As Silas gets older we get to know him more and more, but just when we think we have him and his rhythm figured out, he changes again. The biggest change this month is that Silas has started to wake up in the middle of the night again. Some nights he just gets up 2 times to eat (around 2 and 6) and other nights he has been up for 1½ to 3 hours crying and crying. We’re not sure what the cause of this is, but think maybe it is his teeth and that it will go away soon. Mostly I just feel bad for him that he wakes up and is so sad. He has, however, begun to go to bed earlier, around 7:30pm which has been good for everyone.
Normally I write about a normal day for Silas, but with all the changes in time differences and new experiences he hasn’t had much of a “normal” day. He still takes about 2 naps a day, eats one cereal meal at around 6pm and is in bed after a night snack with me around 7:30.
Notable traits at 5 months:
1) Can reach out for a toy and play with it, while laying on his stomach.
2) Can sit by himself for about 30 seconds without support. Sitting with support isn’t as floppy anymore either.
3) Can hold himself standing if he is leaning up against a table and holding on.
4) Now has 2 teeth. The second one came just about 1½ weeks after the first and isn’t all the way through yet.
5) Turns his head when you call his name.
6) Eats rice cereal once a day and drinks water out of a cup.
7) Rolls from his back onto his side. He hasn’t quite rolled over yet.
8) Likes to talk and screech while you talk to him. He makes a lot of happy noises and smiles a ton.
9) Falls asleep in his baby carriage by himself, without having to walk him.
10) Weighs 17.4 lbs (7.9 kg) and is 27.1 inches (69 cm)
We have now arrived back in Denmark and have a lot of fun memories to look back on. Here is what we have been up to since the last New Adventures post.
After the Weinauer get together at my Dad’s on the 9th we spent the next 4 days just hanging out. Other than going to the orchard we spent a day with my highschool best friend Andrea, her husband Jason and her little boy Westin who was born just about 3 weeks after Silas. It was so wonderful to see them again and to see them as parents. We also had a day where we went to Mall of America and shopped until we all dropped.
Friday we said goodbye and headed to my friend Julie’s to stay for a short week. She was my first college roommate, and also became a Mommy to Alexander just 5 weeks before I did! She is a nurse and works afternoon/evenings so we had a lot of time with her in the mornings while our boys ate and napped. She made us some delicious breakfasts and lunches and it was nice just to catch up and be a part of her daily life. During that week we also had some day trips including a Brown family get together so Silas could meet all his Great Aunts and Uncles and 2nd cousins, a drive to Wisconsin to visit my college friend Anna and see their new house. One evening Søren and I attempted to go out to dinner, but Silas did not think that was a very good idea so we managed in and out of the restaurant in about 35 minutes. We think the food was good, but actually we’re not sure. Silas also got to meet a bunch of my college friends as my friends Sarah and Matt hosted a dinner party for a bunch of us.
Okay so that was week 2. Here are the last few things we experienced in week 3.
1) Took a drive up to Saint Bens (my college) and visited with my old roommate Emily and her family. We took a walk around campus on a very beautiful fall day and also visited with my old professor Dale who showed us around the new wing of the music building.
2) Played frisbee golf with my brother. *Notice that some of the last pictures have the date on them, these are the pictures we took with Johnny’s camera as I accidentally ran over my purse with my cell phone and camera in it on the way to frisbee golf.
3) Went to my friend Anne’s wedding in St. Paul. It was so wonderful to actually get to be able to be a part of one of my friends weddings. Living so far away I have missed so many weddings it was fantastic that we happened to be in town for hers!
4) Went to the Vikings/Packers game! Although the Vikings have been struggling this year, they played very well, with their rookie quarter back, and it was an amazing game. We sat in row 21 so we were close to the action, and well the Packers are our biggest rivals so the atmosphere was intense and exciting!
*As you can maybe see these last 2 are not exactly baby friendly events so Silas was babysat for the first time. My mother and brother did a great job and I’m sure Silas had a great time. It was pretty sweet though that when we got back from the Vikings game and said hi to Silas and he gave me a huge smile! I could just hear him saying "I missed you Mommy."
Meeting Westin
Playing with Grandpa
Some alone time cruising on a beautiful "fall" day
Meeting Alexander
Meeting family and 3rd? cousin Heidi
Looking at Søren on one of our drives
Silas and Alexander
Us with Julie and Alexander
Playing with Grandma and Uncle Johnny
Meeting Great Grandma Adrienne
Frisbee Golf
Anne's Wedding
All the hockey girls from St. Bens at the wedding
Vikings make an entrance
Skål Vikings
Before heading home we went Christmas and Birthday shopping with my Mom and had a nice relaxing evening together.
The trip home went just as well as the trip there. Silas was excellent on the plane ride even though we didn’t get a basket for him and he had to sit with us the whole time. Both flights we were given an extra seat, so that helped a bit. He slept a lot and was otherwise quite content. Again a great traveller.
