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A time for firsts

This past week has been a time for firsts. We moved Jaden out of the pack-n-play and into his crib. He won’t sleep in the crib in his room, so we put the crib in our room and it has worked like a charm. I think it has even helped him to sleep better. I’m sure the pack-n-play isn’t designed for long-term sleeping comfort, and let’s face it — Jaden has been sleeping in it for two weeks, for two naps a day, and all night. Last night he slept for more than three hours in one shot – and he only took one bottle and one diaper change through the entire night. We are making progress!!! 

Grandma and Grandpa visited this weekend for the first time in 10 days. Grandma was so worried that Jaden wouldn’t remember them – but he did. He was a little wary at first (which is a good thing, IMO) – giving them the once over a few times before he would believe that this truly was his Grandma and Grandpa that returned to spend time with him- but once he was convinced it was them, he went right to them. He adores them – it is really great to see how happy he is when they are around. I’m sure spending all week with Mommy can get a bit tiring too (I even get tired of myself sometimes).  Grandma and Grandpa were a big help this weekend. Between the 4 of us we managed to keep up with Jaden’s messes and get the house dusted and vacuumed (I know – sounds like a really fun weekend for G & G). 

Jaden has decided he likes Elmo so much that he cannot get close enough to the television to watch him. Last week he crawled right up to the TV stand and managed to pull himself up on it before I could say “no” and get over there. Of course he insists on doing it now every time Elmo is on the television – so I couldn’t resist getting a picture.  Never mind the long term damage to the eyeballs – I’m worried he’ll knock the TV over onto himself. So now our family room has a giant mess in front of the television, designed so that he cannot get close to the TV. We have a diaper bag, a couple of backpacks, the changing table caddy, the super seat and a few other odds and ends. It looks like a tornado hit the room, but has been effective at preventing Elmo attachment. If anyone else has a better idea, please let me know. 

I love Elmo

Now have an excuse to go buy that television that mounts to the wall that we’ve wanted to get for eons but could never justify the expense.  

The other problem with this new found mobility is that we are realizing there are more and more incompletely-baby-proofed areas in our house (notice the cord in the above picture – it insists on moving in front of the TV stand no matter what we do). It seems Jaden went from rolling only, to crawling slowly, and now crawling faster than you can say ‘get away from that tv’ in record time. Starting this weekend(on Friday) he has been doing his best to try to walk without the walker. We’re dizzy trying to keep up.

Last week Jaden sat in his Pooh chair that his ‘excited godmother’ gave him (at the baby shower)….

Watching Elmo... again

When we first brought him home he wasn’t strong enough to sit up in the chair, but viola, he can do it now. Bobble-head is completely cured. No, that is not the actual remote for the TV. We gave him an old unused remote to distract him from the real one. He likes anything shiny or silver – which exactly describes our remote (although it doesn’t help us to find it any quicker when we lose it). My Mac laptop is shiny and silver too, so it is impossible for me to work on the computer while he is awake (he’s napping now, in case you hadn’t guessed). 

On Thursday (10/23) he managed to go from a sitting position directly to a crawling position. He keeps trying to reverse it – it’s so cute to watch him try to throw his leg behind him so he can sit down again, but he hasn’t reached it yet. If he only knew he had about an inch more to go before he gets his butt on the floor again.

On Friday (10/24) Jaden decided he wanted to check out our back stairs. These are the carpeted set of stairs so I figured I’d just stand by and make sure he doesn’t bump his noggin anywhere, but let him venture out. After he pulled himself up and then about a dozen attempts to get his knee up on the first step, he did it! The first step is the landing at the bottom of the stairs, so once he was up the landing he momentarily figured he’d try getting up the next step. Momentarily being the key word here …. as he started to pull himself up again, he gave the stairs a once over, looking up to the top and then back to the bottom of the thirteen or so steps he was about to challenge, and it was as if a light went on in his brain and he was thinking “maybe I’ll save those for another day.” It was hilarious, but I’m sure you had to be there to really experience the comedy of it all. 

