Feeling Funky

My rut is turning into a serious funk. Gosh, I'm getting sick of doing nothing but sit on the couch and watch daytime TV while I nurse. Seriously, that's all I do. That, and eat cookies (and cake, and chips, and pretty much anything else I can find) all day. No wonder its so hard for new moms to loose the weight.

Yesterday, I was so excited because I had big plans to take Little Man to the mall. Some of my MESA students were sitting at a table for "MESA-Rama" and I thought I might find some pants, too. I hung out with the MESA crowd for about an hour, chatting and showing off my baby, then went to hit the stores. Little Man started screaming in the first store we went into. I tried everything: the binky, walking quickly with the stroller, loosening the straps in the car seat. The only thing that worked was to take him out of the car seat and hold him. It's nearly impossible to shop, hold a baby, and push a stroller around, though. I ended up heading back to the car after about half an hour of fighting with him. My shopping trip was a total bust. I'm getting desperate to find pants at this point. I've been wearing the same two pairs of sweats for 3 1/2 weeks now, because nothing else fits. When we got home, I thought I'd take a nap. James fed Little Man a bottle and put him down for a nap, but as soon as he left for the library, the baby started crying. So my nap was a bust, too. It was not a good day.

A peaceful moment:

Today has been better. We almost made it through the whole three hours of church. We were about 15 minutes late, and left about 15 minutes early. Not bad. Little Man was a champ through most of it. He did start crying (loudly) while the sacrament was being passed. Nobody else probably noticed, but when its your kid, its so embarrassing! I got him out of his seat and cuddled with him to calm him down, and then he let an explosive fart/poop that I'm sure everyone around us heard. I was embarrassed all over again, but trying not to laugh at the same time. Gotta love it.

Little Man also had a growth spurt this week (I think). Everyone said he'd want to eat all day, but, instead, he slept for almost two days straight. He'd wake up to eat, then he'd be right back to sleep for hours. I was starting to get worried, but he snapped out of yesterday and was more like himself again. He sure is getting chubby! His little cheeks are really filling out and he's got some little rolls starting in this thighs. Too cute!

This isn't the best picture, but you can really see those chubba cheeks:

Chillin' like a big kid: (We're really hoping that left eye perks up soon!)

In a rut

The thing about getting in a groove is that it soon turns into a rut. I finally dragged Little Man to the grocery store for a gallon of milk today, just because we hadn't left the house in three days. I guess it was good to see the sun and get a little bit of fresh air.
In other news, the numbers from registration are in. Its good and bad news. Forty-one kids signed up for AP Chem. That's great news, because the class didn't even carry this year. I'm thrilled that there is such an interest. The bads news is that they're putting them all in one class section and my department head is giddy over the fact that its going to be a challenge, to say the least. Aren't department heads supposed to support their colleagues? Lucky for me, mine is totally nutty.
Little Man is doing quite well. I've figured out in the last couple of days that when he gets fussy, its usually because he's tired. I've gotten pretty good at picking up on his sleepy signs and I quickly swaddle him, pop the binky in his mouth, and lay him in his crib. I don't even have to rock him; he just goes to sleep. How did I get such a good baby? I'm a lucky lady.

In the groove

I haven't posted for a few days because there really hasn't been anything exciting to say. Here's what's been happening:

Saturday my family (sans Mom) came down to visit. My sister's cute girls got to meet Little Man for the first time. We hung out, ate hoagies (thanks, Nikki), watched a little NCAA basketball and oohed and ahhed over the baby.


Sunday Little Man went to church for the first time. We just went to Sacrament and he slept through the whole thing. Everyone thought he was such a cute baby! At one point, I caught one of the counselors in the bishopric looking at us and it reminded me of the first Sunday after James and I got engaged. When we got to Sacrament meeting that Sunday, the bishop of our ward saw me, pointed to his finger, and kinda winked at me. Having a similar thing happen this Sunday just reminded me of how far we've come since then and how blessed I am to have such a great husband and a perfect little family. I love my boys.
We also went to J and B's for dinner on Sunday night. We had a really good time. It was pretty much the first time we've taken the baby anywhere for an extended period of time. It was nice to get out and enjoy the company of family (and the food was great too!).

Yesterday (Monday) I hauled Little Man all over town to do some shopping. Nothing fun. The whole point of my trip was to get stuff for a lab for school, but I couldn't find coffee stirrers anywhere! (I eventually ended up snagging some from the 7-11 down the street.) We also had to pick up a sleeping wedge for Little Man. I'm hoping that it will help with his reflux. He was so good all day. He slept all day long while I carried him around in his car seat.

