The Baby Page

Born: June 25, 2008
Time: 6:53am
Weight: 5 lbs. 12 oz.
Height: 18.5 inches

Silas' entrance into the world was very dramatic! His umbilical cord was pinched in the birth canal, causing his heart rate to fall every time Jen had a contraction. Thankfully he was born in time to avoid any major problems (thanks to the help of a vacuum extractor and a determined doctor), although he did need some extra suctioning of his lungs and nasal passages. Little Silas was bald except for what would become an infamous tuft of blond hair at the top of his head. He was a tiny, scrawny baby, but he had a lot of spunk for someone so small! This was displayed almost right away in his refusal to breastfeed, despite help from lactation consultants and members of the La Leche League. Another example is that our little guy was diagnosed with jaundice on day two, and had to wear a portable LED light called a "Wallably" (shown in photo) for 24 hours after we got home. But that, too, he beat quickly.

We were (and continue to be) so thankful for the birth of our wonderful baby! Psalm 139:13-16 describes the beautiful portrait of God's love for Silas as He was creating him: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Weight: 7 lbs. (at 3-1/2 weeks)
Height: 21 inches

HE'S GOT THE HUNGER!
The most remarkable thing about Silas' first month was his amazing growth. By the end of the month he was up to seven pounds! He accomplished this feat by eating almost constantly, with cat naps in-between feedings.

Silas loved to kick his legs, and soon realized that he could kick out of a swaddled blanket. So we stopped swaddling him after a few weeks. It was warm, and most of the time he slept in just his onesie or sleeper in the bassinet. Although we laid him on his back to sleep, he would usually roll onto his side. (See our blog for more pictures from his first few weeks.)

One thing that continued for Silas from womb to life was hiccupping. He got the hiccups at least twice every day! Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he didn't burp very often. He did make lots of grunts, groans and sighs, but rarely graced us with a burp. We were privileged with the occasional snort, though! Silas had a good strong cry, but thankfully reserved it for when he really needed something. Otherwise, he was content to simply observe his surroundings quietly. He was a decent night-time sleeper for a newborn. We didn't have to rock him to sleep or partake in any extensive bedtime rituals. He woke up consistently every three hours at night for feedings.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
The moment we saw Silas, we both agreed he looked like Nate. Silas' light coloring and facial features closely resembled Nate's. This was confirmed when Nana (Nate's mom) showed us a picture of Nate when he was a few days old. They could have been twins! We wonder what this means for Silas' personality—will he be as mischievous as Nate was during his childhood? We can only hope that some of Jen's genes might be able to dull the effect. Time will tell. Meanwhile, we're having fun with Silas' "tuft"—the little sprig of hair of the top of his head. Everyone who sees him comments about it. It's so notable that we included a picture of it.

FIRSTS & DISCOVERIES
Silas went on his first walk on the Perkiomen Trail in the Baby Bjorn when he was four weeks old. He fell asleep almost instantly, so that meant he liked it a lot! He had his first exposure to our chickens via some chicks who'd been hatched about the same time he was born. Nate took him out to the coop a few times to "help" with the chores. (Here's another benefit of having chickens—we read that exposure to animals during pregnancy can help kids develop fewer allergies.)

The most exciting discovery for Silas, he would probably tell you, was noticing our ceiling fans. He loved to stare up at them! He was utterly fascinated with them. Newborns have pretty poor vision, so he could probably just make out the dark blades against the white ceiling. That was enough to excite him, apparently. This month Silas also got to know his grandparents better (Jen's dad is holding him in the right-hand photo). Both Nate's and Jen's parents were very helpful to us as we adjusted to the new responsibility of taking care of our baby.

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Weight: 8 lbs. 6 oz. (6 weeks)
Height: 21-3/4 inches

SMALL BABY, BIG GROWTH
Although the first few months were a blur for us (the tired new parents), we did take note of the incredible changes that were taking place in our young baby. First of all, he continued to gain LOTS of weight! He was still eating constantly, with short naps in-between. By eight weeks he was drinking mostly formula, (after having breastmilk up to that point), and the doctor recommended that we put him on the "Enfamil Gentlease" brand, which is hypoallergenic to help with Silas' digestion. That change helped him a lot, and he had fewer episodes of stomach upset.

