A Day in the Life of Isaac Ober

So I thought it would be fun to give y'all a glimpse into our days. Each day starts with him waking up. He's usually quite smiley and talkative in the morning, but on this particular day, I guess he was still tired...

Next, we had some play time on the floor. One thing that you'll notice through almost all of these videos is that Mona loves to make a guest appearance. I spend my day caring for Isaac AND saying "NO" to Mona. :o) Watch closely toward the beginning and you'll see Isaac clock Mona in the face with the rattle. Hehe. Here's the next one...

A little while later, we watched "Baby Signing Time" (which is a very fun way for babies to learn sign language), while Isaac played (and screamed) in his exersaucer. He seriously does this screaming thing ALL DAY LONG. It was cute the first day or so...but now it's really starting to get old. ;o)

Then it was on to talking and singing to Mommy. (and practicing our spitting skills) He's been doing this a lot more lately. Really cute.

We also have play time in our bouncy seat, where is likes to suck his fingers and it wouldn't be a true Isaac play time without some screaming. :o)

And then we practice crawling. And we crash and fall sometimes, but he's a tough little cookie. He never gives up! And he was more interested in the camera in this video than crawling. Pretty funny.

And then we start getting ready for bed. This includes a nice, hot bath.

So...that pretty much sums up our day. The only parts I left out are his sleeping, feeding, and crying. (Which, ironically fill more of our day than what you saw in these videos!!) Hehe. Also, depending on the weather, we often take a walk or swing outside or go to the pool. This kid loves being outdoors. Well...I hope you enjoyed "A Day in the Life of Isaac Ober." :o)

Having Fun...

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From my journal today...

I DON"T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. I can't decide how I want to parent. Specifically for naps and bedtime. The result: major inconsistency, leading to one confused baby (and one very emotional mommy).

I am torn. I love rocking him to sleep. But as he gets older, that is getting to be more challenging. He just wants to PLAY...or at least be up. But, when he's awake, he's cranky because he's tired. So I decide - he needs a nap. He goes into his crib upset, crying and fussy. That soon turns into horrid screaming, along with gasps for air. Pretty much sounds like he's going to die. My internal dialogue as this is happening: "Don't do it, Leslie. He needs to learn to soothe himself. He is tired. He will eventually fall asleep. He won't remember this." All the while, his screams escalate and he sounds desperate.

So I go in to pat his back and hush him. He calms down (for the most part). So I leave. Within minutes, he's back at it. This goes on for 30-45 minutes before I finally give in. I go in and rescue him from his misery. He stops crying instantly. And as I begin rocking him, he drifts off to blissful sleep...and is out cold within 2-3 minutes. I lay him in his crib and he's finally down for his nap (or for the night).

I HATE hearing him cry so hard. And it feels quite neglectful. But our pedi recommended that we start doing this so Isaac can learn to fall asleep on his own. He assured me that it would only take a few days of "intense" crying, but that it WOULD get better. I am trying here. But every time I go in there, I ruin it. Isaac has learned that if he cries loud enough (or long enough) that Mommy will come to soothe him. UGH.

I wish he would just let me rock him to sleep from the beginning. But when I try to do that, he fights it. What am I doing wrong?? How do I teach him to soothe himself? Is it really okay to let him carry on like that? Am I causing permanent damage by going in to "rescue" him? I feel like a horrible mommy right now. I am just so conflicted and my indecisiveness is setting my son up for failure. I need help!!

Lord, I am falling short...WAY short. Would You be my guide? Give me wisdom, Lord. And give me the strength I need to be the mother this precious child deserves. Or rather...could You just BE my strength?? You are the perfect Father. Help me be more like You!!

Love,
Your weary child

Little Engine...

Another little photoshoot...

And one little out-take...

Kick-boxing and other things...

Isaac is in such a fun stage right now. He stays where we put him (isn't mobile yet). And he is generally happy to just hang out, entertaining himself (and us simultaneously). He also does new things just about every other day. For instance, for the first time this weekend, he was CRACKED UP by Mona's many kisses (licks). Normally he just stares at her, mouth wide-open as she licks him all over. But this time he thought it was stinkin hilarious! Gave us a good laugh too!! And guess who has decided to become a finger sucker!! Just in the past several days or so, he has developed this soothing, yet oh-so-disgusting habit of sucking away on his middle two fingers. It's only gross due to the excessive amount of drool that is accompanied by this new activity. :o) But hey...it makes HIM happy! And happy baby = happy mama!! Lately, we have also been sitting him in his bouncy seat by the table while we eat dinner. It can get quite entertaining. Here's what I'm talking about:

And here are some recent pics...

Isaac took a quick nap on our friend's deck after swimming on Friday. He woke up a little confused, but super cute as always. Hehe.

Sitting at the table with us, a little dazed. I think he just woke up.

Mmm, mmm, good! He LOVES those fingers! This is how he looks MOST of the time these days!!

Another photo collage...

So I bought some new backgrounds yesterday to have more fun photographing this sweet boy of ours! I'm having LOTS of fun with this (if you can't tell)!! :o)

Happy Screaming Baby!!

Isaac and I have been enjoying our summer, as we get to the pool about 2-3 times a week!! Have I mentioned that I LOVE my job?? :o) Here's a cute photo I got of him right before we headed home...


