Jack - Week 7

Week 7: February  7-13

This was the first week that Jack and I had completely on our own. I know- so spoiled, but between David taking 3 weeks off when he was born, my mother-in-law staying with us for almost two weeks, my parents coming for a week and a half, and then me begging my mom to come back again just last week, i only had a handful of days between visitors that I was on my own with him. I was nervous for this week and honestly doubtful that I could do it on my own since Jack has proven to be quite the handful, but we did it and we have the celebratory selfie to prove it!  

Being at home alone all day with a newborn (especially a very needy one) is a LOT of work.  It can also be pretty lonely. It's pretty incredible how difficult tasks such as showering and eating a meal can become.  I still have a lot of anxiety about taking Jack out on errands.  Not because I'm nervous about strangers and their germs, but only because I am so fearful that he will throw one of his famous conniptions where he becomes inconsolable while we are out and about.  I need to get over that though and realize that worst case scenario, we can just get in the car right away and go back home. We did have a few successful outings this week though, so that helps me be more confident to continue this. Which is good, because I definitely start to get "cabin fever-ish" on the days when we don't leave the house.  

On Friday my friends Kim and Casey came over with their little boys.  They knew that was our first day on our own so they figured I would want some company.  They brought lunch, and we just hung out and chatted and then took the babies on a walk in the afternoon. It was a lot of fun and so good to have company!  

I read a lot about and hear from other moms that sometimes babies will just out of nowhere seem to make big changes in their development and/or behavior.  I had heard from a lot of people that sometimes things seem to take a turn for the better around the 6 or 8 week mark.  Well, I hate to even say this for fear of jinxing things, but it seems like Jack is taking a turn for the better as of this week!  On Sunday night/Monday morning, he had his very first 5 hour stretch of sleep!  It was incredible- except for the fact that I kept waking up thinking something surely must be wrong.  And THEN, on Monday, he proceeded to take THREE naps!  THREE!  It was crazy since before this, he literally refused to sleep during the day.  I was so worried that all that sleep during the day would make for a long night, but he actually slept fine that night.  It must be true what they say about a well-rested baby sleeping better (and more!) than an over-tired baby.  The timing of this was funny too, because I had JUST ordered an e-book about sleep training.  It's like he KNEW, and went ahead and put himself on a schedule all on his own.  I figured that Monday was a fluke, but then he slept pretty well the following two nights and also took the same 3 naps on Tuesday and Wednesday as well.  It was AMAZING!  Thursday and Friday weren't AS great, but still better than previous weeks.  I realize that babies can always switch things up unexpectedly just when you think you have them figured out, but I do hope that his sleep improvements are here to stay, at least somewhat! 

Smiling and blowing bubbles while NAPPING!

He's surprised that he napped, too!

Jack got to meet his great uncle Mark this week!  He was in town for work, and he stopped by on Tuesday evening to visit us.  It was so fun to catch up and have another family member meet our little guy.  

I also was brave enough to venture out to the grocery store this week.  I almost turned around and went home before we even got there because he cried the entire car ride there, but right as we pulled in, he got very quiet, and I peeked in the mirror and he had fallen asleep!  I was sure he would wake up when I took him out of his car seat to put him in the Bjorn carrier, since he doesn't do well with transfers, but he miraculously stayed asleep.  I only spent about 20 minutes in the store, but he slept the entire time!  Who is this baby?!?!  

On Wednesday, I took Jack with me to my 6 week follow-up OB appointment, which was something I had been nervous about since the day I made the appointment.  But he was a rockstar!  He didn't even cry once, and they were running almost an hour late!  The nurse came in and held him while I was with the doctor and he just smiled at her and was so calm.  He even fell asleep in the car on the way home which NEVER happens.  I kept waiting for the screams and cries, but they just never came.  Phew!

What's New With Jack:

-We started a bedtime routine on Sunday night.  This coincided with the 5 hour stretch of sleep, so now I am very superstitious about it and NEVER want to change it. :-)

-He is doing lots more cooing and smiling.  It's so fun to hear his little voice!  And it's funny when I can tell that he startles himself with the sounds he makes.  Sometimes I can also tell that it's like he forgets what he needs to do to make the sounds, and he fidgits around and moves his mouth and grunts trying to figure it out again.

Goofy grin that he makes before he coos

-Jack is starting to turn his head to follow objects.  He also follows objects with his eyes now, too.

-I've seen him grab objects on his floor gym (but not on purpose, more just that his hand closes at the exact right time as he flails his arms around).  It's funny though, because when that happens, he has no idea how to let go of whatever is in his hand.  That usually causes him to get frustrated and cry if I don't help him out.  

Now how do I let go of this thing?

-Jack has been trying to suck his thumb since the day he was born, but he just couldn't figure it out.  His little fist is always up by his mouth, but he keeps his thumb tucked away inside his fist. This week he did get it figured out once, and he was SO happy.  He hasn't done it again since, but I'm pretty sure we do have a future thumb sucker on our hands.  

-He finally stopped hating baths!  He will cry right when you put him in the water, but now he quickly calms down. It's a relief that baths are now much less traumatic for everyone involved.  

Well, I think that is it for week 7!  Let's hope week 8 brings MORE SLEEP!!

His lashes are getting so long!

Arms always up while sleeping

Ear fuzz

Jack - Week 6

I hate that I'm already behind in documenting our little guy, but I'm going to try and start from here, and hopefully have some time to go back and get caught up eventually...  
Side note: does anyone have any tips on how they blog quickly with a baby? This took me forever!!

