good weekend

Had a good weekend this weekend. Granny You (my mom) came up and we hung out. She got to meet little Nico. It was a pretty great weekend, lounging about and watching TV... he wore the Manchester City onesie that my mother made him, during the game... while City did win 4-2 over Arsenal, Adebayor stomped on Van Persie's face, so that is bad... I'd hope that Nico doesnt learn such behaviors... but as long as he spends Saturdays sleeping through Prem games, I guess I dont have to worry much about that...


Nico had his one month appointment on Friday. His weight: 12 pounds, 2 ounces, confirming my suspicion that he has his Mama's metabolism. Seriously, all I have to do is *think* about a cupcake and all of a sudden, I feel my jeans fitting tighter. So he's got that going for him? Our pediatrician (who we love) is less convinced that the Battle of The Gassy Beast was caused by eliminating formula from his diet.

He also has my number because he mentioned that one of the main benefits of exclusive breastfeeding is that babies who are exclusively breastfed are several IQ points higher on average than babies who are formula fed and who are fed with supplementation. I say he has my number, because that is all I need to hear: empirical evidence using methodologies I value to tell me something which will prompt a response from me...

I know, you're shocked... the hippie mom who has dreams of making her baby the smartest, funniest, best athlete takes heed when she hears that development and intelligence based outcomes are associated with breastfeeding. I bet you're getting tired of this story.

Of course, its difficult to say whether its breastmilk or breastfeeding... I think most of the research didnt distinguish between the two...although I could see justifications for either. Maybe women who breast feed are more likely to engage in other behaviors that effect outcomes, but that weren't controlled for. Perhaps women who take the time to pump breast milk are systematically different than those who feed their babies formula alone.

So I have tried another approach with the whole breastmilk thing: eliminating some of the foods that might cause gas, starting with caffeine products (at JSD's suggestion). Much to my chagrin, caffeine seems to be associated with Nico being overly "fussy"... which means that I get to start the soccer season this week driving to and fro without the added benefit of my second favorite stimulant (behind adderall). And yes, I have tried the caffeine free diet sodas, which are actually kind of nasty. So much so, that Jessi Bishop-Royse, self-proclaimed sugar fiend, concurs that they are kind of a waste of time. FAIL!

He is also 22 inches long, which means that he grew 1.5 inches in a month. Isnt that amazing? No wonder he sleeps a lot, its hard work growing that much that fast!!