And boy does this kid have some LUNGS! When we do "tummy time" with him, he gets so worked up and starts screaming (and screeching). He wants to crawl SO badly, but can't quite figure out "how that works." So here he is in all is glory...(I'll warn you, while I think this is cute, some may find it a bit annoying)...

4.5 months old

Hey...wasssuuuuup??
This kid loves his jump-a-roo! Isaac has discovered that he has fingers!
The King of drool...
At least someone finds it amusing!

Isaac's newest things:

Rolling over from tummy to back at EVERY nap.

Then crying because he can't get back to his tummy (he gets stuck on his side).

Fingers are yummy...and ALWAYS covered in drool.

Enjoys grabbing his tongue, as well as another certain boy appendage (which we try to discourage).

Loves to watch Mona (oh...and the TV, which we avoid almost always).

Can pick up toys and throw them.

Pushes up onto his hands and legs and "crawls" backwards.

Seems to be responding to his name more!!

Sleeps wonderfully at night (just up once around 3-4 to nurse)...but struggling with naps.

He is growing up so fast!!

And another one...

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A little photoshoot...

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Thirsty Thursday...

It is wicked HOT here in Cincy! And the humidity doesn't help much! So we've been pretty much trying to stay inside as much as possible. But Isaac is okay with that, because he LOVES his new Jump-A-Roo! He gets quite a work-out, as do I just from laughing at him! :o)

Here are some recent photos. If you haven't been able to tell yet, I LOVE photographing this baby of mine. It has become somewhat of a new hobby for me. In his 4 months of life, I think we have more than 2500 photos of him! That's an average of 20 pictures a DAY! Of course of ALL those photos, we only get a handful (albeit a large handful) of really good ones. I learned from a good friend once that to get good shots of your baby, you have to take LOTS of pictures to get a good few. It has worked well for us, except that I have a hard time deleting any of the bad pictures...thus the 2500! Hehe. Anyway...here are some recent ones:

My favorite!

Really engrossed in his book!

Swingin with Daddy!

This kid LOVES to be naked!!

He also loves to be outside!

And guess who's sitting up (sort of)!?!

More swingin with Daddy.

Another shot of him sitting!!

In his beloved Jump-A-Roo.

Baby Blue-eyes...

Had some fun with the camera this morning...


And here's the latest video of Isaac's cuteness...

Gerber Baby...

So yesterday was a pretty fun day for a number of reasons. First, Isaac and I had fun swimming in our little baby pool out on our deck (in the shade, of course). Then we also went to the YMCA pool with daddy in the evening, followed by a trip to a concert in the park near our home. All very fun! Isaac LOVES to swim (just like his daddy). And everywhere we went, people commented on how adorable he was. Maybe all babies get this? I was just so shocked, and blessed by all their comments.

Of course, I think that he is just about the cutest baby ever. But to have complete strangers go out of there way to say things like, "He has such a Gerber Baby face!" makes a Momma feel good! :o) In the locker room at the Y, a woman came up to me and said, "Your son is so cute! Congratulations!" And then at the park, a man of about 70 years, walked out of his way and gasping, said "That has to be one of the most adorable babies I have ever seen!"

Made me think that we need to get out more often! And I'm sure that all babies get ooh-ed and aah-ed at! But it sure does feel nice to hear other people say such sweet things about your pride and joy! :o) So anyway...here are some new pics of our precious little guy:

the paci....a rare occurance

this is his new trick if we don't strap him in!!

4-month stats

Isaac had his 4-month check-up yesterday, and he is a healthy baby boy! He weighed in at 16 lbs, 14 oz. (85%) and was 25.5 inches long (70%). He has only grown an inch in two months, but has gained 3lbs...making him a bit on the chunky side. The doctor said he looks great, though...very typical of a healthy, breast-fed baby. :o) Also, I am proud to report that he no longer has an itty-bitty head! He now measures right in the 50th percentile (which is exactly average for his age). :o)

And Isaac was a champ with his shot! He cried for just a moment, but quieted right when I picked him up. Such a big boy! Most babies get FOUR shots at their 4-month appointment. But we are doing an alternative vaccine schedule, in which he never gets more than two vaccinations at once. He got two yesterday, but one of them was oral. I can't imagine giving him so many at once!

And I'm glad that we have a pediatrician who also believes that it is important to wait to introduce solid foods until 6 months. I can't believe that's only 2 months away!! Time is flying by (and moving slowly all at the same time)! Hehe. I LOVE this boy. And I am loving my new job as mommy! Thank You, Lord!

Happy Happy Birthdays...

Today is Isaac's Aunt Kristin's birthday! And Isaac is also 4 months old today! :o) I will update tomorrow after his doctor's appointment with his current measurements. In the meantime, here are some new pics from our little trip to Indy this weekend...

This kiddo is smiling more and more. All you have to do is flash him a smile, and he'll be grinning ear to ear. SO cute. Like any baby, though, he does still have his grumpy times (as in the photo above). He loved the pool, but apparently did not want to get out. Hehe.

Happy Birthday Nana Crowne!!

Today is Isaac's Nana's birthday. We travelled to Indy yesterday to hang out with her, and this has to be the BEST video we have of him to date. If this video doesn't at least make you smile, then you may need some mental help. :o) Isaac got a little slap-happy last night after being awake almost ALL day. I hope this brings you as much joy as it does us! Wow...I love this kid.