Or not-pooping and not-swaddling milestones, more appropriately.
Cayden went with no poops for the past three days, and this morning he had the biggest blowout to date. He had been pooping at just about every feeding or diaper change, so this is a big drop-off. Quite normal for breastfed babies to see a dramatic decrease in poops anywhere from six weeks to three months of age. His little gut is just maturing, and the milk no longer irritates his insides. So it just hangs out for a few days.
He did blow out before we went to group this morning, so his weight gain wasn't as dramatic as it has been. He gained six ounces in the last week. I wonder what that diaper weighed. :)
And last night he slept unswaddled for the first time. Very peacefully, and in fact I wonder if he slept better than he had been sleeping in the swaddle. Came upon this milestone completely by accident, as Cayden spit up on his swaddle last night after Dad gave him a bottle, and Dad didn't know where the other clean one was. (I was sleeping) So Dad put him in the crib unswaddled, and Cayden was asleep almost immediately and kept his little chicken wings up by his head. Each of the two times I got up to feed him, he fell asleep within a half-hour of waking in the same position, unswaddled, in his crib.
Cayden is eight weeks old today.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Our blessed boy
Well, baptism went far better than we expected!
The night before was a little tough since Cayden decided he just didn't want to sleep from 12:30 until about 2 a.m., but if a rough night was the trade-off for an angel baby today, we'll take it.
Brian and I both got moving around 8 a.m., and somehow we both got gussied up and prepared Cayden in two hours. Brian shaved, I straightened my hair for the first time in two months and Cayden ate a couple of times before getting putting on his Sunday best. Unbelievably, we left right at 10 a.m., our target time to get out of the house!
And the dear, dear boy slept the whole way through the church service, except for a few grunts when Pastor Wetzel passed the water over his head. Apparently he tooted while in Pastor Wetzel's arms, though. Mama and Dad got a little emotional during the walk of blessing, but baby slept the whole time. A quick dipey change and small bottle during the last hymn, and we were off to brunch with family and friends.
Where Cayden continued to sleep! In fact, he only had one diaper change and two small bottles (he didn't finish four ounces either time) between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Lots of cameras were out, so everyone who got good shots during church and the brunch needs to upload them to Cayden's Corner! Here are a couple of shots of our handsome blessed boy.
Thanks again, Max (and Jess & Dave), for letting our little guy borrow your suit. It couldn't have been more perfect.
Without the jacket, as he was for the church service:
And with, just for some photos:
And a shot with Max, who wore the same suit two years ago this October for his own baptism.
The night before was a little tough since Cayden decided he just didn't want to sleep from 12:30 until about 2 a.m., but if a rough night was the trade-off for an angel baby today, we'll take it.
Brian and I both got moving around 8 a.m., and somehow we both got gussied up and prepared Cayden in two hours. Brian shaved, I straightened my hair for the first time in two months and Cayden ate a couple of times before getting putting on his Sunday best. Unbelievably, we left right at 10 a.m., our target time to get out of the house!
And the dear, dear boy slept the whole way through the church service, except for a few grunts when Pastor Wetzel passed the water over his head. Apparently he tooted while in Pastor Wetzel's arms, though. Mama and Dad got a little emotional during the walk of blessing, but baby slept the whole time. A quick dipey change and small bottle during the last hymn, and we were off to brunch with family and friends.
Where Cayden continued to sleep! In fact, he only had one diaper change and two small bottles (he didn't finish four ounces either time) between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Lots of cameras were out, so everyone who got good shots during church and the brunch needs to upload them to Cayden's Corner! Here are a couple of shots of our handsome blessed boy.
Thanks again, Max (and Jess & Dave), for letting our little guy borrow your suit. It couldn't have been more perfect.
Without the jacket, as he was for the church service:
And with, just for some photos:
And a shot with Max, who wore the same suit two years ago this October for his own baptism.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thumb-sucking
Shorty is trying desperately to suck his thumb, and he's almost got it. A couple of times today he got it lodged in his mouth, but he doesn't have complete control of his arms, yet, so it popped out each time.
And if I thought thumb-sucking would have soothed me at all this afternoon, I would have tried it.
It was another rough afternoon.
When Brian took Cayden out for a drive to try to put him to sleep, I decided to mow the lawn, to get some fresh air, exercise and "me time" with my thoughts.
Ten minutes in, I ran over a bee's nest with the mower and a swarm of bees attacked me. Less than an hour after I had stopped wimpering about the baby, I was nearly inconsolable with at least three bee stings to my face and neck.
No joke. Talk about adding insult to injury. Like I said, another rough afternoon.