October 9th and 10th have brought new dimensions to the idea of eating for Silas.
First on October 9th Silas tried rice cereal for the first time. We were told to try it at a time when he wasn't too hungry or crabby and not too full either. So we decided to give him an evening snack. We were expecting just to watch him spit it out the whole time, but he actually swallowed a few spoonfulls! He was very interested in the process and already by the next night he ate a whole bunch. You could see after his first or second spoonful that his tongue was working the right way and the cereal was going down. Before we knew it the entire 1/4th portion I had made was gone and he was looking for more!
Then on October 10th we noticed Silas' first tooth! Just a little sliver of a white thing on the bottom gums, but it is definitely there because you can feel it too. We haven't noticed much extra fussiness, so hopefully teething won't be a painful experience for him.
We have now been in the USA for 5 full days and are having a great time. We haven't been too busy but Silas sure has experienced a lot of new things already.
First of all he went on his first airplane ride, and boy what a first trip it was. For a rookie flyer of 4 months to take a 8.5 hour plane trip as the first is incredible and he also took it incredibly. The first flight from Billund to Amsterdam was only about an hour and he was happy the whole time. He didn't seem to have any problems with his ears and he actually liked the bit of turbulence there was. Then we had the long flight and again, he was amazing. They gave us a basket that could hang on the wall and he took a few very short naps throughout the 8.5 hours and otherwise was happy and content. He cried for a total of 5 minutes the whole way, and after we landed many people gave him a compliment for behaving so well, and that they didn't even realize there was a baby on board!
Waiting in Billund
Sleeping in his basket on the plane
We made it to Grandma's house by 8 pm and had Silas sleeping by 8:45, and he slept until 4 am where he ate and was up for about half an hour before falling asleep again and waking at 7:30am. So I guess he didn't have jet lag. We on the other hand woke up at 6am and couldn't sleep anymore so we were just waiting for Silas to wake up!
Well since then Silas has been to his first shopping mall, met his first dogs and cats, met new family members, gone to his first Apple Orchard, met his first little American buddy Charlie, etc....
We have had incredible weather and have enjoyed visiting family and friends so far. We feel blessed to have this time together the three of us and to experience so many things together, and we look forward to more than 2 weeks more!
Time for another monthly update. This time Silas is 4 months old and as lively as ever. The biggest changes with Silas this month have been his hand-eye coordination and his sleeping habits. He can now find things, and actually grab them. It is fun to watch as he pulls everything into his mouth. As earlier posted, Silas now sleeps in his big crib and at a much earlier hour. Now he is in bed around 9:15pm and still falls asleep on his own, which makes it easy and fun to put him to bed.
A typical day for Silas at 4 months:
5 or 6 am: Wake up and groggily eat in bed with Mom. Afterwards fall back to sleep.
8 am: Wake up smiling and talking to myself. Ready for a new day.
9 am: Morning nap
10am: Morning snack with Mom.
11:30am: Time for another nap
2:00pm: Wake up hungry after a good nap.
3:30pm: Go for a walk in my carriage and fall asleep.
5:30pm: Time for more food!
7 pm: Evening nap of exactly 30 minutes
7-8 pm: Play time. A lot less crabby now in the evening, as long as I am talking with Mom or Dad.
8pm: Night snack #1. Afterwards a little more playing and talking.
9 pm: Night snack #2.
9:15: Time for bed. A song, short prayer and a goodnight kiss. Eventually fall asleep on my own with my pacifier.
Notable traits at 4 months.
1) Can hold things with 2 hands.
2) He hasn’t quite mastered actually rolling over yet, but he can roll onto his side, both from his back and his stomach.
3) Makes squealing sounds when he is excited or happy.
4) Smiles basically all day. The best is when he wakes up in the morning or from a nap and when you go in to him and say hi he gets the biggest smile across his face.
5) Likes to talk to himself, often he wakes up talking to himself.
6) Sleeps in his crib.
7) Falls asleep on his own at around 9:15pm.
8) Grab faces. If you get really close to him he smiles and grabs your cheek or chin with both hands.
9) Goes to music class. There is a rhythm class once a week for babies under 1 year. We dance and sings and learn rhythms, he likes the music but also all the other babies.
10) Holds eye contact with adults and other babies.
11) Can lay on his stomach for a long time…he actually really likes it. His newest favorite is sitting over my knee and pawing at his squishy ball.
12) Sticks out his tongue…(when he is thinking, concentrating, and especially while smiling)
13) Splashes around with arms and legs in his big bath tub.
14) Sat once in his highchair…with a lot of help from blankets and pillows.
15) Watches TV.
16) Weighs 16.5 lbs (7.5 kgs) and is 27.7 inches (68cm)
