2 months old... the stats

Happy 2 month birthday to Wes.  Nick work up this morning and told me that he feels like it has been 2 months and I would have to agree.  Wes continues to remain a great baby and I am still getting a 4 to 5 hour stretch at night along with a great afternoon nap for all 3 of us.

So... here are the stats
weight - 11 pounds 4 oz  - 25 - 50%  (Wes has gained 3 1/2 pounds in 1 month)
length - 22 1/2 inches - 25 - 50%
head circumference - 39 1/2 cm - 25 - 50%

As for his acid reflux - still making him uncomfortable and so we got approval to up the dose of medicine to make him feel better.  I asked about my diet and am now going to restrict my intake of cheese, nuts and sesame seeds (lots of that in hummus).

neck strength - this is on the weak side and to be honest, I have to say that this is my doing in part because I have been terrible with tummy time (aka baby torture).  Will work on this everyday Wes, I promise!

calcium intake - I gave Luke poly vi sol when he was a baby and he hated it.  So, there are a few different options one of which is to drink calcium fortified orange juice and/or take a calcium supplement so that he can get what he needs through my breast milk.  I think I will try this instead, especially since I love OJ.

All in all he is a healthy baby boy.  :)

Uncle Dean meets Wesley Dean

This weekend Uncle Dean came out from California with his friend Holly to visit the boys.  They had a great time with Luke playing chase in the backyard and going to see the butterflies at the Butterfly Pavilion.  Luke, who loves to stomp on any bug he sees did not bother any butterflies!

Wes who is 2 months old did not let Uncle Dean hold him much as he is a mama's boy right now.  When Wes would cry Luke would announce to everyone that Wes wants his mom... even to Nick.  Luke still remains a sweet older brother shoosing Wes when he cries... too cute!  Thanks for a great and fun visit to Denver!

Thriller!

Recently the boys and I have been having lots of fun dancing while I make dinner. Check out this video... I especially love how Wes is already getting some dance moves down.

Thriller from K Belitz on Vimeo.

P.S. I still can't figure out how to change the layout of the video. Apologies for any strained necks!

First smile caught on camera!

Here is Wes at 7 weeks old.

Wes 6 weeks old

Last week I took the boys the library. Luke was very attentive and sat up at the front right by the librarian. He was shouting out the names of the characters in the books and the librarian was very sweet to acknowledge him but move on with the story. This is when I took this picture of Wes on my iPhone. (Wes is now 7 weeks old.)

As for Wes, he remains the best baby, only crying when he is hungry. He has put himself on his own schedule at night for more then a week now. He wakes up at 1 AM and 4 AM on the dot, nurses for a half hour and then goes back to sleep! This makes for one very happy mamma! After Luke waking up many times a night (3 times a night until 6 months and 2 times a night until a year old) I was not sure these types of babies existed. His only complaint is that he has acid reflux and is on medicine 3 times a day. I can tell when it is wearing off because he can get a bit fussy and seems uncomfortable. Hopefully he will outgrow this. Acid reflux is a common problem with babies who are born early.

These are some pictures that I meant to post of Luke from the end of June when we went on a special walk, just the 2 of us!

Success!

Today marks the day that Wes took his first bottle. I was told at our 2 week appointment that I needed to give him a bottle then so that he would not refuse it. I waited so long because the thought of starting to pump again was not appealing, plus when do I do it? (I am still taking as long of a nap as possible during the afternoon.) So I was especially happy when Wes took the bottle from Nick... success!

Happy 4th from Vail!

WHEN, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to take a recently pregnant wife out of the house with a newborn and a 2 1/2 year old boy, the father of the house, being a man of former intellect and good judgement, is compelled to tell others why he took his young family to high altitude during the busiest holiday weekend of the summer...

And the answer is: we have a free place to stay, of course! Sure, when we took Luke to Vail for the first time he came down with Atomic Diaper Rash and that reality was again in play. Sure, the demands of nursing force Kim to drink 5 gallons of water a day when she's above 8,000 feet. Sure, we had no way of knowing how baby Wes, at 6 weeks old, would handle his first long car ride and trip away from home. But it was hot in Denver and some members of the family REALLY needed to get out of town for a few days, so off we went. And I, as Dad, am proud to say that the weekend went quite well, as we warded off dehydration, sunburn, and extreme exhaustion. Though he didn't know it, Wes attended his first 4th of July parade (largely sleeping), and was able to hang out long enough to see the fabeled Vail PRECISION LAWN CHAIR DRILL TEAM. Unbeknownest to many, Luke and Wes' dad has long harbored a desire to become a member of the team, but, owing to the demands of family and real life, must wait a decade or two until he can pursue this dream, which probably started around age 7.

In any case, there were no fireworks, actual or metaphorical, for the family this year. But a good time was had by all. Enjoy the pictures!