Grant- One Month Old

I can't believe my sweet baby boy is already a month old!  At least I was forewarned with Norah Kate how quickly time goes by when they are babies.  I was telling a friend of mine how it is so sad that it goes by so fast, even though you are looking forward to more sleep at night, a healed body, a more rested mind, and a glimmer of a routine, the first few weeks are SO precious and the babies change drastically through that first month!



Coming home from the hospital (1 day old)

Grant is a great baby!  Really, I mean, if I knew it was gonna be this easy the second go around I wouldn't have been so nervous.  Of course, there is very little sleep and a lot of eating going on around my house, there is no sign of a routine even in sight, and we have our moments of exhaustion, frustration, and desperation, but overall it has been much easier (for me anyways) this time.

I had a terrible time with my hormones after Norah Kate, I mean, those baby blues made me slap crazy, so I terrified this time that they would come back or be worse.  I honestly don't think I have even had a touch of them.  I have only had a few moments of tearfulness or moodiness.  It was actually weird/scary how GOOD I felt after I had him.  I was so happy and had energy and my body felt great (my body appreciated 7lbs of baby SO MUCH BETTER than almost 9lbs of baby with NK, I have healed faster/easier.  Heck, I was cleaning house when he was days old, walking when he was a week old and went for my first "run" at 2 weeks).  I felt so much contentment and love towards my babies.  I kept waiting for those "blues" to hit, but fortunately they never did!!

Now, don't let me paint this beautiful picture of motherhood with an infant and a 2 year old.  I have struggled keeping up with both of them because a lot of time Norah Kate gets a little jealous (she is still a baby after all, and for those that know about mine and her relationship she is very close to her mommy).  I try to spend time with her when he is napping or content, but usually she don't want anything to do with me until he is crying or hungry or needing something. I get overwhelmed sometimes when they both need me at the same time.  And bedtime around this household... holy cow... I just hang on tight and pray fervently until they are both asleep.  A lot of times I am wishing I had a nerve pill and a glass of wine to help me through those crazy hours.

I told my mama the other day that bedtime around here feels like a marathon.  That I usually want to quit, but I can't, I have to keep going and that I am trying to beat my "time" from the night before.  Or at least try to get it to go "smoother."  Ha!  I am hoping that with time we get more of a routine down. 

Also, it hasn't helped matters that for the last two to three weeks my husband has been transplanting tobacco, so bless him, he has left the house around 6:30 and not been home until well after bedtime (9:30-10).  Which means I have been manning this ship all by my lonesome.  He has been home this week and it has been WONDERFUL!!  I don't see how single mamas do it.  I dread the summer months when he gets real busy again.

Back to Big Boy Grant.

Eating:

He is eating wonderfully!  He treats his mama like an all day, all you can eat buffet.  His eating habits are still unpredictable.  Sometimes he will go 3 hours without eating, then he will nurse every hour for 3 hours off and on, basically though he eats around 10-12 times a day.  I just nurse on demand regardless of if it has been 30 minutes or 2 hours... just when he wakes up and acts hungry.  I am not complaining though because I haven't gone through any latch issues, rejecting issues, etc like I did with Norah Kate.  No sir, he nurses like a champ.  You can tell it too in his clothes.  Some of his newborn stuff is too tight and we outgrew newborn diapers when he was a little over 2 weeks old.  He can wear a few of his 0-3 month clothes but they are long.

It's funny because I bought nipple shields, manual pumps, bottles, etc in case I had all the issues I did with NK, but haven't needed any of that!  I have used the pump though, only to relieve some engorgement, and I just introduced a bottle last week.  He takes a bottle good (3 oz, but I can't tell if it satisfies him or not because I usually end up nursing him again within an hour).  So far he takes a NUK, Avent, and Medela bottles/nipples without any trouble.  He is not a big fan of a paci right now either.  He gags and spits it out.  Poor thing has a very sensitive gag reflex.

