ch-ch-ch-changes

So the new year is going to bring about some major changes. First the diaper situation. After nearly seven months, and before Micah graduates to the next size diaper wrap, we are abandoning the cloth diapers and our faithful diaper service with ABC diapers in favor of the g-diaper system. I'll admit--the two weeks of disposable diapers spoiled us with their ease and at least g-diapers are disposable and biodegradable. This is important given that standard disposable diapers are the #1 waste product filling up our landfills and take over 500 years to biodegrade. I'm looking forward to the switch given that we have had to use disposable diapers at night for a while now and while we receive the smallest amount of cloth diapers a week allowable (50) we don't use all of them. I'm hoping by buying what we only use the increased price of the g-diapers will be offset. These suckers even claim to be flushable AND they have a very cute colorful cloth cover with a little "g" on the butt that we'll just say stands for "grossman"--these details are very important for something you defecate into, really.

Perhaps the biggest change of all is in the motility department. Now I've seen the writing on the wall for a while now, but I feel like we are in this spiral that is gaining momentum quickly. I swear it was just yesterday that Micah pulled himself up to standing, then this morning Zack and I watched (in horror on my part) as Micah sort of crawled--albeit backwards--and his formerly imperceptable movements were as clear as day. The child manuevered a full 3 and half feet from his seated position on the mat, did a 180 and reached longingly at the bookshelf. SH*T! I know I've joked before about binding his feet, but it really is looking more appealing. Am I awful? Say, "no."

Over the bay and through the traffic...

...to Grandmother's house we go! Well, to Nanny and Mister Hawkins' house, that is.

Micah spent his first Christmas surrounded by a whole lotta love. Micah scored big time in the loot department too. A big special thank you to everyone who were so thoughtful with their gifts--though apparently some wrapping paper was all that was necessary to entertain and delight Micah. Nanny and Mr. Hawkins came through with a new digital camera complete with video recording with sound--which bodes well for the blog. Stay tuned. Perhaps my favorite gift of all was a llama that was bought in our name from Heifer International for a family in the altoplano of South America (Thank you Annie!). The idea is you give a man a fish--you feed him for a day, you teach a man to fish--you feed him for life. Expect ruminants in your next stocking. Overall it was a relaxed Christmas day which culminated with my dad's perennial favorite: persimmon pudding with hard sauce for dessert.

G.G. and Micah


Micah savages a present

All I want for Christmas are my 2 bottom teeth...

...So I can wish you Happy Hannukah!

Micah got his first two teeth on the first night of hannukah..and what a gift it has been for me, let me tell you! Technically Josh gets credit for discovering the sharp jaggedy things protruding from Micah's bottom gum...but of course I don't think it really counts since he didn't realize that the sharp jaggedy things were protruding teeth, just, you know... sharp jaggedy things protruding from a baby's gums.

But I suppose before I go any further I owe all of you faithful Micah fans an apology for the severely lapsed entries this month. What can I say...we're a busy family. Sorry.
So, the stats: Micah had his 6 month check up and I am proud to say he weighed in at just shy of 20 lbs (19lbs 7 oz) which corresponds to 90th percentile for weight and he is a whopping 28" long (high?) which corresponds to 97th percentile for height--woo hoo, he'll be on Space Mountain in no time (for the Grossmans who refuse to go to Disneyland, that would be a really fun rollercoaster that requires you to be at least as tall as R2D2 or something to ride). He is finally above the mean for head circumfrence and therefore no longer a pinhead. I have since been scolded by a woman to stop measuring my child and just accept him for who he is--umm, no duh. Geez, it's not like I've signed him up for SAT prep classes already (there's still time, right?).

Micah helps Bernie light the Hannukah candle the first night

Micah oversees the latke preparations ("hey, daddy, more onion...")

But it was Joey who was "Grandma's little latke"

long time no blog

We are enjoying our second week of our two week holiday to New York (hence the silence on the blog-front). Micah brought everyone a very special gift...a cold! The night before we flew out Zack and I spent a fretful, sleepless night on the phone with the after-hours advice nurse while our little one coughed and spluttered. Micah's vomiting necessitated an emergency peds visit the next morning in the hour we had before leaving for the airport. It was a wee bit hectic, but we made it! Micah is all better..but has passed his cold onto other less fortunate Grossmans.

