Luca is sleeping now. Age old wisdom says sleep when baby sleeps. I will blog when baby sleeps.
I haven't blogged since before Luca was born cause, well, I've been sick/busy/exhausted. The past three weeks have been, in a word, An Ordeal. I hesitate to rehash all that's happened, since it would take ages and I'm more a fan leaving the bad stuff behind and focusing on the positive, like my newborn son. But I do feel like I need catharsis. So for those of you who haven't gotten the full birth/immediately after birth story, here it is in shorthand:
Pitocin blah blah blah Three Hours of Pushing blah blah blah C-Section blah blah blah Stupid Epidural Doesn't Work blah blah blah 10lb Gargantu-baby blah blah blah Week In The Hospital blah blah blah Nursing Is NOT As Natural As We've Been Led To Believe blah blah blah Sore Nipples blah blah blah Nausea So Bad I Can't Get Out of Bed blah blah blah Why Doesn't Chris Get More Than Two Weeks Off?
Ok, I'm done. Moving on.
Luca is three weeks old today, and thankfully I'm feeling better, other than the obvious sleep deprivation. Luca's doing great. At his last doctor's appointment he weighed 11lbs 8oz and measured 23-3/4" long, a huge growth spurt in just the first few weeks. In fact his length for his age is off the percentile chart. His favorite activities are currently laying on his changing table (I have no idea why he likes it so much, but he's happy as a clam just sitting there) going for walks (well, they put him to sleep anyway) and watching with the mobile above his bassinet. He seems to have gotten a bit fussier this week, and for the past two nights he hasn't slept more than two hours at a time, but then he is supposed to be going through a growth spurt this week so Chris an I are hoping this is a passing phase. One encouraging piece of advice our pediatrician gave me is that newborns change every eight hours. So even the hard, annoying stuff is temporary.
Chris and my favorite activity is to cuddle with him on the couch and watch him make funny faces. He's becoming more aware of his surroundings, likes looking at faces, and from time to time even attempts a smile. He's also really strong and is already attempting to lift his head and shoulders. This makes breastfeeding a bit tricky, as he will fight me if he tries to put his head somewhere other than where he needs to put his head to latch correctly.
Definitely the hardest part for Chris and I has been what I call Luca's "inconsolable fussy periods", those times when he cries and cries for no apparent reason. I think this puts us in league with every other parent on the planet. But every day we learn a bit more, and it gets a bit easier. Such, I guess, is the life of a parent.
I haven't blogged since before Luca was born cause, well, I've been sick/busy/exhausted. The past three weeks have been, in a word, An Ordeal. I hesitate to rehash all that's happened, since it would take ages and I'm more a fan leaving the bad stuff behind and focusing on the positive, like my newborn son. But I do feel like I need catharsis. So for those of you who haven't gotten the full birth/immediately after birth story, here it is in shorthand:
Pitocin blah blah blah Three Hours of Pushing blah blah blah C-Section blah blah blah Stupid Epidural Doesn't Work blah blah blah 10lb Gargantu-baby blah blah blah Week In The Hospital blah blah blah Nursing Is NOT As Natural As We've Been Led To Believe blah blah blah Sore Nipples blah blah blah Nausea So Bad I Can't Get Out of Bed blah blah blah Why Doesn't Chris Get More Than Two Weeks Off?
Ok, I'm done. Moving on.
Luca is three weeks old today, and thankfully I'm feeling better, other than the obvious sleep deprivation. Luca's doing great. At his last doctor's appointment he weighed 11lbs 8oz and measured 23-3/4" long, a huge growth spurt in just the first few weeks. In fact his length for his age is off the percentile chart. His favorite activities are currently laying on his changing table (I have no idea why he likes it so much, but he's happy as a clam just sitting there) going for walks (well, they put him to sleep anyway) and watching with the mobile above his bassinet. He seems to have gotten a bit fussier this week, and for the past two nights he hasn't slept more than two hours at a time, but then he is supposed to be going through a growth spurt this week so Chris an I are hoping this is a passing phase. One encouraging piece of advice our pediatrician gave me is that newborns change every eight hours. So even the hard, annoying stuff is temporary.
Chris and my favorite activity is to cuddle with him on the couch and watch him make funny faces. He's becoming more aware of his surroundings, likes looking at faces, and from time to time even attempts a smile. He's also really strong and is already attempting to lift his head and shoulders. This makes breastfeeding a bit tricky, as he will fight me if he tries to put his head somewhere other than where he needs to put his head to latch correctly.
Definitely the hardest part for Chris and I has been what I call Luca's "inconsolable fussy periods", those times when he cries and cries for no apparent reason. I think this puts us in league with every other parent on the planet. But every day we learn a bit more, and it gets a bit easier. Such, I guess, is the life of a parent.
Comment(s):
I think every parent needs at least 2 months off when they have a new baby. Maybe the 12 weeks you sometimes get as maternity leave (if not longer). It takes at least that long to start sleeping a decent amount again as a parent, and to have some clue what's going on as a baby trying to nurse. If you have a chance to read anything, do check out "the girlfriend's guide to surviving the first year of motherhood" by Vicki Iovine (also good for fathers). It's very funny and has useful pointers for making informed choices. Or non-choices.
w00t. glad you're surviving. keep on keeping on!
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