Getting The Hang Of Things

I'm getting better at remembering that I have a baby all the time. I mean, I haven't had one for 26 years then all of a sudden, I do. You can't blame me. Plus I hadn't been running on all cylinders over the past three months what with recovering from major surgery (c-section) and my hormones messing up my brain.

One time I went to get the mail while Bruce was sleeping. I figured it was a quick trip and I wouldn't set up the monitor to bring with me. On my way back to the house I started wandering the front yard checking on my plants. A few minutes went by when it dawned on me that I had a baby and I should go check on him.

Then one evening I started cooking dinner and left the baby on his tummy time mat. I went to cooking, doing my usual routine of staring down my pantry for ingredients and so on, having a pretty good time. A few minutes had passed when I realized I had a baby and should probably go check on him.

This does not happen often, I promise. And it is so goofy when I realize I have a baby. I MEAN, I HAVE A BABY!!! haha...crazy right?!

The third month has been such a relief.  It is safe to say that Bruce will not be an only child. Up until this point I was certain he would be. We are still going through diapers like crazy. We are still having bouts of crying where he wont accept my soothing. But he is mostly sleeping through the night and going to bed between 8 and ten as opposed to midnight or one, like before. I feel like a whole new lady. I'm better able to problem solve and make his life easier and therefore my life as well.

My new favorite pastime, matching faces:

Singing a Swing's Praises

Lemme tell ya about this swing I got.

I was finally folding socks after letting them sitting in a pile on my couch for days. I had the baby sleeping and the monitor on to keep an eye on him. I hear a baby grunt, "UH". I pick up the monitor to check his crazy eyes and he picks up his arm to stretch above his head. That's usually the kiss of death for a nap. My chest seizes up a bit. That swing still moves at a steady pace. He gives another baby grunt and a bit of a cry, "UH, Ahh". But the swing still goes and his arms go limp at his side. Passed back out. I love that swing. I was able to finish folding those socks. And now I'm blogging about it. Next up, putting the socks away. I love that swing.

Bruce looking like his monkey rattle

Dan humming church songs to him

Big Dude Alert

Man, I sure do get excited when I find out how much he weighs, official-like from the doctor's office.

Big Dude is 15lbs 5oz. I took him to the doctor Monday to check out his back-end system. It seems to be on the fritz again. The doctor wasn't concerned so Diaper Watch 2014 continues on my end...of his end...ew.

Super cool moment today. I was snuggling my little buddy before taking him to the doctor. He was still very sleepy so he snuggled up to me and closed his eyes. I spoke a few words to him and he smiled...oh my heavens... I did it again to see if it was a coincidence...it wasn't. He kept on smiling when I spoke to him...and man, it was THE best. His eyes stayed closed the whole time. I can only imagine what he was imagining...probably recalling me bopping around in front of him to entertain him as I do on the daily.

One of his first nappy-poos in his crib. It lasted maybe 20 minutes. Not enough time but still pretty cute.

Tummy timin' it

My church's youth group was having a fish fry so I brought the Bruce. I didn't help much having one hand to work with but I was able to catch up with and show off the baby to a bunch of church friends including our pastor who let me know that babies love to sleep on him. He claims it is his temperature that lulls them to sleep :) 

After the fish fry I bathed Bruce to get all the pollen and baby sunblock off of him. He passed right out. 

Sleeping with a furrowed brow.

Sleeping in his boppy. He is the little spoon.

We have moved his swing into his room (for now at least). As long as I have a sleep-swaddle-snuggle-sac on him AND put him in his swing, he will sleep for at least one 5 plus hour stint at night. We learned that the swing times out after four hours (I used to believe we had a ghost issue) so if I wake up and see it's off I get up to go push the buttons to get it going again. I cross my fingers the swinging start up mechanism doesn't freak out and wake him up. 

I love our video monitor. It makes my move back into my own bed easier when I can listen for his cries AND watch for the crazy eyes when determining whether or not to get up for him. He is great at waking up and being lulled back to sleep thanks to the swing. All of which I can watch with one eye forced open laying in bed. Thank God for that swing. 

