Happy Halloween!

My First 5k Post Baby P

I've tried my hardest to be a runner the past two years. I ran my first 10k two weeks before I was pregnant with P. I tried a few times in early pregnancy to run, but I threw up each time I tried. So after P was born I started all over again building back my running. I mostly ran with P in the jogging stroller.

This past weekend there was a 5k literally steps from our home, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to run a race again. The run was wonderful - I beat my old personal best by 3 whole minutes! I averaged 10:14/mile! I was super super happy with that. And who best to greet me at the finish but my two favorite boys?

P was over the race by the time we took this picture, so he's a bit cranky. So cranky in fact that we missed Gymboree!

Two more teeth! And some random news..

P is sprouting teeth like they are going out of style. His next teeth are the ones directly next to his two top teeth. They just appear out of nowhere! They have almost broken the gums, but not quite there yet. He is also working on a back left molar that has been swollen for about a week, but he doesn't complain.

My little man is also getting quite the personality. I went to wake him up the other morning at 6 to come in bed and nurse before I had to shower and get dressed for work. He was lying on his back. I put my hand on his stomach and he woke up, looked at me, scowled, turned over, crawled to the furthest corner of his crib, stuck his butt in the air and fell back asleep. I died laughing.

We are still dealing with a runny nose, but otherwise we are over his first cold. He is a champion stair climber and complains when you carry him up the stairs. His favorite activity is after dinner he washes his hands, climbs up the stairs, and sits next to the bathtub waiting for his bath. P also took a dive off the bed for the first time. He was more upset no one caught him than actually hurt. The scowl he gave my husband (who was still on the bed) was priceless.

Two more teeth! And some random news..

P is sprouting teeth like they are going out of style. His next teeth are the ones directly next to his two top teeth. They just appear out of nowhere! They have almost broken the gums, but not quite there yet. He is also working on a back left molar that has been swollen for about a week, but he doesn't complain.

My little man is also getting quite the personality. I went to wake him up the other morning at 6 to come in bed and nurse before I had to shower and get dressed for work. He was lying on his back. I put my hand on his stomach and he woke up, looked at me, scowled, turned over, crawled to the furthest corner of his crib, stuck his butt in the air and fell back asleep. I died laughing.

We are still dealing with a runny nose, but otherwise we are over his first cold. He is a champion stair climber and complains when you carry him up the stairs. His favorite activity is after dinner he washes his hands, climbs up the stairs, and sits next to the bathtub waiting for his bath. P also took a dive off the bed for the first time. He was more upset no one caught him than actually hurt. The scowl he gave my husband (who was still on the bed) was priceless.

Two more teeth! And some random news..

P is sprouting teeth like they are going out of style. His next teeth are the ones directly next to his two top teeth. They just appear out of nowhere! They have almost broken the gums, but not quite there yet. He is also working on a back left molar that has been swollen for about a week, but he doesn't complain.

My little man is also getting quite the personality. I went to wake him up the other morning at 6 to come in bed and nurse before I had to shower and get dressed for work. He was lying on his back. I put my hand on his stomach and he woke up, looked at me, scowled, turned over, crawled to the furthest corner of his crib, stuck his butt in the air and fell back asleep. I died laughing.

We are still dealing with a runny nose, but otherwise we over his first cold. He also is a champion stair climber. P also took a dive off the bed for the first time. He was more upset no one caught him than actually hurt. The scowl he gave my husband (who was still on the bed) was priceless.

Wow - holy hiatus!

Things have been a total whirlwind since I started back at work. I spend every spare moment with my boys and hardly get a chance to do anything online. Which is wonderful, but I would hate to look back at this a year from now and be sad that I didn't keep it up.

We have had a lot of new things going on:


First cold. P got himself a bad cold this week. Just at the same time I got a bad cold. It was a long week. The husband took P to the doctor, who told us to keep up with fluids and the Tyenol, and also did P's 9 month wellness visit. P is 21 lbs and 28.75 inches long (both 75th percentile). P's iron was low, so we have to go back next month after starting an iron supplement and also get his flu shot. We are clear to start fish and meats finally.


First time at Gymboree. P loves it. I love spending the time with him without any distractions. Although, it is where we got our colds, but still.


Pulling up on everything and walking while holding onto things. He also climbs stairs like a madman.

It is so amazing to watch him grow!

