He's figured the whole bottle thing out

To prepare Noah for daycare in a few months, we decided to try feeding him with a bottle. We've heard horror stories about this taking forever, so we figured we should start early. Our little Noah, however, didn't have a problem at all. What a nipple?! Okay, I'll suck on it. Wow, it has milk...this just gets better!

Ahh...the cat.

Noah is now well established in his breast feeding habits so we have decided that it is ok to start introducing the binky to help soothe him in between feedings. It has been going quite well and giving mommy a break from always having to be the go to soothing option. However, now that we have binkies out in the open they have been discovered by the other Concord Alm family members. No not the dog, he is clueless about them, but the cat. She has decided that they are great to chew on and run off with. She also feels that the Pack and Play Crib is perfect for her, as Noah is not yet big enough to use it. It does not help that we keep a fleece blanket in the bottom.

Nutmeg in the pack and play crib enjoying a mid day nap.

What is left of a binky that Victor left on the night stand in Noah's room. It is also worth mentioning that it was found covered in cat hair and burried in one of the cats blankets.

A trip to the Oakland Zoo

Noah went to Daddy's work for the very first time on Tuesday. After meeting his adoring fans, he had a chance to look around at some of the animals as well. He actually stayed awake in his carrier for quite awhile, so it wasn't just Victor and Olivia toting around a sleeping child. It's not like Noah saw any of the animals...he can't see that far yet, but he seemed to enjoy the nice day. Moses the chimp was very interested in Noah, or at least in what Victor was holding, but as much as Moses may have wanted Victor to give him up, Noah stayed safe in Daddy's arms.

A new feeding method

The other day, Noah was nursing and Olivia put him on her shoulder to burp him. After burping, Noah sort of slid down, found an exposed nipple, and TaDa, a new nursing position was born. I swear, he burps and poos while nursing a lot better when he's standing up nursing. He's an innovator!

Look how much I have Grown!

Noah just a few days old


Noah 1 month old

Olivia and I have decided to take a picture of Noah in our recliner every month for the first year so we can really see how he has grown. I think that these pictures do a great job of showing just how much he has changed and grown in his first month. He has rounded out nicely, added 2 inches in length, a few pounds, and lost some of his hair. Do they make baby rogaine? Things could not be going better and Noah is thriving. We think that it is quite appropriate that on his one month birthday that he is wearing his Eric Carle hungry caterpillar outfit. "But he was still hungry".

Our Little Bum Genius

After several diaper blowouts using the newborn disposable diapers we figured that Noah was now big enough to try his bum genius cloth diapers. We have been holding off using them because Noah needed to grow a bit before they would fit him properly. Since he has been gaining weight so steadily we figured we would give them a try. Although they still look big on him they fit him snuggly and look so stylish. Noah has many color options to choose from and is currently modeling "ribbit". Another thing going on with Noah is his growing curiosity with the world around him. He is very interested in faces and bold colors and patterns with his parent's, and grandma Miriam's clothes. He is also very interested in looking at the hanging toys and stuffed animals that live at his changing station. He can spend quite a long time just staring and taking it all in.

Update on the comments feature

You can now post comments without signing in (by popular demand), so have at it. Enjoy!

Hiking in Black Diamond Mines

Noah went for his very first hike on Thursday morning. We went to Black Diamond Mines which is part of the East Bay Regional Parks system and is located in Antioch. Noah slept through the whole hike in his carrier, but Olivia, Victor, Grandma Miriam, and Marty had a great time birding and enjoying the beautiful day.
Noah started waking up just as we returned to the parking lot, but we decided to continue with our plan for a picnic lunch anyway. About halfway through our lunch, a group of school kids who were about 3rd grade joined us in the picnic area just as Noah decided that it was time for his lunch. Olivia has no qualms about nursing in public (that's what they're for!) so she settled down to nurse him. One of the little boys at the next table over was grossed out and told his friends not to look at the baby because it was "nasty". One of the other boys said it was okay because his mom did it all the time. Noah not only got his lunch, but provided a great educational lunchtime discussion for some kids on a field trip.
Victor and Olivia are excited that Noah has had his first introduction to hiking and wondering how long we have to wait until he can carry his own backpack...

