Baby Antics

Looking back over the last few posts, I realize that this blog has become quite depressing. I will try to remedy that. It shouldn't be too hard, as Espen keeps us laughing all the time. He is developing quite the personality! Every day he is growing more aware of his surroundings and wanting to play more. And he is *this close* to rolling over. Once he figures out how to tuck his elbows, he'll be on a roll. (Ha Ha Ha - terrible pun.) Here are some recent antics:

He is growing by leaps and bounds! Espen says, "Mom! This outfit is too small! WAH!"



He is such a silly boy! Here he is with Inky the Octopus on his head. :) Inky was a present from Aunt Katy.





He really likes Inky, and, like everything else, Inky goes in his mouth. :)





This is one of the toys on his swing. Espen doesn't mind the giraffe, but he's not too sure about the zebra. He likes to nap in his swing, but only when the zebra is put away. Jason says it's because hockey fans are natually distrustful of anything in black and white stripes (ie. a referee).

A Light in the Dark

This has been a dark patch for the Little family. Seeing parents lose an infant fills me with profound saddness, sharpened because we know and care about the family. Not too long ago, Jason's cousin Greg lost his baby girl who was born too early, and now Sydney. I look at Espen and want to kiss every inch of him. I have thanked God for the opportunity to be his mom more times than I can count, and marvel at how insanely lucky I am that he is healthy. I just keep thinking about what a gamble it all is, and how none of us have any clue about God's plans for us. Why did he take these babies so soon? And the kicker is that we'll never know why He does what He does. If I am reeling, I really can't imagine what Greg and Ron and Stacy are going through.

We lost another loved one this past week. My great-uncle Ronnie lost his battle with lung cancer. Ronnie was such a fun guy. We loved him a lot and will miss him, but he had been sick for a long time, and is finally at peace now.

One bright spot in all of this saddness is the glad news that Jason's cousin Clayton and his wife Cheri are expecting thier first child. We are tremendously excited for them! We can't wait to see if we'll be welcoming a little boy or a little girl to the family. Congrats to the Greens!

More Prayers

Sydney Wisdom passed away yesterday morning.

We are heartbroken by this loss. I can't begin to fathom the depths of her parents' grief. We ask you to continue to keep them and the whole Wisdom family in your prayers as they try to make sense of this tragedy.

Prayers

Last night we got word that our friends Ron & Stacy had given birth to thier second little girl, Sydney. This happy news is overshadowed by the development of some complications. She is suffering from meconium aspiration, water on the brain, and has had at least one seizure. She has had trouble breathing on her own since she was born but her breathing is improving. We're all hoping that she keeps fighting. We ask you to keep them in your prayers.

Social Butterfly

This weekend, Espen was quite the social butterfly! (He wants me to note that he was a very masculine, non-girly-type butterfly.) On Saturday, we finally were able to catch up with our friends from Texas. It was really nice to see you guys! I'm glad we didn't miss you! After we bid adieu to Jessica and Rodney, we headed up to Hannibal to visit more friends. It was Espen's longest car ride yet, and he did great! We stayed with Megan and Ryan and thier baby girl, Elyse. It was nice to stay in such a baby-friendly place. :) Espen had a great time with Elyse's toys, and Jason and I had a great time catching up with good friends.

Espen and Elyse were so cute together. Elyse held Espen's hand and gave him a kiss. A budding romance?

On Sunday, we went over to visit another set of friends who live in Hannibal, Karessa, Patrick, and thier new baby boy, Pierce. He is such a cutie! Here are all of us with our bundles of joy.

We can't wait until they are all old enough to play together!

Splish Splash

Espen went swimming for the first time yesterday! Grandma and Grandpa Vogel were staying at Ameristar Casino for thier annivesary and invited us over to use the pool. I was very nervous about Espen being near the water, (I am such a worry wart!) but he loved it! After seeing how much he liked dipping his feet in, and how intrigued he was with the water, we got him into a swim diaper and he had a blast! Here are some pictures.

We also ate at 42 Port Street Grill, and Espen enjoyed holding a fork and sticking his hand in the horseradish sauce. :) What a goof!