Today was a busy day, even though I barely left the house. I spent most of the day putting lessons together. I'm actually not sure what my students did today, because I didn't get the plans for the day to them in time. Oh, well. I also made dinner for the first time (we had Vermont Chicken Pie; it wasn't bad) in about a month. It was nice to sit down and enjoy a home cooked meal that wasn't hamburgers or sloppy joes. I love James, but meal planning is not one of his strong points. Here's a picture of Little Man after his bath tonight. We sure do have fun styling that crazy hair. This is his Beatles look.

Seperation Anxiety

I left Little Man with James for the first time today. I went grocery shopping. It was kinda nice to get out of the house I guess, but I had some serious anxiety about leaving my baby. I planned it so that I would be gone when he needed to eat so that James could give him a bottle. My midwife suggested that we give him his first bottle when I wasn't around. Apparently, everything went just fine. It must have, because he ate three ounces! James said he even burped really well. So the good news is that Little Man has no issues with taking a bottle; the bad news is that he needs me less and less everyday already. I just want him to stay little forever! He's so sweet and perfect right now. Why does he have to grow up??

Growing like a weed

Little Man had his two week appointment today. He weighs 6 lbs 12 1/2 oz and he's 20 1/2 inches. Can you believe he's grown over two inches since he was born??!! I thought those preemie jammies were getting a little snug...

The doctor also shared our feelings about the reflux. He said all babies have reflux, but not all babies need medical treatment for it. He gave us some things to watch for and told us to keep doing what we're doing. He's gaining weight and having lots of poopy diapers, so there's nothing to worry about for now. He said if it seems like it gets worse or like he's in pain, we'll start him on a prescription (something besides Prevacid). We were very comforted by what he had to say. He also said that we don't have to wake him up to feed him. That's makes me feel better, especially after a night like last night, when he sleeps for almost 6 hours straight. I enjoy my sleep so much that I won't get out of bed unless he's crying, but after about 5 hours I wake up and wonder if I should go get him or not. I don't have to feel like a bad mom now. Yea!

A quick update...

There's not a ton to report about the last few days. Little Man spent Sunday and Monday "blurping. " When he would eat, he would immediately throw up most of what we had just worked so hard to get down him. After the second time he did it on Sunday, I called the doctor in tears, worried about my poor baby. We took him in that night, and the doctor checked him for any blockages, etc. The doctor hypothesized that he has reflux. We ended up not getting the prescription for Prevacid filled, and I've just been trying to burp him better. He didn't throw up all day yesterday, and only once today. We go for his two week appointment tomorrow, so we'll see what his regular doctor says.

We gave Little Man a real bath tonight. He did so well! He fussed a little when he got him out, but Daddy gave him a little massage and he quieted right down. We put him in his jammies, wrapped him up in a blanket, and he drifted off to sleep. I love it when it's easy like that...

Hopefully, Mom and Dad's technique improves quickly... There's got to be an easier way to get this done. (These pictures are going to come in handy when he's a teenager! ;) )

Here are some more random pictures of Little Man doing cute things this week.

Taking a nap...

Here he is in a real outfit for the first time. He's got lots of room to grow!

We went out in public for the first time yesterday. (Mom needed some new clothes... I wasn't very successful. Shopping with a stroller is tricky.)

Survival

I got a great night sleep last night. Like, I think I slept for about 10 hours all together. I feel awesome. I also had an epiphany this morning. I've been reading all these books about how to take care of babies (because I really have absolutely no clue what I'm doing) and they all say something different. Plus, all the doctors and nurses each have a different opinion too. I've been really frustrated trying to be the perfect textbook mother. But I realized this morning that it doesn't matter what anyone else says. This is about survival at this point. I just have to figure out what works for us, and ignore everything else. So what if he only wants to nurse for 10 minutes on one side and be done? So what if he needs a little cuddling to go to sleep? So what if I'm just too tired to go get him at 5:30 in the morning and I nurse him while I continue to lie in bed? As long as we're both surviving, I think I'll do whatever it takes.

Also, because I'm feeling so much better today, I promised Little Man that I wouldn't ask if I could send him back today. Pinky swear.

Here's Little Man after his bath last night. Dad combed a part in his hair and I thought he looked so handsome. Like a little missionary! We sat and cuddled for about 15 minutes and he just stared up into my eyes. My heart just melted and I felt terrible for being such a mean, grumpy mom all day.


