With Dad #4

It's so fun it's blurry.

Four Months

On the occasion of Baby Grady’s four-month birthday, it seems timely to share that those who know him best (Jasper and I) are now in agreement that he has become a dramatically more charming baby of late. It’s really so much better for everyone this way. He smiles regularly in response to my trying-hard-to-be-hilarious antics, which is incredibly rewarding for me, since I love attention, even if it is from an infant who lacks the capacity for critical thought. This means that I am highly motivated to be ridiculous, which wears me out and makes me feel as though I have interacted with another human all day, so that then I am less likely to hit Jasper with a barrage of TEN MILLION TALES FROM MY DAY WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR THEM the second he walks in the door. I can only assume he has noticed my restraint, appreciated it, and given me the appropriate points in the tally he keeps in his brain. (I like to think of the tally as a complex formula with multiple variables and even a constant or two that I’m just stuck with.)

Baby Grady has also become a total chatterbox. (gets this from me!) Who knows what he’s saying (does he?), but he is enthusiastic about it for sure. I’d buy what he’s selling! Or vote for him. Or join his cult. Because, it would obviously be a cult of unbridled overeating and cuteness. (Yay! Who went up a size in knit lounge pants this week? More cupcakes for everyone!)

And now he has this giggle. It is silly and hilarious to listen to, so it makes me laugh. And that makes him laugh more. And that’s pretty much what we do with our days. Though we also occasionally sneak in a chore or two. Because Baby Grady permits me to put him down now! It’s such a luxury to once again have the occasional use of both my arms.

How much Baby Grady weighs: 18 lbs. 3 oz.
How tall Baby Grady is: 26 inches
Note: These statistics were gathered in non-clinical conditions and as such may have a wide margin of error; generally, he continues to grow.

Size of Baby Grady’s clothes: Mostly 6-month, but he’s steadily working his way into more 6-12 and 9-month stuff as well. We’ve found that rompers are too short until we hit the 12-month size. It’s the strangest thing. But we have also found that Baby Grady doesn’t really have the ideal body type for rompers. It actually confuses me. Other babies look normal and even cute in them. He just... doesn’t. What am I doing wrong? And what should he wear for summer? We need to buy some clothes for the first time and I have no idea what I’m doing.

Number of bottles (of breastmilk) Baby Grady has consumed: quite a lot; well, not full bottles, but I think we are about to have this one solved

Number of times Baby Grady has rolled over from his tummy to his back: 4 (he does this roughly once a month; just enough to keep me interested)

Number of naps Grady has taken in his swing: 4
Number of naps Grady has taken in his crib: 1
Number of naps Grady has taken in his stroller: 2

Baby Grady’s eye color: blue-brown; still calling that “hazel”
Baby Grady’s hair color: light brown and blond

Baby Grady’s favorite: Pardners; the song about the three little fishies; our morning song (that video is completely bizarre); Chicken Soup with Rice; March Madness; my friend Flora; the “dancies” in his “pantsies” (it’s true, I really have no shame whatsoever) (and no, that doesn’t refer to anything gross) (it’s just dance moves); nursing in the Ergo while hiking
Baby Grady’s least favorite: nursing in public; parties; wind; when strangers talk to him, which they do, because have you seen my baby? he’s ADORABLE.

Baby's got taste

This is not a sponsored post, because, people, please. I have twelve readers. 

Breaking news: Baby Grady has finally found a bottle that he approves of. He actually chugs from this thing. It's completely baffling to me.

I'll be honest, I didn't even want to buy the damn thing. And I wouldn't have. But the shop was out of the bottle I did want. So the shopgirl recommended the Medela Calma, and I thought, "Of course you do; it's a $20 baby bottle." I looked it over, convinced it would not address my problem. I told her that it would not address my problem and that I was really more into boob-shaped bottles these days. Something like the Comotomo, perhaps. And she said they didn't carry that, but they got a sample and I could have it. (I was clearly being extremely chatty and pathetic and it was a pity bottle, no doubt.)

So I'm thinking she's a damn fool for not carrying this great boob-shaped bottle, but I also feel like I can't just take her pity bottle without buying something, and I am such a sucker like that. But it would be bad manners, it seems. So I buy a designer bottle brush and the damn Calma. (I am an etiquette overachiever, clearly.) (And I really love that bottle brush, too.)

For the next week, I keep giving Grady the Comotomo. I'm convinced we're making progress. And maybe we are. The soft sides allow for squeezing milk out, so, I mean, we are putting milk in the baby. And some of it is being swallowed. But it's messy, and he's only occasionally sucking. Which means I am getting ever more stressed about the whole thing where I am supposed to go back to work. Because, I really can't do that if my baby can't eat.

Meanwhile, the Calma sat there on the counter, unopened. Because I knew it would not address our problem.

One evening I mentioned to Jasper that we still had one future-reject of a bottle sitting on the counter and that maybe I'd go ahead and try it, just for funsies. He approved. And I did.

And I was completely wrong about you, Calma. I don't know why, because Baby Grady is still often a complete mystery to me, but he seems to actually enjoy that darn bottle. Provided the milk is at precisely his preferred temperature. Obviously.

How sleep works

One of the items of baby gear that we had in the house long before Baby Grady arrived was a baby monitor. Because everyone needs a baby monitor, right? For all those times when your baby will be out of your sight? hahahahahahaha. Yeah, we thought that would happen. Because in the evening, we'd put the baby to bed and then drink martinis and play cribbage while listening to the baby monitor. That has never happened.

But this week I decided it was time to try to gently inform Grady that it is physically possible for him to sleep without being in physical contact with me. And also without a boob in his mouth. (About this he had no idea; when he is tired, he looks for a boob to make him go to sleep.)

So yes, straight truth for Baby Grady. He did not initially take well to the news. And I don't believe in making my baby cry. So, progress has been slow.

But now I sit, listening to the baby monitor, assuring myself that even though he hasn't fussed in 45 minutes, that doesn't mean he's stopped breathing. And also hoping he's not, like, so totally over me already.

Grady Gus and the terrific, fantastic, so good, very lovely day

So, one day earlier this week (it was Monday), Baby Grady awoke early (at 6:00 a.m.) (yes, even after the time change) (I agree, it was very silly). He awoke ridiculously happy, as he does. All smiles, and chattering, and kicky feet. But it's what happened next that makes this a story. Baby Grady did not stop smiling, for pretty much the whole day. That's an exaggeration, because, come on, he's a baby. But he is also the world's scowliest baby. Until one day when he was not.

He smiled for his morning diaper change:

He smiled in his swing, while I prepped milk and made tea:

He smiled hanging out in his crib while I got dressed:

He smiled during tummy time (this had NEVER happened before):

He smiled when I put him in jeans to go run errands:

It was apparently just the best day! Who can say why? I mean, I was having an uncharacteristically good hair day (it was really, really good, I'm not gonna lie), but I'm sure that wasn't what Baby Grady was on about.

I reckon he heard that demon babies don't get siblings. Because, come on. Anyone who can look at that face and not want to make BABIES, LOTS OF BABIES? Made of stone.

Happy Monday

And if that doesn't just make your Monday morning the most charmed and delightful place in the whole world, I don't reckon there's a thing I can do for you.

Evidence of nerd genes

Reading with dad:

Studying his star chart:

Admiring his polyhedron mobile:

One winter day

Interview with Baby Grady

When I was taking Baby Grady's three-month picture, I accidentally had the camera flipped to video. It took me awhile to figure out how to post it. And I sound like a big dork. You're welcome.