Time is flying by and so many of the precious reflexes and characteristics that marked the newborn stage of his life – the adorable chin quiver, the splaying of his tiny hands whenever he was startled – have already come and gone. During the second month of Chase’s life, he “woke up” and gone are days filled with simply sleeping and eating. Our days are now filled with a very alert and awake little man!
Like his mom and dad, Chase seems to love mornings most. It’s rare that he doesn’t wake up happy and in the mood to play. Almost all of our days begin between 5 and 6:30 a.m. when I unswaddle him, bring him into our bed and pull him close to me as he stretches for a solid five minutes, arching his back, clenching his fists and raising his arms above his head as he wakes up. He then starts in with kicking, cooing and staring at the ceiling fan in our bedroom. He smiles away and it’s easily my favorite time of the day with him. I truly find myself wishing I could stop time as I watch him wiggle and kick and give him kisses on his chubby cheeks and soft baby belly.
Sleep around here is still unpredictable and constantly changing. If we get a four hour stretch of sleep at night it feels like a small victory, although last night Chase slept for FIVE hours in a row for the first time and I found myself staring at him at 2 a.m. just waiting for the inevitable need to feed to kick in! (Um, go back to sleep, Mama!) I’m hoping more five hour stretches are in our future.
(Can we talk about how babies smile in their sleep? My heart might explode.)
I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on what Chase needs now and can usually make him stop crying, but getting him to fall asleep when I know he’s tired at night is a whole other beast. When his tiny lips start to turn down in a frown, Ryan and I often cannot help but laugh before the meltdown begins because his furrowed brow and scowls are so dramatic and expressive.
(My heart melts.)
As far as how Ryan and I are handling the sleep deprivation that inevitably comes along with a little one, I’d say we’re doing pretty well… Until we’re not. It’s almost like we’ll be plowing through life, feeling good and energetic for five days in a row or so and then we both feel like we’ve been hit by a truck and hoping for a 7 p.m. bedtime.
Swaddling is key for relaxing Chase and getting him into the sleep zone. We save our swaddles for nighttime (we’re using the Ollie Swaddle and Halo SleepSack) and will simply swaddle him in a lightweight blanket during the day. He’s still sleeping in the bassinet beside our bed at night and his daytime naps usually take place downstairs in his Rock ‘n’ Play. Thankfully Chase is pretty good about taking decent naps during the day. Nap time is “go time” in our house and while Chase naps, I do my best to quickly eat, throw in a load of laundry (or complete another random household chore), maybe sneak in a short workout and work from the computer. I scramble to type up the next day’s blog post, respond to emails, etc. It takes me about 5,000 times longer to write a single blog post these days since I’m often interrupted by my favorite little dude and feel like my brain is operating at half-speed.
A little after Chase turned four weeks old, we introduced pacifiers and bottles (we waited for a while based on the advice from our pediatrician since Chase had an issue with his frenulum in the beginning) and oh my gosh, pacifiers are a lifesaver. I’m convinced Chase was using my boob as a pacifier for a few weeks there, so having something else available for him to suck on when he needs soothing has been very helpful.
Chase has a few favorite things that engage him and make him smile his gummy little smile these days. Ceiling fans and lights are just about the best thing ever to him and we’ve taken to calling our salt lamp “The Claw” after the vending machine toy grabber in Toy Story that seems to entrance the little alien toys whenever it starts moving. Chase is mesmerized by it!
As far as toys are concerned, we have an Infantino turtle hanging from the handle of his car seat and he loves looking at it move whenever we drive anywhere or put him in his stroller. (I’m convinced that the colorful little turtle has prevented a meltdown or two based on distraction alone!) He also loves spending time on his activity mat and is seriously determined to look around and move a lot whenever we flip him onto his belly for tummy time. (My mom bought Chase two high-contrast books that we’ll put on either side of him during tummy time and it’s fun to watch him stare at the shapes and pictures.) Everyone who meets him comments on how wiggly and active he is and he definitely keeps us on our toes! I have a feeling I’ll be running all over the place after this little man once he has the ability to crawl and walk.
If there’s one thing Chase loves more than bouncing up and down with us and looking at lights and fans, it’s being outside. We spend a good amount of time outside every day, whether it’s swinging on the swing in our backyard, hanging out on the large water-resistant blanket at the park or walking around the neighborhood with Sadie. Chase loves looking at everything outside and something about the outdoors seems to simultaneously calm and excite him.
