Just some stats

Quick update:
Autumn's four month appointment was a few days ago. She now weighs 13lb 10oz (45th percentile) and is 25.5 inches long (80th). We thought she'd be heavier (hello thigh rolls!), but her pediatrician was very happy with those stats. While the doctor talked to us about everything to expect in the next few weeks/months, Autumn was being her squirmy, grabby, spastic self. Brian asked if that was normal for babies, to which the pediatrician's responded, "well, no."
 She then went on to assure us she doesn't feel this is a precursor of what's to come, nor that our future will be filled with Ritalin and phone calls home from her teachers. Phew. As we've heard from the beginning, we're to just take it as another sign that she's healthy and happy, and "switched on", as she put it. That's so easy to do most of the time, but there are moments every day where we'd be quite happy if Autumn would just "switch off" and chill while we make dinner, eat, pee, unload the dishwasher, or engage in any other necessary activities of our own.

Up next...birthday without baby! Reverting to my (late) twenties on my thirtieth birthday.

Everyone needs three hats...and other daycare happenings

About a week ago, Autumn came home from daycare (via Brian) wearing three hats/hoods. Mrs. Rachel had insisted that this "new technique" was crucial in order for Autumn to survive the elements. I just thought it was hilarious and cute.

Yesterday, when I went to pick her up, Mrs. Rachel's husband, Asher, was watching Axle and Autumn. He had gotten off work early and Mrs. Rachel wasn't feeling well so, according to Asher, he told her, "don't worry hun, I've got this!" He'd also called in a neighbor-friend for some extra hands, but when I got there Autumn was fed, changed, and as happy as ever. The best part was how happy Asher seemed to have had a chance to prove himself. He and Mrs. Rachel have only been married a few months, and he seems to have adjusted well to the baby business. Anyway, he was so excited to tell me about Autumn and Axle's budding relationship. Sounds like she spent a good part of her afternoon rolling on top of Axle, reaching for him, and laughing with him. Asher was also excited to have something worth videotaping on his new iPod. Unfortunately, the "good videos" were too long to email me, but here are a couple short clips of two babies hanging out with their first substitute at Mrs. Rachel's daycare.

4 Months

Dang, I missed it...again. On Autumn's four month birthday (which was Saturday), I was enjoying a baby-free day on the hill at Winter Park, with Brian, Kellie and Dave. Well, maybe not a whole day, but 2.5 of skiing moguls (nevermind that it was total amateur hour for me) certainly warrants an hour lunch break and a Coors Original, no?  The last time I skied was about a year ago in Park City. Autumn was probably the size of a poppy seed at that point. But anyway, my parents flew out last week and rented a condo in Winter Park for the weekend. Kel and Dave came along for their first overnight Autumn experience. If anyone else out there is looking for a non-invasive form of birth control, you can come with us next time.

Beautiful weekend in Winter Park

Weekend credits go to Gerre Jones for cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, entertaining the baby, and letting me borrow everything I forgot; to Doug Jones for providing plenty of drinks and humor via his old age and general Doug Jones-ness (really, who mistakes their daughter's Jeep Liberty for a Honda CRV, gets inside said CRV, and then thinks the guy who actually owns that car is a lunatic for asking him to please remove himself from that vehicle?); to Doug and Debbie Boyd for sitting our other child, Wally; and to Kellie and Dave for the discounted lift tickets, and waiting for me in all of my out-of-shape-and-haven't-skiied-in-so-long-I-feel-like-I'm-gonna-hurt-myself glory.

So, four months old, and growing every day it seems. We'll just go with a list this month, or otherwise another one will pass before this one gets recorded.
At four months old, Autum is:
--Rolling over both ways, though not as often as she was a couple weeks ago.
--Grabbing things with a purpose -- well, one purpose -- to put them in her mouth.
--Along the same lines, grabbing her pacifier out of her mouth and slowly putting it back in. Then repeating that for 5-10 minutes. She can't believe how coordinated she is, even though the pacifier usually ends up crooked with the hard plastic in her mouth.
--Reaching for things while playing on her tummy.
--Still loving her Jumparoo, and amazingly, her infantile playmat. What a baby.
--Sitting up decently if we hold her thighs. She can also sit on her butt with her hands on the ground in front of her for less than a minute.
--Almost too big for her swing, but still enjoying a nap in it from time-to-time.
--Still napping randomly, but usually we can count on one good 2-3 hour nap in her swing or pack-n-play.
--Still sleeping in her pack-n-play next to our bed at night. We were going to start putting her in her crib this week but our baby monitor bit the dust. Now we're waiting to be sent a new one.
--Oh, and talking up a storm through the night. Really? She wakes up almost every hour, and coos to herself for 10-15 minutes.  If I give her a paci she finds humor in loudly spitting it out. Did I mention we want to start putting her in her crib? I guess it's better than crying, but sleep is becoming a distant memory around here.

