Dear Sweet Otto Moscato,
Month 4 was one of the best so far. Probably because of the sleep you've been getting and giving us. Your sweet and chill personality is coming through more and more and I'm thankful for it because some days 3 kids is a lot of kids.
Month 4 was one of the best so far. Probably because of the sleep you've been getting and giving us. Your sweet and chill personality is coming through more and more and I'm thankful for it because some days 3 kids is a lot of kids.
You weighed 6.49 kg (14 lbs 5 oz) which is in the 28th percentile. The midwife didn't seem as worried as the last one was at your weight check but you are still below the curve you used to be one. You are having more wet diapers with the extra feeds and are very happy so I'm not concerned. You were 63.3 cm long (24.9 in) which is in the 44th percentile. Your head was 41.6 cm (16.3 inc) which is in the 52nd percentile.
You are now eating 6 times per day instead of 4. I added 2 sessions after you dropped on the growth curve last month. It seems to be going well but I feel like a cow with all of the nursing.
First thing in the morning you eat for about 7-8 min on the first side and 4-5 min on the 2nd side. I've weighed you before and after and according to the scale you drink about 370 ml which is 12.5 oz. Double what a normal session of 6 oz should be but you don't seem to mind one bit.
You tend to fall asleep during your bonus feed before your afternoon nap. I really enjoy the sleepy cuddles. We won't try solid foods for another month or so and I'm guessing when we do I might take out a nursing session.
I prefer to nurse you away from others so you aren't distracted but your sisters still seem to find us occasionally.
Sleeping
DOING SO WELL! During sleep training, Jake spent 2-3 weeks going into your room between 2 and 15 times per night to give you your paci and help you go back to sleep. It was exhausting. It was nice that I could stay in bed for it to avoid you smelling my milk or me giving in and feeding you just to get a few hours of sleep but it was still hard. I was beginning to think it just wasn't going to work.
Sleeping
DOING SO WELL! During sleep training, Jake spent 2-3 weeks going into your room between 2 and 15 times per night to give you your paci and help you go back to sleep. It was exhausting. It was nice that I could stay in bed for it to avoid you smelling my milk or me giving in and feeding you just to get a few hours of sleep but it was still hard. I was beginning to think it just wasn't going to work.
I realized that with your sisters we were back in the US when they were 3 months old and they didn't sleep through the night then even though they had prior to our flights. I assumed it was jet lag but maybe 3-month-olds just don't sleep all night regardless. I'm thankful we kept on trying because now you will sleep 12 hours without eating and without help most nights. This is why we kept pressing on. We helped you and didn't just let you scream but we also didn't give up at the first sign of resistance from you.
Clothes
You are wearing size 62 and 68. I realized I love you in little overalls. It is funny because boy's baby clothes are different than girls. Girl's pants are so tight but for baby boy's pants they are big and baggy in the hips/butt area and they have actual pockets. Just what every 3-month-old needs.
Our Days
We are in a nice rhythm so I thought I'd write it down:
This girl is a nut!
Linnea's favorite gift was probably her stockings. Ha! She has been wanting tights with socks for a while and as soon as she opened them she put them on and hasn't taken them off yet. These black ones are perfect for being witchy. She also got a witch hat headband, a cauldron, and a witch puppet.
Firsts and New Skills
You found your thumb this month. You found it in the middle of the night and we are thankful for that because it lets us sleep but we've also never had a thumb sucker and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. I'm hoping you'll still take your paci once you can grab it on your own.
Linnea New Skills
Linnea has been working on her reading skills this month. She has been using an app called Teach Your Monster How to Read and it has been going well. You'd think since I'm a teacher I'd be looking forward to teaching her how to read and I am but I'm also nervous. Learning how to read did not come easily for me. It was actually really hard. I remember struggling with phonics and then reading comprehension. I'd get really nervous to read aloud. My fear of reading aloud only went away when I started reading aloud to my students. I love children's literature now and can't get enough good books in my hands. Plus I love reading to my kids. Anyway, I'm excited for Linnea to learn how to read but nervous about teaching her. I want her to pick it up well and get a good foundation especially since she won't be learning how to read in English at school.
You are still taking 3 naps per day. So far you and Stella were the best nappers as babies. I hope it continues.
I think you finally outgrew the need for your arms to be swaddled. Oh, how I love me a swaddled baby. Once I realized you weren't getting swaddle (we had been doing one arm for a long time) I did what any rational mom would do. I swaddled your arm for a picture. So I could soak in that last swaddle moment.
Clothes
You are wearing size 62 and 68. I realized I love you in little overalls. It is funny because boy's baby clothes are different than girls. Girl's pants are so tight but for baby boy's pants they are big and baggy in the hips/butt area and they have actual pockets. Just what every 3-month-old needs.
This month you wore lots of Christmas outfits.
