One Week Checkup!

Guess who is back to his birthweight?

Henry had his one-week checkup today, and he weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces. That means he is back to his birthweight at only 8 days old. We were all very excited. He's been eating like a champ, and he fits perfectly into the newborn-sized onesies.

We had both a visit to the lactation consultant and the pediatrician today, so we all went out as a family. I think Nick was a little jealous that the doctor visit wasn't for him. He ran around in circles singing at the top of his lungs. Sigh.

Our pediatrician was very pleased at how Henry's doing. He sleeps up to four hours at a stretch, especially at night, and he only really cries when he's hungry. Thus far, he hasn't been gassy or fussy, and his personality has been downright charming. We're hoping that he continues to be such an agreeable baby.

We celebrated Henry's progress with a yummy lunch at Mimi's Cafe. Nick was well-behaved, and he was rewarded with mousse. It's kind of interesting going out with two children--we're still getting used to it.

Oh, and Henry is yawning in the picture above, not crying.

When we got home, I was so very tired and sore from all the running around that I fell asleep on the couch with Henry. I think one of my favorite ways to relax is reclined on the couch with a baby snuggled against me and a Nook in my hand. Ahh, the simple things in life. Nick hasn't been much for snuggling since he started walking, so it feels really nice to have someone little and cute to snuggle with again.

I'm still recovering from the c-section, and though I generally feel pretty good, I keep overdoing it because I overestimate my energy levels. Hopefully I'll have more energy next week, because Greg goes back to work and I'll be taking care of my boys solo.

Being a Big Brother is Hard! Any Advice?

Nick has been learning how to be a big brother this week. He really seems to love Baby Henry. In fact, he wouldn't go to sleep the last two evenings without giving his little brother a kiss. But he's been somewhat petulant and demanding as well. That is because being a big brother is hard!








































You'll notice that my child isn't wearing any pants. That's because he refused to put them on. Instead, he threw a thirty-minute temper tantrum and hid under the futon. So, fine, no pants. We don't really care that much. (You have to pick your battles, you know.) But then he didn't want to come downstairs. He stayed under the futon by himself, intermittently screaming that he didn't want any pants. (This was yesterday.)

Grandma Toni has been down visiting us the last two days, partially to go on adventures with Greg and Nick. They went to the zoo Tuesday and out to lunch yesterday, so that I could relax with Henry and rest from my surgery. It isn't that Nick hasn't been getting attention--we've made a point to give him special attention lately. But check out the look on his face! He is downright ticked off that his world is changing.

The picture above was snapped seconds before Nick flipped (totally Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde style), got mad at me because I wouldn't give him a granola bar, and slapped his milk across the table at me. Some of Nick's, er, interesting behaviors have been directed at me. Nick and I have a pretty close relationship, and I think he's been somewhat resentful of me since Henry was born. He does not, however, seem to resent little Henry, thank goodness. (Seriously, how could you resent this adorable face?)

On a side note, you may notice that the swelling in my feet seems to have gone down, for the most part. Thank goodness! No more cankles.  :) 

Anyway, here's the strategies we've been trying so far to help Nick adjust:

1. I've been making a concentrated effort to spend time doing something fun with Nick everyday. Wednesday morning, for example, we made homemade granola bars and I let Nick do just about all the steps. We spent nearly an hour measuring and stirring, and Nick is turning out to be quite the little chef. He loved it, but quickly became whiny as soon as we were done.

2. We bought Nick a baby doll and let him feed his baby a bottle and hold him. He's been mildly interested. Perhaps we should emphasize this more and get him to mimic us as we care for the baby.

3. Greg has been spending extra time with Nick, playing with him and letting him get tons of exercise.

4. We have several books about being a big brother. Nick verbalizes really well and sounds excited to be a big brother. It's really only me he seems angry with. Although. . . his behavior has been pretty poor lately. We've tried to be extremely consistent, and to very calmly state the rules. Time outs have been rather common this week.

So I could use some advice, from those of you who have experience transitioning an only child into an older brother or sister. Is this behavior just a result of Nick being two and having his world turned upside down? Is it just a matter of time? Or is there something else that we could try? What worked for you? Nick and I could both use some hints, because, after all. . . being a big brother is hard!

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

I couldn't post this picture without a brief explanation. Henry made Greg and I giggle this morning when we went to wake him up.

