Updates!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It's amazing that 2012 is almost over. I realized how much I have to be grateful for this year, and I just can't wait for 2013. Jason will turn 1 and we'll probably go back to Colorado to try for #2.

We're almost to 7 months and I have to say that I still can't believe that we've made it this far! I know I'm far overdue for updates, but with work and the holidays, life was freakin' crazy. Things that have been going on:

• J is now sleeping like a champ. We had to resort to a modified Ferber, but now he goes to bed (sleepy but awake) at 7pm and sleeps straight through until 6am. We weaned him from his last night feeding at 6 months after I realized he just wasn't that hungry when he woke up in the mornings.  Unfortunately, I still get up once a night to pump, but that's another matter. Crying it out was not easy at all, but it was so worth it, both for Doc and I and for Jason.
• J's naps have also improved now that he knows how to put himself to sleep. He gets 3 naps a day between 2-3 hours. 
• Teeth! We now have two on the bottom and one coming in on top. The little man is a super-eater and has three meals a day and 4 nursing sessions. Favorite food: sweet potatoes; least favorite food: bananas. Yeah, we don't understand why he hates bananas so much, but they make him gag. I make all his food, so we've experimented with a few more atypical baby veggies and fruits, like persimmons, beets (super messy, but he really likes these), and cauliflower.
• The babbling has begun...He's such a little talker and is starting to make sounds like ma-ma and ba-ba. He'll babble to himself for a good 10-15 minutes if he's happy and just hanging out in the stroller. 
• Jason loves being outside and around people. We make an effort to take him out to the park or story time everyday so that he can see the world. It's so fun to watch him take in everything!
• I'm below my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm not sure how that happened, but between being so busy with work and Jason and nursing, I just haven't been able to eat that much and sure enough, I'm actually able to fit into clothes that I wasn't even able to wear before I got pregnant!
• Nanny is working out great. We were really worried after the NY nanny murders and got super paranoid, but we realized that our nanny is fantastic and she really cares about our little man. She notices when he's not his usual self (like after he got his flu shot and had a little cold) and she gives really thorough reports everyday on what they did together. We're so grateful that we found her!

5 1/2 Months

I can't believe my little man will be 6 months in just two weeks. Time has flown by in a blur and it seems like just yesterday that we had brought him back from the hospital.

It seems like everyday there's something new to discover. J now has two little pearly whites popping up from the bottom of his mouth and he's been eating solids since the 5 month mark. Our pediatrician gave us the thumbs-up on starting solids, so we cautiously started with rice cereal which he absolutely loved. Then we made our way to butternut squash (not so much love), avocado (a hit!), pears (thumbs down), and just yesterday, sweet potatoes (love at first taste).

It's also been so fun to see his little personality start to develop. He just loves being outside and around people and is always "chatting" it up. Our nanny has started to take him to the library story time once a week and she says J loves it. He watches the older kids dance and play and "talks" when the volunteer is reading. The only time he's sad is when he has to go back in the stroller. Definitely no signs of stranger anxiety.

As for my transition back to the working world, it really hasn't been too bad. I miss our little man dearly, but I know that he's in good, caring hands with our nanny (she is so awesome) and I'm actually enjoying being back at work. I've also realized that being back at work is a hell of a lot easier than being home with J all day...being a SAHM is definitely no walk in the park (although I did do a lot of walking in the park when I stayed at home, but that's a different story).

Doc and I have discussed the subject of me quitting my job and staying at home, but we probably won't do that until we move out of our current house and move into a "better" house. Not that our current home isn't good, but we decided a long time ago that we would want to move out of our house into a bigger home with a nice yard and a better neighborhood as soon as we could. It's been a slow going process, but we hope to move next year...Being in the Bay Area, the neighborhood that we're looking at is averaging about $1M for a house (for those of you outside the SF Bay Area, this actually isn't that pricey), so we've had to take our time to build up enough for a down payment and we hope that have that ready by next summer.

And, another note on moi! I have lost all the baby weight and more. Considering I have done no exercise with the exception of walking with J in his stroller, I can only credit the breastfeeding. I can actually feel myself get significantly hungrier after I nurse him. It's amazing!

I started going back to the gym last week just because I was starting to feel a bit sluggish and thought that maybe some exercise would help. Plus, I don't get to go on my daily walks with J anymore. But, I'm nowhere near the "athlete" that I used to be, not that I was that much of an athlete before I got pregnant. After more than a year of not running, it's a slow build up back.

So, that's about it for now! I'll post some pics of J next time!

Back To Life

Five months! I can't believe it's already been five months...There's so much to update on, I don't even know where to start. 

These past couple of months have been a blur and that's partly why I've been MIA. Between sleep training (yes, we had to do this), going on a two week vacation to Hawaii, and looking for a nanny, life was just one thing after another. Hopefully, now that I'm back at work (yep, I started yesterday), I'll actually have some time to read blogs and write!