But I've had a big glass of wine, and Chicken Wing FINALLY went to sleep in his crib about an hour ago.
So we're hoping for a better night...
And if I thought thumb-sucking would have soothed me at all this afternoon, I would have tried it.
It was another rough afternoon.
When Brian took Cayden out for a drive to try to put him to sleep, I decided to mow the lawn, to get some fresh air, exercise and "me time" with my thoughts.
Ten minutes in, I ran over a bee's nest with the mower and a swarm of bees attacked me. Less than an hour after I had stopped wimpering about the baby, I was nearly inconsolable with at least three bee stings to my face and neck.
No joke. Talk about adding insult to injury. Like I said, another rough afternoon.
But I've had a big glass of wine, and Chicken Wing FINALLY went to sleep in his crib about an hour ago.
So we're hoping for a better night...
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Trying not to get too excited
But for the past couple of days, Cayden has not been so reluctant to take naps, and he even SLEPT IN HIS CRIB AND PACK'N'PLAY WITHOUT ISSUE!!
Tuesday night (seven weeks old) I started a nighttime routine around 9 p.m.: warm, calming bath, followed by a new dipey in the dimmed nursery, where soothing celtic meditation music played. Then I nursed him silently (other than the music -- kind of like spa music with an Irish influence) in the glider, swaddled him, swayed him in my arms a bit, then put him down on his back in the Snuggle Nest in the crib around 10 p.m. He was quiet alert for about 10 minutes (Brian came in and told me there was no way he'd fall asleep, and he was sure my crib attempt would be a big fat fail), and then he fell asleep on his own! Slept for about an hour and a half before he woke up to eat.
Last night I returned to bed (I had been on the air mattress in the nursery for the past couple of nights -- really, I'm trying EVERYTHING), and we put him in the Snuggle Nest in the Pack'N'Play at the foot of our bed. He slept in there from 10:45 to 12:30, 1 a.m. to 3:30 and 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. And he went right back to sleep after each nursing -- keeping me vertical only 1/2 hour each time! At 6 a.m. I did bring him back to bed with me to snuggle. But now we have a bedrail on my side so there's no risk of him falling out (thanks, Jenny!)
And so far today, Chicken Wing went down for a mid-morning nap of more than two hours! I tried to put him in his swing this afternoon, but he started wailing after about 7 minutes, so now he's sleeping in his sling, strapped to my frontside.
We're thinking a number of factors are at play here, especially with the nighttime sleeping and the fact that he'll suddenly sleep somewhere other than in our arms: he's getting over his cold, the music seems to be REALLY calming for him, we're getting back to religious use of the swaddle, we're paying attention to limit stimulation at nighttime (dim lights, little talking, etc.) and he's been napping a little better during the day (you know, since sleep begets sleep for babies).
I realize this could all be an anomaly, but the past couple of days have given us hope that maybe he's turning a corner! We can identify some semblance of a routine! What a great birthday gift for Dad, however short-lived it may be.
Speaking of which, here's a pic of Cayden and Daddy, on Daddy's 31st birthday.
And here's a pic of fish lips, just before we put him to bed last night (this is drunk baby, after he ate).
Tuesday night (seven weeks old) I started a nighttime routine around 9 p.m.: warm, calming bath, followed by a new dipey in the dimmed nursery, where soothing celtic meditation music played. Then I nursed him silently (other than the music -- kind of like spa music with an Irish influence) in the glider, swaddled him, swayed him in my arms a bit, then put him down on his back in the Snuggle Nest in the crib around 10 p.m. He was quiet alert for about 10 minutes (Brian came in and told me there was no way he'd fall asleep, and he was sure my crib attempt would be a big fat fail), and then he fell asleep on his own! Slept for about an hour and a half before he woke up to eat.
Last night I returned to bed (I had been on the air mattress in the nursery for the past couple of nights -- really, I'm trying EVERYTHING), and we put him in the Snuggle Nest in the Pack'N'Play at the foot of our bed. He slept in there from 10:45 to 12:30, 1 a.m. to 3:30 and 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. And he went right back to sleep after each nursing -- keeping me vertical only 1/2 hour each time! At 6 a.m. I did bring him back to bed with me to snuggle. But now we have a bedrail on my side so there's no risk of him falling out (thanks, Jenny!)
And so far today, Chicken Wing went down for a mid-morning nap of more than two hours! I tried to put him in his swing this afternoon, but he started wailing after about 7 minutes, so now he's sleeping in his sling, strapped to my frontside.
