Five Months Old - February 15

What a difference a month makes! Every day Eko develops some new skill, encounters a new experience, and evolves more into the little boy he will become.

Earlier this month, we upgraded Eko from the sink bath to the bathtub. He loves to kick kick kick in the water! Eko has also been sneak-rolling—balancing high on his belly, then rolling over the moment we look away! He can grasp all of his toys and handle them carefully...before shoving them into his mouth.

Truly, the teething has begun. The big milestone for month 5 was the appearance of TWO teeth in Eko's lower gum. It was such a relief to finally understand why he was so fussy and having so much trouble napping. We hadn't expected teeth so soon! We've spent the month experimenting with different teethers, from frozen cloths and cold teething rings to a rubber gummy bear, but really, any object will do. He's bitten Jade a few times, but she's learned it only happens when he's 'hanging out' on the breast. When he's not eating, he is promptly disengaged!
Eko really likes to stand, so we bought him a johnny-jump-up (doorway harness) and an excersaucer (activity center), each of which allows him to stand on his tippy-toes and turn around 360 degrees. He loves the independence, and we love being able to do things in the kitchen when one of us is on our own with him.

Eko loves playing peekaboo. Jay might jump out frog-style from around a corner, or simply glance at the ceiling before making eye contact and crying "Boo!" Jay can give Eko giggle-fits by hiding behind him and tickling up his legs to his belly. Eko looks back during pauses in anticipation of the next tickle round. He loves anticipating surprises and never fails to squeal with delight during a game of “I'm gonna getcha” or “erratic elevator.” He also seems to enjoy watching Simon's Cat on Youtube.

Eko is a social baby and loves when we go to parties or potlucks. He was the center of attention at a birth circle meeting (everyone but Jade was pregnant) and he has many fans when he visits Jade at work. He also attended a library staff meeting where he sat mostly quietly in the back with his daddy. At the end, when they asked if there were any questions, Eko answered, "oooo" and ended the meeting.
Another big step taken this month was his first babysitting experiences. Jade's former manager, Graham, his wife, Lee, and their son, Gavin, spent about two hours with Eko while we had breakfast in Keene, NH. Eko fell asleep on Lee not long after we left, but was happy and awake when we returned. A week later, we treated ourselves to a hot tub and dinner while Eko hung out with our friends Seth and Julia. The three of them took a walk around West Hatfield, MA, and Eko fell asleep on Julia in his carrier. Later, he become fussy, fighting off another nap, but Seth began dancing, much to Eko's glee. He conked out after we came back and slept all the way home as well. We're so happy to know such kind and trustworthy people. It's hard being away from him, but good for all of us.

We're ending his 5th month by trying to get him acclimated to a napping schedule. Shortly after Jade returned to work, we discovered that Eko could nap for hours on Jade's lap, but resisted his daddy's many creative efforts to get him rested during the day. He's adapting to the new routine really well and constantly surprising us with what he's capable of. We fall more in love with him every day.

Enjoy the new Eko Song Two below:

Check out the
Eko by-the-day slideshow
and
weekly header project .

Four Months Old - January 15

This month, Eko has become an intrepid explorer of the world around him. His hands can reach, grip, and pull unsuspecting objects into his mouth. (This makes us keep a closer eye on where Sasha dangles her tail.) He's fascinated with different textures and loves to scratch his fingers on the sofa, the table, our faces, the laptop. He's fascinated with crinkly things, like paper and crackly baby books, but he can only mash them for a few minutes before they 'blow a fuse' and make him cry!

He's developed the ability to anticipate events, such as an incoming tickle or his daddy coming back through the doorway he left through. Peekaboo has become his favorite game, and more than ever, he is fully aware of other people, staring at them and giggling at their attempts to make him laugh. His sunny personality really glows and he's such a delight to play with, sing to, and cuddle.

Our non-holiday week was splendid. With the world in-doors celebrating Christmas, we took a walk around the Chesterfield Gorge, ogling the gorgeous ice "sculptures" the little rushing river made as it cascaded through the cold air. Eko slept the entire time, snuggled against Jade in his Boba carrier. We took many walks with Eko that week, as the weather was often still above freezing and it was Jade's last week before returning to work.

