14 weeks

Ezra was 14 weeks on Tuesday. Here are some recent pictures.
Chad has been working hard on school and luckily his baby is a master proofreader.

Ezra had a playdate the other day with his buddy Aiden. Aiden is 1 month younger than Ezra.

Ezra laughs

Ezra laughs from Lesley Montandon on Vimeo.

Ezra's first haircut

We cut Ezra's hair for the first time today. It was pretty much a mullet. You know, business in front, party in the back. Only, it was really business on top, party on the sides and in the back. We weren't sure how he'd react to the clippers but he didn't really have much of a reaction at all. Here are the before and after shots and a video of Chad cutting his hair. Enjoy!

First haircut, 11/2/09 from Lesley Montandon on Vimeo.

The weekend

We had a good weekend. Chad was off so we got to spend a lot of time together as a family, and Chad's grandparents were in town so Ezra got to meet a set of his great-grandparents. Here he is with Nanny. We didn't dress Ezra up for Halloween. I did put him in this outfit that my sister bought him while I was pregnant. It says "I want candy." I thought the look on his face was appropriate.
Just a cute picture of Ezra playing with his daddy.
My handsome little boy at almost 14 weeks.In other news, we will be cutting Ezra's hair soon. You'll notice in the second-to-last picture that he is still sporting the old man 'do, with short hair on the top and longer hair around the sides. Even though he has hair on the top, it is shorter since he lost all the hair on the top when he was about 4 weeks old, so it won't be catching up. We'll just be evening it out. I'll post pictures of the "before" and "after" when we get around to cutting it.

Weekly weigh-in

I lost .2 pounds this week. Yes, that decimal is in the right spot. Long story short, I bought candy for Halloween and we had zero trick-or-treaters. I think that pretty much explains it. I am just glad I lost instead of gained. Here's to a week of better eating and more exercising.

Is it already November?

These are a few of my favorite things

I've seen a few lists of other people's favorite baby things, and I put together one of my own. These are the things we like and have used the most during Ezra's newborn months.

Fisher Price Rainforest Swing--My sister let me borrow this swing, and I love it for a few reasons--it swings sideways and front to back, it has a mobile that can move with or without music, it has 4 different sounds that can be played depending on whether the baby is sleepy or wants to play and be awake, and best of all, it plugs in. No batteries to replace!
Baby Einstein Play Mat--This is on loan from my friend Tiffany. Ezra uses this toy more than any other toy we own. I can lay him under it and he will stare at all the toys, grab them and smile for a loooong time. I have even started bringing it with me when I go out of town, because it breaks down easily and is easy to pack.
Conair Infant Sound Machine--We use this for the white noise so we don't have to tiptoe around the house when Ezra is sleeping. It has other sounds (heartbeat anyone?), but we stick with the white noise.
Summer Day/Night Video Monitor--I love this monitor. It has video and sound, and keeps me from going into Ezra's room multiple times a night whenever he makes a peep. Plus, sometimes when Ezra is asleep I miss him (dorky, I know), so I can look at my cute little sleeping baby anytime without waking him up.
Graco Snugride32 Carseat w/ Travel System--once Ezra got over his carseat aversion (which I think would have been the case with any carseat), I have grown to really like this carseat. It is also one of the highest rated in Consumer Reports. My favorite part about it is the sunshade that slides back and forth and isn't attached to the back of the carrier, if that makes sense. That way you can move it to block the sun or wind from whatever direction. It's supposed to fit up to 32 pounds or 32 inches, so we will see if we still use it that long or switch to a convertible before that. Obviously we won't be carting Ezra around in it at that point, since our arm is about to fall off as it is with that kid in his carseat.
Kolcraft Jogging Stroller--I like this stroller because Ezra can face forward or backward in it, and it also has a carseat attachment. It does the job on our walks and runs.
Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe--We used this for every nap and bedtime until about a week and a half ago. It calmed Ezra right down and he knew it was time to sleep. It kept him from flailing his arms around and scratching himself in the face and waking himself up. I didn't think swaddling was really necessary before we had a baby, but once we tried it with Ezra, it worked for us. I know it doesn't work for some babies. We have since started using the Halo Sleepsack (thanks for the suggestion, Hollie!).
Kelty Wallaby Infant Carrier--I got this for $22 at babysteals.com. I also have an Ergo, but at this point Ezra is not a huge fan of facing in and not being able to see anything when he's in a carrier. This is a lot like the Baby Bjorn, I think. It's easy to put on, comfortable, and Ezra likes it because he can look out or face in if he's sleeping. I'll still use my Ergo when he gets bigger. I think the Kelty is rated to 25 pounds, but I don't know if I'll use it when he's that big.
GroBaby Cloth Diapers--I was inspired by Stephanie to check these diapers out when I was researching cloth diapers, and I am not sorry that we decided to get them. They are great. Ezra hasn't had a single blowout, and the extra load of laundry every few days is nothing compared to the amount of laundry I'm already doing. And really, it's not gross. Basically you throw the diapers in a wetbag instead of in the trash, and then you throw the whole thing in the wash instead of the dumpster. No big deal. Even Chad doesn't mind them. I still let the grandparents use disposables. :)
Quilter's Nappies cloth wipes--I started using cloth wipes because it only makes sense with cloth diapers. I love using cloth wipes as much as I love the diapers. I just store them in a plastic wipes container with some wipes solution, and they are sooooo much better at getting the messes than disposable wipes. Also, I have started using these for bath washcloths as well.