Chase is also one noisy little dude and whether he’s awake or asleep, he always seems to be grunting, squealing and cooing. His happy squeals are my favorite!
Sadie seems to have come to the realization that Chase isn’t going anywhere and is slowly embracing him a little more each day. I feel guilty for the lack of attention she gets when Chase needs cuddling during the day, but she seems okay hanging out next to us on the couch for the most part. Any playtime we spend on the floor is a little more difficult for Sadie to handle since floor time used to be playtime for her, but she’s learning! Chase also seems to enjoy watching Sadie and surprised all of us when he didn’t seem to mind her licking his face non-stop!
I think that catches us up on how things have been going around here over the past two months. I love my sweet boy so much and am having the best time being his mom. Watching him grow and change every day is so incredible and joyful for me, even when I am looking at Chase through eyes that are burning from sleepless nights.
I love you, Chase. You are my sunshine.
***
Two Month Baby Favorites
I’ve had a few expectant moms and new moms ask me to share some of our “must have” baby-related items and I tried to link to most above, but since some were inevitably left out, you will find a more complete list below. (Please see my Newborn Baby Favorites post for more details and favorites!)
Play
- Infantino Turtle Toy
- Infantino Spiral Activity Toy
- Tuffo Water-Resistant Outdoor Blanket
- Activity Mat
- High Contrast Books
- Baby K’Tan
Sleep
- Bassinet (we use this co-sleeper as a bassinet)
- Rock ‘n’ Play (used during naptime)
- Aden + Anis swaddle blankets (they get softer with each wash!)
- Ollie Swaddle (expensive so we only have one, but our newborn photographer recommended it and it’s my new favorite swaddle!)
- Halo SleepSack
- Salt Lamp
- Cloud B Bubbly Bunny (great for white noise)
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oh my gosh, he is a button. Your baby has fans on multiple continents! 😀 I know I will use your blog as a valuable resource if I am ever blessed with children! Thanks for all the great tips! 🙂
Thank you for reading, Katrina! <3
Lots of great links for me to check out for my expectant friends- thanks! Also Chase is perfect- I see so much of you and Ryan in him already 🙂
Hope they help!! And thank you for the sweet words. 🙂
At 6 months on Friday, my son STILL has some trouble falling asleep at night. If we miss his sleep cues, we’re guaranteed a baby-fighting-sleep-meltdown. But you learn very quickly how to deal with it and what works best for your baby. No two babies are the same. Since Chase loves being active, once he can hold his head up on his own, you might want to look into a jumper. We have this one (http://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-entertainer-spacesaver-jumperoo-woodland-friends/-/A-16357843#prodSlot=medium_1_14&term=baby+jumper) and we love it because it folds up flat so you can travel with it (we take it to my parents’ house) or put it out of the way when he’s not using it. My son LOVES his jumper. Before he was tall enough to reach the floor on his own, we folded a blanket underneath him to give him extra height. Now, he’ll bounce happily for 45 minutes to an hour!
Oh my gosh, that looks PERFECT for Chase! Thank you! We are anxiously awaiting the days of head and neck control around here! 🙂
How wonderful! He sounds a lot like our little guy who is 4 months old – he loves to look at all the lights and fans (we hung a mobile off the string to our ceiling fan and he loves watching it move when the fan is on and he is lying on the changing table) and absolutely adores being outside! He doesn’t sleep that long though… apparently there is something called the 4 month sleep regression, and now if we get a 2 hour stretch of sleep we’re lucky. Hope you don’t have to deal with that!
Your pictures are beautiful! It’s wonderful that you are capturing all of these details.
My mom made me promise to send her pictures of Chase every day, so my phone is overflowing with pictures of him right now. 🙂 And I’ve heard about the 4 month sleep regression and I’m already concerned! I’m just hoping sleep improves BEFORE it regresses. 😉
Oh my gosh..he’s so adorable! Thanks for the update on him and I’m happy you guys are doing so well! His little cry face is SO CUTE!!
A good friend of mine has patented a product called a Snuggle Spot that she used for her babies. It is a big pillow that “hugs” the baby when you lay them in it and makes them feel like their being swadddled or held. I give them to EVERY friend I know that has a baby and one friend’s 4 year old still lays on it to watch TV! You should look at her website, she can customize any fabric and embroider names/initials. They are wonderful! http://www.laneybug.net
P.S. His frowny face is the CUTEST!!! He looks like a grumpy little man!
