Spoke too soon....

After Micah's fussiness last night, I hastily declared Micah "asleep for the night" at 9:15. Apparently, I spoke too soon. Elliot and I were catching up on the DVR, reviewing the architectural plans and discussing child care challenges last night. Right around 2:30, I started to get a bit sleepy. I turned to Elliot and said "I think I'm going to call it a night after we finish watching this show." About 3 minutes later, we heard this LOUD wailing over the monitor - yup, Micah woke up screaming. We gave him a minute to see if he would roll over and fall back to sleep, but no such luck. Elliot went upstairs and spent about 20 minutes cuddling with Micah and trying to coax him back to sleep. We tried a little more Tylenol, but Micah just needed to come downstairs and cuddle with his Mommy.

We sat with him for a while longer, and around 3:15 we tried to put him back in the crib so we could go to sleep. No such luck! Micah started screaming his head off again, so we brought him back out of the crib and into bed with us. For another hour, that boy was going! He did not want to nap or cuddle, he wanted to play. Poor Elliot - I could barely stay awake, and someone needed to make sure Micah did not dive off of the bed. Around 4:15, Elliot tried to put him in the crib one last time. Micah definitely cried and fussed, but he eventually fell asleep (I think, perhaps, after I dozed off). He slept until 10:00 this morning. All I can say is...I'm glad the grumpy baby had daycare today! I hope tonight gets easier. I'm sure the poor little guy didn't feel well from the vaccinations...and his erupting teeth.

Horrible Night

I have to say, I shouldn't complain when we have a horrible night, because it really does happen so rarely. Micah has been a great sleeper from the beginning. However, the past few weeks have been rough - sick, teething, ear infections - let's just say it has absolutely disrupted Micah's sleep. Once again, Micah started fussing and crying in his sleep shortly after we put him to bed. Around 1:00 am, he started crying out loudly and standing up in his crib. We had to go in and get him, and he was just inconsolable. He cried, and he seemed to be having pain. We gave him some bottle and motrin, and then we put on Sesame Street. After about 1 hour, we finally coaxed him back to sleep. He cried on and off the rest of the night, and finally was wide awake again at 7:00 am. I wish I knew what to do for the poor little guy! I don't know how my parents did this in a time when they couldn't tape Sesame Street and play it when necessary!

The off switch is in the tushy

We've had a rough couple of days - Micah woke up a few times this week at 11:00 pm, and has insisted on being cuddled for a little while. Since we missed him, we have humored him a bit. Unfortunately, the minute we separate from him, he wakes up and starts crying again. Rather than pick him back up, we've started "potching his tushy" - lightly patting his bottom while he falls asleep. I cannot for the life of me figure out how this is comforting, or even desirable, but Micah seems to love it. I think I would deck anyone who did that to me. Unfortunately, Micah's "off" switch is apparently in his tush - he only stays asleep and still while someone is patting his bottom! Elliot and I have each taken turns, and the process can go on forever. The minute we stop, his cute little head pops up, he takes a hand and reaches around to his own tush and starts potching it, or he reaches out to our hand to grab it and pull it back or to pat it - clearly indicating that the patting must resume.

Today was particularly harsh - Micah woke up crying at 5:00 am. I guess he must have been hungry. I went in to comfort him, but all he wanted was to crawl into my arms. I tried to take him back into our bed to see if snuggling would put him to sleep, but no such luck. I finally had Elliot make a bottle, and he guzzled all of it right down, but still no sleep (at least for Micah - Elliot fell right back to sleep). Micah stayed awake until 10:30 am before taking a nap! Of course, that messed up our whole schedule. Today was the second day of Rosh Hashana, and we were supposed to go back to synagogue for services. I sent Elliot over while Micah napped, and told him we would join him as soon as we could. Micah slept until after 12, and when he woke up, I quickly gave him a bottle and lunch and we ran over to services. We arrived just in time...for it to end. Oh well - next year we'll try again.

Anyway, Micah took a great nap this afternoon, but he was a bit tough to put to bed. He just woke up a few moments ago, I spent 40 minutes potching his tush, and I hope he is down for the night. Let's hope he sleeps until at least 7:30 tomorrow!