Patriotic Baby

Wow! We had a BUSY weekend. And yet, it was oddly relaxing. :) We spent almost the entire weekend running from event to event, but it was a lot of fun! Espen had his first run-in with fireworks, and I think he is going to be a big fan. He was mesmerized by all of them except the screechy ones. They made him cry. But other than that, he was fascinated.

We spent the 3rd at our good friends Brad and Laura's house, and they sure know how to do the fourth (or in this case, the third) right! We had lots of pretty fireworks, good food, and great company. Here are a couple of shots of the fireworks. There are more pictures in the "Little Family Photo Album" link to the left.

Espen was so worn out by the fireworks that he sacked out when we got to Jason's parents' house (where we were staying) and slept for 7 hours straight! YAY! He woke up, ate, and when right back to sleep for another 3 hours! WOW! It was nice to sleep in a little. Grandma and Grandpa Little were great hosts! They fed us 3 actual meals (something that has been a rarity since Espen's been born) and mom got to take a nice long bubble bath while grandma watched Espen. The Little Bed, Breakfast, and Spa gets two thumbs WAY up! :)

On the Fourth, Jason and I went to O'Fallon's festival and saw the Gin Blossoms and the fireworks while Espen stayed with grandma and grandpa. (They said that he watched the fieworks on TV and was really into them.) It was great until Jason's camp chair just fell apart. It was a gift from the Blues, so go figure. It was actually pretty funny seeing Jason try to sit in half of a chair.

Saturday, mom and dad did some shopping and then the whole family went out to Great-grandma and Great-grandpa Vogel's house for a BBQ and family time. Espen "played" with his second cousins Chloe and Isabelle. (And by played, I mean he stared at them while they waved at him and talked to him.) Espen got a new chair, thanks to Heather and Brian! The Bumbo seat is pink, but I don't think he'll care. So if you see pictures of Espen in a pink chair, don't question. :)

We were supposed to meet up with some friends from Texas Saturday night, but I messed it all up (although I blame a good chunk of it on my stupid cell phone), so we missed them. I am peeved about that because I was really looking forward to it. Jessica and Rodney, I hope we get to catch you before you go back home!

This morning we went to the Wentzville Flea Market, and Espen enjoyed walking around in the sunshine. Mom managed to forget the diaper bag (Man, I'm really beginning to sound like an idiot! ), so we had to keep the trip short. Jason went to the ball game this afternoon and watched the Cardinals get smoked by the Cubs (BOOO!!!!). Espen and I stayed home and tried to rest up.

So that was our super-busy weekend. Whew! Check out all our new photos from our adventures last week and this week. (Count your blessings that my camera battery died on Friday, or there would be a bunch more!)

Chunk-a-Muffin

Espen had his 2 month check-up today. It's a little late (due to some insurance issues), as he's almost 11 weeks old, but I don't think he minded putting off the shots. :) He got 4 shots and one oral immunization. I was really dreading the whole ordeal, but Espen did great! He cried a little when he was getting the shots, and gave me this heart-breaking look like, "Why are you letting them do this to me?!?" As soon as they were done, though, and I picked him up and cuddled him, he was much happier and fell asleep shortly after. I gave him some baby Tylenol at the doctor's office and I think that helped ease the pain a bit.

The big news is his stats, however. I knew he was getting really heavy and had estimated him at about 15 pounds. We were anxious to know the official word. I was a little short. He weighs in at a whopping 15 pounds 12 ounces! Almost 16 pounds! WOW! What a chunker! The good news is that his length is up there too (24.5"), so he's not pudgy, just... heavy. He's in the 97%tile for weight, 90%tile for length, and 50%tile for head circumference. So he'll have a nice average-sized head on a tall, solid body! :) Look out NHL!

The doctor says Espen is looking good! YAY! Its so nice to have professional reassurance that you're not screwing up horribly. His clogged tear duct seems to have resolved itself too, as no eye boogers for the last week. :) Now if we can just get him to be less gassy. :)

Stuffy Bear

Poor Espen. He's caught his first cold. Thankfully no fever, but he is very stuffy and coughing a lot. He doesn't seem too upset about it though. When he starts crying and he can't breathe through his nose, he freaks out a little, but in general, he's acting normal, just a little sleepy. We're using the "snot-sucker" a lot, and that's helping.

Well, I've been back at work for three days now, and it's weird. I miss Espen bunches, so I try to keep busy so I don't think about him as much. It's working somewhat. Even keeping busy, I still think about him constantly. It has been nice interacting with other adults, but my mind is still on leave. Hopefully it will return soon. :)

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads out there! I wanted to be sure to post this, as it is the perfect chance to say what a wonderful father Jason is. Espen and I are so lucky. Having a baby is hard work, and Jason has embraced fatherhood in full force. He is "Super-Dad," ready at a moments notice with a cuddle or a diaper change. We love you, Jason!

As a token of his love, Espen got Jason the cutest father's day gift. Now my two guys really match. :)

And a special Happy Father's Day to the two new grandpas! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!

We love you and hope you have a good day. Don't work too hard!

Giggle!

Well, I am getting more courageous about venturing out. Yesterday I decided to live dangerously and we stopped by work, the library, the post office, and Michael's Crafts all without a bottle! What a daredevil! :) I'm practicing leaving the house for when I have a deadline (like making it to work on time). It was only supposed to be a trip to the library, but Espen was so good, I crammed in as many errands as I could. :) I was proud of him being so patient. :)

We had a fun day yesterday. :) There was a lot of giggling. Espen was lying in his crib talking to his mobile (or, as I call it: "his critters.") and I took a little video of him. I was putting it on the computer to put on here, while I was holding him on my lap. As I was trying to figure it out, the clip started playing, and Espen started laughing at himself. He was staring at the screen imitating the same sounds he was making on the video. It was as if he was talking to himself. He thought it was great, so we watched it a few more times, him just giggling up a storm. :) It was so cute!

"LOST" in Translation

Sorry that it's been so long since I last posted. We have been busy enjoying our little bundle of joy. :) Everyone is doing well. Espen is doing even better with night sleeping, although he still has a rough night from time to time. Last night, for example, he was up until 2 - We think he was overly-tired and thus having a hard time falling asleep since he had had a very eventful day visiting Grandma and Grandpa Little. We spent the day getting used to Grandma Little's house so that when I go back to work, everything will be familiar. Espen is a little scared of Dunkin's (their dog) barks, but seemed to have a lot of fun yesterday. We sang songs and he bounced in his bouncer. Espen also managed to go through SEVEN outfits! I mean, jeez, seven??? Really?? I'm glad I packed eight. :) I thought I was going a bit overboard, but apparently not. I am continually amazed at the volume of urine that comes out of such a small boy. It probably doesn't help that he has really outgrown his diapers. He needs to move up to a size 2 diaper (already!), but we are trying to use up the last of the size 1s first. I have a hard time believing that he is more than 14 pounds already. We won't have an official weight until the 24th, but my calculations put him around 14.5 pounds. What a chunk-a-muffin! It's because he eats ALL THE TIME!

Speaking of eating all the time... I am now officially a mom. I just finished watching the season finale of "Lost" (I am WAY behind, I know), and I wasn't able to really enjoy it because I just kept thinking about Aaron. (FYI - If you don't watch the show, none of this will make any sense.) OK, if Claire disappears into the woods, how are they feeding this baby??? And why is no one concerned about it? Jason suggested Dharma Initiative baby formula, but they couldn't have children, so why would they have formula? And why does Aaron, like, NEVER cry?!?!? And if that wasn't ridiculous enough, he survives a helicopter crash into the ocean unscathed? I don't think babies know to hold their breath when they are plunged into a churning sea. I mean, the show wasn't the most realistic before this, but COME ON. I suppose only a mother concerned with the constant feeding of her son would pick up on that. I don't know if I should feel weird about that or not. :)

Anyway... I will be putting up more pictures on Shutterfly today, so keep your eyes peeled. :)

Happy Memorial Day!

Just a note to say "Hi!" from the Littles. We hope that you are all enjoying the long weekend. We are!

We Miss Daddy!

Well, Jason has been back at work for four days now. It's hard being without him. Not just because I appreciate the help, but because I just like being with him. Espen agrees. :) Despite the fact that we both miss Jason terribly while he's at work (and I know he misses us too!), Espen and I have been doing pretty well while he's gone. We "read" books together and walk and dance around the house. And nurse. We do that A LOT! I'm sure Espen is hitting a growth spurt, as he wants to eat even more than usual. It can be a bit frustrating at times, as I don't really have time to even run to the bathroom when he gets on a milk binge, but if it helps him grow big and strong, it's totally worth it! The downside to all the eating is that Espen seems extremely gassy almost all the time, poor guy. I don't know why his poor tummy gets so upset, but he just scrunches up and cries. It doesn't happen every time, but often enough, and it takes a good hour to work it out of his system and then guess what it's time for??? Eating! :)

With the exception of his gas, Espen has been doing really well at night (sometimes he's up for an hour or two with an upset tummy, but he can't help that.)... until Jason went back to work. I don't know if the change of pace upset him, or if he could sense the stress of it all, but Monday night was maybe his worst since coming home from the hospital. He would not stop crying for anything, and that made me cry, and it was a big, tearful mess. It may not have been any worse than some of those nights at the beginning, but I was trying to let Jason sleep so he could function at work, and so I was tackling this all on my own. Fortunately this seems to have passed. He was fussy again on Tuesday night, so Espen and I slept in the living room, so as not to disturb Jason, and that was less stressful on me, as I could lay down next to his bassinet and try to comfort him. Last night was even better. Espen slept for 5 hours straight! YES!!! (He was awake for the next 2 hours with a bellyache, but I'll take it.) I'm looking forward to the weekend so that Jason can take a night shift. :)

I'm not sure how this will go when I go back to work, and the time is looming! Honestly, I am petrified at the thought of going back to work. Not only will I be totally exhausted, I can hardly stand the thought of leaving Espen. I know he'll be in good hands, as he'll be with one of his grandmas, but I feel like he is still so little and needs his mom. I'm also panicked about the logistics of the whole situation. I have no idea how long it will take me to get him ready and myself ready while dealing with his needs, plus what if I forget something he needs? Will there be any way I actually make it to work on time? Will I be able to focus on my job? And the biggest question... How am I going to deal with the milk issue? I have no idea how much milk to pack for him to eat, especially if he keeps up this "eating every hour" business. And lets not even talk about pumping at work. ACK! I think Jason and I are going to have to do a few trial runs. Keep your fingers crossed that I don't completely lose my mind!

On a much more fun note, Espen had a happy evening yesterday. We went for our evening walk around the block, and when we came back, I fed him and changed him. Usually after I change him, I lay him down in his crib so I can wash my hands. When I came back, Espen was cooing and smiling at himself in the crib mirror. It was so cute! He was batting his little arms around, making the rattles on the mirror shake, just giggling away. Jason and I must have watched him for a good 15 minutes before he started to get bored and wanted to be held. So adorable!

Fire Hazard

Warning!: Exposure to Espen's cuteness may cause damage to life, limb, and property!

We got an e-mail from Pat, a family friend, this morning, and I just have to relate this story! Pat writes: "Got the birth announcement today but only had time to set it aside before dinner. Just now, I decided to go to the blog and look at the pics. That baby is so damn cute that I forgot I had oil on the stove for popping my nighttime corn. Well, imagine my surprise when I began to smell the burning oil permeating the beautiful night air. After uttering an expletive, I leaped to my feet and snatched the molten hot pot from the stove and ran outside. Once there, I removed the lid and the pot burst into flames. Thankfully, I had earlier in the evening watered the flowers and the grass outside the back porch. I was able to kick over the pot and extinguish the blaze before the local Fire Department could find out how stupid I was. All because Baby Bosco's pictures are soooo damn cute!"

HAHAHA!

A lot has been going on this week! This is Jason's last week at home before he has to go back to work. AACK!!! I'm freaking out a little bit! (Ok, a LOT!) I really don't know how Espen and I are going to manage. I've gotten so used to having Jason around to help out. And he has been GREAT! I'm not sure I remember how to function on my own. :) I know that next week is going to be rough on all of us, since Jason isn't used to being at work either. Wish us luck!

So since this is our last week of double parenting, we've been trying to get a few things done that will be a lot harder with only one parent. Friday we took Espen for his 1-month portrait.