Eight Months

At eight months:
Guessing about 23 lbs and 29 - 30 inches (no doctor's visit this month)
Sleeping from 7-7:30 pm to 6 am with two 2 hour naps during the day
Three solid meals a day and 3 nursing sessions and one 6 oz bottles of breast milk
Almost 100% on finger foods - he hates for us to feed him..he needs to feed himself
Crawling, working on pulling to sit and stand, will stand up while holding something, two bottom teeth and two top teeth
6-9 month clothes
Size 3 diapers
Loves crawling around, playing with the dogs, washing his hands, feeding himself, and his walker

Playing Catch Up

Wow, now that I'm back at work there are never enough hours in the day. I do have to say, the transition has gone seamlessly, and I couldn't be happier. I miss my little man during the day, but he is flourishing and hasn't skipped a beat. I've been able to pump and still keep him only on breastmilk, and he is still getting momma's homemade food every day.

We went on our first trip to the zoo this week, and P had a blast.



I am loving the fact we can start to do these kinds of things with him.

My little man also turned 8 months old yesterday. I'm working from home today, so once he wakes up from his nap I'll take his pictures and do his monthly post. I'm amazed at how much he has grown. He also cut another tooth. His top right one has broken through and his top left one isn't far behind.

Overall, I couldn't be more happy with the transition back to work. P is doing amazing, and life couldn't be better.

Transition

I was laid off when I was 6 months pregnant. It was important for us that I stay home with P for a few months. So I started looking for work when he turned 3 months old. Finally, this week I accepted a full time position. I start the 22nd. As excited as I am to go back to work, I'm torn about leaving P. I've been so blessed to be with him full time for the last 8 months. And I'm even more blessed that my parents will be watching him during the day. I expect it to be a tough transition, both emotionally and logistically, since I am still nursing and making all his food. So I spent a few hours making a bunch of food today. Black beans, roasted eggplant, sweet potato, peas, peaches, plums, apples, mangos, broccoli and cheese bites, and some lentils. My place smells amazing and I'm looking forward to keeping up with making his food so he has a little taste of mom's cooking during the day.

Finger Foods

About a week or so ago, P decided he was ready for finger foods. He decided to tell us while my parents, husband and I were out grabbing a burger. Although he had just eaten, when our food came he went bonkers. We couldn't calm him down. In desperation, my father asked if he could give P a mandarin orange off my husband's salad. P went nuts. We ended up getting an entire side plate of oranges which he gobbled up. Point taken.

So we've been doing diced peaches, scrambled eggs, chopped broccoli and cauliflower and his normal puffs. He does great with them. It's perfect timing, because his 4 oz of purees was starting to leave him hungry, so 4 oz with some finger foods and he is good to go.

I'm trying to come up with more finger food ideas - so I'm up for any suggestions.

Seven Months!

At seven months:
Guessing about 21 lbs and 28 - 28.5 inches (no doctor's visit this month)
Sleeping from 7-7:30 pm to 6 am with two 2 hour naps during the day
Three solid meals a day and 3 nursing sessions, and a bottle of breast milk before bed
Started finger foods!
Crawling, working on pulling to sit and stand, will stand up while holding something, two bottom teeth
6 month clothes, some 6-9 month
Size 3 diapers
Loves playing ball, being tickled, staring at himself in the mirror, bath time, his new pack and play, and walks in the stroller.

Wordless Wednesday

Déjà vu

Way back when I found out I was pregnant, I took a regular (lined) test on Sunday. There was a faint second line, but I wasn't 100% convinced. That next day, the husband and I met for lunch at a local Chick-Fil-A restaurant, where I went to the restroom and took a digital test. It's where I took this picture and our adventure began.

Yesterday, after the final walkthru of the house, I dropped the husband off at work and went to Babies R Us with P. We walked around for a while and I decided to grab some lunch at the Chick-Fil-A in the same shopping center. After both P and I ate, I went to the restroom to change him and that is when I noticed I was in the same place I found out I was really pregnant. I took a long hard look at the smiling 7 month staring up at me, smiled back and happily went on my way. It was a great coincidence.

More Teeth

P is cutting a top tooth. I discovered it this afternoon after he refused to let me put him down for a half hour and I threw him in the sling. After a half hour in the sling and a few awful naps, I finally started feeling around up there and found a swollen gum. Appears to be his top right tooth. Since we threw out all the orajel, we are back to baby tylenol. And yet again, you can tell the moment it wears off. My poor boy is miserable without it.

He started to get fussy around lunchtime, and he slept like a rock for 10 hours last night, so I'm hoping he sleeps tonight. Last time he cut some teeth we spent the night in the glider..so I am not looking forward to a repeat of that. He is asleep right now, and hopefully he stays that way and this little tooth is waving hello in the morning.

