Seven weeks

"When it comes to learning, no one does it faster than a baby. You can help by providing plenty of sensory-stimulating opportunities, but don't go overboard. An infant's circuits get overloaded pretty easily, so if your baby starts fussing or squirming he's letting you know he's had enough. Your little smarty-pants is also putting together consonants and vowels(ah-goo!) and rolling over (well, at least in one direction). He's likely smiling up a storm and maybe even laughing (the world's most delicious sound) or squealing in delight over Mommy's antics. Talk may be cheap but for a baby, conversation is invaluable, so chat him up. Tell him what you're doing ("I'm wiping your bottom!"); ask questions ("Whose toes are these?"); imitate the sounds he makes; and read aloud (his books or even yours!). For some parents, it's become clear by now that they have a challenging baby. What defines challenging? It could be an infant that's extremely active, unpredictable, high-intensity, or just seemingly unhappy. Take heart (most symptoms lessen considerably as babies grow) and there are many baby behavior strategies you can try to help your child (and yourself and your spouse in the process)."
--whattoexpect.com

There is nothing sweeter than cuddling a baby in fleece PJs. Seriously. I am OBSESSED. 

Well baby is a whole SEVEN WEEKS old today!! Can't believe it.... Though with every stranger who sees him saying he's really big for this young of a baby, sometimes it feels like he should be older haha he can't help that he was a big ol' baby from the get-go haha.

Big News: BABY IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! I got so discouraged when I read that for an infant "sleeping through the night" means sleeping for 5 hours straight at night... I don't handle that well. So when just before the six week mark he began sleeping 8 hours a night I almost died of happiness!
Our nighttime routine is: Feed or "top-off" baby, change him into a disposable diaper, put on his PJs, put him into the "Swaddle-me", cover him with a light blanket, see if he wants his paci, turn on the baby monitor, kiss him goodnight, turn on our Slumber Buddy frog lights and music, shut off the light and close the door. We put him to bed at 11 pm currently. He sometimes will fuss for awhile so we do 5 min-- put his paci in. 10 min- soothe him and try paci again. 20min- pick him up and try to lull him to sleep. He rarely goes that long without falling asleep though. He will sleep until about 7am. We then change him, feed him, re-swaddle him and put him back to bed for four more hours. He always sleeps the extra four hours-- out the minute his head hits the bed. The secrets I've learned are to keep all lights as dim as possible for the early morning changing/ feeding, don't talk to them, only shush them or whisper to soothe them, and cut the feeding short-- for example he usually eats for around 40 minutes, so I try to keep it to 30 for that specific feeding. All these things are supposed to encourage him going back to sleep and will help him start to sleep for longer amounts of time because he is learning it's not awake time yet.

Also recently we went to the state fair where Jesse and I shared a strawberry shortcake. The next morning baby had some bumps on his back that looked like heat rash (from getting too warm obviously) and he was sweaty so we dismissed it as heat rash and kept him in just a diaper all day. Well throughout the day the bumps spread and he got pretty red so our pediatrician sweetly stayed past his office hours to see him after Jesse got home and could drive us-- turns out baby has an allergy to strawberries... at least for now. It may change. They told us to watch his breathing... if it got louder/ more wheezy that evening he would give him some benedryl, and if it got too fast, baby would need a streroid injection-- scary! Luckily our little guy behaved normally all night and everything faded over the next 24 hours.

We had also had our share of scary moments/ feeling like terrible parents moments: Andrew has "choked" about 3 times during different feedings/ feeding methods which always sends me into a panic for the whole 3 seconds it lasts. Luckily Jesse knows baby CPR for just in case. Something I really need to learn. Once while I was changing him he got his hand caught in the clip to secure him in place-- it cut a flap of skin on his palm which started bleeding immediately and he screamed his head off-- I picked him up, applying pressure and cried along with him I felt so terrible lol! Also recently Jesse took off the tiniest bit of skin while clipping his fingernails-- again lots of blood (for such a tiny cut) and baby again screamed until his face was beet red. I just squeezed him close and shushed him while Jesse rubbed his back-- we're starting to get the hang of it. Both times we applied neosporin and a bandaid and then covered that hand with a mitten so he doesn't get the bandaid in his mouth. You feel so terrible when he first feels pain, but he's over it within about 2 minutes and they heal SO fast it's ridiculous!

