Colton's 9 month routine

I clicked on a link this morning that took me to a website that gave examples of daily schedules for 9 month olds and not one of the examples they gave resembled Colton’s schedule at all. So for the sake of my remembering what his little life is like at 9 months old, I wrote down the {very flexible and not very consistent} routines that he sometimes follows.

 

For the record, Colton is on the “low-average” side of things when it comes to total ounces per day and total sleep per day, I’m aware, I’m VERY aware. But that’s just who he is and so I wanted to write this down because MAYBE, just maybe, there are other working moms and babies who don’t fit into the perfect normal 9 month schedule!

 

6:45AM – Wake Colton up; normally drinks 3 oz formula

*Since we have to wake Colton up at 6:45am to get ready for work/school throughout the week, we try to keep the same schedule on Sat/Sun, which is KILLER to set your alarm and wake up a sleeping baby when you don’t have to go anywhere. We have to have a bottle ready because he is mad and hungry the minute that you wake him up, but as soon as we swallows a few ounces, he’s as happy as can be.

 

8:15AM – Down for first nap (hopefully 1-2 hour nap)

*Luckily this first nap is the most consistent as to when we falls asleep, but it’s pretty up in the air on how long he actually sleeps. The BEST CASE SCENARIO is a 2 hour nap. Worst case scenario 30 minutes, which throws off the rest of the day’s naps.

 

10:30AM – 4-6 oz formula

11:30AM – baby food

*He’s taking formula about every 4 hours right now and he can usually last that long as long as he got some baby food in between formula feedings. We give him formula first and then wait about an hour or so to offer him baby food, he’s just not ready for it when his tummy is still full right after drinking formula. The only down side is it seems like you’re feeding him a lot of times throughout the day.

 

12:30PM – Down for second nap (20-45 min nap)

*After his longer morning nap, the rest of his naps are all catnaps, most 20-30 minutes, some 45 minutes.

 

2:30PM – 4-6oz formula

3:30PM – baby food

*Repeat of formula/baby food routine, as mentioned above.

 

4:30PM – Down for third nap, (20-45 min nap)

*Our goal is that this third nap happens somewhere between 4-5pm before we pick him up from school. If we have to get him to fall asleep for his third nap after the excitement of us all getting home at like 5:30pm, the whole night is gonna be thrown off. If it’s the weekend and we’re at home, we wake him up if he’s still asleep at 5:30pm or he’ll never go to bed.

 

6:30PM – 4-6oz formula

7:30PM – baby food

*Repeat of formula/baby food routine, as mentioned above.

 

9:30PM – 2-3oz formula

10:15PM – Down for the night (maybe, hopefully!)

*Any formula he takes right before bed is just to cap off his tummy and soothe him before trying to fall asleep. There were several nights that he didn’t fall asleep until 11pm. Then last night he fell asleep at 9:30pm and it was too early, since he woke up after 30 mins and was awake until past midnight. We rock him and snuggle and bounce, but then put him down awake in his crib. Most nights there’s still at least 30 minutes of rolling around and whining and crying, with us going in to soothe him occasionally, before he finally falls asleep… most of the time face down, with his booty in the air. Once he falls asleep, he’s normally down for the night and is rarely waking up in the middle of the night (thank goodness!).

Colton: 9 month update!

Colton is 9 months old now! It’s hard to believe that in just a few short months we’ll be hosting a little boy’s first birthday party!

 

STATS:

18 lbs 15 oz (25%)

28 1/8 in (50%)

42.5cm (<3%)

*Slightly worried about small head measurement, but his measurement had grown since last appt, so just keeping an eye on it.

 

MEDICAL:

Gastro follow up appt at 9 months

Had first double ear infection at 7 months old

Occasional eczema skin spots / hives

Dry scalp

Normal hemoglobin level at 9 month appt

Wore DOC band for 10 weeks (July 16 – Sept 24) = happy with the results, can tell a difference in the slope of his forehead and more roundness in the very back of his head, just happy to have it done with!

 

PLAY:

He’s not quite sitting without support yet, he can do it for several seconds and then lunges for a toy or loses balance

He can get up on all fours, with arms straight, but no crawling yet

He loves to roll all over the living room floor while holding onto a toy

Loves any teething ring you give him to gnaw on

Loves when Ranger walks by him or licks him

Most of the time he’s pretty chill and relaxed, think his personality will be a lot like PK’s

 

SLEEP:

Still taking 3-4 naps a day, totaling 3 hours on average

He slept better once he learned to flip over to his tummy to sleep (around 6-7 months)

Using sleep machine

Still doesn’t take a paci, but he will suck on an empty bottle in crib

We did some sleep training around 7.5 months and got him sleeping through the night

Averages only 11 hours sleep total a day

 

TEETH:

Has two bottom teeth (came in 6-7 months)

Two lateral incisors on top barely poking through (8-9 months)

 

EAT:

Staying on Neocate formula until at least 12-13+ months, especially since insurance is helping us pay for it

Has tried tons of fruit & veggies and he likes them all so far

Gastro guy said we can add turkey & chicken to diet

Eating solids 3x a day

Started offering him chunkier foods with a spoon just recently, wanting to start offering him foods for him to practice feeding himself

Likes to chew on sippy cup

 

ALLERGIES:

Allergic reactions to: rice cereal, oatmeal & corn, so we’re staying away from all grains

Gastroenterologist said we could try foods that had baked milk proteins and see how he does, so he tried his first blueberry muffin over the weekend

Pediatrician said we will test for allergies around 1 year old to develop a plan for transitioning to cow’s milk, etc.