We swaddle Henry when we put him to sleep, and this is how he was when he woke up this morning. He hadn't quite figured out how to get free from the swaddle, but he sure wiggled around a lot!

Okay, now here's another gratuitous adorable baby picture. Isn't this the cutest outfit ever?

My Day with Henry

Henry and I had a whole day to ourselves today, and it was lovely. We had some serious bonding time, and some even more serious napping time. I'm not usually a good (or even decent) photographer, but I love this photo I snapped of Henry while I was chatting with him this afternoon.

I love newborns, because they're so tiny and yet so perfect. For some reason, I didn't take many videos of Nick when he was this tiny. I want to make sure we get plenty of videos of Henry in action. Babies grow and change so fast, and I want to remember him like this. Especially the adorable baby toes.

Greg and Grandma Toni took Nick to the zoo all day, so Henry and I had lots of cuddle time. He is very responsive to touch, and he wants to be against my skin all the time. I've been using my baby sling constantly, because I don't have to put Henry down every time I have to use my hands. Also, he absolutely loves being all snuggled up. After all, this time last week he was squished inside of me. Hard to believe.

I've been loving my new Nook--it was the perfect gift for someone who has to spend a lot of time sitting in a chair nursing and pumping. One of the first books I bought is called Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, by David Eagleman. I heard about this book on NPR a few weeks ago, and was pretty sure I'd enjoy it. It's about neuroscience and human behavior, and how the two are linked in so many ways. (I know, I'm all about the light summer reading.) I've been reading a chapter or so every feeding, and I finished it today. This book was a fascinating read, and I loved using the Nook because I can read with only one hand when the other one is, ahem, occupied by holding a tiny little head.

I found it really cool to think about how much of our behavior is, in many ways, a result of what goes on inside of our brains. I loved his idea of discovering brain exercises to do that might rehabilitate criminals. The author took some very complex stuff and made it understandable. I think I'm going to have to buy more books by this author.

For being less than a week out from surgery, I feel like I've been pretty productive. I'm being careful, but trying to move around and get things done. Besides hanging out with Henry, I also made some whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread in my bread machine (with baby in the sling), and had a two-hour afternoon nap. We sat out on the screened in porch and took in the fresh air for a few hours. I love this weather--it has been warm but not hot, just perfect weather for having the windows open. Henry took a nap with our cat, Molly this evening. She loves Henry so far, because he can't chase her yet!

Henry's First Walk

I know it probably sounds overly ambitious, but after bringing Henry home from the hospital Sunday afternoon, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. It was a lovely day, and we wanted both boys to get some fresh air.

I'm still recovering from my c-section on Thursday, but I've had a number of surgeries, and one thing I know for sure is that the more you move around and get light exercise, the sooner you recover. I get stiff and very sore if I sit around too much after surgery. Greg is home from work this week, but next week I'll be alone with both boys, so I figure I had better recover pretty quickly. My plan is to go for a walk everyday, and walk a little farther each time, so that I get my energy back.

Nick is really trying to be a good big brother, and he wanted to push the stroller, so we let him. He seems to like Henry and be interested in him, but he quickly becomes frustrated when any situation or conversation is not about him. I think that's pretty typical of two-year-olds; they tend to be self-centered anyway, and Nick thinks the world revolves around him. (You mean it doesn't?)

Nick has so much energy, and he tends to run ahead when we go for walks. Thank goodness he's been trained to stay on the sidewalk, and Greg keeps a very close eye on him. I still think I'm going to use a tether (baby leash) when I go for walks by myself with both kids. Nick is not obedient enough to stay right by me, and I'm not fast enough to chase him down.

We don't have that problem with Henry, at least not yet. He looked around a lot, then settled down for a nap. I think the motion of the stroller soothed him. It's a little to think that in two years, Henry will be running around picking up sticks, just like his big brother does. I'll have to make sure to enjoy his snuggly babyhood as much as possible.

We walked for about a half-hour yesterday, then a little longer today. I'd guess we did at least a half-mile, if not more. It felt good to be out of the house, getting a little bit of fresh air and exercise. I'm in training, you see--in training for chasing a two-year-old while carrying a newborn. Now that is an aerobic workout.   : )

Home from the Hospital

This afternoon we left the hospital and brought home our new little family member. Henry Michael was born Thursday morning, so his birthday is June 9th. He weighs 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and is 19 1/2 inches long. I think he looks just like my husband--Henry often has a very serious, contemplative look on his face.


