Burping

We have come up with the perfect burping song to sing to Eoin and it normally produces a burp by the end of one rendition. So to the tune of Frere Jacques.

Burp, Burp, Burp,
Burp, Burp, Burp.
Big burp please,
Big burp please.
Tummy will feel better,
Tummy will feel better.
Big burp please,
Big burp please.

Works (nearly) every time.

Funny Parent Moments

So we have both had a couple of funny parent moments in the last couple of days.

Yesterday we went out for brunch with Granny before having to see her off to London. Andy was holding Eoin before the meal and he told me he was damp. I was a little surprised as I had just changed him before we left but sure enough he had a huge wet patch all up his back. So off to the restrooms we went. Once I had undressed him I realized what the problem was - his diaper was only half on and he had a huge builders crack showing! (not sure if builders crack is an English term so a quick explanation - workmen such as builders often wear tool belts that weigh their pants down and so when they bend over you get to see a builders crack).

For the last few weeks Eoin has been sleeping between us in bed (don't worry we have this cool sleeper thing that has hard sides so we can't roll over on him). Last night we put him in his cradle by our bed but this meant that he was further away from Andy. In the dead of the night Andy woke with a start and jumped out of bed confused. When I asked him if he was ok he said he hadn't heard the baby and was worried. After a quick look at Eoin for reassurance Andy went back to bed and slept through the night.

Christening

Eoin was christened on Sunday at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Palo Alto. It was a wonderful day spent with friends and family. We were very excited to have Amy, Eoin's birthmother, join us for the day. It was so good to see her again and catch up.
Eoin wore the Campkin/Pomianowski family christening gown which dates back to the early 1800's. Fr. George did a great job at the christening and nearly got the pronunciation of all of Eoin's names right. Eoin slept through the whole thing and didn't even flinch when the water was poured over his head. Our favorite part was when all the children at the mass where invited to welcome Eoin to the church. They all came up and blessed him on his forehead.
Katie fulfilled he godmother duties perfectly and represented our other godparents who were back in Ireland and England. We know that Katie is going to be a great god mommy (especially when it comes to teaching Eoin to swim!).
After church we had a big lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and before we knew it the sun had gone down and we were all exhausted.

Four weeks old today

Eoin is four weeks old today and has come home from his one month check up.
He now weighs in at exactly 10 lbs which puts him in the sixtieth percentile. He has grown taller and is 21.5 inches (55 percentile) and his head circumference is now 37 cm (40 percentile).
He is still eating 4oz every three hours (occasionally every four at night).
Eoin is beginning to try and smile at us but he still mostly smiles in as he is falling asleep.

Baby showers

Our friends threw us two wonderful baby showers this week. On Wednesday Margo and the volunteers at the clinic had a spectacular Champagne and Tea Party in honor of Eoin. He received so many great gifts and all remarked on how well behaved and relaxed he was.
On Saturday our good friend Dorothy threw a more traditional American baby shower for us. Our young friend Jordan came along and held Eoin for the first time. Everyone had a great time and had a good laugh at the silly baby shower games.
Thanks Dorothy and Margo for making our week so special!

Big boy clothes

Eoin has grown so much that he is beginning to fit in his big boy clothes.
Newborn and most of his 1 month stuff is ready to be boxed away and replaced with his 0-3 month clothes.
While he looks super cute in his big boy outfits we kind of wish he would slow down a little and remain small for a little longer.

Visit from Granny

Granny arrived safely from London on Friday. We are all very excited to have her here to celebrate Thanksgiving and Eoin's baptism and of course for her to spend lots of cuddle time with Eoin.

So alert

In the last week Eoin has really become so alert and interested in the world around him. He generally stays awake now for most of the morning and maybe an hour in the afternoon. It's so great to be able to have playtime with him. We sing songs, maybe have a baby massage and yesterday we had our first bath together. Eoin loved it so much just floating in a big bath of water. He seems his most content when he is in the water.
Today I noticed that he really does have big feet. His feet are almost too big for a lot of his sleep suits and his 0-3 month socks. Maybe Andy's dream of having a pro soccer player will come true!