We've actually had a great holiday - we had dinner with my family on Friday night, and Micah got to spend time with his Aunt Jen, Uncle Jeremy and cousins Paige and Peyton. My friends Heather and Brad also joined our celebration. On Saturday, Micah slept late (until 9:00), and he fell asleep in the stroller on our way to synagogue. He was pretty good during services, although he felt the need to sing along - much to the chagrin of some of the people there. Overall, he was very well-behaved, and I was impressed he was able to stay as long as he did. He took another nap for about 30 minutes before we left services, and he drank his bottle on the walk home. He had a big lunch, and then we went back to my parents' house for dinner. We actually took some time that afternoon to visit one of my parents' neighbors, Arleen and Lorin - close family friends who were like second parents to me growing up. Their daughter Rayna was in town, and her grandmother Della was there, too, and everyone was thrilled to spend some time with Micah.

Tomorrow is Micah's 9 month appointment, and we are back to the work/daycare grindstone. What a crazy week! I have to leave for Orlando on Tuesday, and I'll be gone until Thursday. I hope Elliot can handle the time alone with Micah!

Sing, sing a song!

Lately, whenever I sing to Micah, he has been joining in and singing, too. Unfortunately, he does not yet get any of the words right, but he is definitely singing with me. It just makes my heart swell with love. He ooohs and aahs and pauses around the right times, but unfortunately, I think he is unable to carry a tune (just like his mommy).

The past two nights, he has been a bit "clingy" at bed time. I take him upstairs, nurse him, and while he is extra sleepy, I plop him in the crib and leave as is our routine. Normally, he drifts right off to sleep, but the past few nights, he woke up and started shrieking. I tried waiting a few minutes to see if it would pass, but no such luck - the noises kept escalating. Immediately, when I walked in his room, he gave me his big, giant, winning grin, as if to say "Mommy, I missed you!" He wanted to hold my hand and look at me, and he definitely wanted me to sing. At bedtime, I usually sing You are My Sunshine or The Rose. Saturday night, I started with You are My Sunshine two times, then went into The Rose three times. He started to cry and fuss whenever I stopped singing. The first few times through the songs, he sang along, too, before he finally dropped off to sleep. Again, Sunday night, he woke up when I tried leaving the room. I went back in to be greeted by his charming squeal, and he asked me to sing (well, he started to make the "singing" sounds) and it was clear he wanted his songs. I sang a few renditions of The Rose and as I began the verses, he smiled ever so sweetly at me, sang a bit more, then rolled over to his side, stuck his thumb in his mouth, and started to drift off to never-never-land. If I tried to stop, he took the thumb out and rolled over to give me a dirty look. Never mind that I had a CD playing in the background - he only had ears for Mommy's horrible voice.

Oh, and did I mention that he and Nugget are having a love fest? She comes up every night to help put him to bed. He, in turn, cannot get enough of her. He squeals with joy every time he sees her, he rolls over to be close to her on the play mat, and when he SHOULD be eating dinner, he is busy looking through my glass table to locate Nugget underneath and smile at her. Did I mention yet how many times I've regretted purchasing that glass table over the past 10 years? Yeah - it is just as bad when Nugget sits underneath the table and longing looks up at us while we eat dinner.

Here is some adorable video of Micah screeching with delight on his playmat:

Routines are bad

Just a few short weeks ago, I posted that routines and repetition were a good thing. This post isn't exactly a retraction, but rather a discussion of the flip side of routines/repetition. Specifically, as I mentioned last week, Micah has been having some issues going to bed when it isn't Mommy and Daddy putting him to sleep.

I thought, perhaps, Micah's issue was limited to the circumstance last week . . . Heather and Brad were relatively new, and I thought that perhaps they missed his sleepy cues and gave him his medicine late. On Thursday, however, we went out for our "date night." My mom has babysat Micah tons of times, and been with us to put him to bed and even done it alone without incident. Because of his recent outbursts, I was a bit concerned there would be an issue. My dad came early and spent about one hour with Micah before we left. I thought easing out the door would keep him calm and relaxed. My mom showed up about 1/2 hour after we left, and the two of them proceeded to put Micah to bed. My mom noticed Micah started to get sleepy and rub his eyes, so she took him and went up the stairs.

