Happy One Month Birthday, Adam!

The past month has flown by…I can’t believe it, actually. Although, I thought by now we’d be getting a *teensy* bit more sleep so I’m wondering how fast the next month is going to go if that doesn’t change here soon…

We went to the doctor on Thursday and his “stats” are as follows...

Weight: 9 pounds, 1.5 ounces (34th percentile)
Height: 21.25 inches (44th percentile)
Head: 37 centimeters (27th percentile)

So he’s trending a little lighter and shorter than his big brother, BUT we went to the doc 2 days before his one month birthday and I looked at Owen’s numbers and we went to his doc 5 days after his one month birthday. I actually weighed Owen at home on his one month birthday and he weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces! So…they seem pretty similar even if the numbers don’t match up exactly. The doctor said that as they age, these tiny differences won’t sway the percentiles as much as they do early on. We’ll see what happens in the next few months!

As far as sleeping goes, there isn’t much! We’ve been going to bed around midnight lately and he’s been sleeping 2 hours at a stretch at…the…most. Last night, he was regularly waking after an hour all night long. Another difference between Adam and Owen is, Adam will ONLY sleep on his back. Hates sleeping on his stomach or on my chest (Owen would have slept on my chest until he was 18, I think.) Adam prefers his back or his side and wants to have his head in the crook of my arm which is not the most comfortable position for me – but I’ll take the snuggle any way I can get it.

During the day, Adam is pretty happy as long as he has a full belly. His cranky time is in the evenings, but usually the yoga ball or the baby bjorn will make him happy. He hates his car seat, but again – if he has a full belly and if we’re on the freeway (no stop and go) he’ll usually fall asleep.

He is starting to make some cooing sounds – right now it’s when he’s a little unhappy, he’s starting to make sounds instead of crying immediately. I’m thinking some real happy coos and maybe a smile or two is right around the corner!

So happy birthday, my little man…it’s been a WONDERFUL first month with you.

xoxo

Who Is This Big Boy?

Owen has been growing and maturing by leaps and bounds over the last few weeks. I don't know if the timing is just coincidence with Adam’s arrival or if his arrival has accelerated Owen’s growth…Regardless, sometimes I look at him and it seems like he is a completely different kid than he was just yesterday.

His vocabulary has exploded – he’s consistently using 6+ word sentences. He is becoming more independent (and opinionated, sheesh!) in almost all areas. And today, we saw his motor skills advance right before our eyes.

We met Debi, Shane and Grace at an inflatable jump place in Gig Harbor. It was the weekend which meant it was “all ages” versus the 7 and under crowd we are used to. Owen hasn’t been to one of these places for nearly a year and the last time we went, we would have to climb up these inflatables with him because he wasn’t very skilled and/or confident at climbing by himself.

This place was BUSY! I was nervous for Owen because there were plenty of older kids and the kind of kids that think nothing of pushing and shoving the littler ones out of their way. Owen decided he wanted to go on the big slide and the only way up was a steep inflated ladder with rope railings. He started to climb up and before Steve could follow him, four older kids jumped in behind Owen. So, Steve let him attempt the ladder by himself. He was nervous at first and became a little of a bottleneck, but eventually made it up to the top! The second time, an older little girl helped Owen up (mostly by encouraging – very little physical help.) The third time, Owen raced up on his own. He even used alternating foot steps like a pro! Owen probably went down that slide about 50 times. Steve and I were blown away.

Here’s a little video of why he thought it was so much fun…

No More Bottles For Bunny - Part Deux

About four months ago, I was a little premature in thinking Owen weaned himself off his bottle.  Well, I'm going to put it out there again that we are NOW done with the bottles.  Owen is eating enough calcium during the day in other things that it makes me more relaxed if he refuses milk in a cup.  And, he's not drinking the milk in his bottle anymore anyway. 

Steve suggested that we take away his pacis too, but when I started crying and protesting - he decided to drop the subject for awhile.  One small step for Owen - one big step for Mom. 

Hey, Steve!

Another photo of something that has nothing to do with the content of the blog post, but whatever - it's cute!  Owen is definitely happy to have Charlie home from her 3 week stay at the doggy condos...I'm not sure if Charlie feels the same, but I think so.

