Chopsticks and cheerios

Tummy time

Clouds over Stavanger | Pilvet Stavangerin yllä

Naptime

Otso's 3rd Month

Summary
We are seeing more of Otso's personality this month, and so far he is cheerful and easygoing.

Events
22.12 open Christmas gifts at home
23.12-6.1 trip to Finland
23.12 flights to Finland. Otso was calm and quiet. He had a couple screaming fits in the car on the drive to Nakkila. He met his Lankinen cousins for the first time.
24.12 Finnish Christmas, visit from Joulupukki
25.12 American Christmas
26.12 happily out and about in the carrier
28.12 visit to Kari house
29.12 travel to mökki
2.1 drive back to Helsinki, visit with Sami and Ilona
5.1 US playgroup, visit at the Setala house
6.1 flight back to Stavanger, Otso was barely noticed because he was so quiet


Eating
He has an annoying habit of latching on the breast and then jerking his head back and off. It hurts a little, but also sprays milk everywhere. He seems to do this when he isn't really hungry, just has some belly pain like needing to poo or having gas. When he is hungry he eats efficiently and well.
I have started to introduce more dairy into my diet, and he isn't spitting up as much as before. I tried adding some legumes (a lentil soup) and it was disastrous. Both mother and baby were very gassy and uncomfortable.

Sleeping
He naps well most of the time, with about 1.5 hours awake in between. He sleeps next to äiti at night, and does "dream feeds" but usually doesn't fully wake up until morning.
When he gets overtired, he has trouble going to bed at night, and those are the worst screaming fits we have had. This has happened about 3 times this month. We tried to fend it off by doing what it takes to make sure he gets a nap in the evening. Sometimes this means that äiti has to put him in the carrier and walk him around outside.

Health
In Finland he seems to be getting a stuffy nose. He slept really well in Nakkila but got gradually more fussy toward the end of the trip.
Diapering is still okay, though we are still using disposables at night. We are experimenting with different covers. At this point, the Fuzzibunz seem to leak almost every time. We think (read: hope) this is due to his size and that this will stop soon.

Likes/Dislikes
Likes: milk, cuddles, rattles, watching, sleeping in the carrier if we are walking at a steady pace
Dislikes: pacifier, when äiti goes out of his line of sight


Playing
He is starting to smile at everyone. He likes to look at some toys, especially when we shake a rattle in his face.
On 11.1, he grabbed a rattle for the first time.
On 14.1, I noticed he has started looking at his hands.
On 17.1, he held a toy and brought it to his mouth, and he held a rattle and shook it.

Development
His hands have opened and he waves his arms enthusiastically when he is excited. Around Christmas, his legs straightened out, so he suddenly seems to have outgrown a bunch of clothes.
He is quite alert and loves to look at rattles. He is starting to be able to hit a rattle with a hand.

Stats
size: 68 or 74 at end of month (6-9 months), or 62 in pants. We are using an extender with the size 68 onesies with a cloth diaper, but the 74 size fits fine in a variety of brands.

Nothing runs like a...

Morning Hugs

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

We had a wonderful trip to Finland -- lots of good times with family and friends. Here is Lumi mucking about in the Oslo airport yesterday.

We got reprimanded shortly after this picture was taken.

Lumi's 35th Month

Events
5.12 trip to Oslo to get Otso a passport
8.12 sauna at Johanna's place; played with Lenni
9.12 first time crushing her brother while diving to catch a ball
13.12 Hundvåg playgroup
14-15.12 Gerald visit
18.12 Christmas cookie baking
19.12 gingerbread house exhibition, observed Christmas play in cathedral
22.12 open Christmas gifts from grandpa and mama dollie and aunt carol
23.12-1.6 trip to Finland
23.12 long travel day, but ended with a sauna at Mummu's house with the Lankinen cousins. In the airplane and car we made use of our new tablet as a tv for lumi for the first time. She loved it, of course, and was even calm through Otso's screaming in the car.
24.12 Finnish Christmas, visit from Joulu Pukki
25.12 American Christmas with stockings
28.12 visit to Kari house
29.12 drive to mökki
31.12 fireworks and sparklers
2.1 drive back to Helsinki, visit with Sami and Ilona

Food
She frequently refuses new foods but we try to keep offering. This month she discovered sweet potatoes and mandarin oranges. She is also getting chocolate every morning thanks to the advent calendar.
Food she loves: cheerios with milk, anything chocolate

Language
Lumi has mixed up the words "rectangle" and "orangutan".


Learning
Her counting is still erratic after 3 or 4.


Behavior
We are seeing monstrous mood swings. She hits and kicks (no biting, thank goodness) but very rarely gives it her full effort, which I think is a good sign (that she just wants to show she is unhappy, not that she wants to hurt us).


Toys/Books/Games
Toys: She quite likes the doctor set that Gerald brought her. Legos are still popular, as well as her dolls and stuffed animals. She regularly makes conversations among the "friends". She also has started channeling her feelings through various dolls (e.g. "Loa doesn't like that song.").
Books: her appetite for books is ravenous. She is enjoying How The Grinch Stole Christmas this month, along with some other Christmas stories that Grandma reads to her on Skype. She also recently discovered Mickey Mouse and friends, and it takes some cajoling to pull her away from the Donald Duck comics at the grocery store. I am always secretly proud when I find her with her arms full of books and magazines that "we have to buy".

Christmas
For Christmas her favorite toys are a hand-me-down talking My Little Pony and a doll with all kinds of accessories (carry cot, potty, etc.) We had a gift-opening with Grandpa and Mama Dollie on Skype before leaving to Finland, then Joulupukki in Nakkila with the Lankinens and Mummu, then exchange with Vaari and Leena at the mökki.

Health
Most of this month she has been close to having a cold, with an occasional runny nose. She got a cold over Christmas at Mummu's house. She also had a LOT of trouble getting to sleep at Mummu's house.
And she has learned to pick her nose. :)


Stats
clothes: 2T in US, 98 in European or 92.
height - 89cm
weight - 12.6kg
naps - 1 per day, starting after lunch.

Random Funny Stuff
A funny combination of language: "äiti, here is a ball for you to 'heit' "
At Christmas dinner she pointed to the peruna laatikko and said "i want some chocolate cake".