9 Weeks Old

Sean is nine weeks old, and also now two calendar months old.  At some point I'll do updates for him once per month, but right now he just changes so fast!

Sleeping has been quite rough the past few weeks.  I was trying to get Sean in his own bed at night more and more, but basically I wound up with no sleep myself.  When in his own room at night, he wakes every two hours.  When he wakes, I go grab him and nurse for 5-20 minutes, depending on how hungry he is. Then I rock him back to sleep, which takes another 20 minutes.  If I'm impatient (which, apparently, happens frequently when I am tired and it's past my bedtime) and try to set him down before he is TOTALLY asleep, he wakes and I have to pick him up and rock him all over again.  What happened five nights in a row this past week is that I never even had enough time to fall asleep myself before he woke again, and at some point between 12 - 3 AM, having still not gotten the chance to sleep at all myself (also known as the time of the night when all willpower left me), I pulled him into bed with me, giving up for the night.  So, starting last night, I just bring him to bed after he initially wakes, as long as it's after 8 or 9 PM and I'm ready to turn in.  I got soooo much more sleep last night and all day felt like a new woman: more patient and rational, enjoying him more, etc.  I guess this is what works for now, and maybe in another week or two he'll be better able to settle himself back to sleep.  I'm incredibly fearful of never getting him out of our bed, but he's too little for serious sleep training, so this is the best I can do for now, I suppose.  Cheers to you if you read that whole paragraph!

Otherwise, Sean is great and super easy!  He is enjoying playing (aka looking at and batting with closed fists) with his toys more.  He has become aware of the pets, smiles at his own face in the mirror (see blurry pic below), and started drooling when he is concentrating hard.  Most days I get a tear-free shower by putting him in his bouncy chair with Pandora tuned to Raffi, and today he was content on his floor gym mat long enough for me to take the dog out and make (no-bake) cookies.  Wahoo, that's freedom, folks!

Some favorite pictures from the past week:

8 Weeks Old + A Visit to Vermont

This past weekend we took Sean's first major car trip and drove to Vermont.  My father's parents are visiting there before they head back to Florida for the year, and we couldn't pass up the chance to introduce them to their newest great grandchild.  It was a wonderful visit, despite being pretty tricky with a tiny baby.  I spent a good portion of the weekend with Sean strapped to my front in the Moby wrap or else alone in my childhood bedroom trying to nurse him to sleep.  I am sure I missed most if not all of the family meals.  Oh well, Bradley got to chat with his great grandparents, I hear, which is pretty special considering they are normally so far away.  A few pics from our visit:

Also, Sean is eight weeks (and nearly two calendar months) old.  We went to the doctor today for his first round of vaccines, which has turned him into Fussy McSleepypants.  Poor thing has done nothing but sleep, nurse, or cry ever since.  He did enjoy a cool bath and we gave him some pain medication as he was clearly not feeling well.  We are reminded he is not the same person as big brother, who was a really quiet little person, we are learning!

He is growing well, reaching 24.5 inches long (98th percentile) and 12 lbs 10 oz  (51st percentile).  Because he is so tall and not as heavy, the doctor wants to see him for an extra visit in a month, before the regular four month well baby appointment.  We're not worried at all, as he has little fat rolls aplenty, wets tons of diapers each day, and my brother and I grew in a similar pattern.  Bradley tagged along for the appointment, wearing his babies like I do Sean.

Some days with Mr Sean are great (yesterday I was able to run, shower, and even make dinner)  and some are still kinda rough (no shower today, and see above references to lots of loud crying), but the general trend is improving.  Developmentally, he's doing well: tracking with his eyes, responding socially with babble and smiles, and now able to put his tiny fists into his own mouth.  Some recent favorite pictures:

 

7 Weeks

Sean is doing a great job growing up, as we like to say around here.   He has been sleeping longer in his bassinet, allowing me to actually complete an uninterrupted workout for the first time this week.  He is in there at night more too, with me retrieving him when he initially wakes after 1 AM.  I aim to keep pushing that time back an hour till I just get up with him if it's at least 5 or 6 AM.  Around 12 weeks old I will start working on putting him down drowsy but awake... something that isn't possible yet.

He still adores big brother, has been giving us huge toothless grins, and is pawing at toys that hang nearby, occasionally getting lucky and grabbing one.  I felt like a pro this week with both boys at Bradley's dentist appointment followed by some shopping for fresh produce, but really it was that Sean made it easy on me, napping and nursing in the Moby wrap.

We're off to Vermont this weekend for his first trip away from home, to meet his great grandparents.  Hopefully the travel and sleeping away from home go well!

Next week he has his first round of vaccines at his two month (!!) well baby doctor appointment.

Here are some favorite pictures from this week:

Summer Fun

We have been staying inside a lot what with a newborn and some awful heat waves, but we're still managing to have our share of summer fun.  Bradley is taking swimming lessons at the local YMCA, with his best little friend Wyatt.  It's nice because he's getting more comfortable with the water, and Sean and I can watch from the comfort (?) of the bleachers.

We're growing tomatoes (I am gently easing into gardening some vegetables), and the first have recently ripened.  That has been quite rewarding for Bradley and I; he asked if we are farmers now.  Ha!  In all honesty though, I'd like to be a little bit of a farmer.  My parents kept a large vegetable garden when my brothers and I were growing up and I have wonderful memories of picking produce right out of it and eating it sun-ripened right off the plant.  Nothing is tastier!  Maybe that's part of why I still love raw fruits and vegetables to this day.  We may be starting with three small vegetable pots and one herb pot this year (last year's chives, we didn't have to touch it, haha), but I have high hopes of dedicating a little more space and time each year to the idea, so that Bradley and Sean can have similar memories.

And of course there's been as much bike riding, baseball, pool swimming, and watermelon slurping as possible.  Pat and I are actually starting to worry the PawSox are spoiling Bradley... the kid gets at least one ball thrown his way via players or managers every game!