Apparently, as they hit the third step, Micah started to get upset. Everytime she came back down the stairs, he was fine, but that third step kept setting him off! They got him upstairs, gave him his medicine, got him ready for bed . . . mostly while he cried and fussed. My mom sang You are my Sunshine to him, but that did not seem to comfort him. Ultimately, Micah calmed down when my DAD started to sing to him. He was quite clear . . . his Goppy needed to sing, and his Grammy needed to hold him. He was quiet as long as Goppy sang You are my Sunshine over and over and over again. He finally fell asleep in Grammy's arms and she quietly moved him into the crib.

It seems we have a new problem. Micah is great at bedtime, as long as Mommy and Daddy are there. Our normal "routine" is that Daddy takes Micah upstairs, puts him in his pajamas, gives him his medicine and reads him a book, and mommy comes upstairs to nurse him and sing to him. It has been two weeks since Elliot put Micah to bed alone, so we are going to test that out this week and see if Daddy has an issue when he is alone, too. My mom is planning to start coming by a bit more often to put him to bed, and I think at least 1 night every week Elliot should put Micah to bed alone. Hopefully, as we have more people putting him to bed, it will get easier for him. Ironically, I thought the change of locations on our trip to Philly this week would set him off, but he had no issues going to bed and staying asleep even in a new place. I guess as long as Mommy puts him to bed, all is right with the world. I sure hope we can nip this in the bud!

Micah in Wonderland

The good news is, things have improved on the sleep front with Micah. We discovered that Micah has just been hungry at bedtime, so we've been giving him some extra milk before bed, and bedtime has become a joy again. We're not sure if my milk supply is low or if Micah is growing and just needs a little more right now, but things seem to be under control for now.

I have to say, Micah amazes me when he sleeps. He can be an incredibly restless sleeper some nights - kicking all over the place, making noises, plunging his hands into that gorgeous head of hair (who wouldn't want to do that?) and trying to shove his fists into his mouth. Other nights, he barely moves or makes a sound. When he was younger, we had him sleeping on an incline secure sleeper - it is made of foam, it kept his head elevated to minimize the acid reflux, and it had pillows for his arms to keep him from sliding down. The only problem was, he kept sliding down, so all night long, we'd have to go in and slide him back up. He would either wake up from sliding down, or he would be irritated when we lifted him back up, prompting a round of kicks and punches that would, of course, cause him to slide back down again. As he grew larger and we stopped swaddling him, we decided to remove the incline sleeper and buy a crib wedge - basically, a triangular-shaped wedge that lays on top of his mattress to keep his head a bit elevated to reduce problems with acid reflux.

This new sleeping situation has been a major improvement! We do not need to run in and out of his room all night lifting him up and waiting for him to slide down. For the first few weeks, it was ideal. As Micah has grown stronger, however, he is moving around the crib a bit more. The past few nights, he seems to like to turn 90 degrees and lay across his crib. I'm fairly certain the crib wedge does not help reflux when the baby refuses to lay on it. The past several mornings, he wakes up crying when he has turned 180 degrees . . . yes, that is right, he uses the crib wedge to put his feet up. I'm fairly certain dangling the head downwards is NOT good for reflux. In general, we have been leaving Micah to move about the crib as he pleases, as long as he seems comfortable and sleeps. He has been sleeping so soundly that we have not needed to go in to reinsert the paci at all the past few nights.

Tonight, we went upstairs, put him in his pajamas, gave him his medicine, and I nursed him while Elliot read him a goodnight story. I thought Micah was finished eating - I seemed to be out of milk, and he seemed contented with his paci. He was smiling at me, so I decided to read him another story while we rocked together. Suddenly, he started to get fussy and restless again, so I tried nursing him some more. Just in case, I had another 2 ounces of milk in a bottle on hand. He was quite insistent on what he wanted - he would have none of the right side, and was all about the left side. I got him into position, and away he nursed. I did not think he would get enough, but after a few minutes, his eyes began to close and he sort of relaxed. I made the decision to nurse him to sleep rather than try moving him or separating him before he decided to pull off. Maybe he just needed some bonding with mommy tonight. It took another 5-10 minutes, but Micah passed out and flopped off. I popped in his paci, and moved him into the crib.

