We've moved the blog!!!

Now that Owen is here...we no longer need to have a blog called "Baby McReynolds"!! So...we've moved the blog. Here is the new link:
New McReynolds family blog
Bookmark it and check it often!
Love to all!

Owen's new sounds

Owen has some new sounds! Here is a video of Owen "talking" on Halloween. Or...maybe he was singing along to the music in the background. Regardless...he is one happy and adorable baby!!!

Catch up post with lots of pics!!

This is somewhat of a catch-up post to upload a bunch of recent pics we've taken of Owen. Enjoy!

Daddy has discovered a new favorite position for Owen to hang out in...Owen lays on his belly on Daddy's legs that are propped up on the ottoman. Owen can see everything that is going on in the room and it also helps him get some more burps out!!
For a few weeks now, we've been getting Owen ready for Halloween. He has a few outfits, thanks to Aunt Heather! Last Saturday, Owen got dressed in his orange and white outfit and hung out in his bouncy seat while we cleaned the house a bit. Owen was as happy as can be!
Jeff Baker and his 'lady friend' Allison came to visit us last Sunday on their way home from Tuscaloosa. It was so nice to see Jeff and meet Allison! We got a great pic of Owen and Jeff.
It was a tough day at daycare on Thursday. Owen fell asleep in the car on the way home and didn't even wake up when we came inside. He was racked out like this until it was time to eat again!
Owen loves to lay in his crib after a diaper change and watch the elephants go around and around on his mobile. It keeps him occupied long enough to clean his diap up!
Yesterday was Halloween. After our 1 o'clock feed, we did our normal routine (eat, burp, spit up, sit upright, burp and spit up some more, play, spit up some more) before getting Owen dressed up for Halloween. Owen was Darth Vader. Unfortunately, after all the activity, it was time for Owen to nap...so once he was dressed, he was not happy. Here is an unhappy Darth Vader!

We went to the Peerless Grill to meet some friends in the afternoon. Here are a few pics:


We made it home in time to get another quick nap in, a bath and a feed prior to all the trick-or-treaters! Owen hung out with Daddy for a bit on the couch, played on his mat some, and answered the door to greet all the cute costumed kiddos!

Songs!

The Parents.com email arrived today ... and it had some valuable informaiton about solid food feeding schedules, as well as a link to the lirics of many popular children's songs!! Owen LOVES to be talked to and we often try to sing to him. Although, many times we get stuck not knowing the words. This link will help any parent in the same siutation!

Songs!

Ready for school and Hallowe'en!!!

Owen got all dressed up in his Hallowe'en onesie today to go to school. Thanks to Aunt Heather for lending us some Hallowe'en 'gear'!!! Here are a couple of pics...

A video of Owen

Yippee!!!! Finally got this to work.....
Might be boring to some...but cute nonetheless...
AND....there is a surprise at the end for all! It is typical event for Owen....
:)

A day in the life...

We have already had a busy Saturday. Owen had Mommy up at 3:15am, and again at 3:30am, then again at 4am, and finally at 4:40am. This has become somewhat of a pattern that is not desirable...but we think we know what is going on. We believe Owen is going through a growth spurt (the books say he is anyway). Therefore, everything is growing...including his insides. And when that happens, he produces more gas. This wakes him up in the early morning hours. Poor little man. But all we can do is try to make him comfortable and love on him. He is so lovable!!!!

Owen ate at 4:40am at fell asleep in mommy's arms until 6am. At which point, he stayed asleep while mommy transferred him to his swing. Mommy didn't even turn the swing on. Owen just slept in the cradle part of the swing until 8:15am. This allowed for everyone to get more sleep. Daddy was sweet enough to put more blankets on both Mom and Owen when he awoke around 7am.

Since then, we've had numerous outfit changes (diaper operator error) and plenty of opportunity to take pictures and videos of the little man. Here are some pics:

A happy boy!!

Some tummy time....Owen is getting so strong!

Owen has definitely found his hands. He likes to try to get both of them in his mouth at one time:


We bundled up and went for a walk on this beautiful fall day!