So, there's my list. I'm sure I'll add to it as the months pass.

3 months and last week

Yet another month has passed since we have had Ezra in our lives! He is 3 months old today. Ezra continues to grow and develop. Here are a few of his new 3 month things:

-He is no longer swaddled when he takes his naps or sleeps at night. Swaddling is for babies; Ezra is a big boy (this is what he told us). He is actually sleeping better now than he was toward the end of the swaddling phase, because he can't wriggle out of anything. Also, he likes to sleep with both hands up by his face, so that couldn't have been too comfortable to be wrapped up tight like a burrito.
-On October 22 I heard Ezra laugh for the first time--an unmistakable laugh. Paul and Carolyn were visiting and Paul was just talking to him (Ezra loves his Papaw!) and he just let out the cutest laugh. Paul was able to get him to laugh a couple more times, and I have gotten a couple giggles out of him. I am still trying to capture it on video, but once I do, I'll post it, believe me!

This last week was a lot of fun. Paul and Carolyn got here on Wednesday afternoon, and I left Ezra in very capable hands and went shopping. Then Thursday I got to run some errands by myself, and then Thursday night Chad and I went on our first "real" date since Ezra was born...dinner, Starbucks and a movie. It was great! Then, Friday Ezra and I drove to my mom's house in Garner, just west of Weatherford. She just finished building her house and had only moved in on Tuesday. It is so nice. I can't wait to go back for Thanksgiving! Ezra did great in the car and slept most of the way there and most of the way back. Over the weekend I also went to my friend Larry's wedding in Granbury and got to hang out with Emily and her sweet baby girl Heidi, who is 6 months old.

-This last week Ezra has started to grasp things and now has much better control of his hands. He can grasp the toys that dangle from his play mat, a fabric ball, and even his bottle for a few seconds. He has also gotten more interested in books and Texas Monthly.

Weekly weigh-in

I lost 4.6 pounds this week. This puts me at over the halfway point toward my goal weight. It's nice to get over that little hump. I have no idea how I lost almost 5 pounds this week, but I am happy to report my wedding and engagement rings fit again. I was so excited! But I still have no clothes that fit. Oh well, luckily sweatshirt season is upon us.

I will blog later about the last few days. Paul and Carolyn came to town, then Ezra I went to mom's new house near Mineral Wells and stayed for a few days and I went to my good friend Larry's wedding this weekend in Granbury, which I almost missed because I got lost on the way and the wedding was about 15 minutes long. Also, stay tuned for a post coming up about Ezra turning 3 months old tomorrow. Yay, no shots!

