First Play Date

Well, I've been looking into these mom groups on this group meeting site. I got to meet several other new mom's and swap stories. It was great. All of the babies were young like DJ. They were all relatively mellow and easy to deal with. It was nice to be around other parents. Even anti-social B liked it. The people were really nice, easy going and unassuming. It was a great experience. Poor DJ missed his nap for that period, but he hung in there like a trooper and almost forgot about meal time. Crazy. He seemed to like having the people around, being outdoors (we met at a local park and having lots of stuff to look at. It was a good time all around.

Milestone Activities: fists and looks

Well, just in the last few days I've notice something that I thought was pretty amazing. Now, DJ had been able to put his hands in his mouth pretty well when swaddled, but that's like putting your hands in your mouth in the womb - it's easy when you're movements are restricted. His arms weren't escaping the swaddle sack so they were confined to an area right around his face. I think this may have given him incentive enough to try to do it on his own though. One day on the changing table B asked DJ if his hands tasted good. Low and behold, the baby was munching on his fists. I didn't think much of it at the time because it was a middle of the night changing, and I am pretty sure I was half asleep at the time (I still dose off during middle of the night feedings sometimes).

Now I've noticed he's pretty good at it, particularly during diaper changes. He seems to either bring both hands up simultaneously or uses one hand (the right) to move the other up there, because one is usually on the bottom. I'll have to make a better note of that to really be sure.

He is also able to follow me around the room now. His eyes and head will watch me where ever I go. If we are on our morning walk, I'll move to walk next to the stroller and he will keep staring at me. I tried to move so he could see the scenery but apparently he wasn't interested. He is also following the movement of the mobile hanging on his crib. I haven't watched to see if he's following a particular animal. I'll have to watch for that too.

Scheduling Update: Night Time Sleep Patterns

Well, that went well. First, I dropped the 2 am feeding. DJ seemed to prefer that. He'd wake up around 4:45 (and when I say around I mean pretty darn close to) instead. This usually prevents the 6-7am wake up. That way he perks up for the morning about quarter after seven or 7:30 am. Which is a good time for me. I like that a lot. Plus, if I go to bed by 9, I am only up at midnight and again at around 5 so... I'm getting 4 hrs of sleep at a time sometimes. Wooo hoo! I'd say he's well on his way to sleeping through the night. Lucky me!

If I can keep the last feeding before bed time to 7 or 8pm, then he will usually get up again at 1-2am and again just before 5. That works fine for me. I'm still tired during the feedings though. We got a new clock radio for the baby's room because the CD player on the old one was DYING and he really needs his white noise. I think it's not just comforting but it covers and crazy activity that might be going on outside of his room (walking up and down the stairs, B's electric tooth brush, snoring in the next room, etc.). At first I would play classical music during the feedings. That doesn't work so well for me. I can't do a good job of keeping him awake if I pass out so we are now blasting the classic rock station instead. Good times. I'm also reading him the Dark Tower series and burning through it like MAD. That helps keep me awake as well.

A little personal note: weight loss

Well, I've been feeling a little bummed out about my body. Things definitely have not come back into their previous place. I'm starting to feel pretty grody about the way I look. B doesn't seem to mind though. He's been a trooper. I guess he's more realistic about how things should be going than I am. I miss my skinny body seriously now. I have no clothes and I feel like a cow. So I've recommitted to my weight loss redjamin and have rejoined the group. It feels good to be back on track. The amount of food I'm supposed to eat as a nursing mother is astounding, which is good because I'm SERIOUSLY hungry most of the time. Having a target and a plan makes me feel much more secure about things. I haven't lost any weight yet, but they said I would fluctuate wildly. I feel better mentally though. I feel like I'm back on track and eventually I'll look like my formerly hot self. That's exciting.

First Shots

Today DJ got his first shots. I was shocked that they whipped out five needles to stick him with. One I think he would have recovered from quickly and on his own. He was starting to when the nurse stuck him with the second shot. Oh well. I managed to schedule it so that I was nursing him just before the shots and topped him off right after. And once we calmed the fussiness down and put him in the infant carrier, he sucked on the pacifier for a minute and then slowly drifted off to sleep. He's been sound a sleep for over an hour now. Out cold, as it were. Poor thing. I'd be miserable to. I was miserable just watching it. I hate to see him cry. I'm such a softie. I'm going to end up with spoiled rotten kids.

Speaking of pacifiers, I can't tell you how many people stop and comment on the one I got for him. It's the Gerber NaturalFlex which is supposed to mimic a mom's nipple in the mouth by expanding when sucked on. The interesting part is that it doesn't really have a backing. It's open so you can see through it to the baby's mouth while he's sucking on it. People just LOVE the way that looks. It is pretty cool.

Anyway, DJ is in the 50th percentile for height and weight, thought a little below average for head size. Not that I was minding that when he was born! Ha! I thought he was extra long, but apparently not. Otherwise he's in perfect health. I'm also glad to be back with my original GP. I'd have loved the doctor who leads the team as well but she's brilliant too. She just puts you at ease with her confidence and knowledge. She's super fun as well. She said he was just perfect.

Update on Scheduling: Removing a Feeding

Well, scheduling has been going well. DJ is following along brilliantly. I've got him on the 3 hr routine and we only stray because I'm running late or I'm adjusting for the purpose of putting in an activity like grocery shopping or pedicures. Hooray for pedicures! He's been tough to wake up for the 2-3 am feeding though. Hell, he's tough to rouse ALL night. He's like Braden - it takes an act of the gods to put him to sleep, and another to wake him up once he's fast asleep. It's kind of troublesome.

So mom suggested that I remove one of the feedings at night and see when he wakes up. Here's the plan: I'll feed him around 11pm or midnight and then I'll put him to bed. I won't wake him up until 5 am at the latest. Then we'll see when he wakes up and how he does.

Misadventures in Diaper Changes

When someone warned me that this might happen, I didn't really pay much attention. I mean, DJ has successfully peed on me, B, the changing table, the people in the delivery room, the floor and other stuff I'm sure. Probably peed in the bath by now. Plus he projectile pooed all over my hand and it shot all over the changing table at some ungodly hour of the post dawn early morning. I had to scream for back up being covered in poo. And now this.

We're trying some new diapers. They were hand me downs and barely fit at this point. I thought they were sized like pampers, but they are sized like huggies instead. Oops. So the 1-2 is the first baby size, not the last. Oops. He doesn't like them. I don't either, they don't seem as absorbent. So I have to change more frequently. This is good and bad because it means I will go through the lot of suck diapers faster but have to deal with suck diapers in the first place.

Anyway, I am changing his diaper and trying to wipe some extra sticky stringers off of hus butt, when he pees. This in and of itself is not the new thing. It's that he pees on his own head on account of me holding up his butt. Bummer. All over his face, in his eyes. It's bad. Worse, it seems like he got some in his mouth too, because he's mouthing like he's tasting something. And this after trying to drink the bath water this morning. Bogus.

B says I need to get used to having a boy and the crazy experimentation they tend to do. He doesn't remember any of his, and is thankful for it. Great.