You are still in Libero size 3 diapers.
My favorite dark pink and light pink pair of pajamas are getting small and I'm going to be sad when you outgrow them but I'll keep them for your future babies if you have any.
Playtime
Your playtime mostly involves tummy time. LOTS of tummy time. Your physical therapist wants 1.5-2 hours. Some days we definitely hit it and other days we don't. It helps that you have two mini entertainers dancing, jumping, and spinning around you.
Happy Boy
Your playtime mostly involves tummy time. LOTS of tummy time. Your physical therapist wants 1.5-2 hours. Some days we definitely hit it and other days we don't. It helps that you have two mini entertainers dancing, jumping, and spinning around you.
You love watching your sisters play and they love entertaining you, especially Linnea. She loves to make silly faces and sounds.
You love chatting with me.
We are in a nice rhythm so I thought I'd write it down:
6:45-7:30 - You wake up somewhere in this window. You will play happily in your crib until I come in and get you which is why I'm not always 100% sure when you wake up for the day. Leaving a happy baby in their crib before and after sleeping time is one of the best things I learned from The Baby Sleep Solution book.
Waking Up
7:30-750 - Diaper change and 1st feeding. This feed is usually 7-8 minutes on the left side and 4-6 minutes on the right side. I weighed you once before and after a morning feed and you got an insane amount of milk.
8-830 - I make myself breakfast while you have back/side time on the playmat. Your sisters are eating breakfast so you watch them and sometimes they come over and talk, sing or read to you. I've been trying to get you to stretch your neck so I often put you on the sofa and I'll sit behind you so you have to look up and over your left shoulder to stretch your neck and see me. Usually, you need a diaper change again during this time and if I'm not quick you'll leak.
830-9 - Your sisters get ready for preschool with their outside clothes and you do tummy time. I try to clean up the kitchen and the apartment so we have a clean slate for the day.
9-1030 - This is your first morning nap. I put on our Owlet monitor and swaddle you with both arms out which you learned to do this month and then you take a great nap without waking up at all most days. During this nap, I either go for a run and your dad listens for you while he works or I workout at home.
1030 - I have either showered or shower during this time and we play, read, sing, walk around the house for a while.
11-1130 - 2nd Feed during this time. The sleep training book suggests feeding every 4 hours which I did with Linnea and Stella. We had been doing it with you too but then you dropped on your growth curve a bit so I added 2 extra feeds in which means I don't always wait 4 hours before feeding you.
1130-1230 - I make and eat lunch most of the time with your dad since he is working from home. We've been trying to have working lunches where we talk about specific things since we aren't as interrupted as we would be at dinner.
1230-1245 - This is your 3rd feed of the day and a bonus feed. You typically fall asleep during this feed which I love. We usually follow the eat, play, sleep cycle but that is hard when I'm adding a few extra feedings. I'm confident that even though you fall asleep you could go to sleep without nursing so I let you fall asleep and just soak up the baby cuddles because I know this time is short.
1245-15/1530 - I burp you, put your Owlet sock on, swaddle you and lay you down for your nap. You fall asleep but then every day between 1320-1340 you wake up and fuss. Most days the fussing is a minute or less and you go back to sleep on your own. Very few times have I actually had to go in and help you calm back down. Then you sleep until 1455 which is when I need to leave to get the girls. When you were a newborn you would transfer to the stroller and keep on sleeping. Now you usually wake up but happily lay there as I push you to get the girls.
While you nap I try to tackle something on my never-ending to-do list. My counselor suggested that I pencil in something at each time slot and then look at it and choose to either follow through or change the activity. Changing is fine but I have to make the choice to change it and be happy with that choice.
1530-16 - We walk in from preschool and sometimes we come in hot and LOUD! The girls are tired and hungry and you are ready to eat. When we come in, the girls take off their outside clothes, go to the bathroom and take off their preschool clothes, use the bathroom, wash their hands, put on new clothes and then eat a snack which I made before going to get them. It is usually golden raisins, peanuts, abc or a circle cracker.
You eat while the girls' snack and then we just hang out.
16-17 - We hang out, play games, read books, play with toys, etc. You usually get in more tummy time. The goal is 1.5-2 hours of tummy time per day.
17-1730/1745 - You go down for your 3rd nap of the day and I make dinner. The girls watch a Daniel Tiger, Tumble Leaf, Stinky and Dirty or PJ Masks for 11 or 22 minutes. Then they watch books.
1730 - We start eating dinner and you usually wake up around this time. I've added another snack during this time to help you make it to bedtime. It is a quick feed usually only 3-4 min on each side max. You watch us finish dinner.
18-19 - We clean up dinner, read books, hang out, etc. We do baths on Monday and Thursday or Friday.