12 weeks

Ezra is 12 weeks old today! I can't believe my baby is about to be 3 months old. I was uploading some pictures from our old camera today and he was sooo tiny when he was born.

At 12 weeks, Ezra:
-Still wakes up 1-2 times a night, meaning when I am already asleep. We put him down for bed around 7-8, and he usually wakes up once to eat before we go to sleep. Last night he woke up only at 1:30, and then again at 7. It's different every night. Oh, how I am ready for him to start sleeping through the night.
-Currently enjoys the ease of getting his food from a bottle rather than me. He will get very impatient and upset if you don't give him the food NOW if he is really hungry. We have had lots of talks about patience, which I am sure are getting completely through to him. :) We have our up days and our down days, and we're still working on this.
-Is still swaddled for naps and nighttime, but we have decided to drop the swaddle soon, since he is now strong enough to wriggle out of it at least a couple times a night, which wakes him up and that is the exact opposite of the point of swaddling a baby. He doesn't have super control over his hands yet though, so I'd like for him to stop hitting himself in the face before we get rid of the swaddle completely. If anyone has any suggestions for how to stop swaddling a baby and still getting them to sleep, I'd love to hear them.
-Smiles and talks when you talk to him. He has also started talking to his very hungry caterpillar toy that hangs from his carseat when we are on car rides. Chad and I much prefer this to the crying, which he doesn't really do anymore. Yay for phases passing!
-Speaking of hands...he is enamored with his. I took this picture because this is how I find him a lot of the day when he is playing...holding his fists up close to his face and just watching his hands.

We love our baby boy and can't believe he's already been with us a quarter of a year. I mean, this time last year I wasn't even pregnant yet. I remember thinking when I found out I was pregnant, "This time next year I will have a 3 month old!" Time flies.

Weekly weigh-in

I lost half a pound this week. Not much, but I didn't work out as much and ate pretty much whatever I wanted. No new recipes to report.

Random pictures and video

Here are some pictures from last week. Ezra has gotten pretty good at his head control and pushing himself up on his mat. He doesn't like being on his tummy though, but Erin gave me a mirror that I can put in front of him and he seems to be pretty interested in looking at his reflection.
The cloth diapers are great! No blowouts yet. After I wash and dry the diaper inserts, they can be hung out in the sun and any stains are bleached out. It's pretty cool.
This video isn't super interesting, but just shows more of how Ezra has started talking while he's playing. Mostly for the grandparents and anyone who's interested.

Playtime from Lesley Montandon on Vimeo.

Pumpkin patch pictures

When you take a 2 1/2 month old to a pumpkin patch in the bright sun right after he's woken up from a nap, this is what you get:
The above photo was the best smile we could get out of about 40 pictures that I took. Oh well, we'll try again next year.

11 weeks

Superbaby!
I love to eat!
...as you can see:

Ezra was 11 weeks old yesterday. Time is flying by! Everytime I think I am really getting to know my baby, he throws me for a loop. Take yesterday for example. Lately, he has been wanting to go to sleep around 6:30 and will sleep for 5 or 6 hours before he wakes up. Yesterday he took a little catnap at around 5, then woke up. Chad and I decided to go to dinner at Roadhouse, so we fed Ezra right before we left and he was fussy to say the least. I almost suggested that we stay home, but Chad was adamant about getting me out of the house. So we went. As soon as I put Ezra in his carseat, he stopped crying. We drove to Roadhouse and waited about 10 minutes. He just stared at us the entire time through dinner. I really thought he would either fall asleep from tiredness and the loud roar in there, or fall apart--most likely the second one. He did great! As soon as we came home, he started crying, but who could blame him since it was after 8:00 at this point. He is still waking up about twice a night to eat, and last night it was at 11 and 4. And speaking of eating, he decided to go on a nursing strike the past couple days. He was just getting too impatient and was too hungry, so we just gave him bottles and I started to think that we were done with the nursing thing. Well, it seems like we are back as we were because he has nursed fine all day today. I really think he was going through a growth spurt because he was super fussy too, and today he is super happy. That little unpredictable kid.