On a happier note, a picture of P in his new stroller:

Wordless Wednesday

Monday ramblings

Spinach was a big hit in P's world, but it gave him a slight rash on his chin. I know a true allergy to spinach is super rare, and the rash was gone within an hour and he had no other symptoms of anything. I'm going to hold off a week or two before re-introducing spinach. In the meantime, we are on plums! He had plums, banana, and oatmeal for breakfast and he scarfed the whole thing down. I think I'll feed him plums in his diaper from now on - those things are messy!

Just made a big batch of farmer's market finds - zucchini, blackberries, and peaches. My kitchen smells delicious. Don't tell P I took some of his food and mixed it into some greek yogurt. Momma needs some good cooking too!

P is napping right now and then we are off for a run. Starting week 5 of the C25K program and I am enjoying this sub-90 degree weather. I think P will have run a few marathons before he can ever walk. That makes me proud.

Solids & Naps

P has really taken to solid foods. He's been on solids for about 6 weeks now, and we just started a lunch meal two weeks ago. He gets fruit in the morning, a fruit/veggie mix at lunch, and a veggie at night. Tonight we are starting spinach. He will get spinach and oatmeal tonight, spinach and yellow squash tomorrow night, and spinach and sweet potato Sunday night. We just finished mango, and I just made up a bunch of organic plums for him to start once the spinach is done.

So far we have done:
Green beans
Peas
Sweet potato
Carrots
Yellow squash
Butternut squash

Bananas
Apples
Pears
Mango
Raspberry

Beets, kale, parsnips, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, and melons are all on the list of upcoming foods. I love combining all the flavors and watching him explore! It takes about 30 minutes a week for me to get his food prepared, and about 2 minutes after he goes down for the night to pull out and mix his meals for the next day. Completely worth it in my mind. I do keep these pouches in my diaper bag for when we are out and about. P grabbed one right away and started eating it right from the pouch...so much easier than carrying around homemade or commercially made jars or containers! I love it!

Since we started letting P cry it out at 6 months, he has become a much better napper. I'm able to put him to bed completely awake after his solids and within 10 minutes he is asleep. It has made our night time routine easier too. He gets his bath, a bottle of breastmilk, and he goes to sleep. Easy as pie.

I need to start letting him CIO at night though. At 5 months he picked up a middle of the night feeding that he has NOT dropped. It's anywhere from 1-4 am and momma is going nuts. He started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks, so imagine my surprise after 3 months of 12 hour nights to have to get up again. He still won't break it, even though the doctor said it originated from a growth spurt. The doctor says I CANNOT feed him when he wakes up, and either let him CIO or pick him up to soothe him but put him back in the crib without feeding him. Should be interesting. I'm looking forward to my beauty sleep again though.

Wordless Wednesday

Momma's workout routine

Before I got pregnant with P, I was running. A lot. I had some weight I wanted to lose, and I really loved the running. I was running 4-6 miles about 5-6 days a week when I got pregnant. I tried to keep running, but I always got sick. So the running shoes went in the closet. I did a lot of yoga and walking when I was pregnant, and I gained 35 lbs. By the time we bought a scale at 2 weeks after P was born, the 35 lbs were gone. I've been working on losing the weight I was trying to lose before I got pregnant. It's taken a while, but I'm making some progress.

I've been running with P in the jogging stroller, which is a whole new animal for me. I've been doing the C25K program with P three times a week and lifting three times a week. I'm nowhere near the distance I was before I got pregnant, but I'm also pushing almost 40 lbs when I run now. It's starting to pay off. I'm down 15 lbs from when I started and the scale is continuing to move. I'm really enjoying the runs with P, and the weight lifting sessions in the gym without P. It's a great feeling to be doing something for myself every day.

And yes, P has his own workout clothes so he he is properly dressed when we go for our runs.

Six Months!

At six months:
19 lbs 1 oz (85th percentile) and 27.75 inches (75th percentile)
Sleeping 9-10 hours per night in the crib...bedtime is between 7:30-8:00. Usually a nap around 10 and around 4.
Eating one 6 oz bottle of EBM before bed, the rest is nursing
Loving his solids. We have done green beans, peas, squash, sweet potato, carrots, apples, pears, bananas, and raspberries. He has also had cinnamon and ginger mixed in. We got the green light for stage two foods - I'm so excited!
Expert jumper, rolling over both ways, scooting around, trying to pull himself up and he can almost stand unassisted if he is holding onto something.
6 month clothes
His bottom front teeth both came in!
Size 2 diapers..but he is about a week away from size 3s
Loves the dogs, peek-a-boo when he is getting a diaper change, staring at himself in the mirror, bath time, jumping high in his jumper, Elmo, his exersaucer and his favorite toy Mr. Dinosaur.

Happy Fourth of July!

