Also on its way out is your hairline. Somewhere around 6.5weeks I noticed that the sides of your head were going bald. All babies do. Dad and I had been joking the week before that that all your hair was thinning out lately and that it was due to your head size increasing thus moving your hair follicles further apart. Perhaps this is partly true.
Baby acne hit full force at the top of this month. Thank goodness a friend handed me an organic moisturizer that cleared it right up! You really had it much worse than Evie ever did... you had little pimples on your chest, back and well into you hairline even! Poor baby! I'm happy to report that by 8 wks old - you were beautiful again.
You had your first "major trauma" this month. I never posted about it since it was seriously upsetting. On June 16th, you were 5 weeks old, we went out for a post-dinner walk (all 4 of us). We had been up early that morning... it was one of your infamous 4AM "I'm awake! Play with me!" mornings that left us weary by days end. Dad strapped you in the stroller out front on the cement landing outside our front porch. Evie was up on the porch waiting for us while I grabbed a water and dad grabbed his keys to lock the door. All of a sudden Evie yells through the front door, "Oh no! Oh no!" and we panic. Dad ran so fast I swear I never saw his feet touch the ground. You had rolled down our front walk, down the two steps that lead to the neighborhood sidewalk, and tumbled upside down. The stroller was laying on top of you with the back wheels just spinning. My stomach feel. Fortunately, you were strapped in so you didn't go flying. Instead, your wee head suffered some scraps and you were screaming mad. I grabbed my purse, we threw the stroller in the yard and all 4 of us raced to the ER. The entire escapade lasted only 2 hours (that's fast for an ER visit. They took one look at you, and your age, and saw you right away). The doctor waiting to see if there was a concussion and felt your forehead for breaks, fortunately, you were OK. We bought some medicine to put on your cuts and put you down that night more thankful than ever. Its moments like this that really and truly make you say cliche things like, "Nothing else matters. Hold on to precise moments, they go by quickly." etc etc...
You are drinking more bottles. Mom decided to start weening at 7 weeks when Papa and Grandma came to visit from Ohio. It was evident that you had a strong appetite and mom wasn't keeping up. That, and let's be honest, mom was nursing 8x's a day and feeling a little bogged down. Its hard when your active 4-yr-old goes a wee bit ignored during the evening hours because you have to cluster feed a chunk-a-chunk baby. No offense, Max, but mommy needed some slack.
I still nurse and make bottles but there's no real pattern for any of it. It's funny considering the strict schedule we made Evie adhere to as soon as possible after 6 weeks old. We would like a schedule for you but maybe its just harder given all the activities we have going on... or maybe we know it comes together no matter what. Ah, the wisdom that comes with being a parent once before.
Speaking of bottles, you have very recently begun to freak-out less when you get hungry. I am so relieved that you no longer go from content to STARVING(!) at the drop of a hat. We used to say that you went "from 0 to 100mph." This new 'calmness' is particularly true for midnight feedings. I was thinking we'd never move you to your bedroom since it took both of us to feed you in the middle of the night - one person to make the bottle and one to console you so you wouldn't wake-up Evie. Lately, starting just before 8 wks old, you have been verbally grumbling more before crying aloud. You still panic rather quickly but I think you are learning that we won't let you starve and that we are working on filling up your belly.
Overall, I can really see how the first 6 wks truly is "survival" mode and that everyday after that the clouds begin to lift and things gradually get better.
Poopies: Parents love the topic of poop, lemme tell ya. You used to poop in the middle of the night and with frequency! This made midnight (read: dimly lit room) a crapshoot (pun intended). I'd fumbly with multiple wipes hoping to not make a bigger mess in the process. Now, we can safely say we only experience this once a day or so... its a lot when it happens but at least it isn't at midnight when I am fumbling in the dark. I'm prepared for this to change soon, too, as we ween you off nursing and on to formula.
First road trip! When we realized Evie had no summer school or care (her preschool teacher has been watching her some weekday afternoons), we decided to head on down to Pop-pop and Lala's house in North Carolina. You did surprisingly well sleeping most of the way and needing nursing only once just shy of 30 minutes from our destination (the entire trip is 3.5 to 4hrs long). Getting out of the house was another matter entirely... it took us 5 hrs! Between breaking down your pack-n-play, to throwing out refrigerator food, and choosing just enough of the essentials to remembering to bring along toys to play with... it took forever! I don't know how we are going to manage this fiasco when we leave for the Outer Banks soon.
You turned 8 weeks old just 5 days before your 2nd month. I swear, that 8 week mark holds magic in it. At 8 weeks - laughing! Lala heard it one day and the next day - dad heard it! It has been decribed as a breathy little "chuckle", heh-heh! Mom has yet to hear it. Perhaps I am not as funny looking as dad or Lala.
Also VERY recently: coo'ing! You have always made this "berrrkkkk, bggggg," mumbling/grumbling sound like a frustated rhino. But, lately, we hear more playful squels and breathy "ahh!'s" or "woo!'s" when we make silly faces. The eye contact is something you now love. And your smiles! Oh, your smiles. Once they were gapping maws with a slightly upturned left side but, more recently, they are full-on cheesy grins with squinted eyes and deep dimples on both sides. You really light up a room when you grin. I have been waiting for this moment!
Your hands. A recent discovery. Around 8 weeks (closer to 9 weeks, really) you started shoving both fists excitedly into your mouth. I couldn't tell if this was a sign of hunger or stress at first. Now I think you just love it. When you get a hand in there I hear these loud sucking sounds as you feverishly lick the outside fleshy part on the side of your fist. I've tried substituting toys and pacifiers but have come to realize... nope, you prefer your fists. :-)
I still have yet to enter anything new in your baby album. I get it now. Two kids IS a handful.
I'm actually recently questioning how I'll manage the house, you, Evie and a job next month. I go back to work in just 1 short month. *sigh* I could NEVER be a stay-at-home-mom. I'm not at all cut out for it. I'm better at a demanding work environment. But, this past month does make me realize that stay-at-home-moms have the best world... its one they share with you everyday.
No comments:
Post a Comment