Rough Patch

Just wanted to give a little Duncan update...in my last post about my littlest man we were starting his rice cereal, and hoping that was going to help him get some more rest at night (and perhaps give mommy a little bit, too).  Well...since then it's been up and down.  After we started him on the cereal we went a few nights without a "nighttime" feeding (meaning he didn't eat between the hours of 9pm or 6am).  That being said, it definitely didn't mean we weren't up with him - multiple times - between those hours. I think (and it's fuzzy) that he's eaten in the night three times since we've started the cereal...and usually around 3 - 4am and only when he has been absolutely inconsolable.  We've had some interesting nighttime events...including last Friday night I went in to soothe him and found him only in his diaper...he went to bed wearing full-body pj's, and though they were new they weren't too big.  The pj's were in the crib with him...still fully snapped around the legs.  Ben was home that night, and both of us absolutely do not remember undressing baby D...so how he got himself completely out of his j's is a complete mystery.  But he was definitely naked.  And NOT happy about it, either.  I continue to [try] and be positive, and I continue to hope that at some point very soon little D will realize that sleep is pretty darn awesome.  He is, after all, eating cereal now three times a day.  He can't get enough food.  He is seriously one hun-gry child.  I just hate to see him so unhappy, at whatever time of day, and wish I knew how to fix it.  I know time will help and soon this will all be forgotten...but I'd rather that be sooner than later.

During the day we also have our ups and downs with Dunc.  As you can see from the video above, Duncan does not like to be anywhere, really, other than in someone's arms or lap.  Quite honestly he bears a severe dislike for any type of device that doesn't involve human contact...the bumbo, the highchair (unless there is a constant stream of cereal into his mouth) and he likes tummy time but not for too long.  I guess you could say he just very social? 

Anyway the days and nights have been kind of rough around here the past few weeks...Ben has been traveling a lot (trials, other work travel) and work for me has been slammed.  I can't complain, as with this economy we are so very fortunate that our jobs are busy.  And to say that we're "lucky" to have Ashley does not even begin to properly explain how much she does for me and the boys.  But there have been mornings that after getting in the car and heading out I have forgotten exactly to which courthouse I am headed...and I've had to make some illegal u-turns because I have been heading in the absolute wrong direction.  I've been in the Starbucks drive-through a couple mornings really needing some coffee and breakfast only to realize my wallet is sitting on the kitchen table.  Last week I remembered Duncan's therapy appointment 45 minutes before it was to start (and given the distance, that certainly wasn't enough time to make it happen).  Emails go unanswered, both work and personal.  Griffin has started to expect dinner to come by mom bringing home a box or a bag or the doorbell ringing.  I haven't been able to get regular runs or work-outs in and have felt really lazy in that regard.  I even ordered paper towels online because we were out and I didn't have a chance to hit Target (no worries, I am loving Amazon's awesome discounts and free shipping so it was a great deal, but nonetheless I have to say it is a first for me).  Basically, I have not felt I have been getting what I need to get done at home or at work, and I have not felt like I am doing either job up to my own standards. 

But then I have a night like tonight where, after a very long day of work, some exhausting trick-or treating, a fussy evening from Dunc, and a two-year old on a sugar high, I turn and see this: 



And my heart melts.  How could it not, when looking at that sleeping angel face?

And then I realize, again, that I get to experience my everyday with two absolutely awesome little incomparable souls...THIS is life.  I get to be their MOM.  It will get easier, and though we will still have these patches where things are crazy, this is the fun stuff and this is where we make all of our memories.  And I certainly wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world...not even a full night's sleep.  :)



CLCC Halloween Brunch and Pumpkins

Friday night we carved some pumpkins with Matt and Ashley...then the adults watched a movie before Ben got home from the airport.  More details on the successes...and otherwise...below.

Saturday morning Auntie Kayla, Uncle Eric and Mason came up for a visit and we headed to the CLCC kiddo Halloween brunch.  We had a great time eating some good kid-friendly & SCARY food and even dancing with a DJ!  Both Mason and Griffin did the twist, the hokey pokey...you name it.  They rocked it out for sure.

 

Mama and her little Griff Shark

Mama and Duncan...Duncan's costume got a little warm.  :)

Auntie Kayla and Nemo D!

Mmmm....shark snack!

Mason eating some scary GREEN mac n chs (they also had worm hot dogs...scary idea...but for practical purposes, a bit of a choking hazard as G and I learned the hard way)!

Nemo took a little nap in Daddy's arms

Griffin's Buzz Pumpkin!  (Easiest one to carve by far!)

Mom cranked out a standard scary-faced pumpkin after an epic FAIL of an attempt at a Woody pumpkin.  Too many little lines required + no "real" pattern - the little carving tools = one Woody punkin that just didn't work out.  :(

We tried for a pic of the boys in costume on the couch together.  Mason definitely wasn't having it, and Griff had turned the camera to a weird setting...but, you get the gist.  They sure were cuties!  :)

Punkin Patch

We headed to the pumpkin patch last weekend with Liz and Claire.  Griff had a blast, because this punkin patch has it all...including (oddly, I know) giraffes, tigers, zebras...and the like.  Griff's favs were the giraffes and the tigers...but he also got to ride a "horse" again!  And, we all know G LOVES to see animals eat, so he was definitely into giving them "animal snacks".  Duncan hung out with Momma in the  baby bjorn and even got to take a snuggle nap.  All in all a great morning!

Griff's "horse" was the only one that was a teensy bit rambunctious...and it was hard for Momma to keep up as these "horses" MOVED!

Feeding the deer

Baby Piggies

Baby Tigers!

Zebras...

And D taking his snuggle nap on Auntie Liz while the rest of us went and grabbed some people snacks...and apple cider doughnuts...YUM!

And after the long day, Dunc fell asleep doing his tummy time.  Being little is hard work!

Sharing

This morning while cozing in Mama's bed, Griff decided D was chilly so he put his beloved blankie ("baby") on Duncan's head. And he left it there while readjusting it periodically to make Duncan "not sad" (G's words). Big brotherly love. So sweet!

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Hungry, Hungry Baby!

Well, we had our three-month check-up with the pediatrician today.  Three months isn't a standard appointment, but we went in so we could chat with Dr. Collins about Duncan's reflux, physical therapy for his neck, and SLEEPING (I added that last one to the list).  :)

As it turns out, Mr. Duncan weighs in at a quite healthy 15 lbs 10 oz.  As far as percentiles/charts go...according to the Doctor he is "off the charts."  We didn't get a height today, as it wasn't a "real" well-baby appointment so we will wait for the 4-month checkup to see how tall our little man is.  However, Dr. Collins did use the word "tank" to describe my littlest several times throughout the appointment.  The good news is that his reflux is WAY better and the Zantac is helping (we knew this).  More good news is that his neck is getting better and his flat spot is nearly gone (we also knew this from physical therapy).  More good news is that although Dunc is a "tank," and he is off the charts weight-wise, he is not gaining too much weight and is not chunky...she said he is a solid & proportionate guy who just has an appetite due to his rapid growth.  This led into our discussion of his dislike for sleeping at night and apparent need to CONSTANTLY eat.  Her opinion was - he's hungry.  Gee that was easy! Her suggestion was to try rice cereal.  Now, I am a follow-the-doctor's-advice type of mommy.  I followed the pediatrician's advice to the letter with Griffin.  And with Griff, I was told to start him on rice cereal at four months...and no sooner.  And when I was told this with Griff, I was also given the schpeel about new recommendations for starting babies on solilds even later...as some docs were saying six months to start.  So, I fed Griff rice cereal at 4 months and went from there.  Given Duncan's sleeping problems and very large appetite, rice cereal had crossed my mind.  And, you know who you are (MOM)...I was told more than once during a frustrated phone call after a looong night to give cereal a shot - that it may satisfy his tummy and help him sleep longer.  I responded to this advice that I wouldn't do that until he was old enough to have solids.  Our new pediatrician, who I believe I have been very clear about (LOVE her!) gave me the go ahead.  Would I try it?  Yes, PLEASE!

So I stopped on the way home and bought some rice cereal.  And I checked on the blog back to the day we started Griff on the cereal (love this blog for many reasons...not only does it make for awesome baby books for the boys...but it is also a great tool for me to go back and remember what I did with G, when, and what worked/didn't).  My post about Griffin's first solids brought back the memories -- Griff hated the cereal and it took us a few tries to get him to even get it down.  So after Griff was in bed I set out to give Duncan his first taste of some solid food.  And guess what?  He could not get enough of it...as you will see from the pictures below (snapped, sorry, with my cell phone so they are not the best) he was angry.  And not because he didn't know what the cereal was...not because he couldn't figure out how to get it down...but simply because I was not feeding it to him FAST enough.  When I would take the spoon out of his mouth to get more...he would shove his hand in his mouth in an attempt to get the excess.  Then he would cry until he got more.  And let me tell you...I haven't made rice cereal in a while (clearly), so I had to keep adding more cereal, then more formula, then more cereal...you get the picture...until I had made it the right consistency.  So the end result was that I made a LOT of cereal.  I kind of chided myself beforehand for "wasting" so much of it.  HA!  Duncan ate it all.  In record time.  And after, he was so stinkin' angry that there wasn't any more I had to immediately feed him his bottle on the spot, without even taking him out of the high chair.

And following the epic belly-stuffing, he and I exchanged a lot of smiles and coos.  He didn't spit up a single drop.  I changed him into his jammies...put him in his crib...and after about 45 seconds he was asleep. 

Can you tell I am extremely hopeful?

I am also scared my optimism is going to jinx it all..and that he will be up with a stomachache all night.

But I haven't heard a peep and as I type this he's been out for an hour and a half.  So...here's hopin.  You can do it, my "little" tank.  And Mom, I really hope you were right...and as you are well aware, it takes a LOT for me to say that.  ;)

C'mon, Mom, can you not be a little quicker?

And after the cereal...ALL of the cereal...he pounded six ounces.  The boy is going to be in toddler sizes before he hits six months!

And just because I am feeling positive...here's proof that D CAN sleep in the car!

This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Two of Us....

 OR MAYBE IT IS!  :)

Duncan is Three Months Old!

Well "little" baby Duncan is THREE months old!  He's come a long way in the last month...for starters, since we've been giving him Zantac for his reflux he's a much happier little boy.  He also learned to roll in the past month...both ways...and is really, really wanting to sit up by himself.  He can scoot from one end of his crib to another and turn himself around to face the opposite way.  And, as I have posted before, he is growing at what seems like a lightning pace.  I don't have any official stats yet, as our appointment with the pediatrician isn't until tomorrow afternoon but I am very interested to see just what those stats are.

Duncan is getting better in the car...we removed the strap covers and the head support and that seemed to make a positive difference.  Now instead of screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time he is in the car, he merely cries about half of the time, and actually falls asleep once in a while.  So I am hoping that we are on the upswing with this - otherwise, we won't be leaving the house much for the next few months!

Sleeping-wise, Dunc is not doing great.  We have gotten him to sleep from 8:30 - 3am...but sparingly.  I am only feeding him once in the "night", so he does not get used to a lot of grub during the nighttime - but there is still a LOT of getting up to soothe.  He really likes to sleep from about 7pm to around 10 or 11...so I am hoping to try to keep him awake more during those hours and see if it makes a difference.  Let's just say when I see others post on Facebook that their babies, born within days of Duncan, are sleeping 10-11 hours at night without interruption...I get a little frustrated and a LOT jealous.  But, this seems to be the way of the Pucci boys...they just DON'T like to sleep when they are little...and we can only hope that the proverbial "light switch" goes off with Duncan like it did with Griff!  And again, this will also be a topic for tomorrow's pediatrician visit!  :)

Personality-wise, we get a lot of giggles and laughs from baby D.  He loves watching Griffin (even today, when Griffin was having a meltdown right next to him, Duncan turned to him and laughed...I was amused but don't think G appreciated it much).  And he absolutely loves being the center of attention - funny, they both have that in common!  He is usually pretty happy to just sit and be talked to, and he now is talking back or at least giving it his best effort.  But if you sit him down to do something else (like feed Griff...empty the dishwasher...any other little household task) LOOK OUT.  Duncan does not appreciate being ignored.  He simply will not have it.  Why am I not surprised?!?  But he generally gets his way, at least with his momma; all he has to do is turn those big baby blues on me and I am toast.