Our little piranha

The day before P turned 6 months, he cut his first tooth. Without knowing that was what was going on, we spent the night before in the glider. P would scream every time I put him down in the crib that night, and comfort nurse. When he fell asleep, I'd try putting him in the crib again and he would scream, so the glider for the night it was. When I woke up the next morning, his first little tooth greeted me and it all made sense.

Yesterday I was feeling around his gums to see how far his first tooth had come in, and low and behold, a second one was coming! I read they come in pairs, so I wasn't too surprised. This one is right next to his first - so both bottom front teeth.

He slept 10 hours last night without a peep and woke up to the second tooth poking up. I thought I was in the clear. Ha! P has been miserable all day. His gums are swollen from both teeth moving around. We've done the washcloth and teethers in the freezer, the baby orajel, the tylenol...nothing works. He has been crying non-stop all day. Towards the end of the day, he even refused to nurse. He ate his solids without an issue and that actually seemed to calm him down, but by 645 I knew he was hungry but he was rejecting the breast. So I gave him a bottle of breast milk and put him in his crib. 15 minutes later, he was out like a light. I'm sure I'll be up early (even if he sleeps 10 hours, that is still 5 am), but the quiet in the house and seeing him sleep so peacefully is so worth it.

Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day...and the rest of his teeth wait a while.

Solids

We started P on rice cereal a week shy of 5 months. At 5 months, we dove into purees. I started with squash and then moved onto green beans, peas, and sweet potato. Then it was pears, apples and bananas.

P eats his fruit in the morning and his veggies at night. Every few days, his fruit is mixed with whole wheat cereal. I plan on making some brown rice cereal in a few weeks to change it up. He eats anywhere from 1-3 oz a serving, and outside of a few days worth of making faces at green beans, he hasn't rejected anything. Outside of his green beans (which I CANNOT get to a good texture for the life of me), I make all of his food. I do have organic baby food in the house and in my diaper bag for the convenience, but I enjoy making his food.

I'm not adding any other foods (outside of the roasted carrots we are trying tonight) until we go for his 6 month appointment on July 6th. I'm curious to see what we can add to his diet according to his doctor. I haven't yet tried prunes, plums, peaches, nectarines, mangos, or anything like that. Avocados look gross at the store right now so I've held off. I'm also running out of new vegetable options. I can't wait to try new things like parsnips, beets, fennel, and the like.

I love this new stage in his development. Watching him try new foods and explore the taste and texture is really enjoyable. I look forward to his meals every day and love making his food each week.

Wordless Wednesday

First time away

Things have been crazy here lately. My husband and I traveled to DC so he could have an operation on his foot. For the first time in the 5.5 months of P's life, I was separated from him. For four days. And four nights. My husband really needed the surgery, and really needed my help. There was no way to take P with us between the hospital, the hotel, the cab rides, etc. Luckily, my parents live about an hour away, so off to Gramma and Grampa's house he went.

I cried dropping him off. I cried on the way home. If it wasn't for my girlfriend who called me the hour drive home, I might have totally lost it. I did pretty well when we got to DC since we were so occupied with the surgery and a visit with my sister. We Skyped with P on Friday afternoon, and he got so confused hearing our voices it broke my heart. We resorted to sending pictures via text after that.

All the down time after his surgery was the toughest. I missed my little guy so much. Plus, I had to bring my pump and was exclusively pumping every few hours. I'm sure you know, but I HATE that thing. Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate. Then on the metro, there were the cutest little babies, a woman nursing her newborn...I swear I almost burst into tears.

It was good for both P and I to "see other people" for a little while, but it was really tough. I missed my little guy. Managing my supply without him around was hard, and every picture I sent both warmed and broke my heart.

Having my family back together never felt so good.

Wordless Wednesday

Crawling!!

Milestones

We have reached quite a few milestones the last week or two:

Holding his own bottle

Sitting up on his own

and the biggest milestone...

Crawling!!

He pulls his knees up, pushes himself onto his side, and then rolls back onto his stomach. It's pretty interesting to watch. I'll have to get a video of it.

It's been a big week here...I couldn't be more proud!

Wordless Wednesday

Meeting Great Gramma

I will never forget this:

Five Months!

At five months:
Guessing about 16 3/4 to 17 lbs and 28 - 28.5 inches (no doctor's visit this month)
Sleeping 9-11 hours per night in the crib...bedtime is between 7:30-8:00
Eating two 6 oz bottles per day, the rest is nursing
Started solids this month! We are doing foods twice per day and so far cereal, squash, and green beans have all been big hits.
Rolling over both ways, almost sitting up on his own, ba and ga are common words in our house now, and he stands up with the best of them.
3 month clothes, 6 month footie pjs (he's too tall for the 3 month!)
Size 2 diapers
Loves being tickled, staring at himself in the mirror, bath time, jumping high in his jumper, Elmo, Sesame Street, Dinosaur Train, his exersaucer and his favorite toy Mr. Dinosaur.

