Michael's 3 month Pictures!

We had Michael's 3 month pictures taken on June 17th. We love our photographer! Jessie is so great to work with; she takes her time and is so sweet with Michael. The pictures turned out so cute!

Michael's 3rd Month

Michael turned 3 months old on June 8th!

So many facial expressions!
3 moths old!

Nursing:  Michael has continued to do well with nursing! Boy likes to eat. He had his 2 month appointment during this month and he weighed 12.7 lbs. So nearly 2lbs up from his birth weight in 2 months. He is a growing boy. He also had grown 3 inches! I started back to work on 5/30 and I was super nervous about how he would do with taking a bottle for more than one feeding in a row. He didn’t seem to mind. He had no problems going back to nursing when I got home in the afternoons! This means I am pumping more than before to keep my stash up. I am fortunate to have great accommodations at work that allow me to pump when I need to.

Smiling baby sitting up in his BUMBO

Sleep: He sleeps well for the majority of the time. Most nights it is at least a 5 hour block followed by another 2-3 hour block. I am not complaining. He will still have a few nights where he wants to nurse off and on every few hours but they have coincided with Wonder Weeks or Growth spurts. I know every child is different but he has followed pretty closely to the Wonder Week schedule and also the common growth spurts.

Just hanging out with Great Granny Marty!

Guard Dog watching over napping baby while mom does laundry!

About Michael: He lost most of the brown hair on the top and sides of his head and it is growing in blonde. He still has beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest smile. He is in size 1 diapers and 3-6 month clothing. He loves looking at the ceiling fan and the shadows that it makes. His head control seems to be getting better every day. He will smile, giggle and coo when you talk to him. He has started to converse with us with his made up language. He loves Buster and Buster loves him. They are going to be best buddies once he gets big enough to play. He is trying to roll over. He gets up on his side but can’t figure out how to go all the way over yet. During this month we took a trip to see my husband's god mother, Jay. She lives in Delaware and we couldn't wait for Michael to meet his Great Grandma!

Taking a nap at Great Grandma Jay's house in Delaware

Sending Happy Birthday wishes to Jay from Georgia!

Postpartum: I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight (yay) but I need to continue with the weight loss. I had slowly gained more than I care to admit over the last year or two. My body is still adjusting back to “normal” even though the scale says I am back my stomach still has loose skin, but I now that takes time. I have slowly added more and more to my workouts. I missed working out hard when I was pregnant. I just have to be careful because I can tell my knee joints are still a little lax. I love being Michael’s mom! I feel that time is going by so fast and at the same time I can’t remember what it was like before he got here. He is a perfect fit for our family and I can’t wait to see person he grows up to be! 

First time in the Pool

Mother's day Trip

For Mother's Day this year we took a trip in April to see the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC.

It was Michael, myself, my mom and my mother in law.

Neither my mom or mother in law had been to the Biltmore House so it was a fun time getting to experience it with them. 

We got there early and walked the grounds first,

My mom has quite the green thumb so she really enjoyed looking at all the different types of flowers, trees and shrubs. I truly believe she would have been just as happy to stay in the garden area instead of seeing the house!

Michael slept nearly the whole time in my carrier. He would wake up and nurse then fall back to sleep.

We enjoyed a nice lunch in the Stable Cafe and HAD to sample some of their desserts!

Yum

It was a long day since we drove up and back after our outing but it was a wonderful day that I will truly look back on fondly. 

Michael's 2nd month

Michael turned 2 months old on May 8th!

Our Sweet Baby Boy!

Nursing:  Michael is still eating like a champ! We have a pretty good routine down now. He usually eats from just one side per feeding and is done after 15 minutes. I started to pump in order to have a freezer stash built up for when I return to work and it has gone well so far. I have been able to get up early (4 a.m.) and that has been the most productive. Michael does well taking a bottle as long as it is from someone other than me.

