Bottle Graduation

Now that Gavin is a ten pound bowling ball, he has graduated from the four ounce bottles that he began using and has traded up to the six ouncer model. He does not necessarily eat a full bottle at all feedings, but it is handy to be fully-loaded when the ravenous Gavin comes to the dinner table (the bottle, not the diaper).

As I said, Gavin has unofficially passed the ten pound mark. He has his one month check-up this weekend, so we are curious to find out the official measurements (weight, height, head). This Memorial Day weekend Gavin's will attend his first BBQ on his first trip to Staten Island. As he already made the trek to upstate NY for Mother's Day, any road trip is old news to this car-traveling veteran. Equally exciting and intriguing will be Gavin's exposure to new friends that are around his age at the BBQ.

Here is a tip for anyone out there using the Doctor Brown's bottles. Have you tried mixing the formula in the bottle only to find it leaks sticky formula all over you? Leak no more! Assuming you have one DB bottle, you probably have a set, so take a second bottle and remove the white disc from the assembly. When you are ready to mix a new bottle, put two discs under the nipple and hand tighten. Shake as hard as you like, but you will not lose any formula through the collar anymore!

More Gavin Faces

If you are going to catch all the wonderful expressions your baby makes, you have to go with your camera's continuous shooting mode. The smiles, frowns, and other faces exist for only a fleeting moment at this stage of the game. In my humble opinion, Gavin's smile and dimple are completely off the charts when it comes to being adorable.

As to the hiatus...we have been playing catch-up with Gavin's ever-changing schedule of feeding and active times. I think that as far as babies go, he is still going easy on us. That's not to say it is just as easy for him to throw mom and dad a curve ball, but we are managing.

I hope to be back with my A-game this weekend and resume the more frequent updates.

Baby Assisted Weight Loss, or BAWL

Let's take a little detour from discussing how cute Gavin is and talk about a new health program that Kiersten and I have discovered. It's a diet plan that has not gotten a lot of press -- it could be one of the best kept secrets. The plan is the Baby Assisted Weight Loss Program, or as the industry refers to it, "BAWL".

How do I get started on BAWL?
It's very simple -- have a baby. This is crucial to your weight loss success since your baby is also your BAWL trainer. While on BAWL, you will burn more calories and reduce your caloric intake without ever having set foot in a gym or buying expensive diet pills and supplements!

What is the BAWL workout like?
Each day, your trainer, a.k.a. your baby, will wake you up every few hours to change diapers, give feedings, or take a quick lap around the house. Performing these activities will keep you awake for several hours more a day than you are used. These extra waking hours will increase the number of calories you burn each day. In addition to your early morning and late night training, your trainer will also guide you through several midday activities. Again, diaper changing and feeding will be on your itinerary as well as many short sets of lifting, laundry, and walks in the neighborhood.

What kind of food can I eat?
The BAWL plan does not require any special foods nor will it exclude any particular foods, except those meals that take time to prepare. Stock up on your fruits, veggies, and frozen foods. Since you will be spending a majority of your time with your trainer, you will have little time to sit down to the big, leisurely meals to which you have grown accustomed. You may find that your trainer's spontaneous approach to scheduling workouts will disrupt your normal meal schedule and you will often just eat less each day.

Get started today!
Get started on your own BAWL plan today! It's fun, effective, and it works! Take it from me, I'm not just blogging about it...I'm also a BAWL client.

Today was Gavin's Official Due Date

Today was originally Gavin's official due date. Now he is just shy of two weeks old. Take a look back at It's Go Time to see him just days before Kiersten delivered him.

It has been quite a ride so far. Overall, Gavin is a great baby -- he cries when there is something wrong. The key to minimizing the crying is managing those events...what I refer to as the Baby Failure Modes (BFM). We did have a bit of a crisis when Gavin's nightly schedule abruptly changed and required feedings every two hours. After making some adjustments, we have established a new schedule that satisfies all the involved parties.

Gavin is spending a little more time awake and is interacting with us more. We are able to have short conversations that he focuses on intently, he has managed to grab a couple bottles with both hands (purely by luck), and even grabbed one of my cheeks when I got in range. He is an incredible delight and I can't imagine a time when we were without him.