Three Months

Brucey Goosey is three months old...

-He and I are both starting to shed our hair
-He enjoys looking at himself, his mom and dad and new faces
-He can track us moving across the room better and better
-Last week he weighed 14lbs and 11oz, length 23 inches
-If he is inconsolable, crying, a surefire way to sooth him is to throw him over your shoulder so he can see behind you while you're standing. He loves when you stand

-About once a week I can get a good, long "conversation" going. Everyday he babbles off and on with me
-For the first time ever, four nights in one week he slept for longer than 6 hours at a time. It was crazy. He hadn't slept past 4 hours before. My favorite little person is becoming more and more likable. Lovable always; likable not so much.
-On the flip side, though, he is spitting up more...womp-womp.
-Still loves baths

-Oh my gosh does he love to eat his hands. The majority of his three month pics he has his hands in his mouth.
-I get grossed out when I take him for walks. We come back in side and we are just covered in allergies. The pine trees are making our outside world YELLOW...EEEWWWWW. I immediately get a headache so I wonder how he feels.
-He often falls asleep with a wrinkly forehead

On a personal note, I have made it to my first breastfeeding goal of three months. I don't think I will ever tire of explaining how tough that was the first month. Coupled with taking care of a new baby, breastfeeding really pushed me to the brink physically and emotionally. I don't blame any women for choosing not to do it or not being able to.

Next goal is to make it to six months.

Two Months

Baby Bruce is two months old today! Holy-moly we are making it! 

For the most part, he is wearing three month clothes

He has "conversations" with us...the video below he is telling me he is sick of laying down

He has been having some bad mucus/junk problems these past few days...poor thing

He enjoys swings on the back porch and walks around the neighborhood

He practices standing with Daddy

He gets a bit colicy at night

Wakes and gets back to sleep well between 1a and 9a

Big time toot machine

Adventures In New Mommyhood

Since Bruce was born I have learned a new way to live. I really DO have snot and spit and spit up and milk and formula all over me on a constant basis. I get out of the shower, nice and clean, and immediately get disgusting again. There is no respite.

In the past six weeks I have flooded the kitchen and tried to burn the house down.

Considering that, last Thursday was my most dramatic day. Yes, more dramatic than water and fire.

I had a 6 month dentist check up and my postpartum OB appointment. There were 3.5 hours separating the two and I felt good about it. The night before I could barely sleep I was so excited to have purpose for leaving the house with Bruce and feeling we could do well out there.

Bruce woke up around 6 or 7 for food. I fed him (which takes an hour), bathed him (he loves baths). I dressed him (like a boss) and held him until he dozed off when I set him in his swing to put my self together. I did my hair (kind-of), put on make-up (mini-triumph and first time since he was born), and got dressed  like a self-respecting human being. I got him all packed up and fed again before we hit the road for the dentist...on time. Killin it.

 I walked into the waiting room and he started fussing, naturally. I took him to the bathroom, avoiding eye contact with everyone on my way there, and tried to feed/soothe him. I left the bathroom and was called to the back. I set him down. He did fine in his carrier for maybe thirty seconds. I asked the lady if I could put him on my lap. She is a mom of three; a 8 y.o. a 5 y.o. and a 5 month old. She said yes. I was trying to rock him while she got me set up when another hygienist came in and offered to take him. She hadn't even finished her offer when I passed him over to her and gasped a "Thanks". Breathing a sigh of relief, I was losing my excitement for the day. At the end of the appointment a new lady came in holding the baby and chatted with me while my mouth was full of that blue juice. We left calling it a success and met Dan for a lunch date.

I don't like lunch dates with Bruce because I think bringing an infant to a restaurant is totally irrational but Dan insisted, I was starving, and he took care of him the whole time. The baby did fine; he fussed quietly off and on. After lunch I had some time to kill before the OB appointment and Dna told me to go get some paint for the bathroom. We lasted maybe five minutes. I grabbed two paint chips and headed out the door with my sad baby.