Jade's been back at work for three weeks now and it's been bittersweet, but at least calm. Her coworkers have given her a gentle reentry and she's able to work from home part of almost every day. She enjoys the work, and even when it hurts to be away from Eko, she's comforted that he's with his adoring daddy. She came home on her first day to a sign made up of Eko's daily pictures. Jay works a few nights closing the library, so we both have solid blocks of one-on-one baby time.Eko still drinks breastmilk exclusively and we'll keep it up as long as we can. We've gotten into a pumping/bottle feeding routine that's very workable, and Jade and Eko are happy to nurse and cuddle as soon as she comes home. Jade gets really giddy on her way home and she never, ever stays late anymore!

Unfortunately, Eko has come down with his second cold, which has make the past few weeks uncomfortable for him. He wakes up stuffy and really protests when we try to help him out with his snot sucker tube that lets you hygienically use suction from your mouth. We can't wait for him to learn how to blow his own nose.

At his last checkup, Eko weighed in at 17 pounds and 27 inches long, a clear sign he's thriving! He's really strong and solid. Jade loves giving him airplane rides on her feet.

Eko's vocalization took a new leap when he discovered how to buzz with his lips. He would buzz and buzz, sometimes just buzzing for ages to the bedroom ceiling well after his bedtime. After mastering this new skill, the buzzes have become just one tool in his song box and come out only occasionally. His laughter, however, rolls from him so easily. We could try to describe how amazing and adorable it is, but we'll let Eko speak for himself:

Check out the
Eko by-the-day slideshow
and
weekly header project .

Three Months Old - December 15

On the way back from a 5-hour trek to Jade's parents' house in upstate NY, Jay remarked, "We left with a baby and came back with a little boy." Truly, Eko has left behind his "4th trimester" and is fully present in the world.

Each day we marvel at some new understanding he has of his body, some mental leap he's made in the night. His eyes snap to focus on us, and once he does, he warbles and coos in fluent baby-speak. He watches his hands and feet with deep concentration and studies us when we eat. We even took him to see Hugo in the theater with his twin cousins. Unfortunately, the movie was so loud that Jay had to stand with him in the theater staircase below the speakers, but once there, Eko sat happily in Jay's arms and raptly watched the whole movie. He also loves to watch us play Just Dance on the Xbox Kinect and laughs. He zones on the Mac's psychedelic screensaver and wood stove fire with equal amazement.

Gone are the days when he would passively recline in our arms for hours on end. Life is for the wiggling! He loves to sit up, though he's still working on holding his own balance. He "stands" with our help and pops his head right up anytime he's on his belly. He can hold on to cloths and small toys. Yesterday he picked up a toy in his left hand, brought it to his mouth, switched hands, and put it down with his right. He also loves to grab our noses and his feet.

All of his emotions are expressed so vividly now, from delighted giggling to full pouty-faced sadness. His eyebrows are very expressive! As with all things baby, his moods, both good and bad, change quickly. In general he's a calm and contented little person. While visiting his Grandpa and Oma, everyone really connected. Eko giggled hysterically from Grandpa's zerberts and cackled gleefully at Oma's songs.

Eko got his first post-birth vaccine last week. Usually he sees our naturopath, but it's a hassle for her office to get all the vaccines, so we visited the local pediatrician. As she walked in the door, she took one look at Eko and said, "Well, you're clearly thriving." For his height, his weight is perfectly average, but for a 3 month old, he's pretty big! 16 pounds and almost 26" tall. He grows out of his clothes practically before our eyes.

Eko didn't even notice the shot, but hours later, he cried inconsolably for almost an hour - something entirely out of character for him - he usually soothes in minutes. It was traumatic for all of us, but apparently it's an expected side effect from the tetanus portion of the vaccine. Luckily the crying didn't recur and he was back to normal the next morning. We're going by a slower, leaner vaccine schedule with most vaccines being given one shot at a time a month apart, and I just hope each shot won't cause him so much discomfort. He's also working through his first headcold that we all caught. Lots of steamy showers with babe in bouncer, lots of humidifying, and snot-extractor research.

Jade returns to work at the beginning of January, and pumping at work will be the next mommy-badge to earn. She's sad to be away from Eko so much of the day, but of all jobs, hers will let her have a gentle transition, with some work from home and modified schedules. Best of all, even though she won't be with Eko all day, he'll be with Jay, just as when he's at work, he has the reassurance that Eko is with her. We'll figure it out as we go, and gradually find a balance.

And as a special treat, this Daily represents the first moment we considered Eko for our boys name. We were heading down to our friends house in Massachusetts to watch Lost on March 16, 2010.

Eko Song

As new parents, everything our baby does seems miraculous to us. But what's really got us mesmirized is the evolution of Eko's voice. He's been extra vocal from the start, and really seems to enjoy exploring the sounds he can make, and we, of course, love trying to capture them.

