I apologize

if I offended any breastfeeding mothers when I wrote about breast milk vs. formula. When I wrote "breastfeeding advocates," I should have said extremists.
I am a breastfeeding advocate; if I could have I would have breastfed Alex until she was at least one. She can't get better than breast milk. Here's to all the mothers who can breastfeed as long as they want!

Alex's first word

For a couple of weeks now Alex has been saying, "mamamamama" while she cries. At first I wasn't certain that's what she was saying but I sure am now. My husband especially was uncertain but even he believes now after hearing her cry in bed the other morning.
It's only when she cries, as if she's calling out for me to help her. Sometimes it sounds like, "mom, mom, mom."
Next we have to teach her, "dadadadada," I worked very hard at teaching her mama. I can't believe my 4-month-old can talk AND has two teeth.

Nesting 4 months in?

During the past few weeks I've had bursts of energy like never before. When I was in my eighth month of pregnancy tonnes of women told me that I was going to get a burst of energy and start "nesting." I did a bit of organizing baby's things but I sure didn't have a whole lot of energy to speak of.
In recent days I have been un-cluttering my house and it's coming along quite nicely. It's taken me a while but I'm getting there. Cleaning, spring cleaning and organizing combined, it truly is amazing. It's very rewarding to see our house in order but I'm not finished yet.
Alex has been tolerant of my recent obsession; she comes with me from room to room, playing with her toys and watching mommy tidy up. We take breaks in between and do a bit of dancing or a bit of rolling.
I have to put my nesting on hold because Alex and I are heading to Toronto for a few days to see family. I'm looking forward to the break.

Useless things

There have been some useless purchases we have made since I was pregnant, for us anyways:
A sleep positioner that is supposed to prevent baby from rolling over while sleeping. As a newborn, Alex couldn't roll over, I'm not sure about other babies but she couldn't. She can certainly roll over now but they say that when a baby CAN roll over there's no real need to worry about it because they can roll themselves back and hold up their head. We never used it.
Her up-to-22 lb. infant car seat was sort of a waste of money, a 3-in-1 car seat is a better option. Although the infant car seat has been handy to take Alex in and out of the car and to carry her around, or to put it on her stroller.
A sleep sac in the summer, but I will probably make better use of it in the winter. Scratch mittens we never used, a nostril sucker that even Alex's doctor said is useless, I tried to use it when she was sick but it didn't work.
We registered for bumper pads at the beginning, until all the healthcare professionals we discussed them with told us we should not use them. Bumper pads have been suspected of causing SIDS because they prevent the air from flowing through the crib. Needless to say we quickly removed them from our registry. We recently purchased an airflow pad made by Jolly Jumper that wraps around her crib simply to keep her arms and legs from getting stuck between the bars.
Just some advice for new moms, pregnant women or anyone who is thinking of starting a family.

We'll be brushing soon

We woke up this morning and Alex was quite playful as we lied in bed. She grabbed my hand and stuck it in her mouth. To my surprise, I felt something sharp on her bottom gum! My husband was still sleeping as I yelled, "Oh my God!" He thought something was wrong, I yelled again, "She has a tooth!"
Alex had been slightly cranky for the past couple days , mostly through the night. I attributed it to gas because she tooted up a storm. The past couple of weeks I had wondered if she was teething due to all the drool and desire to bite things. During our last visit to Toronto my aunt thought she might be teething too. My husband was convinced she was teething. But I thought nothing of it because she wasn't overly cranky, she didn't have a fever or any other signs of teeth coming in.
All day today I kept wanting to look at her first tooth but Alex wouldn't let me. So, with clean hands, I felt it as often as I could. I wish I could get a picture. My little girl is growing up!