I think the best lesson I have learned in the past 2 1/2 months is that everything changes constantly with a new baby. Now I have learned to tell myself "It's just a phase," and not get so down if something isn't going the way we would like for it to. Another thing I have learned is that the minute he yawns or his eyes start looking sleepy, put him down for a nap. This is usually around 55 minutes after he wakes up from his last nap. If I wait too long, he wakes up constantly or is awake after 45 minutes, then of course he is sleepy and cranky. If I put him down at the right time, he sleeps for 1.5-2 hours, and then of course he is hungrier when he wakes up so he eats better, and the cycle continues. The third lesson I have learned is to never, ever tell anyone with a newborn to enjoy every minute. Having a newborn is hard, and I would say that we even have a pretty easygoing baby. And even with a baby like Ezra, not every single minute is enjoyable. The vast majority of the time, yes, but all the time, no. I'm just sayin'.

This week's recipes and weekly weigh-in

Easy chicken cordon bleu...Chad made this. It was good, easy, and a great way to use up leftover croutons.
Chicken with balsamic bbq sauce...this was good and super easy.
Chicken tacos with mango-avocado salsa...I made this yesterday. It's a recipe from my Cooking Light magazine and it was really easy and Chad said it was good. I wish they had put a recipe with mangos and avocados in a summer issue instead of an October issue because it's not as easy to find good produce now and it's more expensive.
Herb-roasted pork tenderloin...this has become one of my favorite recipes. It is easy, I always have the ingredients, and it turns out good every time. It's in a previous week's post if you're interested.

I lost 1.2 lbs this week. I am trying to take it a little easier with the exercising and eating, meaning I am exercising maybe 3 times a week now instead of 5 or 6 like I was at the beginning, and I am eating more calories. I weighed myself on Friday and I had already lost 2 lbs in 4 days, which is not good if I'm nursing. So I am trying to be a bit more moderate about it, and still hoping to lose around a pound a week. I am glad I'm blogging about it though, because it helps me to think that if I make bad choices I'll have to tell everyone who reads my blog that I gained weight.

Happy Thursday!

Ezra has perfected his "deer in the headlights" look:

10 weeks

Ezra is 10 weeks old today! So this picture isn't in focus, but I just love his big smile. It lights up his whole face, and we love our sweet little boy so much.

Some videos

Ezra's first road trip from Lesley Montandon on Vimeo.

Cabin tour from Lesley Montandon on Vimeo.

Ezra in the morning from Lesley Montandon on Vimeo.

The first video is of Ezra on our road trip, 4 1/2 hours into the trip. The second one is a tour of our cabin, for our family and friends who have not gotten a chance to see it in person yet. The third one is of Ezra when he first woke up one morning. He is really trying to tell me something. I love how good of a mood he is in when he first wakes up for the day...it makes all my tiredness worth it! On a sidenote, I hate it how I always tell Ezra to "say bye." Then I wait for him to say bye. Obviously, he can't. Why do I do that?

We've gone fluffy

We have officially started cloth diapering. I am using the Grobaby system, and did a trial run about a month ago, and I really like them a lot. Ezra has really just grown into using them, and as you can see they are still a little bulky because I have to snap them down to the smallest setting so there's some extra fabric, but I am anxious to get started. Doesn't Ezra look excited too? As you can see, the new cloth diapers out there are not your mom's piece of folded fabric and safety pins. Yes, those still exist, but I am going the more high-tech route. These have a snap-in system and are also one-size diapers, so they should fit him on the larger setting until he's ready to potty train. Even Chad said he is ready to start cloth diapering--he didn't like the "chemical" smell of the disposable diapers. So now that the husband is on board, I feel like it's a good time to start. Wish us luck!