We are very much enjoying watching him grow-- he is awake a lot more, curious as ever, making lots of coos and babbles, going through a comical range of facial expressions all the time and grasping at things/ rolling over/ showing off his muscles, etc. My healing is going very well, I finally am beginning to feel like ME again (sadly, the most exciting thing so far has been finding out that you can have a drink while nursing as long as you wait 2 hours per drink before nursing again-- my first woodchuck was HEAVENLY lol). I hardly notice the stitched area at all if ever, don't take any ib profun anymore, don't need pads anymore and my tummy is shrinking little by little still (blog post on that to come hehe). Finally having my "six week" follow-up appointment on the 11th, and if all goes well I will be cleared to resume my previous activities-- I cannot wait to get back in the pool nor can I wait to try out the hot tub for the first time since moving here!

Now our goals are simple-- get Andrew's birth certificate, find a place to get him circumcised, research which vaccines we want Dr. Shah to give him and continue loving on baby every day :) I'm loving this life-- I feel so complete being a mom, and obviously my whole entire world revolves around the little guy. He is such a precious, adorable, perfect little being and every little thing he does or accomplishes makes the entire day spectacular <3

I have to admit though... I am already having baby fever again LOL I just can't help it. With this little guy around I can't help but be CRAZY excited to have another little person in our lives-- don't worry though it'll be a while before we start thinkin seriously about another one haha :)

So here is a list I've made up of the things I would ABSOLUTELY use again:
1. The Nap Nanny was a wonderful purchase!! The homepage has a message from the owner or something because there was a recall on one version and all this crap BUT we have been using it a lot and have only great things to say about it. It's great for putting him down while you're doing something, it's comfy, he loves spending time in it AND he sleeps longer in there than most places. Before he was a month old he had slept 6 hours in one stretch! SO great for new parents in dire need of shut-eye. We would put him in it, pull it up to the edge of the couch and lay down and nap while he does-- soooo nice!

2. Wipe Warmer-- YES. The first 2 weeks having him in our room, he cried bloody murder when we would change him. Ever since moving into his room and using the wipe warmer, it is such a better experience!! He barely cries ever and only if he is upset about something else. It's super easy to use/ maintain and sooo nice for him! Thanks to Jesse's cousin Lexie for sending it to us!! :)

3. Fuzzibunz Diapers... again we just adore these. He is so skinny that once in awhile the diaper will leak (it's not tight against his legs yet) but sometimes the disposables leak as well so it doesn't bother me at all. They are easy to clean, makes diapering him soooo much cheaper and make his bottom so big and adorable haha! I also love that they adjust. We have the one size elite which have many different places to snap in for growing babies and extra elastic for when they get too tight!

4. Avent bottles-- I had heard babies are picky when it comes to bottles but I chose these and risked buying a good few... and he took em like a pro. I have never had an issue with the plastic bottles-- they are easy to clean (don't forget the bottle brush!) and he loves em! We also just began using the glass bottles and I am loooooving them!

5. Babyganics EVERYTHING!!!! We have their all-surface cleansing wipes, cleaning spray, hand sanitizer, baby bottle soap, diaper cream and clothing detergent. I love that everything that goes near baby is all natural and his sensitive skin (another unpleasant trait he received from his mama) is being cared for! On that note....

6. Burts Bees products are fabulous!! We've used the lotion and the shampoo so far but also have the soap, and oil. Again, we adore that it is more natural for Andrew's sake and the smell of honey on him after you've used one of the products is absolutely divine!

7. Aden and Anais swaddle blankets-- comfy and light enough that if baby decides to hide under the blanket while we look away for two seconds, we don't have to worry about him suffocating lol, but still enough to warm him up when he is cold :)

8. Reusable nursing pads. I have not tried this brand but I WANT to. Love the natural aspect and c'mon... pay this once and use them several times (cuz you'll need to) or pay $7+ a pop for disposables that last what seems like 2 days. DO IT. Lol

9. Swaddle pods-- for those that like me are swaddling-challenged... or just cuz they are convenient and that's a major luxury with a newborn. We are currently on the "swaddle-me" size and I simply adore it. Easy enough for me to do, and though Andrew whines while we are putting him into it, he calms immediately after we are done and has begun sleeping about 8 hours a night when we use it. SCORE.

Then just the usual stuff... diaper genie, natural care wipes, natural paci wipes/ hand and face wipes, all-natural sunscreen, swing/ bouncer seat, stack of washcloths to prevent pee fountains while changing, a good diaper bag, his fave pacifier, lots of cozy blankets.... oh and

10. The Boppy Pillow. MUST. HAVE. Sooo very nice for nursing but also as a make-shift bed for baby, propping them up, etc. It has been so useful!!

