Dear Moe (18 weeks)

My sweet, sweet baby. Are you really 18 weeks old already? It's been a busy week for us all. Here's the run down.

You are loving your exersaucer. You still can't touch the floor with your feet, so we prop you up with books. You figured out how to make the fish move, and spent a good deal of time yelling at that pesky ladybug. You showed it who was boss! You like looking at yourself in the mirror and love standing tall.

Your fine motor skills are coming along well - you can grab a toy and even pass it to the other hand. You have started bringing everything to your mouth now. You still love Kneebra, and are developing an affection for Sophie the Giraffe and your little Doggie rattle. I bought you some new toys this week - a rattle that is thin enough for you to hold, a colourful teething ring for you to hold and chew on, and a train toy that makes noise and has lots of things that move.

I took you to physiotherapy at CHEO on Thursday for the tortocolis clinic. It was a 90 minute class and assessment. You have a mild case, your head shape is mildly affected, and we need to really strengthen those left neck muscles. So I've learned new ways to hold you, pick you up, and play with you. The problem now with holding a toy to the side we want you to turn is that you cheat and roll onto your side! So sometimes I need to hold that shoulder down, and it doesn't impress you much, let me tell you. We'll keep working at it together. I also learned to do tummy time with a towel roll, which you enjoy much more. It helps you to breathe better while still helping your head control. You had a great time at the class - you really took to Dominique the PT, and she took to you, too! She said you have a killer smile, and you do indeed. Of course, the fact that you had a big, loud and messy poop while she was speaking made everyone in the class laugh. Oh, Moe. You never poop quietly. Sometimes I can still hear it over the baby monitor! :)

You also had your 4 month vaccinations this week. They went as well as could be expected - I was really proud of you. You conked right out when we got home and slept a long time. The doctor was pleased with you on all other counts - your ear infection is all cleared up, your eczema is still there but not as bad at all, and you are in the 50th percentile for height, weight and head circumference. You still have cradle cap/eczema on your head, but we work at it every two days at bath time.

You're getting to be such a wonderful boy, Moe. My tiny baby is gone, but I love the little boy who has taken his place. You are smiley and sunny, have a great chortle-like laugh, and love to chat up a storm with anyone who will listen... or even with your mobile. We're moving on to bigger bottles now because 120 ml just isn't enough for you. You love to stand tall, you step and climb my legs when I hold you up, and you love to practice walking. You smile for the people who love you, and even for strangers.

We've made some big changes to your sleep routine this week. You just weren't yourself for a while, and you'd take to screaming your head off in the evenings. (We were expecting your head to do a 360 and for you to spew pea soup. It was terrible.) Daddy gave me a few hours off and I read as much as I could on healthy sleep patterns. It was time to make some changes. You were exhausted, not sleeping enough, and getting totally out of control.

So we've made those changes, and today is Day 3. You'll get a bit better every day, and after a week, you should be sleeping properly and enough. We have a nice routine for you at bedtime, we are learning to watch for those sleepy cues (the ones you had as a tiny baby have changed and we didn't know what to look for!) and I'm confident that we'll have weathered this storm by the time I write next week's letter. Sleep training isn't easy - it means we're at home a lot right now, and likely will be for a while. But, as someone told me when I was pregnant, it will be worth it to have a baby who sleeps well. We're doing this because we love you, and want you to be well rested so we can have lots of fun together!

You have no idea how much I love you, little Moe. You bring such sunshine to my life. This is the hardest but most wonderful job I've ever had. Thank you for the opportunity to be your Mommy.

Dear Moe (Just Because)

Today we had a nice day with Daddy on his day off. We bathed you and did "Hygiene Morning", and then we went to The Trainyards and got you some summer clothes. We had lunch at Cora's, you survived your first earthquake (5.0 magnitude), and we headed home for a chill afternoon. And about 10 minutes ago you rolled over for the first time from your tummy to your back!

It's been a lovely day. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

All my love,

Mommy xoxo

Dear Moe (Four Months)

Well, sweetheart. It's been a very eventful week for you! You are officially four months old. We went back to the well baby clinic after missing two weeks, and you tipped the scales at 14lbs 9.5 oz. You finished your antibiotics, you went in your Jolly Jumper, you sat in your high chair, you weathered home construction noise, you celebrated Father's Day and... you rolled over for the first time!

At the well baby clinic, everyone was impressed with the positive changes to your skin. I exchanged email addresses with some of the moms, and we're going to start our own little playgroup, as most of you babies are more than 3 months old now. As you're one of the only boys in the group, I predict you'll have a grand old time with these beautiful little girls.

You handled 10 days of antibiotics like a champ. You're all done now, and your ear infection is totally cleared up. It has been so nice for us to have our sunny little guy back again. The medicine upset your tummy a little, but I think the fact that I had a yogurt every day helped you.

Your head control is getting so much better all the time. I'm able to carry you on my hip (although I have to keep a hand on your head to be sure), and you were able to go in your Jolly Jumper for the first time! You really enjoyed it – which isn't a surprise, as you LOVE to stand up. The only problem is that we have a door frame Jolly Jumper... and no door frames on the main floor. Right now, it's set up in our bedroom doorway, but that's kind of narrow, and you and I don't hang out there together too often.

But all is not lost in the standing department! Granny worked very hard today cleaning your exersaucer – it used to be your cousin Isabel's. It's as good as new thanks to Granny's elbow grease, and it's in the living room. You sat in it for the first time this afternoon, and although you were really, really tired at the time, I think you liked it. We had to put a book under your feet as you still aren't quite tall enough for it, but that will come in time. I'm looking forward to watching you get used to it.