Grant lost down to 6lbs 11oz right before we left the hospital that Friday, but he had gained back to birth weight (7lbs 1oz) by Monday when I had to take him for a weight and bilirubin check.  He was slightly jaundiced, but nothing requiring a hospital readmission.  We had to go back to the doctor for another weight check and check up the following Monday and he weight 7lbs 13 oz.  They told me then that one of his lab results came back abnormal from his PKU/metabolic screen so we had to have more blood drawn but everything came back perfectly normal after that :)

At our 1st doctors visit (4 days old)

I have weighed him at home and he weighs about 9.5 lbs according to my scales... We don't go back to the doctor until May 2nd so I am curious to see how much he has gained.

Sleep:
Sleep?  What's that?  Routine?  What?!
Right now, its sleep when we can, where we can, for as long as we can.  Ha!

Usually I start winding the household down at around 5:30-6 with supper for NK and a bath for Grant.  Grant usually nurses and then FIGHTS sleep.  I mean, that boy, he will fall asleep for about 10 minutes and just when I lay him down he starts fussing.  Usually its about 9-9:30 before we are all asleep for a good stretch.  I haven't really even tried to establish a routine until the last week or so because we were all just figuring things out. (Which of course that first week, before he became alert, was a piece of cake because I could just nurse him and put him down wherever and he would sleep... now that he is more alert it's a little more difficult) It would probably run a little smoother if I could rock him longer or if it were more quiet, but with a 2 year old running around who needs to eat, get a bath, and trying to settle herself down as well, it just ain't happening.

Sleeping in the cradle/rocker

Also, he doesn't like sleeping flat.  When I had him in the basinet flat he was up almost every hour at night. Whew, talk about exhausting.  So I borrowed the SnugAMonkey cradle rocker thing from my sister in law and that is where we start out the night.  Then we sleep in the recliner for a little bit because I fall asleep while nursing him, then we move to the swing or couch in the living room.  Crazy right?  It will get better.

He has just starting giving me 3-4 hour stretches some nights though, then we will have some nights were we are up every 2 hours.  This too will get better.  I know he will sleep through the night eventually :)  For now, I will be grateful for those 3-4 hours of sleep I get at a time!

(I think that's why it might be easier the second time- because you are prepared, you know that the sleepless nights will end, that tomorrow is a new day, that this time passes quickly, that it is okay to answer the door for your neighbor in your pjs at 2pm, it is all ok.  This is normal, for now.)

Personality
He has started to act like he notices me when I pick him up or walk in front of him.  His expression changes and I have just started getting a slight smile from him.

He isn't too crazy about tummy time, but we are working on it.

He will just sit and stare at NK when I have him on the floor.  She entertains him and I know he will enjoy watching her even more as he grows.

Grant is developing a temper.  He don't cry much, but when he does he will get sweated down and almost turn purple from holding his breath while crying.  He might just be a spit fire like his sister.

Things he likes
The swing
Being worn in the Baby K'tan baby carrier (I have started "wearing" him so that maybe he will like being in the carrier more than NK, it sure will make housework/cooking/taking care of NK easier.  So far he likes it)
Laying on mommy's chest (and I love letting him snuggle there!)
Nursie (Matt's name he gave feeding/eating time when I had NK)
Riding in the car
Sleeping with mommy (while I do not agree with letting them sleep in the bed with you while they are super little, there have been several instances where I have fallen asleep nursing him in the bed or on the couch and he sleep SO good while he is next to me... so I can see where it is tempting just to let them sleep in the bed with you.  It scares me though, because I know its not safe.)

Things he doesn't like
Not being held or rocked to sleep (spoiled already)
Goings to sleep at night time
a pacifier (although Norah Kate swears he should have one.  I have caught her shoving/forcing it in his mouth more than once!)
cold wipes (poor baby will almost crawl out of his skin!)

Grant,
Mama loves you so much and you have already brought so much joy to our life.  You are such a blessing to us and I can't wait to watch you grow.  I know this time will go by way too fast and am trying to cherish every moment!  You are such a good baby and thank you for being patient with me while I juggle you and your sister.  You are a sweet boy and a precious addition to our family!

Love,
Mama

Yes, that is both of my babies in our bed.

Wee morning hour snuggles.

His favorite spot!