3D vs. Real Life

When I was pregnant, we went to see a specialist each month to check on Miles' growth. At this appointment, they performed an ultrasound to measure his belly, length and overall size to make sure he was on mark. At each visit, he was perfect. No concerns. Normally, you only get an ultrasound at 20 weeks and have to wait until about 36 weeks for another. So, it was pretty cool to be able to see this little guy each month - something Stephen and I looked forward to  :)

At this doctor's office, they offered 3D images of baby in the belly. While some photos looked a little creepy (you know - cut off limbs, hollow eye sockets and an overall lumpiness), it was interesting to see him move around in there. It's like we got a glimpse at his personality before we actually met him! Stephen and I ask the doctor how "accurate" these pictures were and if he'd look similar to this when he came out. I feel like we got our answer pretty quick. Take a look for yourself!

3D in the belly:

Real life:

It's pretty amazing how similar these two videos are. You can see in the real life version that his mannerisms and movements are almost exactly like those seen in the 3D version. Crazy!

And because it's adorable, take a look at the video we got of his first documented smile!

Miles of Faces

Just for fun, I thought I'd share the series of faces we get after feeding Miles.

 

One month old!

A whole month! I can't believe it! Our little guy is getting so big already.

Some fun facts about our Miles:
- He's outgrown his car seat already. We had to move up the infant head rest to the largest setting. Soon, he won't even need it!
- We've accomplished (2) walks. One in the sling and one in the clip-in stroller. He seems to like the bumps (and it only took to the end of the street for him to stop screaming - ha!).
- Miles really likes to be held in the sling.
- After bath time, his hair is super fuzzy and fluffy.
- When he's REALLY mad, his cry sounds like Chewbacca.
- He is still sleeping a lot, but has some happy awake time. Approx. 45min per day.
- The swing and pats are still some of his favorite things.
- He's eating about 3-6 ounces every 3-4 hours.
- We are getting more and more smiles, but unfortunately, they are still due to reflexes. Can't wait for the real thing!
- He's such a wiggle worm that he somehow finds a way to get his arms out of his swaddle, no matter how tight we make it. We've graduated to the Halo swaddles - a nice way of saying "baby straight jacket."
- During tummy time, he scoots across the floor using his feet.
- The dustbuster has been our go-to to calm him down during the red-faced, no sound, cries.

I know what you are thinking. "Man, what a great photo! How did you get him to hold still/"pose" like that?" My secret weapons? 1. Stephen 2. The dustbuster. I will say though, it didn't start that way....

This is what our first 20 takes look like

Some other cuties during our shoot:

A super close runner up

Happy one-month sweet boy  :)

The Art of Baby Wearing

If you don't already know, babies like to be held...a lot. You rock, you bounce and you pat their bum while they are in your arms and they are super happy, almost asleep. Score! You think, I'll put him in his swing and get some work done. Yea right. The minute you put them down, it's like all hell has broken loose. So, for the past few days, I've tried to perfect my baby wearing abilities. I have to say, Miles and I are getting pretty good at it!

Huge thank you to Elizabeth who donated her old sling to Miles!

These slings mimic how babies felt in the belly and help comfort them when you feel like NOTHING will make them happy. Miles really likes to be in the sling. We walk around a bit and the bouncing/movement puts him right to sleep. I have not, however, perfected the art of taking him out without totally waking him up. We're still working on that...

This morning, he was having a hard time calming down, so I had a brilliant idea to break out the stroller and go for a walk. It's not often that it's decently comfortable outside. At 86, I'd say that's about as comfortable as we're going to get in Austin in the middle of August. My brilliant idea quickly blew up in my face. The minute I told Miles we were going for a "walk," Lucy started getting super excited, running around the house, barking, thinking she would get to go. No chance pup. First time with the stroller... I wasn't about to tack on holding a dog too.

Wellll... Lucy must have known something I hadn't figured out yet. Miles did NOT like the stroller. I tried strolling in the house to get him used to it, but he wasn't having it. So, my solution? You guessed it. The sling. And guess who got spoiled and came too? Yup...Lucy. Lucky dog.

For the record, 86 is still really hot. Especially when you have a heat producing human attached to you. Cue the sweat.

Bottles Up

After our 2-week appointment at the pedi, she gave us the go-ahead to start introducing the bottle. There's a sweet spot between 2 and 4 weeks to do this so a nursing baby is not confused and will accept the bottle without problems. This was crucial for us. Being the sole food source for a growing baby is pretty trying at times, so having the ability to feed him a bottle and give me a bit of a break is definitely appealing. Break = glass of wine :)

Things have been going great and Miles picked up the bottle with no issues at all! Stephen (and a few others) have enjoyed this time with him. And who wouldn't? He's just so cute!

Taking his first bottle like a champ!

As an added treat, Miles's honorary Aunt Reese came for a visit. It was like old times - dinner, drinks, good conversation and an impromptu sleepover! The evening time is a little harder for Miles, so we had some screaming at the beginning, but once Reese grabbed that bottle, he was in love (and I think she was too).

How's Lucy?

Stephen and I were both anxious to see how Lucy would react to her new baby brother. While we are all still adjusting, Lucy is doing about as good as we thought she would. She knows he's here and she gives some fly-by sniffs, but not much more. The co-existence is going well, but our worries will come when Miles starts to move around and gets more curious about Lucy.

We've done research and we're hoping that even though Lucy doesn't do well with strangers or other kids, maybe she'll accept Miles as part of her "pack" and interact with him a bit differently. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but hey, we can always hope! She does show some protective instincts. When he cries, she comes running with a face like "Hey guys! Do you know this thing is crying? Hello?? He's crying. DO SOMETHING!"

All in all, we plan to hire a private trainer to address Lucy's original issues (pre-baby) and hopefully help her adjust to baby as well.

You talking about me?!

2 Weeks Old!

We had our 2-week pedi appointment today. Miles is doing great!

STATS:

7 lbs 10.5 oz (exceeded his birth weight and some! Gained a full pound from our last visit) - 25th %

15th % for head size

5th % for height (doc says this doesn't mean much until he's a bit older)

They had to do more blood work today and Miles was not happy (and so sad) about it. They did this same test in the hospital, but they do it again to make sure they didn't miss anything. We don't go back until 2 months where he'll get his first set of shots. Unfortunately, Miles won't be too happy about that appointment either...

Post Pedi Visit