Transition

One of the best, most true pieces of advice a friend ever gave me when Harrison was born was this: just when you think you know what's going on, the baby changes. Thanks, MB, for that because, wow, has it helped me a lot in the last four years to not totally freak out when my world has been tipped upside down (again and again and again) by the ever changing stages of babyhood (and toddlerhood and prekhood). I am a big believer of strength and comfort in numbers, so knowing that my baby is not the only in constant flux (duh, but still needed to hear and learn it) matters. Especially since that first baby has now added a little sister and a little brother in the years since. And today is the little brother's turn in the spotlight.

Over the weekend, I decided to do little update posts on the kiddos. It seemed like a nice way to get my mind off sleep while filling y'all in on the cuteness and fun that is just as much a part of our daily lives as is the crazy and chaos. I started with Mr. Harrison and proceeded in birth order from there, but that was done in part because I've been trying to figure out what to say for Lincoln. What hasn't been going on with that kid lately?

95% of the time, Lincoln is still Mr. Chill - the laid back baby who is content to wiggle on his belly on the floor, watching his brother and sister play around him. He's a strong dude but I still don't trust him to sit up by himself unsupported. He loves his exersaucer and America, too (sorry, little T.Petty reference for my Yankee Doodle boy). His neck and chin are ticklish, so when I bend my face to his and give him funny sniffs or kisses, he gives me the best non-laughs ever. No, really. Have you seen the facebook videos? His laugh is hysterical. It's like an intake of air grunt/squawk thing that is clearly a delighted sound but unlike any other laugh I have ever heard! All in all, Lincoln is my Love; I love to snuggle him and smell him and the quiet moments we get together nursing or before his naps are awesome.

5% of the time, Lincoln is beyond my comprehension. Of course, this 5% is comprised of his sleep. Actually, his sleep takes up far more than 5% of our days and nights, but I'm weighing it lightly against the rest of his lovely personality and disposition because even with the crappy sleep I'm about to explain, I stand by my previous Lincoln in my Love declaration. But yea...his sleep is as crappy as mine lately. OK, time for another actually. Actually, at night he's doing pretty well. Goes to bed at the same time as the big kids and sleeps well into the night, most nights, before needing to be fed. And most of the time, he goes back down after that. Except for when he cries and cries or if it is in the 5s and then, well, you're just SOL on that one.

Lately, though, it would be the transitions of Lincoln's day sleep that that is the most baffling. Several weeks ago he decided he was done with three naps; boom, just like that, he wouldn't do it any more. And for a wee bit (like five days), this seemed like a good thing. Suddenly he was sleeping longer than 40 minutes for his two naps and sometimes the afternoon one was even as long as - gasp! - two hours!! Pretty awesome. But then this last week, on top of my own exhaustion, he decided to go back to the 40 minute (or less) naps, but still just the two. So, holy red-rimmed-eyed baby by the end of the day! And holy stress-seeping-into-my-shoulders-making-them-climb-to-my-ears me from listening to him fuss, hoping he'd go back to sleep! Not fun. So not, not fun. And can you guess what he did this weekend? Went back to taking the longer naps again. What the huh? I'm officially stumped, but am crossing my fingers that he'll continue with the elongated afternoon rests. HD and I could use the rest!

The other positive backwards trend for LT is at the table. After throwing holy terror fits about eating solids, after a great week and a half to start, he is back to doing just fine with his baby oatmeal, sweet potatoes and squash. I don't know what I will try making next for him, but I am so glad he's not flat out refusing the food/spoon anymore (or at least not right now). Hopefully this will pay off on the scale when I take him in for his March weight. He feels solid and looks (sort of) chunky (to me), so maybe he has gained a bit, eh?

So there you have it. The ever-growing, ever-changing, ever-moving, ever-sweet Lincoln Thomas. Oh! And he has the best little baby mohawk going. So fun!