This is one of those moments where I feel like I should write it down because it's a memorable moment, but there is no place in the baby book for it.  Blog it, Laura...blog it.

Owen has been going to The Little Gym weekly for about 4 months now.  Last week, he picked up some new language from one of the kids in class (no, not what you are thinking.)  Apparently, one of the little boys recently began talking and one of his first words is "Mom."  Steve tells me that all during class, the little boy would call his mom to get her attention - over and over.  So, Owen has now started referring to me as "Mom" as well.  Argh!  I was already having a hard time giving up "Mama" for "Mommy" which he had been doing occasionally and now I'm supposed to like the much less melodic, "MOM?"  Steve thinks it's hilarious.

Well, turnabout is fair play...Today we were sitting in the living room and we heard Owen in the play room yelling, "Hey, Steve!"  "Steve!"  He came in using his toy cell phone.  I think Steve was supposedly on the other end.  So far, it has only been happening in conjunction with the cell phone.  But, Steve is not happy about his new title.  Hee, hee.

Three Weeks

We went from two weeks to three overnight! 

Adam is growing like a little weed - I weighed him at home today and he was 8 pounds, 3 ounces.  Sleep is still a little hard to come by - 3 hours has been our longest stretch to date.  Oh well, at least he's cute enough to be worth the bloodshot eyes! 

Not too many milestones yet.  We did take our first bath this week at home (we had previously been doing sponge baths because his little bellybutton was still oozing.)  He actually didn't mind it!  He HATED the sponge baths, but once his little bottom was completely submerged in the water, he seemed to be pretty happy!  However, we are not a fan of water on the head.  That's okay though - it will come.   He seems to be pretty close to cooing - he's starting to make little noises before he cries that sound like little complaints or grunts - I'm sure the happy coos are close behind.  And I can't wait for his first real smile.  He smiles like crazy while he's alseep and has started full blown laughing in his sleep.  Why do babies do that?  I'll have to Google it to find out.  In the meantime, I've seen the previews and now I'm ready for the real deal!

Tomorrow we are going on our first playdate - to a coworker/friend's house who has a son who was born 2 weeks before Adam.  It's our first mom & Adam outing by ourselves (not counting the trips to the doctor.) 

Until next week...

Audrey's Second (Born) Cousin

For the past few days, we were lucky enough to have Michael, Kelly and Audrey here visiting us.  Michael and Kelly were able to meet their second (born) nephew and Audrey was able to meet her second (born) cousin! 

It was really nice having everyone here.  As anyone with an infant knows, your days can easily be your own personal version of the Groundhog Day movie.  Each day consists of largely the same things.  So not only did I get to visit with my neice Audrey who I don't get to see nearly enough - selfishly, my days were much more exciting having them around!

It was also so crazy to take a step back and watch myself and my brother as parents of toddlers.  Our past family visits generally consisted of lots of activities, outings, alcohol and games.  Now it's all about the kids and their schedules (meals, naps, play and bedtimes.)  Michael and Kelly are natural parents and it reflects in how cute and happy Audrey is.

My only regret during this visit was that the weather wasn't better.  It would have been nice to get the older kids out and about, but the rain and cold made that really difficult.  But, Audrey seemed happy to hang at the house and for another selfish reason, it was nice to have them inside since the kids would stay close by and I could get more time with them.  My experience with toddlers and outside activities is that they always run in opposite directions.  Makes socializing all the more difficult!

As far as my kids go, we couldn't have been more proud of Owen.  We constantly feel like we are pushing him in new directions and unfamiliar territory and he's been handling it like a champ.  Anytime he gets pushed too far, he takes it out on Steve and me - never on Adam or Audrey.  He has such a good heart and soul.  We are so lucky.  Adam was a very good boy too!

Michael, Kelly and Audrey left today and I was very sad to see them go.  Since they are the only ones who read this blog - what can I do to sweeten the pot to get you guys to move back?  At least West Coast????

Two Weeks

Don't worry, I won't do weekly birthdays forever. But I will for awhile.