Sleep: He started sleeping through the night (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) most nights of the week around 6-7 weeks. He still has nights were he gets up and wants a snack but I am definitely not complaining. He will take 2-3 naps during the day ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours. He still likes to nap in his car seat if we take a ride anywhere.

Mr. Blue Eyes

About Michael: His eyes are still very blue! His hair seems to be lightening up on the top of his head and is very dark on the sides and in the back. He weighed 12.7 lbs. and was 24 inches at his 2 month check-up. He got 3 shots in his legs at that appointment and it broke my heart. I nursed him right after the nurse left the room and then he was fine. He slept on and off the rest of the evening and the next morning he was back to his happy self.  He is in size 1 diapers and 3-6 month clothing. He has become more aware of his surrounding and enjoys looking at the ceiling fans or his little friend on the play mat. He still loves music and white noise; it calms him down 90% of the time. He started to smile this month and it is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. If he gets really excited he will cover his mouth with his hands.

Hiking Tallulah Gorge with Aunt B

Postpartum: I went for my follow up and the MD said everything inside and out looked great. He cleared me to resume all normal activities as tolerated. I started with some workout DVDs and I plan to keep up with the long walks around the neighborhood. I have lost 40 of the 45 lbs. that I gained so I am slowly but surely getting back to my new normal. 

The many faces of Michael

Supporting the home team!

Michael's 1st Month!

Michael turned a month old on April 8th!

 

As cliché as it sounds I can't believe that our sweet boy has already been with us a month. It seems like just yesterday we found out that I was pregnant and now he is here!

Nursing:  Michael is still eating like a champ! He has started to speed up occasionally finishing one side in 15 minutes. I still offer the other side and then always start with that side for the next feeding. Michael got his first bottle from dad on 3/31. I want to make sure that he is comfortable with it by the time I go back to work but not give them so often that he gets confused. So my goal is a bottle every few days for now and then closer to returning to work give a bottle a day. Trying to find the time and balance for pumping without messing up my supply is hard. I probably read too much info sometimes but everyone has a different opinion. So we will see how it goes and what works best for us.

 

1st Bottle!

 

Sleep: He has started to stretch out his night time sleeping to 3 hours at time for most nights. He will nap still in the pack n' play, bassinet and rock n' play. We tried a Summer Infant SwaddleMe and he still has a mini-meltdown when we first put him in it but he then settles down and is able to sleep.

 

About Michael: His eyes are still very blue! His hair seems to be lightening up to me and he still has a bad case of baby acne. He is around 10+lbs  according to our bathroom scale. He is in size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothing with the exception of newborn onesies. He has slowed down on the BMs he has 3-4 a day but still has plenty of wet diapers. He doesn't seem to be effected by any of the foods I have eaten so far.  He prefers tummy time on the bobby pillow vs. on a flat surface. He likes car rides and going for walks around the neighborhood in the stroller. He still loves the wrap carrier for trips to the grocery store or around the house when I need to get stuff done and he is fussy. He loves music and his white noise. He is still very laid back most of the time. He is still very alert and wants to look around and see what's going on when he's awake.

Spending the day with his Great Granny!

Being silly with Grandma trying on a new hat!

 



His hair is already over the top of his ear!



Modeling his overalls for Aunt Heather

 



Monthly shot next to Teddy



Mr. Blue Eyes



 

 

 

Big Brother always checking out what's going on!

 

 

 

Postpartum: I have really enjoyed adding walks outside to our routine. We go everyday, weather permitting and it is a great stress reliever and I know it's doing my body some good. I can't wait to go back for my 6 week checkup and get the ok to start back with exercising. I have started with light weights for my arms and I do squats everyday but I want to work up a sweat! I have lost another 5 lbs which brings me to a total of 35 of the 45 I gained during the pregnancy. I still need to lose another 25-35 after that to be at my ideal weigh so I plan to really work towards that long term goal.

