The Mega Post
2:14 PM |
4 Month Stats
5:49 PM |
It's official: We have a BIG baby! The doctor was concerned that Oliver was eating too much because he has gained 6 pounds in the last two months. When he found out that Oliver only eats about 24 ounces of breastmilk a day, he called him a Prius. He doesn't burn all of his fuel...
Length: 24 inches (25th percentile)
Weight: 17 pounds (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 42 cm
Developmental Milestones: rolling all the time, pushing chest off of the ground, babbling (we had to take him to the church nursery because he would talk through communion), chewing on everything, laughing, making faces, smiling, drooling, manipulating toys, switching toys from one had to the other, sitting like a gorilla Read Users' Comments (0)
Back to School
12:35 PM |
This week was the first week back to work for me, and Oliver's first week with the babysitter. Things have gone wonderfully! He loves hanging out with his friend Jonathan and he doesn't seem to mind being away from me and Kevin. Even if he doesn't seem to miss me, I certainly have missed my little man. This morning I didn't want to put him in his crib for his nap because I wanted to make up for lost time this week and snuggle with him. In the end, I'm sure that me going back to work is what is best for our family and my students. At least I have this picture to remind me of the little O's sweet smiles (and the reason why I leave him each day).
Like Father, Like Son
9:15 AM |
Kevin is training Oliver to take over for him at work. He sure could use the break. Read Users' Comments (2)
Take Me Out to the Ball Game!
1:04 PM |
Oliver went to his first Reds game on Saturday night. It was hot, but he was a trooper. An adorable trooper in his Reds outfit and baseball hat.
That's Hot
12:55 PM |
It has been unbelievably hot around here lately, and Oliver is starting to feel it. We went to the park for a family reunion on Saturday, and the poor little boy could hardly make it through lunch. We spent most of the time sitting in front of a fan generously shared by some family member. When we weren't in front of the fan, Oliver wore this, compliments of Uncle Danny:
We put his burp rag in the cooler so that it would feel nice and cold, then Uncle Danny wrapped it on his head. Kevin called it his "do rag" :-) Read Users' Comments (0)
What am I supposed to do with this?
9:56 AM |
Oliver is constantly moving his legs, so Kevin and I thought he would like a jumper. He has a froggy jumper, but unfortunately he inherited his mother's short legs. He doesn't even get close to the ground in it, so he can't jump at all. We went out this weekend and bought him a jumper that hangs from the door frame because it is adjustable for his short little legs. I put it up this morning and put Oliver in it. I'm not sure he knew what to do. Half of the time, he did this:
On a Roll...
1:30 PM |
For the last few days, Oliver has been really trying hard to roll from his back to his belly. Most of the time when I lay him down on his back, he quickly rolls to his side. His legs can get all the way over, but he just can't seem to get his head over (which is the opposite of the problem he has with rolling from belly to back). While I was making lunch today, I put Oliver on his back in his play gym. When I came back to check on him, he was completely on his belly. I had to stop and think for a second whether I put him on his belly to begin with or not. I didn't. He rolled.
Later this afternoon, he did it again, and I caught most of it on video:
3 Month Stats
9:10 AM |
Friday was Oliver's 3-month birthday, so here are some new stats.

We Have a Sleeper!
8:55 AM |
I'm probably going to jinx myself by sharing this, but Oliver slept through the night last night (and I'm not talking the technical 5 hour definition)! And, no sleep screaming!
Creative Parenting
9:20 AM |
In case it is hard for you to see, I'll describe. Oliver is laying on a blanket under a rolling chair. Oliver's pacifier clip is attached to the chair with his rings hanging off of the clip. I guess Kevin had to be like MacGyver Dad because I forgot to bring the play gym with me :-)
Read Users' Comments (4)
Night Terrors?
8:47 AM |
You may say, "oh a crying baby, that's totally normal." The difference is that this baby is still sleeping while screaming. At first, we thought it was gas because it was accompanied by some manly baby farts. But, the last few mornings there have been no toots. Then, we thought he may be starting to teethe because we had a terrible day yesterday that involved crying, drooling, chewing, and a possible low fever. But, there are no bumps on his gums. Finally, we thought that he may just be hungry because the only thing that would soothe him was his pacifier. But, when I wake him to feed him he eats a little and then falls asleep and the screeches begin again.
First Boo Boo
9:13 AM |

Just Had to Share
8:59 AM |
Isn't he just adorable??? I love my little Yoda!Flying Solo
9:32 AM |
Bedtime
9:14 AM |

O, Liver
3:15 PM |
Look closely... there's something not quite right in the photo. Who can see what's wrong? (It's like a game of "Where's Waldo?")2 Month Stats
4:41 PM |
Kevin, Oliver, and I just got back from the doctor's office, and here are the new stats:
They Grow Up So Fast
4:08 PM |
This is Oliver on the blanket that my mother made for him at just 8 days old. He was so little, and still liked to be scrunched up. He wouldn't stretch his legs out for the picture!
This is Oliver on that same blanket (it hasn't been washed, so it hasn't shrunk at all) at 8 weeks old. Sorry that it is so blurry; the little bug wouldn't stop moving while I was trying to take the picture. While he's not a huge baby, he certainly has grown!The Search for a Hat
4:02 PM |