First solid meal

Today Alex is 4 months old. After talking to her pediatrician we decided to offer her rice cereal on her 4-month birthday. She had been watching us eat and mimicking us with her little mouth. Apparently that is one of the signs baby is ready to eat solids, they are also supposed to have doubled their birth-weight and be able to sit up with assistance. She has accomplished all of the above.
At first she was frustrated because she was hungry and her hunger wasn't being satisfied quick enough. So I offered her a bottle of breast milk and continued with the cereal. She made a mess but I think she enjoyed it. Her doctor said solid foods could cause constipation, here's hoping her bowels keep moving or we're in for a long night.

Breast milk vs. formula

Alex recently started to drink formula, shortly after her dehydration. Prior to that she refused everything but breast milk. I'm relieved that she took the formula.
I persevered and got her to start drinking formula with a cup. She happily takes it from a bottle ever since. It's a good thing because I know for a fact that she wasn't getting enough from my breast.
I somehow feel guilty at times because of all the hype about breastfeeding and how it's the best option for baby. I always wanted to breastfeed her for as long as possible, hopefully until she was at least one. Although Alex still gets all the milk I have, we do supplement with formula a couple times a day.
On the bright side, I worry much less; I don't worry about wasted /spilled breast milk, I don't worry about Alex getting enough to eat, I don't worry about her weight gain, I don't worry about her getting dehydrated.

swimming is the key

A few weeks ago we bought Alex her own little pool. So far it's been a GREAT purchase. She's been in it a few times, the first time I actually got in with her. Since then she ventures in by herself with mommy's help. I swish her around, teach her how to splash and kick her feet. Now she wants to roll over on her tummy in the water. It's a great opportunity for "tummy time" because she doesn't like it any other way.
Alex has gas issues and being on her tummy really helps. Her gas can get so bad that it keeps her awake most of the night crying. She farted up a storm in the pool today; wooo hooo.
The pool also makes her hungry and very sleepy. It's all around a great activity for my Alex.

from shhhh to lullaby

When Alex was a newborn my husband and I lived by the 5 S's to calm her, one of which was Shhh to mimic the sound of the womb. The 5 S's worked wonders but now it's time to move on. Much like her father, Alex no longer likes to be shushed. She gets very cranky when she's tired and she often fights her sleep. She gets even more angry when she's shushed. One way to calm her to sleep is to sing her a lullaby.
I have to admit, I know very few lullaby's, in fact the only one I know all the words to is Rock-A-Bye Baby. I have a book of lullaby's, now all I have to do is memorize them.

caught again

Last night during her nap just prior to her bedtime I went in Alex's room as she was waking up. She was happily playing with her aquarium, rolled over on her side to observe it. To my dismay, I noticed both of her legs were right through the bars of her crib!
I guess Alex will sleep with us until we can get what's called an Airwrap.

Upgrade to the crib-Take 2

I've been organizing and tidying up Alex's room for three days now, preparing for her transition to her crib. Three days is a long time to clean, maybe I'm doing it on purpose. I don't want my little girl to leave my side at night.
You see, she currently sleeps in the bassinet part of her playpen beside me but she is getting too heavy for it now. She's a whopping 14 lbs. And I don't think my husband would give up his bed for Alex and I to co-sleep, plus I wouldn't ask him to.
I must confess though, there is a bed for me in Alex's room, but I'm not sure if I'll use it full time or par time...we'll see what becomes of this transition to the crib.

Busy Girl

I haven't written in a while because the past few weeks have been full of entertaining. Yes, entertaining my daughter that is. She is awake a lot more now and she wants to know about everything around her.
Some days I feel we don't have enough to keep her busy but I know that's really not the case. She can be entertained by the same thing over and over again. She has a few favourite things to do; she loves to play on her activity mat, she especially likes the whale and the octopus. She rolls all around the house, she watches Baby Einstein videos, swims, she sits in her chair and plays with her toys and puts them in her mouth, she does a bit of observing; the cat, the dog, mommy doing stuff. She also likes to go for walks, in my arms, and touch trees...she loves trees!
I love the new Alex, she's so much fun.