My boys...

... are too cute.

Thank God for hydrocortisone cream

After just one day of meds for Oliver's face, his skin is almost flawless! I can't believe how fast it worked. I'm glad I called the doctor, but of course wish I would've called sooner!!

Oliver has ecezma

Taken a week ago, when his cheeks started to look really red.

I finally got Oliver in to see a doctor about his skin today. At his 2-month check up, the rash on his cheeks wasn't too bad, and Dr. B chalked it up to oily skin. But over the past month, it's gotten worse. And this past week, it's been terrible. It's all over his body, and different in each spot, too. His legs and forearms are scaly, bumpy and dry. His right cheek and forehead is red and bumpy, and his left cheek is crusty and oozy. Not only is his skin bad but he hasn't been sleeping well at night. Gone are the nights of 6-8 hours of sleep... He now wakes up every 3 hours wanting food, and sometimes every hour needing help falling back asleep (his pacifier fell out or just needs to be rocked). Most of the time he wakes himself up by working his way out of his swaddle blanket, and scratches the hell out of his face until it's wet with ooze and red like a sunburn. This morning at 1am I was trying to feed him but he kept crying in between sucks, I'm assuming because his face was on fire. So enough was enough– time to see the doctor. Dr. B was on vacation so we me with Dr. Vestergaard, a sweet woman that my mom knows and likes a lot. The first thing she said after seeing Oliver was, "Oh wow, what a gnarly case of eczema you have there buddy!" So there you have it, the kid has bad skin just like his parents. It's totally normal and will eventually go away, but she said not to be surprised if he always has some kind of skin issue (even just as simple as having extra dry– or oily– skin, which is common obviously). And babies with eczema are also more prone to have allergies, but for now we shouldn't worry about it. She told me not to worry about my diet, saying that it's not an allergy that is being passed through breastmilk. I was so happy to hear that since I constantly wonder if I'm eating something I shouldn't! She prescribed hydrocortisone cream for the dry and bumpy areas, muciprocin for the oozy spots (since the crusty ooze means it's a mild infection), and said to use a thick cream lotion like CeraVe and Cetaphil everywhere else. And if we don't see improvement after the weekend, she may want to start him on an oral antibiotic since the infected areas may need some help healing. So all this will take some time and effort each day to lather the kid up and apply medicines and fight him to keep his hands away from his face, but obviously we'll do what it takes to keep him comfortable. I really hope this works!

One year ago

One year ago today, John and I were house-sitting for family friends. I was feeling strange, and decided to take a little pregnancy test. Holy Crap. It was positive!

One year ago!

A link to that blog entry: http://ohbabyzogas.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-pregnant.html

We had no idea how our lives were about to change. This past year has been incredible. I've been tested in more ways than I knew possible. My body has been pushed to the limits, feeling aches and pains in places I didn't even know existed. My heart has expanded about ten times its normal size and is constantly filled with love for my baby and my amazing husband. And I never knew just how patient and tolerant I could be! It has been such an amazing ride and it's just hard to believe one year ago this babbling, screeching baby sitting next to me while I type was just a poppy seed in my belly. How time flies!

Oliver must learn to play nice.

At our childbirth class back in October, we met Stacey and Rob, a really sweet couple who lives nearby. Stacey and I stayed in touch after our babies were born and have gotten together with other mommies for play dates, and have gone on long walks when the weather has been nice. They don't have any family in town, so I offered to babysit anytime she and Rob needed it. John and I are a great team and can handle one baby, so why not two? Just for a few hours, of course :) So they took us up on the offer tonight and dropped Tyler off for a few hours. From the get-go, Oliver was unsure of this intruder. When we put them side-by-side for some play time, we gave Tyler a rattle that Oliver rarely plays with. Oliver happily sucked on his Sophie toy that he adores, until he locked eyes on the rattle. He stared at the toy in Tylers hands for awhile, and looked upset. Then he started to bat at it, as if he were trying to steal it away. I directed his attention back to Sophie, but no luck. The kid wanted that rattle.

Finally, Oliver moved quiet and swiftly lifted the toy from Tyler's tiny hands. Tyler cried, Oliver looked annoyed.

