Three Months

Spencer officially reached three months on Monday. We are so in love with this little boy!

At three months Spencer is a big, happy baby who spends his waking hours smiling. He eats a ton, likes his routine and is officially sleeping through the night (!). Last week Spencer started laughing and now I can't even get him dressed without hearing baby chuckles. 

This is what it is to have an 'angel baby' and it is so good!

Supersize Baby

Spencer is a big boy. So big that at just eleven weeks he is well into 3-6 month clothing, busting out of everything far to quickly. I swear by the time a sleeper comes out of the wash and I go to put it on again - a cycle that lasts no more than a few days - it is already too small.

Spencer is roly. He has rolls on his rolls, three chins and dimpled hands. I can't help but feel proud that it's me who has made him this way since he has been 95% breastfed. We did start giving him formula on event days and now he gets a bottle in the middle of the night (that's another blog post...) but I am still impressed that for the most part it's the milk that I produce that has made our little boy so big and healthy. Spencer nurses with gusto and I am confident that this is just a window into how well he is going to eat. There will be no dancing around meal times with my little man.

Last night Spencer slept for nine hours. That's nine hours straight. Eloise was eleven months old by the time she slept that long AND she was eating solids! He woke up content and hungry (obviously) at 6:30am, Chris gave him a bottle so I could sleep longer and when I woke up at 8am he was ready to eat again. His days are an endless cycle of eating, smiling, laughing and sleeping. He is a chill, content baby and my only complaint is that he is getting too big too quickly. I feel blessed to have a good sleeper and eater after our challenges with Eloise but I am not ready for my little (big) baby to grow so fast.

No Just Gas

Spencer has smiled at me more than once in the past few days so I am convinced a smile no longer means gas. His smiles are all gummy and lopsided, lighting up his whole face and melting my heart.

Since reaching the six-week mark Spencer has been more alert and has come out of the 'newborn fog' that babies start their lives in. He is now looking at us when we speak, can lift his head and hold it up for a few seconds, clasps onto me when I carry him and is over 12 pounds of rolly poly baby goodness. He has a soft tuft of hair at the nape of his neck, cute little eyelashes and has thankfully grown out of newborn acne. His legs still curl up when we cuddle and we still need to support his head, but he is definitely showing signs of being more baby than newborn.

There are exceptions, but Spencer eats well, sleeps well and is generally happy. At just seven weeks I feel like I already know what to expect from him, such a contrast to Eloise who has always differed day to day. As I write this (what do YOU do while breastfeeding at 4:44am?) Eloise is asleep in our bed. You'd think that a fuss-free day with an easy bedtime would lead to her sleeping through the night in her own bed, but I just never know what to expect. Spencer on the other hand just woke up after sleeping six hours and is busy eating again so he can get back to sleep. This is my introduction to the difference between boys and girls. 

Two Months

This chunky little squish is already two months old. I can't believe how quickly eight weeks have passed!

At his six week check up Spencer was 11 pounds, 11 ounces, and has gained steadily since. I would be surprised if he hasn't already tipped 13 pounds but I can't confirm for sure... getting both kids out to a mom & baby drop-in to weigh Spencer is not so realistic these days. But since he has already grown out of 0-3 month clothing my 13 pound guesstimate can't be far off.

Just don't grow too fast, buddy, I'm not finished enjoying this stage with you.

In a Flash

There is something about a new baby that invites strangers to engage in conversation. They want to know how old is the baby? Does he sleep? How old is my little girl? Does she like being a big sister? How are we adjusting? Am I tired? It's all very well intentioned, and then these strangers, inevitably members of this huge club called parenthood, want to tell me how fast time passes. They share stories of when their kids were young and how they are struggling to believe that their son or daughter starts kindergarten in September, will be in high school this year or is off to University. I remember people telling me these stories when Eloise was a tiny baby but I don't remember actually thinking about how right they are. At that time hearing, "enjoy every moment," just seemed redundant, but now, I'm listening.

Having done this before I have something to compare to and time IS going quickly. Too quickly. Eloise changes every day and is such a little person now that Chris and I often stare at each other in disbelief at something she has said or done. She is whip smart with a huge vocabulary, has an incredible memory, and is so confident. I find it hard to even remember back three years to what Eloise was like at Spencer's age now that she seems so grown up.