Pictures (as promised)
4:08 PM |
I promised some one-month pictures yesterday, so here are a few that I took today.
First, we played. Oliver likes his rattle and he loves to kick his legs and wave his arms. Every once in a while he will roll from his belly to his back. I think he's super advanced, the doctor says that the weight of his head just pulls him over and that it's not on purpose. What do doctors know?
After we play, we take naps. I try to put Oliver in his crib during his daytime naps, but he doesn't like it for very long. I think he wakes up and doesn't see anyone and gets scared. Today's nap lasted about a half hour in the crib. Then, we moved to the boppy pillow, which he absolutely adores! Isn't he so stinking cute!?One Month Stats
5:52 PM |
Baby O went to the doctor yesterday and got his first shot in front of Mom & Dad. Very traumatic! He's a super-healthy baby, though!
The First Three Weeks
9:43 AM |
Week One: We spent 2 ½ days at the hospital because Oliver was having trouble figuring out how to eat. I was committed to breastfeeding, but Oliver wouldn’t stay awake, then he wouldn’t open his mouth correctly. We finally got him eating, and headed home on Sunday afternoon. On Tuesday, Oliver went on his first outing. He had to get his check-up at the doctor—which he did wonderfully at! He weighed in at just 7 lbs, though. He lost almost half a pound in the few days that he had been home. We worked with the nurse some more on feeding, and things seemed much better! Oliver was the perfect baby for his first week home, and we managed to get about 3-4 hours of sleep at a time. Kevin stayed home this week, so it was nice to have the help! The perfect ending to the week was being able to spend my first official Mother’s Day with my little man.

Week Two: Just me and Oliver this week. Kevin returned to work slowly by staying home in the mornings and coming home early most days. Oliver went back to the doctor on Wednesday for his weight check. He did an amazing job packing on the pounds! He now weighs 7 lbs, 11.5 oz!The doctors were quite impressed! And, he was such a good baby, even as the doctor had to cauterize his belly button. Oliver started to become more and more alert this week, spending a few hours at a time awake and curious. He is able to hold his head up during tummy time and turn it from side to side. He’s also tried rolling a bit with some success and really looks like he’s trying to crawl away. Kevin is convinced that the boy will be crawling by the time he is two months old. I’m not so overzealous, although the boy is quite advanced!

Week Three: Oliver took his first trip to high school this week. I took him into work to see my students in the Sophomore Debate Finals (they lost, but did an amazing job!). He was such a good boy, and got to meet my coworkers and my students. Oliver’s feeding and sleeping schedule is anything but regular right now. How long until he gets a routine? One night, he will wake up to eat every hour or two, but one night he’ll sleep for six hours straight… it’s unsettling!Oliver’s also been having some problems with his tummy this week. On Monday, for 30-45 minutes of every hour he would do nothing but scream. The poor guy just couldn’t get the gas out of his belly. We discovered the power of a warm bath, though, and things seem to be getting better. We’ll see what next week brings!

Happy Birth Day!
2:05 PM |
In honor of the birth of "At Home with the O", I thought it would be fitting to tell the story of the birth that inspired it.
Friday, April 30 was Oliver’s due date. I did not expect him to come on that day; I didn’t think that babies ever came on their due dates. I had been dilating for weeks and had tons of Braxton Hicks contractions, but had not started labor yet.That week, the midwife had scheduled me for an induction for May 5, “just in case.” Turns out we didn’t need the induction.
The day started early. At 2 a.m., I woke up with intense cramps. I honestly did not think that I was going into labor at the time…and really not until it was almost too late did I realize what was actually happening. I started to pace around the bedroom, trying not to wake Kevin up because I had a tendency to wake during the night and rouse him. I tried to go to the bathroom several times, lay down, stand up, soak in the bathtub… nothing was relieving the cramping feeling. Finally, Kevin woke up and suggested that we call the doctor. He didn’t want to rush into anything because we had a false alarm earlier that week.
By 4 a.m., I was on the phone with the doctor. At 5, we left for the hospital as I was feeling the urge to push. When we arrived at the hospital, I was in severe pain. The poor nurse doing the registration was a little concerned. I’m not sure, but I think that when the registration nurse picks up the phone and calls back to the triage nurses saying that someone is “uncomfortable” is code for “get your butt over here right now, this woman’s giving birth!”
The registration nurse took me back to the triage room, and Kevin had to stay in the waiting room. I think that was the worst part of the entire process—being separated from Kevin while I was in so much pain and had no idea what was really going on. The labor that I was having was nothing like what we learned about in our childbirth classes! Once I was in the triage room, I was alone. I started to change into the gown, but I could not make it through the process. I had to pull the emergency call cord to get a nurse in the room immediately because I could feel that the little guy was ready to make his appearance.
When the nurse came in, she checked me and said that I was “complete.” She put me in the bed, called to Labor and Delivery, and started wheeling me down the hall. Kevin was still in the waiting room. I “gently requested” that they get my husband. As the nurse was taking me into the L&D room, she asked if I had planned to go through labor unmedicated. I responded that I had not planned to go natural, and she chuckled a little and said “well, you are.” Apparently, I was too far along to get an epidural.
Kevin met me in the Labor and Delivery room, and the nurses started getting things ready.There was so much chaos in the room, and all I wanted to do was push. I was pushing as the nurses put the IV in, as they were putting my legs in the stirrups, as they were administering the antibiotic that I had to tell them I needed (they didn’t even have time to check my chart!).Finally, the doctor arrived, coffee cup in hand. He looked at me, put down his cup, and said “You didn’t sound this uncomfortable on the phone—get me some gloves.” Apparently Oliver was coming and very quickly!
The rest of the process was very quick. I think that I pushed a half dozen times and Oliver was here.
Looking back on the day, I realized that giving birth was definitely a learning experience for me.I learned that babies do come on their due dates. I learned that first time labors can go very quickly. And, I learned that no matter the pain, it truly is worth it in the end.

Quick Facts:
Full Name: Oliver Zachary Ghantous
Birth Date: April 30, 2010, 6:01 a.m.
Weight: 7 lbs, 7 oz.
Length: 19.5 inches
Hair Color: Strawberry Blonde!
Eye Color: Blue (for now)


