Full belly and racked out

Owen is still on a great schedule. He is back to eating every three hours, since he has more awake time at daycare and misses a feed in the middle of the night (which Mommy is somewhat grateful for!!). Daddy continues to give Owen his last feed of the day around 9pm. Owen eats all 6oz of his bottle, but is very very sleepy. So sleepy that during burping, he often falls asleep. Here's proof:

The heat is on!!!

Our house got down to 66F this evening. In years past, we might have just bundled up for a few more days/weeks and enjoyed the conditioned-less and heat-less house (and bills!!!). But...with a three month old in the house...things are different. We turned the heat on. Shortly after that, Mom bundled up Owen topping him off with the green hat that Erin made, leashed up Nash and headed out for a walk. Unfortunately, we didn't make it that far, as we were approached by a large (bigger than Nash), growling Husky. We made it safely back home and enlisted Dad's help to scare away the dog. Now we're back inside, sadly afraid to venture out on our own for awhile.

A quarter of a year!!!

WOW - Owen is three months (or a quarter of a year) old!!!! Here is his monthly picture with his ball.


Mom took a really cute movie of Owen...but we can't yet figure out how to 1) make the file smaller so it can be uploaded and 2) change the file format from .mov to one of the formats that Blogger accepts. Does anyone have any ideas?

Sleep

I (Mom) read an interesting article today on how many hours babies/kids need to sleep. I am placing the chart here for future reference :)


Source: http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-sleep-does-your-child-need_7645.bc?scid=mbtw_post3m:533&pe=2UwDuHg

First plane ride!!!

Owen went on his first plane trip this weekend. We flew to Texas for Brandee Haight and Ken Herold's wedding. Owen did so well on the plane. On the way there, he did not like sitting at the gate in Birmingham (no movement, we guess) and he did not like the long taxi in Dallas-Fort Worth (but who does?!?!?). During the actual flight, he was more-or-less perfect! He actually stayed awake the whole way there and just laughed, smiled and stared at Mommy the whole time. The plane trip home was a little more eventful, as we had an aborted take-off!!! Of all the flights that Mommy and Daddy have taken in their lifetime...that was a first...and it was with a three month old! But...Owen was actually pretty good, given the circumstances (read: one hour delay). He screamed for a little bit (wouldn't we have all liked to do that!), but calmed down with a bottle in his mouth and his Daddy holding him. Again, he laughed and smiled for awhile after eating, and then fell asleep in Daddy's arms. He did not wake up (even when he was transferred to Mom's arms) until we put him in the Bjorn to walk off the plane.

Fellow passengers on both flights made comments to us about how great Owen did. We appreciated them all. We are certain most of them were either fretting the flight when they saw us board with little Owen and/or they had been there before with their own children.

It was a bit stressful for us to fly with him that young, so we were relieved that he did so well.

It was a great weekend though. We had a wonderful visit with Aunt Heather, Uncle Vic and all the Myers cousins (Jacalyn, Jaydon, Jonathan and Jakob). Below is a pic of us with Jacalyn and Jaydon.



We spent Friday evening with Nonnie and Pop, and enjoyed a visit from Wendy.



Saturday was the wedding. It was a beautiful day outside. The wedding was held in the same church where we were members and were married. It was nice to get back there. The reception was wonderful and was held at the Gaylord Texan Resort. Afterwards, we went back to Nonnie and Pop's to pick up Owen and drove down to Colleyville for a visit with Michael, Elizabeth and Sarah Gallian. Sarah was a busy little girl, showing us all her toys, while wearing a tutu. :)
Mandy and Randy Lucke stopped by the Gallian's to meet Owen. It was so great to visit with all of them!

After dinner with Nonnie and Pop on Saturday night, our quick visit came to an end. Weekends always go by so fast, but this one went by very quickly.

Day 2 of daycare and....

...Owen slept through the night again last night! He slept for a total of 1 hour and 55 minutes during his stay at daycare....so we are really not surprised that he was tired last night. Poor guy. But...he was happy last night after both feeds at home and he was very content this morning after waking up to eat.

We'll see what today brings. Daycare is going to feed him three times, instead of twice. We figure he might be hungry since he is sleeping through the middle of the night feed and he has more awake time at daycare. Hopefully that makes him a little less fussy during the day and more tolerable for Ms Candy and Ms Laura.

Good Trade off???

