The art of imitation

I am not yet potty training Hans, but Freddie is trying his darndest.  He asks to get Hans onto the potty with him at every opportunity.  I usually oblige because the kid just might be onto something.

30 Weeks (and 1 day)

You're not very interested in sitting for pictures any longer, my Chubba Wubba.
 

You're moving all over these days, ending up across the room and fussing with some frustration that you're not getting closer to your intended destination.

You have one lone tooth poking through.  Not really much sign of any others.

Eating is one of your favorite past times.  You love yogurt and if its in sight you must have it immediately.  You refuse all other foods if you know yogurt is on the menu.  You're nursing 4-5 times a day and eating three solid meals a day. 

Your other favorite part of the day is giggling with Freddie.  I love seeing the two of you together.

It won't be much longer before you're following him all over the house.

Your sleep is fantastic these days, sleeping 11-12 hours at night and taking two naps a day.  The best part is you wake up smiling.  I love this.  I hope this keeps up through our travels in a few weeks.

You're going through a "mama phase."  I must be in your sight at all times.  Kinda difficult and pretty pathetic when you put out that lip and cry when I walk away from you.

We love you, Chubba Wubba...big as the wold. 

Hans' Weigh In

At 4 months, 2 weeks:

• 13lbs 2.25 oz (5.97kg) (4.5th percentile)

So, he's gained about 13oz in 12 days.  That's more than the 1/2 oz per day usually recommended for newborns.  He's gaining, but still is "slight."  The kid has a roll on each thigh, but he's still considered slight.  Ah, well...

Last week I spoke with the lactation consultant.  She was kind enough to just chat with me on the phone for a while.  No appointment.  No getting myself or the boys anywhere.  Her recommendations to increase my supply:

• Mother's Milk Tea....haven't gotten any yet, but hope to visit Whole Food this weekend.  I like tea, and there's no harm in it, so I'll give it a whirl. 
• Pump after each nursing, if you have time....HA!  
• Rest...even bigger HA!
• Eat three meals and three snacks a day.  I did increase my caloric intake.

What I have done:

• Mama is now off limits when nursing.  No chatting, no asking her for help, no singing to her and Hans, no requests to watch tricks or jumping jacks.  This has helped Hans focus and I think he is nursing longer.
• We've been inside more.  I'd been staying in more to try to help get Hans' naps later in the morning, so this being in the house more means I've been offering to nurse him every 1.5-2.0 hours rather than every 3 hours.

What won't happen:

• The lactation consultant verified that he is more than capable of getting enough calories during the day.  He does not need to get up at night to eat.  Whew.

What concerns me:

• He is in an extreme state of constipation.  And I do mean extreme.  The pain he is in trying to have a bowel movement is nothing compared to his 9 day poop-less stints.  It is AWFUL to see him strain and cry.
• He acts like he is starving and cannot get enough solids!  Is he that hungry and can I be feeding him too much?

What Dr. G said today:

• Wow!  He sure is active for 4 months!  And he's just going to get more active and burn more calories.
• Keep doing what you're doing. 
• I'm not worried.
• Try oatmeal instead of rice cereal.  Keep up the prunes.
• Feed him as much as he'd like to eat, but always after he's had a full nursing session

Next steps:

• Six month appointment in January, but pop in for a weight check when time allows every few weeks.

14 Weeks (and 1 day)

At Audubon Park, taking a break from our walk

• Growing hair
• Gaining weight but about 12 lbs.
• "Talking" to Freddie

 

Big Boy

• Carrying on entire conversations with your coos
• Sleeping 5.30pm-1.30am and 1.30am-5.00am and 5.00am-6 or 7ish
• Napping morning and afternoon
• Getting used to the car

 

• Enjoying baths
• Sucking your fingers and then your whole fist

• Smiling at anyone who stops to interact
• Stuffy nose complete with boogies
• Reaching

• Grabbing and pulling towards you
• Rolling over to get a different perspective
• Rolling over and fussing to be flipped back over

Snoozing in the Baby Bjorn

Photo courtesy of Freddie

• Easy going
• Patient

Christened

Hans Edward received his first sacramanet. 
 

He was baptized at St. Philip Neri.  Lizzy and Bruno were there to serve, yet again, as the wonder godparents. 



He was a perfect angel, no tears at all. 

6 Weeks

Nighttime sleep:  You're still managing 5 hour stretches most nights.  I think you'd go longer but you usually wake the both of us up with some poots.  After that first stretch, you seem to sleep in 2-3 hour stints.  We're trying to dial back your bedtime to around 7pm.  And I'm working hard on being consistent.  Freddie gets in the bath about that time, so I'm hopeful we can spend some time unwinding in the rocker and get you down for the evening.

Napping:  Getting about two naps a day.  One nap is in the stroller during our morning walk and you seem to doze off and on.  The other is in the afternoon for 2-3 hours and typically overlaps with Freddie's nap by about an hour.  You could usually use, and never get, a late afternoon/early evening nap but I am hoping an earlier bedtime makes it unnecessary. 