So, to begin with, Jason is now 5 months old. He's been rolling, rolling, rolling everywhere! Stomach, back, stomach, back. It's so cute, until he gets stuck or hits a wall and starts crying. And even, then it brings a smile to my face. In addition to that, he just got his first tooth! A little white tooth is starting to sprout and it's so adorable. Unfortunately, that means he's chewing the crap out of everything...His new favorite toy, Sophie the Giraffe. He gnaws the crap out of that thing. 

Sleep...the holy grail! We're almost sleeping through the night. Jason now wakes up only once at around 2AM for one feed. Although, there are times when he still cries at night, he'll usually let out a whimper or a howl for all of 1-2 minutes and then go back to sleep. The sleep training was hard, but it's been so worth it. Rocking him to sleep every 2-3 hours was just not sustainable anymore...My back and wrists were hurting so much, I really couldn't function during that day, so again, the ST was difficult, but oh, so worth it.

Nanny time! I just have to say that if I were a billionaire (or even just a millionaire), I'd have a nanny 24 hours a day. It was so wonderful to have our nanny start one week early, both for the transition, so I could see her interact with Jason and for the opportunity to enjoy my last week of maternity leave. I got my haircut, a massage, ate lunch with friends, and even made it to the gym. It was amazing. Needless to say, we have a great nanny. She's wonderful with Jason and has tons of experience. So, although being at work has been difficult because I miss the little guy so, so much, it also hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be because I feel comfortable.

And, lastly, coming back to work. It's actually been pretty nice to be back. I didn't realize how much I missed work and my coworkers. Plus, I can actually get stuff done at work (like surf the net). 

With that I'll leave you with a pic of Jason and his first encounter with the Pacific Ocean (our vacation to Hawaii). He was none too happy.

Hello, stranger!

Yeah, it's been awhile. So long that I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just start from the beginning:

1. Jason is now 3.5 months old! He's grabbing his toes, babbling, lifting his head while doing tummy time, and sitting up with only a little bit of support. It's amazing how much he's grown in the past month. I'm amazed to see him doing something new every week. He's so much more alert and oh, so curious, wanting to look at every little thing. Never in a million years would I have imagined that he'd grow up this fast.

2. BUT, there is a downside and that is sleep...The baby that used to only awake one time a night for a feed is now a sleep monster! I think we're in what the internet and the boards call the 4-Month Sleep Regression. He now wakes up 2-3 times between 7pm and 9pm and then wakes up at least 2 more times during the night for feeds. That is, if we're lucky he wakes up only 2 more times. If the stars are not aligned and the gods hate us, then we're looking at a wake up every hour. Anyone have any advice on this?

3. Sleep training...we're seriously considering doing sleep training. We were using the recommendations provided by the Baby Whisperer book and shh/patting to get him to sleep, but now he's beyond that and it really isn't working anymore. I would prefer having to resort to Ferberizing, but it may come down to that because he will not go back to sleep unless we pick him up and rock him for at least 5 minutes. Since I'm at home, I can do this 3-4 times per night, but once I have to go back to work, this isn't going to be feasible. Plus, my arms, wrists, and back are killing me.

4. Naps...let's not even get into that one. 30 minutes on the dot and he wakes up. Sometimes I can catch him right as he begins to stir and get him back to sleep, otherwise, forget about it. This is the same guy that used to sleep for 2+ hours for his naps. Oh, and did I mention that he only takes naps in his swing?

5. The next big thing we have to tackle is weaning him from the swaddle. We already tried going cold turkey and that did not work. The little guy was out of control...arms flailing, legs going every which way. It was almost comical watching him on the video monitor. Needless to say, he didn't get much sleep that night. So, I'm trying to nap him with only one arm in the swaddle, when I can actually get him to nap. I have a feeling this whole weaning process is going to take a long time.

6. And we're looking for a nanny. Not an easy process. We have a three interviews set up this week and we're hoping that one of them is a success. Two of the three responded to an ad I put in the local parents network forum and one of the three came with a recommendation from a parent. Crossing my fingers that we'll find a great nanny for Jason.

And, I could go on and on, but I won't. So for now, this is what has been consuming my life and rendering my unable to post regularly. I hope everyone is doing well and I send good sleep vibes to all....

Random

Not much to write about, but wanted to let you know that I'm alive and kicking. Some of the things that are going on in my life:

1. I got checked out by my OB and all has healed well and I've got the green light to try for some sexy time. This has Doc very happy, me not so much. Sex drive is on super low and I feel bad for Doc because it's been a very long time. There wasn't much going on the last trimester because of the bloating and general malaise and prior to that, I was restricted because of my placenta previa, so poor Doc has been on a dry spell for awhile.

2. Jason is growing like a weed. He's already at 11 lbs and has been putting on weight like there's no tomorrow. He's been smiling and cooing and gurgling. It's just amazing at how much he develops everyday!

3. Breastfeeding is about the same, but I think I've figured out what's causing all the fussiness. Jason seems to want to suck and not eat and he gets pissed when he starts sucking and discovers a mouthful of milk. I've started to give him a pacifier after his feeding and he seems really content to suck on that for about 5-10 mins. I guess it's sort of like an after dinner mint? Poor guy...it took me forever to figure this out.

