Can't believe my baby boy is one month old already!!! Where did the time go?? Let's see, here is the rundown:
Sleep: Cole is a great sleeper at night! Once we put him down he can usually go up to 5 and a 1/2 to 6 hours without waking to feed. There were a few weeks where the doctor wanted us to wake him every three hours because he was not up to birth weight. This killed me!!! I hated my alarm going off and rolling over to see him sound asleep and having to wake him!!! However, it got him back up to his birth weight. Dave and I discussed it and we decided now that he is at his appropriate weight, we are letting him (and me) sleep more. We are aiming to wake him every 4 and a 1/2 to 5 hours although sometimes my snooze button gets hit and its a tad longer :/. He doesn't seem to mind though! After his long stretch of sleep at night, he usually goes another 3-4 hours and then I'm up for the day. He usually falls fast asleep after his "first" feeding of the day. If I was smart I would use this time to shower and get myself ready. However, I usually keep snuggling him and end up dozing off myself or I use the time to scarf down breakfast and catch up on dishes.
During the day and early evening, Cole fights sleep like no other. He doesn't like to miss anything that is going on (much like his Mother :)) He will be just yawning away and eyes rolled in the back of his head one second and the next screaming. Once he is swaddled and a pacifier in, he falls right to sleep! He naps anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes, we don't have a schedule yet!! All in due time!
Eating: Cole is an eating machine!!! I plan for him eating every two hours during the day, however, its more like every hour and a half to every hour and 45 minutes. When the boy is hungry, there is no satisfying him unless he is eating!!! Instead of a certain schedule, I am basically just feeding him on demand, especially while he was trying to get back up to birth weight. During weeks 2-3 I was nursing on the left side and pumping the right while my right side healed up a bit. This gave us a chance to stock up on some milk in the fridge and freezer. After I healed, I started nursing on both sides again. Now, I'm pumping an average of 3 times a day. In the morning, he usually only nurses off of one side, so I pump the other. When Dave gets home from work he feeds Cole a bottle and I pump both sides. In the middle of the night Cole seems to only nurse one side as well, so I pump the other. I get anywhere from 1.5 to 3 ounces on one side, it depends on the time of day. I'm a bit anxious to figure out a pumping schedule before I have to go back to work. I'm not sure when I will have time to pump since he is nursing all the time! However, I need to stock up the fridge and freezer!
Diaper Size: Cole is wearing a size 1 diaper. We just gave up the newborns during week 3, they were getting very snug! Now we just fold down the top of the size ones, even though we probably don't need to since his umbilical cord is gone! He gets his diaper changed after every feeding and sometimes more than that! I have gotten peed on and so has the wall during a few diaper changes but Daddy has been safe!
Clothes Size: Cole pretty much skipped the newborn size. He wears all 0-3 months stuff. There are a few pairs of newborn pants he can fit into though. Most of our clothes are Carter's brand and their 0-3 months has fit well. Some other off brands in 0-3 are too tight in the shoulders and are a CHALLENGE to get off and on so even though they are ADORABLE, I've given up on them. We also gave up on the Gerber 0-3 months onesies! They are incredibly tight! Our favorite onesies are the Faded Glory brand from Walmart because they are nice and loose around the head so it makes them easy to get on and off. We are changing clothes a lot lately because Cole has had quite a bit of spit up! It seems as though the second I get his arms through a shirt, he spits up and I have to change him again! Some days I go through 4 shirts in a matter of 10 minutes! I never knew we'd be doing so much laundry! His and ours because not only do his clothes get spit up on but ours too!
Other Fun Facts:
* At Cole's last doctor's appointment (around 3 weeks old) he was up to 10 pounds 13 ounces (1 ounce less than birth weight).
*At birth, Cole had a slight heart murmur, which the doctor's didn't seem worried about (however, Mommy and Daddy were!). Before we left the hospital he had an EKG and the results were sent to AI Dupont. Our pediatrician reviewed the results with us and said it was nothing to worry about (I can't remember exactly what type of valve opening she said he had). At our last appointment (around 3 weeks) she said she couldn't hear the murmur anymore!! :) We will continue to ask about it at his future appointments though, just to be sure!
*Cole is most alert after his second feeding of the day, however, this can vary. This is when we usually do tummy time. He doesn't seem to mind it too much!
*Like I said previously, he has been spitting up frequently. Some days its after every feeding, others its only a few times a day. The pediatrician says it is normal and as long as he's gaining weight, we shouldn't worry about it yet. It is a hassle though because we go through so many clothes, bibs, burp cloths, and changing pad covers! It also frustrates me because I feel like all the time I spent nursing is wasted because he loses everything he ate! I've been reading a lot about it and I'm wondering if I have a fast let down and he is getting too much milk at first. I'm also trying to keep him upright for at least 15 minutes after he eats and getting a few good burps out of him (which is impossible sometimes)!
* Cole seems to enjoy bath time! Daddy has been the primary bath giver, and does a great job with it. We are still mostly doing baths with a squirt bottle on a towel like in the hospital. We have used the big tub once but it was kind of awkward to use (I think because we are so used to the other way).
*Mommy and Daddy are slowly adjusting to parenting life! With Dave back to work, Cole and I have been by ourselves during the day. We don't have much of a schedule yet, so some days are smoother than others! Some days I am showered and the house is straightened when Dave gets home, other days I am still in pajamas and the house looks like a tornado hit it! Poor Dave has been very tired when he gets home from work. Although he doesn't have to get up to feed Cole during the night, I know it still wakes him up when I have to get up. I try my best to be quiet but sometimes he still wakes up. I usually try to take a quick nap with Cole in the afternoons, that is when I am the most tired. I still haven't ventured out on my own with Cole! I've been out a few times on my own while Dave has Daddy/Baby time and it has definitely felt weird! I'm sure it will feel even more odd when I am out on my own with Cole!
