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Weeks 17-20

Week 17: Alec seems to have recovered from his ots, still a little fussy but nothing like yesterday. Today we went out for lunch and for a walk with my firend Sharon and her 5 month old daughter Ava. She is just the sweetest little girl. Alec on the other hand is a tank. It reinforces how huge he is to see them next to each other. What a bruiser! But we had a good day and a nice walk dwespite the high humidity. We stopped at the Musuem of Our national Heritage in Lexington adn Alec loved a video they had on the history of the banjo. he especially liked when they showed Kermit the frog! Alec got very excited and started babling at Kermit. May have to get him a Kermit video!

Friday Michael left for 4 days for a race in Watkins Glenn. I don't know how he can bear to be away from this angel for 4 days. Though I must say I am jealous of the 3 nights of uninterupted sleep he will be getting. My parents and brother came up to sepnd the weekend which was great. I love Alec to pieces but 4 days without a break probably would have driven me over the edge.

Saturday we went into Boston - Alec was quite the tourist! We started in Faneuil hall and had lunch there and then walked over to the Boston Common and on the the Boston Public Gardens. Alec was pretty good though got a little tired of the stroller so I put him in the Bjorn for a bit - he is just getting too heavy though. He was being so good we decided to take himon the Swan Boats. Big mistake. About 2 minutes into it he stated to fus, then cry, then scream. Nothing appeased him. I even tried to feed him. Not happening. Of course the minute we got off the boat he quieted down. I just felt bad for the people who didn't get a very peaceful ride on the swan boat! Usually he likes motion - who knows.

Alec started taking his pacifier again - loves it. I wish I had thought of it last week when he was so fussy. It immediately calms him down when he is overtired and won't nurse. I think it focuses him and calms him. But now with his new dexterity he pulls it out of his mouth with his hand! He tries to get it back in but he's not quite coordinated enough for that yet, but he doesn't seem to mind suckign onthe edge. He also really likes his frozen teether toys, they must feel so good on his sore gums, not to mention refreshing in this heat.

He rubs his eyes now when he is tired. Funny little old man.

He is offically rolling in both directions now. Goes from back to stomach and from stomach to back. He doesn't do it too often but when he does it amuses me to no end.

He is huge. I knwo he grew this weekend. His head is bigger - longer. Everything is longer. He is so long! UGH! My little pea is growing too fast! I know if I hadn't rescheduled his 4 month appt and it was still this week he would defintiley be 26 inches if not more. Time to switch the carseat. I will miss my infant carrier so much! I used to be able to wrap my hand around his foot and cover it completely. Not anymore.

We're really moving. 21 days. So much to do, it seems unreal. I'm really starting to get sad. But I think in the long run its for the best. We take Alec for walks around the neighborhood, up to Tufts, show him where we met, where we got married. There are just so many good memories here, especially in our house. It will be so sad to leave.

Michael is such a sweet dad - he missed Alec so much while he was away, he even stopped and bought him this great musical lion. Alec loves it - he tries to eat it which is of course his greatest expression of affection.

He hasn't been eating all that well lately. I am chalking up to teething but I am honestly worried he is reverse cylce nursing. He tanks up so much at night that he doesn't need as much during the day. Some days he doesn't have his first good feed until 2, occasionally 4. I need to figure out how to switch this aorund. Three hours at a stretch is still a good stretch for him at night. If we could just get 1 5 hour stretch I would be so happy.

Alec's goopy eye has cleared up! YAY for Alec! I am so happy - the tear duct was plugged in his right eye since birth and it would be hard to clean especially in the mornings. His eye would literally be sealed shut with all the pus and goo. And I think he hated the cleaning more than the discomfort of the goopy eye. This is such good news all around. We've been in the middle fo the worst heat wave and Michael thinks that the hot humid air casued the duct to open, sort of like a pore. I'm just happy it opened!

Week 18: I still can't get used to saying 4 months when people ask me how old Alec is. To me he is still a little babe. 4 months flew so fast - soon he will be 8 months, then 12 months! Though now as soon as I say 4 months the immediate reaction is wow, he is a big baby! A lot of people thinkhe is 6 months because of his size and alertness. I guess that is a good sign and a sign of a healthy big strong baby. I just wish it wasn't so hard to carry him around these days!

Where to begin with everything Alec does these days! He rolls all the time. Mostly back to stomach. Doesn;t seem to mind being on his stomach anymore. I think because now he can really push up and raise his head and chest up high - he sees so much more now! He'll go from stomach to back occasionally - not too often. It's so funny to walk into the roomand see his head poking up inhis crib becasue he rolled to his stomach. He also just started scooching much more - mhe will rotate around and around and also try to move forward as well. When he is on his belly he has started straightening out the legs to push off and his little behind goes up in the air. So cute.

His big toe grew. It's huge. All the toes used to be the same size. Now the big one is BIG. Big knuckle and everything. I am amazed.