Well...the big news from the McReynolds' house is that Owen slept through the night last night. It might have been a fluke or may be due to the fact that he missed so much sleep yesterday...but we'll take it! He did not fuss until 3:48am, at which point his soother fixed the problem until his 5am feeding time! He ate great and was a happy baby the whole morning. If you know me...this won't be a surprise to you...I did the math and figured out that Owen was home for 14.5 hours between day one and two of daycare. He slept for all but three hours of that!!! He was SO tired from his first big day of daycare!

It is day 2 of daycare...let's hope he gets some more rest there today!

Day one of daycare...complete!

All went well at Owen's first day of daycare. We planned out our morning routine yesterday which helped things run smoothly. Also we packed our lunches and Owen's bags (his diapers were in a bag, his milk was in a soft cooler, his change of clothes were in a ziploc, etc.) yesterday, so all that had to be done this morning was to put the bags and Owen in the car.

This morning, I fed and burped Owen at 5am, while Dad got ready for work and took Nash for a walk. While I was getting ready for work, Dad changed and dressed Owen, moved the FJ out onto the driveway, and made tea and coffee. What an awesome Daddy! :)

At 6:10am, Owen and I pulled out of the driveway and headed up to daycare. The drop off this morning was benign. Owen didn't cry he just sat in his car seat while I showed Ms. Candy everything in Owen's bag and we talked about his schedule. She wanted to be shown her how we wrap him, so before leaving, I swaddled Owen in his blue blanket. Once swaddled, I placed Owen in his crib and he started cooing and talking to the mobile that Ms Candy had attached to his crib (it was four animals, one of which was an elephant...that made me happy!). When I walked out of the room, Owen was laying in his crib, wide-eyed and awake looking right at me. It broke my heart. I made it to the car before I lost it. Just a few tears....since I needed to drive safely to work.

My morning went fast at work, thank goodness. My first and only mistake of the day was calling the nursery around 11:15am to check on Owen. I found out he had only slept for 35 minutes during a time when he normally sleeps 2.5 hours. The good news was that Owen ate all his breakfast...no surprise there...the little man is a great eater! I picked Owen up after work and learned that he had slept a total of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Yikes. In a usual day (between the hours of 6:30am and 4pm) he normally sleeps 6.5 hours.

Owen was pretty miffed when we got home from daycare. I wrapped him and held him close for all of one minute and he was asleep in my arms. He was finally calm and it felt so good to be close to him. After five minutes or so, I placed Owen in his swing and started to get things cleaned up from the day and things ready for tomorrow. Right on schedule, Owen woke at 5pm to eat. He played on his mat with me and let me read him a book. Again, right on time, Owen needed to be wrapped at 6:15pm and fell asleep shortly thereafter. I am so glad he still has his schedule here at home! He is still zonked out right now (8:15pm) and we are anxious to see if he awakes for his 9pm feed. He had a busy day!!!

Tomorrow will be better...and easier. That's what everyone says anyway....

Last day before daycare

Well....today is the day...the day before Owen goes to daycare. Melissa starts back in the office full-time tomorrow. Thankfully it is a short work week for both Mom and Dad, as we are all heading to Texas on Friday for the wedding of our friends - Ken Herold and Brandee Haight.

Owen's bags for daycare are all packed and the morning routine is planned out. Mommy will have a tough day tomorrow...it is inevitable. But...everything will be just fine.

We have been spoiled. For the past two weeks we have had the help of our parents. They have kept this house running like a well oiled machine. We have been on our own since Friday and have done our best to keep up with the laundry, the clean house and meals. Even though we manage....we certainly appreciated all the help our families have given us over the past 12 weeks. We have loved having them here...not just for all that they do for us...but also so they can see how great a baby Owen is, how fast he is growing and enjoy this special time with him.

Keep us in your prayers tomorrow, as we hand Owen off to Ms. Candy at daycare.

Owen Lost his Title

Owen lost the title of “Newest US Citizen in the house” this past Tuesday. After a long process including many forms and fees, Melissa was sworn in as a US citizen in Atlanta. Now everyone in our house is a US Citizen….even Nash!