We're thinking a number of factors are at play here, especially with the nighttime sleeping and the fact that he'll suddenly sleep somewhere other than in our arms: he's getting over his cold, the music seems to be REALLY calming for him, we're getting back to religious use of the swaddle, we're paying attention to limit stimulation at nighttime (dim lights, little talking, etc.) and he's been napping a little better during the day (you know, since sleep begets sleep for babies).
I realize this could all be an anomaly, but the past couple of days have given us hope that maybe he's turning a corner! We can identify some semblance of a routine! What a great birthday gift for Dad, however short-lived it may be.
Speaking of which, here's a pic of Cayden and Daddy, on Daddy's 31st birthday.
And here's a pic of fish lips, just before we put him to bed last night (this is drunk baby, after he ate).
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The baby that delayed my epidural.
(Oh, and we're still growing)
I met him today: Carson, and his mom is Sarah.
She's in my BF group, and I had overheard her talking about her emergency c-section a few weeks ago. I confirmed today that her baby's birthday is the same as Cayden's, and I asked her what time Carson was born. She said 2:50 p.m. (after her water broke 18 hours earlier at Ruby Tuesday), but then there were complications because she regained feeling before the procedure was done. So general anesthesia was required, and the anesthesiologists were in with her for quite a while after Carson's birth.
We arrived at the hospital at about 3:20 p.m., and I think I asked for the epidural somewhere around 4 p.m. I was told the anesthesiologists were tied up in an emergency c-section, but that they'd be in as soon as they were done.
So Sarah and Carson delayed my epidural. We laughed about the coincidence and meeting each other, and she's a really nice girl, from the few minutes I spent chatting with her. And Carson is experiencing all the same sleeping challenges as Cayden: infrequent (if ever) naps, late-day fussiness and preference to be held while sleeping.
Carson was also born with a full head of hair, but it all fell out, and he's left with peach fuzz right now. Sarah wanted to know how I kept Cayden's hair, and I told her I have no idea.
It was funny to sit next to the two of them, however, because Carson -- a little less than six hours older than Cayden, was probably about five pounds smaller. It's amazing to compare this chunk to other babies his age and older. FYI, he weighed in today at 14 pounds, 5 ounces, exactly one pound more than a week ago. That means he's still gaining more than 2 ounces a day, double to quadruple the average growth rate. Oh, and there was a 9-month old baby at today's group -- standing and walking and looking very much like a normal 9-month old -- who weighed 17 pounds. Three pounds more than my seven-week-old. I can't even imagine what this kid will weigh more than seven months from now.
I can't wait to hear what Dr. Baker has to say in two weeks, at Chicken Wing's 2-month appointment.
I think my boobs make super-milk. :)
She's in my BF group, and I had overheard her talking about her emergency c-section a few weeks ago. I confirmed today that her baby's birthday is the same as Cayden's, and I asked her what time Carson was born. She said 2:50 p.m. (after her water broke 18 hours earlier at Ruby Tuesday), but then there were complications because she regained feeling before the procedure was done. So general anesthesia was required, and the anesthesiologists were in with her for quite a while after Carson's birth.
We arrived at the hospital at about 3:20 p.m., and I think I asked for the epidural somewhere around 4 p.m. I was told the anesthesiologists were tied up in an emergency c-section, but that they'd be in as soon as they were done.
So Sarah and Carson delayed my epidural. We laughed about the coincidence and meeting each other, and she's a really nice girl, from the few minutes I spent chatting with her. And Carson is experiencing all the same sleeping challenges as Cayden: infrequent (if ever) naps, late-day fussiness and preference to be held while sleeping.
Carson was also born with a full head of hair, but it all fell out, and he's left with peach fuzz right now. Sarah wanted to know how I kept Cayden's hair, and I told her I have no idea.
It was funny to sit next to the two of them, however, because Carson -- a little less than six hours older than Cayden, was probably about five pounds smaller. It's amazing to compare this chunk to other babies his age and older. FYI, he weighed in today at 14 pounds, 5 ounces, exactly one pound more than a week ago. That means he's still gaining more than 2 ounces a day, double to quadruple the average growth rate. Oh, and there was a 9-month old baby at today's group -- standing and walking and looking very much like a normal 9-month old -- who weighed 17 pounds. Three pounds more than my seven-week-old. I can't even imagine what this kid will weigh more than seven months from now.
I can't wait to hear what Dr. Baker has to say in two weeks, at Chicken Wing's 2-month appointment.
I think my boobs make super-milk. :)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Not his baptism outfit
This one didn't make the cut. Dad thinks it's too dark for his baptism, but it sure made for a cute pic when we tried it on him.
But wait 'til you see what he will wear next Sunday. Really, it may be the cutest thing you will ever, ever see. Thanks to Max for lending his baptism outfit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)