4. Carpal tunnel sucks. My wrists are killing me and it's getting worse as Jason gets heavier. I'm wearing wrists splints at night but it's too difficult to hold J and wear them during the day.

5. Is this bad? I'm already thinking about baby #2 since we have 2 frozen blasts back in Colorado. I know it's way early to be thinking this way, but I really want a sibling for Jason and can't help, but hope that one of those blasts will give us another little baby.

6. Pumping...I have to start thinking about pumping and freezing since I'll be going back to work in October and everyone has told me that their milk starts to dwindle when they go back to work. I actually thought about renting the hospital grade Medela Symphony, but after talking to the lactation consultant, I settled on the Medela Pump In Style.

If you got through my boring rambling, I'll leave you with a couple of Jason pics!

Face of contentment right after a big meal!

Sleepy!

6 weeks...well, almost.

J is almost 6 weeks old! It's really hard to believe that he's been in our lives for over a month. On one hand it feels like eternity, but on the other, 6 weeks has gone by super fast. It's been a whirlwind of poop, pee, crying, and feeding.

He's actually been a pretty good little guy with the exception of these past few days. I'm not sure if it's the six week growth spurt (supposedly the most difficult) or if it's just that he's finally becoming a little being and developing his personality, but he's been much fussier than normal.

For example, he's been a perfect little feeder from the start, but these past few days he's been incredibly fussy at my breast, particularly the right one...He'll start fine and then a few minutes into his meal, he'll start fussing, pulling, and grunting, but he won't let go of the nipple. Oh, and his little arms start flailing all over the place. Sometimes, I can calm him down enough so that he finishes his meal, but most of the time, he'll get so agitated that I have to switch over to the other breast. I know it's doesn't have anything to do with a fast let-down. It's actually been so frustrating that I've made an appt with the hospital's lactation nurse to see what the fuss is all about. Hopefully, we'll get some answers.

The other "change" in personality is a bit more concerning. He doesn't like car rides anymore. Before, he'd fall asleep immediately in the car and it was so nice because I'd actually be able to go out and meet people. Pop him in the car, he'd fall asleep, and then he'd stay asleep when I took him out and plopped him in his stroller. Now, he's so agitated in the car that he doesn't fall asleep and then he's crying when I take him out which results in him crying in the stroller and let me tell you, it's no fun strolling the mall with a crying baby.

I've "discovered" a few work arounds, though. One, white noise. I turn that sucker on LOUD in the car and it calms him down a bit and every once in awhile, it'll actually get him to go to sleep.

Two, the exercise ball...It's been a life saver. I bounce gently on that thing with him in my arms and within ten mins he's asleep. That combined with the white noise on the stereo and his swaddle and we're good to go for the night.

Any recommendations from other moms on how to soothe a baby or maybe some insight into why he's so fussy at my breast?

Week 3

Time flies! It's already been three weeks since Jason officially entered our lives. Even with the sleep deprivation and carpal tunnel, these three weeks have been amazing. I never imagined that being a mother would be like this...completely, utterly, all consuming love.

Sometimes, when I'm alone with him at home, I think back to all that we went through to have him in our lives and I'm speechless. Tears start welling up in my eyes and I feel so incredibly grateful and happy; I'm turned into a blubbering fool and all I can do is hope that everyone that is struggling to conceive gets to feel what I feel. It's a blessing that I can't even begin to describe.

With that being said, I have learned a few things during these three weeks and I'll pass on my experiences:

1. Swaddle...Jason cannot sleep without being swaddled and we've tried all different types of swaddles. The Kid*dopotmus sack, regular swaddle blankets, Swaddle*Me with the velcro -- J was able to break out of all of them within seconds. So, we tried the Miracle Blanket and voila, it worked! He was snug as a bug in a rug and slept a full three hours!
2. Carpel tunnel. It sucks. I have it in both wrists from picking him up and holding him in awkward positions. It doesn't help that all my computer use had already laid the ground work for CT. Now, I have to wear braces which really sucks when you're trying to pick up or hold the baby. Word of advice: try to use your whole arm and not your hand/wrist to support the baby when you're holding him.
3. Leaky diapers. We had such a leaky diaper fiasco for the first two weeks. Basically, his diaper was leaking every single time he peed or pooped. We couldn't figure out what was wrong. We went out and bought several different newborn diaper brands, and even put him a size 1 (very large for his tiny body), but nothing seemed to work. Finally, we figured out that the freakin' vaseline we were told to put on his diaper to keep his circumcised peepee from sticking to the diaper was creating a barrier and keeping the diaper from absorbing. Since his little wiener has now healed and we don't need to grease his nappy, there's been no more leaks.
4. Clogged ducts. I've already gotten them in my right boob. For some reason, J doesn't seem to dig my right boob very much and as a result, it doesn't get drained properly which resulted in a very painful, very engorged right breast. So, for the past few days, I've been using a warm compress right before I feed J on my right boob. It seems to get the milk flowing and almost "forces" him to drink.

Lastly, I just want to say how happy I am for both Newbie and TurtleMama!!