Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Let's Talk About Yaniv

A few tidbits about our little boy:

  • Personality
Yaniv is our easiest baby by like a million. He's very low maintenance, very happy, eats well, sleeps well (sort of). He is calm and quiet. He is interested in everything and likes to explore. Like the others, he sat and crawled and stood very early -- it's like we always say, if you're lazy and refuse to do things for your kids, they'll have no choice but do it themselves. Oh, you want that squeaky toy across the room? Figure out a way to get there. You're only 5 months? You'll think of something.

My babies each got progressively easier and happier as they came. This is a good order for things to happen in.
  • Food
With the other two, I didn't know that "baby led weaning" was a thing, but that's what we did because neither liked to be fed mush with a spoon. Now, I know BLW is the trendy thing to do, but when I moved that first spoon of mango towards Yaniv's mouth, and then he actually opened his mouth and let the spoon in, and then REPEATED the process -- I was hooked. He loves being fed and love feeding a baby who is open to being fed. And I have become quite the gourmet baby food chef. Yaniv will eat anything I make. And there are loads of fresh herbs and spices in every meal. Our freezer is loaded with combos like pea/zucchini/sage/thyme/brown rice; red pepper/potato; pumpkin/butternut squash/onion/lentil/coconut cream/curry; banana/kobo/kiwi; turkey/kohlrabi/zucchini/carrot; beet/apple/carrot; and others that involve kale, obviously.
  • Breastfeeding
It just didn't happen. I think breastfeeding is important, and if I was a person overflowing with milk, I would probably nurse for years. But I promised myself that I wouldn't go crazy this time, and I feel very proud that I accepted the situation and didn't stress too much. I did nurse once or twice a day for about 3.5 months. I wish it could've continued, but -- it is what it is. Our marriage and parenting style is very egalitarian, and we both appreciate that feeding the baby from very early on is a joint effort.
  • Size
Yaniv is big! In the 80 percentile range for height and in the 90 percentile range for weight. He is also very handsome. (Like, not adorable, chubby baby-cute, but handsome and distinguished.)
  • Sleep
Could be better, could be worse. Yaniv takes great naps (if he's home and in his crib). Like 2-3 hours in the morning and another 1-2 hours in the afternoon (though he does sometimes skip the second nap). He goes to sleep for the night early (like 5:30 if he skipped nap #2 or 6:30 if he napped well), and then wakes up in the morning between 6:30-7:30. But he doesn't sleep through the night. Probably because of all the hours of sleep he's getting, he usually wakes up once or twice or thrice in the night to drink, talk, cry, get a clean diaper. Sometimes I think he's up for a good hour or two (during which I'll go in 1-2 times). It's definitely not fun waking up and tending to him, BUT a) it's not too bad -- I do middle of the night wakings and Menachem wakes up with the kids in the morning and lets me sleep an extra 1/2 hour or hour, and b) it's sort of worth it because of all the amazing sleep he gets otherwise, which leads to....
  • Work
Yaniv is still home with me during the day, so I rely on these long naps during which I can get work done. I have a babysitter come for a full day twice a week so I can really knock things off my list, but otherwise, it's just me and the kid. We hang out with friends and go to cafes a lot too. For now, it's working.

  • Life
Life with three kids is definitely harder than life with two. At home, things are not too difficult, but going out with three isn't easy. Getting in and out of the car is the worst, going to the mall is a nightmare, eating out is less fun. But the girls are great with Yaniv (for the most part...) and (I assume) things will only get easier as everyone gets older (right? tell me I'm right?).

***
Why am I writing all this? I have the worst memory ever. One day I'll wonder what Yaniv was like at 9 months old. And now I'll know. :)

NOTE: It is impossible for me to write about what is going on in our lives without mentioning this: we are under attack and while everything is peachy keen in this post, we are living with the constant threat of random acts of terrorism. Every day there are new reports of car rammings and stabbings of Israelis -- not just in the settlements or near Gaza, but in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and other major cities in the country. I personally try not to think about this, as then I would never leave my house. But this is the reality.

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