This one's for you, Gala!

Following in my footsteps, and to the delight of his Gala (DH's mom), River has started sucking his thumb! He has been a fan of his hands and fingers for a very long time now preferring them to most toys and pacifiers. Now, however, his thumb has nabbed the top billing! Last night as I was getting him ready for his bath he became very fussy most likely thanks to the new neighbor moving in next to Ol' Chomper (who has recently been renamed Dennis... as in Dennis the Menacing Tooth). Once in the bath he continued to fuss, which is very unusual, until he relaxed on my chest and started sucking his thumb. When the thumb was removed so I could suds him up or shampoo his hair he immediately started fussing again.

This morning River and I ran some errands before I had to go to work. It was right during his first morning nap time and thanks to shopping carts and car rides he still napped. As I was getting out of the car to drop off a movie at Blockbuster I noticed that River had fallen asleep with his thumb in his mouth! I snapped a picture on my cell phone which unfortunately has no connection to the computer so I can't include it with this post. However, I promptly sent it off to both Gala and Mimi (the grandmas) and DH. Then, when I woke him up from his second nap of the morning to head to the Nanny I again found him asleep, this time on his tummy, with his thumb in his mouth. When I laid him down in his bassinet, he had a pacifier but he ditched that for his comfortable, warm, permanently attached version... his thumb.

I think it is adorable and hope he continues to suck his thumb. DH is concerned about the long term ramifications and already wants to stamp out the habit. He does have a point... I must confess that I sucked my thumb until I was in 1st grade and even 4 years later when I had to get braces my orthodontist knew all about my embarassing habit from the effects it had on my teeth.

So, if any moms still read my blog, let me know who's side you are on... Mine or DH's! And if you are on DH's, any suggestions on how to stop it? My parents had to resort to that icky tasting stuff you can swab on thumbs and finger nails to deter thumbsucking and nail biting to get me to kick the habit. Can't do that with River yet, though.

~Recovering Thumbsucker Jill - 22 years thumb free and proud!

Call me Ishmael.

Like Melville's Captain Ahab, this past week I have been on the hunt for an elusive white beast. I search after my white beast not for revenge for taking my boat and my leg (though he did bite me when I first discovered him) but to prove his existence. And I do not seek to take his life but to capture him on film. So far, these are the best images I have captured, though really they are not that good at all.

My beast's Latin name is Toothicus Rarus, but around our house we call him Ol' Chomper. He is a newborn and the only of his kind for the time being. I knew that eventually he and more of his kind would be born, but I did not expect him so soon. That is why unsuspecting and unprepared last Sunday I allowed River to grab my index finger and pull it to his mouth as he does with everything he can get his hands on. With my finger inside his mouth the once harmless and gummy bite turned painful and I discovered the existence of Ol' Chomper for the first time. I was in such shock and awe that I immediately ran downstairs to wake my sleeping husband and share the discovery with him.

River hit the big 5 month mark on Valentine's Day and Ol' Chomper made his first appearance almost an entire week earlier. I expected teething to start around the 6-9 month range but River decided to catch us off guard and start it at 4 months and 3 1/2 weeks old. Luckily, the arrival of Ol' Chomper has not seemed to bother River too much. He has occasionally had his moodier moments insisting to be carried around by Mommy to keep the crying at bay but otherwise he has done real well and continues to get happier, gigglier and wigglier each day. Knock on wood, we will continue to have luck through the teething process and will only have occasional moodiness. Another added bonus is that he is sleeping much longer and so we have been able to increase his 8 hour sleep schedule to 10. He now goes to bed at 9 pm, I give him a bottle between 10-10:30 pm before I go to bed, I feed him again when he gets up in the night and then he sleeps until 7 am. This is HUGE because a week ago it was a struggle to keep him in his crib until 6 am. Last night after a bottle at 10:30 pm he didn't wake up again until 4:30 am and after he ate he went right back to sleep until a little after 7 am. So perhaps Ol' Chomper is not the feared beast that I expected but instead a wonderful blessing to my sleeping pattern :)

I will continue to hunt for a good picture of Ol' Chomper and will post it as soon as I capture one. Ol' Chomper is very visible when River is smiling and crying. Hopefully I will get a picture of Ol' Chomper with the former.

Before I end this post I want to let everyone know that we lost a loved and trusted member of our parenting tools over the weekend and gained a new one. So I would like to say to River's bouncy chair, we thank you for your months of dedicated service. You will be sorely missed.

And I would like to welcome the Flying Saucer (as DH calls it) to our family and our home. May your days be long and may River love you like he loved his bouncy chair.


Oh, and one more thing... Here is a really cute picture of River in the 1980's butt rock outfit that DH put him in on Friday. He's not gonna to take it... NO! He ain't gonna take it! He's not gonna take it ANYMORE!


~Moby Jill