After Elliot and I did some cooking in preparation for our upcoming Passover seder on Thursday night, I checked Micah on the monitor because he was so quiet. Once again, he had turned 90 degrees and was sleeping across the crib. I give up! He is very cute . . . I guess eventually he'll outgrow this position. I may need to give up on the crib wedge, too, although I think it at least keeps him from spitting up for the first few hours he is in the crib after eating.

Micah does such a great job sleeping and napping - I'm so lucky that he is such a good baby. I have been terrible, however, about making him nap in his crib. I have a feeling I am going to regret that one of these days. He really does not like to nap in his crib - most days, he isn't even too thrilled with the pack n play. He does most of his naps either in the swing, his car seat, or the stroller. Does anyone have tips about napping locations?

We also bought a new stroller tonight. We had been using just the Graco stroller frame - you just snap the car seat in and go. It is easy to use, and really has been perfect for us. Elliot picked up a metrolite stroller as a backup stroller at a consignment shop about a month ago. The pattern is ugly and it is a bit bulky, but it has been good to have an extra stroller in my car or at the house sometimes. Since we will not be able to use the stroller frame once Micah outgrows his car seat (we still have a few more months on that front), we've been hunting for our "permanent" stroller. We decided to buy the BabyJogger CityMini stroller. We think it will be great for walking around Bethesda and DC (we plan to test it out next weekend when we take Tammy to see the Cherry Blossoms), it is easy to fold and store, and it is so easy to maneuver. I'm already excited about it, and we have not even used it yet! We may still need to get just a regular old umbrella stroller at some point, but we'll worry about that when the time comes.

Update

I don't exactly have much of an update right now . . . we are still having bedtime challenges. Micah seems to do better when we induce a food coma, so I've been nursing him until I have nothing left, and then supplementing him with a bottle of breast milk when he still seems to want more. It has left me wondering if he is really just hungry . . . perhaps he is not getting enough milk off of me during the day. He is still gaining weight at an unbelievable pace, but yet . . . I think these meltdowns are more than just "normal" baby things. Maybe he is getting enough to stave off the hunger during the day, but when bedtime comes around, the cumulative hunger hits and he melts down. I'm not exactly sure what to do . . . I guess I either have to try supplementing during the day, or working on increasing my supply so he can get another 1/2 ounce or so a feeding (I think that is all it would take).

I did check with the doctor . . . who said he is gaining weight normally and not to worry about it. And yet . . . I know my boy. He doesn't generally cry and get fussy, and when he does, it means something is wrong. Now, if I can just figure out what.

In other news, we are more than halfway through the renovations to my condo, and we should be ready to put it on the market in about 4 weeks. I can't believe how smoothly that is going (and we STILL haven't finished renovations on our house . . . did I mention I still hate my contractor?)

Bedtime still sucks

For lack of a more appropriate and descriptive term, bedtime the past few nights . . . SUCKS. Tonight, Micah was being cute and playful. He started to get sleepy around 7:15, so we bathed him, lotioned him up, and got him ready for bed. He smiled, took his medicine, and eagerly awaited his bedtime "snack." I nursed him, and he began to drift off to sleep. In fact, he was out cold before he finished nursing. I tried to wake him, but he would have none of it! So, I quietly transferred him into the crib, shut off all the lights, waited five minutes, then left the room.

Fast forward about 10 minutes. MASS HYSTERIA began again. I have no idea what woke him up, but he was hysterical. I went upstairs, nursed him some more, and put him back to sleep. I snuck back downstairs. . . . and five minutes later, he was crying. I sent Elliot upstairs to work his magic. He tried the paci, and then Micah became hysterical again. Elliot spent the next 10-15 minutes singing to Micah, and he finally crashed again. We placed him back in the crib, and so far, so good (with the exception of 2 more paci insertion trips up the stairs).