Let’s see – what else… today was the first time he was able to put food in his mouth by himself. I gave him a Swieback toast –  I put water on it to soften it up so it gets nice and mushy, and then I usually have to break little pieces off for him because he couldn’t manage to put it in his mouth himself. He will just sit there passing it from hand to hand (making a lovely mess all over the carpet and floor), and eventually drop it if I’m not careful enough to catch it when he lets go. Today I was giving him pieces and the next thing I know (I guess i wasn’t fast enough again) he stuck the end of it in his mouth and took a bite off. Of course then I had to go fishing in his mouth because the piece was too big, but the point is that he’s learning to feed himself. Maybe he’ll make it with the Cheerios next. He’s still getting the ‘pincher’ thing down – most of the time he just tries to grab them with his whole hand and sends them flying everywhere. 

 

 

Jaden is teething now – he is cutting his 5th tooth. I know that’s part of his difficulty with sleeping right now. Last night after we put him down he woke up every 15 minutes for about an hour until we put the orajel on the tooth and he finally slept solidly for a few hours. I can’t believe we have to go through this for 27 more teeth. Ugh.

I have some more pictures to share — I’ll try to get those posted this week. Tonight I have class so I’m off to finish preparing for that. Have a great day!!!

Two steps forward, one step back?

This has been an interesting week with Jaden. On Monday we had another doctor’s appointment, this time to get the three shots they didn’t want to give him on Friday (he had already been at the doctor’s office for so long for his first visit that they didn’t want to overwhelm him). So once again I make sure everything is together and the diaper bag is stocked and I put Jaden in the car seat to take off for the doctor’s office. They give him three shots, he cries like mad, and we go home. Thankfully the nurse had him face her when she gave him the shots, so I don’t look like the bad guy. 

Up until that point we had been progressing pretty well — naps were getting longer (closer to where they should be) and intervals between wake-ups at night were increasing with regularity. We were down to one diaper change and two feedings per night – which (believe it or not) was a tremendous improvement from the week before. We had also cut the formula back to where it should be for a 9 to 10 month old, and hadn’t had too many complaints.

Then something happened…. the shots maybe? The congestion he’s dealing with? The rash that has since covered his torso? Who knows – but since Monday I feel like we regressed exactly back to the day our plane landed in the U.S.. Last night was the worst of the worst — Jaden woke up about 6 times, with major screaming twice, and both of the screaming sessions ended up taking us over an hour before we could put him back to sleep. I think that we were up more than we were asleep. 

By the way – the doctor’s office said the rash is probably not from the shots, and we should just keep an eye on it and call them back if it doesn’t clear up in the next few days. I can see I’ll be getting to know everyone at the pediatrician’s office in record time. 

So that was the one step back  - on the forward side of things we are positive now that his “mmaammaa” is his way of calling me. It happened last week during the doctor’s appointment but I really wasn’t quite sure if he was calling me or asking for more, or milk, or even Elmo. This week, though, it became more and more evident that he really is attempting his version of mommy. This is especially obvious when he screams for mmmaaamaaaa when Neville tries to put him back to bed in the middle of the night. When mmaammaaa shows up to take him, he calms right down (even if he has no intention of sleeping). This behavior only started this week – for some reason he is preferring me at night – however, during the day, Daddy is much more fun to play with. Grandma says it might be because our smarty pants already realizes that he has Mommy wrapped around his chubby little finger. 

Breakthrough number two is also in the communication arena. We are trying to teach him sign language for certain words, like ‘milk,’ ‘eat’, ‘more’, ‘apple’, ‘change’ (i.e. diaper change), and ‘potty’. The one we have worked with the most is “more,” since it is easiest to sign while he is eating. I know he knows the sound of the word (as I mentioned in an earlier post, saying ‘more’ prompts him to open his mouth wide if he’s hungry), but since he likely won’t be able to say these words for some time, sign language gives us a way to communicate at an earlier stage. The goal is to alleviate some of the frustration involved when mommy doesn’t know what baby wants, and baby can’t figure out why mommy doesn’t get it.