We hope you enjoy this chronological movie that follows Eko from his first goose honks at 4 days old all the way to his first squeaky laugh at 2+ months.

A Friendly Holiday Reminder

As the holiday season approaches, we want to remind our friends and family that, though we now have a baby, we will still not be observing holidays like Christmas and Easter, and won’t be celebrating birthdays in a conventional way. Please don’t feel slighted if, while Eko is young, we don’t participate in certain events or send gifts on specific days. We ask that if you feel like sending gifts to do so spontaneously, as we will continue to do. We will visit or Skype as often as we can, because the gift of time is the most precious one of all.

Even though we won’t be decorating a Christmas tree and talking about Santa, we’ll certainly have other joyful activities throughout the year that will evolve with our growing family. We'll continue to host TogetherFest each summer so that we can all have the option to gather during warm weather when school is out and travel is easier.

We love our friends and family and hope they'll respect our decision and assist in any way they can. Please let us know if you ever have any questions.

Two months old - November 15

Eko is nine weeks old today!

Time is very relative – the days seem to have flown, but it also feels like he's always been here. They've been very full days, with lots of cuddling and play, singing, visits with friends, and long walks.

Eko has inherited his daddy's 'gift of the gab' and spends much of each day exploring his voice. We hear new sounds every day! Each morning at 7:30 he wakes up and begins his "morning monologue" and calisthenics where he chirps, warbles, and coos while flailing all his limbs. He's inherited his mommy's full baby cheeks, and at 13 pounds and 24 inches, he's very strong, holding up his head, pushing up on his arms during tummy time, and holding his weight in his legs for short bursts. He continues to be a very calm fellow. He's found his hands and loves to suck on his fists, which soothes him. His eyes, which are turning brown, are developing, too. After weeks of never noticing our cat Sasha, his eyes suddenly began to lock onto her and follow her around the room. He grins all the time and is learning how to giggle. Jade swears he giggles in his sleep.

As a family we're much more comfortable working with his needs. Cloth diapering, breastfeeding, baths, and dressing have all become second nature. Leaving the house used to be a huge event, but now we have outings all the time, visiting friends, going to restaurants and grocery shopping, and on 11/11/11 we took our first three-hour trip to attend Jade's brother Adam's wedding in Worcester, NY. Eko slept both ways and was a darling the whole visit. He met his little cousins Desmond (16 months) and Leo (5 months), the first of many visits. It will be wonderful to watch these little boys grow up together.

It's amazing the difference a week can make. At first Eko couldn't stand being in his swing, but now he spends short periods in it, staring happily at the shiny reflective mobile (pictured) and chattering along with the music. He still prefers to nap on or near us, never lasting longer than 15 minutes when he's on his own, with the carseat being the enigma.

Just before Halloween, 14 inches of snow accumulated in one night! Eko's first snow was epic, but thankfully it melted quickly. (Jay was none too pleased to snowblow our long driveway in October.) We decided to keep his first Halloween costume simple. "Eko and the Bunnymen."

Eko loves to spend time in chest carriers. He's getting big for his stretchy Sleepy wrap, so we purchased a Boba 3G carrier that quickly clips on rather than ties (a big plus when he's fussing and just wants to be held, not wait for the carrier to be wrapped, tightened, adjusted, tied, re-tied...). Snuggled in his carrier, he took his very first hike up Black Mt.. He was alert and calm the whole way. It was also a great step for Jade, her first hike since he was born. She felt strong and energetic and takes long walks with Eko all the time now.

We've come to love having him in the bed with us. It feels very right to hold him close all night, it's very easy to check on him (we just open our eyes), and we all wake up together grinning ear to ear. It also makes nighttime feeding very easy. Eko goes into a lighter sleep when he's hungry, and Jade partially rouses when she hears his hungry sounds. He stays asleep when he nurses and both are deeply asleep within minutes. The whole process is so smooth and gentle that he never cries and Jade never really wakes up.

We reached another milestone, one that will make Jade's return to work possible. While Jade was swimming in her first water aerobics class since the birth, Eko and Jay hung out in the lobby and Eko drank his first bottle of breastmilk. It's reassuring to know his mama can be away for a few hours at a time, and fun for daddy to have a role in the feeding.

As we write this month's post, Eko is settling into his late afternoon nap on Jay's lap with the usual symphony of honks, grunts, coos and gurgles, clasping his little hands together. This kid definitely has personality. When he awakes, it's time for a bath and massage...

Check out the Eko by-the-day slideshow here and the weekly header project here.