Other updates…

Owen is now on a four-hour feeding schedule. Once again, he adapted well to the new schedule. Owen has always been a content baby, but this new schedule makes him even more happy as he gets to sleep longer between feeds. He is still waking up in the night to feed once, but goes right back to sleep afterwards.

It sounds like we have some exciting times coming up. During Melissa’s parent’s visit, we pulled out Melissa’s baby book and found out that Melissa got her first teeth when she was four months old. That is about six weeks away for Owen! YIKES!
Owen’s spit-ups have reduced tremendously. Most likely it is due to the two types of medicine we give him before almost every feeding (four feeds a day). Fortunately, the meds won’t be forever…we just need all of his systems stronger!

Owen is cooing, laughing and smiling lots each day. He loves to have cream rubbed on his chin and around his lips. Bath time is generally quiet and he laughs when the folds in his fat (in his elbows, knees and neck) are cleaned. This past week Gram and Pappy introduced him to his elephant mobile in his crib. Owen loves to watch the elephants go around and around. In addition, he is starting to really check himself out in the mirror. It is too cute.

Cloth diapers - Day 2!

Well...we did it...we are now using cloth diapers! It is day two and things are going well. We have learned from some mistakes...which resulted in Pappy getting pee'd on and Owen wetting his gown and blanket in the night. The mistakes are not due to the diaper construction at all...they were due to operator error! We are figuring out the best and proper way to put the diapers on.

The diapers look great on Owen. We will have to take some pictures and post them soon.

We've also transitioned to the schedule we need to be on when Mom goes back to work in the office full-time on October 5th. His first feed of the day is now 5am (instead of 6am). And after extensive brainstorming on how we could all get more sleep during the night, we moved Owen's long sleep time to 11pm to 5am (used to be 9pm to 3am). Night one of that (last night) went well...so we will see how the next few go before raving about it!! Thank goodness Owen is flexible and adaptive to what we throw at him! We figure he doesn't care, as long as he is fed every three hours seven times a day, burped, dry, warm, cuddled some, played with and left alone to sleep enough!!!

Other than that...Owen is becoming much more expressive. He has cute little frowns and large open-mouthed smiles. He can see himself in the mirror of his Boppy Play Mat (see previous post) and adores looking/smiling in it for up to 30 minutes at a time! Owen has found his fist, which goes in his mouth when he can get it there. Owen still spits up a lot, but we are managing it better now with some medicine, wearing bibs and always carrying a cloth wipe around!

Owen's Baptism!

Owen was baptized yesterday (September 20, 2009) at Anniston First United Methodist Church. It was a great day!! We had so many supporters...it was fantastic! Thank you to all who attended and witnessed Owen's baptism!!!
Here are some pictures from the special day:



Pastor Hal Noble Baptizing Owen


Carmen & Sue Lloyd, Melissa, Clint & Owen McReynolds, Paula and Jay McReynolds

(We know someone must have a better copy of the picture above on their camera....please send it and we'll replace this picture!)

Owen is Two Months Old!!

WOW - today is the 14th...therefore...Owen is another month older. CRAZY!!
The Kidds (correct me if I am wrong) gave us an idea to take a picture of Owen next to a ball every month in order to give some comparison on his size. So...here is his second month picture with the ball from Jay Worrall!

Obviously, I will not be able to keep the onesie the same in every picture...but the ball will always be there! :)

I took some other photos today when Owen was playing on his play mat. He is one happy boy!!!



We enjoyed a visit from Michael and Elizabeth Gallian this past weekend. They were Owen's first non-family, overnight guests. Michael and Elizabeth have a two and half year old...so they know what having a two month old in the house is all about!! We had great food, great conversation and great times! We kicked ourselves after we left, as we did not get any pictures of our friends with our family. We will be in Texas the weekend of October 10th and hope to see them again. We will have to remember to document the visit a bit better!

8-week check-up

I (Mom) took Owen to his 8-week check-up yesterday. Owen was a BIG boy and got three shots that contained five immunizations, plus an oral one. He was sad from all the poking and prodding, but he ate well before leaving the doctor's office and it was as though nothing had happened there!

Owen weighed in at 12 lbs, 3 oz! And is officially two feet tall! His head circumference was measured to be 16 inches. That puts him in the 50-75th percentile for weight and head size, and 90th for height! Who would have thought....a 5'7" mom and 5'9" dad have a child that is in the 90th percentile for height! Let's just say, we won't be surprised if that percentile drops over time.