I don't really understand it. Our entire trip to California, and ever since he was 8 weeks old, bedtime has been a joy! Since the night we returned home from California, bedtime has not been the same. It doesn't matter that he is relaxed and tired, it still becomes a screaming session every night. Once we get beyond it, everything is fine, but the process is very draining. I wish I understood what is happening that makes Micah so hysterical at bedtime everynight now. I also wish I knew how to fix it.

The things they don't tell you

At the risk of sounding as if I'm complaining about motherhood, I am about to blog about all the things "they" don't tell you about motherhood. Make no mistake - I LOVE my Micah, and I LOVE being a mommy. Micah is absolutely adorable, and I'm constantly amazed by how he is growing and developing. He has the most wonderful smile - every time I see it light up his face, my heart melts.

So . . . back to the point of my blog - the things they don't tell you about having a baby.

BREASTFEEDING. I've mentioned this a bunch of times, but breastfeeding is not easy. Let's start with the fact that latching should be easy, but it isn't always. Then, factor in issues of supply. Then move on to the demand factor - you have to be the one completely available to your little one 24 hours a day to provide for his/her eating needs. When you are exhausted, or overwhelmed, or sick, YOU still have to be the primary one responsible for feeding your baby. It is an enormous responsibility, and there is very little feedback to reassure you that you are doing it right. Taking time off? Not really an option - even if you step away, you still have to make sure to pump enough to keep the supply up. I think bottle-feeding moms really do have an advantage because they gain far more independence and can much more easily share this responsibility with a spouse.

PLAYING. It sounds strange, but I'm never sure that I am playing with Micah enough . . . or stimulating his brain development sufficiently. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what to do, and I always feel like I am not doing enough. Other times, I just want to sit quietly with him, and I wonder if I'm wasting precious moments when I should be teaching him something. I have no idea whether we are supposed to fill every waking second (when they are not eating) with learning.

IDENTITY. I blogged about this before, but I really feel like I've lost myself a bit. My whole life now revolves around this little tiny life, and sometimes I feel like I've lost me. I'm working hard to find me again and re-establish that balance, but it is much harder than I realized.

INDEPENDENCE. I find it difficult to go out for extended periods of time. Much of this may have to do with the fact I am breastfeeding, but it is difficult to figure out how to leave Micah for long stretches of time. Even figuring out how to pump when I am out is challenging. As a result, I feel like I do not have time to get things done . . . either my work, or even spending time with friends, or getting my nails done. I know that moms are able to balance this when they go back to work, but I guess I am a bit more nervous about testing the waters because we JUST got my supply established the past few weeks, and I'm so afraid of messing it all up. My goal over the next few weeks is to figure out how to give myself some space when I need it - maybe have a few days a week that we bottle feed Micah during the day to give me a bit of a break. I am really ready to be able to take the day off and either let Elliot have a full day with Micah or ask my parents to babysit. Now that he is sleeping through the night, it would be so easy to let him stay at his Grammy and Goppy's house overnight.

SLEEP. I'll throw a bone to the sleep deprivation factor, although I don't sleep much in the first place. I have to say, I did not think this would affect me at all, and I was amazed by how difficult the first few weeks were. With all of the feeding issues I was having, I really did not get ANY sleep in the beginning. They tell you to nap when the baby is napping, but if you are feeding every 2-3 hours from the START of a feed, and if the feeding takes over 1 hour, and then it takes another 15-20 minutes to pump (factoring in the setup and cleanup) . . . well, you are at 2 hours, and it is time to start over again! I would say I'm lucky - by the 2 week mark, Micah was sleeping 4-6 hours without interruption overnight, and that immediately gave me my normal sleep schedule back, so my sleep deprivation was short-lived.

