Baby Mac 4 and 1/2 months update

It seems like every day McKay gets stronger and learns new tricks. Now that he is 4 and 1/2 months old he is weighing in at 16 lbs. He is one healthy boy!

Some Recent Developments:

• He graduated into size 3 diapers two weeks ago. I am definitely loving them especially now that I am not washing poop explosions daily out of his clothes...my clothes :), and his blankets. 
• About a month ago we realized that the back of his head is getting flatter and flatter due to sleeping on his back, being in his car seat and swing, wiggling on blankets, etc... Yeah, bad mom award, I know.  I promise I really do hold him A LOT! So of course we started to panic and have been doing a few things differently.
• First of all, we got him a Bumbo. And might I add, he looks so darn cute in it! I think I have taken a million pictures of him in it! This is seriously the best purchase we have made for him to date and wish we had gotten him one sooner. His little neck, despite how much those cheeks must weigh, is getting very strong and he loves to play in it and see the world from a new angle. We love to take him from room to room in it so he can feel like he is part of the action, as he is a social little guy. His fine motor skills are really strengthening and he loves to grab toys and touch everything he can get his little hands around.

Playing in my Bumbo

• Next, we implemented side sleeping. This has actually saved my sanity because he became an incredibly worse sleeper when he graduated from his bassinet, because he was no longer snuggled up in the same position all night. Instead, he became really restless, and as a result, I became really ornery because he was waking me up more than hourly needing to be re-wrapped and was cold, wanting his Binky, etc...So I did a little internet research about side sleeping and found some good ideas I decided to implement. We rolled up multiple towels in his Pack N Play to support him front and back so he can't roll onto his tummy or back. Don't worry, we make sure none of them are close to his face! We also rotate him each day so he doesn't get flat spots on the sides of his head too! Since then, he has been sleeping his record high amounts of 8 hours! Which leads me to my next point.

Side sleeping

• With him sleeping so restlessly and crying for his Binky from 2:30-4:30 am, then practically swallowing his Binky whole each time I put it in while I tried so diligently to put off his feed until the proper time (because let's be honest, the kid isn't going to starve to death!) I decided it is time to give him a little rice cereal. The breast milk just was not enough for our 16 pound boy and mom was ready to put him up for sale during the night a few times. I put about 2 TBL in an 8oz bottle of milk during his evening feed. He loves it and I love it because now, combined with the side sleeping, he is sleeping like a champ! 

• Next, we have been much more devoted to giving him multiple tummy times a day to get him off his back and head. He doesn't hate it as much as he used to, but he doesn't love it either! However, he is getter better and stronger!

Tummy time!

Like every boy, he loves to hang out in his underwear!

•  His current schedule: Unless we are out and about, McKay is asleep at 9:45pm like clockwork. We feed him about 8:30-9:00pm and he wakes up around 4:00 or 5:00am to feed (with a few Binky calls before then). Then he wakes in the 7:00 o'clock hour for a short feed, and the 9:00 o'clock hour is his official wake-up time. He will stay awake for about an hour and a half then goes down for a short 30-45 min. nap around 11:00. We then eat, play, bathe, do infant massage, etc until he goes down for his long afternoon nap which goes from about 1:00-4:00pm. He wakes up ready to eat and receive a lot of smiles and attention! Between 4:00 and bedtime, he only falls asleep for a short 30 min. nap somewhere in between and can get fussy about 7:00 because he is overtired and over-stimulated, but does not want to give in to sleep. And go figure that just about everything starts around 7:00pm when every kid has had it with the day!
• McKay is either starting to teethe or is just extra drooly, but is constantly chewing on his hands, my hands, toys, blankets or whatever he can get in his mouth. 
• He is a really alert boy and loves to face outward and watch everything that is going on. He is a perceptive little guy and loves to study and take in as much as he can. His head follows whatever is moving round him.
• Wherever we go, people comment about how calm he is. I attribute his temperament to Les...definitely not to me! I also attribute his good looks to Les as most people say he looks just like his daddy. Although I think there is a little bit of Grandpa Hair in him.
• He still gets mistaken for a girl when we are at church or around town, so just for fun...I hope McKay and Les will forgive me... I decided to dress him up like a girl to see if he would make a cute one! haha Good thing Les isn't home! All we need to do is pierce his ears and put a bracelet in between the fat roll of his wrist and I think he could pass!

My beautiful little McKayla!

Not sure how he feels about being in girl's clothes

So prim and proper!

• He has discovered his feet and loves to watch them wiggle and grab them when he is practically folded in half.

What are these white things?

Chillin' on the couch