This sounds fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing!
Good for you Chase sleeping 5 hours straight. He’s ADORABLE. Send some baby dust my way……1 year of fertility treatments. 4 years of no success after my last kid. Frustrating!
I’m so happy you got the Ollie! Isn’t it great?!!
That California dreaming onesie is too cute!
What was the name of the nursing pad you liked, aside from the boppy? I’m expecting and have a boppy, but would love to try something even more helpful.
That picture of Chase smiling in his sleep is too much, the sweetest thing. Love it.
Had a friend tell me this with my firstborn…when he smiled in his sleep, she said “that is when the angels are kissing him.” – ack, that made me cry to type it. Soak it in, my firstborn is 13 now and I still like to watch him sleep.
I love everything about this sweet post! Chase is absolutely adorable! 🙂
I feel like our babies are twins! My son is 9 weeks (going on 10 on Friday) and I have to say one of the biggest pieces of advice I got from my lactation consultant when he would be really fussy and only want to nurse was give him to dad (if dad is home) ..he just wants comfort and the boob will do that..but it’s also a relationship…he’s learning about you..but you’ve been ‘learning’ for the past 45 mins to an hour..so give the fussy baby to dad and he’ll calm down and it does work..he just wanted comfort most of the time and the boob was his comfort but mom couldn’t handle that 24/7….also sleep does come…we started (and I’ll jinx myself now) with at least 5 hour stretches in the last week and last night we got 7!!!!! Of course I woke up early with full coconuts!!! lol….but you’ll get there..it’s getting better..trust me..people told me that and I never believed it..the fussy times get better, or we learn how to handle them and having an hour or two extra sleep at night does wonders! You got this!
My 3 month old started sleeping through the night (9-11 hours) around 2 months, and I mostly attribute it to his new sound machine that stays on ALL night (the cloud B has a timer, so once he stated waking up at the 4 or 5 hour mark, it would be off and he’d inevitably wake up). I love this one (and it’s budget friendly, too!): http://m.target.com/p/mybaby-by-homedics-soundspa-portable/-/A-14113365?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14113365&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=pla_baby+shopping&adgroup=sc_baby&LID=9pgs&KID=2749954b-0c86-ae28-b381-0000168bb6f6&kpid=14113365&gclid=CPXHlf30nsgCFQaNaQodm34E8w
I love this post! Chase is adorable and it sounds like you’re all doing well. I hope he gives you a few more of those 5-hour stretches of sleep 🙂
hi Julie-
I have an 11 week old baby and we were having the same 4 to 5 hour stretches at night. With some advice from friends we put him in his own room at night. Now he is sleeping 7 to 8 hrs a night! It was hard but now we are all much more rested!
We are hoping to try transitioning him to his crib within the next month or so. I have a feeling that will help… If I can just get over the hurdle of putting him in his crib first! 🙂
he is SO cute! those pix of his little sad face — adorable. so happy you’re loving being his mommy so much!
HE IS SO CUTE! And getting big, fast!
Chase sounds just like our son at that stage! And you are right, I’ll be running after him in no time:) We had our son in an activity jumper/saucer by 4 months, and boy did that make a difference in keeping him happy for a bit, so you can shower etc. I found the more mobile he got, the more content he became, fun times ahead!
Oh my goodness, ADORABLE! I’m due with my first baby (also a little boy!) in less than two weeks, and your posts make me so excited. Thanks for all the tips on your baby favorites. I will definitely be referring back to your blog often! 🙂
Aw!! What an exciting time!! So thrilled for you, Chelsea!
He is such a cutie! I was so relieved to hear that your little man sleeps the same amount as mine throughout the night! I’ve been hearing so many people say their little ones sleep 6 or 8 hour stretches and was beginning to think I was the only one who was lucky to get a 4 or 5 hour stretch! It’s so good to know you’re not alone!
So so so cute! His sleep-smile is priceless 😉
His little frown! Chase is so cute, and I love hear about the routine you’ve got going with him and your family. Sadie seems to be warming up. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Julie!
I cannot even handle the cuteness of that frownie face! He is perfect!!
My goodness, he is adorable… and so is Sadie! But look at that smile. Heart melting from afar. 🙂
Minus a few items, I think we’ve got most everything on your list! I’m feeling much more prepared now! Looks like you and Chase have just about got a routine down 🙂 his smiles are SO beyond precious!!!
so freaking cute … Sadie is such a good big sister!
