Story Time

     Quinlan can now sit up in the Bumbo seat, which he appears to like, and will enjoy getting stories read to him in it. Daddy reads to him daily, and Quinlan will laugh along while daddy reads "The Shooting of Dan McGrew". Today Grammy Ann is reading to him.

    The Bumbo seat gives him a little extra trunk support so he can sit upright. We are still working on sitting unsupported, but Q prefers to practice standing.

No napping, but look at my head control!

So we haven't updated the blog for a week and a half since the rhythm of E.A.S.Y. (eat/activity/sleep/you-time) we've been enjoying with Quinlan has changed. The changes started when he would only sleep for a maximum of 45minutes, instead of 1.5-2hrs. According to several books, especially The Baby Whisperer, if babies stop napping or only nap for a much shorter time it's time to upgrade them from a 3 hour rhythm to a 4 hour rhythm. This change comes along with a change in feeding--the milk pup is now consuming 5 ounce bottles, which theoretically enable him to go longer between feeding sessions.

The last two weeks have been a somewhat rocky road compared with the relative smooth sailing of the previous month. Quinlan is still a super happy baby, who still doesn't cry that much--he only fusses when you try and put him back down or swaddle him after he wakes up or if you are late with providing a feed. He is still sleeping well during the night--going down easily around 6 or 7pm waking twice to feed at 11ish and 2ish and then waking for the at 6am. He self soothes at night and is able to put himself to sleep most nights. We are intently waiting for Q to apply this talent to his daytime napping--which is a totally separate situation.

New Here

    

Quinlan is now finding his thumb with much more consistency, although it would be nice for him to find it independently at night so he can go back to sleep without mom or dad's assistance. He is still doing well on his napping routine, although the afternoons can be a bit challenging to get him to go down. He just enjoys his time with dad so much that he fights the afternoon nap. Unsure if this is causing his 3-4 AM wakeup sessions, but we are working to figure it out. We are also working on rolling on the floor. He demonstrates it well in the crib during his naps or when sleeping at night, but he has not shown mom nor dad a purposeful roll during the day time. We are sure it is coming any day now.

Our Little Shellfish

      Quinlan had a great day home with dad Saturday after sleeping till 530 in the AM without his typical 4 AM I-Need-To-Be-Held sessions. In fact, this is the best Quinlan has slept at night and it is reflecting in his daily routine. He had 5 great naps for dad, and is now rolling over on his left side midway through his naps. This is great development, but he wakes up screaming some times as he has no idea how he got on his side. This is definitely improving as he gets used to this new skill.
     Dad has discovered a good and stylish solution to Quinlan's constant drooling, so Quinlan now sports a stylish bib with his outfits.

     This is a favorite that one of mom's work colleagues picked up for Q in Maine. Quinlan is wondering where his bowl of butter is!

Recent photos of Quinlan!

Quinlan has been developing daily and is now a lot more active between naps. Here are some recent pics...enjoy!

Quinlan's New Toy & Dad's New Job

      Quinlan has a new toy that he can pick up, throw around and stick in his mouth. It is made by Manhattan Toy Co and the Winitzers had one on the Cape. It was the first toy we had seen Quinlan interact with so when we had credit at Isis Maternity, we picked one up. Q likes that it makes a soft clinking noise when he shakes it and that the large knobs on the end fit into his mouth.
     Quinlan continues to grow and develop, so it is fun to see how he interacts with different toys. His favorite toys are still mom & dad and he finds us so amusing that he has even started laughing!

      Dad has embarked on a new adventure as well. Mom recently intercepted an inquiry on the Somerville Mom's List (a yahoo group for moms in the Somerville/Cambridge/Medford area) about having healthy food delivered to ones house. The mom who posted admitted that she and her husband do not cook and are sick of restaurant take out. She wondered if anyone had used a service before or if anyone who loved to cook would be interested in getting paid as a personal chef 2 nights/week. These email was immediately responded to with the suggestion that Quinlan's dad could easily be called upon (and paid for) that task as he does it so well for his family.
     Well, dad sent this hungry Somerville mom a sample menu and will be cooking an introductory meal for her family in a couple of weeks. She indicated that a few other moms expressed interest and that she may be able to pass B's info along. This might earn the Garton Family a few extra bucks during dad's summer off from work.
     Applications are still in to local area schools and we have been informed by many that interviews for first time teachers usually happens in August. However, dad may already be an independent business owner at that point.

Quinlan's Dad's Cuisine?

Found His Thumb

      Quinlan has been spending a lot of time playing with his hands and sucking on his fingers and fists as a whole, but it is rare that he finds his thumb. While changing him, mom witnessed a successful thumb suck and thankfully had her camera to document it. He subsequently lost his thumb when mom picked him up, but he continues to search for it day and night. We are hoping he will soon use this new talent to sooth himself back to sleep in the middle of the night!

4 Month Check Up

   Quinlan had his 4 month check up yesterday and the pediatrician could not be more pleased. He is now 20th percentile in height and weight, and 40th in head circumference. The doctor says that he is only 2-4 weeks behind for his age now, which is a great improvement.
    We told him how well he was doing with lifting his head and with breast feeding, and the doctor said we should start him on solid foods in the next 2 months. We think we should wait a little while longer, and maybe see if he starts to show interest in what we are eating first.

         Still we are excited to mash up some yummy steamed veggies and see what are his favorites. The doc says to start him on rice cereal with breast milk so perhaps we should have some on had, as this little Q pup is progressing so fast!

Q pics from April 2 (coming home) and mid-May

Quinlan came home on Monday, April 2....since then it's been an adventure. Here is some documentary evidence...please enjoy!

Our New Life

      While visiting with Mathwin, Zalika, and Iliana on the Cape, we were privy to their sleep schedule. Iliana was easily put down to sleep and seemed to never have the meltdowns that Q did. Of course we asked their secret, and learned they were following the E.A.S.Y routine outlined by The Baby Whisperer: Eat, Activity, Sleep and You. By following a routine and feeding the baby as soon as they wake up then making sure they are only up for 45-60 minutes of activity while paying attention to their drowsy cues, you can put them down to bed with a simple routine for naps.
     Prior to this Quinlan would only nap in our arms and only for 20-45 minute bouts. Now he has been able to nap in his crib for over an hour... allowing the Y (You Time) to occur. Dad has been able to apply for more teaching positions and mom even baked the other morning... is this the start of a life for Q's parents?

Thank you Winitzers!