Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sentimental fool

Yesterday, I talked about my baby's name and how we decided on Milo. Today, I read on Parents.com about what his name says about me.

According to Parents.com, "If you choose a family name, you're sentimental."
"This name has a more personal story behind it, so it's not as flashy as naming your child after your favorite car or rock star," says Wattenberg. "If it's a traditional name, people aren't going to ask you about it, so they won't know it's a family name unless you tell them. That could be why these types of names have lost some steam in recent years."
I'm from a family of sentimental fools, because most of my nieces and nephews are named for someone else.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Call me Milo

When deciding on a name for our little boy, we thought about a lot of things. We wanted a name that wasn't common but wasn't weird. We wanted a name that was simple but had meaning for us -- Milo is a variation of the S.O.'s father and grandfather's name. I wanted a name that he didn't have to constantly spell out for people or correct their pronunciation (as I did with my maiden name).

I thought we did a pretty good job meeting those criteria, so imagine my surprise when twice in the past week, someone asked about the pronunciation of Milo. The first time it happened, I thought it was just a fluke. The girl at VillaKids asked, "Is it Meelo [she pronounced it with a long e] or Milo [with a long i]?"

The second time it happened, it was an older lady I've known for a while but have only corresponded with by email for several months. She's only seen Milo's name in print. "Are you pronouncing Meelo or Milo?" she asked when I saw her over the weekend.

Imagine my surprise when I realized that Milo's name wasn't as cut and dried as I'd thought.

For the record, it is Milo with a long i.

My maternal grandmother was Nina, pronounced with a long i rather than a long e. So I should have known that some people might look at his name and think "Meelo."

Tell me, have I doomed my little boy to a life of correcting the pronunciation of his name?


Sometimes I just call him "Cutie Pie."

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Milo's big day

We left Milo in the care of the folks at VillaKids last night for an entire 30 minutes! It's only the second time he hasn't been with Mommy or Daddy (the first time was with my aunt). It was the first time he's been in the care of someone not family. It was a big step for all of us. Milo was great. The VK folks said he was smiling and happy the whole time. I don't know why I ever worried he wouldn't be.

Earlier in the day, I took Milo to a free introductory class at The Little Gym -- another first for us. There was one other baby in the class -- a six-month-old boy who was actually smaller than my big boy -- and Milo was fascinated by him. The other little boy had been to the class before so he was able to show Milo the ropes, so to speak.

Milo enjoyed most of the class. He didn't like being put down on the parachute. And he didn't like the leg stretches (even though we did the exact same leg stretches at home later and he giggled his head off). The class was 45 minutes long and pretty tiring for the little guys. Both boys were asleep before Moms got them into the cars.


It was a big day for Milo. It was also a tiring day. He napped really well but didn't sleep through the night as I'd hoped. He woke at 2 a.m., seemingly hungry. But I think he just wanted a cuddle because he ate for a few minutes before dropping back off to sleep. He did the same thing at 6 a.m. Who can blame him. Change can be hard.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Milo's first cereal

Milo had some brown rice cereal yesterday.


Once he got the hang of it, he really seemed to enjoy it.


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Four months old

Dear Milo,

It's hard to believe you've been in our lives for four whole months. I sometimes still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I'm a mommy -- that I'm your mommy. You amaze me every day. You make me smile and laugh. Every day. In general, you are a happy-go-lucky little guy, and that sure makes my life easier.


However, when you're hungry or sleepy or hungry and sleepy, you can be a cranky baby. But even then, you are so darn cute, it's hard to be upset with you. I think I'm spoiling you, though -- letting you fall asleep in my lap during your breastfeeding. Considering you fight napping and sometimes even fight sleeping during the night, I don't think it's such a bad thing for me to find ways to put you to sleep.

Now that you've found your thumb, you've decided you don't want a pacifier anymore. You seem to be outgrowing everything. You're almost too big for your cradle, but Daddy and I aren't ready to move you to your own room yet. In fact, neither one of us are looking forward to the time when you sleep in another room -- despite your insistence on keeping us up for hours at a time.

And your insistence on sticking your feet out of your cradle

Then, just last night, you decided to sleep most of the way through the night. I heard you fussing in the wee hours, but -- even though I wanted to -- I didn't get up. And next thing I knew, it was after 5 a.m. and you were still sleeping. Let's make that a new habit. OK?

You've figured out how to grip and pull things and you're working on the coordination to put those things in your mouth -- from my fingers to toys.

to Daddy's ears

We can make you laugh pretty easily now, with funny sounds and tickles. We have to be careful not to come at you too quickly though or that sound or voice you previously thought funny will suddenly become very scary -- especially if you are tired.

Still, for the most part, you are a happy baby. And an easy baby. Maybe it's just because I love you so darn much that makes you seem so easy going. Every day, I look at you and thank my lucky stars to have you in my life. Even when I'm changing poopy diaper blow-outs. Even when I'm doing laundry every single day to clean up those poopy blow-outs. Even when I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open, and you're wide awake. It doesn't matter what's going on, all you have to do is flash that smile and my heart melts.

Some smiles are goofier than others, but still cute

Daddy and I love each other very much, but we had no idea that we could love someone else with the fiery intensity that we love you. Every day with you, Milo, is a grand adventure. And we look forward to having more adventures as you grow up.

All my love,
Mommy

Monday, August 15, 2011

Growing baby

Milo in his bouncy seat at two weeks old


Milo in his bouncy seat now


Thank goodness that seat has a 25-pound weight limit. Milo is growing so quickly.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Want to hear something funny?

I actually thought I would have all kinds of time to blog after Milo was born. Funny how much attention a growing baby needs.


To be honest, when you're that cute, it's hard to find time to do much of anything other than stare.