The shots have not really phased Owen too much. He has maintained his schedule, which I am grateful for, but he is not eating as much as normal. I am keeping him on Tylenol for the fever reduction through tonight.

In other news...We've scheduled Owen's baptism for September 20th at our church - Anniston First UMC. The ceremony will take place in the Traditional Service at 10:30am . If you are in the area, or can be in the area, we'd love to see you there!

Rosie and Doug came to visit us last Wednesday night. They are both grandparents and LOVE babies. It was Owen's fussy time, so they both tried their tricks to settle him. Doug was doing GREAT with this new hold (to us) as shown below....that is until we thought it was a cute picture!!! As soon as the focusing light flashed on Owen's face, Owen lost it!!!

Saturday was Owen's first ESPN College Game day with Dad. We had to put him in his Aggie gear!!! You can tell from the picture that he is totally engaged in the game being shown on the TV!!!

Also...I could not resist taking this photo of Owen today. I KNOW the answer to the question on his bib....ooh...oooh....pick me....I KNOW!!! I'll give you a hint...it is not the guy sleeping in the photo!! Just kidding. He needs sleep just as much as the rest of us! What a sleeping sweetie!!! And look at those cheeks!! They are quite pinch-able!!!

Seven week photo of Owen!

Here is Owen sportin' his onesie from Aisha, Dave and Katelyn!!!


It is a little big...but it is also sized for a six month old!

What else is new here??
Melissa is working from home and is being as productive as possible in between feedings, playing with Owen and putting him to sleep. Clint hurries home to spend time with Owen and eat dinner as a family (well...Owen sits in his bouncy seat on the floor...but has been staying awake (and quiet) throughout!). We switched bottle types last night. We're now trying the Playtex VentAire Advanced bottle for his last feed of the day. It seemed as though both Clint and Owen liked it! Clint verbalized that he wants to always use that bottle from now on, and Owen's middle-of-the-night grunts were minimal. Must have worked well!


We read a new book today. It was a gift from Harris, Katie and Tucker Rhodes and it is titled "Owen"!!! Melissa went online to find a picture of the book and was surprised to see that this little book has a review! HA! Here it is:

Owen by Kevin Henkes is about a little mouse who loves his fuzzy yellow blanket. He does everything with his fuzzy friend. Owen eats and sleeps with Fuzzy. Owen loves Fuzzy, his baby blanket.
There is one small problem. Owen is starting kindergarten soon. He cannot take Fuzzy to school. His parents try several things to separate Owen from Fuzzy. The nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, offers many suggestions. They are unsuccessful.
Finally, Owen’s mother finds a solution. She makes many Fuzzies by dividing Fuzzy into little fuzzy handkerchiefs. Owen can take a little Fuzzy to school in his pocket. Everyone is happy!
The juvenile book is perfect for the little one unable to face separation from the baby blanket. Preschool and elementary kids will find that they are not the only one with separation problems. After reading the picture book, the child and parent can discover a way to solve the problem.
Kevin Henkes the author of Owen is a popular writer of childrens' story books. Owen is a Caldecott Honor Book.
Kevin Henkes is the artist of the book’s illustrations. He uses watercolors to depict Owen, his parents and nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers. The pictures are as warm and fuzzy as Fuzzy.

Batteries and devices

Well...we've been through our first set of batteries on both the bouncy seat and the swing. Both units got fresh batteries installed this past weekend. Unfortunately...our life-saving bouncy seat quit working last night. Big trouble...as it was our miracle soother in the middle of the night and Owen's favorite place to hang out while we enjoy dinner together! Apparently others have had this problem with the same model (Graco Deco Bouncy chair)...so we know it is nothing we did! We will be looking into fixing it or a replacement ASAP!!!

Owen's First BBQ Competition

We took Owen to his first BBQ Competition on Friday night - Stokin' the Fire at Sloss Furnaces.

