Pedro Goosoffalus

This past week has been interesting to say the least. First I should let you know that you have a new nickname "Pedro Goosoffalus". I am not sure how it came about but Mom started calling you this and now dad does and it cracks us right up. We promise we will call you Chase again soon. You just SO suit "Pedro Goosoffalus".

Recently your new thing is short naps---the 45 minute intruder as the sleep books like to call it. Basically you go to nap in your crib and do such a fabulous job of getting yourself to sleep BUT look out, as soon as your sleep cycle is coming to an end, you are having a hard time transitioning to the next one and you wake at 45 minutes on the nose! So in order to extend your nap we do the "Shhhh pat" which basically is 20 minutes of "sssshhhhhhh-ing" and rubbing your belly to extend your sleep. All while bent over your crib. Lets just say BACK BREAKER!!!! Oh Pedro, if only you could understand what Mom and Dad are doing for you!

You have your longest cosiest sleeps in your car seat. Quite often you can be found sleeping in a powder room or even in our storage room by Daddy's office so he can watch you while you drift off into la-la sleep land in your Chicco car seat with the fleecy liner insert.

Yesterday you ate 36 ounces of formula. Um, let's just say, that cannot happen all the time. You are an eating machine Pedro!

You are habitually waking every 3-3.5 hours at night and we have to stop that because you cannot possibly be hungry. Something has gone wrong and you have created a little nasty habit....sleep for a short stint, wake up crying, wait for mom with a warm bottle, chow down and back to sleep...no matter how much I tank you up during the day you are still waking. Oh Pedro!

Daddy leaves for mexico to shoot a wedding on Weds. You, me and Jessy are flying solo for 8 days. I am praying to the sleep gods that you all of a sudden turn a big baby corner and start snoozing for longer stretches. That would make mom happy.

Mom is a bit of a perfectionist/control freak so....when things don't go according to plan, it throws mom for a loop. Mom is officially sleep obsessed! I just want you to get the proper sleep so you can develop and rest easy and I can too knowing you are sound asleep sawing logs and happy happy happy!

I hear you snoring away on the baby monitor right now and it warms my heart. It takes EVERYTHING I have to not go in there and stare at you or wake you up just so I can see your toothless smile! You always smile when you wake up and see mom or dad. You are such a happy guy!

Spring is here baby Chase---the stroller will be in action really soon and the sunshine will cheer mom up. I love you more than I can possibly say, but I have to tell you that you gave mom the baby blues.....Nothing a beer or wine can't fix though.


Mom took this pic of you last week. This was right after you woke early from a nap. I adore your smiles! heck, I adore everything about you!

My Little Houdini

This past week has been a busy one and you have been such a cutie-pie! You are 11 weeks old and full of smiles! You love being sung to and smile away when mom sings or makes a heart shape on your face (Auntie Kerry taught us that). Your favourite songs are "Skinamarrink" (sung at bath time and throughout the day) and "A You're Adorable" (sung before each nap and bedtime).

You absolutely adore a nice hot bath. Just this past week you have been a kicking machine! You love taking your little legs and pushing yourself back off the edge. You are very strong. It won't be much longer until you are too big for your little baby tub. You have a bath every night just before bed and as soon as you here the water running your eyes light up and I get a big toothless grin. Melts mom's heart.

After each bath you get a delightful little massage with Burt's Bees lotion. You smile and coo away as mom sings and massages your little legs, arms tummy and toes. You love your feet being rubbed and you spread your teeny tiny toes when mom massages them and kisses them. They are too yummy! I simply cannot stand it!

You are an early riser except this past week you keep pushing the envelope to get up sooner. I think you just want to start exploring what is going on around you right away. Except, mom is encouraging you to sleep until at least 6 am! No 5 am starts please! Mom is a morning person but 5 am is TOO early little man!

There is no doubt there is a little narcissism in you...you LOVE staring at yourself in the mirror. You are mesmerized by your sheer adorableness! Oh and you weigh about 11 lbs right now.

Daylight savings happened therefore the evenings are brighter. So when mom went to put you to sleep at 7 pm you wanted no part of it. You have been sleeping in a bassinet in mom and dads room and we planned on having you in there at least another month but (sniff sniff) we had to move you to your big boy crib last week because it is dark with the blackout blinds and curtains. I was a little nervous about a) you being downstairs (our room is upstairs) and b) because I did not know how you would adapt to being in a crib. You transitioned like a trooper and bedtimes have been a breeze.

We had to put you back into your swaddle because your arms were waking you up all the time and you were not napping or sleeping well in your sleep sac. So back in the swaddle you went and you were very happy and content being back in there except the past couple night and afternoons for naps you have been fighting it a bit. You want your hands in your mouth SO badly. I would much rather you suck your thumb than the soother but you haven't quite got the hang of it but you are trying so hard! I am going to try and keep you in your swaddle for a couple more weeks to let you develop a bit more so you are ready to be "arm free". Last night after a whopping 5 hours of sleep, I awoke to you grunting and groaning in your crib and sucking your hands. You had scootched them up and out from the tight sides if your swaddle and had your head buried under the flap. You hd shimmied down inside the swaddle...my little swaddle houdini....


Your favourite place to nap is the car seat. You are guaranteed to sleep for at least 2 hours in there. Why won't you do that in your crib each time? I think you just love the warm confinement and comfy cozy fleece bundle bag we have in it.

Speaking of the car seat....I should go wake you up now. We go to the gym every morning and it helps keep mom sane and is helping mom get back into shape. Before you mom was in rocking good shape...now, there is some extra "cush" that needs to go bye-bye!

Going to get you now sleepy head!


(The pic you see is one I took of you last week when you were being a ham!)

Your first breath and many more since....

Well you have been in this great big world for 2 months and 10 days Chase Joseph Reilly! This intro is much later than I wanted it to be and I missed a bunch of stuff..but here is a quick update to date for you to enjoy when you are older and we can crack up with you thinking about this special and crazy time!

Mom and Dad have been super busy with you since day 1. We had a bit of a rocky start...you were a sucky baby who loved to cry and scream after being home for a couple weeks. We had no idea what to do. You would take hours to get down for naps and to go to sleep. You would kick, grunt, scream, cry and yell! Mom cried right along with you. Dad stayed cool, calm and collected. But that phase is now history! In the past 3 weeks you have been a dreamy baby Chase! You are content, happy and have settled in to the world outside of Mommy's belly. The past 2 weeks you are the master of going down for naps and bedtime. You lay in your bassinet and coo, giggle and sigh and you put yourself to sleep when you are ready. Mom loves to hear you in there happy as a clam and then she loves peeking in and watching you sleep peacefully.....

A couple of memories for you...

Nicknames: "Milk Tiger" because you LOVE rowring onto Moms nipple for chow., "Formula Werewolf" because you make growling noises when drinking out of your bottle.

You outgrew your "coming home" outfit (the blue chunky fuzzy bear suit) March 1, 2011 and you also outgrew your GAP celadon blue sleeper with the grey polar bears on it. Mom has packed them away for you.

First smiles at Dad: Feb 15, 2011

First smelly farts- Feb 16, 2011

First immunizations: March 1, 2011

March 9- you transitioned from your swaddle to a big boy sleep sac. (actually..I take that back..we tried this and you weren't ready. Your moro reflex kept startling you awake. You went back in the swaddle until 15 weeks )

I chose the image in this post because when I heard your first cry, I experienced a love that I never knew I could. A love that I could never have been prepared for. And each day my heart has more and more room for more love for you. Each day I think "I cannot possibly love you more"...but I always manage too.

I love you my baby Chase. More updates soon....