--At night, going to bed between 7:30-8:30 and waking up once to eat, usually between 2-3:30am. Then she's up for the day between 6-7am.
--Wearing size 1-2 and 2 diapers.
--In mostly size 3-6 month or 6 month clothes. Almost outgrowing the 6 month footed pj's. Yikes she's long. (we go to her four month appointment next week so we'll find out just how big she is then).

--Eating 5 ounces of milk at a time from a bottle (mainly at day care). Will probably be mixing with formula soon since I can't keep up with her anymore.
--Officially in love. Her long-awaited boyfriend Sam Davis made his appearance last Saturday. He is perfect. Congrats Heather and Jeremy!!


Oh, and for the record (and I swear I never intended this blog to have anything to do with her poo), Autumn had the blowout of a lifetime on our drive home. Brian and I had done everything we could possibly have done to ensure a quick, stop-less ride back to Denver yesterday. She was fed, changed, tired, and we had a bottle to feed her on the fly in case she got hungry again. I even sat in the backseat with her so I could make this happen if need be. Well, ten minutes into the drive she begins to grunt her telltale little grunts. Though I wanted to think she was just concentrating very intently on something, a few minutes later the smell hit me.
Me: "Brian, I think we might have to stop in Empire."
Brian: "No, I think it's a false alarm. You've cried wolf like four times this weekend."
Me: "Ummmm, if you can't smell this something is wrong with you."

Two minutes later, Autumn falls asleep.

Me: "Well, maybe we can hold off, I don't want to wake her up again. She needs to sleep."

30 seconds later. Autumn is still sound asleep.

Brian: "HOLY SHIT, what is that???"
Me: "Exactly that."
Brian: "I don't care if she's sleeping, that is terrible. I'm stopping at the next exit."
Thankfully the next exit was one we frequently stop at for bathroom breaks. Of course they would have a changing table.

Or not.

When I go to get Autumn out of her carseat, I notice she has already leaked out of the front of her diaper. So, I carry her as I might picture someone who has never seen or held a baby might handle one (arms straight out, baby as far from contact with me as possible). I run to the bathroom only to find that there really is no changing table in there. People open the doors for me as I run her back out, and to the cashier's counter, which happens to be right next to the Subway sandwich line (I'm sure those customers were thrilled). For some reason, the cashier informs me that there are some tables and a couch upstairs that I can change my poo-stained child on. Yes, some tables and a couch that it appears people take their lunch breaks on.

So to wrap this up, changing her was a two-man job that took Brian two trips to the car for more baby wipes, and of course a change of clothes. I still throw up in my mouth a little when I think about how extensive this mess was, but one day I'm sure we will look back fondly on this epic event.

Enjoy the pics! Thankfully my dad was here for her four-month photo shoot(s). We'll have to start flying him out every month. Otherwise our iPhones tend to be our main source for pictures these days. We'll get better at this, someday.

Really, Dad?

Reading with Grandma

Wine please!

Just farting around

This clip provides a minutes-worth of Autumn's one and only activity last night. It was a ridiculous, slobbery mess -- but of course she kept at it for that long because we thought it was so funny. Actually, we thought changing her into her pj's would get her mind onto something else (hence the changing table and Brian's hands in her pants), but I guess this is just where her three month-old little mind wanted to be.

Aren't you glad we kept it to a minute?

"Snow" Day!

Well, it really should be called a "Cold Day" since I can count the number of inches of snow on one hand. But in any case, all the school districts called for a snow day early yesterday evening, due to a high of -3 today, freezing rain from yesterday and snow through the night. I'll take it.

Not much on the agenda today.
A little sleep...

A little play...

And one step out the front door...it doesn't look much like a snow day but it's freezing out there!

Icy, not snowy, road