If you want to see them, follow the KiddieKandids link on the left. The sitting number is: 017022566 and the code is: 85FWDF8. Espen was so cute! And really good for the most part. He doesn't like being on his tummy much, so he got a bit fussy when they kept trying to get him to lay like that. I wasn't too thrilled about it either, as he kept mashing his face into the photo carpet and crying. All I could think about was all the germs from all the other kids that must be on there. YUCK! I hope Espen doesn't get sick. Jason made the point that he can't live in a bubble forever. True, but I'm still concerned. :)

Espen also made his first visit to Ferguson Optical! He looks so cute with his PD ruler and frames! Check out the three generations!

We took our first real walk (other than out to the mailbox and back) with the whole family (except Iggy the Iguana of course). Espen liked it at first, but got fussy about half-way. I think he was getting hungry, but what else is new? The hungry, hungry hippo eats every hour and a half or so!

That is, except at night. We have been really working with him, and Espen now usually (knock on wood) sleeps for 3-4 hour stretches at night. Sometimes even 5 hours when we're really lucky. :) Some nights are better than others, but SO much better than before. I still wake up about 100 times a night, but only to check to make sure he's still breathing. :) I keep having dreams that I've fallen asleep with him in the bed and I'm suffocating him. That jerks me awake in a panic, and happens at least 10 times a night. I'm just a tad neurotic. :)

I'll be putting more pictures up on Shutterfly today. I have slowed down somewhat on the sheer number of pictures that I am taking. :) Perhaps that will reduce the risk of fire. :)

Later!

One Month Down, Forever To Go!

I thought that I would do a quick update on Espen and his family. This is the first time that Dad is actually posting on the blog, so please excuse me if it is not as cool as Mom's updates. Well, Kris and I have officially survived month one of life with Espen. Fatherhood has been a great experience and it is almost impossible to imagine my life B.E. (before Espen). This past month has been filled with lots of happiness, lots of sleepless nights, lots of diapers, but most importantly lots of love. It's not always easy but it is well worth all the effort.

Yesterday, Kristin got to experience her first Mother's day and Espen got to be a world traveler as we visited both sets of proud Grandparents. This was his longest amount of time away from the home nest so far and he was on his best behavior, of course. Espen even gave Mom a special present for Mommy's Day...his longest night of sleep yet. We are hoping that his sleep schedule is starting to round into form but it is still way too early to celebrate anything yet. By the way, I picked up the book Good Night, Sleep Tight today at the library and hopefully this will help the process. Thank you very much to a couple of our friends that suggested it might help with getting Espen's sleep schedule regulated.

Well, there is not much else going on in the Little household except for the regular routines based around the little guy. I hope everyone is doing well and I will try not to be a stranger here...but no guarantees. Once again happy Mother's day to my wonderful wife Kristin and to all the Mom's out there, I am finally starting to realize the sacrifice it takes to be a Mom...so Thanks!

Who Needs Sleep?

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. It is easy to get caught up in the cycle of "feed the baby, change the baby, soothe the baby, feed the baby, change the baby, soothe the baby." We're lucky if we remember to eat or squeeze in a 30 minute nap, let alone have time for much else. :) It's especially hard to type when one hand is busy with the baby. He's sleeping right next to me for now, so I'm going to try to squeeze in a quick update. :)

Espen is doing great health-wise. He saw the doctor again on Friday and is up to 10 lbs. 8 oz. He eats almost constantly! This morning, in one feeding, I kid you not, he ate 7.5 oz!!!! I can't believe his little tummy can hold that much!

Espen is a very calm, happy, sleepy baby during the day, but is a vampire baby at night. :) He has his days and nights confused and is WIDE AWAKE from about 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. He's also insatiable during those hours, feeding every 45 minutes or so. It makes for sleepless nights for mommy and daddy, but the past two nights have been a LOT better. All of this started about a week ago, and for the first five nights, all he did was scream from midnight on. Nothing but a bottle would calm him, and the second it was empty, the screaming would begin again. When we met with the pediatrician on Friday, he said that there is no physical reason for the crying, but that Espen was feeding off of our frustration at not being able to get him to calm down. We have been making a special effort to be calm and deliberate when we soothe him at night and it has made a big difference. Now there's just a little fussing... no more scream fests. Now we just have to get him to let us lay him down at night. He is calm and sleepy when we're holding him, but the second his head hits the crib, the crying starts. As you can imagine, this is not very conducive to our sleep patterns. :)

