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Eagle Mountain, Utah, United States
My name is Lauren, and I live in the bubble. I am wife to Marshall, the biggest BYU fan in the world; and mother to Carly, our big girl, and Wes, our wild man, and Calvin, our new addition. I graduated BYU with a degree in Social Work, and I went forth to serve at LDS Family Services. I like scrapbooking and going out to eat at nice restaurants. I am fascinated by new cleaning products at the grocery store, so I have to shop in wide circles around the perimeter to avoid the temptation to buy. I love chocolate.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Mr. Baby



Calvin is my Mr. Baby.  He has been my easiest child so far.  He is so patient and so content and calm.  Everyone asks "does he ever cry?"  Of course the answer is yes, but I think the set point for his tolerance is much higher than the average baby.



I'm convinced Calvin's personality has a bit to do with being the 3rd child- in line behind some pretty demanding siblings.  So either I've ignored him into complacency, or I just lucked out with a super calm kid that can handle the kind of neglect going on around here the last 5 months.  It seems like I am constantly busy with the other two- stopping fights, cleaning messes, making food, disciplining, chasing my runner.  Calvin is content to sit in his bouncer/car seat/swing and take it all in.

Wow, I'm making myself sound like a real winner of a mom.

But really, he is just a sweetheart.



Calvin seems to be on target with my other two developmentally.  He began rolling in February- right around 3 months.  He enjoys standing with support, and tries to take steps on our laps.  He's in the bouncer a lot and enjoys the sounds and lights, but hasn't yet started the frantic jumping that is sure to come.  He loves tummy time and currently loves getting up on his knees, dragging his face forward on the ground.  I'd bet in the next month he'll be rocking on his hands and knees.

Calvin is a good sleeper.  But I wouldn't say great like the other two.  He usually sleeps all night, but lately he's been waking up for a bottle or two at ungodly hours.  It's hard for me to decide if giving him the food is reinforcing bad behavior, or simply being a good mom since my other two didn't have night feeds anymore past 3 months.  All those bottles also mean that he usually pees through everything by morning. ::Sigh::   I've basically decided to wait and see how he does with solids, since I'll be loading him up with heavy foods right before bedtime.  There will be no way he'd be hungry at 2am once I start that.



Because of my sheer laziness and his unpredictable sleeping, I've let him stay in the bedside bassinet.  I know, I know.  It's terrible.  Marshall is more than ready to have him evicted from our room.  And we moved, so we have the space!  The nursery is totally set up.  I have no excuse.  I just really REALLY don't want to trek through the house 2 or 3 times each night to give bottles or replace binkies.  I've been spoiled by the other two, and I just need my sleep, dangit!

Calvin has the best belly laugh.  He's quick to smile and easy to laugh.  He's very ticklish under the chin, and on his tummy.  When we make eye contact, or walk over to him to pick him up, he has near convulsions of happiness.  He also loves to talk.  He and I can just sit and coo at each other for hours.



Me and breastfeeding.  We are not friends.  Well, I like breastfeeding.  I want to be friends.  I secretly admire like some weird stalker.  But Breastfeeding- she's mean.  And she doesn't like me much.

I find breasfeeding to be really easy and second nature.  Never get sore, never have trouble latching.  But always around 4 months I lose my milk.  With Wes I went all Rambo with my efforts to keep breastfeeding around.  The pumping, the medications and supplements, the oatmeal, the lactation consultants and doctors.  I still was completely dry by 6 months.

So this time, I decided to not stress about it.  When my milk goes, it goes.  And that's that.  No guilt.  No sleepless nights.  No medications.  So Calvin is now on formula full time.  And I'm a little sad about it.  But there really isn't much I can do about it.



Calvin is a little on the small side so far.  At birth, he was measured at 8lbs 6oz.  I'm pretty sure the scale was off.  Because later that night, he was weighed at 7lbs 14oz.  Umm, that's a big difference.  And he stayed in the high 7's/low 8's for a few weeks.  But even after gaining weight, his curve is about the 25th-30th percentile for everything.  So he's just a little guy like Wes was.



Calvin was born with darker hair than the other kids, and he still has his darker hair.  It has lightened up a little, but it's still definitely not blond.  And we thought he'd end up with brown eyes, but so far they've stayed blue.  He also looks a whole lot like Marshall, at least in my opinion.  And a little like Carly as a baby.  But I don't see much resemblance between him and Wes.

Another really...memorable...thing about Calvin are his stinky poops.  TMI, I know.  But the kid smells like sulfur.  No matter what he eats- regular formula, gentle formula, my milk- it doesn't matter.  He smells like super acidic rotten eggs every time he needs a change.  I hope that is something he outgrows some time soon. I'm sad that I never got the reprieve of non-smelly newborn poops.


Anyway, I think he's pretty cute.  And we all love him around here (even Wes, who went through a period of poking/hitting).  He's just the perfect fit for our family, and has certainly been a big blessing.  Although his timing was not our plan, I can definitely see the Lord's hand and divine intervention in our lives by his timely arrival.  There have been so many blessings because of this little guy.  We needed him, even if we didn't know it on our own.

First trip to firehouse- 5 days old
I have 3 kids! 1 week old.

Sleeping all stretched out- 2 months old


Hanging with dad- 2.5 months old


Meeting Great Grammie- 3.5 months old
Meeting Grandpapa- 3.5 months old
Happy kid- 4 months old
Big Smiles! 4.5 months old

Bumbo time! 5 months old
Bath time 5 months old

3 comments:

KarenOjai said...

Well done Lauren! I LOVE reading your updates.

Emily said...

Thank goodness you are doing all these posts! I'm loving the pictures of your babies. Calvin's smile almost got me crying, that baby!

Mars said...

I can't believe that he's actually cute enough to make us want a 4th baby!

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