So yesterday, during dinner, we had another “could it be?” moment when I thought I saw him sign for “more.”  At his age, his motor skills are not yet fully developed, so they (the books on baby sign language) say that you have to look for even slight indications that a baby is trying to sign. One of the indicators is a motion that looks almost like clapping when a child learns to sign ‘more.’ So either he was trying to clap, or he was signing for more. It’s all a mystery right now. The tell-tale sign will be if he uses it again in an appropriate situation.  We shall see.

As far as the sleep issues go: I’m reading a couple of books on how to get your children to sleep on their own without letting them “cry it out,” which we are told is a big no-no for adopted children – and besides, my heart wouldn’t stand for it. I’d rather rock him to sleep until he is a tween than to have to hear him ‘cry it out.’ I just can’t do it. 

Anyway – I’ll let you know if any of the books work. So far the first one hasn’t. It has made it easier for me to keep him asleep once he is asleep, but I think that unfortunately that means that if he wakes up and I’m not there, he can’t get back to sleep without me, and then he’s up again, no matter what the time.

“…..Mmaammaaa.”

A day in the life of Jaden

7:30 a.m. I wake up and act as Mommy’s alarm clock.  

8:00 a.m.  I sit on the floor in the family room while Mommy makes my breakfast. If I’m really hungry I’ll let her know it the whole time she’s preparing my meal. 

8:30 a.m. now finished with breakfast, I need some entertaining. Mommy puts me in the walker and watches me as I do loops around the first floor wherever a rug doesn’t prevent me from gliding. 

8:35 a.m. I spot the piano. Wow! I forgot about the piano until just now. I “ask” Mommy to take me out of the walker to play the piano. I play her a lovely tune. As a matter of fact, it is so lovely that the piano tuner is going to appreciate it when he comes for our next tuning appointment! 

8:45 a.m. Now I am back in the walker, which also happens to be my favorite place to potty. I get a blank stare in my eyes, wrinkle my forehead, and go red in the face. Time for a diaper change! Mommy takes me to the changing table where I kick and yell the whole time she tries to change my diaper. This is fun!!!! (Jaden 10, Mommy 0)

9:00 a.m. I give Mommy a slight break so she can drink her cold coffee while I watch Elmo’s World. “La la la la, la la la la, Elmo’s World………. Mr Noodle, how do you wash your hands?!…”

9:30 a.m. I start getting hungry again. I appease Mommy by drinking one ounce of water and then yell out for my bottle of formula. (Jaden 20, Mommy 0) One bottle of formula later, I’m satisfied… for the moment. 

9:45 a.m. The moment is over!!! It’s play time!! I really like playing with Mommy when I get tired of Elmo. Maybe we’ll make her pull the green bar on my musical tool bench at least 1,000 times today so it plays the same song, over and over and over…. yay! This is fun!!!! (Jaden 30, Mommy 0)

10:15 a.m. I am getting cranky. I start rubbing my eyes and pulling on my ears so hard that they almost look like they’ll rip off of the sides of my head. Mommy turns the lights low and lowers the curtains.

10: 30 a.m. Time to fight!! I don’t want to nap!! NO NO NO nap!!! 

10:45 a.m. After a half hour of coaxing (Jaden 40, Mommy 0) I finally go into the pack-and-play for my nap. 

12:30 p.m. Mommy got lucky today. I didn’t wake up after 45 minutes. She got to check her email, answer her students questions, and even had time to blog. (Jaden 40, Mommy 10) My oh my, I’ll have to find a way to make up for it later. Let’s see….for now I’ll just cry out for lunch. “Hurry up, Mommy! I’m hungry and you’re just not fast enough.” 

