Okay, I have to take a brief minute here and congratulate my excellent hubby. I said in the last post that Chris ranked #1 on the State editing test, along with anyone else who took it and got the same score he did. Not so! We found out today that of the 24 people who took the test, Chris was the only person with that score, so he alone is ranked #1! One person is ranked #2 and one is ranked #3, which means that if the State officially opens the position they want to hire for (lots of red tape to do so, I think, so it may be a while), Chris and the #2 and #3 folks will be the three interviewed for the job. YAHOO! Please keep your fingers crossed for him--this would be a great opportunity, since it's with the Department of Education--right up his alley!

 

 

Wow, Theo is almost two months old! Time flies...

 

This week was mostly pretty quiet for Theo. It was rather big for Chris, though. He got his results from his exam for the State Department of Education. (He was testing for an editor position with them.) He was ranked...drum roll, please...NUMBER ONE! That means Chris (and anyone else who tied his score on the test) will be among the first interviewed if the State actually clears the position to be opened. We have high hopes for this—it's right up Chris's alley, and the State is supposed to offer great benefits and a bit of a raise over what he makes now.

 

With regard to his current job, Chris is starting back to work this coming week, but he will be working only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the first month. After that, he will be telecommuting Tuesday and Thursday, and working in the office Mon, Weds, Fri. This is going to be a tremendous help to me, since I, too, am still working pretty much full-time. If I was just caring for Theo, I could handle five days a week on my own. Since I'm also trying to work about 32 hours a week or so, the extra time that Chris will be around will be a huge help. Whew! J&S may not be his dream job right now, but we have NO complaints about their flexibility in terms of his schedule.

 

But on to the cutest member of our family (well, Luna would disagree about that designation, but...). Theo got to see his Grandma Diane this week, which is always fun for him because she thinks he's just a little sweetheart, and he knows it! He also took his first big trip (thus the blog title for this week)—down to San Jose to visit the Smalls! We stayed with Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Tom, and Theo got to meet his Auntie Tanya, Uncle Steve, and cousin Nicky, as well as his Great-Aunt Linda, Great-Uncle Bill, cousins (honorary aunt and uncle) Sarah and Billy, and Great-Grandma Norma! He also got to meet Nicky's grandpa, Dave (Baggese). Cousin Nicky was due a week after Theo (six days, to be exact), but he decided to make his entry into the world seven weeks early, so he's actually a full month older than Theo! However, Theo is a Buddha boy next to his slender cousin. Nicky is doing great and weighs more than seven pounds, but Theo is tipping the scales at close to eleven pounds! They don't look too different size-wise, except that Theo has the chubby Buddha Baby look going on!  

 

Anyway, we had a lot of fun, and Theo got to be babysat by his Grandma and Grandpa while Chris and I stole away for an hour to go get some sorbet and have a bit of date time. Bliss!! As much as I love my boy and I miss him when I'm away from him, it is really nice to have some time with just Chris and I every now and then. Thankfully, grandparents on both sides looooove to watch Theo, so we've got babysitting covered. (And Auntie Lynnanne is eager to babysit too, so Chris and I need to plan a date down in Elk Grove, so Theo can spend some quality time with his aunt and uncle and cousins down there!)

 

Theo did surprisingly well on the car trip. We planned it around his morning nap time, and that seemed to work great. He loves the car, anyway--he likes to stare at himself in the mirror attached to his car seat, and he always loves to stare intently out the window. (There's a picture of his intense car-seat look in this week's pictures!) This is a great relief to Chris and I (that Theo is a good traveler), since we're trying a trip to Texas next month for cousin Stefanie's wedding.

 

LOTS of pictures this week--mostly of the gathering at the Smalls'. You can see quite a few pictures of cousin Nicky, as well as a ton of Theo. Chris got some really cute close-ups of Theo...I may have to print some of these out.

 

You can also see part of Theo's rash in one of the pictures of him holding his bottle on his own. That's a significant improvement, but it still makes me sad! We think it's a result of his dairy allergy, and thank goodness it's now just about gone. My dairy detox diet has worked wonders with Theo. His fussiness has drastically lessened, which is making for MUCH calmer parents. Ahhhhh.... My diet is now boring as heck, but it's worth it for the boy.

 

Anyway, happy Memorial Day, and enjoy your week!!

So I finally got around to uploading a Theo video! It's of him having a baby tantrum over the fact that I dared to change him before giving him a bottle when he woke up from his nap! But here's the catch: The little fellow does not like chilled breast milk one bit, so while we're warming the bottle in the bottle warmer, we change him. He wouldn't have been any happier if we had reversed the order of events, since he would've been forced to drink cold breast milk had we given him the bottle right when he woke up.

 

Finicky little diva, that boy...

First and foremost, I have to wish Chris a very happy birthday!!!! He turned the big 3-2 today. To honor the occasion, we took Theo to Panera for Sunday-morning bagels...yum! It was one of our traditions pre-Theo, so we're glad to carry on the tradition with our little boy. Of course, he couldn't eat the bagels himself, but I'll tell myself that he enjoyed sitting there watching us eat them and read the paper! In the afternoon, Grandma Diane babysat Theo so Chris and I could go to the movies...a nice treat! And then I made one of Chris's favorite dinners—homemade chicken tortilla soup—and strawberry shortcake with homemade strawberry soy ice cream for dessert. Grandma Diane stayed for dinner to make it a little more festive than just an ordinary night with the three of us, so that was fun. Theo entertained us all by sleeping in his swing but making amusing faces in his sleep as we ate.

 

So Chris had an enjoyable birthday...though it was in jeopardy at first. You see, it turns out our boy is most likely allergic to dairy. We suspected this anyway, but earlier this week he developed a couple more issues that all point to a dairy allergy. I'll spare you the gory details—let's just say one involves the digestive tract and isn't too much fun for the little guy. The other one is an icky skin rash (which is slightly visible in one of the pictures this week, though it has faded quite a bit). So, the doctor finally took us seriously and agreed that he is most likely allergic to dairy. But, there's really no way to prove it other than to take him off dairy, see how he does, and then try to slowly reintroduce it. So, as of four days ago, the doctor told me to stay off all dairy. I wasn't eating much obvious dairy anyway (cheese, yogurt, milk, etc.), but I hadn't cut out "hidden dairy" items that contain casein and whey (which includes a lot of crackers, breads, cookies, cakes, and prepared foods, among other things). This diet makes eating pretty darn boring, but if it helps Theo, then it will all be worth it. Supposedly my system will be mostly clear of dairy in about five days, and Theo's digestive system will be healed about a week after that. And hey, if nothing else, my diet is so darn restricted that it really should help me take off the rest of the baby weight!

 

Anyway, we put Theo on soy formula for several days, while we wait for the milk proteins to fully clear my system. And at first, what a difference! He was like a different child! A bit of mild fussiness, but nothing like before. In fact, he was so mellow that I called my Mom in a slight panic, wondering whether she thought something was wrong with Theo. No, she assured me, that's what "normal" babies are like...babies who don't have upset tummies all the time! Whew, what a relief!

 

But, one big problem with formula is that it's constipating. And so, Theo spent about 36 hours struggling with that. He was fussy, fussy, fussy while trying to "go" (and no wonder!), so we thought we'd be housebound today. But, lo and behold, he gave his Daddy a nice birthday present by finally loading his diaper about mid-morning. I was so relieved that I wanted to raise a flag! It's awful seeing your child so uncomfortable.... But wow, what an incredible diaper blowout that was. Probably my best birthday gift to Chris was changing that horrible diaper instead of asking him to do it!

 

Anyway, in another day or so, the milk proteins should've cleared my system, and we'll get Theo back to nursing. I'm hoping we'll see continued improvement in his level of comfort (and thus his fussiness).

 

In other (more fun) news, check out the album for this week to see my little man holding his bottle on his own! It was a fluke, really—he always tries to hold it himself, but doesn't have the motor skills to make it work. But this time, he managed to get it, and he held it by himself for a good 90 seconds. That's my boy!!

 

You can also see a cute picture of Luna snuggled up to her little brother while he eats. She's getting rather attached to him, methinks....

 

Last but not least, you can see two of his fun expressions—a beautiful smile and a pitiful pout. The pout picture doesn't really do him justice—he can stick out his lower lip well enough to break your heart! I always thought a pout was a learned behavior, but babies must be born with that talent. He certainly hasn't seen Chris or I do it, and yet he does a perfect pout!

 

Anyway, that's about it for this week. Wish us luck that this dairy ban helps our little man!

Okay, a midweek blog entry was in order for this milestone! First of all, Theo got weighed by our lactation consultant yesterday, and I once again won the bet by guessing the weight right on the nose! (Okay, since I'm the one who holds Theo the most, I guess I have a slight advantage here in the weight-guessing game, but still....) The boy now weighs 10 lbs 4 oz!! Big, strong boy!

 

The second noteworthy bit of news is that our boy smiled at Chris this morning! And then at me, but Chris was the recipient of Theo's first-ever smile in response to us! He has smiled involuntarily a number of times--in his sleep or whatnot. But this morning, Chris was making an "Ahhh" face at him, which is part of Theo's suck training to get him nursing better. And Theo looked up at Chris, and on the third or fourth "Ahhh," Theo made a big grin! Then he did it a couple more times for both Chris and I. Yeah, my heart pretty much melted on the spot....

 

 

Wow, my first Mother's Day! It is strange to think that last Mother's Day, I didn't expect that I'd be a mama by this one! Crazy how that works....

 

So what have I done in honor of Mother's Day? I started it out by getting woke up by a barking pug at 6am. Was not pleased about that! But, Theo was stirring anyway, so I got up to feed him. Then Theo and I walked to Starbucks to get coffee for me and Chris (and Theo, via my milk, I suppose!). Grandma Diane came over at 9 to go to brunch, and by then I had changed several poopy diapers and cleaned up the carnage on the changing table after Mr. Theo left a lovely Mother's Day surprise on it while I was changing him.

 

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I've been saying I wanted to go to Tower Cafe for their awesome French toast for Mother's Day brunch. Alas, by the time we got there, it was totally packed. We tried another supposedly good breakfast place, but it was packed too. So, we opted for a nice, low-key breakfast at Crepeville instead. Thankfully, Theo slept through it, so I got to eat (although I dropped food on him several times, as I was wearing him in the Ergo carrier).

 

Mother's Day afternoon has been spent tending to fussy Mr. Theo. Unfortunately, after several days of colic improvement, he is back to being VERY fussy at night. Last night's Reign of Terror was probably the worst since he was three days old...it lasted five hours. Chris and I were quite exhausted by the end of it.

 

This week has been relatively quiet for Theo. We were out and about a few times, most notably to the Davis Whole Earth festival. Theo got a dashing new hat, but unfortunately I don't have a picture of him in it yet. However, there are many other cute pictures in the "Week 5" album.

 

The sad part of the week was losing Chris's grandmother, Dot, on May 8th. Theo was named after her late husband, so we were sure hoping she'd get to meet the little guy in the flesh. But, unfortunately, she passed away this week. She did, however, get to see pictures of Theo--I sent her some a couple weeks ago. So, at least she got to see him that way.

 

Anyway, in honor of Mother's Day, I have put together a little list of things I've learned in my five-week tenure as a mama. And, I want to say a very special "Happy Mother's Day" to all the moms out there—moms of kids, moms of adults, and moms of animals! I hope you all had a wonderful day! Without further ado, I bring you...

 

Our little man is a month old today!!! And what a month it has been...full of ups and downs. It seems colicky Theo has about half good days and half bad days...which is certainly better than all bad days! Chris and I relish the good days...and survive the bad days. It certainly is a learning process.

 

Big week for Chris this week—he had an interview with the State Department of Education on Tuesday! This is just a primary interview to get him into the applicant pool for editor jobs (hopefully). He should hear something back in two to four weeks, he's told.

 

Another fun week for Theo, too! On Tuesday, he went to the nursing home to visit his Great-Grandma Ruth and help celebrate her 93rd birthday! There's a nifty four-generations photo in this week's photo album on our site. That same day was Luna's fifth birthday, so there was much merrymaking and rawhide chewing (by the pug and Bits—the rest of us abstained from chewing on rawhide, difficult though it was to turn down such a sumptuous treat).

 

Theo also went to his first book sale! Chris and I love to troll the Placerville book sale to find good books to re-sell on Amazon.com...we make a wee bit of extra money for our travel fund that way. So Theo came along, riding in his Ergo carrier, and helped us pick some great ones. On the way home, we stopped at the Sacramento Warehouse book sale to pick up some large-print books for Great-Grandma Ruth—we scored 28 new trashy novels for her to read! (Okay, only some are trashy. She claims not to like those ones, but I think she secretly enjoys them!) Theo managed to christen the Subaru by having an explosive poop and pee episode while I was changing his diaper on the front seat. Ah well, if you haven't been peed on by my son, you haven't yet lived!

 

As for the title of this week's post, our little man is goin' green! No, this isn't a commentary on his eco-friendliness, although he does do his part for the environment by primarily wearing cloth diapers. Rather, this is a commentary on what he puts in his cloth diapers! You get the idea, I'm sure...and you wonder why I'm blogging about the color of my son's, um, daily productions. Well, it's because this weary mama and daddy finally may have an idea of what makes their boy so fussy! As most of you know, Chris is allergic to dairy. As many of you know, I was very allergic to all kinds of milk as a baby, although I eventually outgrew it. So we've suspected that Theo may be having some sort of food sensitivity, but we weren't sure what. I cut out milk, but was still eating cheese and such now and then. And when Theo is fussy, it really seems like he's got an uncomfortable tummy, thus our theory that some food was bugging him. So I took him to my Mom's house for a visit yesterday, and he made a lovely green creation in his diaper...something which just started early yesterday morning. My Mom saw it and said, "That's exactly what you did as a baby! And it started when you were a few weeks old! That's probably a food allergy or sensitivity." So I emailed Theo's doctor about it, but in the meantime, Chris and I are operating under the assumption that our son may suffer the same dairy sensitivity that his mama did and that his daddy currently does. So as of yesterday, I'm off dairy altogether for a week or two, and we'll see what happens.

 

I realize it is silly to sound somewhat happy that Theo may have a food sensitivity, but here's the thing: In my vast one-month experience as a parent (ha!), I have realized that there is very little worse in the world than seeing your child in discomfort and being unable to help him. It's absolutely awful to hear him fussing and wailing for hours on end while he squirms and pulls his little knees up to his tummy, trying to get comfortable. And so, if Chris and I have stumbled onto an answer for his discomfort, then I am elated. When Theo starts eating solid foods, there are certainly a ton of dairy-free alternatives on the market that he can enjoy—if he is dairy-sensitive, it won't be the worst thing in the world. And if this helps him be more comfortable, then we will be very happy parents indeed!

 

Check out this week's album for some new pix...and enjoy your week! As for me, I'll enjoy Theo goin' green....