Friday, March 25, 2011

Learning about being a mom

Zach is 6 weeks old.  Life as we know it has completely changed.  I've realized some things I've taken for granted.  Sleep.  Getting out of the car to run into the store quickly without having to take out a carseat with a child.  Eating whatever I want.  Sleep.  Cleaning whenever I need to.  Reading a book.  Going to the park just to chill for hours.  Now.  I can still do those things.  They just have changed.  I have to limit the time doing things I love doing, and now, I have a son who I love that I can do them with.  Which is really awesome.

As much as I didn't believe the people who said during the first few weeks of Zach's life that "it will get easier" I must say that it has.  Zach, Geoffe, and I are learning about each other and figuring out life with baby.  I've noticed that I know things about Zach by the cues he gives me.  We've started a routine to where I'm pretty sure I can guess what he is going to want next.  Here's an example of our schedule along with things I've learned:

We start our day around 7:00 A.M. when Zach wakes up very early.  I have been exclusively pumping, and supplementing with formula at night, so he gets his first breast milk bottle.  I give him 3 OZ every 2 hours.  After eating he either is wide awake and wants to play (on rare occasion) or is ready to go back to sleep.  Most likely he goes back to seleep for 2 hours.  At 9, he wakes up and we repeat the feeding routine.  This time he normally wants to stay awake.  I put him in his baby fun chair.  He likes this for only about 30 minutes.  He normally gets bored pretty easy.  After the chair, I put him under his mobile thing that has toys hanging down.  He LOVES this.  He actually might be a bit overstimulated by it.  His legs move like he's running and his arms are up in the air hitting the toys.  Usually when I get smile it's when he's under this toy.  He also tries to eat the frog stuffed animal hanging down. 

*He started smiling last Thursday.  He has given small smiles, and his mouth opens way big as he's trying big smiles.  He gave his first big smile today (picture on facebook).  He also has this bear mobile hanging where his changing table is and he LOVES this.  He laughs, smiles, and talks to it.  He's learning very quickly. 

After about 1 hour 15 minutes Zach starts getting fussy.  I know that he's getting a little tired so I pick him up and give him a pacifier.  Now this isn't an easy process.  He fights the pacifier.  He cries until he puts his mouth down and realizes what it is and starts sucking.  Almost immediatly his eyes start closing.  This is how I know he's tired.  I call the pacifier my baby sleep savior.  it gets him to sleep almost every time.  So, Zach sleeps for about 30-45 minutes, wakes up, and we repeat the process. 

When the weather is nice I take Zach's chair outside and we sit in the sun.  During this time I read Zach books and I take time to pray and read the bible.  This sometimes can only be about 15-20 minutes but this time with the Lord is so worth it.  Its helped me pray through some frusterating and sleep deprived days. 

Around 7:00 every night we have Bath time.  Zach LOVES bathtime.  He doesn't cry unless he's hungry or especially tired.  After bath time Daddy gets Zach to dry him off, we put his PJ's on him and usually give him a bottle.  He plays some, and gets another bedtime bottle around 9 or 9:30 and goes to sleep.  He usually gives me a good 5 hours of sleep before waking up to eat, and then another 3 hours, and then we start the day again. 

Some things I've learned: 

When Zach wakes up all he wants to do is eat.  If he has a wet or poopy diaper trying to change it before he has eaten is difficult.  Normally I choose to wait until after food unless its a lot of pee, or any kind of poop.  We have to indure the screaming in this case.  His bear mobile doesn't even help when he's hungry.  (my boy loves to eat).

Zach has a blowout about every 2-3 days.  I have to be careful about the clothes I put on him when I think he's going to blow out.  I'd rather mess up the clothes that aren't my favorite things to put on him :)  At first I worried that his bowels wasn't frequent enough but I've learned through many internet articles, and an email to his doctors that its normal, and that I need to get used to the blowouts. 

Zach talks to me when he's under his toy mobile and sometimes when I'm holding him to give him a nap.  The pacifier sometimes prevents this so as much as I love it I'll take it out and let him tell me his stories. 

He also recognizes my voice.  Its awesome when I walk into the room and start talking and he turns his head, makes eye contact with me, and gives me a smile.  Makes the first few weeks worth it. 

I look at my boy and I think about the day he was born limp and blue.  I almost tear up thinking that we could have lost this precious guy.  We've all bonded.  He loves his mama and daddy. 

I'm sure now that I've learned this routine he will change it.  But still up for learning ;)

Good times ahead.....