Another thing that has really helped with the soothing is that he is FINALLY breastfeeding!!! I am so excited! TRIUMPH! My mom suggested that maybe he was freaking out at the breast because he is so used to the feel of the rubber bottle nipples, and got me a "nipple shield," which is a silicone nipple that goes over the real nipple. (On a side note: I feel a little weird talking about my nipples on the Internet, but my feelings of triumph have momentarily stripped me of my modesty.) It's not a perfect solution as it's a bit messy and awkward, but Espen latched on immediately and seems very content when he's nursing. :) He tends to fall asleep mid-meal, getting milk everywhere, but he's happy. :) We're still giving him bottles of pumped milk because he falls asleep while nursing and then wakes up famished because he's not getting a full meal. Again, a work in progress. Anyone who thinks breastfeeding is easy and just comes naturally is crazy! Add pumping to the already packed cycle of breastfeeding, bottle feeding, changing his diaper, cleaning the pump parts, soothing him, changing his diaper again, changing his clothes because he peed on them, and putting him down to sleep, and there's really only about 5-10 minutes before the whole thing starts over again.

We did manage to squeeze in a bath on Thursday. (Which means he's due for another one today.) His very first tub bath! Espen liked the bath. He liked it so much he pooped.... four times! Thank goodness we got a lot of towels and washcloths at the baby showers, as he used a ton during his bath. Hopefully we will get better at the bath thing and not have to change the bath water so often. :) Any tips are greatly appreciated. :)


Well, I'd better get going. Grandma and Grandpa Vogel are coming to visit Espen today and Mommy needs to take a shower and put on real clothes instead of pajamas. :) Later!

What a Big Boy!

Well, we saw the pediatrician yesterday for Espen's 2 week check-up, and he has gained 1 pound, 1 ounce since last week! Holy Cow! No wonder he was eating so much! The doc says he looks very healthy and strong, and a little ahead of the curve on muscle tone (future all-star!). He is really starting to work his neck muscles well. Maybe because he is constantly rooting around for a meal. :) He still is not nursing, which is the one thing the doctor wants us to work on. It's going to be a rough next few days trying to force him to do something he is so resistant to, but I guess it's good practice for later when I have to make him clean his room. :) He's sleeping for longer stretches too, which is a nice relief for mom and dad, although we weren't really smart about it and forgot to take naps yesterday, resulting in a really tired and cranky mommy and daddy. Mom ended up getting about 4 and 1/2 hours of sleep last night and dad is sleeping now, though, so it's all ok. (Espen is also sleeping, and mommy should too, but I want to be awake in case Espen wakes up so that Jason can get a few hours of shut-eye.)

Espen's gooky eye is getting better. His left eye has been crusty since birth due to a clogged tear duct. We are trying to keep it clean, although sometimes it still gets glued shut and Espen becomes a pirate baby. :) Argh! Get this... The pediatrician said to help it heal up we should put drops of breastmilk in it! Isn't that crazy! Apparently breastmilk has white cells in it and can be used to promote healing. I never would have thought of that! You learn somthing new every day. Espen is not very happy about us putting stuff in his eye, but it does seem to be helping.

Well, gotta go. Espen is awake and being cute. I don't want to miss a second!

Quick Update

Not much time before the hungry birdie needs to feed again, but I wanted to let everyone know that Espen is doing great. Every day gets a little better as we settle into what I loosely describe as a "schedule." He eats almost constantly, which makes sense, I guess, as he is a growing boy! We have another appointment with the pediatrician tomorrow and I am anxious to see how much he weighs now. He feels a lot heavier than he did when he was first born, but it could be because I am just really exhausted now. I was exhausted then too, but I wasn't up running around trying to make myself dinner and such. I miss hospital room service. :) Uh oh... Espen's waking up... Gotta run! I'll post after we see the doc...

P.S. I fixed the link to Espen's Web Nursery pictures on the left. Check them out!