Well...after reading a friend from swim's class blog I decided I needed to be a better blogger if I want to use this for its original intentions of printing it out for keepsakes. So...that is resolution #1 for 2011. Now I need to get this blog up to date from the past 6 weeks of our lives and follow by keeping it up. Forgive me if some of this is a repeat:)
As I'm writing this there's an adorable baby boy sleeping in his crib in the room next to me (really i'm doing this at 11:50p.m. to see how long he'll sleep in his crib). Next week we are going to try to move him into his room since I go back to work the following week:(
Eating--As the Dr. told us he would do...he is eating us out of our house! After being apprehensive about breastfeeding, I gave it a shot, low and behold it didn't go so well. Being a preemie I was having to breastfeed, give him a bottle, then pump. Wow was that time consuming. Not that I wasn't all for it for my son, but I couldn't keep up. And he was not latching well. We would try for 10 minutes and then at that point he was too tired for the bottle so he wasn't eating anything. I felt like I was drowning between that and diaper changes. Needless to say I decided to just try pumping. Iliked the idea of knowing how much he was eating as well since he was so small. Because he is now eating 4-41/2 oz every 3 hours I can't keep up and we are transitioning to all formula. Guilt hovers over me daily as I know breastmilk is best but he essentially got 6 weeks worth (partial breastmilk anyways) and it will be less stressful on all of us if we switch to formula.
We started on 15ml and we are now, as I said, at 4 to 41/2oz. We've definitely learned when he's going through a growth spurt. Last week (@5weeks) he was eating 3.5 and that held him over for 3 hours and then it became 2.5 hours which is when we decided to up the amount. It is challening to know if you are feeding them the proper amount because there aren't specific instructions...the Dr. just said "you'll know when he's hungry". The past 6 weeks we have learned the difference in his hungry and gassy cries.
Speaking of gassy--this kid is potent!! He can clear a room!
Around 3 weeks he started having a bowel movement only every 3-4 days. I spoke with the dr. office and they said it is no concern unless it's past 4 days. Of course then he would go every 3 days on the dot. Let me tell you...he made up for it too. WOW!!! The first few times when he was having trouble he would only go for my mom...we told her she must be "the Sh*t"! We would do everything from tummy massage, bicycling legs, bending him in half. We switched formulas as well to see if that would help. We have now been doing Mycolin gas drops (well the generic version anyways since the brand name is outrageously expensive) and we think it's helping. He still draws his legs up once in awhile when he's gassy but he's now going about every day or two. I feel so bad for him when he's grunting and straining because I know it doesn't feel good:(
Sleeping--We are finally getting more than two hours of sleep! Those first few weeks are rough...especially when you have to wake him up to eat. However, we learned to just let him sleep until he's hungry at night. They said to feed him every 2-3 hours but we would fight for an hour waking him up so why not just let him wake himseful and us up hungry at 3 or 4 hours instead of spending that hour trying to wake him? So that's just what we did and he's been doing great. He normally sleeps about 4 hours (unless going through a growth spurt) at night. Some nights he even gets 5 straight hours in. This has done wonders on us. Aaron has been amazing at helping even though he is back at work. I figured I'm doing just as much work at him as him at work too:) We've been trying to give him more at his last feeding of the night (usually around 8 or 9) in hopes he'll sleep longer. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt.
We've been attempting to get into somewhat of a routine (since i'm such a "schedule" person). I'm not sure how well it's really working but I've kind of tracked a schedule he's gotten us into:
7 or 8 eat
9-11 nap
11am eat
12-2 nap
2pm eat
3-5 nap
5:30 eat (just in time for daddy to get home!)
6:30-8 nap
8:30 eat
9-12:30 sleep
12:30 eat
1-4 sleep
4 eat
4:30-7 or 8 sleep
Spit up--We've been having an issue of spitting up lately:( It's not fun for any of us. It's become my new perfume. At first we thought we were feeding him too much, but he's HUNGRY! So..we're not sure what it is and were told some babies just spit up so we may have on of those. It's getting more projectile the bigger he gets too. One night it was a 12:30 feeding and I think I was probably dozing off (bad mom, i know) and he leaned back to much and when I went to sit him up to burp him it came out the mouth and nose! That was NOT fun! Now when we feed him we sit him up and straight as he'll sit and make him rest once in awhile. He tries to drink it super fast and will sometimes even put his hands on the bottle and force it into his mouth harder. We are hoping thats a sign we'll have an early bottle holder:)
Play time--We got a play mat to start doing tummy time on. He hasn't smiled yet. I work on that everyday and just when I think he's going to smile at me he spits up on me! He's getting so strong and tries to hold his head up. Sometimes when you lay him on your chest he'll hold his head up and look around the room and stare at you. Then he face plants hard core back onto your chest. A few nights ago he was laying on his mat and Aaron and I were watching him and he kind of swatted at his toy. Aaron and I were amazed as he did it twice and said "oh my gosh he's playing with it". Now of course we know it was just coincidence but we sure were excited!
Things to come--
Next week we're going to start getting into my going back to work routine. This is how I plan for our days to go:
5am:Daddy feeds Cale while Mommy works out
6am: Mommy gets a shower (lately its been when Aaron gets him..if at all:))
9-11: nap time and I can start organizing things
Rest of the afternoon will consist of normal eating, napping schedule along with LOTS of cuddle and play time
8pm: Last bottle, bath time, story time
9pm: Asleep by 9 :)
Hmm...what else have I missed? Oh...our resolutions...
#1 BLOG more!
#2 Mommy is losing weight. I joined weight watchers last tuesday and so far, so good. This year I will be losing baby weight plus a lot more. I am doing the couch to 5k running program and strength training dvds as well. I plan to get my workouts done in the morning while Aaron is home and baby is sleeping so I can have my evenings with him
#3 MOVE...yes, we want to move. We love our house but we have totally outgrown it and would love something bigger. Our goal is to put it on the market in the spring (that's when people are looking) and be moved by the fall. Luckily we are in no rush so if it doesn't pan out that way, that is fine. This will also consist of resolution #4
#4 Gazelle Intense...for those of you that know I'm a huge Dave Ramsey fan. My brother makes fun of my spreadsheet but we'd be poor without it! Dave Ramsey changed our financial outlook and life and I want to continue down that path. We veered off for awhile during the pregnancy but we're getting back on board so we can for sure accomplish resolution #3 with ease and peace of mind:)
#5 Be the best parents we can be....I don't think either of us realized how challenging it is (especially when you don't know what they want) but it is the BEST feeling ever when they are crying and you pick them up and they look into your eyes and they calm down and know everything is okay:)
Okay...I think I'm somewhat caught up.....for now! If I think of more I've missed I'll include it in my next blogs (since I WILL be doing this often!)
Tata for now, Kalee
I'm SO big...first time in Bumbo....1/16/2011