Here are some shots from our little mini photo shoot this morning.

Feeling Primal

I realize that my last post sounded rather upbeat and optimistic. Not that I'm not blissfully happy with being a mom, but I certainly don't want to give the impression that I'm not struggling. I was telling James last night that I've never been so interested in someone bodily functions. All I do is nurse, count poopy diapers, and plead for good burps. It all feels so primal. This is literally what animals do. We are getting on somewhat of a schedule, which is making life bearable. The last several nights, Little Man has only gotten me up once to eat, so I've been able to get about 7 hours of sleep a night. It's not 7 hours straight, but I'll take it. Like my friend M said, if you can get a couple of good long stretches of sleep, you start to feel less like a zombie with boobs. He's also been staying awake for a good 3-4 hour stretch every afternoon, too, which is also nice. I don't really know how to keep a baby entertained for that long, but he doesn't seem to notice. We're struggling just a little with breastfeeding, mostly because I've got enough milk for a small army of infants, but we went to visit with the nurse at the hospital. She showed us some tricks and we really are doing better. Not perfect, but better. But while we were there, she weighed Little Man. He's already gained 5 ounces! That means he's gained back what he lost the first few days, plus 5 extra ounces. We must not be doing too bad of a job.

Here are some pictures from this week:
Little Man lost his umbilical cord stump a few nights ago during his bath. He still has a little scab, but you can see what a cute belly button he's going to have.


























Yesterday when Little Man woke up from his morning nap, he didn't even bother to tell me! I came into the room and he was just lying there looking around, not making a sound. To try and keep him somewhat occupied while I picked up the house, he got to sit in his bouncer for the first time.








This is the silly boy during his afternoon nap.

Figuring this thing out

Wow, having a baby is a lot of work. Between the feedings, the burping, the diaper changes, the baths we're staying very busy. The most challenging part so far is keeping up with "regular life" between all of the baby stuff, and trying to sleep when I can too. I know I'm supposed to sleep when he sleeps, but I also have to eat, shower, see visitors, chat with James, etc. We're all starting to adjust, though. My boobs and the baby are starting to get on a similar schedule (hallelujah), and I'm finally feeling relaxed enough that I can actually sleep when I lay down. The first few days, I was so keyed up that I would just lay there for hours and then have to get up and do it all again. Even James commented this morning that I seem to be adjusting to motherhood rather well. He was worried that he was going to have to "do alot" (oh, brother). We made it until 6:30 this morning with out having to wake up Daddy, and then it was only to have him cuddle Little Man for a moment while Mom pumped for a minute so that he could latch on. We're getting into a little groove. It feels good. I thought it would take longer than this to adjust. It all just confirms that I was made for having babies. I had a great pregnancy, a great labor and delivery, I'm making lots of milk, and, most important, have a great looking baby. Yup, I was born for this.

Announcing...

He's here! Our sweet baby was finally born last Thursday night. He's 6 lbs 9 oz and 18 inches long. And he's perfect. Not only is he the cutest baby ever born, but he's also the sweetest. I think we got a good one.

I've got lots of stories to share about the last few days, but it looks like the little guy is just about to wake up, so it will have to be some other time. For now, here are some pictures. (See, he really is the cutest baby ever.)

Overdue: The Saga Continues

I am now three days overdue. As in, I should have had a baby a long time ago. I am not holding up very well. I'm getting pretty depressed about the whole situation. I spent a good chunk of my day yesterday curled up in a ball, sobbing my little eyes out. My feet, hands, and face are swollen, and I can't sit, stand, or lie down comfortably. I'm starting to hate this. I was so grateful yesterday when my good friend M called and offered to make us dinner. Not only did I not have to cook, but it got me out of the house. I felt much better afterward. When we got home, I was feeling pretty worried about my puffiness, especially because my blood pressure was elevated. I called the after hours number for the Dr and she called right back and said not to worry. She did want me to go in and get hooked up to the monitor just to make sure the baby is still doing ok. I went to bed, but I woke up just a few hours later with really intense stomach pains. I can't remember the last time I was this sick. It was way worse than morning sickness even. I decided to stay home from school today because of it. I eventually threw up my breakfast, took a nap, and now I'm feeling much better. I'm hoping that all of the discomforts I'm experiencing are a sign that something's going on. Please, please, please let there be something going on.