Sleeping - For the most part, I can't complain. Besides today, where he's fought sleep all day, he takes about 2 really loooong naps. Usually from around 11-12 until 3 or so. He's then up for a few hours and goes back down around 5. Sleeps until around 8ish and then is up until bedtime. Last night he was asleep by 10:30. We only have two wake-up calls during the night. One around 3am and then another around 6am. So, not bad at all. He seems to have a 4hr long stretch at the beginning and then a 3hr stretch. For the most part he goes back to sleep well after the 6am feeding, although for the past two days he's stayed up for a bit. I usually have to snuggle him back to sleep with me, but that's ok. We are obviously a pretty pro co-sleeping family, considering our 2yr old still co-sleeps full time. I won't know what to do with myself once all the kids are out of our room. I haven't quite got the hang of how to spend my time when he's sleeping during the day, though. Right now he seems to FINALLY be asleep for a while and instead of cleaning like I need to be doing, I am on here.
Feeding - It's still sort of all over the place, but it's obviously working since he seems to be growing at a nice rate. I don't know exact weight, but definitely in the 9-10lb range I would guess. That still seems little to me, since Connor was 11lbs at 5 weeks but Declan's getting some nice chub on him. As for what he's eating..um, pretty much anything he can get his mouth around. We do still nurse, although at this point it's more for going to sleep and for comfort. I think I would have to work to get him back to exclusively nursing and frankly that thought scares me. I wash my hair more in the sink than in the shower at this point, so having the time to sit around and do nothing but breastfeeding to boost my supply back up sounds like such a daunting task. I just don't think my heart is in it enough, although that in it's self makes me sad. With D being the last baby, I'll never have another chance to get this breastfeeding thing down. :( As for bottles, he's drinking between 2-4oz at a feeding, usually closer to 3-4oz. You know how one of the perks of bottlefeeding is that they go longer between feeds? Hahahaha. No. Declan still eats like an exclusively nursed baby. Every 2hrs or so, unless he's in one of his long naps, he's up and wanting to eat. He eats around 24-28oz a day which I think is pretty impressive for a 4 week old baby. I'm afraid to even contemplate how much he'd eat if he wasn't such a good sleeper at night.
Grumpy McGrumperson - Yes, he's still a meanie. DH and I spend the majority of our time talking about what we think is the matter. We first thought it the diaper rash that was making him so upset. I mean, I'm sure it definitely contributed to it, but his rash has finally started clearing up, with not a lot of improvement in the crying business. Because this kid can cry. And his little tear ducts are starting to work, which just makes it extra sad. Along with learning his cues, I'm also learning his cries. I got the "feed me woman!" cry and the "rock me to sleep, lady!" cry down pretty well. But then there are times where I know all of his needs are being met and yet he is still fussing, whimpering, and crying his little heart out. So this leaves colic or in pain. I vote in pain and here's why.
- He still spits up SO MUCH. If he's awake there's almost constantly a stream of liquid coming out of his mouth. He projectile vomits usually once or twice a day. His doctor sort of waved off my concerns at his last appointment since he gained so much weight but all of the spit up has got to be painful. So maybe acid reflux?
- He also sometimes has a really hoarse voice. Not when he really lets a scream out, but just the every day compaining. His voice even breaks sometimes which just breaks my heart. Dr. Google says that that is another symptom of acid reflux since all the spit up/acid irritates the vocal cords.
-Gas. SO MUCH GAS. From both ends. Also, when he first starts eating, I can actually hear his stomach gurgling which just seems weird to me. This makes me think milk allergy since he had those un-answered bloody stools.
- His poop is still odd to me. Still some orange mucous which the doctor agreed was a since of an allergy. I am supposed to bring in a sample any time I see this, so I have two diapers sitting in my fridge (I promise, they are wrapped up and covered and not just hanging out by the milk) but I haven't had the chance to make the 1hr drive up to his doctor yet. I'm hoping I can send a fresh dipe with DH tomorrow before the weekend or I'll just have to make the trip up there with 3 kids in tow. If he needs another formula and for me to change my diet up a little I sort of want to know. There's just too many signs of something going on for me to just chalk up all the crying for colic. (Although I do think he also has a nice case of baby attitude that is just magnified by whatever else wrong.)
Milestones - Dude can hold his head up goooood. He also has rolled over twice! Once at 9 days old and then again about a week ago. Kid needs to slow it down some. I've also got a few smiles here but those are still few and far between. I don't want to wish his life away (ok, maybe just get to the point where he's happy) but I can not wait for months 4-6. Really, those are so fun because their personalities are really shining through, all the smiling. ALL THE GIGGLING. Oh, the cuteness is out of this world. Declan should hit that right around the holidays, which makes me all kinds of excited.
I promise he has hair, it's just all in back old man style.
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