Much like you've gotten used to your play garden, which you love. You set off the noises with your hands and your feet! And it was doing this that led you to your most recent accomplishment... rolling over! Earlier this week you started rolling onto your side, but you weren't quite sure what to do when you got there. But on Friday night, you rolled right over onto your tummy. You sure picked your moment carefully – Mommy, Daddy, Granny and Grandma were all over and watching, so there was thunderous applause. Everyone was so proud of you!

You also sat in your high chair for the first time this week. I gave you a few spoonfuls of yogurt for your tummy (to counteract the antibiotic), and you seemed to enjoy them very much. We'll start you on rice cereal soon – we even got you some spoons, thanks to your Auntie Beckah. Grandma bought your a food mill, too. So we're getting all set to begin the solid food adventure!

You haven't been sleeping terribly well during the day, but you've been a real trooper about it. We've had workmen building us a new front stoop and front walk, and they use very noisy machinery. I'm sometimes really stunned at what you can sleep through.

Dear Moe (16 weeks)

Hello, darling. A long overdue letter, for sure. But it's been a busy couple of weeks!

Where to start? Well, for one thing, you discovered your play garden. You figured out that if you touch different things, they make music and other noises. This was a big breakthrough, and you've enjoyed playing with it ever since. You have enough motor control now to set off all the noises - I've even seen you trying to set them off with your feet! You also have excellent head control now and are enjoying sitting in your Bumbo seat.

But the big event this past two weeks was our trip to Halifax to visit Grandpa. You were a superstar on the plane on the way there, and you did great meeting all those new people who love you. We set up in the basement, and took over the ping pong table as your diaper change station. I haven't slept in the same room as you for some time - you're a noisy little sleeper! And that first night, you were miserable. You didn't sleep very well the entire time we were there. I chalked it up to being in a new environment, but I know now that you had an ear infection from the plane. Despite the discomfort and crying throughout the visit, you were very good in Halifax. You just weren't quite yourself. But you did become increasingly chatty! You love to talk away with anyone who will listen!

Grandpa rented you a swing and a bouncy chair, and you enjoyed both very much. I bathed you in the kitchen sink one night, and then with me in the bathtub another. It's really great how adaptable you are.

We brought you to church on Sunday morning to hear Grandpa and Uncle David play the violin, and you did beautifully. I think you liked the music! And at mealtimes, you were happiest when you could sit on someone's lap and join in the conversation. All in all, everyone fell in love with you and we had a nice visit. You and I walked through the Halifax Public Gardens, we bought souvenirs for the folks at home, we went to see where your aunt and uncle paddle in the summer, and we visited the Halifax Harbour.

The plane ride home, however, was a bit of a disaster. You were crying, your bottle of formula broke and leaked all over the diaper bag, and you soiled your diaper in an epic poonami and it got all over your clothes (and mine) but we couldn't change you until the seatbelt sign was turned off, and you were generally miserable. But through it all, you were (and always are) so patient.

When we got home, you were so very happy to see your Daddy, who missed you very, very much. You also had big smiles for Granny and Grandma, who came over to see you right away. But your ears were bothering you in a big way, so I brought you to the doctor on Wednesday morning, and sure enough, you had an ear infection. You are now on Day 3 of 10 days of antibiotics, and I think we've weathered the worst of the storm. Your ears are leaking discharge, which must be uncomfortable, but means the infection is getting better.

It was really hard to see you being so sick. You didn't eat as much, we didn't do any tummy time, and you were really only comfortable on my shoulder. The fact that you are teething isn't helping the matter. Daddy went to Toys R Us and bought out the entire teething section, so now we have cold things in the fridge for you when your gums are bugging you. Strangely, you don't seem to be teething on your bottom gums... it's your top gums, and near the back! It must be very uncomfortable.

And you have grown! We've missed the last two well baby clinics, but you were weighed at the doctor's office and are about 14 lbs, 6 oz. You look bigger and longer. I'm not sure where my little baby went, but am loving this bigger guy who has taken his place.

Yesterday you came with me to my annual workplace picnic. It was really nice to see people, and everyone wanted to hold you and look at you. There was even a line-up! You sat patiently in others' arms while I ate my lunch, and then you fell asleep in your car seat so I took you home.

You had a great night last night - I think you're catching up on missed sleep. You slept from about 9pm to 2am, and then from 3am to 8am. I feel like I've won the lottery. We were in such good shape that we managed to bring Daddy "Breakfast and Baby in Bed"!

And so, darling, I have to tell you how much I admire your patience. You are so sweet and good, even when you're miserable and in pain. You never cry for no reason, and because of that, I know that when you cry something is very, very wrong. I'm so proud of how well you did during our trip, on the plane, and meeting all kinds of people. We'll get back into our routine this week coming, and hopefully you will be feeling much better very soon.

I love you like pancakes. I love your expressive eyebrows, your practically prehensile toes, your eyes (which can change from sweet to roguish so quickly), and your wonderful little chatter. Keep being so awesome.

:(

Moe does indeed have an ear infection, and we've got some antibiotics for him. I missed last week's letter to him, so I'll write him an extra long one on Saturday for the past two weeks. It's been a really, really eventful time. For the last few days, he's been inconsolable unless he's in our arms, and even then sometimes sobbing his heart out. I'm hoping the antibiotics work quickly to relieve the pain. In the meantime, we're alternating Tylenol and Advil. It was a good sign that this evening he ate more than he has in about a week. He's currently chattering away to his mobile up in his crib right now.

Oh, and he's also teething.