Adam is officially two weeks old! He is a pretty happy baby! We found out this week that he loves the Baby Bjorn! He's not quite the 8 pound minimum yet, so don't tell on me for putting him in there...

Camera Shy

I'm not a fan of pictures of myself in general, but there are two times in my life where I avoid the camera like the plague: while pregnant and while mothering an infant.  However, I wish I took more pictures because years from now I would probably appreciate seeing them and my kids would probably appreciate seeing me in some of their baby photos too!

So today while Adam and I were trying to take a quick nap, I took this one with my phone.  Not going to win any beauty pageants, but at least it documents my existence!

Ouchie All Better

Well, not 100%, but as of yesterday - my picking up Owen ban has been lifted. As Owen explained, "doctor say mama ouchie all better!" It seems like a short period of time and I'm sure after enough time passes, even I won't remember how hard it was...but 12 days without holding Owen was probably the toughest part of the first 2 weeks with a new baby. We both really missed each other.

We are still adjusting to our "new normal" and now that I can be there for him physically, it's almost more confusing to him when I say I can't hold him because Adam needs to eat (or any other reason.) We are starting to see the first signs of jealousy because now the reason I'm unavailable is Adam instead of my ouchie. I can imagine that the way he hears it now is that I have a choice of who I hold and sometimes I choose Adam instead of him. Mommy guilt is on overdrive right now.

However, he is doing amazingly well overall and is nothing but a sugar sweet boy. He seems to love Adam and gives him lots of kisses and hugs and pats. I have been trying to play with Owen more and be available to him whenever I can. Today we played trains for awhile and I took some pictures of him. I attempted a photo of the two of us and although it didn't turn out how I expected it to, I still kind of like it.

Super Dad

Steve has been an amazing dad and husband these last few days since Adam arrived (that sounds like he wasn't so good before Adam arrived and that is definitely not the point I am trying to make!)  He is basically on point all day when it comes to Owen which leaves me in charge of Adam and recovering from my c-section.  However, since he is so wrapped up with Owen, it doesn't leave him as much time with Adam as he had with Owen when he was this age.

Today, Steve got a little Adam time in and we were able to capture it with a photo. 

Happy One Week Birthday!

Adam is officially one week old today!  I know that infancy goes by quickly, but it seems like the second time around it is on ludacrous speed (Spaceballs reference.)  Maybe it's because having a 2 year old around makes the day go by faster - maybe it's because I don't have that "new mom in the headlights" feeling - or maybe it's because I'm back in the mindset where I don't want these days to go by so quickly so that's exactly what they are going to do.

The picture above was taken today and Steve and I are in awe of how Asian our boys look during their first few weeks.  Owen's baby pictures look like a completely different kid than the one he is today.  It makes us wonder how Adam's looks will change over the next couple weeks - or if they will at all?  In the meantime, Steve coined the nickname "Adam Santokyo" for this particular picture.  He definitely looks more than 25% Japanese!

Owen is continuing to amaze us with how well he is adapting to being one of two children in the house.  He shows absolutely no animosity towards Adam and in fact, it's 100% love.  He wants to hold him, kiss him, hug him and he's always making sure he's around if nobody is holding him.  He has had his challenges adjusting to Mom being primarily out of the picture when it comes to his schedule and discipline but nothing that is unusual or unexpected.  Whenever he leaves to go upstairs to bed with Dad and I say goodbye and goodnight from downstairs - he calls to me "I love you, Mama!" as he is going upstairs.  I seriously can't be more proud or more in love with my kids.  I am counting the days until I can be more engaged with him and more of a part of his daily routine.  I know he's here and I can hug him and kiss him anytime I want, but I actually MISS him!  Mommy guilt is a terrible thing.  I could probably fill a 500 page book with the feelings I have about Owen right now, but I'll just sum it up by saying I love him so, so much.

Finally, Steve took this photo from his phone today.  Babies doing a Yuen Lui pose are damn cute!

First Smiles

I know this doesn't really count as a smile because it was touch induced, but today we got a sneak peek at what a smile from Adam might look like. 