No doubt Micah came out here expecting to show his little cuz what's what and all, but it has been Joey--not Micah--setting the example and teaching Micah some new (and old tricks). Like, why wait til' morning to eat silly? Eating every two hours is much better. Micah has been enjoying his lapse into all-things-not-to-do-according to the baby whisperer. Such as nursing to fall asleep ("He isn't in his own bed," I claim. "He is out of his own element," runs the excuse), eating whenever he pleases around the clock ("...the doctor said to make sure he gets plenty of fluids" I retort. "Look mom, JOEY gets too!" Micah tells me with his cries.) and finally, the one I really can't believe: suck on a pacifier! It would appear that Micah discovered one of Joey's pacies lying around the first night and has taken to it, dispite rejecting it for months when he was younger. Perfectly legit for a two month old--one big old bad habit at 6 months. I must admit, during the three and half hour car ride up to Grandma and Grandpa's the pacey ( lo! )pacified Micah quite nicely.

Here are some photos to chronical the visit thus far (there are more on Joey's blog):

Aunty Lisa and cousin Joey (Is it gas? We'll go with no.)

Grandma reading to Micah (ahhh, how sweet)

Grandpa watching TV with Micah (awww...our little addict)

Max trying to eat Micah, who is playing with his fire engine (the nerve)



Flying babies!
How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the adorable puppy mittens...


And some where in there Micah turned 6 months. We'll use this one to document the half way mark:

Gobble Gobble

Playing with Uncle Justin

Micah's first Thanksgiving 1-2-3: 1) he and the bird weighed almost exactly the same 2) we ate the bird, not Micah and 3) toys that suction onto the high chair tray (read: impossible to be dropped umpteen million times over the course of a meal and therefore saving your parents' back) would have been very useful. Oh--and my bourbon pecan pie rocked.

Into the hangar

Foreshadowing


The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life before the introduction of compli- mentary foods. We made it to 12 days before Micah's 6 month birthday before giving him a little brown rice cereal. So close! We were desperate to try to find a remedy for Micah's poor sleeping patterns of late and his near constant feeding through the night. We were testing the hypothesis that he wasn't having his caloric needs met mama's milk alone and perhaps he was indeed ready for "solid" foods--though I can't say the tablespoon's worth of cereal he has ingested over three days has added significantly to his dietary needs.

I followed the advice in my Super Baby Foods book to a T, mixing the cereal with my milk so it would be sort of familiar, having a towel handy for spills, measuring out 1 teaspoon of dry cereal to 2 tablespoons of milk...but alas Micah ate at most four or five pea sized bites. He seemed to be thinking, " You've done something different with your milk, haven't you?" Despite my best efforts to, "keep my facial expression pleasant" his gagging on the thick grainy liquid, quickly made that impossible. Four more days an dthen we'll introduce something exciting...like enchiladas con mole negro...or sweet potato.

Shrooming with Baby

So Sunday we spent a lovely day mushrooming in West Marin...we figured it is never too early to start Micah on expanding his horizons, man (his culinary horizons, geez people! Not psychedelic -- what kind of parents do you think we are anyway?). We were not two minutes in the car before the "Micah the Mycologist" puns starting flowing. It was a beautiful day and lest I give up the coordinates of our super- chanterelle trove we found, let's just say we were somewhere northwest of Olema. We were out trekking for close to 5 hours, Micah bopping on his daddy's back in his Kelty pack for the first time. I stuck to the trail most of the day, my skin crawling from the mere sight of all the poison oak. That is until we came across the aforementioned treasure trove. My exuberance got the better of me and I bounded into the woods in keen pursuit of the great fungus prize. Upon arriving home I vigorously washed with my old friend Tech-nu, not once, but three, count 'em, three times, being careful to get all my exposed areas. Amazingly I didn't get poison oak on my feet--the very feet that had been exposed all day while wearing my chacos. If you know me at all you would understand what a miraculous feat that is (this from the girl who contracts poison oak from the immune Zack like it was the airborne ebola virus). Of course, I'll repeat, if you know me at all, and my personal history with poison oak, you know this story can't end happily.

I had washed everywhere with Tech-nu EXCEPT my trunk, thinking it had been covered up all day by my shirt and vest. WRONG. You see, I nursed Micah several times during the day, and well...I think you know where this is going. I thought poison oak (twice) on my pregnant belly was bad, but poison oak on your boobs while nursing is infinitely worse. Feel sorry for me. Very sorry for me.

p.s. Micah is fine.
p.p.s Since writing this I have now sprained my foot. So now you also have to feel sorry for Zack, who must carry Micah in the Bjorn in front and me on his back.

Damn, I'm cute

Who would have ever thought...

The things you never thought you would own:
1) a breast pump with a kitchy name like, "Pump in Style" (because whipping your boobs out and placing hard plastic shields against them while a motor rhythmically sucks away at your nipples is always haute couture, darling)
2) a product named "Boudreaux's Butt Paste"
and finally,
3) a garish plastic multicolored monstrosity that takes up 4 square feet of valuable floor space, but buys you enough time to make dinner, post a blog entry and catch up on some needed personal hygiene tasks, while entertaining your wee babe. Oh St. Exersaucer where have you been these 5 months?