Not so sure about squash

P has been on cereal twice a day for the last 10 days. This morning, we started some butternut squash mixed with his cereal. By the looks of it, he's not so sure!

UPDATE: Apparently I spoke too soon. He started banging on his tray and I couldn't spoon the stuff into his mouth fast enough! Success!!

Wordless Wednesday

First time at the Pool

We took P to the pool yesterday for the first time. I took him first while my husband was at work around 3, and then the boys went around 6 after the sun had gone behind the clouds. P LOVED it. He had such a blast. I've never heard him laugh so much. He also slept like a rock last night - I think it wore him out!

Naps? What naps?

P refuses to nap. I said it. I have a 4.5 month old baby who refuses to nap. He's energetic, active and enjoyable all day. If you didn't pay attention to the clock, all of a sudden it's bedtime and he hasn't closed his eyes for a second yet. Although he sleeps 10 plus hours a night, the doctor says he needs about 15 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period, so I've been trying to wind him down for naps.

Sometimes nursing in a dark room in bed works, sometimes it doesn't. He also is a light sleeper with his naps. The second I move and get up, he's awake and ready to go. All he wants to do is play. He used to take a nap right after his first feeding, but he dropped that about a month ago. Hopefully we get into a routine sometime soon. That way I can have more cute sleeping pictures like this one:

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Anniversary!

May 16, 2010 is when we found out I was pregnant. Amazing to think of the journey we've been on since then!

Starting Cereal

Gimme the spoon Mom - I've got this!

Mommy & Me

P and I went to our first Mommy and Me fitness class today. It was a lot of fun! Even nursing in public (while working out nonetheless) was super easy and P had fun staring at the other babies. He even got dressed up for the outing!

New friend

We discovered the other day that P has noticed the TV and loves to stare at it. He sits in his jumper or exersaucer and talks back to the TV and giggles at it. Pretty quickly, we realized he has a fond enjoyment of Sesame Street, and especially Elmo. P giggles every time Elmo comes on the screen and is utterly fascinated by him. Needless to say, P has his own Elmo stuffed animal already. We certainly don't plop him in front of the TV for hours at a time, but he enjoys the few minutes he watches it and at least it is an educational show. It's so amazing to watch him become so involved in the world around him.

Four Months!

I waited a few days until we got back from his doctor's appointment:

At four months:
16 lbs 1.4 oz (75th percentile)
27.5 inches (95th percentile)
17.5 inches head circumference
Sleeping 9-11 hours per night in the crib
Eating 6 ounces per feeding every 4-5 times per day
A combination of nursing and bottle feeding
Rolling back to front and front to back, laughing and talking like crazy and standing up all the time
3 month clothes, 6 month footie pjs (he's too tall for the 3 month!)
Just moved into size 2 diapers
Loves being tickled, staring at himself in the mirror, standing up, and his favorite toy Mr. Dinosaur.

Long Walks

P has decided to boycott naps the last two days for no reason. Yesterday, I was going stir-crazy for other reasons besides my constantly awake child, so I strapped the bugger into his jogging stroller and away we went on a two hour walk/nap. Luckily he fell asleep as soon as we started moving, so I got some fresh air and a sleeping baby all at once. He looked too cute in his little stroller not to share.

Nursing..finally the story

I haven't said very much about our struggle with nursing here. It has, by far, been the toughest part of my life with Baby P so far. P and I just have never figured it out. I talked about the early days of how his blood sugar dropped in the hospital and we had to supplement, and then how I was with a lactation consultant at 4 weeks. The lactation consultant discovered P wasn't very good at getting my milk and was only getting about half an ounce each time he nursed, which is why we we had to supplement. We did exercises and stuck with the nursing. I also was pumping and taking herbs to increase my supply to make it easier for him to get milk and formula feeding when needed.

For a while I was nursing, pumping every 2 hours, supplementing with pumped breast milk in a bottle and formula when needed. It was EXHAUSTING. I was constantly reading everything I could about increasing my supply, weaning him off formula, and how I could increase the yield on my pumping sessions to eliminate the formula. Nothing worked. Did I mention nothing worked?

About 4 or 5 weeks ago, I gave up nursing. I pumped every two hours and fed P a combination of breast milk and formula. He was getting about 80% breast milk. Although I could pump while I fed him and feeding sessions were quicker and less stressful, after about 2 weeks I really, really missed nursing. And I really hated my pump.