New Year's Eve - 2010

Today we celebrated the eve of 2011 by leaving the hospital and welcoming Adam home.  Owen's wish to hold Baby Adam was granted and he did amazingly well. 

I had thought that Owen might be jealous of Adam or have a hard time once he realized Adam wasn't staying at the hospital, but as you can see from this picture, he is nothing but happy to have this little baby around. 

Mom on the other hand, is having the hardest time with her inability to hold Owen because of her surgery.  When you are beaming with pride, all you want to do is pick him up and shower him with kisses and hugs.  For now, we are hugging while seated on the floor.  Owen occasionally asks if I can hold him, but we remind him of Mama's "ouchie" and he seems to completely understand and accept the situation.  He is just the sweetest little boy.

Adorable baby Adam - Adorable big brother Owen.  How lucky can one family be?!?!?

Welcome Adam Michael

It's been a long 9 months, but today we welcomed Adam Michael into the world and into our family.  He is absolutely perfect and we couldn't be happier. 

Owen came to the hospital with Nana to meet his little brother.  The first thing he wanted to do was "hold Baby Adam."  I think he's going to be an amazing big brother.

I am going to do my best to keep the blog going, but I have a feeling my posts might slow down a bit during these next few months while we concentrate on Adam and Owen's needs.  But here are a few pictures from today!

Mom and Dad about an hour before Adam was born:

11:20AM - December 29th, 2010

Beautiful Boy

Proud Parents

Our Boys





Christmas Day - 2010

Merry Christmas!

 

Did Santa come to the Santoki house? Why, yes he did! Santa came and delivered – big time.

Owen woke up his usual way – asking to go immediately downstairs and check the advent calendar to see if the Big Man came during the night. This time, mom carried him downstairs where Dad and Nana were waiting (Dad with the video camera rolling.)

The first stop were the stockings that Santa had filled with care. Did I mention that Owen thinks Santa is basically the Candy Man? So, he was a little confused when he saw these big socks filled with whoknowswhat. It was interesting to him, but still a little confusing and definitely NOT the chocolate he was after. So he directed me to take him into the kitchen to get the calendar.

 

On the way to the kitchen, the living room came into view and Owen’s eyes got VERY wide. “A ding ding and a Thomas!” was the first comment out of his mouth when he saw the pile of presents. Calendar forgotten – time to play with these awesome new toys. Owen loved everything he received…but I think these were his favorites:

• Garbage cans, trains and a lollipop in his stocking (Santa)
• A ride on motorized Thomas The Train (Nana)
• A Bubba sized “ding ding” that actually lights up and the gate moves up and down (Santa)
• A big boy tool set complete with power drill and saw (Santa)
• A Thomas The Train Movie (Uncle Michael and Aunt Kelly)
• A special Bubba chair (Santa)

The differences between this year and last year was that Owen was definitely more excited to open his gifts. The cutest part was hearing his little gasps when the present came into view “oooooohhhhhhhhh!” A similarity between this year and last year was it was still hard to get him to stay interested in all the gifts and I ended up opening the last few for him. But, it’s probably a time that we will miss when he becomes old enough to tear into all his gifts and open them in record time while simultaneously showing his appreciation or disapproval of each. Right now he approves of ALL gifts and wants to give each one equal attention.

 

The rest of the day was spent eating Christmas Eggs, playing with all our new toys (Mom and Dad got wine and a Panini (or Panino as the case may be) maker which we are so excited to put to use at the same time), video chatting with Uncle Michael, Aunt Kelly and Cousin Audrey, taking naps (everyone took one) and eating gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

Steve and I agreed, this was the best Christmas yet.

Christmas Eve - 2010

Wow, what a difference a year makes! Last year, Owen was a little over one year old and had absolutely no idea nor care about Santa. He liked taking a picture with the old man, but that was about it. Opening presents was ok – but he really just wanted us to open them and give them to him.

This year, Santa is THE MAN WITH THE CANDY. My previous post about advent calendars explained how Santa has been a regular visitor at night to the Santoki house. Each night, he has brought a piece of candy for Owen (3 Musketeers for breakfast anyone? Yes, please!) When Owen went to visit Santa to take his picture, Santa gave him a candy cane. When Owen went to visit Santa #2 at the fire station, Santa gave him 3 candy canes. So basically, Santa rocks.

