Theo is weighing in at 20 lbs 8 oz (51%) and his height is 29.5 in (86%). He has grown exactly 9 inches since birth. Wow! I guess an inch/month is normal but it seems like a lot to me. 9 whole inches… He has also almost exactly tripled his weight since birth (he was 7 lbs). Babies are supposed to triple their weight by their first birthday so he is right on target. Theo also had another round of the DTap, HIB, IPV (diptheria, tetanus, polio) and the Prevnar immunization (meningitis/ear infection vaccine). I can’t believe that our next doctor visit will his 1 year check-up. It’s all going so fast.
Theo is doing really well. He babbles a lot these days. Lots of “dadada, bababa, and mamama”. He doesn’t know what he is saying but it’s cute to watch him move his mouth after us and just babble away. He still isn’t formally crawling but he gets around just fine. He gets on all fours but then lays down on his belly and pulls himself across the room, commando style. He is really strong. He can hold himself up standing while holding onto furniture. He likes this a lot. I’ve started teaching him sign language and he likes to watch videos like this one (thanks to Diane!).
We talked to his doctor about our sleep and eating concerns. Sometimes it seems like Theo is a great eater and other times it’s a challenge. Our goal is to have him eating three solid meals per day, with a small snack in between. This sounds great in theory, but has been a bit of a challenge. Theo is getting better at feeding himself using the pincer grasp and that is helpful because he seems to want finger foods more then he wants his pureed food. This is okay with me we just need to get in a routine and broaden his food options. He LOVES rice cakes and hummus. That has been determined. As I mentioned before, he also loves avocado. I think he prefers it when he sees me spooning it directly out of the skin. I’m not kidding. He (sometimes) likes pieces of cheese and has tried some new vegetables and fruits like cauliflower, kiwi, and cantaloupe. He seems to eat more foods when he can put them in his mouth himself, or when we do it for him. Again, when all else fails, give him a rice cake. I just want him to be eating more and not turning away from it constantly.
Now, for sleep… he has been a pretty decent sleeper, but not good enough. We thought for awhile there that he was on the right track. Sleeping 11 hour stretches at night, napping twice per day for 1 – 2 hours each time. We seem to have regressed somewhere along the line. He still sleeps a good 11 hours per night, it’s just that he wakes up 1 or 2 times and needs help getting back to sleep. He goes back to sleep pretty quickly after being rocked, soothed in some way, or nursed – and then transferred back to his crib carefully. He doesn’t put himself back to sleep and that is the issue. Theo’s doctor says that he doesn’t need any of these aids during the night. He is old enough now where he doesn’t need to eat (this we already know) and he should be able to go to sleep (and back to sleep) on his own and stay in his crib until the morning. This is one of the best – and most important- lessons we can teach him. Sooo, now we are faced with the plan of some serious sleep training this weekend… and perhaps for the next couple of weeks to get him on track. Napping, and sleeping at night, completely in his crib, and going to sleep on his own. It’s not that I mind nursing him during the night, it’s just that I know what is best. I will miss the bonding time. I’m terrified but also know how important it is. I want this for Theo. I know he is a big boy and can handle it. I know he knows that we love him so much and that he feels safe and secure. It’s still going to be really tough for me to hear him cry.