SAHM I Am: May 2014

Height/Weight: The last time he was weighed was on April 22nd, when I met with the lactation consultant. He was 10 lbs 13 oz! On the 15th, he was 21.5 inches long. According to my scale, he is 11lbs 6oz and according to the measuring tape, 22 inches long! He has his 2 month check-up on the 9th, when he will also get his shots.

Daily: His daily routine is pretty much the same. He is staying awake for longer stretches now, so often times, he will skip napping between every other feeding. In this case, he will eat, have quiet awake time to look at things (For this, I like to put him on the play mat sitting in the boppy or in his swing), then we have play time. I use this time to do tummy time or put him on my lap facing me, either leaning against my knees or the boppy pillow and we play together until the next feeding. Then I will feed him and he will sleep until the next one. I can imagine through time, the naps will space out further and further as he gets older. I've begun bathing him every other afternoon. I find I can't do it right before he goes to bed, because he gets rather fussy when I take him out of the bath and it gets him too wound up. So I will generally feed him after the bath, then play for a little while until he falls asleep. This is when I will most often cook and eat dinner. I wake Vincent afterward and keep him up until 8, which is bedtime.

Yay for bath time!

Sleep: I am still usually able to get him down before 9. After I've changed his diaper, I turn off all the lights but the night light and put him on my bed. I turn on the white noise app and play the nighttime music on his swing at this time, which he is beginning to associate with bedtime. I apply just a little bit of lavender scented lotion on his arms and legs, while he stares at the night light and I finally swaddle him. I hold him for a little while and sing to him until he looks like he is dozing off and finally place him in his napper. I continue to sing to him until he falls asleep. If he is super fussy in his napper and won't settle down, I transfer him to his swing. If that doesn't work, I transfer him to the bouncy seat, although I am trying to avoid this, so he doesn't get used to it. In the early morning hours, I sometimes transfer him to my bed, to make the feedings easier. The amount of time he sleeps really varies from night to night, since he is still trying to figure out his schedule. Generally, as he does during the daytime, he will go two to three hours between feedings, sometimes four, or even five. If he does go five hours between a feeding, which is rather seldom, that will be the only time that night that he goes for that stretch. Before or after, he will only go two or three hours. During his growth spurts this month, he would not go longer than one and a half to two hours between feedings, which very quickly became absolutely exhausting. Once his sleep is a little more regulated and going longer stretches between feedings becomes the norm, I'd like to start strictly going to bed at 8 PM and being up by 8 AM.

Eating: I am still feeding Vince on demand, which usually ends up being every 2-3 hours during a typical day. As mentioned before, he goes anywhere from 2-5 hours between feedings at night - it really just depends! When he starts cooing or fussing at night, I first try to pacify him and see if that's all he needs and if that doesn't work, I feed him. I still feeding him in the side-lying position at night, but I've recently begun to sit on the edge of the bed with the boppy instead, so I can be awake enough to make sure he has had a good, full feeding. I look forward to eventually getting a glider and feeding him in it, because it would help my posture and it's a lot easier to keep him latched that way. (Not to mention it's more comfortable!)
I saw a lactation consultant on the 22nd and according to the scale, he got just over three ounces in a pretty standard feeding. He still doesn't feed terribly long either! If he is very awake and alert, he feeds between 5 and 7 minutes and when he is sleepy, he takes his time and the feeding can be anywhere from 10-25 minutes.
I've discovered that I have an overactive letdown and a very fast flow, which explains why the feedings tend to be short. I would feed him and as my milk let down, he would unlatch and it would flat out spray him in the face! Poor dude! Haha!

SUPER full belly after a feeding! xD

Sizes: On the 15th of April, I put Vincent in his first size 1 diaper! :( I was totally not ready for it. But every single poopy diaper was a blowout, and I knew it was because the diapers were too small. He hasn't had a blowout since! (Knocks on wood)
His newborn clothes are small on him and I keep squeezing him into them, because I do not want to accept that they don't fit anymore! Haha! For the most part, he has been wearing 0-3 month clothes and occasionally 3 month, depending on the fit.

Milestones and Changes:

During his last "leap" (which is what the "Wonder Years" says to describe mental and physical developments along with a growth spurt), Vince started to produce tears when crying! The first time I saw those tears, I started bawling my eyes out!
He can hold his head up on his own now! It's still quite wobbly, but I barely have to support him at all anymore.

Vincent's first Easter and meeting the Easter Bunny for the first time!

Holding a toy for the first time on April 25th, which is also his first favorite toy! He loves that little blue puppy.

Started laughing in his sleep
Has begun to really focus on objects; he is very fond of the spinning mobile on his new swing and also the living room lamp

Has a favorite toy: A little blue puppy that normally hangs on the bars of his activity mat

Has begun to lock eyes with people and turn his head to follow their movements
Is constantly cooing and discovering new sounds
Likes to snack on his hands - he is trying so desperately to suck his fingers, but isn't quite grasping the concept yet that it's not possible, when he has his hands closed. Teehehe
Has favorite songs, including "Lonesome Pole Cat" from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, "Count Your Blessings" from White Christmas and just about any song off of the "Not For Kids Only Album" by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman :) He is also very fond of Green Day and Weezer.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

May in Photos

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Vincent's 2 Month Update