At the OB office they gave me paperwork to fill out. I immediately freaked out knowing Bruce would never stand for this. I got 1/5 of the way through and he fa-lipped his lid.  I took Bruce out of his god-awful carrier from hell that makes him sweat crazy-bad and tried to bounce him around.  I looked around and noticed the waiting room filled with gorgeous moms and dads-to-be all watching my side show. They all had sweet looks of concern and support. I waved to the crowd and threw my head back. They laughed. I thought about doing the fake gun-to-the-head-motion but quickly decided to act less depressed/crazy-lady.  I talked sweet nothings to Bruce, I offered a paci, I tried to feed him formula. All failed. I was thinking nothing will help this kid so I just pulled the rip cord then and there and told the desk lady we were out. "Are you sure?" she asked sweetly to which I replied, "Hell yes".

We were on our way to the elevators when he completely calmed down. I went to the restroom to test him out and set the carrier on the floor. He lost it again. We left.

I was exhausted driving us home. He had passed out. I needed to mail something but at the Kountze Post office I just sat in the truck in the parking lot trying to convince myself to take him in his carrier and wait in line while juggling a box to be mailed. I rejected all of that and went home.

Once home I went to get him out of his carrier when I realized I hadn't buckled him in it since having taken him out in the Dr's waiting room. I completely lost it. I am a horrible mother, God-forbid anything happened to us on the way home. I pulled myself together so that the tears didn't keep me from seeing the whole picture as I got him out of the truck (I have to lift the carrier above my shoulder height..excursion problems).

I go to take him in and the door to the house is wide open and Lily comes barreling out to greet us. Either an intruder is in the house ( and Lily made best friends) or I failed to completely shut the door (which makes the third time I have done this). I put the kid in the truck in case there was an intruder and went to check out the house. No one was in there. Lily had ripped into dirty diapers stashed in our master bathroom and the guest room. She stole a holiday case of jelly bellys off the kitchen counter and destroyed the packing all over the living room floor and ate the beans, all gone. She even destroyed one of my breast pump cones (I didn't like it anyway). She hid outside where I found her and threw my shoe in her general direction. I got the baby, who was crying from hunger at this point, and went inside to sit by the filth and feed him. He easily took down four ounces. The was very exciting since he hadn't taken this down in about two weeks. Afterwards, he passed out so I put him in his swing while I cleaned.

I went around the house picking up the mess Lily made (thanks to my stupid mistake of not making sure the door was completely closed). I came back to the baby and he had spit up all the formula he had taken. All over his clothes. All over his swing. All over his blankey. At this point I had to laugh. Nothing could get worse. I got the stuff in the washer and and cuddled the baby while my swollen eyes started to burn.

Just ridiculous. I vowed never to leave the house again.

The next day I had to leave the house. We had a pediatrician appointment. The waiting room was empty so the baby was perfect and sleeping. He was 12lbs 4 oz. and the doc said he was perfectly fine and that I was a good mom. 

After the doctor I decided Bruce and I would go somewhere and not leave until I was done. We went to HEB and I got halfway through the store we he started to fuss but I was able to check out and avoid too much anxiety and embarrassment. It was a success.

I still don't like leaving the house but I still try. Maybe one day in the not too distant future this new mom will get it down...or care less when he freaks out in public.

6 Weeks

One month pic from 2 weeks ago :) 

He had his first day at church during his fourth week. He lasted all the way through communion, received a blessing, and Daddy took him to the nursery to drink some milk. We came home and his little eye was stuck shut :( so I took a picture THEN got a warm wet cloth to fix him. 

Tummy time action. Lifting his head like a defiant little Dan Wam.

During his fifth week he almost flipped from tummy to back!!! He had that back leg up and allllmoooooost over. It was amazing! My mom and I were cheering him on.

  
 We got a letter from lifeforce cryobank letting us know they received his donated cord blood and thanking us for helping those in need of stem cell transplants! YAY science!

Our Little Big Guy is 6 weeks old. He looks so big to us now!

He has started to smile when he likes something. A a few of those times have been for me when I talk to him. I cried the first time it happened. He is showing some personality!!!

          

The sign in his nursery. 

 The hair is getting longer and longer! Maybe it will get to the point where I can get an SEC swoop out of it ;)