Some pictures

Just hanging out on the couch:


Joaquin's first time in the jogging stroller:


Joaquin in his big boy chair:



Jay and Joaquin with our favorite baby gear item:

Joaquin is making progress!

This month, according to the books at least, is when Joaquin should learn to roll over from tummy to back. We aren't there yet but he is definitely trying.

But, there has been a very pleasant development of a different sort. Joaquin has finally realized that his hands are, in fact, his! This is wonderful because now he can put them in his mouth when he wants to suck on them and, best of all, can reach for things he wants to touch. So, now I can put him in his bouncy chair that has some dangling toys that make noise and he actually plays with them instead of just getting bored and fussy in the chair. This is making taking a shower in the morning much more pleasant for me!

In other news, he has outgrown his 3 month sized clothes and has moved on the the 6 months sizes. With my very unscientific method of weighing him on our home scale, I estimate that he is just under 13 pounds now.

Finally Figuring Out the Witching Hour

From about mid-December until a week and a half ago, we were dealing with a seriously cranky baby from about 4:30 until 7 to 9 or so. He would cry and cry and we had no idea what to do to help. Feeding him didn't do anything. Holding him didn't help. We were at a loss and so frustrated.

Finally, after reading some books and talking to my mommy friend, Maren, we decided to try instituting more regular nap times during the day. The rule of thumb was to try not to let him stay awake for more than two hours at a time and to let him sleep as long as he wanted once he was down.

Well, this has been a miracle. Not only has the witching hour disappeared (knock on wood), but I am now enjoying a little extra time to get work done around the house while the little guy naps. It's a win-win!

5.75 hours of sleep in a row!

Last night, Joaquin went to bed at 6:45 and did not wake up to eat until 12:30! Wow. I hope this continues!

Sleep!

Joaquin slept for 5 1/2 hours in a row just now. So, of course, here I am at 3:45 am blogging because I am not tired! I guess my body is so used to not getting real sleep these days that if I get 5 1/2 hours in a row, it feels fully rested and ready to go.

Hopefully in 20 more minutes I will be able to sleep again.

Yay! Real naps have begun!

Thanks to a great tip from my mother-in-law, we have succeeded in starting actual naps. It all began when I (reluctantly) left Joaquin with Dayle and Nini on Christmas day to go to the movies with the rest of the family (a Nunez tradition on Christmas). I was having a hard time being away from Joaquin for that long. Three hours away from him was a record.

When we returned from the movie, I nervously asked how he had done - hoping he hadn't been too fussy. Dayle pointed to my little guy, fast asleep on a blanket on the kitchen table! He stayed sleeping there for another hour or so after I returned.

Jay and I attempted this on our own when we got home. And it worked! Yesterday, Joaquin took three naps on the table lasting over an hour and a half each. It was fantastic. I was so excited that I did about 6 loads of laundry, cleaned the house, paid some bills and was generally very productive. I really should have napped with him though. Oh well - next time!

More Shots from Gery!

I cannot believe how great these photos are!