12: 45 p.m. It’s lunch time!! Should I eat everything today?  -okay I’ll be a good boy just a little bit longer. Then we’ll start our afternoon routine which is very similar to the morning routine (Jaden 80, Mommy 10), except during play time this afternoon we get to go outside to look at all the beautiful leaves in our backyard, and watch the cars go by. I love the bright colors and all the sounds, especially the sound of Mommy’s feet crunch, crunch, crunching the leaves. I headbutt Mommy a few times as I swivel around to look at everything that moves or makes a sound.

3:30 p.m. Mommy tries to coax me into another nap. I fight her, but eventually I give in. I think I’ll sleep until 4:15 today. I gave Mommy too much time this morning to herself. She needs to spend more time with me.

4:15 I’m awake! Let’s play!!!!

5:00 I can’t wait anymore… I need to eat!! Sustenance, please!!! 

5:30 Daddy is home, and I get crazy excited to see him. Mommy runs like the dickens to get ready and get to work by 6:00 p.m. – almost an impossibility, since it takes nearly 30 minutes to get there. She loves me, though, and wouldn’t change a thing. She hates to leave me for the night, even after being with me all day. I can tell. I wave goodbye and tell her I’ll be okay. “Don’t worry Mommy, Daddy plays with me allllllll night long until you get home. YAY! Then you can come home and try to calm me down for bed!!” (Jaden 100, Mommy 10) 

10:00 Mommy is home. Daddy kept me up past my bedtime so I could see Mommy come home (Daddy 10, Mommy 0). Isn’t he the greatest!!! Why do I feel so tired? I rub my eyes out of their sockets for a few minutes before Mommy takes me from Daddy and rocks me to sleep. 

10:30 p.m. I go to sleep. Mommy passes out.

1:30 a.m. I wake up. I’m wet, and that means… oh no, I’m cold again!!! Change my diaper!!! Oh, and by the way, now that I’m awake, guess what? You guessed it! I’m hungry too!!!!!!

Mommy knows I won’t let her change my diaper unless I get my bottle. She tries water. NO WAY! I want milk! I drink 1 oz of water just to make her happy. Mommy finally gives in from exhaustion and lets me have 4 oz of formula. (Jaden 120, Mommy 10)

2:15 a.m. After 45 minutes of coaxing I’m finally back to sleep. Mommy passes out again.

6:15 a.m. I wake up and repeat the 1:30 a.m. process to the best of my ability (Jaden 140, Mommy 10), yet this time I get to stay in bed with Mommy, because Daddy has to bring the pack-n-play downstairs before he leaves for work. “Bye Daddy!” (Jaden 200, Mommy 10)

7:15 a.m. I’m tired of waiting for Mommy to wake up. I roll into her with a great big head bash and start yelling “Get up already!” (Jaden 210, Mommy 10). We start the day all over again!

Of course I’m taking liberties in writing here, because my Mommy thinks my sentences really sound more like “eeeeeyaaaaa….mmmmma mmmma….aboooooooo….guuuuuuhhhhh….” Someday she’ll figure out what I’m really saying. Until then, it’s Jaden 250, Mommy 10.

Another 30 minutes…maybe

Jaden is napping right now and by my estimates, if he sleeps the way he should, he’ll be awake in 30 minutes. So I am typing as fast as possible.

We had our first checkup today at the doctor’s office. It went really well. He loved the doctor. As soon as she walked into the room he wanted her to pick him up. I told her that is really unusual because he has been shying from strangers — she said “It’s because he looks like me.” Maybe that’s what it was, but I wish she were available for baby-sitting. Maybe I need to find an Asian baby sitter.

As she was holding him, she said “do you want to go with your mommy?” Jaden turned to look at me and held his arms out, giving me the sign that he wants me to take him — it was really an incredible moment. The doctor said it is great that he is already recognizing (English!) words and knows who I am. She also said that it means he has bonded with me already. This is a very good thing since it is not always immediate that an adopted child bonds with his adoptive parent(s)– and we were unsure of how it would work out in our case especially since he was with the foster family for so long.  

