My mom came to stay with us for about a week when I got home from the hospital, to help out while Ryan was at work. Since I wasn't supposed to go up and down stairs any more than necessary, and it was too painful to get in and out of my bed anyway, I slept on the couch that first week and Grant stayed downstairs in the pack and play. He seemed to not be ready to settle down for the night until 10:30 or 11:00, which was about 2-3 hours past my normal bedtime! He would sleep for 2-3 hours, which I can't really complain about, but then he'd be up for 1 to 1.5 hours at a time. It was nice having my mom here because she'd come down in the mornings and be on baby duty for a couple hours so I could get a shower and maybe go back to sleep for a bit.
In addition to being on baby duty, my mom was a huge help with picking Connor up and entertaining him until Ryan got home from work. Connor definitely enjoyed all the attention his Nana gave him, and I think it was a great way to lessen the reality that he is now going to have to share the attention from his parents!
Grant had his one week doctor's appointment on April 30th. Here were his stats:
- He weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz. (5 oz. more than his birth weight and a full pound more than when he left the hospital!) and is in the 44%
- He was 20.5" (grew 1/4" since birth) and is in the 58%
- His head circumference was 14.5" and is in the 55%
His physician's assistant was very happy with his progress. He still had some jaundice, which is fairly common. He's eating well and his sleep patterns are consistent with his age. The best part of that day was the fact that Ryan drove me to Dunkin Donuts for a coffee on the way home - it was the first one I had in over a week and I felt like I was going through withdrawal!
I really must say that I did not give Connor nearly enough credit when people would ask me how I thought he would act around the baby. I was really nervous because Connor is so young and he was really kind of attached to me, and I thought he would have a really tough time adjusting to a new baby. He's done wonderfully! He alternates between being super interested in his brother and ignoring him/doing his own thing. As long as he isn't trying to smother him with a blanket, I'm going to consider it a success. Actually, he's very gentle and respectful around the baby, and doesn't really exhibit much jealousy. Maybe it is actually an advantage that he is so young and unable to remember what it was like before his brother arrived. I'm hoping this continues as they grow up together!
Brothers by chance, buddies by choice.
It took about 2 or 2 1/2 weeks for me to start feeling better after my csection. I had some major cabin fever and was so glad to be able to drive after 2 weeks. I wasn't supposed to do any heavy lifting, but I was definitely ready to be able to get out and about, even if it was just to the grocery store! I also really missed being able to pick up Connor and do things for/with him, such as giving him a bath and putting him to bed. Even though Ryan really stepped up, it was difficult for me to not be able to do things. I think part of me was a little worried he would forget about me and like Ryan better than me! I probably pushed the envelope a little bit with getting back into the swing of things (picking Connor up from daycare and lifting him into the carseat and in and out of the bathtub, etc.) but at the same time, what mom of a toddler can REALLY wait the suggested 6 weeks for doing those things??? I think it probably actually sped up my recovery a bit and if I started to feel sore, I made sure to relax and turn it down a notch.
We've managed to keep fairly busy since Grant's arrival. Anyone who knows Ryan knows that we could not possibly have planned this baby around a worse time, as spring turkey is his favorite hunting "season," and it lasts the entire month of May. So pretty much every Wednesday (his day off) and Saturday, I had both kids by myself. I think the hardest part was the timing of the morning routine. It seemed that both kids would wake up at the same time and not before I was able to get a shower. At times I felt like I was in Sophie's Choice - which screaming kid should I get out of bed first, and once both kids were dressed and downstairs, which one gets fed first? (Okay, I'm being a bit dramatic, I know). Honestly, it isn't nearly as bad as I imagined. I've actually found it easier to load them both up in the car and get up and go somewhere, even if it is just for a drive, rather than being stuck in the house all day. We've become regulars at the local parks, and pretty much anywhere that has carts that I can stick Grant's carrier in the back and Connor can ride up front.
We need to get this kid a couple of acres and a swing set ASAP!
On Mother's Day we went to Collin and Emily's house for the afternoon and had a huge feast from Tag's for dinner. It was a beautiful day and Connor had so much fun running around with their dogs. He fell asleep in the car on the way home, barely woke up when Ryan gave him a bath, was in bed by 6pm and slept through the night until Ryan woke him up at 630 the next morning!
So lucky to be celebrating Mother's Day with these two cuties!
We spent the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend at Ryan's Uncle Rick's house on the Loyalsock Creek. The weather couldn't have been more beautiful and we all enjoyed sitting out on the deck by the water, watching all the kayakers paddling down the creek. Rick and Niccole have such a great spot and we love to spend time there when the weather is nice.
Grant was there too, I swear, he just doesn't do anything that is picture worthy!
Grant had another doctor's appointment when he was one month old. This little pork chop weighed 11 lbs. 10 ozs, meaning he gained 3.5 lbs in 3 weeks! I don't have his percentages because they usually print them out on the sheet which has the next appointment date and time, and they didn't schedule one at that appointment because his PA was a little concerned because he still had some jaundice and wanted us to go straight to the lab to get some blood work done to check his bilirubin levels and she wanted to wait to get the results before scheduling the next appointment. Aside from that issue, she was thrilled with his weight gain, head and neck strength, etc. His bili levels were elevated, but she just wanted to closely monitor them. We go back on June 6th, at which time he will get his 2 month vaccinations (a few weeks shy of 2 months but as long as he is 6 weeks it is okay) so I will post new weight and height details along with the percentages. I also had to take him for an ultrasound on his hips on May 30th. Apparently breech babies are prone to hip dysplasia, so they routinely order the ultrasound at 1 month just as a precaution. Thankfully, everything looked good and there aren't any concerns.
Started catching a few smiles at around 5 weeks!
For the most part, Grant is a really happy baby. When he is awake, he really likes to be held, and can be fussy in the mornings, which makes it a little difficult to get moving/get anything done. But, the good news is that he is a MUCH better sleeper at night than Connor was. At about 3 or 4 weeks he was sleeping 3 or 4 hours at a time. Around 5 weeks he started sleeping from about 10 to 3 and would be up for about an hour or an hour and a half by the time he ate and got settled back down. I really didn't think that was too bad, and really couldn't complain because I remember Connor being up 2, 3, and even 4 times a night at that age. The past 2 or 3 nights, however, Grant has slept from about 10 to 5!!! I almost don't even want to say it out loud because I am afraid it is a fluke and I will jynx it, but it is sooo nice to have those long periods of uninterrupted sleep. I hope it continues - I don't think Connor slept for 7 hours straight until he was 8 months old, so even if it is short lived, I can't complain!
Six weeks old already - time flies when you're having fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment