House of Swank

The Great Diplomat

Today the Hedgehog and I attended our weekly breastfeeding support group.  It's not so much that we need support (and sometimes I feel a bit guilty that things go so swimmingly for us), but I like some of the other Mamas that go, and it gives me a chance to weigh the boy and see how quickly he is packing on the pounds.

Last week we did not attend the group, so it has been two weeks since the last weigh-in, when Hedgehog was a healthy 13 pounds 14 ounces.  Last night Sweetie was commenting that he was sure that Hedgehog had topped 15 pounds.  I was thinking his weight was lower than that.  Well, hoping is more like it.  Feeding and lugging around a child who is growing at breakneck speed is exhausting!  Sweetie set the over/under at 14 pounds 9 ounces.

This morning Hedgehog weighed in at 14 pounds 9 ounces on the nose - on a scale that goes to the 10th of an ounce.  Obviously, he knew of the wager and didn't want to cause chaos in the home.

But, for the record, I am the world champion of the game "Poop or Toot."

Month Three

Dear Hedgehog,

You are now three months old and we have finally gotten to the good part of this whole parenting thing.  You are much more human than newborn now, and you become humaner and humaner every darn day.

The best part of it all has got to be the smiles.  You've got this great, gummy grin that spreads from ear to ear with dimples on either side, and when it breaks out your eyes sparkle and your whole body just exudes joy.  Every morning when it is time to get you out of your bassinet you break one out for me.  The best are when you are fussing and crying, impatient to get the day started.  Once you realize I am standing there you break into your grin for just a second or two, then go back to the complaining.  When you react to me like that it makes it very easy to be your mama.

You're becoming very aware of all of your surroundings and love to interact with the world as you are able.  One of your most favorite things to do is to sit on your daddy's or my lap and just watch whatever is going on around you.  If someone else is holding you and you catch a glimpse of me you frequently get this look in your eyes as if to say "Hey, lady, what are you doing all the way over there?"  You've also really started to play with some of your toys.  Your favorites are a small rattle that is easy for you to hold onto and a super-soft stuffed bear your Daddy bought for you.  One morning you had the bear on one side of you and the rattle in your opposite hand and you were happy as a clam.  If you dropped the rattle or inadvertently pushed the bear away from you then you would fuss, but once the item was returned to its proper place all was good with the world again.

The only sort of play you don't care for too much is the dreaded tummy time.  We've come up with some tricks to make it easier on you, and it seems to be not so torturous the last few days, but you really don't care for it one bit. 

You continue to grow like a champ, and last time we checked you were just under 14 pounds and 25" long. 

The biggest issue this month has been that of sleep.  We've got night times figured out, and you sleep like a champ then.  Your Daddy does most of the bedtime routine, which consists of the "5 Bs" - Bottle, Book, Bath, Boob, Bed.  By the time you get to the boob you're generally ready to calm down for the night, and if it doesn't work a little dancing with your Daddy puts you into the mood.  Once you're down you usually sleep for around 6-7 hours, wake for a changing and a feeding, and then sleep for another 1-3 hours.  Some mornings you even sleep in after I'm awake!

Naptimes, however, are a very different story.  The mantra around our house right now is "Naps are for suckers."  When it's just you and me we've got a pretty nice routine going most days.  We go for an adventure in the morning which allows you some time to sleep in the car seat and/or the Moby.  Come afternoon, once you start showing signs of tired (usually between 1-3 pm) I change you, swaddle you up, and nurse you to sleep.  Sometimes there's a false start or two, but generally you'll get a pretty decent nap in there.  The problem comes when there are other people in the house, or if we are not at home.  You are so interested in meeting (and flirting with) these new people, checking out the new ceilings, seeeing all the world has to see, that you WILL NOT SLEEP if there is anyone else around.  For a while it was REALLY bad because you could not nap when your Dad was home AT ALL and you could sense if someone new had come into the house and awake instantaneously.  Now you've got a 50/50 shot of sleeping if your Dad is here, and if you are asleep you'll stay asleep if someone comes over.  However, if we dare do something like take you to your Grandma and Grandpa's for the weekend?  Oh dear God are you a cranky baby when you haven't napped for two days.

Ironically enough, you have slept through large chunks of several baseball games.  Which bodes well for our family's summer travel plans.

Love,
Mama

Learning the Plan

You know that question that floats around internet memes and getting-to-know-you games of "If you could have lunch with any one person, living or dead, who would it be?"  Well, today I finally came up with a good answer to the question.

I would give my pinky toe to meet the original owner of this house.  I'd want to have her over during the Spring or Summer, when the plants in the yard are really doing their stuff.  I'd make us iced tea and cute little sandwiches with cucumbers and cream cheese.  And I'd spend hours talking to her about the yard.

