The Latest

Sorry this update is so brief! Since the last update, Miran:
--has eaten egg yolk (ate but didn't love) and green beans (wasn't crazy about).
--has entered a "scream-y" phase, where he enjoys shrieking at the top of his lungs, just for the thrill of it. (It's actually cute, since thankfully his scream is not terribly loud.)
--pulled himself to standing ON HIS OWN and balanced himself that way for long periods of time (while holding on to something, of course).
--seemed to grow more aware and more curious, e.g., he now enjoys truly playing with toys, not just trying to put them into his mouth, and he's interested in different colors and textures.

We Have Teeth!

Miran's first teeth -- the two bottom ones in the front -- have just begun to poke through his gums. You can only really see them when he cries or laughs (i.e., his tongue is out of the way), but they're definitely there -- and if he bites on your finger, you can certainly feel the razor-sharp edge where before was only gummy hardness.

In other news, Miran is 7 months old today. He's been having a good few weeks -- a playdate with his friend, Teddy, yesterday, and lots of happy times with Nana Meej, Granny, Mike, and other adoring fans, plus Mama and Daddy, of course. And he can now stand on his own when holding a crib rail!

Where does time go?

Between working and being with Miran, there's been little time for updates -- but here's a quick one. Miran is doing very well. He's a happy, curious, alert, active baby who brings us such delight every day! This past week, Miran has been seriously "talkative" -- lots of communicative coos, squeals, shrieks, and raspberries (he loves these). Still no distinct consonants, but there are some "luh" and "thuh" sounds, plus the occasional "ma" or "ga" (which seem to happen by accident). Miran's also expanded his diet -- sweet potato was a big hit, and he had his first squash today. (Of course, this means his poop has changed, in color, smell, and consistency, and . . . well, let's just say it's not for the better!) He spends his days playing in his "cushion corner" (a soft, padded area of his nursery with all his toys spread around), going for strolls in the park, singing songs and making rhymes, napping, eating and drinking, and occasionally watching French folksong videos or beatboxing clips on Youtube (they work wonders at calming him down).

As for food, Miran nurses in the morning before I go to work, then gets three 5 oz. bottles of breastmilk, plus 1 or 2 oz. of solids, during the day when I'm gone, then nurses again when I get home and at bedtime. I pump once in the morning (off of whichever side he's not eating from), once at work (both sides), and once before bed (both sides). In total, I generally get 17 - 20 ounces per day from pumping, which is more than enough to cover the hours I'm away -- so we're doing well in that regard. The fridge and freezer are full of milk!

Miran goes to bed between 7 and 8 pm (usually earlier rather than later) and wakes up for good between 5 and 6 am. Some nights he sleeps straight through; other nights, he wakes up once or twice for his pacifier.

We've been taking some videos of him and hope to post some soon, so stay tuned!

What's new in Miran's development

Since last week, Miran has

--eaten mashed banana in addition to the avocado (egg yolk is next, followed by sweet potato). He is really enjoying the solid foods and tries to shove the spoon into his mouth when you don't move fast enough.

--begun pushing his butt into the air, ever-so-briefly, while on his tummy. Occasionally, he even lifts his whole torso off for a split second. A precursor to crawling!

--started making rudimentary consonant sounds. Nothing very distinct, and no babbling, but it's a start.

Can't wait to see what's in store this week . . . our sweet boy changes and grows so rapidly, it seems.

Miran Is 6 months Old

Today Miran turned 6 months and had his first taste ever of solid food -- avocado (he didn't seem to love it, but he did eat it). Here is my favorite picture of the past month.

quick update

As of 9/11:

weight: 17 lbs., 2 oz.
length: 26.75"
general health: excellent

He Can Sit!

Okay, I'm calling it: Miran can officially sit up on his own. He still needs to balance on his hands a bit, and he still topples over eventually, but he can stay upright so long and so consistently that I think I can safely say he has reached that milestone. i can hardly believe that that little boy, who was once so very tiny, is growing and developing so fast. (He's also totally discovered his toes now, and he's just starting to get upset when you take a toy away from him.)

The past week was rough. After waking generally only once each night for the past several months, Miran had begun waking every two or three hours again, just like when he was a newborn. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that it was due to a combo of growth spurt and teething. At any rate, the past two nights he's only woken up twice, so with any luck he'll be back to his more normal routine soon. I certainly hope so, because the timing is terrible: I started back at work yesterday.

So far, it's been okay. He's home with his grandmother (Kieryn's mom) during the day, and I know he's in the very best hands. I do miss him, but my job keeps me so busy that there's no time to sit around dwelling on it.

I'm pumping twice a day and, I hope, will continue to produce enough milk to not have to use any formula. (I've got about 15 or 20 bags of frozen milk, too, but that wouldn't last more than a few weeks.)In a couple of weeks, we're going to introduce solids, and that may help fill his tummy and slightly reduce the amount of milk he needs while I'm away. Right now, with me gone from 7 to 4, he seems to need about 12 ounces during the day. I nurse him from one side for his night feeding (sometime between 2 and 4 am) and then pump the other side. I then nurse him from both sides in the morning so that he starts the day good and full. He gets three bottles during the day, and I nurse him again when I get home around 4. At around 7, Kieryn gives him his goodnight bottle and puts him to sleep, and then I pump gain before bed. So . . . that's the routine for now.



Okay, off to bed.