The weather was awesome (except for the looming thunder and lightning storm, the food was incredible and the company even better! We (Clint and Melissa) enjoyed a friend's Burger entry (mini burgers with tomato, spinach, tzatziki and grilled feta), some ABTs (see previous post) and some key lime cheesecake pieces dipped in chocolate on a stick!! As for Owen...he slept until feeding time...at which point...he enjoyed all the above in liquid form! Just kidding! Many did like to joke that his reason for crying was because he wanted some BBQ though!

The outing was a success for all involved. Owen was a bit fussy on the way home...but Clint perfected a method to jiggle the car seat a little bit to make Owen calm down. And Melissa perfected a way to reach around the car seat to blindly find and appropriately place the pacifier in Owen's mouth. :) We're learning something new everyday!

The rest of the weekend has been enjoyable too. Yesterday, Clint walked and played with Owen in the morning so Melissa could get some additional sleep and then mowed the lawn. Melissa put away all her maternity clothes and brought out all her pre-maternity clothes. It is as though she has a brand new wardrobe now! Melissa also received her notification for her citizenship interview last week. So, she is busy putting together the supplied flash cards to help her study for the test.

We have also started a new feeding schedule with Owen that allows everyone to get to bed a bit earlier and is such that Melissa only has to get up once in the middle of the night (well..that's what it says on paper anyway! Owen may have other plans some nights). We now feed every three hours starting at 6am with the last feed at 9pm. Then the middle of the night feed is somewhat directed by Owen, but Melissa will not let him go too long. The past two nights he has been feeding around 2:30am. It is great that he can make it 5.5 hours! Bodes well for him sleeping through the night soon! :)

We are still following Baby Wise (see previous post), and it seems to be working well. By the book...Owen eats, he burps and gets a diaper change and then we keep him awake for 30-45 minutes. His favorite activities are to lay in his boppy and look out the nursery window and either listen to music or be sung to. He also likes to lay on his Boppy Activity mat (see below...but NOTE: that is NOT Owen pictured!), although he does not yet play with all the items dangling above him. We also sit with him in our laps and move his arms and legs around. We tell him funny stories or sing songs. He has started to smile and coo, which is really fun for us to see and hear! Sometimes he tells us when he is done and ready to sleep, other times, we have to call it quits so that he does not get overtired or over stimulated. We wrap him up and get him to sleep until the next feed.


Everyday Owen brings us new challenges...but MORE delights! He is so sweet and precious. We love him to pieces!

Craft Ideas

OK...this blog is not only for displaying pictures and stories of our pregnancy and sweet little boy Owen. I have also been using it to keep track of research and information that I think others may find useful (i.e. cloth diapering!) or that I will need later. I just read another blog that had two GREAT craft sites. I am going to place the links here for others to use right now...and for me to use later (when I have a spare moment!).
Here they are:
UCreate
Craft Gossip

Two pretty cool sites, if you ask me!
Enjoy!

Owen's a big boy now!!!!

Check out Owen sitting up in his Bumbo seat!


Owen is growing bigger and stronger everyday!

The triple threat

Although we don't believe we have a colicky baby by definition, Owen is definitely struggling with some painful stomach issues (could be gas, growing pains, digestive system regulation, or something completely different). Regardless, we are trying the "triple threat" these days in attempt to subside his discomfort.

We use Mylicon before feedings. "Infants’ MYLICON® Drops, the #1 pediatrician-recommended anti-gas medicine, relieves the discomfort of infant gas frequently caused by air swallowing or by certain formulas or foods. It is safe because the drops are not absorbed into your baby's system. MYLICON® drops are safe enough for even the newest of newborns. They're safe enough to give with every feeding." (reference: http://www.mylicon.com/products/index.jhtml)

Mom is drinking "Mother's Nursing Tea" from the Mama Goddess Birth Shop (reference: http://www.mamagoddessbirthshop.com/collections/breastfeeding/products/nuturing-the-nursing-mother-tea)
"Nurturing the Nursing Mother was born from the many mothers who would call us asking about our More Milk Tea, they were wondering if it was a tea that they could drink even if they were not having milk production problems.
We wanted to be able to fill that gap and provide another alternative for mothers who wanted to nourish themselves as well as their breastmilk supply, and so this tea was born!
What is is good for?
This is a specific blend of herbs like Nettles and Raspberry leaves that are full of important minerals such as Iron and Calcium, as well as yummy herbs like Fennel and Anise that are specific for helping digestion and Breastmilk supply, and are great for gassy babies too!
All Organic Ingredients of:
Nettle, Red Raspberry Leaf, Fennel, Anise and Orange Peels."