I took the toy from Oliver and explained that his friend was playing with it (I know, I know– like he understands). Two more times, Oliver grabbed it away from him. The final time he reached through the ring and pinched Tyler's face, making him cry yet again. I swear, if it's possible that a 3 1/2 month old baby can be a bully then watch out, because our kid is mean. Here's video to prove it! (Password is Zogas, and don't mind me as I film the video and laugh while John stops the bullying).

Oliver the bully from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.

I quit my job.

I made a very difficult decision the other day. I quit my job at Koopman Ostbo! Well, for the most part. I'm no longer a part-time employee and won't be going to the office each week on John's days off. They've agreed to keep me as a freelancer, and I already have a project in the works. But it will all be from HOME! It became very clear after my first day back at KO that it wasn't going to work out. I didn't realize just how much effort it would take to work for such a small amount of time! I had to wake up extra early to pump, get ready, deal with traffic, pay for parking, get settled at work just in time to have to take a break to pump again, pay for more parking, then leave around 2pm before I had to pump again. On top of that, I had a hard time concentrating because all I could think about was John and Oliver, hanging out at home without me. John enjoyed his days with Oliver and is completely capable of taking care of him, but I felt guilty that his days off were spent focused on the baby. He works such long, hard days and I know would like some time to himself on his off days. He didn't really get much of that if I was working. Plus, when were we supposed to have time together if we were both working on each others days off?? I thought a solution would be to just work a day or two a week. But if that was my schedule, I wouldn't be able to own any good, big projects like I used to because I wouldn't have the time to be responsible for them. So if I can't do what I'm good at, then why keep my job? I can see it working out better down the road, when Oliver is older and maybe in daycare a few days a week. But for now, it just doesn't make sense. All these things crept up very quickly after returning to work, but I was determined to give it my best shot. However, after only 6 days of working I realized nothing was going to change, and I had to suck it up and tell my boss. My heart was pounding as I dialed his number, and I almost started crying on the phone. Thankfully, he understood. And he wasn't surprised. We talked about this possibility during my pregnancy, so he's been prepared for the change.

John and I are so happy, and feel confident in this decision. It's a little scary but we know this was a good time to take the risk. I am plenty busy with freelance work, and will continue to grow my business to continue to be successful. I have dreamed of being a stay-at-home mom with a home office for a really long time, and feel so blessed that I have the most amazing and supportive husband who's making this possible. How lucky am I that I get to stay home every day with this little guy?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

While sitting on Auntie Mo's lap at the McWilliam's St. Patty's Day party, Oliver tried to steal a sip of her beer.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Blowing raspberries

Blowing Raspberries from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.

Watching TV

Earlier tonight, I was in our bedroom on my computer when John said from the other room, "Linz! Come quick!" I ran into the living room to find Oliver like this on the floor:


John had put him down for some tummy time, and right away he propped himself up like this. It's the first time he's held his head up for that long! He was barely wobbling, and just looked so comfortable. The TV was on and he was just mesmerized by the moving pictures. It was so adorable! Of course John had to join in on the fun :)

Thumb sucker

He found his thumb!

Oliver's baptism

On Saturday, March 6th, Oliver was baptized into the Catholic Church! It was such a wonderful day– the weather was beautiful and we were surrounded by our families and close friends (all 50 of them!) We chose to baptize at All Saints for a few reasons, one being that we have so much history there. John, myself, Oliver's godparents Katie & Taki all went to All Saints School, our siblings (and Max and Damian) went there, John proposed in the first grade classroom, my family still attends mass there... And we would love to be able to send our kids to All Saints, so this would be a great way to get involved. So the day was special not just because Oliver was being baptized, but because he was welcomed into a community very familiar to all of us. He was a perfect angel during the ceremony, and really seemed to enjoy looking out at everyone. It was fun watching him scan the audience and check everyone out. Katie held him the whole time and bounced him up and down to keep him entertained, and Taki would touch his little arm or stroke his face to let him know he was there. It's an incredible thing to see friends with our baby, and to witness just how much they love him. After the ceremony, we went to my parent's house for lots of yummy food and cake to celebrate.

Ready to be baptized! Or play a round of golf??

Father Richard, Godmother Katie Nedved, Godfather Taki Flevaris, John & Me

Receiving the sacrament

Family!

Looks like Oliver wants a beer, too.

Oliver at 3 Months

At 3 months, Oliver:

-is heavy! We haven't weighed him yet but he's definitely growing.
-is wearing 3-6 month clothes and getting close to growing out of his Carter's 6 months pajamas. His Gerber onesies are 6-9 months!
-is in size 2 diapers.
-sleeps 4-5 hour stretches at night, but once or twice a week goes back to his old 6-7 hour habit. We still swaddle him and play the womb sounds on the iPod, which seems to get him to sleep longer.
-has been baptized into the Catholic Church.
-rolls over from front to back!
-is STILL on the verge of laughing. He laughed for Auntie Anna the other night while John and I were gone, but hasn't since.
-warns us he is tired by screeching. If we miss the signs or don't respond right away, it turns into a blood-curdling scream and it's more difficult to calm him down.
-loves when I sing to him. He grabs a hold of my mouth and tries to put his fingers inside, as if he's feeling the way my mouth moves when I sing. (Or is that his way of telling me to shut up?)
-seems to have a preference of toys to play with. Rainbow bunny and the crinkly elephant are his favorites.
-is so close to holding his head up perfectly by himself!
-found his thumb and LOVES to suck on it.
-blows raspberries and spits all over himself! He'll copy you if you do it first.
-loves head massages and having his hair brushed.
-still has cradle cap, and what we think is eczema. Usually a bath, some fragrance-free lotion and baby eczema cream helps the flare up.
-gets cuter and cuter every day.

3 months old and rolling over

On his 3-month birthday, Oliver rolled over from his tummy to his back. We are so proud!

3 months and rolling over! from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.

What I love about John

I always knew John would be a great dad. You can just tell by looking at him that he is loving, playful and trustworthy. Before and during my pregnancy, I'd watch him with our friends kids and feel so fortunate that he was naturally good with children. When I'd see him hold a new baby, he never looked uncertain or worried, even though he had only held a few in his lifetime, and only for just a few minutes. When Oliver was born, the nurses in the OR passed him over to John and I have never seen him look so confident in his whole life. He didn't look uncomfortable or unsure in any way. He held his baby tight and knew exactly what to do. Back in our room, John was at Oliver's side every second he could be. When the nurses came in, John hovered over them to see what they were doing. He helped them give Oliver's first bath. He went with him for his jaundice and blood testing and held his tiny hand. He changed all of his diapers. He swaddled him perfectly. He protected him and let him know that he was safe, and loved. Our birth story is much different than I expected, and I've wondered if I'd have regrets later down the line. After carrying this baby for 10 months, I thought I'd be the first one to hold him and love him and to bond with him. I imagined I'd breastfeed right away and spend as much time as I could before he was taken off my chest to get a bath, wrapped up and then passed over to John. Our experience was the opposite, and I've wondered if I'd eventually feel like I was cheated out of that experience. But the answer is no. I think Oliver is lucky to have been placed in his dad's arms first. He felt the same unconditional love, strength and security that I feel when I'm in John's arms. It's so powerful, and amazing.

Now that Oliver is almost 3 months old, John is an even better dad than I could have imagined. And, he's an incredible husband. After working 12+ hours, he comes home and immediately takes the baby to give me a break. He tells me it's OK if I need to leave for a few hours just to get some air. Yesterday was one of my most challenging days as a mom yet– Oliver refused to nap, but was overly exhausted so he just cried an fussed all day. John had a busy day at work but managed to find time every couple of hours to check in and see if I was ok. He sent encouraging messages, telling me I'm wonderful, beautiful, and strong. When he got home, he took the baby and played with him. He fed him, and then rocked him. When Oliver fought sleep and screamed louder, John held him tighter and tolerated the noise. And just a few minutes later, Oliver was sound asleep. John just knows what his baby needs. It's incredible to watch.

Thank you Johnny, for the unconditional love you have for your fussy baby and crabby wife. Thank you for working long days and still having the energy (and desire!) to spend the evening dealing with us. Oliver and I are so lucky and blessed, and we love you.

Oliver is 12 weeks!

Oliver is now 12 weeks old. Where has time gone?! He is growing up so fast. He's now holding up his head with less wobble:


Screeching until our ears bleed:

Screeching again from Lindsay Zogas on Vimeo.

And when left alone in his crib, turning himself from this position:

to this, in a matter of seconds:


He's also eating a lot and filling out those fabulous cheeks even more! Oh, and he still has crazy hair:


What was life like before Oliver?? We can't remember! We are so in love.