Temperament:  You are finally starting to smile.  Thank the lawd.  Just when Mama thinks she cannot go any further you start doing that.  You still cry a great deal, but maybe we'll turn a corner with that this week?  You don't seem to mind tummy time, and maybe this is because it helps your tummy feel better.  It surprises me that you don't immediately get angry when I place you on your stomach the way Freddie did.  When you're worn out you soothe yourself by sucking on your wrist and can even soothe yourself to sleep.  As much as I hope you're not a thumb sucker, I hate to discourage your self soothing.  I'm also not sure how to handle this at sleep time since I want to swaddle you but hate to take your arm away from your mouth.

Health:  You nurse a lot, but I mostly offer you the breast to shut you up.  If your mouth is full you can't cry.  You're only pooping once a day, and that can be kinda scary.  Your chest still sounds a little congested to me but I'll wait to ask about that at your next well visit.

I'm holding his head, Mama.

Little brother:  Oh goodness, I sure hope you're a patient, easy going kid.  Freddie is all over you and you seem unfazed by it currently. He paws ("pets") you pretty frequently and loves giving you snuggles which can pretty much be described as you getting mauled. 

5 Weeks (and 1 day)

• A day late.  Sigh.
• There's been no sleeping the past couple of nights.  You're up every hour. Perhaps a growth spurt, although I wasn't expecting that for another week.  

I'm just hugging Hansie, Mama.

• Naps aren't really going down either.  The morning nap in the stroller is garunteed but the rest of the day is hit or miss.  When I finally get a minute to read your cues and actually sit down to help you wind down, there always seems to be something that interferes.  And that something is usually generated by your big brother.
• I think you're pretty cute.  Your ears kinda bend at the tops.
• Your hair is soft and fuzzy and filling in.  It looks like a nice reddish brown.
• Your eyes are dark.  A brown eyed boy you will most likely be.
• Although you're still not crazy about the swing you'll sit for a while in the bouncer looking around.

• I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures this week.
• You still scream an awful lot.
• Pooping and passing gas seem to stand between you and sleep as well.  You have this knack of waking the both of us up from deep sleeps with a giant poot.

Announcement

4 Weeks

You're a month old! Seems like forever that you've been around, Tummy Brother.  You're definitely ours.

Your legs look so long and your toes even longer.

Freddie's taking great care of you.  He checks on you each time you cry and likes to help change your diaper.  He loves on you lots, maybe a little too much?  Thanks for being so patient with all of us.

I suppose it's easy to tell that you're the second child since you just got your first bath at 3.5 weeks.  I am trying to figure out how to fit everything into our routine.  You enjoyed the bath more than I remember Freddie enjoying his first bath.  I guess being a bit older helps.

You're spending longer and longer awake during the day and keeping most of your sleep to the evening hours.  The 5+ hour sleep stretches in the evenings have returned and I am ever so thankful.  You sleep most of the night in the cosleeper next to the bed, swaddled up tightly.  I usually pull you in to bed with me in the early morning for some cuddles.  Amazingly, this seems to be the soundest sleep you get, unswaddled, lying cheek to cheek with your mama.  I don't sleep so soundly, but am enjoying feeling each little breath on my face. 

Your eyes are dark and are looking like you'll be a brown eyed boy.  Your soft fuzzy hair is filling in on top.  

 

We love you, Tummy Brother.  

3 weeks (and 1 day)

I have a feeling that your weekly photo may end up being weekly + a day (or two or three) given how my afternoon looked yesterday:  you screaming inconsolably and Freddie hanging on my leg doing the same because he wanted to be held as well after being told I couldn't attend "the party in his bedroom" until you had been fed.  I'm trying to allow that scene to be normal so I'm not rattled or in tears.  Sigh.

I made the mistake of mentioning you were sleeping from 8.00pm-1.30am for a handful of consecutive nights.  That, of course, was enough to put an end to that.  Perhaps your 3 week growth spurt has begun, but you are not interested in sleeping, just nursing and crying. 

We've been using the Daddy's morning momentum to get us out the door each morning for a walk and some playtime.  You're awake for about half of our walk and have been pretty patient at the playground while Freddie gets some of his energy out.

You impress me with your head control already.  You work to lift it and look around at your surroundings.  I suppose your head being on the small side helps.  We've got out a few toys to get tummy time started.  I think Freddie will be the biggest entertainment to keep you motivated during tummy time.  He's definitely interested in all things Hans.

You've been left to cry more than Freddie ever did.  Sorry about that.  Things are rough with two of you and only one of me.  Something tells me you'll be ok, and maybe you'll even be more relaxed because of it.  As comfortable as I feel with this Mama thing, I don't feel as though I remember much from when I did it the first time around, although it is slowly coming back.  You're healthy and nursing and loved.  All the other stuff I'll figure out eventually, I promise.