8 weeks

Our little guy is 8 weeks old today. In some ways it seems like it's been more than 8 weeks, partly, perhaps, because he's so big and active for a 2 month old. He certainly keeps us on our toes!

Week 8

Matt's eighth week was an eventful one. Monday night he started smiling voluntarily at Jon, and Tuesday morning he flashed me some big grins when I smiled at him. He had another visitor on Christmas Eve, one of my college roommates. Then he had his first Christmas. To finish off the week he began preparing for his upcoming two-month birthday by having a weekend-long growth spurt. Sunday he also started sticking his tongue out when I stuck out mine at him. He is definitely no longer a newborn but a rapidly growing and developing infant.

Cute? Who, me?

Future sports fan

We got a rocker seat from one of Jon's coworkers, which Matt is enjoying during fun times...

…and apparently even during some sleepy times, too.

Matt has grown bigger all over, but his head and hands, which weren't exactly small to begin with, are noticeably larger.

Stars and stripes

Matt's First Christmas

Now that the Christmas excitement is slowing down I can post about Matt's first Christmas.

We stayed at home this year and enjoyed a fairly quiet holiday. On Christmas Eve we picked out our tree from our back yard and decorated it. Matt slept pretty much the whole time. In future years he'll hopefully stay awake during tree-trimming so I can tell him more about the ornaments we have that I used to hang on the Christmas tree as a kid, including my (or is it my sister's?) Baby's First Christmas ornament.

We all slept in Christmas morning, something we probably won't get to do after next year! After brunch we opened presents. Again Matt slept pretty much the whole time. So Matt didn't realize (and still isn't really aware) how lucky he is, with all of the toys, books, blankets, and clothes everyone so generously gave him for his first Christmas. (Matt now has plenty of clothing to last him through the 12-month size, which he'll no doubt reach before 12 months! And I'm going to have to get him some more bookshelves, a problem this family of bookworms is happy to have.) We are very grateful for all of our gifts, especially since we all got so many great things to do or use as a family. Many thanks to the new grandparents, aunts, and uncles as well as the great-grandmothers and great-aunts!

The aftermath...

Week 7

This past week was a very busy one for us. In addition to continuing to grow, Matt accompanied me to two doctor's appointment (both check-ups, and all checked out well). We also had a number of visitors, including one of Jon's brothers and my sister. And Jon and I took an hour to go on our first dinner date as parents, leaving Matt with his uncle. All survived the experience with flying colors!

  

Matt's starting to enjoy tummy time a little more, maybe because he's discovering his thumb.

What could be a more comfortable pillow than Daddy's childhood teddy bear?

 

Thanks for the warm and comfy pajamas, Grandma and Aunt Karina!

Thanks for baby-sitting, Uncle Victor!

Posing with Aunt Elizabeth

6 Things about Newborns

Like many new parents, we took classes, read books, and talked to other parents about what to expect. To commemorate surviving our first six weeks, here are six things from our newborn experience that we found somewhat different from what we were expecting or not even something we anticipated, even after our preparations:

- We were not prepared to find reddish spots in our newborn's wet diapers. They didn't quite look like blood but were more of a brick color. It turns out we were seeing uric acid crystals, a common occurrence among newborns. We first saw the spots as we were preparing to head home from the hospital. We grabbed a nurse to ask about them, and she seemed to indicate it wasn't a big deal, kind of a one off thing. But then we saw them throughout our first day home, which made us so worried we called our pediatricians' office in the middle of the night. Our pediatrician explained what was going on more thoroughly to us and noted it wasn't uncommon to see uric acid crystals for a period of time. Luckily our son stopped having them as soon as my milk came in. We took a class on newborns that never mentioned this could happen; I wish the extensive amount of time our instructor had devoted to not freaking out over what newborns looked like when they emerged had focused on when not to panic about common newborn issues like this instead.

- We're still amazed that our baby can make so much noise while asleep. We heard warnings against jumping up every time the baby makes any sort of noise, something which we immediately realized as impractical as soon as ours fell asleep. Instead, I felt (and sometimes still feel) compelled to jump up when I realize there are no sounds coming from the crib; after such a racket, silent sleep is what worries me! Knock on wood, our baby has been perfectly fine every time we've looked, whether he's making a sound or not. Still, I am still amazed at the variety of sounds that come from the crib: in addition to cries, poops, farts, burps, and spitting up, we hear grunts, snorts, whines, moans, groans, whimpers, mewls, sighs, coos, sniffles, coughs, and more. Much of the sound effects early on and just before waking come from our little guy's attempt to wiggle out of his swaddle blanket; he likes to emphasize each time he frees his arms or kicks his legs ("Uh! Uh! Uh!").