1850 - The lights in the living room change yellow which means it is time for the girls to start getting ready for bed. Getting pjs on, brushing teeth and hair. I get you ready for bed around 19 and then nurse you one last time. This session is usually quick because I don't have much milk at this time of the day. You don't usually fall asleep on me but you are tired. I put on your monitor and your swaddle, we sing one song and then you are off to sleep. I'm guessing it takes you 3-5 minutes to fall asleep. I don't actually know because I lay you down awake and walk out and that is the last we usually hear from you for a while.
1920-23 - You sleep during this time. Occasionally you'll wake up and fuss but you don't normally need help. Your sisters on the other hand often come out of their room during this time. Some nights it is OFTEN and other nights it isn't so bad.
Sometimes they listen to an audiobook or a podcast before listening to a playlist Jake created with songs he sings to the girls at night like "Sweet Baby James', "Wonderful Tonight', and 'Blackbird'.
Jake and I then either hangout by ourselves, have a virtual game night, watch a movie, video chat with a friend or just veg out.
23-7 - Most nights Linnea and Stella sleep all night. The exceptions would be if Linnea has a bad dream or if one of them is sick. Thankfully they've gotten into a nice rhythm of sleeping all night. And Mr. Otto, you've been doing a great job in this area as well! I'd say now I'm about 80% confident that you'll sleep all night without help. Now Jake and I just need to be disciplined enough to enjoy it!
Activities and Outings
What are activities and outings again? Oh Covid, you aren't fun but hopefully, you are coming to an end.
Activities and Outings
What are activities and outings again? Oh Covid, you aren't fun but hopefully, you are coming to an end.
We've still been hanging out with the stroller gang once a week. We've met a few times at our apartment which has been fun. Making friends as an adult is weird and hard and feels like dating. It either clicks or it doesn't. I'm really thankful to have found another set of mommy friends to do parental leave with. It has been really great!
The top picture was from our Christmas Secret Santa gift exchange get together.
And the moms for the picture! Ha!
Meeting in our courtyard to exhange gifts.
Ali and Leif are on the left. I met Ali at a restaurant. I was there with another friend and my stroller was blocking the pop refrigerator. She noticed Otto, asked how old he was (4 weeks), and pointed to her 4 week old in the stroller across the restaurant. We only chatted for a couple of minutes but we exchanged info and went on a walk a week later. She lives really close and our boys are a week apart. It has been so fun getting to know her.
Asia and Adeline are on the right. I met her through some virtual fikas that I hosted from a mommy group I'm in on Facebook. Asia and two others (Alden and Shardie) attended several of the virtual fikas and I felt like we all clicked. So I made a Facebook chat with them and we've chatted nearly every day since then including cheering each other on during labor and in the middle of the night while nursing our babies.
It looks like Otto is interviewing Adeline. Ha!
Thanksgiving
We had Thanksgiving this month. In the past, we've celebrated with other friends and we had plans to do that this year but with new Covid regulations we canceled that. Your sisters helped your dad make rolls. I tried making fudge but I didn't have the correct ingredients and it was a flop.
I'd like to call the picture below the Thanksgiving meal that we slaved over that the kids didn't touch other than the rolls. Also, in full honesty, Jake and I were so tired from a long day that we barely spoke to each other through the meal because we were just frustrated.
They did eat pumpkin pie and pepparkor.
We were supposed to be in Kansas from mid-November to mid-December but you know, Covid. We should have been watching our friends Erin and Spencer get married on December 5th and we did but from our living room instead.
We prepped for Christmas by setting up our family togetherness advent calendar.
Each day had a different activity. Some more involved than others like baking cookies or looking at Christmas lights. We also read books, had an indoor snowball fight and had a family ball.
Our Family Ball
Family Snowball Fight
We made pepparkakor, gingerbread cookies.
We celebrated Lucia day with an at-home concert because we couldn't watch the girls at their preschool concert.
Making peppernuts with daddy.
We picked out a Christmas tree and brought it home in our bicycle trailer.
Scanning presents
Our Christmas was a bit different this year like it was for most people. We planned on spending it with another family but then decided with the rise in cases in Stockholm it would be best not to do that either. So we had several family Zoom calls. We did one on the 23rd with Jake's family. And another one with Jake's family on the 24th to open presents together.
We left milk and cookies for Santa. Linnea asked for a cuddly witch doll she could sleep with. Stella asked for a blue cat.
Waiting for me to finish nursing Otto so we can open presents.
We had a great time opening presents on Christmas morning.
I asked Jake for a water bottle that was small enough to fit in my purse when I go out without the stroller. He bought me a flask. Not exactly what I was picturing but it will work. I just wonder how many strange looks I'll get.
A fun surprise present for me.
With the help of my brother Aaron who lives in Denmark, I got Jake the Star Wars Cantina Lego set. He was VERY excited about it.
Christmas Day Walk
We played Minute to Win It games with my family on Dec 26th which was fun.
