And I honestly didn't even know it. Mom and I were out with him today, and she put her finger in his mouth for him to chew on and she said, "He has a tooth!" I couldn't believe it. I felt around on his gum and felt a hard little ridge along the bottom. Definitely a tooth.
I even asked the pediatrician at his six-month appointment yesterday about teeth and he basically said when they come, they come.
He's been a little fussier lately, but not terrible. He didn't get bad diaper rash, he hasn't had a fever that I've noticed. He's just kind of been Elijah, but a little sleepier. Maybe that was the clue.
UPDATE: I spoke too soon. The last couple days have not been too fun. Poor little guy isn't feeling well and wants to be held all day. I've been trying to distract him with things like introducing juice and putting apple sauce in his cereal, but it's not working too well. He's just not feeling well.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Separation Anxiety
No, not Elijah's...mine. So far, he still seems pretty okay with Mama and Daddy leaving him with one set of grandparents...but it tears me up inside. Even our regular 2 days a week for the three hours we are both at work at the same time. I hate leaving him with anyone. And I actually feel really badly about that because I know my parents and my in-laws take great care of him and have a lot of fun, too.
It's gotten to the point that I kind of want to take him everywhere with me. I had a doctor's appointment in downtown Chicago last Tuesday and wanted to bring him along. But my mom, who was driving, said it would be hard on him. So I left him with my in-laws and then was anxious the whole time. But somehow, leaving while Nathan is home is different, I don't get as nervous about that.
I'm naturally a little solitary and every couple months I do have to have some time to myself. Luckily, last week, Nathan and a friend of his who was visiting, stayed in on a night I had off. So, I got Elijah put to bed and then went up to DeKalb to see Disney's Brave. I didn't know if I'd like being at the movies by myself, but I had a great time. I bought my own box of mini chewy Sweettarts and sat at the back of the theater. The movie was cute, but I had the best time being there alone.
I don't know if all this anxiety is normal. And I can't tell if it's a good thing or not.
It's gotten to the point that I kind of want to take him everywhere with me. I had a doctor's appointment in downtown Chicago last Tuesday and wanted to bring him along. But my mom, who was driving, said it would be hard on him. So I left him with my in-laws and then was anxious the whole time. But somehow, leaving while Nathan is home is different, I don't get as nervous about that.
I'm naturally a little solitary and every couple months I do have to have some time to myself. Luckily, last week, Nathan and a friend of his who was visiting, stayed in on a night I had off. So, I got Elijah put to bed and then went up to DeKalb to see Disney's Brave. I didn't know if I'd like being at the movies by myself, but I had a great time. I bought my own box of mini chewy Sweettarts and sat at the back of the theater. The movie was cute, but I had the best time being there alone.
I don't know if all this anxiety is normal. And I can't tell if it's a good thing or not.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Legume Aquatics
I think we may have a water baby. "Lijah Bean" had his first swim lesson today. (That's what Anne calls him. She's also the one who nicknamed his swim class.) If you disregard how clingy and fussy he was before we left and the meltdown he had in the changing room after class, he was AMAZING!
I don't know if it was because of the novelty of the water, or because he actually likes water; his bath time might suggest the latter.
It was a class of about 5 or 6 other babies, and I think the oldest was eight months. We started about a month behind everyone else. There was only one other boy, so they were happy to see another baby boy.
The class was mostly about getting the babies comfortable in water, a lot of repetitive exercises and phrases to help them know everything's okay. Elijah did not fuss once. He let me pour water over his head, he floated on his back and didn't make a sound the whole time. He smiled at the instructor and other babies and was just great. Also he was adorable in his little swim diaper and trunks.
I can't wait until next Monday!
I don't know if it was because of the novelty of the water, or because he actually likes water; his bath time might suggest the latter.
It was a class of about 5 or 6 other babies, and I think the oldest was eight months. We started about a month behind everyone else. There was only one other boy, so they were happy to see another baby boy.
The class was mostly about getting the babies comfortable in water, a lot of repetitive exercises and phrases to help them know everything's okay. Elijah did not fuss once. He let me pour water over his head, he floated on his back and didn't make a sound the whole time. He smiled at the instructor and other babies and was just great. Also he was adorable in his little swim diaper and trunks.
I can't wait until next Monday!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Did I really say that?
There are a bunch of things I never thought I'd say that have become part of my life since we brought Elijah home.
"I don't care what side of the bed I sleep on." Nathan and I (or maybe just me) used to be big into "that's your side, this is my side." When we got home with the baby, Nathan's wonderful sister, Janelle, and her husband had set up the pack and play their daughter used as a bassinet in our room, because we didn't have a bassinet. They set it up on Nathan's side of the bed. If you remember, we got home in the middle of the night. I collapsed onto the side closest to the bassinet and haven't thought about it since.
"For the love of St. Michael, where is the musical panda?!" The loss, even temporarily, of my son's favorite toy is enough for household panic and an attic to basement search. Before this the only thing that got my attention like that was losing my keys or ipod.
"Hold still, Mama has to get the bugger." Yes, I pick his nose. I really never thought about having to do that while I contemplated parenthood.
"Here it comes, yummy, yummy peas." You could supplement "squash" for peas, but I hate peas a lot more than squash.
"Gots" In any context as in, "Mama gots it," or "Daddy gots it." I watch my grammar pretty scrupulously and initially I was appalled when I heard myself say this. Then I got over it.
"Okay, let's just watch 'Robin Hood.'" I'm working on getting over my screen phobia, but I surprised myself the first time I put a movie in. It was about 100 degrees and he was tired and cranky and I was out of ideas.
"I don't care what side of the bed I sleep on." Nathan and I (or maybe just me) used to be big into "that's your side, this is my side." When we got home with the baby, Nathan's wonderful sister, Janelle, and her husband had set up the pack and play their daughter used as a bassinet in our room, because we didn't have a bassinet. They set it up on Nathan's side of the bed. If you remember, we got home in the middle of the night. I collapsed onto the side closest to the bassinet and haven't thought about it since.
"For the love of St. Michael, where is the musical panda?!" The loss, even temporarily, of my son's favorite toy is enough for household panic and an attic to basement search. Before this the only thing that got my attention like that was losing my keys or ipod.
"Hold still, Mama has to get the bugger." Yes, I pick his nose. I really never thought about having to do that while I contemplated parenthood.
"Here it comes, yummy, yummy peas." You could supplement "squash" for peas, but I hate peas a lot more than squash.
"Gots" In any context as in, "Mama gots it," or "Daddy gots it." I watch my grammar pretty scrupulously and initially I was appalled when I heard myself say this. Then I got over it.
"Okay, let's just watch 'Robin Hood.'" I'm working on getting over my screen phobia, but I surprised myself the first time I put a movie in. It was about 100 degrees and he was tired and cranky and I was out of ideas.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The End is Nigh
We always intended to arrive here. When things looked bleak and depressing, we kept a happy thought and a prayer. And now, it seems like we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Yesterday, I scheduled our last post-placement visit with our social worker. The state of Illinois requires three visits after adoptive parents bring a baby home. When I called to schedule it, I asked if we could do it on July 27th and she said we needed to do it before everything was final.
So, things are winding down. Before we brought Elijah home, I sometimes didn't think we'd ever get to this point. Even in February when we were at home with him, six months seemed like a long time away. But somehow here we are. The papers will soon all be filed and signed and we will get a birth certificate from Birthmother's home state that says "Elijah Nathan" with our last name and lists Nathan and I as his parents.
It feels strange now that, in a sense, this adoption will no longer be part of our day-to-day lives. He will officially be our baby and it won't matter how it came to be that way. (Not that it matters now.)
But in another way, adoption is now part of the fabric of our lives. It will be our special bedtime story, our long road trip story, our "Mama and Daddy love you so much" story. Every time we tell it, we will explain how courageous Birthmother was and how very much she loved him.
But I think we'll have a little party when we get the official paperwork (or phone call or however the notification process works.)
Yesterday, I scheduled our last post-placement visit with our social worker. The state of Illinois requires three visits after adoptive parents bring a baby home. When I called to schedule it, I asked if we could do it on July 27th and she said we needed to do it before everything was final.
So, things are winding down. Before we brought Elijah home, I sometimes didn't think we'd ever get to this point. Even in February when we were at home with him, six months seemed like a long time away. But somehow here we are. The papers will soon all be filed and signed and we will get a birth certificate from Birthmother's home state that says "Elijah Nathan" with our last name and lists Nathan and I as his parents.
It feels strange now that, in a sense, this adoption will no longer be part of our day-to-day lives. He will officially be our baby and it won't matter how it came to be that way. (Not that it matters now.)
But in another way, adoption is now part of the fabric of our lives. It will be our special bedtime story, our long road trip story, our "Mama and Daddy love you so much" story. Every time we tell it, we will explain how courageous Birthmother was and how very much she loved him.
But I think we'll have a little party when we get the official paperwork (or phone call or however the notification process works.)
Friday, July 6, 2012
7 Quick Takes
one
A big thanks to my cousin Larry. He read about my troubles getting Elijah to nap and he passed on some advise his daughter's pediatrician gave him and his wife. Establish nap times, always put the baby down at the same times every day and eventually they will get the hint. I have to say, this has already helped out a lot. I started putting Elijah down for naps at 11:30 and he really hasn't fought it too much. He cried the first couple days, but always dropped off to sleep eventually. We haven't yet established an earlier nap time and I'm gone in the afternoons, but the 11:30 has really helped out. Thanks, Larry!
two
Anne's home!! She came home this past weekend and has been hanging out for a couple days. It is so nice to have her around.
three
Ever since we brought the baby home, Nathan and I have gotten away from doing the monthly budgeting that we were before. We have had to recover from adoption expenses, but I noticed lately that we were spending a lot more than we should be. It was especially handy to have cash that was our only personal spending money for the month. So today, I think I'm going to drag the notebook back out and try to get us back on track
four
We are going to be having a house guest in a couple weeks. A friend of Nathan's whom he doesn't get to see very often is coming to stay with us for a few days. We have been trying to get the house cleaned and ready for company. I had no idea how hard this actually is with a little one. We kind of wait until there are two of us here so one can play with the baby and the other can clean. This means we can clean at 11:30 pm when I get home from work, and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings and Monday and Tuesday evenings.
five
six
Baby boy has developed some frightening habits. He has started rolling onto his stomach in his sleep. I know he's perfectly fine, but it terrifies me every time I check on him and find him that way. I have to fight the urge to flip him back over. He also takes his pacifier out and tries to eat it. I kid you not. He has a "hospital" style paci, they're the only kind he'll take, and I read they are specifically designed so that they can't be swallowed, but today I found him with it almost completely in his mouth and kind of freaked out. It might be time to take the pacis away.
seven
I actually wrote this post on Thursday afternoon. I love Nathan being home on Fridays, but it kind of throws off my rhythm and Friday is usually over before I even think about 7 Quick Takes.
For more 7 Quick Takes, check out Conversion Diary.
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