you still prefer to sleep in the little rocker thing until about 4/5 when you wake to eat.  Napping is changing drastically, as you are now sleeping for a very long morning nap about two hours after you wake up, and then little to no evening nap.  Makes life a bit different.
Communicating:  You don't get much time to talk with your brothers always making noise.  But you will chatter if we all give you quiet time.  You still give great big smiles when you see your family and will make some giggles. 
 Likes: Being in the door-way jumper (super baby with Eli), exersauser, any toys that rattle or crinkle and moving toys from hand to hand. 
Dislikes:   Teething, loud noises (including the vaccum)
Growth Milestones:  Still not rolling much.  Still working to sit up a little better on your own.
Health:  Nothing more than a runny nose.

 And your eyes are still grey.  But so were Eli's at this age.

Thomas Update: 3 Months

 It seems like we're finally getting into our groove now.  This last month you've spent some time celebrating Halloween and then mama's birthday, meeting two of your great grandparents, and spending time at Theodore's school activities.  The ladies at the gym love holding you, and you are still quiet as a mouse most church services.  I can't complain at all with how happy you are most of the time, and you give me the best smiles every time you see me indicating you want picked up and cuddled.  I feel like I've held you more often than I held your brothers, but that may be because at this point I was heading back to work after having both of them, but with you I am with you all the time.

Weight: 13 lbs, 10 oz
Length: ?? inches, 3-6 months clothes, though I think many of your brother's old things must have shrunk because some barely fit.  You still seem on the tall side.  We switched to size 2 diapers once we ran out of 1s, and finally started putting you in cloth diapers.
Feeding:  Same as last month, though the hiccoughs seem much less now.  You are incredibly patient, having to sometimes wait on your meals when I'm busy with your brothers. 
Sleeping:  We had our first all night sleep session at about 10 weeks old, and have repeated it several times now.  Most of the nights you wake up around 4:00 though to eat.  You're finally spending more time awake so we can differentiate between naps and awake time, but you still nap three or four times throughout the day depending on our schedule.  Swaddling you is key to a good night's sleep.
Communicating:  As a third born, you're excellent at using smiles to get and keep anyone's attention.  Whenever you coo your brothers like to dictate what they think you are saying.
 Likes: bedtime stories, cuddles, and riding in your stroller
Dislikes:  you still don't like when your brother's get in your personal space, you hate being cold (winter is going to be a bit difficult) and of course you can get hangry just like the rest of your family
 Growth Milestones:  Using your hands much more and huge, immediate smiles.
Health:  You finally got through your first cough, and then developed a new one.  Some saline treatments have helped in clearing up your current cough.

Thomas Update: 1 Month

So your one month birthday has came and gone, and you are officially five weeks old now!  We have spent a majority of the last month curled up together in my new recliner napping, nursing, and just snuggling.  Some days I have a lot of motivation to get other things done, but lately I've just been trying to focus on soaking you up.  I keep telling myself you may be my last, and I don't want this newborn phase to pass with me worried about cleaning and laundry and cooking.  But since those things need done, I'm trying to be very efficient, and accepting help when offered.

Your brothers still love you as much as the day you came.  They check on you before greeting me when we pick them up at school or the bus stop.  They attend to any needs you may have.  And they frequently wake you up.  Luckily, you can still fall back asleep easily.  It took me about two weeks to start calling you by your name properly... for some reason I just couldn't stop calling you Eli (whom I keep mistakenly calling Theo now).  I am often anxious when out and about with you because I feel like I'm forgetting one of the three of you boys.  Having your brothers both start school this month has made it a very hectic month.  And you got to meet 2 grandmas, 1 grandpa, 2 aunts, 2 cousins, your church family, my MOPS moms, and have been to both of your brother's schools. 

One Month

In terms of monthly growth/milestones:

Weight:  10 pounds 2 ounces (58%-ile)
Length:  22 3/4 inches (94%-ile).  You may be our first long and lean one, we'll have to see.
Size:  I want to keep the newborn things on you forever, but have been moving you into more 0-3 clothes and size 1 diapers once the newborn size ran out.
Feeding:  I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to nursing you, just because it is such a huge commitment and kind of ties me down.  But, we've been blessed by a great nursing relationship.  Compared to your big brothers, you don't nurse nearly as often.  Only every 3-4 hours, going even longer at night.  I even wake you up often when it's time to nurse, rather than waiting on you to fuss.  We are pretty in tune with each other, and it's a pretty beautiful thing.  I have had to pump just a few times when I was too full for you to latch, but that's been the only problem.  You haven't tried taking a bottle yet.  You definitely are a burper, and get uncomfortable if I forget to burp you.
Sleeping:  Like your brothers, your first month was filled with lots of slumber (jaundice will do that to you).  You don't really nap yet, you mainly wake up to eat and then go back to sleep.  You're favorite time to be awake is in the evening when I'm trying to make dinner.  When you're rare awake times come we try to play with you:  reading black and white books, making lots of faces at you, and working on getting you to track.  By the end of your first month we were getting a few smiles from you.  During the day you typically sleep in a lttle rocking sleeper your Aunt Megan brought, and then in your bassinnet/beside me at night.  You've also slept plenty in your car seat and in the evenings in your swing.  Your favorite place to sleep though, is definitely in my arms (I blame you for any typos here).  I've got four different slings/carriers, but I've never been extremely comfortable baby wearing, so we're going to keep trying the different holds out and see which one I find most agreeable to us.
Likes:  Swaddling (though you want your arms out already-I call you "Thomas Packet" when you are all bundled, your dad hates that nickname), warm baths, and being held (luckily your brothers love holding you so mama can take a break sometimes)
Dislikes:  hiccups (so frequent), spitting up (luckily you only do when I let you eat too long), when your brothers swing/rock you too hard, and being cold
Health:  Your brothers brought home lots of coughs the second week of school, and we can't get them to stop sharing their germs with you.  So, you're a bit stuffed up.  And, you still seem to have lingering breastmilk jaundice, but your blood levels were never high enough to need treated.  I think this is part of the reason for your continued sleepiness.

1 Week to 4 Weeks

In other news:
Your eyes are still a beautiful blue.
You have been extremely clean.  Outfits last a full day, very few diaper mishaps, limited spit up-it's amazing! (knock on wood)
You are so similar in look and personality to Elijah, you even mew like a tiny goat like he did.
Your c-section was the easiest for mama to recover from.

Hoping for a great second month to come!  We've got some big plans for October, one of mama's favorite months!

Our First 100: Meeting Thomas Samuel

Somehow, my little baby is 100 hours old already (2:39 pm on Tuesday).  Ever since arriving at the hospital on Friday morning, the hours of Thomas's new life have flown by!  I need to find some way to slow it down.  Here are some of the key events:

Friday, Aug 21
8:00:  Check in at the hospital, a little later actually.  Since it's my third, I wasn't so stressed that we were a few minutes late.  It was a little different doing things in a new hospital, but through registration and surgery prep, the next hour passed quickly.  Then, I swear I stared at the clock from about 9:30-10:00 just waiting for the surgery to start.  It's hard to be excited for a major surgery, but knowing what is waiting for me on the other side of the knife and needles kept me from being too anxious about the whole thing.  Brian did his best to help comfort me in a situation where there is not much for him to do.  He did a great job supporting both me and the baby through our first hours.

10:30:  After enduring a few dreaded minutes of placing the spinal and the nausea that always accompanies it for me, I finally get Brian in the room and we get started.  We passed the time by trying to narrow down our couple of choices of boy names, and at one point I finally throw out that I'll agree to Thomas Samuel.  Brian thinks I was under too much anesthesia at this point, because I had hesitated on the name Thomas for so long (just because there are so many "Thomas's" in our life already) but was finally agreeing to it.  We did not make a final decision yet, and a few minutes later our doctor announces, "It's a boy," and I have to admit I was a little teary at hearing his first cries, but not surprised as I fully expected another son.  I got a quick glimpse of him, but then spent the next 19 minutes waiting on them to bring him closer to my side.  Brian went back while they scored his Apgar and did all the new baby work and I waited anxiously to hear if everything checked out on him.  Despite being a few gestational days younger than his brothers, his weight was the exact median of their two weights at 8 lbs 12 oz and he was a good 21 inches tall (which did not surprise me at all, after how much pain my ribs had been in).

10:58 First Photo with Mama

11:45-2:00:  The next two hours were spent in recovery.  It was so quiet at this hospital, and we just marveled in our tiny new one, texting and calling family so they would know that everything went as planned.  I actually did not shake continually after this c-section, as I did with the other two, and baby was not interested in nursing yet, so we just snuggled quietly for a while.  The nurses and Brian eventually took our little boy to the nursery, and I anxiously started counting the minutes of our separation again.  I just couldn't wait to introduce Theodore and Elijah to their little brother.

 11:45 Mama can finally hold baby after surgery is over! (66 minutes old)

 12:30 With his proud daddy (2 hours old)

2:30:  By this point, I was finally wheeled to our room and Brian arrived back with baby.  We called back my mother and boys almost as soon as possible, and introduced the boys to their brother.  I will always treasure how sweetly the reacted to him, and how excited they were to see me as well.  Theodore was sad about me having to have a c-section due to his initial birth experience, and Elijah didn't understand why we couldn't all go home immediately (and wondered what every button in the entire room did).  Theodore suggested a few more silly names, and Elijah incorrectly identified baby's umbilical cord as the feature making him a boy, both providing some laughs for us to remember.