In our diaper bag we currently have: Wipes, baby tylenol and medicine dropper, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, baby powder, neosporin, changing pad, nursing cover, scented diaper sacks, gum, extra nursing pads, extra shirt for me (and sometimes hubby), extra set of clothes for baby, paci wipes, hand/face wipes, boogie wipes, ziploc bags for wet clothes or cloth diapers, nursing lotion, a book, baby toys, swaddle blanket, socks/hat/jacket for colder weather, stack of disposable diapers, burping cloth, bib, washcloth and tee pee for changing and anything I would usually put in my purse.

Our changing table consists of: changing pad with wet pad and cozy cover on, wipe warmer, baby monitor, washcloth/ tee pee for changing and a basket with disposable diapers for nighttime or going out, thermometer pacifier, petroleum jelly, diaper cream, baby powder and lotion.

And finally, I will leave you with a pic of one of Andrew's simply adorable/ silly expressions

TTFN! <3

Newborn pics...

Baby's first portrait session :)

We HAD to pay tribute to our beloved Vikings-- no matter their track record lol

The first baby toy we bought

LOVE

Daddy and baby

kisses

Elephant love!

Our little cutie :)

family pics!

As mentioned in my previous post, Jesse's parents were able to make a trip out to see Andrew this winter! It was so much fun having them for a visit and we decided to get some photos taken as well :)

Family shot! Andrew with mommy, daddy, grandma, grandpa and granny :)

Jesse's mom with Andrew...

Jesse's dad with Andrew

My mom with Andrew

Abel side granny

"we made dis" lol

<3

Andrew and grandparents

Granny/ Abel side

Schmitt side-- grandma and grandpa :)

One month old Andrew ♥

"Those adorable grunts, gurgles, and coos are her way of chatting about what's going on in her world, and the best way to encourage more communication is to keep the conversation going. (Don't be surprised if you hear plenty of sneezes and hiccups as well — both very common in infants.) At this age, your baby is ready for supervised tummy time, a position that'll allow her to practice important motor skills (like lifting that big noggin, even for a few seconds at a time). She'll also discover her best built-in toys about now — her fingers and toes, which are not only entertaining but potentially comforting as well (thumbsuckers, rejoice!). Also worth rejoicing over: You're an old pro by now at this baby-care thing — who knew it would happen so quickly?"
--whattoexpect.com

Well not much new since last week-- baby is still doing well... at his one month check-up he was 23 1/2 inches and 10lbs 8oz!! Doc says he is growing great, everything else is doing well and we are currently researching which vaccinations we want him to get after his two-month appointment.

As far as life at home, not much is new there either. He is still expressive, rolling onto his back, testing out his legs and neck, etc. He is awake a lot more often now, looking around the room curiously and whining when we aren't interacting with him often enough, haha! I try to get him to use his grip, react to rattles or noisy toys, give him a bit of silk to hold or something else textural, play music or sing, talk to him, move him around, etc. when he gets those patches of boredom.

His feedings are down to every four hours now rather than 3 which apparently is right on track. He also sleeps 5 or 6 hours once to twice a day which is great for our sleep-deprived minds as well haha :) We ordered more fuzzibunz diapers...they should be arriving at the beginning of next week. SO thankful baby hasn't gotten hit with diaper rash yet (knock on wood), but we are pretty careful to change him routinely or anyttime he is complaining... we also use diaper cream or baby powder with almost every change-- the cloth diapers help a lot too.

We had previously worried about what looked like some allergic reaction a while back... turns out newborns get acne from sleeping on a side of their face, and it goes away eventually. We also have been worried lately about if his eyesight is developing. He reacts to loud noises, but is slower to look at us when we talk or look towards the cause of a loud noise so we asked the doc about it. Apparently there isn't a great way to tell yet but his eyes are reacting properly and his mini-eye examine went great so methinks he'll be just fine.

NEWSFLASH-- I never knew there were washable nursing pads out there.... that might be super silly but I didn't. Just discovered it yesterday at Babies R Us and am excited to buy a pack. I'm almost through 2 boxes already so I would gladly embrace saving money on disposables! We are also starting to look into reusable wipes. We have a surplus of the disposables still but again would love to save money by just reusing cloth wipes.

Welllll, I think that is all for now, off to go play with baby more :)

TTFN! <3