Monday, November 30, 2009

One Month Old Already!


Oliver's a month old today! Where has the time gone? I feel like we've just taken him home.

He's definitely getting bigger. We weighed him on our scale, and he's coming in at over 11 pounds! Yesterday, he wore his first 6 month sized outfit, and it fit perfectly. He still wears some 0-3 month old outfits, but he's also outgrown some of his 3 month old onesies. And forget the newborn onesies! Those are long gone.

Oliver also sleeps most of the night now. He usually sleeps from 9pm to 5:30am, getting up 2-3 times to be fed and get changed. More and more frequently, he sleeps from 9pm-1am straight through!

Ollie still cries frequently, but we're getting pretty good at calming him right down. He has one crabby period every day from about 6pm to 8pm. During that time, Andrew and I trade off putting all our energy into soothing our little guy.

Also, he's starting to get pretty mobile! During tummy time, he moves like the hands on a clock. His head stays put, but he's able to move his body all around! He lifts his head for longer periods of time when he's "sitting" or put over someone's shoulder. He also holds his fists to his mouth for longer periods of time.

Likes:
Being held
Nursing
Bright lights
Tummy time
Looking at faces, especially when people make funny faces!
Listening to me sing
Listening to his daddy read
Sucking his fists
Car rides
Getting pat
The bouncy chair! Oliver just tried it for the first time today.

Dislikes:
Hats
Pacifiers
Baths
Being put down (he wants to be held all the time!)
Changing clothes

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Meet Oliver



My friend, Sam, updates her blog with her son's likes and dislikes every month. I love reading how her little guy changes and grows, and so I've decided to do the same for Oliver.

Week one, and we've started learning so much about our baby.

Likes:
the swing
the glider
gazing at faces
being talked to
being swaddled
tummy time
skin-to-skin time
nursing!
having his head rubbed
sucking his hand

Dislikes:
the cradle
diaper changes
changing his clothes
sponge baths
hats

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Oliver Comes Home





Oliver got to come home today! I got him set up in his Halloween costume as his returning home outfit. He's adorable in it. I especially like the skull cap, which didn't make it into his photos (he hates hats!).

I worried about what it would be like at home vs. the hospital, but so far, it's wonderful being home. Nursing is even easier and more relaxed. He loved the glider and fell right asleep, and now he's staying asleep in his swing. It's giving me time to eat the meal Andrew made me as well as update my blog. Still, I'm typing as fast as I can in case the little guy wakes up!

Here are some photos of his homecoming.

Oliver is Here!




Oliver is here! He was born on Friday, October 30, at 2:07pm. I'm so grateful I was able to deliver him because the doctor had started talking about a C-section when he hadn't dropped on his own. She decided to let me try to push him down on my own, and I was able to!

They put him immediately to my stomach for me to hold. Andrew cut the umbilical cord, and then the nurses took him away and weighed him at 7 lbs, 10 oz. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I sat in the bed crying from the emotions, waiting to have him back. It was definitely love at first sight.

Andrew and I spent the next 48 hours at the hospital learning as much as we could. I learned I love nursing, and Oliver was good at it. He latched on like an old pro.

Starting Saturday afternoon, though, he started to get really fussy. I'd nurse him for an hour, and afterwards, he'd continue to "root" and try to feed. He'd cry. That lasted through this morning. The nurses would bring him back to me after he'd nurse for an hour, and they'd say he was still hungry. Once, I nursed for nearly two hours, finally got him to stop crying, and then the nurse came back with him half an hour later and said he needed to nurse some more. He was insatiable (literally) and crying whenever he wasn't feeding. His pediatrician told me that he seemed healthy; he was having the correct amount of stools and everything, and he hadn't lost too much weight. However, I told her (in between Oliver's sobs) how he wasn't happy unless he was eating. She didn't really pay attention, but then a nurse came in and listened to me.

The nurse suggested I supplement Oliver's diet with a little formula. At first, I was against the idea. Then, she told me I could feed it to him through a small tube as he was nursing. He wouldn't need a bottle or anything, and he wouldn't lose his ability to nurse. We tried it. Oliver drank 20mL of formula! He was so happy! And, for the first time in a day, he fell asleep contently. He woke up an hour later and needed more. Then, an hour later, he needed even more! A lactation nurse came in and helped, and said he was quite the piggy.
Since then, Oliver's appetite has settled down. He went two and a half hours without another feeding, and now, he's sleeping quietly in his swing. I'm so glad he's full and happy!