Spencer is just a month old but already he feels so big. His little tucked up newborn limbs are beginning to stretch out and he is one plump little man, with puffy hands and feet and rolls on his thighs. At this rate I don't think he will be little for much longer and he is already quickly outgrowing much of his 0-3 month clothing. Comparatively I don't think Eloise was Spencer's size until she was around three months old, but I guess this is the difference between a pre-term girl and full-term boy.

I honestly can't believe that our first month as a family of four has come to a close. I am so tired but I am kind of okay with it. Our children are little for such a short period of time and before I know it I will be that Mom in the grocery store admiring a new baby, telling a new Mother about my children, the teenagers. I will one day think back on how desperately we wanted a full night's sleep without little visitors in our bed but then I'll wish I could go back to those days of cuddly babies and sweet, sleepy toddlers. This time will be gone in a flash and I don't want to miss one minute.

6 Hours

I had to check the clock multiple times and was reduced to counting on my fingers for confirmation, but there it was: Spencer slept for six straight hours last night! And honestly, I'm not all that surprised. 

His appetite is becoming insatiable. Each time he nurses during the day - which is often - you'd think I have never fed the kid. He sucks like he hasn't eaten in weeks, with a voraciousness that leaves him almost breathless and requires burp breaks just to let him catch up. Spencer is a little tank. 

Last night Chris gave Spencer a bottle and he downed three ounces, crying for more. I nursed him for another 45 minutes before putting him in his crib and boom, six hours later there we were. You'd think Spencer's six hours meant an uninterrupted sleep for me, but Eloise had other plans when she arrived in our room at midnight. I tried to reason with her, "But Eloise, your not alone in your room anymore! Spencer is sound asleep in his crib." She just looked at me in her sleepy stupor as if to say, "Nice try, lady," crawled up into our bed and fell fast asleep on my pillow. I retreated to her bed. By four o'clock Spencer was up again, ending his lengthy sleep with an exhausting 'every hour feed' for the rest of the night. I wouldn't say I felt rested today, but I do feel better and hopefully Spencer's six hours are just the beginning.

Breastfeeding: a Refresher Course

Even when it comes relatively easily, I don't know if breastfeeding is ever totally straightforward. Every baby is so different and it's hard to remember the nitty gritty details of nursing Eloise in the early days. I do know that establishing a good latch was hard, but I think this was mostly due to the sheer size difference between her tiny head and my huge breasts. To solve this my midwife suggested using a nipple shield which worked like a charm for the first month and led to a great breastfeeding experience until Eloise was 19 months old.

This time around I was convinced my full-size baby would simply just nurse. Spencer caught on instantly at first, happily taking both breasts, but as my milk came in things become more complicated. Generous milk production has led to engorgement which means that Spencer tends to choke as he feeds and needs to be burped constantly. Milk gets all over both of us unless I have a careful placement of burp cloths and trying to establish a good latch makes him frustrated which makes me frustrated and we both end up covered in milk. One breast is easier to feed on than the other and it's gotten to the point where Spencer will not willingly take my right side unless he has already fed on the left. Then there is the leakage. Even with an extra breast pad tucked into my bra the oft-neglected right breast proceeded to leak a giant circle down one side of my shirt yesterday. This just so happened to coincide with the first day we had ventured out of the house and can you guess who forgot to pack herself a change of clothes? 

To help make feeding easier my midwife recommended nursing lying on my back to reduce the fast flow of my milk and encourage Spencer to suck. This works until he unlatches and I have to reposition, maneuvering myself back up to a sitting position without using my abs which will impact my c-section recovery. It is not a very comfortable process. The other option is nursing on my side but this results in a pool of milk below us both as Spencer continuously moves around, not entirely sure of what he is supposed to be doing. He also likes to have his hands up by his face and for some reason he holds them here in a death grip the hungrier he gets and I have to pry them open to get full breast contact.

A breastfeeding blog suggested pumping a few minutes on each side before nursing to reduce the flow of engorged breasts, so I have been doing this and it seems to work. I am also using a nipple shield again and it looks like this may be what Spencer needed to nurse for longer without choking. Nights are still an adventure as a sleepy baby and dozy mom lead to lots of spilled milk but I suppose it is all part of the process. Even with the success of breastfeeding Eloise it looks like I needed a refresher course in breastfeeding after all.