Baby life

Day in the life of a baby: Drink milk with mommy, have fun with grandma, use hands to explore, take a nap and look relaxed.

Peacock

I bought this little halloween costume for him but he was too little to put it on. I put it on him a couple days ago and this is what he looked like - a most serious peacock.

Mr. Handsy

Yesterday we took Miles for his 2 week checkup. Everything looks great, he's gained his birth weight back like he was supposed to.

My mom came to stay and help out on Monday and we have all been enjoying the baby and trying to figure out what his needs are.

One thing that we all agree is remarkable about Miles is his use of his hands. He has to have his hands involved in everything. As the pictures show, even when he's not trying to hold his pacifier or bottle, he's making gangsigns with his fingers or something. He can't stand to have his hands restricted, they're always out of the blankets and sometimes are ice cold but he won't let you put them in the warm.

He's a remarkably trouble free baby - he only cries if he's hungry usually. He sleeps well and poops like a champion. His "first skin" is peeling now and it seems every bath makes it worse but I guess it gets worse before it gets better.

I am so enarmored of him sometimes I already feel sad that the moment at present is passing, I know now what people say about them growing up so fast will be so true and I just want to enjoy him as a baby as long as possible.

Pictures of The Serious One

Miles is very serious. He spends most of his time with his eyes closed but when they are open they look at you very seriously as the pictures can attest.

Changing diapers brings on a nuclear meltdown. We theorize that he doesn't trust us so everytime we take his clothes off he thinks we're going to eat him. This has somewhat subsided, we'll have a calm diaper change once every 5 times.

He likes to use his hands. When it's diaper change time the hands go straight up in the air as if to warn us to back off. When this doesn't work then the screaming starts - and he's got lungs!

He also holds his pacifier in his mouth with both hands as if to make sure it stays there. On day 5 he held his bottle to his mouth and I could let it go and he was holding it up - granted there was about 1/2 oz milk in there but still. We think he's just going to be one to want to do everything for himself.

He has been completely latched on to Norris. If I wanted to I could just feed him and sleep - he wants Norris to hold him 24 hours a day - and Norris does. The kid wants his daddy and not just his daddy but to be in the armpit! Obviously his sense of smell has not fully developed because he loves snuggling into that pit.

His full head of black hair shows no signs of falling out. His umbilical stump fell off yesterday. Last night was the first night we could put him in his bassinet for a couple hours and he would sleep - giving Norris a break from sleeping like a vampire with the baby on his chest.

Life is good.

Party like it's your Birthday!

He has arrived! Not to sound like I gave birth to the Messiah or anything but it is a most exciting day. Miles was born today. He weighed 8 lbs 3 oz and was 20 inches long. Definitely glad that I had a C section. He is strong - he grabbed on to the nurse's gown as she took him from womb to bassinet and wouldn't let go. Got 9's on his APGAR score.
Norris is an amazing dad. He is so in love with his son. He has changed all the poopy diapers so far 3 meconium filled sticky pads.
As for myself I was so awed to see our little creation. I am tired so hard to express my feelings about him and becoming a mom without sounding like a cliche. He is a beautiful healthy miracle and life has become really wonderful today.

Night before Christmas

I'm so excited tonight. I feel like I did when I was little and it was Christmas Eve. We've been anticipating tomorrow since February and today was a flurry of activity, grocery shopping, cleaning, preparing. I'm supposed to go to bed and get a good nights sleep but that will not be possible. It's like Christmas knowing I get a present tomorrow. I know what I asked for - a healthy, sweet tempered wonderful baby, but I wonder what I'll get. What will my present look like? Act like? Smell like? Will he be contented or colicky? How big will this gift be? Due to my gestational diabetes I'm guessing big as is my doctor.
I was actually pretty grouchy for most of the day, kind of scared and worried about having surgery. But all that has passed and now it's 11pm and everything that can be done is done, bags packed for the hospital, house cleaned, gear set up and it's just time to dream and be excited about tomorrow's gift.

Countdown to babytown - 2 Days

It's like the Kennedy Space Center here in Valleybrook Manor. We are counting down, checking off all sorts of major to-do's and preparing for the biggest undertaking of our lives so far.

We have a scheduled C-section at 7:30am on Monday October 29th and things are buzzing, or more accurately I'm buzzing at Norris and things are getting done. My sweet neighbors are calling and stopping by to make sure everything is going well and have been so supportive and wonderful I already feel sad about leaving them.

Yesterday was a huge milestone for our family and Norris especially. He officially completed his residency and is now a board-eligible general surgeon. We went out with friends and had a little dinner for him then had our first bonfire of the season. It was a perfect night for sitting outside around a fire and we had a pleasant night drinking tea with Vincent and Ingrid and poking at the fire while Bella ran circles around us and the fire getting close but managing to not go up in a ball of flames.

This morning saw another round of baby goodie assembly as Norris put the Rainforest Swing - a gift from our generous friend Kurt - together without incident and earlier this week also assembled the Diaper Champ. We now have the capacity to bathe, change, diaper, sleep and rock the baby in two directions. We feel pretty ready for any needs he may have for vibrating sleeping spaces or mobiles with music or nature sounds as well.

So Miles, we say to you in the words of the current President, blithely and ignorantly "Bring it On!".