MILESTONES & FIRSTS
Silas can now hold his head up more steadily, and he loves observing the room from the view at our shoulders. A major milestone occurred at five weeks when he smiled for the first time (at Daddy). His smiles are few and far between, but when they came they are so cute! He often sticks out his tongue, so we can sometimes earn a smile when we stick our tongues out back at him. At the very least, he's fascinated when we do that. He has also begun to "talk," mostly making shrieking and squeaking noises, especially when he's excited.

An exciting new experience for Silas was going with us to church for the first time at seven weeks. He seemed to love the music and singing (which is no surprise because even when Jen was pregnant he would always kick a lot during the music at church). After the music, though, he lost interest, so he and Jen spent some time in the infant nursery room. Still, we were thankful to be able to finally attend church as a family. Everyone at church gave Silas a grand welcome! There are two other babies at our church right now—a newborn and an infant—and Silas visited with both of them. The newborn, Gracie, is just a week older than Silas, and we can't help but hope that they will be great friends someday (if not more!).

We took our first trip when Sy-guy was six weeks old. Nate's family was having their annual camping trip in the Poconos, and the extended family had yet to meet Silas. So we drove two hours up north to the Spruce Lake Camp Retreat for a day in the woods with the family. Silas handled the drive pretty well, sleeping most of the way. We arrived in time for breakfast, and when everyone gathered around to meet Silas, he said something that sounded just like "Hi!" He was introduced to his great grandparents, and Nate's aunt, uncle and cousins. Sy's Uncle Jon, Aunt Kate and Nana were there too. The only downside to the trip was that the weather was chillier than we anticipated. So we bundled him up in a few blankets, which was apparently so cozy that he barely roused out of sleep the whole day. He got to spend a lot of time with his Great Grandma, and she enjoyed every minute with him! (for more photos of the trip, click here)

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Weight: 11 lbs. 4 oz. (10 weeks)
Height: 23 inches

WE MADE IT TO THREE MONTHS!
Lots of people told us when Silas was born that the first three months were the hardest. Although we were skeptical at the time, it did seem to get easier by the time he turned three months old! He got a little more predictable and contented, and we had gained confidence and learned the ropes of parenting an infant. We had also started to adjust to the VERY different lifestyle, so all in all things did seem to be a little smoother by September.

WHAT'S NEW
Silas is still waking up every three hours at night to eat, but he finally started to take better naps during the day, much to our relief. He can go a little longer between feedings, which allows us to have more play time. Silas loves to lie on his blanket on the floor and kick his legs and flail his arms. Usually he's also talking up a storm—he began cooing and goo-gooing. Nothing can get him going like some personal attention. If someone is looking at him and talking back, he can really get excited! On a developmental note, we can put things into Silas' little hands, and he'll clench them in a tight fist and swing them around. He may not even realize something is there! Sometimes he'll notice his hands and study them for a few seconds, as if he found them for the first time. If we prop him up on the couch, he becomes more aware of his hands. Part of that awareness of his hands is trying to get them into his mouth. He finally accomplished this goal at about 10 weeks, and from then on he's constantly trying to get them up to his mouth.

The one thing that can distract him from his fingers is his amazing play mat. He lies in it and looks up to enjoy lights flashing, toys dangling, and music playing. It sounds a little ADD, we know. But he loves spending time in it while Mommy and Daddy wash bottles or grab a bite to eat. As Sy grows older, he'll be able to grab at the toys himself and start and stop the music with his movements.

GOING GREEN
When he was 8 weeks old, we took Silas to the park for the first time. Since he had already shown an interest in the great outdoors during our walks on the Perkiomen Trail, we figured he would like the tree-lined park. Other than a bothersome bee, it was a nice time! Silas took to the park quite well, and we got to try out our stroller on the path. He enjoyed relaxing in his stroller, as you can see on the left.

FUN FIRSTS
Silas had his first bath in the bathtub at ten weeks. (Before that we had given him sponge baths.) After the initial shock, he seemed to like it. At 11 weeks old, Silas laughed for the first time...and again, Daddy got the first one. It started out with a smile, then a coo, then a stronger coo, and eventually it led to a giggle. It's hard to get it going, but at least his smiles are coming much more often now. He smiles at people just about as often as he smiles at his favorite inanimate objects—our ceiling fans and a picture of Dubrovnik that hangs above our couch. We don't have a clue why he likes them so much, but as soon as his gaze reaches one of them, he can't help but break out into a huge smile. (During the month, Silas also got a visit from his Uncle Matt, pictured at the top.)

