Halloween

Sorry about the blurry photos! I don't know how to use my camera unless the flash is on...Brighton was a "Pea in a Pod" for Halloween and while he'll probably gripe at me later in life about it, I thought it was cute. Jere and I were "Vegetarians"...and our baby was a pea (vegetable). Get it?? We like to eat our baby.

We went to a friend's Fall Festival on Halloween and Jere painted faces while I hung out with Brighton.

3 Months Old

This month Brighton has grown and changed in a lot of ways.

• He is consistently wearing 6 month clothes now. (mostly because of his diaper) They are a tiny bit too big, but better than wearing clothes that are too small.
• He weighed 14 lbs 12 oz. a couple days after his birthday.
  
• He smiles at me all the time at Jere and I and is now talking to me a whole lot more as well.
• He has been sleeping through the night since he was 10.5 weeks old. His pattern has been to sleep from about 11pm till somewhere between 7:45-9am. He usually sleeps for a couples hours in the morning, afternoon and evening as well.
• A little before he turned 3 months old, I offered him a Nuk pacifier and he seems to like it better than the soothie pacifier he's sucked since he was born. It reminds me of when my little brother Jamie used to suck the same kind.
  
• I bought him some rings to hang from his car seat handle about a month ago and he immediately grabbed them to hit and hang onto them.
• He holds his head very well and is pushing himself up so he can look around while on his belly.
• He's losing hair on the sides of his head A LOT, I think from sleeping on his tummy. He's also had a strip of hair missing on the back of his head for while. Probably from laying on his back during the day and being in the car seat.
• He celebrated his first Halloween the day after his three month birthday. He was dressed up as a "Pea in a Pod".
• I bought him an excersaucer and his feet don't touch the platform yet but he'll sit in there for short amounts of time and look around.
• He is spitting up significantly less now. So significantly less that when he spits up a large amount, I wonder what's wrong.
• He is getting his first tooth! I saw a little white bud in his mouth when he was almost 13 weeks old (just a few days before his official 3 month birthday). Monday and Tuesday he was acting weird and not sleeping well during the day. Wednesday was better but in the afternoon he was having some trouble and I noticed the white dot in his mouth. It all sort of came together then, when I realized what was happening
• I think he likes to sleep with his socks off. It's a strange thing but when he's laying down and I take his socks off, he stops making noise and falls asleep...
• When he's nursing he seems to be a lot more social. Instead of focusing, he'll stop to look at me. I'll look down and realize he's been smiling at me for a while.
• He still loves bathes. The other day I had the ducky in the bath with him and was making quacking noises while moving the duck in front of him. Every time I did it, he would laugh and make a "he he" noise. After his bath (which I usually take with him)he sits in his tub while I finish taking a shower and waits SO patiently.
• Lately if he's tired, he'll start acting like it so I try to cuddle him. But sometimes it seems like whatever arm he's laying on, he wants the other arm and calms down once I switch him.
• He is continuing to be strong while standing up in my lap and looking around as well as sitting in my lap.
  

Three-Wheat Bread

I learned to make bread a few weeks ago from a friend and although she kneads it by hand, I decided to incorporate my kitchen aide into the process to save my hands. It worked well but next time I make it I will halve the recipe and knead two separate batches. There was a little too much in the mixer with the whole recipe.


Three-Wheat Bread

3 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup oil
5 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups unbleached white flour, approximately.
1 cup cracked wheat

1. Mix together the warm water, honey, molasses and yeast. Let stand five minutes. Stir in the salt, oil, whole wheat flour, two cups unbleached white flour and the cracked wheat. Mix well.
2. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and gradually incorpoarte enough of the remaining flour to make a dough that is not sticky. Knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes.
3. Place in a clean oiled bowl; turn to oil top of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about one and one-half hours. Punch down, fold and turn so that the smooth side is up. Cover and let rise again about 45 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into two. One portion may be frozen at this stage if not needed. Shape each dough portion into a round loaf and place on a cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
5. Preaheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees if a glass pan).
6. Bake 50 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

My notes: This recipe makes three good sized loaves, not two. I used two medium sized bread pans and one round Pyrex. I did not quite follow the timing guidelines that the recipe calls for when it came to rising and baking. I checked on the dough in each stage and when it seemed to "double in size" etc. I followed the next step. Usually it did not take the full amount of time and it worked out fine...Next time, I need to lower the oven temp. because I didn't remember to do that since I was cooking with glass. I love that this solely uses honey and molasses to sweeten.



After taking it out of the oven, I put a honey/butter mix on top to give it some shine.

I am looking forward to the next time I make bread! For now though, I have 2 loaves in the freezer.

12 Weeks

Brighton turns 12 weeks tomorrow. Wow.



Jere tried this the other day and proclaimed "He's getting to the point where I can PLAY with him!".

First Time

Last night Brighton slept for 8 hours! We're in hotel in Joplin MO for a friend's wedding and he slept in his pack n play for the first time. I'm thinking I want to set it up in our room tonight and see how he does. He ate around 10pm and I put him to bed at 11:30pm. He woke up at 7:30 this morning! When he woke up he wasn't crying, just making little noises. I picked him up and hew aited till I brought him over to the couch and then laid in my lap until I was ready to feed him. Normally he is freaking out and sooo ready to eat! I'm gonna have to analyze this more and think about how to re-create this scenario. I don't mind getting up with him in the night but I'll help him get on a schedule if that's what he needs!