You found your thumb this month. You found it in the middle of the night and we are thankful for that because it lets us sleep but we've also never had a thumb sucker and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. I'm hoping you'll still take your paci once you can grab it on your own.
Sister & Brother Moments
Linnea LOVES hugging and kissing you. She likes to hold you too. She asks multiple times per day which is great and exhausting.
Linnea LOVES hugging and kissing you. She likes to hold you too. She asks multiple times per day which is great and exhausting.
Stella gets really excited when you are next to her and touch her or if she touches your hand and you grab it. She loves that.
Linnea and Stella are sharing a room now. It is going pretty well. We've been putting Stella down and then reading with Linnea on the sofa for a bit since she requires less sleep. That has been working well. I'm most surprised that Linnea is sleeping later in the mornings than she used to (sometimes she'd wake up at 615-630) and she isn't waking up Stella which is great.
Linnea decided to teach Otto some numbers. It was really cute.
Linnea has been working on her reading skills this month. She has been using an app called Teach Your Monster How to Read and it has been going well. You'd think since I'm a teacher I'd be looking forward to teaching her how to read and I am but I'm also nervous. Learning how to read did not come easily for me. It was actually really hard. I remember struggling with phonics and then reading comprehension. I'd get really nervous to read aloud. My fear of reading aloud only went away when I started reading aloud to my students. I love children's literature now and can't get enough good books in my hands. Plus I love reading to my kids. Anyway, I'm excited for Linnea to learn how to read but nervous about teaching her. I want her to pick it up well and get a good foundation especially since she won't be learning how to read in English at school.
Linnea practiced riding her skateboard some this month and figured out how to count by twos which was fun. She also loved these paint by sticker puzzles.
Linnea went to the dentist and did great.
She is really, really good at building Legos. She can easily build sets that are for 8-10-year-olds without any or much help at all. She got two Christmas sets and built those by herself. It has been really fun to watch her get excited about Legos.
Linnea Funnies/Quotes
Linnea Funnies/Quotes
During quiet time Stella was struggling. She was coming out a lot, throwing toys, looking at books she wasn't supposed to look at (Linnea's Kiki book), etc. Linnea will yell 'Help' if Stella is doing something she isn't supposed to be doing. Linnea then yells 'Stella is coming up and I think she is going to be making trouble!' You are probably right Linnea. Stella also straddled the railing on the top bunk and has been banned from the top bunk until further notice.
At dinner, Jake mentioned something about a lego set and Linnea said, Can parents have toys?
Another time Linnea said, Why is this conversation going on and on and on and on?
Stella New Skills
Stella is having fewer accidents which is great. She is still rocking her balance bike. She loves watching us cook and has helped chop potatoes for dinner several times.
Stella Funnies/Quotes
Oh, sweet, spunky, ornery Stella. She is hilarious and a handful. She has been into playing with plastic bags. She wanted to put her baby Otto in it. I told her we never put babies in plastic bags. Then she wanted to put her plastic bag under the tree. I told her we only put presents under the tree. She then took one of her presents she made at preschool and put it in a plastic bag and said 'Now I can put it under the tree.' If there is a loophole, she will find it.
Oh, sweet, spunky, ornery Stella. She is hilarious and a handful. She has been into playing with plastic bags. She wanted to put her baby Otto in it. I told her we never put babies in plastic bags. Then she wanted to put her plastic bag under the tree. I told her we only put presents under the tree. She then took one of her presents she made at preschool and put it in a plastic bag and said 'Now I can put it under the tree.' If there is a loophole, she will find it.
Jake was putting the girls to bed and said he would start some music when he saw two heads on pillows and 4 eyes closed. Stella laid her Otto down on her pillow and closed his eyes and then just looked up at Jake, like now what are you going to do? Ha! So he changed it to 3 heads and 6 eyes. Turkey!
Stella likes to drink cold water with ice and then say, 'Who wants a cold, cold kiss?" and then kisses us on the cheek. It is adorable!
Stella with her Eyers
When she says because she pronounces it 'beclause'.
Stella has said countless times, "After Christmas, it is my birthday and then all of you (pointing in a circle to each of us) are going to celebrate me!"
"Can that little guy breathe?" - asking about Otto
Remember
I say this every month but the feeling of you on my chest. You are already getting so big and that newborn feeling is gone but there isn't much better than a baby on my chest. you've been sleeping really well at night but about once a week you need a little help and I don't mind. When it happens I try to really soak it up.
Remember
I say this every month but the feeling of you on my chest. You are already getting so big and that newborn feeling is gone but there isn't much better than a baby on my chest. you've been sleeping really well at night but about once a week you need a little help and I don't mind. When it happens I try to really soak it up.
I love the way you get bashful and smile when I say hi to you.
Love,
Your Mama
