Cohen, the teacher: Lesson 4

(Cohen and Madame)

(I hope this little boy doesn't mind some drool on his tie...)

(Cohen and J saying goodbye)

Cohen got to see his third grade students again yesterday. And Jon got to come due to a cancellation at work, which was so awesome. The theme was "emotions". And Cohen was serious, as usual. The kids were wondering about Cohen's red little cheeks. I think it's teething? I dunno. I thought Cohen looked cuter than ever in his preppy little plaid button-up. I love how interested the kids are in Cohen. I got lots of questions, like: How often does Cohen cry? What did Cohen feel like on the airplane ride at Christmas? What makes Cohen scared? How did Cohen feel when he got off the airplane? Did Cohen like the airport? Does Cohen ever smile or laugh at home? If so, how often? How does Cohen feel when people come to our house? What do you do when Cohen cries? Does Cohen ever cry in the nighttime? If so, why? They are super curious.

PS: See the last teaching day here.

first avocado

Now that Cohen has passed the 6-months mark, and our nurse has given us the go-ahead to give him "real food", we are trying all kinds of things. I know you are supposed to try each food for like 4 days straight, but when you get a good avocado around here, you have to see if your baby likes it. He did. He liked it more than the other foods we have tried, for sure (ie. applesauce, rice cereal, sweet potatoes).

The gift of the morning nap

Cohen's sleep changed drastically somewhere between 3 and 6 months. I have written about it before. Not only did his nighttime sleep change, but his naps become so much shorter. Cohen slowly went from sleeping an hour at a time a few times during the day when he was around 4 months, to only napping 5 minutes every hour at 6 months. These 5 minute naps were not too fun. He was not rested at all.

So now that he is sleep trained, he naps for at least an hour straight every morning. This is what our mornings look like lately when I don't have to go to work:

Wake up at 7 am. Jon gets Cohen up, changes him, hangs out with him while he gets breakfast on the go. I usually get an extra 5 precious minutes in our bed. Then I nurse Cohen (usually while still in bed). Then the three of us sit together at the kitchen table. J and I have breakfast, and Cohen plays with his applesauce. My favourite part of the morning, for sure.


Then Cohen spends some time on his little mat while J and I get ready, make coffee, etc. J heads to work  at 8:15 while I do laundry, tidy up, listen to music with Cohen in the Ergo. When Cohen starts to seem sleepy (between 9 and 9:30), I take him in to his room, read him a few stories, turn on the white noise, and lay him in his crib. And he falls to sleep within minutes. He doesn't cry even a little bit. It is amazing, and I can hardly believe it every time.

I usually throw on my workout clothes, do one of those high intensity 20 minute workouts, then shower. That alone is such a gift. For the last many months, my showers were rushed, with Cohen in his chair in front of the bathroom door. And working out was something that happened a few times a week after J got home from work. Anyway, after my shower I sometimes just sit for half an hour reading blogs, or a do dishes, or make cookies. That hour to myself refreshes me so much. I am always so excited to go get Cohen from his crib after that. He is always smiling, and in such a good mood. I can tell that his morning nap is not only good for me, but also for him.

library list

I've been reading a lot, as usual:

1. The sleepeasy solution. We got this book because of of my favourite bloggers* recommended it. What I liked about this book is that it was simple to read, and gave really clear instructions.

2. The girl with the dragon tattoo. I know I am a little late to this book. It was soo good. I read it in a few days.

3. Stitches. I got this one for J for Christmas. It is a really quick, interesting read.

4. Maus. Another graphic novel. This one is amazing. I would highly recommend it. Be ready to get a little emotional though.

5. Catholic all year. This is actually a blog that I just can't get enough of. I am not religious at all, and I strongly disagree with some of what she writes, but some posts are interesting and helpful. I mean, she has like a dozen kids. She knows what she is doing.


* I have been reading Jo since she was single and writing for Glamour.com. Now she is married with two kids. I love her, and referred to her posts on motherhood so many times since getting pregnant. 

On the weekend

Jon and I are trying to learn French, as usual. In the past we have listened to french audio books in the car, and we have tried podcasts. This time we are going all in with a Rosetta Stone type of program. So far, I really like it. Now I know that "tu" and "vous" mean basically the same thing. 

I have started making baby food for Cohen. I used this recipe for the applesauce, because I trust Deb for all things food-related. Though really, you just cook the fruit or veggie until very soft, then whiz in the food processor with water. 

I also made sweet potato puree, which was so tasty, I ate a bunch before filling the ice cube tray. 

And I made my own rice cereal by grinding brown rice in the coffee grinder until it was very fine. Then I cooked it in water. Then added breast milk. It looked like thin white glue, and he did not enjoy it. We also let him try a soft boiled egg yolk on Saturday, which he could not get enough of. 

Jon's desk area. He is a proud father and husband. The plant in the corner was a gift from me when we were casually dating. There is also a jawbone and a vertebrae from our frequent visits to the beach. 

The snow was all gone on Saturday. We still bundled the little guy up for a stroll. 

Dude fell fast asleep in his sled on a long Sunday morning walk in the new snow.

This was our first weekend since Cohen has been fully sleep trained. We used to take advantage of the weekends to sleep in. No more. Cohen is up at 7 am, and we don't want to mess with his schedule, so J and I get up at 7 am too. It means that J and I have had our coffee, have gone to the gym, and had breakfast all by 10 am. It also means that we are ready for bed by 11 pm. It is a bit of an adjustment, but I think it works out pretty well.