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Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz. (13 weeks)
Height: 26.5 inches

BEACH BABY
Our little beach bum had his first experience of the coast during our first vacation as a family. Silas was 13 weeks of age when we drove down to Virginia Beach to spend a week with Nana and Gramps. Although the weather was less than perfect much of the time, we still had fun together. The photo on the right is first smile we've been able to record of Silas. He enjoyed the beach and seemed to relish all the attention he received during the week! (click here for more photos)

RICE IS NICE
After watching Silas arch during his feedings for a few weeks, we took him to the doctor and discovered he had acid reflux disease. It's common for infants, and we're hoping he'll grow out of it as he gets older. The best thing we can do for it is to keep him upright for a half-hour after each feeding. The doctor also advised us to add rice cereal to his formula to help the food stay down. The rice cereal proved to be helpful in another way, too—Silas can now go longer between feedings. It seems that he just needed some extra sustenance in order to stay full longer. At night he can sometimes go as long as four or five hours, and during the day he can make it about two hours in between. Definitely an improvement, but there's room for more, especially at night!

FIRSTS & MILESTONES
This month's "first" for Silas is rolling over. He first rolled from his back to his belly, and repeated that several times for a few days. Then he rolled from his belly to his back, but only once. For us, the most exciting development is Sy's ability to prop himself up on his hands during belly time. He's enjoying the new vantage point, and starting to eye up his toys like he wants to figure out how to grab one from that position. Gravity gets a hold of him after a few minutes, but he's getting stronger as the weeks progress.

From the neck up, there have also been some developments. One is the beginning of some hair growth on his head. His tuft is starting to spread, as all the hair is growing from the tip of his head outward. Eventually it should reach his neck and forehead. Silas can now turn his head 180º, even while he's lying down. He now coos just about all the time, and he'll open his eyes wide if you coo back at him. He blows raspberries, drools, sucks on his hands, and does spit up more now. If he's excited, he may even let out a shriek.

Mickey Mouse joined Silas' collection of stuffed animals when his grandparents brought him back from Disney. Silas is fascinated by Mickey's black nose, and enjoys grabbing for it. Jen's mom (Grandmom to Silas) has been a big help in taking care of Silas. She usually comes up once a week to watch Silas and give Jen the opportunity to take a nap.

CAN YOU GIVE ME A HAND?
Silas' hands are always grabbing at things now...things like toys, hair, skin, clothes, his own clothes, blankets... pretty much whatever's within reach. If something makes it into his hands, the next step is getting them into his mouth. He doesn't always get the aim right, but he's all about trying. About half the time he succeeds in getting a fist into his mouth. He would be more successful if he didn't try to get both fists into his mouth at one time. It's really cute when he practices his move by pushing the fist towards his mouth, only to hit his cheek because his head is turned to the side. :)

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Weight: Guessing around 16 lbs.
Height: Approx. 27 inches

BIG SMILES
Although we wouldn't go so far to say that Silas is a smiley baby, he will now smile predictably at our attempts to curl his lips. He smiles more for Nate, but then again, Nate is also a lot more playful with him. We have lots of photos of Silas flashing his gums now, a few of which you can see here. More and more we've been able to get him worked up into a giggle, but that takes real commitment. Mostly Silas just coos or makes a "whhho" sound when he's happy rather than giving in to an all-out laugh. He responds the most to physical attempts at amusement, like jiggling his arms and legs, as Nate was doing in the picture above.

WHERE'S MY NUK?
For months, we couldn't get Silas to take a pacifier. With persistence, though, we finally got to the point where Silas could hold it in his mouth by himself. Then it was like a light bulb went off in his head. It was like he realized he could create his own little nirvana, so that even if he was hungry, or tired, or bored, the pacifier made it all better. Now you will hard-pressed to find him without it. Right around the same time, Silas discovered his thumb, so that's been a stand-in for those times when the pacifier is not within reach. He's awfully cute when he's sucking on a nuk or his trusty thumb!

ENTER MR. SANDMAN
It looks like Silas is finally learning the art of sleeping through the night. The "medical" definition for sleeping through the night is a mere five hours. We don't know about you, but a full night's sleep for Jen is closer to 7-8 hours of sleep. But hey, we're getting there! Silas can now go for a 5-6 hour stretch at night without a feeding, which translates into more sleep overall for everyone. During the day, that magical (and aptly-named) little pacifier helps him calm down enough to take a nap, which he struggled with before. Mostly we're attributing this sleep improvement to the rice cereal that we mix in with his formula at every feeding. Maybe next month when we introduce mashed sweet potatoes and pureed carrots, he'll sleep through the whole night!