Update on Me

The past few weeks have really been great for me. The hardest part of becoming a mom and staying home all these weeks has been that I feel like I've been losing me. When friends call, I feel tied down and incapable of leaving to go out for a little while. Micah's eating had been a huge consuming part of my life, and has left me a bit unsure about stepping away for too long. When I have friends on the phone, I have lost my ability to hold a conversation - I have nothing to discuss other than Micah. I can talk about poop, or sleeping, or breastfeeding, or how many ounces I can pump. I can tell you the last time I fed the baby, and how many outfits he has worn in any given day . . . but most of these things probably aren't interesting to anyone other than me . . . or possibly Elliot. I don't do anything else during the day, so it is quite difficult to find interesting topics to discuss. I have felt a bit starved for grownup interactions, and I miss doing my work and being able to go to meetings and schedule my calls. I definitely needed this time off, and I'm not ready to fully return to work, but I miss me.

So, the past few weeks I've tried to get a life. I joined a Baby & Me class at the JCC, which has been wonderful! It gets us out of the house once a week, and we interact with other mommies. I don't feel quite so boring because I have lots of other mommies who don't care if I talk diapers and pumping. I have been going to a breastfeeding support group (BEST) that gets me out of the house a second day and I usually go out to lunch after that as well. I am certain I will develop a nice playgroup for Micah from all of these activities. Next month, I am joining the OnesiesDC group - each week for 6 weeks, we will go to a different location for a baby-friendly activity - infant massage, a yoga class, a pottery class, a visit with a pediatrician, a photo session, etc. I am excited to learn what activities are out there for Micah and me!

Perhaps the best things that have happened are Micah finally nursing "normally" and sleeping through the night. Nursing normally allows me the freedom to just feed him - when he wants, when we are out, etc. I now have a stash of breast milk in the freezer, so I don't have a panic about what to do if I have to (or want to) run out. It has been unbelievably freeing! Even better, Micah is now sleeping through the night. We put him down at 8:30 and he sleeps until 6:30 or so. What is amazing about that is I can go out after he is asleep! I can even miss the last feed and go out to dinner and have an evening out. On Wednesday, I left Elliot with a bottle of milk, nursed Micah at 7, then went out to dinner with a friend. It was so freeing to be able to just go out and do my thing for a few hours.

My mom and dad have been great about babysitting. On Sunday night, they came over and watched Micah for a few hours. Elliot & I were able to go out for dinner to celebrate a belated Valentine's Day - our first "date night" since Micah was born. It was some time we needed to recharge our relationship. Of course, we spent the whole time talking about Micah, but at least we got out! Now that we officially have a bedtime routine and Micah is sleeping through the night, I think we are going to start having them babysit AND put Micah to bed so we can take a longer evening to ourselves. My mom actually asked if she could come and do this one night a week!

So, slowly but surely, I'm trying to find myself again. The new me . . . the one that is a mommy, and the one that has a life beyond being a mommy, too. The balance is so important to me - I really want to "have it all." Wish me luck!

Roll Over!

Micah rolled over again last night! We're still not sure if it is accidental or on purpose, but he has rolled from front to back about 4 or 5 times, and from back to front 2 times!

Once again, he fell asleep in his crib . . . or, more accurately, he fell asleep on his mommy in his room while we sat in the glider, and then was moved into his crib to spend the night. While I miss having Micah around with us until 2:00 in the morning and sleeping in our room, I also am enjoying the time for us.

We can't believe how much he is growing. I weighed him yesterday at the breastfeeding support group, and he weighed 9 lbs!! We just bought size 1 diapers, and this week I am going to see how the 0-3 months size clothing fits.

Another Milestone

Last night, Micah slept in his crib for the first time! Not only that, he slept for 10 hours. We are hoping to replicate that tonight. Getting him to go to sleep was a bit more challenging tonight, and he was extremely over-tired (since he was apparently not in the mood to nap today). We have started a bedtime "routine" but he still won't fall asleep on his own in the crib. We have to get him to fall asleep and then move him into the crib. Tonight, after 1 hour and many failed attempts to transfer him from the glider to the crib, I finally brought the secure sleeper into our bed, and sat with him on my chest, then gradually moved him to the sleeper. Once he was down, we moved the sleeper to his crib. Probably not ideal, but not bad for a 2 month old baby.