He is so cute! I can’t believe it has been two months already! Just wait until you have to start telling him “no” and he pulls out that frown…they can be so cute when they do it. I am still at a stage with my almost 9 month old where I can’t help but smile and start to laugh at the cuteness it brings, but know it probably only confuses him more. They are just so darn cute with everything they do!
Not sure if you’re comfortable doing this, but with both my daughters they started sleeping way longer stretches as soon as we put them in the crib in their own room at night. I think the fact that they can smell you makes them wake up. I know it’s really hard to have them in a separate room, but I think it makes such a huge difference! Praying for some more sleep for you:) and your baby is absolutely adorable!
We are hoping to tackle the crib transition soon! He really is so noisy in his sleep that I think it will help!
Those faces are so expressive- I love it!
Chase smiling in his sleep is PRECIOUS!!
He is just DARLING, Julie! He has definitely “woken up” recently based on your photos. I love his adorable expressions. So glad to hear things are going well. I can’t believe it’s already been TWO months! Hopefully some good sleep will be in your near future!
What a sweetheart!! His little grump face kills me! haha
Oh my gosh his sweet little smile! Such a precious time in your life<3
What kind of stroller do you guys have? We are expecting our first in February, and I am so overwhelmed by stroller choices, and which ones are worth the extra money!
We have the Chicco Bravo and the Chicco Tre and LOVE both! If I were going to choose one, I’d pick the Tre… It’s a jogging stroller but works well for everyday use, too! The Bravo folds up smaller though!
We loved the playmat when little man was that age. It lasted well into his walking years as he pulled stuff off of it. Even now he likes to turn it on and off at 2.5 years old!
Your little guy is adorable! My little one was born July 2014 and I remember those sleepless nights. They seem like they go on forever! They’ll end soon. We ended up purchasing the Magic Merlin Suit and it was a LIFESAVER. It had our little guy sleeping 7-8 hour stretches the first night we used it. http://www.magicsleepsuit.com/
Oh my goodness, that pout is adorable! Both my boys did that as infants, and I felt like a terrible mom taking a picture of them melting down but it was just so stinking cute! I hope the sleepless nights get better soon! 🙂
Honest to my gosh man. He’s 2 MONTHS? My neighbours first baby will be 6 months next week, and I feel like he was just born. Soon we’ll all be 90 years old! LOLLL 🙁 oh man…
I cannot even deal with how cute he is. That face!!!! Tell him Auntie Laurel is going to bite those cheeks when she meets him!
I love reading about Chase and your experience thus far! Your last line “You are my sunshine” brought a happy tear to my eye. I have been signing that song to my daughter (11 months) ever since she was born, and it holds a special place in my heart. I am even doing a pink and yellow You Are My Sunshine theme for her 1st birthday next month!
What a beautiful baby! Chase is so cute! I hope you guys start getting more sleep. That scowl is hilarious and adorable!
Chase is absolutely adorable! Love his little faces! Thanks for all of the recommendations on helpful items. My little boy will be 5 weeks tmrw, so it has been so nice following along with your journey! Totally with you on the sleep deprivation. Good for about 4 days and then I definitely feel it. Fingers crossed for better sleep soon! 🙂
Hope you get some rest this weekend, Erika! I feel for ya!
Ok can I just say that Chase is seriously the cutest little boy I’ve ever seen!!! He is just adorable!! 🙂 You and Ryan are doing a wonderful job, keep up the great work, mama!
(And I’m totally with you on freezing time. Mine are 3 and 2 (little girls) and I just adore them. They are my world!)
– Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog.com
What a happy little bun! I just wanted to say I think it’s so awesome that y’all are really getting Sadie involved with the baby. I think it’s so great when new parents make the effort with pets and new babies. Sadie will come around and be the best dog sister. In turn, Chase will grow up loving animals and feeling compassion for them.
Chase is beautiful! My daughter will be 4 weeks next week and we are also going to introduce a pacifier and bottle to her. What kind of pump do you have? Do you like it?
We have the Medela pump and I like it a lot! Chase seems to prefer the Dr. Brown’s bottles. 🙂
Happy 2 months, Chase! His mad face is the best. You guys are doing a great job. Chase looks happy and healthy!
It is so fun to read your baby updates. I love seeing how you and Ryan are adjusting to having a baby! You guys seem so very much in love. It shows through in your writing and pictures.
What a cutie!! look at that smile!!!