Weekly weigh-in

This week I lost 2.2 lbs. I was surprised because I ate out three times, only did the shred once, and ran twice. I wasn't as good at keeping track of my points because we went to the cabin this weekend, but I was aware of it. Oh well, I'm not questioning it. This means I am over a third of the way to my goal weight. I am only 16 lbs away from my starting weight, and less than 20 toward the goal. It feels good to know that something I am doing is paying off...probably eating less and exercising more, whodathunkit. Since I went out to eat so much this week, I started looking up nutritional information for the restaurants. Most of them have their nutrition facts online and I have to say I was pretty surprised at how few healthy choices there are. My goal is to just find one or two healthy things at each restaurant I go to on a regular basis, and these days most restaurants are pretty good about having at least a couple healthy options. All I have to say is I can never eat a plain jane baked potato from Jason's Deli again.

We're home...in one piece!

We are back. The trip went great--as great as can be expected when traveling with a 2-month-old. We left as soon as Chad got off work on Friday morning. I drove, and Chad stayed in back to tend to Ezra's every need. Turns out he does pretty good when someone is back there with him all the time feeding him, putting him to sleep, sticking his pacifier in his mouth, etc. He actually slept a lot of the time there and almost the entire time home, except between Ft. Sumner and Clovis. I'll explain in a bit. We didn't bring any toys to the cabin with us, but Ezra was quite enthralled watching a slideshow of pictures of himself on the laptop. This is how Chad kept him entertained both mornings when the boys woke up earlier than I did. We took a couple hikes while we were there, just down the Blue Canyon, Rippling Falls trail, etc. It was chilly while we were there, and I thought Ezra looked so cute in his little fleece outfit. I will really miss the days when I can't decide what my child wears.
Family picture with self-timer--this was the best one we could get where Ezra wasn't completely covering his face. (I woke him up for this picture. Bad mom.)
We looooove fall in the mountains. This was the first trip to try out the Ergo carrier. Ezra hated being put in it--once again the claustrophobia thing I guess. But once he realized he wasn't getting out, he stopped putting up a fight and fell asleep quickly.
Hiking down Blue Canyon Road

View of the cabin and the new deck railing that Chad, Talin and David built a few weeks ago
When we first got to the cabin it was COLD inside...glad we brought those heavy-duty space heaters that kept us comfortable the rest of the weekend. I bundled Ezra up and he was all too happy to take a nap in his pack-n-play after being in his carseat for 6 hours. And what would a trip through Ft. Sumner, NM, be if you didn't stop at the Billy the Kid Museum? Don't answer that. Anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to let Ezra out of the carseat for a little bit to give his bottom a break. In hindsight, I wish we had just kept going. He was fussy for the next hour and a half.
Not the best picture of our little one, but funny nonetheless. So, overall the trip went well. It took us an extra hour either way just for stops and to get Ezra out of his carseat, change his diapers, etc. He did well at the cabin except he woke up more often, and so did we since we were all sleeping in the same room. I think he had a bit of a time adjusting to the altitude. He was a little bit fussier than usual all weekend...I'm sure from lack of sleep during the night and with the car rides. Last night we got home about 9:00 and I brought Ezra in his room, changed his diaper, and laid him in his crib and he went to sleep immediately--it's like he knew he was back home in his own room. And now I'm awake blogging after his one and only feeding of the night--he slept for a 7 hour stretch. Tired boy. Anyway, we are glad we got to go up there one last time before next season, and we are glad to be home. One thing this trip taught me is that I am so glad I will not have a tiny baby at camp next year.

Weekly weigh-in later today. I don't have such a good feeling about this one.

Dr.'s appointment and fair

Ezra went and saw his doctor today for his 2 month well check. He now weighs 11 lbs. (30th percentile, he was 6#14oz and in the 10th %ile at birth) and is 23 inches long (50th %ile, he was 18" at birth) and is in the 50th %ile for head circumference. His doctor says he is doing great. Poor little baby had to get 3 shots while we were there and he didn't like that one bit, and neither did I, but we both did great. Ezra only cried while he was getting the shots and as soon as I was able to pick him up, he calmed down. After the doctor's appointment we went to the fair, you know, to reward Ezra for being so good at the doctor. As you can see from the picture of us at the fair, he was very impressed. I was just glad that he was happy to get back into his carseat and take a long nap. He slept the entire time we were at the fair and woke up to eat while we were driving home.

Overall it's been a good day, and I am hoping we don't have to get any more shots for a while.