The checkup was perfect. He’s right on schedule with vaccinations (in Seoul they follow the U.S. vaccination schedule for the most part). He is now 22 lbs and 15 oz (diaper on) and 28.5 inches. I can’t believe how fast he is growing. He did spike in growth after coming to the States (he’s American already–lol) — he was in the 50th percentile for weight, height, and head circumference for all his measurements in Korea, and now he’s in the 75th percentile for all three measurements. Maybe Gerber knows what they’re doing. 

Speaking of Gerber, we had intended to make our own baby food, but – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- I can’t even find the time to make myself a sandwich. I lost about 10 lbs since Jaden arrived, and I feel like my biceps are going to burst out of my shirt…carrying 22-plus lbs all over the place is a great workout. 

Although we didn’t get the homemade baby food up and running yet, we are using the cloth diapers, which is working out pretty well.  We have the system down at this point. We got a diaper sprayer for the bathroom that’s connected to Jaden’s room (for the poopy ones) and I can honestly say that I would not be able to CD without it. It makes cleaning up the dirty ones pretty easy, and I don’t end up with any poop in the diaper pail (or the washing machine). I have a waterproof liner in the diaper pail, with some (you guessed it) baking soda to absorb odors. When it is time to do laundry I take out the liner, bring the whole thing to the machine, dump the diapers in, and throw the liner in with it.

So far I like the g-diapers best because we’ve had no leaks with them, except for the first day and that was because I wasn’t getting the seal on the liner right. We use cloth diapers in the g’s waterproof liner so we’re not using the biodegradable disposable inserts that they make for the g’s. I will, however, use those inserts when we’re out and about and not have to worry about carrying dirty diapers back with us. 

The drawbacks: I could use a diaper pail on each floor since it really is annoying to have to carry the diaper to the pail upstairs when you’re downstairs (or vice versa). For now I have the pail downstairs since 99% of our time is there. It took me a week to figure out that moving the pail to the main level is easier than walking up and down the stairs. Although I was probably getting a good workout that way…

We also discovered our stash is not big enough to cover us for a full day or two until I can do laundry. So we either have to increase our stash, do laundry every day, or put up with the few disposables we use to get us by right now when we run out of CD’s. I will admit that I don’t want to do laundry every day, so we only have two options left to us. We’ll see what happens…. he’s pretty regular so I’m tempted to use a disposable around the times we expect a dirty one – and not have to worry about cleaning the dirty one’s out – but then again I have that sprayer so other than the (OMG!!) smell it really isn’t much trouble. 

I never thought I’d talk so much about poop in my life.

Jaden & Mommy alone…Oh my!

My parents left today and Jaden and I were left alone for the few short hours before Daddy got home from work and Mommy had to leave for work. Normally he would get a bottle then go for a nap (haha like we have a normal after only 2 weeks), however, Jaden had a different idea of how we would spend our afternoon. First he wanted to look for Grandma and Grandpa.  Sorry baby, they had to leave us.   I tried to offer him his bottle, but he refused. Is it too cold? Warm it up. Nope, that didn’t work. Maybe it is too hot now. Cool it down. Still no luck, so we give up on the bottle.

Next we try the walker. Jaden is very adept at bending his legs in such a way that you cannot get him in the walker if he doesn’t want to go. He’s the strongest little 22 lb bugger too. So that was that for the walker. Then he starts rubbing his eyes like mad, so I figured he’s tired, and ready for his nap. It was 4:00, a little late, but still manageable. After an hour of trying to coax him to sleep — walking around, singing lullabies, letting him stare out the window while I rock him (Grandma’s trick), letting him listen to his favorite musical toys (the toolbench and/or octopus), rocking him and patting him—- there was no way he was going to give in, and I finally realize the effort is futile.