So Christmas Eve started out with a trip down to Nana’s house and a visit with Aunt Debi and her family including some special guests – Noriko and her son, Takemi from Japan and Matt’s new girlfriend, Molly from Oklahoma. Owen had a blast playing with Grace and Takemi while the grownups got to enjoy some delicious brunch courtesy of Nana.



After we got home and Owen took a nap, Nana joined us for dinner and Christmas preparations. We watched the obligatory “Elmo’s Christmas Countdown” and got into our special Thomas The Train Christmas pajamas. Then we took a few pictures to document the evening. Before bed, we set out some cookies for Santa. Owen was thoughtful enough to try a bite out of each one just to make sure Santa would like them. Then, he was so quick to go to sleep knowing that the Big Guy was coming yet again to bring him “chocolate and presents.”

Steve, Nana and I celebrated Christmas Eve by eating fondue and cookies and then staying up fairly late to assemble and set out presents. Then we all went to bed to wait for Santa. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post to see if he came…

My Dad Is Older Than Your Dad

Steve has been feeling a little old lately. Aches and pains have become more common and therefore simple household tasks have become more challenging. We decided a little strength training might be in order for Owen just so he can pick up the slack a little earlier than previously planned. It’s going well so far, only a matter of time before he can start moving furniture around and changing light bulbs. Lift with your legs, Owen - not with your back…



Only slightly kidding. As some of you remember from the Father’s Day 2010 post, one of Owen’s favorite indoor activities is sitting inside a tote bag and having Dad swing him back and forth. This worked well when Owen weighed 20 pounds. Now that he is over 30, it’s a tough job to keep the swinging going as long as Owen would like. It’s a “Dad Only” job (Mom has made that clear) but even still, it usually involves changing into shorts and a t-shirt and taking a couple ibuprofen.

So Dad had the great idea to get one of these door mounted chin up bars. It works great! But I think Owen enjoyed it more when Dad was the swinger – or maybe I just did.

We Don't Need No Stinking Chipotle

The only healthy meat Owen will eat regularly is Taco Del Mar and Chipotle pork. I have been going to these restaurants fairly regularly and ordering a bunch for him. The conversation with the burrito artists usually goes something like this:

Me: “Three sides of carnitas in a bowl, please. To go.”
Burrito Artist: “You just want carnitas in a bowl?”
Me: “Yes, please.”
Burrito Artist: “You don’t want rice or anything?”
Me: “No, thank you. Just the pork.”
Burrito Artist: “Cheese?”
Me: “No, thanks. Just the pork. That’s it.”
Burrito Artist: “Guac or sour cream?”
Me: “No, that’s it…Just like that.”
Burrito Artist: “Okaaaayyyy?”
Burrito Artist (speaking to cashier): “This is just 3 sides of carnitas.”
Cashier: “What is it?”
Burrito Artist: “Three sides of carnitas – only.”
Cashier: “Just carnitas?”
Burrito Artist: “Yep.”

Because I’m annoyed with this conversation that happens EVERY SINGLE TIME and because I haven’t found the refrigerated carnitasinabag at the grocery store – I decided today that I could try and make myself some dang pork. Even though I have a fear of cooking meat (I’m better at pasta) I figured, it couldn’t be that hard. Worst case scenario, I try it and fail and I’m back to take out.

Well, I have to say…for a first try…I pretty much rocked it. The true test will be tomorrow when Owen tastes it. I probably just jinxed myself by getting too cocky, but...fingers crossed!!!!

Child Labor II

Owen is getting very good at vacuuming!  Since we are currently aware of loud noises and our ears, today he opted for some very responsible ear protection.  Now there is no excuse why these floors can't be spotless!  Or, come to think about it, there is no excuse for not hearing me when I say it's time for dinner, bath, bed or anything else he doesn't want to do...Unless he's wearing these crazy things at the time.

Another Year, Another Charlie & Owen Picture

Some kids have growth charts in their room.  I have Charlie stand next to Owen at the window.  It works and it's adorable!