It's a STAMP-ede!

 So I heard a "thunk-thunk-thunk" coming from the kitchen when I came downstairs from putting Jason to bed.  As I round the corner, I see Emily kneeling in front her chair stamping the heck out of a piece of blue card stock with the stamper she found under the couch earlier today.  That stamper may or may not have been placed under said couch on purpose by Tim and me when Emily showed a little obsession for stamping all things (paper, couch, walls) with it when she got it for her birthday.  So the long-forgotten stamper became the BEST THING EVER about Friday night....well, for Emily, anyway.

 And the outfit?  Yes, an Emily original.  Elephant pajamas because it was "wear your pjs to school for Dr. Seuss Day" at daycare, a hat that fit when she was six months old (but darn it all, she will MAKE it fit again!) and one of Caroline's old stretchy headbands.  It's a real toss up on whether it looks like she dresses like Lady Gaga or Helen Keller.

 Emily took the camera from me with the order "I do the pictures Momma--you go over there!"

More orders from "The General":  "You do the stampers Momma.  Stamper the paper!  Stamper the paper! Yeah, like that!"

Jason: Four Months Old

 Old Jay-Bird is getting to be a pretty big boy!  We don't head to Dr. B's office til tomorrow for our official weigh in (and shots) but putting him on our scale shows a 17+ pound baby!  I guess my milk is like liquid lead!  He's getting so big and long that the carrier car seat is not even a convenience factor anymore.  I usually just take him out of it and carry him over my shoulder or use the baby Bjorn. 
The sleep regression lasted about a week, and then it was over as suddenly as it began.  Jason has made the midnight/1 AM feeding a permanent part of his schedule, and I guess he just feels it is necessary because of his size.  I think that once he starts food in the next couple of months, he will drop this feeding.  And since this is the last Drinks from our side of the family, I don't mind spending a little snuggle time in the glider at night. 

 More rolls than a bakery, I tell ya!

 Jason likes:  being held, watching Mickey Mouse Club, eating, when people make noises/faces at him, his bath time, being swaddled, his paci, toys that make noise
Jason dislikes:  almost nothing.  This is the most easy going kid I ever had!  I guess the only thing that comes to mind is when I take him out of the bath and he's wet and cold.  That's about it!

Sleep Regression 101

 Yup, the dreaded sleep regression.  Because no one around this house is getting much sleep lately.  You start with the perfect sleeper--at 6 weeks, Jason was going from 6:30 PM to 2 AM without a peep.  I was in heaven.  In the past week, he has decided to switch things up.  It started with an extra waking session about an hour after I put him down.  No biggie, pop the paci in and back to my fun evening stuff.  Then a paci wasn't working and he wanted to be fed.  Growth spurt?  Maybe, so I obliged his needs.  A couple days in, and he was getting up at 11:30 PM and then 2:30 AM.  What?!?!  I did a little internet "research" and found that sleep regression is a huge problem around 19 weeks (guess who's 19 weeks old?!)  Here are the other signs:

• fitful naps (lots of little catnaps instead of long ones)
• chewing relentlessly on hands and thumbs (this is biggie for him now)
• not wanting to be put down (this is why he was in my lap while I ate dinner every night last week)
• trying to go back to sleep within a half hour of being up for the day
• change in eating schedule, usually eating less (he starts eating great, but stops after 5 min. now)

So my baby is 5 for 5.  Add the new nighttime shenanigans, and it ain't so pleasant around the Drinks household right now.  Luckily, we're down one week and I read that this should last 2-4 weeks tops.

And we can thank his growing brain for all this fun--sleep regression happens when they switch over from newborn sleeping to adult sleeping patterns.  So even though I don't like this new routine, it's a sign that his little brain is growing all sorts of new synapses and making new connections.

I only wake up constantly because of my new skills of grabbing toys!   It overwhelms me!