2 weeks of lessons learned

 

Look what sweet boy turned 2 weeks old on Monday!

 

On his 2 week birthday, Houston finally lost his umbilical cord stump {YAY for taking a real bath and NO screaming during bath time!} and at the amazement {and slight horror} of his mother, little guy rolled over to his stomach… is that unreal or what?!

Bad mommy forgot to take an official 1 week picture, but I’m hoping I can get my act together and continue to take them next to Peter Rabbit {from his “first” Easter basket} from here on out so we can compare his growth.

 

 

I’ve been very surprised at how good our adorable guy has been to us for the first 2 weeks of his life. If you added up the total time he cries in a day, it wouldn’t top 20 minutes! Momma’s been getting fairly decent sleep during the night since I moved him out of the bassinet and into the bed {never planned to co-sleep, but whatever works goes now!} He’s been making the best funny faces when he’s awake, mostly due to the work of making a dirty diaper, but the laugh out loud facial expressions are worth the innumerable diaper changes. He’s the sweetest, most precious baby that we could ask for and I know no one in this world will ever love him the way I do! {Sorry daddy – that even includes you!!}

 

His 2 weeks stats from the pediatrician:

Height: 20 3/4 in (75th percentile)

Weight: 7 lbs 12 oz  (25-50 percentile)

Head: 15 1/4 in (98 percentile)

It’s official in time for fall: we have our very own pumpkin head!!

 

Speaking of growth… I have such mixed emotions on the topic. While I look forward to each “next stage” and just how fun he’s going to be, I can’t stand to think of losing my itsy bitsy boy. Everyone means so well when they keep telling me to “soak it all in, they grow up so fast”, but I cringe every time I hear it. Stop reminding me he’s going to grow up and leave me – my mommy heart can’t take it!!!! =)

 

{First bath at home!}

 

After only 2 weeks of parenthood, we’ve learned a few things that have made our lives a little easier and that I would be remiss if I didn’t share them with you…

 

 

#1.) As soon as we assume – we’re wrong.

For example:

• Just because he’s been eating every 3 hours for the past 8 days, assume it will be 3 hours again and decide that’s enough time to get a certain something done and *poof*, he’ll be hungry again in an hour.

 

• Talk to people at church about how you’ve “fixed” the problem of him peeing through every diaper and *poof*, you will turn around to him screaming in his car seat and pick him up to realize his clothes are wet with pee.

 

• As mentioned before, leave him snoozing on the couch for one minute assuming he’ll stay put like always while you run into the kitchen and *poof*, he’ll roll over and you’ll thank God and his angels when you find that he at least didn’t roll off the couch.

 

 

#2.) If you need parenting advice, ask Facebook.

I just mentioned that we had changed his clothes 6 times in about 12 hours because our little dude was peeing through everything, {nerve racking when he screams through most clothing changes and they were constant through the night}, and the advice friends gave me surprised me. While I heard “make sure it’s pointed down” which I was already doing, I also heard to try a size up in diapers.

What?!

Going up a size to contain the pee? How does that even make sense? I would think it would be too loose and defeat the purpose… but my assumptions were wrong again. We moved him out of the newborn diapers {even though he’s yet to reach 8 pounds} and into size 1… works 90% of the time!

 

 

Hopefully when Wyatt gets here, he won’t have the same problem since I passed our newborn diapers onto Britney.

 

If Wyatt does end up in the same situation, I know that at least Brit’s first born will make good use out of them like she did on this day with “Poo-buh”…

 

Cutest girl in the whole world and best soon-to-be big sister too!!

 

 

Finally, my biggest learning curve:

#3) Breastfeeding {for me, personally} has been beyond difficult.

I share this hoping I don’t scare anyone away from making the decision to breastfeed, but for the first time ever, I am fishing for encouragement!!!

My tiniest lady parts feel like they’re about to shrivel up and fall off. The pain sometimes shoots through to my shoulder pains. The engorgement is beyond frustrating when I’m so full he can’t even latch on to help me out and we’re both left in tears.

I can handle the loneliness I sometimes feel as the sole feeder of the babe. I can handle the crazy scheduling difficulties of trying to plan outings and visits from friends around when the babe will need me. But the pain – it is near unbearable. I have good days and bad, but the bad feel like 2 tiny torches burning inside my bra.

UGH.

Comments people… commiserate if you can… tell me it will get better… or even tell me you finally made the decision to switch to formula so I can feel less alone if I decide to throw in the towel.

The only thing keeping me in the game now is his benefit. I’ve been a quitter so many times in my life, mostly only letting myself down. But now I’m in it for someone much more important than myself. While I use to encourage myself with the bonuses of thinking of how much money we can save by not buying formula or the calories I’m burning without having to workout =) those reasons no longer mean squat to me.

Hearing the pediatrician tell us he’s gained over an ounce a day for the past 2 weeks gave me the boost I needed. If he had told me otherwise, I probably would have picked up some formula on the way home today and said to heck with it all.

 

Only the health of this precious little guy is worth it to me now:

 

 

WOW!

Long post.

Can you tell Mimmie and Poppy {my parents} are here to visit and I finally found time to sit in front on this computer???

Just the break I needed!

Now if only one of them could lactate… =)