February 6, 2015

Week 6

This is the week that Jack officially outgrew his Newborn size clothes, although he is still in NB diapers.  It's funny because I remember very specifically looking at the handful of newborn clothes that I had before he was born and thinking to myself, "Oh, I will ever have a baby this tiny.  Good thing I don't have a ton of these size clothes, because we will never get to use them." Well, obviously, I was wrong- and had to go out and buy more even.  One morning this week I gave my mom an outfit to dress him in for the day.  She called me in to come look at him, and I couldn't believe that the same one piece outfit he had worn 4-5 days previously couldn't even be pulled up over his shoulder.  Our man is a little guy, but he is all of a sudden growing quickly!  He's not a rolly polly chubby baby by any means.  He is long and lean.  But I am gradually starting to see some rolls and chub growing!  I'm excited that he's growing big and strong, but of course it's always a little sad, too.  

As I mentioned above, my mom is here again.  We are SO lucky to have her here again already.  She has been such a huge help!  It's nice to just have another adult here during the day who can help me with our fussy guy.  She's also been really good at encouraging me to take him on outings, since I am so scared to take him anywhere really for fear that he will throw a conniption in public.  I need to just get over that, otherwise I will drive myself crazy with this hermit life. So this week, we took a little trip to Target and even to the mall!  Small victories!

Naps with Mimi

 

On Friday night, David and I had our first dinner out alone since Jack was born.  It felt strange to be out without him, but it was also really nice to have some time alone again.  Of course it was hard not to think or talk about Jack the whole time, but it was definitely a comfort to know that he was with the best babysitter- my mom.    

Jack pulled a not so fun stunt this week.  On Friday night/Saturday morning, he decided to stay awake from 2:30 AM - 5:30 AM.  In his defense, at least he wasn't crying that whole time.  He was just happy and ready to party.  I was EXHAUSTED though and had a hard time being patient with him.  He's lucky he's cute.  These are the faces he was giving me... looks like a baby who is ready to sleep, right?...

Worst parent of the year award right here- It was only this week that Jack had his first real at home bath.  He had one in the hospital, and since then we had just been giving him sponge baths.  I 100% admit that I was avoiding this entirely because I knew that it would be a scream fest, so I just wasn't looking forward to it at all.  My mom cracked the whip though and helped me get that first at home bath out of the way.  He did indeed scream his head off, but hopefully he will eventually learn to enjoy his baths. 

Baby buns!

Post bath naked baby time

Some changes I've noticed in Jack this week:

-He doesn't hate diaper and clothes changes as much.  Jack used to cry every time his diaper or clothes were changed.  Which was really annoying, because that ends up being like 10+ times a day.  So I'm glad that he seems to be getting over that trauma.  

-Jack is beginning to show very focused interest in black/white contrast items.  There is a little mobile above his swing with black/white toys hanging on it, and he never really seemed to notice it at all until this week. Now he will just stare at them intently.  He also loves to stare at our ceiling fans (whether they are on or not), which I think is because they are very dark in color so they stand out against the white ceiling.  

-Jack is sleeping a little better at night time and seems to know night from day finally (aside from the stunt I mentioned above).  I can get 3-4 hour stretches of sleep from him pretty consistently.  He still doesn't really go down for the night until anywhere from 10:30 PM- 1 AM, unfortunately.  I have noticed recently though that he seems to be getting tired slightly earlier, so I am thinking that he is trying to move his bedtime up gradually.  I sure hope so!  My mom is a saint when it comes to bedtime, and she takes the first shift with Jack and then just brings him to me when he is ready to eat.  That way I can get at least one stretch of undisturbed sleep.  Thanks, mom!

Well, that's Jack at 6 weeks!  

Here are some other random photos of baby Jack from the week...

Baby's first Superbowl

Growing a double chin

1.  

Baby's First Hoodie

Hospital Photos

I'm here.  Taking it day by day and just trying to keep my head above water with this parenting thing at this point.  Survival mode, for sure.  This baby momma gig is no joke!  To celebrate the first time in a long time that the baby is asleep (not in my arms!), and that I have some computer time, I wanted to share the photos that the hospital photographer took on our second day in the hospital.  We had actually arranged for the photographer who did our maternity photos and who will do our newborn photos to come to the hospital and do an "arrival photo session" (no, not birth photography), but since Jack Man was so late to arrive, she actually ended up being out of town for the holidays.  I was really disappointed about that, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well these photos turned out, so it worked out just fine in the end!  

Here is our sweet Jack...

  

A Letter To My Baby

Hi Baby Boy!

I can't believe we are now at 41 weeks. Your due date came and went, and you are still so cozy in my belly that you just aren't ready to meet the big outside world yet.  As much as this has been driving me crazy this week (your mom's a bit of a control freak), I know that this is OK, you are healthy and strong and content where you are, and you will be here before we know it.  There's no way around that!  

Even though I've been fixated on the when of your arrival, I also think all the time about YOU being here.  It's fun to imagine what our lives will be like, what you will look like, what kind of amazing little person you will grow up to be, etc.  A big part of me feels like the actual event of your arrival is still so surreal- a dream, almost. But I know it IS real, and that before long, we will hold you in our arms and wonder what life was like before you.  It is exciting to think about meeting a little being that no one in the world has ever met or laid eyes on before! 

Want to know a secret? As excited as I am to meet you, I'm also a little sad to think about it not just being you and me anymore- we won't ever be this close again. For 9+ months, I've had you all to myself.  We go everywhere and do everything together, but before I know it, you will be a little person all your own. People are so excited to meet you, but I have been the only one lucky enough to have known you all this time already. I can't wait to introduce you to all the people that love you so much already, but I'm also a teeny bit sad at the thought of having to share you. I just love you so much, and I have LOVED every day of it being just the two of us. But let's be honest- IT. IS. TIME.  So come on little man, when you are ready, come on out and join us- the world has lots in store for you!  

XOXO,

Your Mom