My Sleeping Success

Starting on Monday night, Sol slept through the night until Friday night!!
We would do his last feeding between 9:30-10 and get him to bed no later than 10:30. At the suggestion of my next door neighbor, we've been giving him a 4oz bottle for this feeding because it ensures us that he has a full belly AND he doesn't fall asleep working for it. 

He also found his thumb recently and he has been rather content sucking on it when he's in his crib. I have been waking at 6 or 7am and can see he is awake, but he will just lay in bed until 8:30 when I come in and open the curtains!
On Friday night, he woke around 4:45 😝
Daddy changed his dirty diaper and then I fed him. He played a bit, but went back to sleep and I had to wake him up at 8 for his feeding before our first 5k together (outside the belly)!
Sadly, no pics....but I did get a pic of his excitement at the Magic City Art Connection!
He slept through a dancing performance, too!
Mama Pat came to visit after. I loved capturing this happy moment between her and my baby boy
We did something right last night, because he slept through the night again. I actually woke him earlier this AM because I'm still trying to figure out how to adjust his feedings and pumping with the sleeping. I want to make sure he is getting enough so that he meets weight gain expectations.  Plus, I'm engorged when I wake in the AM!!!!

So far, so good. He's a good baby and...boy do I love him!!!!

Here are a few other photos since I've neglected to post in a while!!
At Sol's first Crawfish Boil
Meeting Candy, the wonderful massage therapist who worked on me while I was in labor. She was VERY happy to meet him 💙

I took him to my last day of class this semester. He is such a whiz in grad school, he sleeps through it and still makes A's 👏
So that means it was his first trip to UA and his first road trip. He did great!
Love my occasional cuddles!
Gnight y'all!

Mother's Milk Tea...is it helping me???

Some of you may have figured out that I would like for my blog to be a way of keeping family and friends updated with us AND bring in additional readers who are interested in reflections on my current stage of life, 'Mommyhood'.  I've always wanted to have children.  If you don't believe me, you can ask my younger brother Ian!  He was a guinea pig for me when we were kids.  It seemed much easier back then and I'm sure it had something to do with my Mom doing the brunt of the tough work.  Having my own son and adjusting my life around his schedule is a job in itself now.

Along with the scheduling, I want to make sure I am providing Sol with everything he needs.  Currently, there's materialistic needs and physical needs.  I won't always be able to give him what he needs, but I am doing my best to be attentive to him and incorporate my life and needs, too.  It definitely isn't easy!  My recent internal conflict is whether to be a full-time mommy or be a mommy AND a grad student.  I won't bore you with those details right now.  Instead, I'll do a follow-up on the Mother's Milk Tea I previously promoted as a MUST HAVE as a new mommy.

Cousin lovin' Introduction

Cousin Lovin' starring
Sol Alevy, 2 months
Ava Goedecke, 7 months

2 cousins, 5 months apart

It was friendship at first sight. They met at UAB only 2 days after Sol was born. 

They see each other once a week to walk their mommies.  Now they have recruited their mommies to babysit them together once or twice a week, too!

While Ava enjoys watching tv, Sol giggles away at the excitement of having his cousin over to play. 

Nap time--Sol fell asleep easily. Ava wanted some extra TLC so Aunt Caleigh walked her around the house many times...and then outside into the pretty day. The combination of wind, sun, and chirping birds knocked her out immediately!

Can you guess what happened 5 minutes later?

If you got it right...then you're hired to come babysit, too!

Sol was very good at entertaining himself for about 45 minutes until his feeding. Once we finished his feeding, Ava woke with perfect timing and a smile on her face!

I set both of them up on the floor and she put on a concert for us. 

They both had a great time!

Can't wait til the next time they get to play together again!

When was the first time you left your little one with a friend for a play date?  Were you nervous like I was?  How did it work out?!

Thanks for stopping by!

Surrounded by Miriam's Women!

Sol attended his first Passover Seder ...and his only Women's Seder!  That is, until he is old enough to help serve the ladies with TEE Brotherhood!

Rabbi Haas put on a great service and Barbara Zazlofsky coordinated a warm & wonderful gathering!  Since David had class, I toted Sol with me to the event.

Bubbe was shining from ear to ear!  She stole away the buggy...I mean, helped me as soon as I arrived!  

I was so nervous to wake him during the service, but he needed a feeding or I knew my night would be messed up. He was great. Gulping a bottle and listening to the singing and chatting of over 200 women...the boy knew he needed to be quiet!!  When the "Miriam's Women" dancing began, Bubbe conveniently had him in her arms and managed to convince me to join the celebrating. As I started to leave my son, I could see that the lines of women were especially making their way toward my table so they could see my main squeeze and coo at how cute he is ;). My heart sank that I couldn't be with him to enjoy that excitement. I know Bubbe loved it...
So this is how it looked...and it felt like craziness!  
Do you see Bubbe on the right?  Uh huh...

Let me tell you, it was like trying to part the Red Sea to get back to him!!!  Once I did finally get back, I promised myself that I wouldn't get that far away from my 7-week-old again for the evening.

I loved seeing so many TEE friends and showing him off :). It was a fun and memorable event. And Sol's Bubbe, PatPat, Aunt Lori, and Aunt Allie especially loved huggin on him!!

Thanks Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood for an exciting evening out AND a hearty welcome to Sol!

Time to move?

After having brunch with Bubbe, we came home to feed, play, & take a nap. 

The blackout curtains, that David ordered, arrived this morning. BUT IT'S A SATURDAY!!!  Why??  David is doing a jig...me...not so much. Why you ask?  Because that means we are that much closer to moving Sol into his room. 

I love having him in the co-sleeper, next to me. 
It's not only convenient to get him out in the middle of the night, but I like that I can check on him--even if it's to just rest my hand on his tummy to feel him breathing. 

Since David has wanted to move him into his room from day 1, I've made suggestions that would get us closer to that day. 
1) set up monitor 
2) put in curtains
3) add blackout curtains
4) move upstairs until he sleeps through the night, for at least a week. 

He set up the monitor immediately. 

We shopped for curtains at 5 weeks. 

He has now added blackout curtains at 7 weeks. 

So after reading books and smiling at his fan
I've decided to try it out for nap time. 
Yes, I cried. 

When did you move your baby into his/her own room?

ChAMamaCH: Chatty and Active Mama's in Cahaba Heights

ChAMamaCH
"Chatty & Active Mamas in Cahaba Heights"

Calling all new, "young" mothers to join!!

Meet in the Cahaba Heights area  

Become friends with other mamas:
 trade helpful advice & discover interests and hobbies you share and
get some exercise in, too! 

Check out the Facebook group 
Chatty and Active Mamas in Cahaba Heights 
for more details!

Everyone welcome.  Recommended that you have a child 5 and under.