Even better . . . I seem to finally be getting ahead on the stored breast milk - we actually have several bottles of pumped milk stored. If he keeps going to bed relatively early and sleeping through the night, I should be able to pump an extra 4-5 ounces to store everyday!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe it is 2009! Micah got to meet his great grandmother on New Year's Day to celebrate her birthday and spend some time with her. Elliot and I made a birthday cake for her (truth be told, Elliot baked the cake and made the icing, and I decorated the cake). Seeing my Grammy with Micah was really wonderful - she kept saying how beautiful he was. I'm not sure if she knew who he was all the time, but she seemed happy to have him there. For someone with dementia, you just have to focus on the moments.

I'm finally feeling better (I'm a bit worried about Micah, though - he keeps sneezing!) and we've gotten Micah to sleep for 5 hour stretches 3 nights in a row so far! We tried the secure sleeper, and that really does seem to help a lot. He has really been fairly awake today - we played a bit, and we chatted, too. Of course, now I'm wondering what exactly to DO with him when he is awake. I sing, but that has to hurt his ears!! I'm not sure what toys he should play with or how best to stimulate him. We tried the playmat again today - he got upset after about 5 minutes on it. I gave him a funky rattle/plastic loopy thing (I think it is called a winkle?) and he seemed to like that . . . for a few minutes. He got cranky the last time he was awake, so I put him in the swing and he zonked back out again. We've played music and I've chatted with him and read him a book. I guess I'm just not sure if I'm doing this "right." I've never been so unsure of so many things in my life!

My little porker . . .

Micah had his 2 week appointment today, and he weighed in at 6 lbs (well, with rounding up)! He is growing well (averaging an ounce a day) and we were officially given permission to stop force-feeding him at 3 hr intervals around the clock - we can now feed "on demand" so tonight is the first night we intend to let him sleep until he wakes up. I'm SOOO excited - I think we might actually get 4 hours of sleep in a row. I've continued to feed him every 3 hrs or so all day in the hopes that he won't be too hungry tonight to sleep a bit longer.

The past few nights, he has been unhappy from about 4 am until 8 am. We've been waking him up from a pretty sound sleep to feed him, and then we have a hard time getting him back to sleep after the feeding. He'll start crying, and I almost always have to nurse him again . . . we've been cluster feeding for several hours every night, and it is taking its toll on us. It is probably more accurate to say he won't let us put him down after the feeding - he'll sleep on me or Elliot, but if we try moving him to the bassinet so we can sleep, he starts crying, and since we are too exhausted to stay awake and hold him on us in the bed . . . well, let's just say it has been challenging. We've eventually been able to get him to sleep in the bouncy seat, but we don't want to have him sleeping in the bouncy seat every night. Here is hoping we have better luck tonight!

We are going to attempt to use the playmat tonight - we'll see if he is ready for that. Luckily, he seems to really like tummy time, although he mostly spends tummy time on Mommy or Daddy's chest. We thought we'd try a change of location tonight, so we're off to the rec room in the basement for a change of scenery.

Houston . . . we have weight gain!

Today was our weight check . . . and Micah gained weight! He weighed in at 5 lbs 11 ozs - getting close to his birth weight. It looks like the breast feeding is finally going well. We also have tons of poop . . . I swear, that child has a diaper explosion with EVERY eating session. He also likes to wait for the diaper to come off, and THEN have an explosion. Sometimes he is considerate - he waits until we put a clean diaper on him, and then he has an explosion. I think we must have 8-10 dirty diapers a day!

We're still using the preemie diapers (and preemie clothing) - the newborn size is just still too big for him. We had him in a newborn diaper the other night - it slid off his tush and he ended up with a mess in the swaddle. We won't be trying that again until he is a little bigger.

We do seem to have a better system in place now. I'm actually getting a few hours sleep at a time at night. Elliot wakes the baby up, hands him to me, then goes back to sleep. I spend the next hour nursing, and then Elliot gets back up to change his diaper and dress him again. Lately, Micah has been wanting to nurse AGAIN for another 15-20 minutes after he is swaddled, so we nurse again until he falls alseep and I put him back in the bassinet. This way, both Elliot and I can get about 2 - 2 1/2 hrs sleep at a time.