CAN YOU HAIR ME NOW?
Silas' infamous tuft is now disappearing in the growth of new hair. It's still there, and longer than ever, but it doesn't stand out so much anymore. It's exciting to see Silas getting some hair, although it seems like it will be a long time before it actually grows out enough to warrant a haircut. And because it's so blond, he still looks pretty bald.

DEVELOPMENT, MILESTONES AND FIRST-TIMES
On October 31, Silas endured his very first Halloween. He dressed up as a dragon and visited several houses in his Nana's neighborhood (Daddy ate the candy). Since the action took place after his bedtime, it wasn't surprising that he was cranky the whole time, and probably his costume wasn't as comfortable as his soft, cotton sleeper. But the pictures are sure cute! (see the blog for photos) • Silas participated in his very first election when he accompanied Jen to the voting booth. He was very well-behaved for the experience...perhaps he sensed the enormity of what was happening. • Silas' new mode of communication is shrieking. He will occasionally still coo, but mostly he makes very high-pitched screams and shrieks to get our attention. He also draws a very dramatic sigh when he's bored or tired. I can't even describe it; it's just something you have to hear to appreciate. • Silas can stand for several minutes with just our hands around him for balance. He keeps his legs and body straight and looks around, enjoying the view from that angle. He's also getting close to sitting up by himself. We've had him sitting in his high chair for a few minutes a day, and he's doing just fine with it. He's nowhere near crawling, though, and still hates to be on his belly. Maybe he'll skip crawling and go right to walking!

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Weight: Probably between 17 and 18 lbs.
Height: Approx. 28 inches

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS
Silas loved our Christmas tree, and many a night I would lay him under it to enjoy the twinkling lights. He wasn't interested in presents, except for occasionally playing with a bow or sparkly ribbon. Yet if Silas were to have a memory from his first Christmas, it would probably be all the disruptions to his normal routine. From relatives visiting every weekend to our trip to Baltimore, he was constantly enduring a new situation. He did great with it though, and managed to get through the month without any major sickness! And on Christmas Day he turned six months old! (Click here to see photos from our holiday)

LET'S DO THE MASH
Silas is officially on "solid" food, although the food is pureed to a mushy consistency. I've never seen him make such miserable faces as when he's given a bite of sweet potatoes, bananas or cereal. He's mastered gagging, spiting food out, and clamping his mouth shut. He doesn't like the spoon (a soft rubber-tipped one) so I tried giving him food on my finger, which worked a little better, and letting him dip his hand in the food and suck it off. That worked the best, but created a such a big mess that it didn't seem worth it. We took a break after trying for several weeks...maybe he'll be more ready for eating after the holidays. (And maybe I will be too!)

WHAT'S NEW?
One thing that's changed is our middle of the night wake-up—we're down to only one! Silas now only wakes up once to eat, and sleeps a total of 11-12 hours each night. He takes two-three naps a day with varying times, but he can't fall asleep without his pacifier. That's probably our fault, but at this point we're just happy he's sleeping.

Speaking of the pacifier, Silas has figured out how to grab the handle and pull it out of his mouth. This led to discovering his new favorite past-time, "Snap My Nuk." He pulls out the pacifier while biting on it, and it makes a snapping sound. A second later he's stuffing it back into his mouth to do it all over again. This can go on for five to ten minutes at a stretch before he gets bored. It's pretty funny to watch.

Another game that Silas loves is playing peekaboo. He can get worked up into a giggle when we're playing peekaboo. Getting him to giggle isn't easy...although the cats' antics can send him into a fit of giggles. When Leo and Yuri are rolling around on the floor play-fighting, Silas thinks that's the most hilarious thing in the world. Finally the cats are good for something!

Silas' arm muscles are getting stronger, and now he can lift his head and chest off the ground for about five minutes while laying on his belly. He will even play a little bit in this position, although he's much rather be on his back. Despite being able to view of the whole room from his belly, he loves to lay on his back and look up at the lights or the ceiling fan, or whatever toy we're dangling above him. As you can see from the photo, he can also sit up with blankets or pillows propped around him.

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