So I started nursing him in the morning again. Then at lunch, then at dinner, giving him a bottle when he needed one. He was down to one bottle a day and nursing the rest of the time. A few days ago he went to bed for the night and I realized he hadn't had a single bottle! That had NEVER happened before! I got so excited! Maybe after 4 months, this might work! Then day two without bottles came and went and now I was on cloud nine.

Day three came. P hadn't taken a nap in 2 days and spent the night lying on my chest. He would cry every time you put him down. He couldn't stand to be away from one of us. He wasn't acting hungry, but would nurse if I offered. He was just really clingy. It was really odd. He was especially fussy and I went to nurse him and he was still fussing. So grudgingly, I gave him a bottle. My little guy drank 8 oz of formula. He instantly became the life of the party, playing and laughing with everyone. It broke my heart. It really did.

I was so torn - I want what's best for my baby and it was undeniable the difference it made. But I want him to be breastfed so badly. Then I felt selfish. Selfish for wanting to nurse him. Selfish for being upset that he took a bottle. I feel inadequate - how is it possible I can't provide what my son needs? I seriously vowed I was quitting that day. I nursed him for his next meal and with some help from my husband, we got him down for the night and he slept 12 hours like normal.

Today, nursing has gone just fine without a single hiccup. He's actually eating right now. I enjoy this time so much with my son, I just want it to work. I've been flexible his whole life with providing him the food he needs, but breast milk and breastfeeding is so important to me. I just got my hopes up so much when he went bottle free for two and a half days. Like all my hard work finally paid off. I get so tired of counting ounces and cleaning bottles and pumping that I thought I was finally being rewarded. And I know I'm over-reacting.

I'm going to keep at it and keep listening to him. Flexibility is key in our nursing relationship. I can't help but be jealous of women who can breastfeed without a problem and I empathize with those who struggle. I never thought I would have an issue with nursing. It totally caught me by surprise. It has honestly consumed me. Regardless, my reward for all this hard work I wasn't expecting to have is a happy, healthy, growing son and whatever our nursing relationship looks like, I am so blessed to have it.

Wordless Wednesday

Quick post

One of these days, I'll detail my struggle with nursing, but for now I'm happy to report we are back to it and it is going well! P is getting maybe a bottle of formula a day and anything I pump I am freezing. It's working out well! He is doing so well and is just a ray of sunshine. He's going to bed around 8 at night (except for when he decides to have a party and then he is up until 11) and not getting up until 7 or 8 in the morning. We got super lucky with his sleep pattern. He is napping right now which is the only reason I have a chance to post. We go back for his 4 month appointment on May 4th. I can't believe he is 14 weeks already! It is going by so fast.

Three Months!

At three months:
Guessing about 14 lbs and 23.5 inches since we don't have a doctor's appointment this month
Sleeping 8-10 hours per night in the crib
Eating 6-8 ounces per feeding 4 times per day with no night time feedings
Eating 2/3 pumped breastmilk and 1/3 formula
Tracking objects, cooing like crazy, and so, so close to rolling over
3 month clothes, Circo newborn sized pants and 6 month footie pajamas
Size 1 diapers
Loves swatting at toys, sucking his thumb, playing in his jumper, sitting upright in his boppy and standing up (with help of course!). So close to rolling over!

Wordless Wednesday

The best birthday present ever

Yes, today is my 28th birthday. No real plans this evening - looking forward to spending it with my two favorite guys curled up on the couch.

Wordless Wednesday

Is it time for solids yet?

I confess...I am so tired of feeding P. I am tired of nursing, I am tired of pumping, I am tired of mixing formula bottles, and I am tired of bottle feeding. I've been doing all four: breastfeeding, pumping, bottle feeding, and formula feeding. It's exhausting. I nurse because I hate the pump, I pump because I hate the formula. I swear my life has become consumed with low cut shirts to nurse in, pumping every few hours because I am full and P isn't ready to nurse and counting ounces.

I do have to admit I am lucky - at 11 weeks P eats 8 oz 4x per day and sleeps though the night. Try to tell my boobs that. They are ready to go every hour or two with a whopping 2-3 ounces. The math doesn't add up. My entire day is just consumed with my boobs and with bottles. I enjoy nursing him and I enjoy the theoretical ease of what he is eating versus solids, but I am so tired.

I don't want to give up feeding him breastmilk. For one, formula is expensive. Second, I would feel guilty for giving up for selfish reasons. Third, it would hurt like hell for a few days. But the breastmilk isn't enough, so I'm stuck with all four ways of feeding again. I keep telling myself I've made it this far - I'm halfway there..but I am just so tired. I feel bad for saying that, but it is so true.