- Newborns have a good deal of alert time. Contrary to the popular image of cute little pink blobs that just lie around and eat, sleep, poop, and cry, even brand new babies can demand a lot of attention and entertainment when they feel like it. I'm sure I'm not the only new mom who found it intimidating the first time I found myself alone with a newborn looking to me for amusement. And such young babies don't exactly tell you what they like, but they will let you know what they dislike! We sometimes can easily figure out what our baby wants to do, like stare at faces, walk around looking at things or just enjoying the movement, and, recently, play the smelling game (where we hold up different objects like containers of herbs from the spice cabinet). Note that I said sometimes! We can also figure out when he's bored, either because we're not focusing our attention on him or because he's done with the current activity. We try to emphasize reading to our little one during his quieter alert moments, as we hope reading will become one of his favorite pastimes and one of the main activities we do together. Now that he's passing the newborn stage his attention span may be a tiny bit longer, but it can still a struggle to get through a board book, short (and I mean short) story or article, or poem. Dramatic readings and moving his arms or legs or whole body to act things out help.

- This might not be true for every baby, but when ours cries the cause is most likely hunger-related. Unless another reason is obvious, our mental checklist to figure out why our child is crying now starts with hunger, which we might double check before moving on to something else, because well over half the time that seems to be his complaint. I've been surprised that our little one cries more during diaper changes than between making that dirty diaper and having it changed; those checklists that start with checking diapers make it seem that babies will scream bloody murder the second their diaper gets even a little bit wet, but the absorbent diapers available today mean that's not necessarily a common occurrence. We are lucky that our baby is pretty easygoing and will stop crying just about as soon as his issue is resolved. I do want to thank those, especially the authors of the books I read, who noted that crying is a newborn baby's main and often only means of communication. As a new mom who had limited experience with newborns the knowledge that crying could simply mean "I'm trying to get someone's attention" rather than always means "This is terrible! I'm so unhappy!" has kept me sane.

- Newborns eat a lot. A LOT. Now, my guy seems to eat even more than average, but from talking to and reading articles from other new moms it seems like we've all had moments when we've said, "But how can he still be hungry? He just ate!" Feeding a newborn is a full-time job. One of my friends mentioned that one prenatal class she took said that new breast-feeding moms spend eight hours, more or less, feeding a newborn. I wish the classes I had taken and books I had read had framed the time commitment in that manner. Instead, I kept hearing and reading that newborns feed 8-12 times a day for an average of 15 minutes. Some books and instructors even make it seem like one feeds the baby for 15-20 minutes and then has two and a half hours to nap or do whatever one wants. Ha! Other books and authors emphasize that babies feed 5-30 minutes per side and may feed on each side at least once during a feeding, which is more realistic. I have decided the 8-12 feedings number gets repeated because it is usually the minimum a healthy baby needs, not so much because it is what all babies do. I'm shocked when mine only feeds 12 times a day, something he didn't do until about his sixth week, but even now he still usually eats more. And don't get me started on cluster feeding. The textbook description is an interval of 1-2 rather than 3 hours between feedings, but during my guy's cluster feeds I'm lucky to get a 15-minute break (meaning he can go less than an hour between feedings) during sessions that can last 3, 4, and even 5-6 hours at a time. Fortunately our little one is nursing well, gaining weight well (as we can tell!), and hasn't had too many issues. He's just a hungry little one, and I have had to adjust my expectations dramatically.

- On a less serious note, my newborn emerged needing his fingernails trimmed! I wasn't surprised to see those tiny little nails, but I was surprised to see that they were so long. Fair warning: those tiny fingernails can be sharp! If not trimmed or filed regularly they can scratch baby and parents alike. I'm still nervous about trimming my baby's nails because they're so little. (I don't have any issues with cutting the cat's, so I hope with practice I'll feel just as comfortable with the baby's.)

Here's one bonus tidbit of advice for expectant parents: a freezer full of frozen meals and a cupboard full of easily prepared dishes is a lifesaver. That said, don't devote a large amount of space to soups, no matter how delicious or healthy or homemade. New moms can only eat soup when they aren't holding the baby, and the ability to eat a whole bowl of soup before picking the baby up again may be a tricky thing to manage, especially during the first few weeks. I feel like the mom in A Christmas Story who hasn't had a hot meal in years when I try to make some of the soup I so carefully prepared for this time period. I wish I had taken my friend's advice to full the freezer with lasagna instead!

6 weeks

Happy 6-week birthday, Matt! We can't believe how much our little guy has grown in 6 weeks; surely he'll slow down some time soon…

Yipes, stripes!

Week 6

Last Monday we had Matt's 5-week check-up. He weighed in at 12 pounds 11 ounces - although he's at least 13 and a half pounds now - and was pronounced healthy. That was my first real outing alone with Matt, and we upped the ante by then stopping by some friends'. The rest of the week Matt was busy working hard to grow big and strong in time to reach his 6-week birthday. We see him fill out and get taller before our eyes each day; in fact, I swear outfits that fit fine in the morning become a little too snug by the end of the day (if they last that long, that is). In fact, Matt only has 3 articles of 0-3 months clothes that still fit; otherwise he is in 3-month or 3-6 month clothing. In other milestones, Matt is straightening his legs out more and more. He'll stand - with help, of course - on our lap with his legs straight. His neck is stronger; he can hold and turn his neck quite easily and well. His eyes are focusing better, and he's starting to follow better as he or objects move. And we're seeing some more smiles, but they're still involuntary.