 

PHYSICAL:

Size 3 diapers

Already fitting into 12 months clothes, although most of the pants are a little bit too long

Lots of hair coming in, exact same color as daddy’s

 

HIS DADDY:

More and more people continue to say that Colton looks more like PK every day

Colton loves bath time with daddy

Luckily, Colton thinks daddy is pretty hilarious, he can just look at him and the anticipation of impending tickles is too much to bear

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

Trip to San Antonio for a wedding, with an added bonus of visiting family

First train ride around San Antonio zoo

Spending time with cousins in Austin and meeting the newest cousin, Jeanie!

I can’t wait for Colton’s first holiday season coming up!

 

THANKFUL FOR:

A wonderful teacher (and babysitter!) at Colton’s daycare

Overall health and happiness of our little boy

Family babysitting while we go to weddings

 

7 month update!

Colton has changed so much just in the last two weeks! The next few months are going to be so fun to watch him grow.

On July 31^st (6.5 months) Colton had his first bottom tooth poke through the gums! PK noticed it while Colton was gnawing on one of his fingers. He was kinda fussy going to bed the night before, so maybe that was it. And since we noticed the tooth, there have been a few instances of inconsolable doesn’t-want-anything-in-his mouth crying at bedtime or in the middle of the night, which I think can be attributed to teething. Otherwise, no noticeable symptoms, other than lots of drooling.

Last week we started giving daycare baby food to feed Colton, still Stage I veggies or fruits. {We’re currently buying Beech Nut baby food, which is no soy.} So he’s taking two feedings a day, once at daycare and once at home with us around dinner time. He certainly likes the food, but still has trouble opening his mouth for the spoon. Practice, practice, practice.

 

At the beginning of August, he rode in his first shopping cart at Target and sat in his first high chair at a restaurant. He’s still not quite sitting up by himself yet, so he kinda leans to one side on the cart/high chair, but he’s getting there! We bought a highchair (finally!) and been using that to feed him at home. Also, he’ll sit and push around some toys while we’re working in the kitchen; he likes to be at eye level with us.

I’m so thankful that the DOC band has pretty much been a non-issue. We barely even notice it anymore. We’ve all adjusted so well, that it’s easy to forget to take it off. He’s been wearing it 23/7 for 3 weeks now, hopefully in 3-4 more weeks, we’ll be done with that!

His umbilical hernia is starting to look better and better and I think it’s resolving on its own! Thank goodness, we may actually avoid a medical procedure!

He’s officially rolling from back to front (around 6.75 months)! At first, he would roll to his front and get stuck, so he’d fuss because he couldn’t get back over, but now after a few days of practice, he can normally roll back to his side if he wants to. For the first time ever, last week, Colton fell asleep on his stomach while he was playing on his play mat in the living room! And ever since that day, he has rolled to his stomach each night in his crib. So I think we have a tummy sleeper. We haven’t swaddled him for a few weeks now. 

One of those nights he flipped to his tummy, he slept for 8 hours!! {Second time that’s ever happened!} So maybe this tummy sleeping is a good thing. It’s pretty fun to check the monitor and see what new position he’s in, he’s starting to move all over the crib.

At home, he loves to be in the jumper and loves dog licks from Ranger. The other day we draped a blanket over one side of the activity mat, our original intent was to prevent him from watching the TV show we were watching, but it turned into a festival of giggles in his first baby fort. 

Month #6 has by far been my favorite. Colton has lots of smiles and giggles to share and is learning so much.

6 month stats

Colton had his 6 month appt earlier this week and here are his latest stats:

Weight: 16 lb 13 oz (50%)

Height: 26 1/8 in (30%)

Head: 41.5 cm (3%)

(Maybe this DOC band will help his head measurement round out! Little tiny baby head.) 

And just in case you’re interested, here are a few other stats for his eating/sleeping:

Average Sleep at Daycare (July 2013): 2.7 hours (normally over 3 naps)

Average Ounces eaten at Daycare (July 2013): 13.9 oz (normally 5-6 feedings)

Average Total Sleep in 24 hours (July 2013): 11.1 hours

Average Total Ounces in 24 hours (July 2013): 24.8 oz

I’m not sure where this boy came from, because he doesn’t seem to enjoy sleeping or eating all that much (compared to averages), which both of his parents enjoy immensely!

He had his 6-month shots as well, which I’ve heard from a lot of other moms that their babies were the fussiest after these shots, so I was kinda preparing for the worst. He was fine until last night, he spent about 2.5 hours crying, with nothing soothing him. I’m not sure if that was the shots, or teething, or the peas he tried for dinner.

