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As promised, here are better shots of Rowan at swimming lessons. He doesn't look all that enthused but he does really like the pool. He especially likes to drink the water. I guess he doesn't understand the meaning of cryptosporidium and ecoli yet. That will come. 
Rowan and I stuck around the house most of the week even though we really needed to get our Christmas shopping done. I didn't want to mess up the nap schedule after working so hard to get his routine ironed out. What I have come to conclude is that he needs to sleep at least every hour and he doesn't like long naps. I call them "snaps". He might rest for 30 to 60 minutes and although it is hard on me because I can't get anything done between snaps, he is so happy and fun when he is awake that it makes all my unproductiveness worthwhile. We have been putting him to bed as soon as he shows sleepy signs which happens anywhere between 6 and 7pm. It is really hard to put him down so early because I want to be with him and John in the evenings, but the early bed time has resulted in a week's worth of long sleeps and fewer feedings. Last night he slept straight from 6pm until 7am this morning. How did we get so lucky?
Speaking of lucky...we have been preparing the Shepherd's Of Good Hope Hampers and everyday since we started thinking about the hampers I have been overwhelmed with gratitude. This year I am particularly sensitive because I can't help but think of all of the little kiddies who are born into less fortunate families and how they won't know the kind of life that Rowan will have. I hold Rowan a little closer and a little longer when I think of the families we will be helping this year, especially the single mom who just a had a baby a month ago and who already has two other little ones to worry about. I simply can't imagine what it must be like to dread the holidays because of the knowledge that I couldn't give my children a gift or even a Christmas dinner. Again, how did we get to be so lucky?
I started reading a book called "Healthy Sleeping Habits, Happy Baby" which Ana loaned me a very long time ago. I wish I had picked it up earlier because I have learned a lot about Rowan's sleeping habits and let's just say, the book has made me a believe in the early bed time. I hate putting the little guy in his crib around 7pm, but he wakes up smiley and ready to learn more about his surroundings and his naps are getting longer now too just like the book said they would. He also sleeps from about 7:30pm until 3 or 4am which he was not doing before because I guess he was overtired and not able to stay asleep. I thought we had a good sleeper to begin with because he was relatively easy to put down at night and would go back to sleep immediately after each nighttime feeding. Now we have an amazingly bright eyed happy snoozer who loves to suck his fingers and thumb to soothe himself as he falls asleep not only at night, but during the day too.
I don't think I mentioned that we completed the soy challenge and failed. I had 2 slices of bread with soybean flour and a little soya sauce for lunch on December 4th and within an hour the pooping began. By dinner there was blood which confirmed that he is intolerant. I am praying that the milk challenge on Christmas day will be successful because I really miss cheese and ice cream but I am certain that it will continue to be an issue. I guess I will be happy with one day of going hog-wild on milk containing goodies. In the end, eating this way is better for my shrinking waist line anyway...
I have posted a picture of our well rested bumbo tolerating little guy...
On Saturday our little 3 month old started swimming lessons. He was by far the youngest child in the pool which had me slightly anxious and a tad embarrassed because I imagined all the other parents thinking to themselves "oh my god, look at those first time parents!". I quickly got over the stupid self-talk and was proud of Rowan and Daddy for getting right in there and playing. Of course Rowan couldn't participate in the ball games or the singing but he did float on his back, enjoyed licking (lapping) up the pool water and dunking. Yes--DUNKING. Daddy was more brave than I would have been that is for sure but now that I have watched them having so much fun, I think I will take my turn in the pool too. I just have to find a bathing suit that fits which even on a skinny good day is not an enjoyable task.
30 minutes of swimming flew by. I was stunned when the instructor said it was time to get out. I could have spent the whole day watching my boys. Rowan had his first wrinkled feet and hands at the end. Unfortunately we didn't get the best photos because we figured taking pictures might be highly frowned upon in an area full of half naked babies and so this is the only one I have. It was taken in our private family change area with my phone. Next time I will take a better one with my real camera.
As I mentioned, Rowan got to see Santa and Grampa got to see Rowan sitting on Santa's lap today. The picture John took of Rowan shown here before we left to see Santa turned out better than the picture we got at the mall. But it was a ton of fun nonetheless.
This perfect outfit was purchased by grammy and poppa for this very day.
Our trip back from the UK was more difficult than our trip there. Our flight was canceled the night before we left and we were put on an earlier flight connecting through Toronto. I was completely stressed right out. I figured we would miss our connection and wind up with a screaming unhappy sleepy baby. The screaming unhappy baby part did happen even though we made it on to our flight from Toronto. I can't blame him. I felt like crying too and I am 34 years of age and what I would consider a "seasoned" traveler. I HATE Air Canada on the best of days. I still hate them even if they gave us a travel voucher for close to 1K in value. They gave a man in the line up some lame story about the plane not arriving the night before. I am sure it didn't arrive because they canceled the flight to combine 2 half empty flights to save money. I can't really blame them for that because it does seem stupid to flight to Ottawa and Toronto an hour apart with 2 half empty planes but they should tell the truth and not make up silly lies that they think will appease their clients. Anyway, we survived. We survived to find the city covered in snow. The only thing I like about winter so far is Rowan in his winter coat. He is enough to warm even the coldest travel-weary-fed up winter-hating-heart.
As promised, here are better shots of Rowan at swimming lessons. He doesn't look all that enthused but he does really like the pool. He especially likes to drink the water. I guess he doesn't understand the meaning of cryptosporidium and ecoli yet. That will come. 