We'd discuss what bits of the garden are part of her original plan, and what bits are the result of squirrels who have replanted bulbs with their own landscape design dreams.  We'd discuss if there's a reason that most of the rhododendrons in the front yard are red, but the one under the living room window is purple.  We'd discuss the plant between the roses in the front yard, and whether it's supposed to be a tree or a bush.  She'd chastise me for allowing the lawn to become overrun with dandelions, and I'd let her because I deserve it.  At some point she would (under her breath, because I'm sure she's a lady) curse her offspring for the atrocities they committed to the yard once she had passed.  We'd share a chuckle about the weeds in the back yard that disguise themselves as beautiful trees.

Last year I dug into the yard with gusto.  It was a pretty big job - the weeds were trying to overrun the place, and the shrubs desperately needed to be pruned and cared for.  I wasn't able to make as much progress as I would have liked - between the size of the yard waste bin and the fact that I was growing a human life I was limited in how much I could accomplish.  I got the front yard into decent shape, but barely touched the back yard. 

The plan I put into my brain was that this year would be about maintaining the front yard and whipping the back yard into shape.  Then next summer would be adding new things to the mix, including the garden.

I've now amended my plan.  This summer the back yard is still the primary focus, and I will hopefully be able to get started on the garden next year, but it's going to take a while to figure out what I've really got going on in the yard outside of the garden area, and I can't start changing it until I know what it is I'm changing.

Last year we had our bushes - mostly rhododendrons and roses, a few random things, a couple of which I think are bamboo-ish.  There were some daffodils and tulips randomly scattered throughout the yard and I don't know if there was any rhyme or reason to them or if they are the result of the squirrels.

This year we've got irises.  Huge, beautiful irises.  Some of them in a spot where I pulled away the plastic weed-protector in the front yard this year, some of them that randomly popped through in the back yard.  Who knows what else is lurking out there?  Just pulling back all that damn plastic that was put down to prevent the weeds could unleash a whole cornucopia of stuff.

So now we just sit back and watch the yard unfold.  It's quite beautiful to watch it develop.

Month Two

Dear Hedgehog,

Yes, I know we are more than halfway to your 3 month mark, and I'm just getting around to writing this now.  The thing is, I do most of my internetting while I am nursing you.  And you nurse A LOT.  So, when I'm not nursing you there are other things I want to be doing.  I can do most of my internetting while I am nursing you.  Mouse-heavy tasks get done when you're on the left side.  Typing tasks get done while you're on the right side.  But my patience and ability to type one-handed is constrained to fairly short things, so blog posts never make the cut.

Your second month was all about the nursing and all about the growing.  You gained nearly 5-1/2 pounds from the time you were born until your 2 month appointment.  If you account for the weight you lost post-birth you put on nearly 6 pounds.

Needless to say, you like to eat.

A lot.

So much so that I think you may be the only baby ever in the history of babies to not be utterly traumatized by your first shot.

At your 2 month doctor's appointment you received two vaccines - one oral and one injection.  You were hungry before the doctor came in to see you, but you were willing to wait for your next meal, so I held off until the appointment was over.  When it came time for the vaccines the nurse gave the oral one first.  I was holding you and your face was right next to my breast while she was giving you the vaccine.  Every time she'd give you a little bit into your mouth you'd look out of the corner of your eye at me and get this look in your eyes that said "Look, lady, this isn't doing the trick.  You've got the goods right there, what are you waiting for?"  It took a very long time to give you that vaccine.

For the shot they stabbed you, you screamed, I nursed you and within a minute you were asleep.  I got you dressed.  You fussed almost as much as when you got the shot.  I nursed you and then you were asleep again.  Just give you a boob and you're a happy guy indeed.

You're starting to interact much more with the world around you, and when you aren't eating you love to just sit on my lap and observe the world around you.  We took you to your first baseball game on April 22 and you spent a good 2 innings of the game just sitting, observing what was going on around you.

In return, napping is still a challenge for you.  There's just too much in the world for you to observe and do, you don't want to waste your time with napping.  That's the biggest challenge at the moment.

Finally, you and the cat have started to become friends with each other.  I knew there was hope during your 6 week growth spurt.  You and I spent the day in bed with you either eating or fussing throughout the day.  Samson, who normally likes to run and hide when there is a commotion going on, spent all day at the foot of the bed.  Every time you fussed he would give you a look like "Would you just shut up please?!?" but, he never left the bed.  That's true love from the cat if ever I saw it.  So now I give you opportunity to pet the kitty several times a eek.  You seem to enjoy it, even if you don't quite know what's going on yet.  The cat is already starting to train you, and when you are petting him he will move around so you get the spots he wants petted the most, just like he does with your Daddy and me.

I look back at the photos of when you were first born and it's difficult to believe you are that same person.  You've become so big and so human in the last two months.  And I'm looking forward to watching you as you continue to grow and develop.

Love,
Mama