And, when all else fails, we are trying Baby's Bliss Gripe Water.
"A traditional European remedy, gripe water contains safe, fast, effective, natural ingredients for relieving colic discomforts. Gripe water has been used by mothers for over a century to provide relief from the discomforts of colic, stomach cramps, hiccups, gas and teething.
The traditional natural remedies Fennel and Ginger are contained in Baby's Bliss Gripe Water. Both have long been shown to be beneficial for easing nausea and pain due to baby stomach gas and other symptoms of colic. Fennel and Ginger are also effective for the discomforts of infant teething, gas and hiccups.

Baby's Bliss Gripe Water Major Ingredients:

Ginger
Ginger is a natural safe and effective ingredient, which has been used by parents for centuries, to relieve nausea and other digestive problems.
Fennel
Fennel is another natural safe and effective treatment for stomach upset, hiccups, gas and other conditions with a century's long history of human use. It is recommended by many herbalists. Fennel seed oil is especially effective for relaxing a baby's intestinal tract.
Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium Bicarbonate is a common ingredient in food (baking soda), which is commonly used to decrease stomach acidity. Therefore, it is useful for easing the discomforts of colic, which is often associated with stomach discomfort. (14 mg per dose with a maximum 6 doses a day).
Fructose
Although today many health experts recommend less use of all forms of sugar, they also agree that where sugar is consumed in limited quantities, fructose (a natural sugar in fruits and honey) is a better choice than processed sucrose (table sugar)."
(reference: http://www.colichelp.com/shop/gripewater.html)

Of course, Mom is watching what she eats too...but from reading more and more...we've found some other foods that Mom needs to cut from her diet. We'd already cut out dairy products, citrus fruits, nuts, spicy foods, and gassy foods (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and beans)...but it looks like we need to cut out chocolate, wheat, and shellfish. In addition, we've added lots of garlic and ginger where possible, as they are two items that help reduce gas in the mother and baby.

The next course of action may be to try some more of the tummy massages, as recommended by La Leche League and others. Here is one that we found...
"Here's a description of infant massage: The colic massage I was taught consists of three parts. Before you begin, drizzle some oil on your hands and rub them together enough so your hands glide on your baby's skin but don't leave his skin looking shiny. Some people prefer to use a special massage oil, however any oil will do, even vegetable oil from the kitchen. Undress baby, but leave the diaper on loosely. Sometimes babies pass more than gas! Place the baby on his back on a washable blanket, in case the oil stains it. Always keep a hand on the baby!

Part One is called the paddlewheel. Place your palm under the baby's chin, with your fingers pointing toward his shoulder. (It doesn't matter which hand you begin with since you will use both.) Draw your hand down his chest, and into the diaper area. Your stroke should be smooth and firm enough that you feel the "dip" when your hand leaves his ribcage. As your hand is around the belly button, place the opposite hand under the chin and stroke downward, so your hands are making circles over the baby, with one hand always stroking. Do this until your hands/arms begin to tire.

Part Two: Baby is still flat on his back. Place the baby's heel up next to his bottom by bending his knee sharply. Move the leg, still sharply bent, until the top of the thigh rests against the tummy. Get both legs in this position. The baby may be a tad confused at first, but later he will actually assist you-babies love this so! Grab the baby's ankles and gently shake his legs in an up-and-down motion, unbending the knees gradually, until his heels rest on the blanket and his legs are straight. Repeat many times. You may also help the baby "ride a bicycle" by holding his feet and pumping his legs. This is not part of the "official" massage, but my babies loved doing it.

Part Three: Using as much of your fingers/palm as possible, circle the belly button in a clockwise motion. This gets any remaining gas moving in the proper direction for the baby to easily pass it. Another way to do this is to rub clockwise "parentheses" around the belly button, i.e., if the belly button is the center of a clock, one hand moves from ten to one o'clock and the other from four to seven."

(reference: http://www.llli.org/NB/NBJanFeb98p13.html)

WISH US LUCK!!!! And...if you have any other suggestions...please let us know!