Rock and Roll all Night and Party Every Day

Noah has been burning the candle on both ends lately as he has been progressively spending more time awake. However, he seems to be over doing it and tiring himself out to the point where he has trouble sleeping, especially in the evenings.

Well after finally falling asleep for a while in the car, Noah took a trip to San Francisco for his first playdate with friends Navarro and Adalina. They had a great group tummy time for about 15 minutes, then spent the rest of time sleeping, eating, spitting up, and pooping. Not all at the same time. Noah is also learning some new things and is practicing what Navarro and Adaline have coined as the trifecta. This is when you pee, poo, and spit-up all at the same time. We are looking forward to our next day of playtime fun.

Gas Pains

Noah has been sleeping so good up to this point, but that has all changed as he has been showing signs of gas pains. The results are that he is having a hard time settling down to sleep and once he is alsleep he wakes up after only 1 to 2 hours. This has been hard on Mommy and Daddy who have been trying to catch naps whenever possible during the day.

To help us in our mission to make our little man more comfortable as he faces this trial of early life we have found the calming vibrations chair to be our best friend. After tinkering with it for a bit Victor got the vibration function to work and it has been worth the repair time as it has really helped Noah to sleep. Both the sitting position and the vibrations have been good for him. Now all we have to do is get stock in the Durcell company as we are flying through D batteries.

During all of this Marty has been vigilant and keeping us posted on Noah and his goings on. We don't have the heart to tell him that we are keeping watch as well, but it never hurts to have another concerned family member.

Tummy Time

With the loss of his umbilical cord stump (see the dried raisin like object below), Noah has the green light for tummy time.

Not only does the doctor recommend tummy time for Noah, but Noah also seems to enjoy participating in it when awake. He can't move much but will get his legs moving and turn his head to one side or the other. He also has been seen trying to lift his head. Go Noah! We thought that Marty might be a bit alarmed with having Noah on the ground on a blanket but Marty has surprised us all over here by being genuinely calm around Noah and even sleeping near where he takes his naps. I am sure that the influx of treats and positive attention that Marty gets when Noah is making noise, getting his diaper changed, and other daily activities helps, but we think that he does seem to accept Noah as part of the pack and is interested in the new member.

Big news for Noah

Noah had a big day today! First, he has a brand new cousin named Quincy who was born today. Congratulations to Ora and Joey! Second, he went to the doctor who proudly proclaimed that he is now 7lbs. 10oz...a full one pound more than when he was born! If you factor in the weight he lost and had to regain after his birth, our little man has gained a full 21oz. in just 11 short days. I guess mommy only produces heavy cream. Third, and most important, Noah tried out a new cute hat today. Isn't it handsome? What a day!

A visit with Great Grandma Lou

Noah had his first visit with Great Grandma Lou today. It was a wonderful time as Great Grandma has been waiting a long time to meet him. Unfortunately, his visit with Great Grandma was interrupted by a diaper change of mammoth proportions in which Victor was peed on not once, but twice and resulted in Noah requiring a wardrobe change.

Special time with Grandma

Olivia's mom Miriam arrived today for a visit. She will be staying with us for a few weeks and although her shirt says first time grandma she is a natural baby snuggler. We are excited to have her love and support.

Bath time for Bonzo

After talking about it for the last 3 days we finally got Noah into the bath after he told us he had that not so fresh feeling. During his short stint in the tub we cleaned him all up and he is fresh and baby smelling again. However, after a few minutes of trying to figure it all out Noah decided that bath time was tragic. He did like getting wrapped up in his zebra hooded towel at the end. But as you can see Noah has declined all comments on bath time to the hounding paparazzi.