 

Easter Sunday

Michael's 2nd and 3rd week

March 15^th-28^th

Week 2 & 3 Summary

Nursing:

Michael is a growing boy! We have gone through a few days of cluster feeding which was a little rough sleep wise. He is now nursing about 20 minutes on the first side and I offer the second side which he sometimes takes for 5-10 minutes and sometimes he is content with just the first side. Michael still wants to eat every 2.5 hours with the occasional shortened time span during the day.  I have started to do a random pumping session here and there to get my body used to the pump for when I go back to work and to start working on a freezer stash.

  Big Brother Buster is always close by!

Sleep:

Michael is sleeping for about 2 hours at a time with the occasional 3 hour stretch at night. He does well in his pack n’ play, cradle and rock n’ play sleeper. He also sleeps like a champ in my carrier wrap and the car seat if we are out and about.  He hates to be swaddled! It dawned on me that during our anatomy scan his hands were up by his face or behind his head the whole time. This is how he likes to sleep now. So this causes either a meltdown if we try the swaddle or the occasional startled cry during a nap which he is able to settle himself back down most of the time.

Wearing a cute hat given to us by a sweet coworker

He celebrated his first "holiday" St. Patrick's Day!

About Michael:

 He wasn't too sure what to think about bath time!
 

Michael had his 2 week checkup on 3/24/2015 and he was already up two pounds from his discharge weight from the hospital, 9lbs and 2oz. The doctor checked him out and said everything looked good and we don’t have to go back until the 2 month checkup. He has outgrown any newborn outfits that have footie bottoms. His legs are too long and his feet are too big! He can still wear NB onesies and he switched from NB to size 1 diapers during week 2 and 3.  He is still having 10+ wet diapers and 5-7 poop diapers a day. It is very easy to know when he has a dirty diaper because he is so loud when he toots or poops!  He still has the white bumps on his nose and now his has baby acne. We are hoping it will all clear up pretty soon. To me his hair looks like it is starting to lighten up and his eyebrows and eyelashes are also coming in very light colored. Everyone who gets to see Michael in real life always comments on how alert his is already. This might not be the best thing when it comes to sleep but we love playing, singing and enjoying him right now! Multiple people also comment on how strong he is when it comes to his neck control. He can easily hold his head up for 5 seconds by himself. It will catch you off guard occasionally when it seems like he is trying to escape your arms!

A flower arrangement from one of Michael's Great Grandmothers for his 1 week birthday!

We also had his newborn pictures done and they turned out wonderfully! We love our Photographer!

 

 

 

 

Postpartum:


The first week was going as well as a major life changing event like having baby could go then we got into the second week. I started to notice some redness on my incision site along with an itchy feeling. I waited a day or two to see if I was overacting or if something really was up. On the 3rd day it looked AWFUL! It was red and it itched so bad I could have drawn blood with the way I wanted to scratch it. I called the doctor and set up an appointment for next day and then had a meltdown for a few minutes. I just went and lay down on the bed and had a good cry. My husband was sweet and came in and was comforting me saying all kinds of sweet things. So the next day we went to get it checked out and the MD thought it presented more like a reaction to the stuff used to seal me up vs. an infection. I was very relieved. He put me on a 3 day antibiotic and scheduled a follow up for the next week. Within a few hours of taking the antibiotics it felt less itchy so I knew we were on the right path. By the follow up appointment 5 days later it looked and felt 100% better.  My bleeding had slowed down to almost nothing by the 3rd week too. I lost another 10 pounds this week which felt good when I look at the scale but the mirror isn’t as nice! Ha-ha. I have a long way to go but that’s ok.

Belly Shot at 2 weeks Postpartum

We are taking it slow and I wouldn’t trade anything for this precious baby boy!