Budding Narcissist

So I recently discovered that Micah can amuse himself for HOURS with, well, himself. A mini-Narcissus in the making. It really frees a girl's time up, ya know. Just prop the boy up in front of the mirror, go grab a latte at Peet's and come back from your errands and there he sits, conversing with his reflection. "Hello gorgeous!" I mean this is seriously great folks...I don't think I'll ever have to spring for a babysitter.



You can see more mirror-play action at YouTube.

Micah is five months old today!

As part of his five month paternity review, we've posted a picture of five-month-old Micah alongside a picture of five-month-old Zack (ummm, not the small boy with the large hair) taken in November 1977 (our birthdays are six days apart). Judge for yourself: did Amy give birth to her husband?












































Next, we share with you some recent pictures. We call the first one: "How YOU doin'?"

Micah Savages Chew Toy

Here are two short videos (with sound this time!) of Micah acting aggressively toward hard plastic. Durations: 0:46 and 1:38. Notice how well he is sitting up.

Sittin' up & veggin' out

soy SUPER picante

Okay, so isn't Micah just the cutest frickin' chili pepper EVER!
I mean: Micah Forest's red hot, Micah Forest's red hot, Micah Forest's R-E-D, RED! H-O-T, HOT! Once-we-start-we-can-not-stop, RIGHT ON! (clap, clap-clap,clap), RIGHT ON! (clap, clap-clap,clap).--Softball cheers anyone, anyone? His G.G.G made it for him and I just think he may have to dress up everyday like a pepper until he out grows it. As you can see, the boy earned his keep too. He netted us: 1 Kit Kat, 1 Whopper and count 'em, 2 Smarties (the American kind). And yes, we shamelessly fronted our nightshade family garbed kid in front of strangers and asked for candy.

Shout out to lil' cuz JoScoGro from MiFoGro

Micah has a cousin! Little Joseph Scott Grossman was born on October 12th (yeah, I know--a little late) in New York and we simply can not wait to meet him. The boys are almost exactly 4 months apart. He is just cute as can be and Zack and I are a proud zio and tia, respectively. Micah can't wait to roll over Joey and drool all over the toys Joey can't hold yet.

The agony of de-Feet

Micah has discovered his feet. He spent a good half hour one night trying to get his foot in his mouth while we were in Canada visiting his great grandmother and great great aunt and uncle. You wouldn't believe how proud he was of himself once he succeeded in getting his foot in his mouth. I had to share this first with Zack over the phone, who informed me that he doubted it would be the last time Micah would put his foot in his mouth. While in Canada, Micah also discovered this oh-so-delightful high pitched squeal he can make...repeatedly. He was generally spoiled rotten by his g.g.g (great grandma Gwen) who is currently making him adorable curtains for his nursery. Once again, he was an incredibly good traveler...which was lucky for me given I was sans Zack on this trip.

Total fluke

Yeah, well THAT was short lived. To be honest though, we have come along way in the sleep department. Micah doesn't feed nearly as often through the night and typically gives us 4 hour chunks of sleep (believe me, that is an improvement). I have taken matters into my own hands, however (I suppose that's what mother's are meant to do). I took out an incredible book from the library, "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and I can only say I wish I had read it before he was born (Melodie-if you're reading this, I already got you covered). I had to laugh at the oh-so-terribly-English author's description of the typical client who seeks her services...it was basically us, right down to the not buying a crib and the time line where co-sleeping lost its allure. We parted company, however, when her typical client went from the Sear's method to the other extreme of the baby sleeping continuum, Ferberizing our baby (though I admit, letting him cry it out was seeming a bit more attractive). After reading her book in a day, I must admit, nap times yesterday worked like a charm--and I didn't have to nurse him to put him down. It was amazing, things progressed just as the author said they would. Bedtime was a little more tricky as Micah is VERY accustomed to his nightly milk fix to knock him out--but he eventually fell asleep. Wish us luck.

p.s. We bought a crib

4 months and miracle of miracles...

Monday marked Micah's 4th month postpartum and that night we received a most special anniversary present. Imagine my shock and surprise when I woke myself up at the usual 2 am feeding time to....the sweet sounds of a sleeping babe. I fell back asleep in contented bewilderment. When Micah finally woke to feed...a full 7 hours and 10 minutes after being put down (lets repeat that folks, OVER 7 hours later) I was almost excited to feed him. Of course he had given me the gift of so much consecutive sleep that when he fell quietly back asleep, I lay awake in bed. Hunger finally got the better of me and there I was scrambling eggs at 5:30 am while everyone else slept merrily along. Don't worry, I managed to enjoy a few more winks.