Chubby cheeks and a squished mouth

 Happy baby!

Ahoy, matey!

Making silly hand gestures while asleep

Working on holding his head up during tummy time

The home team's lucky charm?

For the past 3 Sundays Matt has been wearing his Patriots onesies, and the past 3 Sundays the Patriots have come back in the 4th quarter. Coincidence? We'll see what happens today…

Update: Sadly, no such luck today. It's probably just as well: these are the last 0-3 month onesies that fit, and it's highly unlikely they'll continue to do so through the end of the season, much less through the playoffs.

Week 5

Matt's fifth week was one of big change. Jon went back to work, leaving Matt and me by ourselves at home together during weekdays. Unfortunately Jon's first day back coincided with a massive growth spurt that left all of us exhausted after a night of non-stop feedings and fussiness, so we didn't get off to the strong start we wanted. By the end of Monday evening Matt was back to his usual self, however, and by the end of the week we were starting to become more comfortable with the new schedule. Matt and I took advantage of the relatively nicer weather to get in a few walks around the neighborhood. On Thursday we hoped to join some friends for a baby-friendly movie showing, but my car had other ideas, sadly. Next week we'll go on some outings...

Some of the many faces of Matt

Sitting up - with a little help

Preparing to go outdoors

Lazy weekend...

Busted!

Look whom I caught napping in the baby's bassinet:

Bad cat!

Is she feeling at all guilty or ashamed? Nope! She's a cat, after all.

(I didn't realize she had been napping in the bassinet until a few weeks before the baby's arrival, when I discovered it was covered in cat hair. After a thorough de-furring and washing, I put some foil in it, which did, ahem, foil her attempts to sleep in it. We've taken the foil out now that the baby's here, however. I had seen her eyeing the bassinet, but this is the first time I've actually caught her in it.)

Happy 1-month birthday, Matt!

Monday was the four-week anniversary of Matt's arrival, but if we go by the calendar today is his one-month birthday. As you can see, Matt is a strong, robust, hearty, growing baby. In fact, he now weighs 12 lbs.! He has outgrown half of his clothes sized 0-3 months now. (One of the remaining items that still fits is the 4th of July onesie you see below; I had tried to dress him in one of his Christmas outfits, but he had already outgrown it! So we're going to pretend this says My First 4th of December instead…)

Week 4

Matt's fourth week was another one full of eating, sleeping, and growing. He may not have grown taller (or longer), but he is definitely filling out. His arms, legs, and torso are much chubbier, with more muscles underneath those cute rolls of baby fat. He can hold his head up for significantly longer periods of time, and he is pushing off with his increasingly stronger arms and legs. We're enjoying watching him articulate each finger and grab more.

Yawn!

Red Sox championship onesie!

Rooting for the home team

Matt's First Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Matt's first Thanksgiving. He's still too young to have any real awareness of the day, much less to have any seasonal treats like turkey, but he still enjoyed the day. Luckily we were able to stay home, so we didn't have to travel. We hosted Jon's youngest brother, whom Jon put to work helping in the kitchen while I took care of Matt. By the end of the day we all were tired; everyone slept well at night!

Week 3

Matt spent most of week 3 growing and growing. He's already at least 10 and a half pounds - and believe me we've noticed his increased weight carrying him around.

Thanks for the onesie, Nina! 

This hasn't been a very exciting week in terms of events, as Matt has mostly spent the week eating, sleeping, getting his diaper changed, and having some alert time.

We never get tired of the many different expressions Matt can make.

In his last ultrasound before his delivery, Matt struck a similar pose, with his (large!) hand across his face. The photo made a lot more sense when we saw the pose for ourselves.

We got permission at his last pediatrician's visit to start stretching out one of his night sessions to 4-5 hours at a time. Some nights he's obliged us with a little more sleep; others he has not.

Thanks, Jen T, for the warm outfit!

Thanks, Lisa, Denis, and Wesley, for the sports onesie swap!

Matt continues to change daily. He can move his fingers independently now and is much more expressive with his hands and even feet. In addition to "waah," "aah," and "eh," his repertoire of sounds now includes "goo," "ooh," and "gee." He also has quite the collection of grunts, snorts, and other similar sounds, many of which he breaks out when he's been put down in his crib. No one told us just how noisy a baby in the lighter stages of sleep can be, especially one who's wriggling out of his swaddle. (We have a little Houdini on our hands who can't wait to get his arms out of his swaddle.) Needless to say our house isn't so quiet these days.