Eoin & Sappho

Sappho is so great with Eoin; if he really starts to cry she comes running to make sure he is ok. And she's taken to trying to groom the little fella but Mommy and Daddy are mean and won't let her (never mind her tongue is like sandpaper!).

Now our other cat Seamus is nowhere to be seen when Eoin cries. He has taken to living under our bed and only comes out for food.

Mommy moments

So I guess sleep deprivation makes you do crazy things...so far I've managed to

1 put moisturizer in my hair;
2 walk all the way to the post office only to remember it's a holiday so it's shut;
3 put clothes washing tabs in the tumble dryer;
4 spell Eoin's middle name wrong in an email announcement;
5 sign my name satan instead of saran on an email (well t and r are right next to each other on the keyboard!)

But you know I can't even explain how great it is to be a mommy. I can't stop smiling and wondering how my heart has room for the love that I feel for our little fella! Parenthood is truly an amazingly wonderful experience.

visit to the beach

We took Eoin for his first trip to the beach yesterday. It was a gorgeous sunny day and not too chilly but all the same Eoin was wrapped up well and was toasty in his sling. We saw seals and lots of birds but no whales this time. We can't wait till he's old enough to build sand castles and go rock pooling.

Lunch with Auntie Katie

On Friday we went for lunch with Auntie Katie. Eoin was great and slept right through. Auntie Katie was very good at eating one handed! The waiters were trying to work out if Eoin looked like me or not; the consensus was he had my cheeks!

Blanket time

Eoin hanging out with his blankie that came all the way from his grandparents in Ireland.

Bathtime

Eoin loves just lying in the warm water and he especially enjoys water being gently poured on his tummy and head. His foam bath support was such a great buy. It keeps him so warm and safe in the water. He feels so cozy in it he sometimes falls asleep.

Play time

Eoin practicing his kicking on his new toy which was a gift from our friends. Andy has him under a strict training regime already. After all it's never too early to try and make the Arsenal football team.

10 best things about Eoin....

1. His big brown eyes that focus on you with such determination.
2. His wonderful smile as he falls asleep.
3. His funny little laugh that he does as he is falling asleep.
4. The smell of his head - someone should bottle the smell of a baby's head.
5.Cuddle time at two in the morning when the world is so quiet and it is just the two of us.
6. His mouth and lips - he expresses himself so much through his lips. He puckers them up in his sleep and clamps them shut when he has had enough food.
7. His long fingers that always seem to find their way out of the swaddling and into his mouth.
8. Swallowing noises while feeding.
9. His vice like grip on our fingers.
10. His little hairy 'hobbit' ears.

two weeks old today

Eoin is two weeks old today and he has grown by over a pound. He weighed 7lbs 5oz at birth, then dropped to 7lbs and is now 8lbs 4oz. Eoin now weighs the same as Mommy did when she was born.
He is beginning to hold his head up and watch the world. He follows us with his eyes and focuses on us when we feed him or sing to him.
His favorite things are of course milk, being sung to and falling asleep on Mommy's chest to the sound of her heart.

Firsts

We've had lots of firsts over the last few days.
On Saturday we all went to our first baby massage class. We learned lots and most importantly Eoin loved it. He loves having his head stroked and his feet massaged.
On Sunday Eoin went to church for the first time. He was a star and slept right through. Everyone there agreed that he is a very handsome boy.
And finally today Eoin had his first chiropractic appointment where Dr Kiser tuned up his spine and helped with the constipation Eoin has had for the last few days. Within an hour of his adjustment he did a huge pooppy diaper!

Feed me!

Eoin trying to find his fingers which he normally does before he wants food.

Growing fast.

Eoin's hair has started to go a little curly. This was just after his bath (which he slept through). We can't believe how quickly he is changing. His face seems to grow and change everyday!