Alec is sitting pretty well now - still wobbly and falls over a lot but is starting to support himself with his hands. Of course then he notices his feet and gets all distracted.

Alec had his first 4th of July - pretty quiet but nice. BBQ in the hot humid spell that seems to be lastign forever here. He doesn;t seem to mind the heat too bad. But we've taken lots of showers and baths the last few days to stay cool.

Week 19: ALEC SITS! Really sits. Sits without toppling right over. He sits. Somethign about a sitting baby makes him a little less a baby. He won't be a babe in arms much longer at this rate. My little man.

His schooching is really taking off. He virtually crawls - he gets around by rasing his butt in the air and pushing off with his legs. Only problem is his head is pressed hard to the ground. Can't feel good.

When he was sitting he reached down to try to eat his foot - there is nothing cuter than a baby eating his foot. Must get this on film.

ALEC SLEEPS! Mark this date down, on July 11, 2002 Alec slept through the night for the first time ever. Not even the 5 hour stint I was hoping for, but 11 hours! And Michael had to wake him at that. It was probably a fluke but my fingers are crossed.

Because Alec is gigantic we had to change his carseat this week. Very traumatic for me. And for him. It's just huge and the straps aren't fitting right. And it is an extreme pain to have to put him in and take him out of the seat all the time. I miss the ease of the carrier just pop it in and out and go. He always wakes up now everytime we move him form the car seat. Plus shopping and going to restaurants is hard right now because he is still too small to sit in the front of a cart or ina highchair. But he really outgrew that infant carrier - the weight limit is 20 lbs and height is 26 inches. My estimate is that Alec is 21 lb and 26.5 inches so.....

Since we don't use the carrier any more we are now putting Alec in the stroller without the carrier. He sits up in the stroller like such a big boy! We put a toy onthe bar and he sits there and plays with it. Hard to beleive just a few short weeks ago he just lay there and didn't do anything. When he lies down int he stroller he is still so active. He loves to lie down when we go for walks so he can stare up at the leaves in the trees above us. He'll kick his feet and then plop them onthe bar to use as a foot rest.

He whines. Whines and HUNHS. Very strange noise. Sometimes we can't tell if he is laughing or whining. I don't think he knows himself.

Alec had his last playdate with his friend Rachel before we move. It was so cute to see them together now that they are more interactive. They sat facing each other and looked right at each other, would roll towards each other and reach out and grab each other's faces. So cute! Hopefully we'll find some other babies Alec's age once we move so he can have some playmates.

We played hooky from packing to go to the beach one last time. Alec seemed more interested int he water this time. But of course it was too cold to even put his toes in it. But he enjoyed watching it as we walked along the shore. He sat onthe beach blanket and we played for quite awhile. This sitting thing is huge. We went out for Lobster afterwards - yum! Alec of course attrated his usual crowd of admirers. It's amazing the amount of peoploe who talk to you now that I have a baby. I don;t mind the talkign as long as they aren;t kissing him or holding his hands.

Alec continues to sleep well. Miracle of miracles. He usually just gets up at 4 or 6. I am so happy e has broken his nightime/reverse cycle nursing pattern. It was really getting to be so hard. Of course now he is sleepign so well we are about to move and his schedule and routine will be all messed up again *sigh*.

Week 20: Hard to beleive we are moving this week. Alec has no idea how crazy this week will be!

Alec is holding up pretty well under the chaos, he even slept through the night again on the 19th. Amazing.

The packign day and moving day are hard, its so hot and we can't be in the house at all. I didn't realize this until it was too late - should have made plans for us on these days, but I thought there'd be house stuff to do. So Alec and I spent quality time at Target in the air conditioning.

When Alec lies on his back now he will grab his toes/feet with his hands. I love it! Such a cute and classic bbaby pose. I can't stop taking pictures.

Moving day was rough. Well the night part was. Alec did so well up until 9 o'clock that night. we had about 1.5 hours left to go int he trip and he was just miserable. I couldn't blame him, we;d already been traveling for almost 6 hours, I didn't want to be inthe car anymore either. But we stopped for gas and I nursed him, h seemed fine but the second we were back ont he road he screamed until we were able to stop agian doen the road - a small tiny dark country road with few safe places to stop. This pattern continued 3 times until he finally cried himself to sleep the last time. So miserable. I thought my heart would break from his sobs - or I'd lose my mind one or the other. I have no desire to repeat that trip on my own anytime soon.

Alec seems to be adapting well to his new surroundings - at least no complaints so far :)

Alec is so vocal! He moans, groans, shouts, laughs. and babbles. He smiles and laughs. He grabs my face. He explores my face with his hands, grabbing skin and putting his hands in my mouth. He pulls my hair. He knaws on Michael's fingers. We are pretty sure he is teething and dad just happens to be his favorite chew toy.