 Meeting his big brothers (4.5 hours old)

After this, we spent the next 48 hours in the hospital kissing and snuggling and photographing our tiny one.  The baby slept most of the time, and required some work to get to wake up enough to try eating. 

 Meeting cousin Maci...

 Aunt Megan...

and Grandma and Natalie.

And even though this was our third time around, we managed to record some "firsts" like his first sneezes and hiccoughs (both occurring at about 8:30 that night).  The nurses took great care of me, and had me out of bed before midnight on baby's birthday.  Registration kept attempting to fill out paperwork with us, and we had to keep explaining that we still weren't set on a name.

Saturday, Aug 22
After a pretty good night mostly rooming in (other than when the benadryl I took for the itchy reaction to the medicines set in and I had the nurse take the baby for a bit) morning came along, and we began celebrating Brian's 33rd birthday with his 3rd son.  I got up and around, moving as much as possible, and was very surprised with how good I felt.  The baby did not feel as good considering he had to get his circumcision (and introduction to binky) that morning.  Later, when the boys arrived, we checked with them as to whether it would be okay to call the baby Thomas, and they both agreed to liking the name, so Thomas Samuel was officially named.  The boys, grandma, Aunt Megan, cousins Natalie and Maci, and I all got a piece of daddy's cake (I was off liquids by this point) and the boys opened their big brother gifts "from" the baby.  The kids then spent some time watching Word World while grandma and Aunt Megan got some snuggles in with the baby.

 First morning, 23 hours old.

26 hours old.

First family photo of 5, 29 hours old

Our hospital in Delaware did not have any kind of celebration meal, so I was very excited to sit down with Brian for our celebration meal later on his birthday night.  Knowing it was one of the last time's we'll have a quiet, uninterrupted meal together made it pretty special, and watching the tiny one sleeping in the bassinet beside us made it perfect.

Sunday, Aug. 23
After a pretty good night, where I had to force the baby to wake up and eat, I woke up with a hymn in my head.  I just couldn't get the tune out of my mind, and it started a day of thankfulness for me.  Since we'd had another pretty good night with the baby, the nurses and doctors started rounds and talked about being dismissed all ready.  I assumed we'd stay another day since we were a c-section, but we had just about everything checked off the dismissal check-list and were all doing so well.  Thomas was down about 9 oz, but his bili-rubin levels weren't too high and he had filled plenty of wet and dirty diapers by this point that they weren't worried about him, and I was doing surprisingly good as well, so we started prepping to leave.  I really had to push Brian to start packing and getting ready, as I think he really wanted to spend more time in the hospital bubble before facing the work of going home to the boys.  I had a chance to grab a shower finally, and it was amazing to feel all the refreshing hot water on my traumatized body.  Nothing feels better than a hot shower after a c-section.  Around lunch time our pastor came by and visited, and prayed a very touching blessing over our newest son and family.  The whole day was just filled with a special spirit.  Our favorite nurse got us through the dismissal process, and we headed home.

Not a fan of the car seat, in his going home outfit, 53 hours old

Probably my most stressful/anxious moments were in the car on the way home, as I suddenly felt very vulnerable to be out of the hospital, and terrified of all the crazy weekend drivers.  We arrived safely though, and had fun introducing Thomas to his dog Cori and welcoming him home with a lot of fanfare.  Elijah even read Thomas his first story.  (Elijah did struggle quite a bit with us being gone at the hospital, so he was most excited to have us all home together.  As was I.)

Monday, Aug. 24
Much of this day was spent by me getting the house in order, taking a few minutes nap, and trying not to over-due it.  I found the stairs surprisingly easy, and was able to take another shower (two days in a row!) and organize some of our new things.  I found the rest of the boy clothes I hadn't unpacked, and spent some time finding all my favorite newborn boy outfits.  Thomas slept, and slept, but did spend a bit of time awake, playing "peek-a-boo" with Theo, watching his brothers and cousins playing in the splash pool in the backyard, and even trying to lift up his little head while in the bassinet.  About 85 hours after my c-section, I suspected my milk was starting to come in, and I was surprised I had managed to keep Thomas pretty satisfied until then.

79 hours old

Tuesday, Aug 25
As we approached the 100 hour mark, I wrote this from my recliner in the silence of the night at 4am.  I woke Thomas for his feeding, and couldn't seem to get back to sleep, though he did easily.  I still seem to have all this adrenaline and energy going, but I know I am going to crash soon.  Having three boys under six is going to take a lot of care to balance, and I'm already trying to figure out how to give each one their own special time with me.  Luckily, they like being together and don't mind sharing it a bit.  We'll take Thomas to his first pediatrician appointment later this afternoon right at 100 hours of age, and hopefully continue to be blessed with his good health and signs of a great little boy in the making.

98 hours old