Toby–Weekly Post: Week 7

Again, a couple days late.  This past week has been fun!  He is starting to blow bubbles, smile a lot more, and is getting more into playing.  I went through some of his rattles and toys that we had stored away in his toy box and experimented to see which ones he’s currently interested in. 

The fussiness at night has died down a little, which also made this past week easier.  We have started a more strict bedtime routine that’s been pretty successful.  Around 9pm we go upstairs and do a bath.  If he’s hungry at this point, he is usually crying until we put him in the water.  As soon as he feels the water on his back, though, he relaxes immediately.  Can’t wait until he splashes more and plays since he really loves being in the tub.  Hardest part is taking him out…we have to try to get a new diaper on him ASAP before cuddling him in a hooded towel or else the fussiness will start up again :)  Once bathtime is done, we head back to his room, apply lotion, put him in pj’s, and then I’ll nurse him.  Then I read a story to him, swaddle, turn off the light, and lay him in the crib.  He is usually very sleepy by the time we read a story but wakes up again when I swaddle him.  If I keep him laying in the crib, give him a pacifier, and then lightly stroke his head a little, his eyes will start to close and that’s when I head out of the room.  9 times out of 10, he falls asleep on his own.  Much better routine than having to rock him for 30 minutes and pray that he’ll stay asleep when I put him in the crib!

Right now he is sleeping from about 10pm until 2 or 3ish, eats for about 30 minutes, then I re-swaddle and put him back in the crib.  Sometimes he’s not as willing to go back to sleep at this point so that’s still a work in progress.  Once he does fall back asleep, he usually will sleep for another 3 hours or so until 6 or 7.  Depending upon how tired he is after that AM feeding, I may put him back to sleep or take him downstairs and put him in the swing for a little to nap before we actually get ready for the day.

Oh, and so glad he finally fits in his cute footy pajamas: 

Weight: I tried weighing him with me earlier this week and got 9 pounds…hopefully that’s somewhat accurate.  I swear he’s feeling heavier.

Height: Was 22.5 inches at his 1 month appt, I’m thinking he’s grown even longer as he’s filling out his 0-3 clothes lengthwise already.

Medical Issues: Baby acne and now some eczema.  I think we may need to do baths every other night to see if it helps the rash go away.  Aveeno lotion is helping a little but the bumps are still there, just not as red.

Sleep: Worked on naps this past week and he put himself to sleep one afternoon after 15 minutes of fussing in his crib.  But then he slept for a good 2 hours – I had to wake him up to eat!

Clothes/Diapers Sizes: All 0-3 stuff, though the shorts are still big around his waist!  Still 1 for diapers. 

Diet: Breastmilk.  I think he’s getting more efficient with nursing as his sessions have gone from 35-40 minutes down to 20-30 minutes, which has made me happy but I also hope he’s still getting enough.  I wait for him to unlatch on his own so I guess he’s always full at the end of a session.

Baby Gear Love: This cute little elephant (image courtesy of Amazon)!  The ears make a crinkling sound which he (and the cats) love listening to.  If I shake this, he will try to punch the elephant’s arms – keeps him entertained for quite a while.  I found this one at Kohl’s.

Milestones/Firsts: Read first book to him – Goodnight Moon.

Likes: Being entertained :) 

Dislikes: If he wakes up from a nap and is hungry, oh my gosh, we better have a bottle or a boob ready or else we have one cranky baby!

Postpartum – Mommy: Feeling more organized and better this week since I was able to actually do some stuff while he’s been napping.  I think I’m adjusting more to his sleep patterns but sometimes I do try to sneak in one of my own naps if possible before he wakes up.  I think we’ll be able to get a good schedule down within the next few weeks.