I take him out of the pack-and-play and put him on his quilt on the family room floor, so that I can at least take another bite of my lunch that has been waiting for me to finish it for 4 hours. This is where Mommy finally catches on. As soon as Jaden saw me put food in my mouth he went off the wall, completely ga-ga. It was hysterical. He started crawling toward the kitchen, with gigantic eyes , moving swifter, smoother and more balanced than I’ve seen him crawl yet. Bingo! That’s it! He must be hungry. Seriously – Again?! He just ate 2 hours ago. This little guy can put it away! He is giving Uncle Kevin a run for his money in the “I can eat more food than you can afford” category.

I was worried he’d get into trouble while I warmed up his food, (he still bobbles over sideways sometimes – that crawling stuff is hard work!)- so after much effort I put him in the walker to let him hang around me in the kitchen. Once I had his food warmed (he knows the sounds and signs) he started going nuts again. He glided toward me at mach-speed, with those big eyes wide-open, and his mouth gaping open, verbalizing all the while that I wasn’t quick enough.

Forget the high-chair, forget the bib – I ended up sitting on the floor with my foot steadying the walker so that he wouldn’t lose balance or start sliding away, and I fed him right then and there. After every spoonful, and before I could even return the spoon to the bowl, he had his mouth open, eyes wide, and was leaning his body all the way over the front of the walker, making it clear that I just wasn’t shoveling fast enough. He didn’t (or maybe I didn’t) spill a drop, because he was so focused on where the spoon was at each moment. I have never seen a kid eat three jars of food so quickly. If the social worker had walked in at that point, she would have thought we hadn’t fed him in two weeks!!

Motherhood…and more

So here I am on campus giving an exam and there’s really not much for me to do, except answer odd questions, so I actually have time to write.  Usually when I give an exam I bring a ton of work with me, my laptop, and anything else I need to get done in a quiet environment – but not this time – I didn’t even remember to eat dinner before I left the house, and I’m lucky I remembered to use the ladies room before class.

 

I guess this is all just a part of motherhood. My brain is fried – or at least it is 200% focused on someone else’s life now (that would be Jaden). Now I know why kids always think their parents are clueless – somehow after we picked up Jaden I lost my ability to ‘plan ahead’ (well – at least the little ability I had before he arrived). I am so focused on when Jaden naps, and how long he naps, and what he eats, and when he eats, and how much he eats, and when to bathe him, and…, and…, and…. of course I could go on, as anyone who has had a little one knows, I’m sure.

I never expected motherhood to be this brain-consuming. I thought I’d provide love, support, and nurturing – and viola – the perfect child. Ha ha. Okay so I didn’t think it would be THAT easy, but I didn’t expect to lose all of my brain cells as soon as I gave him his first bottle….

More about Jaden: Things are going relatively well. Things will actually be even better now that my very understanding boss has agreed to let me go on a reduced schedule until the end of the year. That is going to make a HUGE difference in our ability to bond, and gives us more time to introduce Jaden to all of the “strangers” he now has in his life. With any luck, by the time next semester rolls around, there will be no issue leaving him with a friend or other relative for a few hours twice a week while I go to work. Right now, however, that is not possible. Whenever Jaden meets anyone new, he furrows his brow, keeps his eye on the person, and decides if, when, and how he wants to be approached. If the person comes too close too soon, we have an outburst. This is to be expected – everything here is new to him, including his forever family. It will take time. This is also the time in a baby’s life in which he becomes wary of strangers – a very good thing for his protection.  On the other hand, it can make it difficult for extended family members who are having a hard time getting close.

Speaking of Jaden’s decisions: he knows what he wants and when he wants it, and he is very vocal about letting you know. It is kind of comical to watch. You can see “the look” on his face whenever he decides he wants something (or doesn’t want something), and if you figure out what it is quickly, he’ll give you a big smile. If it takes you a little while he starts to whine. If you still don’t figure it out then he stiffens up his entire body and puts an angry look on his face while he clenches his fists. After that he verbalizes in a direct and loud tone– which is not really yelling (usually), but it sounds like if he knew how to speak he’d be telling you off for not figuring out what he wants. Of course we all find this extremely charming. Maybe it’s because we love him so much. That, and that he’s just way too adorable.