In other news, I’m pleasantly surprised that he’s been doing so well with the DOC Band. He never cries when we put it on and for the most part doesn’t really seem bothered by it. We (and daycare) are taking it off every few hours to let his head dry out and to make sure his skin isn’t getting too red. Luckily, he’s not a sweaty baby, so he hasn’t seemed to be getting overheated with it on in this Texas heat, thank goodness!

The best thing I’ve read all day was a letter from aholyexperience.com, called “A Letter to Kate: 7 Ways to Labor & Deliver Your Best Life”. “…a mother’s labor and delivery never ends, and you never stop having to remember to breathe.” So far, I know this to be true.

Some of my favorite C's

Over the weekend, I got to see my best friend, Courtney and meet her baby girl, Chloe! Courtney and I became BFF’s at TCU and even though she moved to Alaska shortly after graduation + wedding, we’ve tried to talk once a week since then to keep up! It’s been so fun to keep in contact when we were both pregnant and both had our first babies!

 

Chloe and Colton were so cute together.

 

They’re moving from Alaska to Las Vegas this summer and I’m so excited to have her closer to Texas! I may have already looked at flights for going to visit them later this year.

 

We certainly didn’t get a chance to hang out or talk long enough, but it was a sweet few hours getting to know Chloe and catching up on life.

 

Love you friend!

6 months old!

Colton just turned 6 months old over the weekend! Can’t believe we’re half way to a 1 year old’s birthday party. Although this new parenthood thing has been far from easy we are so thankful that Colton is happy and healthy. He’s full of smiles and giggles and loves to be tickled and kissed all over.

I get caught up a lot in the daily worries of him not sleeping enough or not eating enough or not knowing what to do next, and blaming myself for all of the aforementioned problems, but it’s so nice to step back and look at the big picture and know that Colton will be okay and so will I. Even if he doesn’t sleep through the night until he’s a year old (or older!), that we’ll survive. Even if he never naps at the same time at daycare or is still sleeping in a swing or is still only eating 2oz at a time or never takes a pacifier, we’ll survive.

I’m guilty of just trying to survive some days and it’s getting exhausting to live like that, so I’m trying to create positive change over the things that I can control and let go of the things that I can’t control. One of Colton’s doctors once told me (after I asked a worried question), “that’s just who he is”. I’m struggling to find the balance between the circumstances around Colton and how they shape his behavior versus figuring out “just who he is” and not going trying to change him. If only I knew what I know now on Day 1 of Colton’s little life, sigh, I guess that’s what the first kid is for?

Without further ado, some updates at 6 months old ----

MEDICAL:

Gastro follow up at 5 months – can start solids: no soy/no milk brands or make at home, no meat

Still battling eczema on various spots over body

Pediatrician consulted us to Cranial Technologies for Colton’s head shape. The problems are moderate, but his head is flat in the back and his forehead is too steep and a slight asymmetry problem where it’s more flat on the left side, so he just got on his DOC Band yesterday and will have to wear it for 8-10 weeks. He has to go in every 7-10 days for reshaping.

PLAY:

Still only rolls from front to back

Still dislikes tummy time, but hoping his head re-shaping will help with weight distribution of head to help with holding his head up better

Reaching for toys and stuffed animals, trying to put in his mouth

Enjoys the jumper in our living room

He does a sideways thumb suck, mostly his right hand

We’ve been practicing sitting up by himself, he can do it for a few seconds before he topples over

SLEEP:

Taking multiple short naps a day

Sleeping in his crib, body swaddled, but not arms

Likes to sleep on his side

Using sound machine

Still won’t take a paci, but he’ll suck on the nipple from bottle in crib

Longest stretch at night is about 4-5 hours

Slept for 8 hours first time – 5 ½ months

EAT:

Still on Neocate formula (will be until he’s at least 1+ year old)

Got a rash on his face when we tried rice cereal at 5 months

Since then he’s had applesauce, green beans and bananas with no reaction!

Just eating solids once a day

Still using Medela bottles, wanting to switch to Dr. Browns, but he’s resistant

 

PHYSICAL:

Will record 6 month stats at his appt next week

Still has umbilical hernia, gastroenterologist noted a slight obstruction

Still Size 2 diapers

6m or 6-9m clothes

No teeth yet, but still lots of slobber

Hair growing in more, but will probably lose it again with DOC Band

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

PK’s first Father’s Day, we were in Austin for a wedding

Colton’s first flight to Corpus Christi to visit great-grandparents

Rode in the big part of stroller and sat in his first swing in Corpus!

Watching daddy play softball

Grandparents in town for July 4^th and help with doctor’s appt

Family Reunion in Junction, meeting Q family

Getting to meet my friend Courtney (bff from TCU) and her daughter Chloe next weekend!

 

THANKFUL FOR:

Enough PTO to cover vacation and appointments (so far)

Colton sleeping in his crib and not being rocked to sleep

Two income family

Group of friends with little babies