Wordless Wednesday

Tears and Shots

P is doing really well. Nursing has been going better than ever and he is getting about one bottle a day, usually of breast milk. He is still working on rolling over but has started to smile in response to things which just melts my heart. His is finally starting to grow out of his last newborn outfits.

I just wanted to talk about shots for a minute. I follow a bunch of blogs of new moms and everyone has been going through their first round of shots lately. Now, I posted about it earlier but P had really no reaction to his two month shots, and without offending anyone, don't get why people have so many issues with their babies getting shots. I can't imagine standing there crying while he is getting shots. Of course I hate to see my baby in pain, but someone needs to be strong and assure him it is okay. That's my job. I strongly believe that babies feed off of your energy. The first time P threw up (think Exorcist vomiting) I flipped out and he screamed for hours. He did it again a few weeks later and without saying a word I cleaned him up and he didn't utter a peep. Honestly, he cried for 30 seconds anyways and was fine after his shots. I nursed him for a few like I was told to do and brought my little guy home where I gave him lots of love and attention and we went on with our day. I feel bad for people who have trouble with it and I sympathize but I can't empathize. Maybe it makes me a bad person. Who knows.

Bump Watch: The Final Video

Two Months!

I am a few days late (okay, six days late) with this post. Preston turned 2 months on March 1st and is doing amazing. His 2 month doctor's appointment went well. We do need to go to the orthopedic the end of the month to have his left foot checked out, but I'm not worried about it.

At two months:
12 lbs
22.25 inches
15 inches head circumference
Sleeping 6-7 hours per night in the crib
Eating 5-6 ounces per feeding every 3-4 hours
Almost there with nursing..bottle feeding about 30% of the time!
Tracking objects, cooing like crazy, and so, so close to rolling over
0-3 month clothes, Carters newborn sized pants and shirts
Just moved into size 1 diapers!
Loves his swing, his new bouncer seat, and can't get enough of being carried around in the sling.

8 weeks

I can't believe my little peanut is a few days shy of 2 months old. He's growing and changing on a daily basis. I look down at him as I upload weekly pictures to the computer, and the pictures are already outdated. It's amazing.

Feeding is going okay - I've basically given up breastfeeding, but am pumping round the clock and supplementing with formula as needed. His feeding schedule is off since his last growth spurt at 6 weeks. Some meals he'll eat 6 or 7 ounces and others he'll just have 2 ounces. He is a messy eater so bibs have become a must.

My parents just moved about an hour away from out of state and it is so wonderful to have them here. P is about a week shy of outgrowing most of his newborn clothes, so I was able to go shopping for 0-3 month clothes with my mother, and I had an absolute blast. You don't realize how you missed those moments when I was pregnant until she is down here and it happens. I feel so blessed for P and for me that my parents are here with us.

P's two month appointment is on March 2nd and I am curious to see how big he has gotten. He was 9 lbs 1 oz (30% percentile), 21 inches (50% percentile) and a head circumference of 17.5 inches (50% percentile). He can track objects now, coos all the time and is constantly looking around. We have been taking walks in the sling so he can look at the trees and he really enjoys that. He is working on sitting up unassisted and loves his tummy time. He also makes the cutest noises when he is eating:

My Little Valentine

Things have been going really well lately. Preston and I are finding our groove with his feedings, and he is slowly taking a bit less supplementation after nursing sessions. He is becoming more alert and awake every day while still keeping his 4+ stretches at night. Actually, two nights ago he slept for 8.5 solid hours, from 10:30 pm until 6 am! I couldn't believe it! Alas, last night he was back to his four hour night time feedings, but it was a nice treat.

We have started reading to the little guy, and he loves Curious George stories. I named my first dog George after Curious George when I was little, so it is so fun to have Baby P learn the same stories. Goodnight Moon is next on my list to add to his nighttime routine. He is beginning to enjoy his evening baths as well.

For me personally, I have been enjoying taking him to the gym with me and out for walks with the dogs. The jogging stroller comes tomorrow and he and I begin our training for a 5k. I am a few lbs below pre-pregnancy weight, but still trying to find clothes that fit my new body properly.

I feel like I should have some amazingly worldly and insightful thing to say as a new mother of a 6 week old son. I really don't. I am truly enjoying every moment, every stage, and every smile.

Preston in Action

The First Month: Reflections

We made it through the first month! I've been told we are officially parents now. Our little guy is turning from a sleeping, pooping, eating infant into a full fledged newborn. Every day he is a little more awake, a little more interactive, and exponentially more enjoyable.