 

Picture from Bella Baby Photography




















I find it amazing how quickly I was drawn to this tiny little person. I can't wait to get to know him better, and yet I want to savor every moment of his babyhood. When I hold him, he snuggles up against me in precisely the same way he did when he was inside of me.

Doesn't he look like he's smiling in this picture?




Picture from Bella Baby Photography



Henry has been a very mellow, easygoing little guy so far. He hasn't been bothered at all by the noise his big brother makes--I guess he's used to it by now.

I took the above picture right before we left the hospital. Henry looks so tiny! I will write more this week about Henry's arrival and about how Nick is doing in his new job as a big brother. For now, here is our new family picture.



Picture from Bella Baby Photography



Now I'm going to go and get some sleep!

Pregnancy Update: 39 Weeks

Today will definitely be my last pregnancy update. I decided to do one more, but I'm not waiting until 40 weeks, because I won't be pregnant at 40 weeks! I am 39 weeks today, and will deliver tomorrow at 8 a.m. I had my mother-in-law take a picture of me after our dinner. I feel absolutely huge, but the end is near. This post is all about being pregnant, so if you aren't interested in that kind of thing, just skip this post.

The doctor said I'm not dialated or effaced at all yet, though it doesn't really matter, since I'll be a scheduled c-section. They're going to completely knock me out during the procedure with a general anesthetic, because spinals don't work on me. When I was having Nick, they tried seven different needles, and none of them would take. I could always feel everything. The anesthesiologist said that I had lots of calcifiction on my spine, and should never have spinal medication. They ended up knocking me out then, too. This time, I think it'll be much better to be knocked out without first having seven needles inserted into my spine!

Weight: (From starting weight) +32 pounds. Sigh. My doctor told me yesterday, though, that some of it is definitely water weight. I am quite swollen, and 97 degree temperatures don't help, especially when I work in a school with no air conditioning. Tuesday was my last day of school, but man, was it sweltering. My hands are so swollen that a size 9 ring was tight on my (usually size 7) ring finger.

Plus, my feet are absolutely huge! This definitely didn't happen with Nick. I actually have cankles. Ick. They'd better go away once I have this baby! My feet are bigger now than they were when I was very overweight, before my bariatric surgery. I've always had rather slim ankles, but they're gone, and my toes have been replaced by chubby little sausages. I'm only posting this picture so I can feel good about my feet once the swelling goes back down. Please tell me I'm not the only person whose feet did this at nine months along!

Movement: He's moving more now, or maybe he just ran out of room. I don't have an ultrasound picture, but I do have this. Maybe it's silly, but I wanted to remember what it felt like to be pregnant, so I videotaped the baby moving in my stomach. I have a big scar down the center of my tummy from RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery, so that is what you see there.

Doesn't it seem like he's trying to push his way out? That was a pretty violent kick!

Exercise: Actually, way more in the last few months than at any point since before I was pregnant. I've gotten my energy back, though I'm pretty sure it's nesting-related. I've been running around doing errands and shopping, and I spent three hours gardening on Monday. For some reason, I got it into my head that my plants were suffering and needed more space, so I repotted more of the ones from my classroom.

I will say, though, that I am definitely waddling. I've had several people comment on it, including a first grader who asked, "Why are you walking like that?" My response? "The baby inside me got bigger, and that makes it hard to walk." I didn't tell her that someone's head was pressing on my cervix. I figured that was TMI for a 1st grader.  ; )

Cravings: Still with the iced tea and Panera, actually. Nothing new, though I'm finding I need to eat my dinner in two or three stages. My uterus, you see, is taking up all of the room in my abdomen.

Sleep: I haven't had a good night's sleep in months. My neck, back, and sides hurt quite a lot, and it's been difficult to get comfortable. However, I'm pretty sure that I won't be sleeping too much once the baby comes, though it may be more comfortable to actually do so.

Today is my wedding anniversary, but I'll be spending most of it getting Nick up to my mom's house and getting our stuff ready for the hospital. Greg and I are going out for a nice dinner tonight, though, to celebrate. I wanted some quality food, because I'll be on hospital food for a few days.

I have to be at the hospital tomorrow at 6 a.m., and it's 45 minutes away, so that means waking up at an insanely early hour. I'm excited to meet my new son, but a little nervous, too. Wish me luck!