So was it a fluke? I promised myself I wouldn't get too excited and treat it as the anomaly it probably was. But then Micah slept for 6 straight hours last night! There may be something special about 4 months after all...Of course by writing this all down I have condemn myself to certain disappointment and weeks of hourly feedings around the clock just for merely even suggesting that Micah may be leaning towards sleeping through the night. I'll keep you all posted as I lay my sweet babe down with bated breath.

Get up, stand up

Micah and Isa sittin' in a tree...

D-R-O-O-L-I-N-G!

How cute, no? My college roommate Amy Kitchen (now Trujillo) came up for a visit and brought her adorable 5 month old baby, Isabelle. Micah outweighed her by a bit, but she made up for it in the cheeks department.

Ticket to ride

A dismal 21% of Americans own a passport. Micah was issued his first passport at just over 3 months of age. Now I must share with you that obtaining this photo with the requisite head shot measurement was no easy feat with our pinhead child (recall he is below 50th percentile for head circumference. I speak only truth--not biting cruelty). After several tries and some very tired biceps we captured this dopey shot of Micah balancing on my hand with his head at the height of a 6 foot tall man's, perfectly angled behind the flash bulb. Phew. Mexico here we come!

Snotty boy

Surprise, surprise, Micah has a cold. This means it was time for our first cold-related test as parents: the nasal aspirator. Now I must confess, I was looking forward to using this thing, delighting in the thought of all the mucusy-green-gobbledy-gook I was going to suck from my poor babe's nostrils thereby bestowing upon him the gift of unobstructed breath again. Perhaps those of you with a penchant towards similarly mildly gross, yet utterly satisfying bodily maintenance tasks can relate (I'm thinking specifically of the sheer glee I get from peeling a particularly large piece of sunburned skin off or plucking those pesky-barely-grown-out eyebrow hairs.) The again, perhaps you don't exist and I am all alone in thinking this would be a satisfying experience. But wait. I know I'm not alone. I know at least one other who is out there and her name is Kareen Hawkins: my mother. The mother who would pick my own scabby knees while I sat in her lap as a little girl. I guess it is hereditary.

Any way, back to the nose hose. Well, I am here to tell you this experience was horrible. Not only does a nasal aspirator suck (oops--that was a Zack pun), the gravity defying cruelty you must put your wriggling, snorting, crying baby through before hand to loosen up the mucus is simply...well, I don't even have the words. We followed Dr. Sears' advice and squirted a saline spray up each nostril, held Micah practically upside down so the salt water could do its cleansing magic and then attempted to suction it all out with aforementioned nasal device. The thing is, to really work the nasal aspirator has to make a seal in Micah's wee nostril, and given that Zack and I were both THAT kid who always got nose bleeds growing up, we were hesitant to stick it up there, fearful of hitting a weak blood vessel. In the end we just sucked it out with our mouths.

JUST KIDDING. But seriously folks, until he is old enough to blow snot rockets of his own, this nasal aspirator-thingy appears to be the only option. Bummer.

Breast milk: the elixir of life

Did you know that breast milk provides complete nurishment for a baby up until 6 month of life. Breast milk is even so clever as to start out watery and then towards the end of a feed, fatten up its content so as to fill up the baby. Did you know I had to squirt breast milk into Micah's eye during his first few weeks of life? Why, you may ask, did I hover over my son's eye frantically trying to both express some milk and aim it directly into his eye while he peered up in bewilderment, tracking my roving nipple with his open mouth? Full of antibodies too, that breast milk. You see Micah was suffering from a gunky eye that would get so crusted over he couldn't open it at times. Presto, a few squirts in the eye and it cleared up over night. I bet that was more than you wanted to know.

I am reminded of the beneficial powers of breast milk at present because I am sick, sick, sick and yet I must still feed Micah. I am comforted by knowing that while I exhale my germ infested breathe over my son and expose him to bouts of microbe dispersing sneezes and coughs he is being provided lasting protection from my milk. Now we can all sleep better at night.

Micah gets his wings

Here are photos to document Micah's first airplane travel. Looking at that first picture he looks as though he could take off himself with those ears! I blame myself for this. We were prepared to disperse earplugs amongst our neighbors--but we didn't have to. He was such an angel!

One hundred days old

I wish you could hear his gurgles. We're working on that.

Baby Mullet

We're thinking of sending this one in to MulletJunkie.com

i LOVE being 3 months old!

Here is baby Micah on his 3 month birthday, September 9th 2006. Note the head holding as he peers over his daddy's shoulder. Such a little man. We're so proud.