I've learned quite a few things in this first month - the most important being to trust my instincts. The husband and I haven't really ever been around kids, nevertheless newborns, before we decided to have a child. So what I knew about kids before I picked up my copy of "What to Expect the First Year" could have fit in a thimble. I'm pretty proud of myself.

Everything I read said breastfeeding was easy. Here are the positions, here's how to ensure a good latch, now sit back and enjoy the bonding time with your baby. I even read how evil you were if you didn't breastfeed. I always knew I would breastfeed...why not? It's free and easy and why not have that special bond with your child? Here's the thing no one told me: it's not always quite so easy.

Breastfeeding got off to an okay start. Since Preston was premature, I didn't get to have him placed on my chest after his was born. I honestly didn't see but a glance of him for almost two hours after he came out. I didn't get a chance to even try and breastfeed him for about 6 hours after he was born, which didn't go too well. Also, his blood sugar needed to be tested every two hours for the first 24 hours after he was born. Overnight during our first night in the hospital, his blood sugar dipped pretty low so we had to supplement with formula to regulate it. He was on both formula and a bottle from day one. By the time we got home, we were in a routine. He could latch on and eat away. But no matter how long he ate, he was always fussy ten minutes later. Everything said I read said that he wasn't hungry; that breastfed babies always eat until they are full. I checked my supply, I made all sorts of calculations...I fed for hours and hours and hours. But he was still always hungry. Luckily, even though it made me feel like a failure, my mommy instincts came in saying MY CHILD IS STILL HUNGRY and I fed him formula or pumped breast milk when he cried for more food. I feverishly researched it - everything told me I was over-reacting and that he wasn't actually hungry. I even was told the formula and extra milk I was giving him was stretching his stomach out and he would be obese for the rest of his life. Amazing what you find on the Internet, isn't it?

Besides a huge ego hit (why can't I satisfy my child? Why after hours and hours and hours of feedings is he still hungry? WHAT IS WRONG?), I was okay with supplementing. I just knew it in my heart that it was the right thing to do. I finally decided to see a lactation consultant to see what the deal was. She weighed Preston, let me feed him, then weighed him again. After over an hour of nursing, he only got HALF AN OUNCE of milk from me. No wonder he was hungry! I was right! He isn't able to get milk from me very well at all. We spent a lot of time re-training both him and me and it is a work in process, even now. Sometimes he will feed for 2 hours and then drink 4 oz of milk. It's astonishing to me. I go back for a follow up appointment tomorrow, but she said the best thing to me when I was there:

You did a great job listening to him. If you weren't in tune with his needs, he would have been in a lot of trouble because he's getting almost no food.

How great is that to hear? I did the right thing! How awesome was it when he was weighed and my little 6lb peanut was EIGHT POUNDS? I was so happy. And I will never again doubt that I have a set of mommy instincts.

Having a child has also made me fall in love with my husband all over again. Watching him interact with and care for his son leaves me speechless. Having him help around the house without me asking, or getting up to feed the baby in the middle of the night, or (gasp) staying up with the baby for the entire night so I could get a full night's sleep is the best. I couldn't imagine doing this without him. I would go crazy. He always seems to know when I am overwhelmed during the day and pops home for lunch without even talking to me. He walks right in the house, gives me a kiss, sweeps the baby up and tells me to make a cup of coffee and sit down and put my feet up. It's simply amazing.

Things have changed so much in the past month, and watching Preston grow and change every day has been the greatest miracle. Being at home with him all day and caring for him all night has its emotional ups and downs, but I can't imagine a better place to be in the world right now than exactly where I am.

To many more months and years with my two special guys.

One Month!

3 weeks!

Preston turned 3 weeks old this weekend. I can't believe how quick the time goes by! He is cooing, lifting his head, and loves his activity mat. He's becoming more alert and awake every day and is simply a joy to be around. His hair has stayed blonde and his eyelashes are so blonde you can hardly see them. His eyes are still dark blue and although he is still in his newborn clothes, seems to be putting on some weight.

He is sleeping well, waking up one or two times a night to eat and for a diaper change and then right back to sleep. He is eating well and we are starting to tone down the amount of formula we are supplementing. Preston loves to go out for walks or for running errands and has had dinner out with mom and dad twice so far. I could simply stare at this little man for hours.

In my world, I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Nothing like losing 33 lbs in 3 weeks. I've gotten back in the gym slowly and I am feeling great. Preston goes in his car seat and joins me at the gym next to my treadmill. Amazing how fast the miles go by when you are staring at your son in the mirror.

Smile!

There are simply no words: