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Monday, January 21, 2013

2 month updates.

Since my time for blogging at the moment is seriously lacking, this might end up being a few posts wrapped into one (when I normally would have done them separately). 

Ty is 2 months old today.  The time has flown and yet dragged in parts as well.  Life the past 3 weeks has been drastically different with him and for that, I am thankful.  I wasn't sure how much longer I could go feeling less than human with all the crying despite having him attached to me 24/7.  He is now smiling and cooing and spending some time discovering on his own.  At this very moment he's sitting in his vibrating seat watching big sister and he's content to do that.  He never would have done that a month ago.   You know what's funny?  I find myself almost feeling guilty at times for putting him down (and trust me, I still hold him much more than I did with Delia).  Oh, the irony.  He is still a healthy eater and at a doctor appointment 2 weeks ago he was already 11 lbs.  Tomorrow we will go in for his 2 month well (and the dreaded vaccinations) so I'm anxious to see what he's up to.  He feels solid to me.  He has been sleeping pretty great for a newborn lately.  I have been getting one good 5-7 hour stretch from him before he wakes to eat and then he goes back down for another 2.5-3 hours.  Sometimes those last hours are spent in bed with us but I don't mind the cuddling (just not all night!  We don't want to be full time co-sleepers).  Delia wasn't a cuddler. 

Mom (me) started up weight watchers again just about 2 weeks ago.  I had the last 10-15 lbs to lose yet and unfortunately breastfeeding took all it was going to.  It was almost the same exact scenario with Delia so I was expecting it.  After the first week I was down (yay!) and this Wednesday will be my next weigh in.  I'd really like to start exercising as well but I need to find the time.  In the morning before the kids are up for the day is ideal but with Ty sleeping better, Delia has digressed so I'm still tired and staying in bed as long as the kids allow.  Slowly I'll get there. 

I've also started to log more hours at work (from home) and need to continue to increase that time.  It's a challenge some days trying to get both kids napping at the same time however having the opportunity to do so is what I've always wanted so I'm trying not to complain.  I know how difficult it would have been to leave the kids and go back to working a full time job away from them.  Not to mention the added stress of pumping while away.  I always hated that.  So some days are crazier than others and most times the house is in disarray, but this time won't last.  I have to keep reminding myself of that. 

There were a few other things I wanted to touch on but little man is starting to fuss and I need to add pictures so it will have to wait.

Two months:
Sporting some cloth (still part time since he doesn't fit in all the ones we have yet):
With our good friends Kaiti and Cece.  Cece was born just two days after Ty.  
And this is how I sometimes get work done.  Fussy baby likes to be close to mom.

Friday, January 4, 2013

the happiest baby?

Yesterday was the 6 week mark and to be frankly honest, they have been a very hard 6 weeks.  The excitement of the holidays helped keep eafloat despite my lowered expectations.  (Side note:  I'm one of those people who has very high expectations of special occasions and I find myself either disappointed or falling into a slight depression when things are over or don't go my way).  So Christmas came and went and we are now in the new year of 2013.  The good news is that Ty's nights have finally improved.  He's been sleeping for some longer stretches, allowing momma to sleep too, and I've had the comfort of being in my own bed instead of on the couch.  I've also had a couple nights in there where my mom or sister has helped by giving him a bottle of breastmilk for one nighttime feeding and letting me sleep through it.  It's amazing how refreshed even 5 consecutive hours of sleep can make a person feel.  On the down side, it seemed that while his nights improved his days got worse.  He would cry and fuss all day long unless I was holding him and often times while I was holding him I couldn't calm him down.  On Christmas day he was showing obvious signs of reflux and cried for 4-5 hours off and on.  That combined with toddler tantrums made for a Christmas I will surely remember.  So the very next day I took him to the pediatrician to discuss it.  We left with a prescription for zantac.  I kept waiting for some wonderful change to occur that I didn't see happening and I was starting to lose my mind.  My poor baby would just cry and I didn't know how to stop it.  Meanwhile I've been reading The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp which discusses theories behind what causes colic in young babies and how to calm them.  And just when I was about to give up, something clicked with little Ty and me.  Like the fact that it's almost 11 am and he's calmly sleeping IN HIS CRIB.  If you are struggling with a colicky babe I strongly recommend you read this book or watch the DVD.  I'm so glad it was recommended to me.  The swaddling takes practice and I am still working on it, but it's been like magic.  If he's really worked up I may not be able to put him down but he'll at least stop crying while I'm holding him.

Here's an idea of how this has worked on two separate occasions...





And now he's woken up from his little nap and is probably hungry so I must go.  I see happier, calmer days in our future though.  :)