I know it sounds cliche, but I just can't remember life without TWO little boys in our house and we wouldn't want it any other way.  I can't wait (well I guess I can, I don't want to wish away their "little-ness") until they are running and playing with each other.  I hope they are the best of friends...because they are both truly awesome little souls!

Duncan Giggles

Sorry that it is sideways...and also for my annoying voice.  :)

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Halloween Comparison

This afternoon Duncan spit up on his outfit so I went and grabbed another...and I just happened to grab these Halloween PJ's that Grandma Cathy had gotten Griffin back in 2009.  Well, here are a couple of pictures for comparison; Griffin (first) is SIX months...and Duncan (second) is THREE months.  I promise, boys, that I won't always draw comparisons between the two of you but right now it's easy...and pretty darn cute.  So I will continue, for now.  :)

Griff at Six Months

Dunc at Three Months

 

Mason's First Birthday Party

These past couple of weeks have brought some special birthdays, including two very special FIRST birthdays -- baby Erin and baby Mason!  Guess we can't really call them "babies" anymore but it sure does not seem like a year has flown by for either of them!  Erin's party was a week before Mason's, but due to the length of the trip and Ben being on trial we were unable to make it...Mason's was closer (he, Auntie Kayla and Uncle Eric live in Champaign now) and it was a 3-day weekend so we were able to make it work.  So...Happy Birthday to both Erin and Mason...we love you both!

Due to Duncan's very apparent dislike of the carseat, car, and anything to do with driving...we re-configured the carseats and moved Griff to the WAY back (the third row).  He thought that was pretty awesome and was chanting "WAY BACK! WAY BACK!").  And, with me sitting in the backseat with Duncan, D actually didn't cry until the last 45 minutes or so of the trip..and for him...that is a success!

We had a great time with everyone at the party celebrating Mason's Number One...then we spent the night (thanks to Gma Cathy for staying up with D!!!) and the next morning we went to a pumpkin patch where G's dreams came true and he rode a HORSE (okay, a pony) but nonetheless he was in heaven.  Horses are the animal of the moment, I would say.  They're at least tied with "orca whales", and that is saying a lot!  :)  We might have to get G into riding lessons or something of that nature.

Other than this little weekend trip we really haven't been up to much.  Ben's been gone during the weekdays, Duncan is still not sleeping well (or very much at all) at night, I've been back to work full time for a while, and Griff is still his very active little self...so to say the least, the Pucci household is an interesting place to be right now!  Though I have seriously considered taking a nap on the couch in my office many, many times (and actually fell asleep with my head in my hands at my desk for a few minutes this week) I wouldn't trade it for the world as each and every day these two boys amaze me, make me laugh, and just generally make me feel very lucky to get to be in their lives every day.  We have the rest of our lives to sleep, right? 

I'll have more updates on baby Duncan (who, by the way, is not only a rockstar on his tummy...holding himself up BIG TIME...but is also rolling both ways, scooting the length of his crib and turning around, and very much acting like he wants to crawl...he is also wearing clothes at almost 3 months that Griff was wearing at 6-8 months.  I really feel like he is going to climb out of his crib, walk into my room and ask me what is for breakfast any morning now) next week when I take him back to see his pediatrician for a check-up.  My little man is growing way too fast...not only has he skipped clothing sizes altogether, but I can't even buy a big box of diapers because he is busting through diaper sizes, too.  It's crazy!

Gma Cathy, Big Boy Mason, and Baby Duncan

One year old!

Mason absolutely despised wearing his birthday hat...but Griff didn't mind

What?  I didn't do it...

Feeding the goats by hand!

Riding "HIS" horse.  This was absolutely his moment. 

Daddy walked beside him but this cowboy needed no help holding on!

It's like the El for goats!

Beautiful fall day...

They made it out of the corn maze...with souveniers of corncobs for G to explore

And last but not least, Griff in his "special seat..." that's right, folks, in the WAY BACK, WAY BACK!