Miracles do happen!

It's been less than two months since I posted last - how can so much have happened in that time?! I just reread my January 18th post and the things I wrote about seem almost arcane. This must be what people mean when they say "the first year goes by too fast."

On Monday, Henri turned nine months old. He had his well-baby check-up and measured 20 pounds, 6.3 ounces (50 percentile) and 28.8" (70 percentile) - in the words of Dr. Unger, he is "lanky." Doc is very pleased with how well Henri is doing and says to keep up the good work.

And I'm finally starting to feel like I *am* doing good work. As of this week, Henri has undergone a remarkable sleeping change. Last night was the best night's sleep I've had since before the little guy was born! He fell asleep at a little after 11:00 pm and snoozed until 6:00 am! At that point, he woke, nursed, required a diaper change and promptly fell back to sleep until 10:00 am! I'm sure my blissful sigh can be heard 'round the world. We have a humidifier and a wardrobe change to thank for this miracle. Nathan suggested a humidifier a couple of months ago but I didn't really see any evidence to indicate that one would do any good. It wasn't until Henri came down with a cough and an eye infection - and both were in part cured by hanging out in a steamy bathroom - that I started to clue in. With the cold we have had this winter, our heat has been on a lot and it has made for some very dry air in our house. The humidifier has taken the edge off and doubles as a kind of white noise machine. Perfection!

The second part of the change was a little harder to figure at the time, but now, looking back, I'm kicking myself for not seeing it sooner. Turns out Henri is done with footed sleepers. He just can't stand them anymore (this after I scoured the whole of the Carter's outlet store for the only two 100% cotton ones in his size, of course). On Saturday night, during a particularly noisy and angry night waking, I noticed that, as I tried to rock him and comfort him, he was doing more than just restlessly tossing - he was arching his back away from me and kicking violently. I felt like I'd been hit over the head with a 2x4 labeled "DUH! Earth to Mom!" I could almost hear the words roaring through my sleep-deprived brain: "take off the damned sleeper!" I promptly undid the thing and tossed it to the floor. After some skin-to-skin contact and a round of Grandma Shaw's magic hippie sleeping oils, Nathan took the Bear for a diaper change and I asked him to dress him in a pair of lightweight flannel bottoms and a short-sleeved onesie. And no socks. It was like night and day. The rest of that night was peaceful. Sunday night was peaceful, with only one waking. Monday night was closer to what had become "normal" - wakings every three hourse - but without the frustration and discomfort. And then last night, the magic night. Aaaaahhhhhh!

Let's see what else is new? Ah yes - Henri has one tooth ("Old Chomper") and is a crawling machine! That's right, mobility has come. One day he was stationary on hands and knees, the next he managed to piece together a kind of shuffle-drag - and after that there has been no looking back. He's got an engine on him for sure. He's also pulling himself up to standing like a pro - on the coffee table, on the entertainment unit, the couch, in his crib...you name it, he uses it to become Standing Bear. It means I cannot leave him alone for more than a nanosecond, but honestly I really don't mind. Boo-hoo for me, I have to spend hours at a time playing with my adorable son. Waaaaahhhhh! It's tough sometimes to not be able to get much done - but that's what nap time is for! I've also learned that I can maybe cash in on a couple 20 minute sessions per day of "high chair time" - where I plop Lil H in his chair with a mountain of toys (that, one by one and with much deliberation, end up on the floor) and get some frantic chores done. It's become a pretty comfortable routine around here.

That's the first time I've said that in months. Here's hoping it continues!

Housekeeping items

Just have to mention a few non-Disneyland-and-Christmas items here:

Henri can now sit up by himself. Just all of a sudden, one day, went from wobbly drunken sailor to full-on sitting up independently. He'll still topple when he gets excited or tired, but he is digging the new realms of play he can engage in.

He had his 6 month check-up on Friday and looks great! He is just under 27 inches long and is 17 pounds, 7.3 ounces. Dr. Unger is pleased with his development and says we are doing a great job with him. The only thing I'm worried about: Henri is still waking up every two or three hours in the night. Honestly, it hasn't really bothered me, I've gotten used to it. But now that his teeth will be coming in soon, he shouldn't be nursing all night long, as it can cause tooth decay. Dr. Unger knows of this concern, and I think that is part of the reason why

he has proscribed Henri a combination vitamin D, iron, fluoride supplement. He also encouraged me to start getting Henri to sleep without his favorite nursing-bouncing package deal. I've been able to get him down when he's still just drowsy, so hopefully we can move forward from there. The tricky part is going to be getting him to accept other forms of soothing during the night when he wakes up crying. Good luck to me!

Okay, I lied, I do have ONE Christmas item - Henri's first Santa picture! Note the tongue - it's his new favorite way to smile. It originated in Disneyland and has become his signature.

*head smack* D'OH!

I totally forgot to write about Henri's four month check up last week! We have been so incredibly busy here that it completely slipped my mind...better late than never, I suppose!

Bear Cub weighed in at 14 pounds, 11 oz (50th percentile) and measured 25.2 inches long (70th percentile) - confirming my suspicions that he has indeed been going through a growth spurt! In less than a month, he gained 20 ounces and 1.2 inches! No wonder he's been tired, cranky and ravenous!

Dr. Unger says that Lil H is looking good. Some of his motor skills - passing a toy from one hand to another, rolling over three times in a row, taking his pacifier out of his mouth and putting it back in again - are more consistent with a six month old's development! He remarked that Henri's head is even looking a little better than the last time he saw it - certainly, it's no worse. Whew. I thought it was looking a little better myself, but I was super anxious to hear a pediatrician's opinion. We go to Henri's next physical therapy appointment a week from today and I am praying that they will see an improvement, too. H has been a little stinker about his stretches lately, and he's learned that rolling is an easy way to get out of tummy time. So I've had to resort to carrying him around in the front pack to keep his weight off the back of his head. But on the bright side, he's become an absolute pro at holding his head up as a result of going in the carrier and it gives my arms a little break. Plus, his range of motion (torticolis) has improved, making it easier to get him to sleep with his head turned to the right. Baby steps, I guess - but patience has never been my strong point!