Last weekend my girl Tanya and I went to the outlet mall in Woodburn for a little sweet, sweet discount shopping. It was the longest Zephyr and I have been away from the house (4 or 5 hours), and he behaved commendably. On the way, Tanya pumped milk using the power source from my car, and we joked about how it feels like we're cheating on our babies when we pump. It's true, right? I always hunker down and wait until he's napping before I get out the pump, lest he smell my milk from across the room and get offended that it's not directly for him. It is for him, though, just so Scott can feed him.And on the other side of that coin, why do I get jealous when he's being fed from a bottle? Last week Scott took him in the morning so I could sleep in a bit, and when I came downstairs he was giving Zephyr a bottle. For some reason, my milk started to let down and I felt a little possessive of Zeph and took ownership over his sustenance, even though Scott is doing me a huge service by taking over for an hour and giving my tits a break. So weird.
We had his two-month Well Baby checkup last week, and turns out he's above the 99th percentile for weight (at 14.3 lbs) and length (at 25.25"). He got most of his vaccinations - I opted for all of the ones that prevent particularly virulent diseases that actually do still float around. His howls of pain broke my heart in two, especially after I had clipped his fingertip with the nail clippers when I tried to trim his nails earlier that day. Poor baby. I was happy that he comforted easily, but I still experience such a visceral response to his guttural cries. I can feel my blood pressure raise and my eyes mist up, and I feel desperate to protect him.His herniated belly button had been bugging me ever since his cord fell off (at 5 weeks - very late, I think). We had taken him in and had it checked, but his regular doc (Christine Martin) wasn't working that day and the other one said to just apply hydrogen peroxide and keep an eye on it. I told her I thought it was a granuloma, and she said it wasn't (she said this since "it isn't red like a granuloma"). Well, Dr. Martin confirmed my suspicion and hit his belly with a little silver nitrate to dry it up. Thank goodness for that, because that oozy little flesh nubbin had been freaking me out for weeks.
His sleep cycles have been going through fits and starts, too. Tuesday, he slept pretty well from having had such a rough day at the pediatrician's office (and the vaccines really took it out of him). Thursday and Friday, he gave us two nights in a row of sleeping 5.5 and 5 hours, respectively. Last night he slept for 4 hours, but we went to bed later than normal and that mat have had something to do with it. We're still trying to figure out if there's any cause and effect there.
On Wednesday he was being such a pill - no nap all day, fussing all the way until 10:30pm - that we finally just gave him a squirt of baby Tylenol. I felt sort of guilty, like I was drugging him to get to sleep, but I figure he must've been fussy for a reason, like the shots the previous day, or because his lower gums are a little swollen. That's right. At two months, he's already showing the first signs of teething.
Speaking of guilt, does any ever find the time to be 100% engaged with their baby during those precious "quiet-alert" stages of consciousness? Sometimes I take that opportunity to interact with him, singing my favorite Grizzly Bear songs or giving him some tummy time or a bath, but sometimes I just take advantage of not needing to give him a boob (or other techniques for trying to get him down for a nap), and just park him in his Pack 'N Play to stare at his owl mobile. He seems happy enough, cracking up at them, and I always take him out again if he gets bored, but I feel like I'm being a terrible mother for needing a break. Like when I peruse the internet with one hand on my iPhone while I'm breastfeeding instead of gazing into his eyes. He won't remember such egregious acts of neglect, right?
I got an IUD inserted last week, too. I love this little guy so much, and would be devastated to let someone steal his thunder too soon.
FWIW, I've had much better success with a pair of good nail scissors than nail clippers. I like the control you get from a snip vs. the full-on clip.
ReplyDeletePS: Don't worry too much about not being 100% in Zeph's face these days. He will start demanding you vs. the mobile soon enough. It's really good for kids to learn to entertain themselves early on - shows up in self-soothing as well as independent play. There's an appreciable difference between ignoring or neglecting a child and being near him just doing your own thing. I used to put Hope in the kitchen with me and play Food Network all the time when she was Zeph's age. Sometimes it even seemed she was paying attention, and it helped my morale tremendously.
ReplyDeleteSigh...he is just gorgeous. I love his little smile!
ReplyDeleteFWIW, all THREE of my kids had 4 teeth by four months. FOUR MONTHS.
I wish you luck. And teething tablets.
:)
He sure does ham it up for the camera. So damn cute.
ReplyDeleteHoly cow -- what a cutie, Heather. I'm loving all that expression in his little forehead! Irresistable.
ReplyDeleteSeriously lady, give my ovaries a break, will ya?
ReplyDeleteAlso, flipping lord, is he adorable. And here I was all those months ago thinking I was jealous of your peach tree. Pshaw.
I couldn't agree with you more on every word!
ReplyDeleteApparently once I started to teeth, I'd bite my mum's nipple if she tried to read instead of focusing totally on me... your iphone days may be numbered!
ReplyDeleteCats are so much easier. Urchin had her annual vaccination last weekend and didn't even flinch for the shots.
Oh girl. You cannot entertain baby at all times. They like being alone too and it is good for them to have quiet, alert and alone moments. Everything is new to a baby - his owls, staring at the lightbulb, your iphone...and he is learning from all of it.
ReplyDeleteRemember you are doing this 24/7 and it is totally healthy to catch a break once in a while. Of course you don't want to leave the baby crying alone in a play pen for hours but you are not likely to ever do that and the flip side is feeling so symbiotically enmeshed that you don't get a chance to take care of yourself. And you know the saying: If mommma ain't happy ain't nobody happy.
Oh and do you breastfeed him while he gets his shots? I just always put Sigga on the breast and she is like waaaaaah...nom nom nom...as if nothing even happened.
ReplyDeleteHey, guys! Thanks for sweet compliments and mom wisdoms.
ReplyDeleteTanya - I do nurse him through his shots, but pain is pain! Booby doesn't solve everything after all.