Our little guy…

…is settling in. We are still having some sleep issues, but we checked the Korean adoption message boards and it seems to be a common issue. Jaden will go to sleep for a couple of hours at a time, but no more. We transitioned him pretty easily from our bed (for the time we were in Korea, and the first few nights at home) to the pack-n-play by getting him to take his naps in the pack-n-play (thank you, Grandma!)… so now we have the pack-n-play in our room at night. He goes to sleep there, but wakes up frequently looking for us. If he doesn’t see us fairly readily, he goes into a panic. He has had night terrors a few times – where he (seems to wake up and) starts screaming, but he’s not really awake, which makes it harder to calm him because he won’t open his eyes. Luckily this has only happened twice – it is very scary when it does.

There are so many things going on, so we’re really just guessing at the reasons. He’s teething, so that could be waking him up. We all had jet lag, so maybe that’s it. The nights and days in Korea are opposite what we have here because of the time difference, so that might have something to do with it. He’s had some stomach problems in the past few days, so maybe that’s it. Then again, maybe he’s just being a normal 9 month old and waking up regularly during the night like he’s supposed to. It is hard to tell.

Then again, much of the information I’ve read on other blogs and adoption lists indicates that most Korean families co-sleep (meaning the babies sleep with the parents until they’re ready to sleep in their own room). I’m not 100% sure this is true – but if that’s the case then it could also explain a lot. Our paperwork from the agency says that Jaden would fall asleep with the foster-father, or the foster-mother – so we think that he may have had someone in the room with him at all times. The papers never said whether they would leave him to sleep solo after he fell asleep. I doubt it. He really does seem to need someone there at night when he wakes up, or he gets panicky.

The sleep issues have taken its toll on us – and especially me – I am now sick. I started antibiotics today so hopefully by tomorrow I’ll feel much better. I am really hoping Jaden doesn’t get sick too. I’m sure it won’t help him get into a regular sleep pattern if he does!

Other than that, things are going really, really well. When Jaden came to us he was pretty much on 100% formula. They gave us 2 cans of his formula, which is supposed to last about 3 weeks, but Jaden was going through it much more quickly. We introduced some stage 2 baby foods (which also helped him sleep) so now he’s down to 30 oz or less of formula a day. Our terrific sources (thank you Krissy, Jodi, and Aunt Terry!!) tell us that is closer to the ‘norm.’ He love sweet potatoes and squash, but oddly he hates rice cereal. I say it is odd because the one thing they gave him in Korea (aside from formula) was seaweed soup with a little ‘very soft rice’ in it. Unfortunately Gerber doesn’t make seaweed soup, and I am clueless. So we’re doing oatmeal.

We ended up at the doctor’s office thinking he had an ear infection because of the way he was pulling on his ears – like he wanted to yank them off. No infection. Just a strange affinity to pulling on his ears. We’re thinking maybe the teething is the culprit.

He gained some weight since we picked him up – he was 22 lbs 9 oz (with potentially wet diaper on) at the docs office yesterday. The doctor assured us this was okay – he said it is hard to overfeed or underfeed a baby – just follow his cues. So we just feed him until he doesn’t want any more. He recognizes the word ‘more’ – if you say ‘more’ while feeding him he opens his mouth for the spoon as long as he’s still hungry. It’s pretty funny. Then again maybe it’s just that I’m his mommy that I find it adorable.

I could go on… but I’ll save it for another day. I have to go check on hubby to see how it is going getting the little one to sleep.

Before I go – I wanted to thank you for all the comments – I wish I could answer everyone individually but if I started that now, I’d never finish, nor would I be able to blog ever again. Well, at least not for a few years, anyway. I do read every comment, and appreciate all the advice, and also that you’re enjoying the pictures!

Pictures from Dad’s Camera

These are pics from Dad’s camera – some we weren’t able to take off of the camera while we were in Korea, others are from our first week at home. (scroll down for more pictures posted today – or go to the pictures tabs for links and slideshows).

New pictures…

…of our first week at home.