Michael's First Week

Week One Summary

 March 8^th - March 14^th

Nursing:

Michael was born via C-section so it was 45 minutes after he was born before we could try breastfeeding, he did great! He was eager to latch on. I was so happy. Breastfeeding was one of the major goals I had for Michael and me. I don’t know how long we'll go for but I definitely wanted to give him the best start. Once we were moved into our Mother/Baby room I would nurse whenever he showed any hunger signs. His most often is sucking on his hands. He would get so frustrated if he didn’t latch right away that he would start to head butt me with his mouth wide open! He did that for the first 3 days and then started to calm down and not get frustrated so easily. My milk started to come in on day 4 and I was extremely sore but it only lasted about 36 hours and required one pumping session and then things were back to feeling better. I have been lucky up to this point and I haven’t experienced any lasting soreness or cracking on my nipples. He will nurse for about 10 minutes on the first side and then 5 minutes on the second side then he would be content. He was eating around every 2.5 hours for his first week.

Sleep:

Neither one of us slept well at night in the hospital due to the nursing staff coming in around the clock. It seemed liked if one of us was getting ready to fall asleep someone would come in and need to do a vital sign check or give me my medicine. He slept well during the day in the hospital because he was getting lots of cuddles from family and friends visiting. 

Once we were home we tried him in his cradle by the bed and it was awful! The space just seemed too big for him. He would be startled awake anytime he moved a body part. I also didn’t sleep well because I couldn’t stop checking on him. I was so nervous.  The third day my mother in law went and picked us up a Rock n’ Play Sleeper. It put him at a slight incline and also seemed to have him snuggled up a little more than the flat cradle. He slept much better once we got it set up. Dad was also thankful since he had to go back to work. On day 4 he started sleeping better for naps in his pack n’ play so we will probably transition soon back to the cradle that way when it is time to move him to his nursery the crib will be a smooth transition.

About Michael:

He was born at 4:15 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 21 inches long! He was born with a head full of brown hair! My two sisters and I were born bald and I thought he might be the same but he proved me wrong! He has deep blue eye which I hope stay that way. His dad wants them to change to brown so that they will have the same eye color, we shall see. He is also covered with blonde hair all over his body!

 

 

 His nose is covered in little white bumps that the nurse said was his oil glands and that they should go away soon. He has long fingers and big feet! He hates to have his arms swaddled. He prefers to have them up by his face. So much so that he scratched a good sized gash on his cheek on day 2.

 He peed and pooped well the first day in the hospital (1^st time was as soon as the pulled him out of me). After his circumcision we saw a decrease in wet and poop diapers. On the second day home he finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and completely soaked through his diaper and onesie with pee. It took another day and half for him to finally poop but when he did it was a good one! He made a funny noise and within 10 seconds the back of his onesie was soaked through with poop!

Overall he is very calm and only cries when he is hungry or in need of a diaper change at this point!

Postpartum:

Soon after getting to the mother/baby room I was ready to start moving around. They wouldn’t let me get up until the next morning. I was sore at incision site as well as my right shoulder which is a common occurrence in C-sections but with log rolling and using my upper body I was able to maneuver around in bed mostly by myself. They took the catheter out the next morning also which I was glad of to be able to get up and go to the bathroom! I was able to shower on my own which wasn’t as great I as had it worked out in my head to be. The shower head had really low pressure as most of it was coming out of the bathtub facet instead but clean is clean. We had lots of visitors which I enjoyed! My husband let me sleep through the visit with the pastor from his church! I was quite embarrassed when he told me when I woke up.

Once we got home things continued to get easier. My pain was manageable by ibuprofen only which I was happy to not need the narcotics while breastfeeding. My stomach still looked 6 months pregnant except for a hard baby bump it was a squishy bowl of jello, not nearly as cute! The good news is that I lost 20 lbs the first week!

 

 

Over the course of the week I had help from my husband, mother and mother-in-law which has made the initial shock and recovery from bringing a baby home much easier. I had a few visitors come by which was lovely as well! The only part that bothers me (but that I totally understand) is not being able to drive. I don’t like having to rely on people and plan out special trips just to go run a quick errand but I know that the time will pass quickly and we will be out and about in no time!