2 weeks in pictures

I've renamed previous posts with similar titles, because this post, in fact, showcases Colin's events in his second week.

Hanging out with Daddy:

Hanging out with Rocket, who has accepted the fact that Colin is staying. Rocket has also run out of the yard a few times since Saturday, which he never does. Big brother jealousy issues, maybe?

After his first bath in his tub, which he did not enjoy:

Trying out the Moby Wrap:

In the Moby wrap, practicing holding up his head and looking at Mom:

With the Duck (Week 2):

More pictures from Johanna

Colin made a second appearance on Johanna Price's website. He's still 7 day old Baby C. If you missed the first round of his pictures, scroll down her website past Baby L.

www.johannapricephoto.com

Love 'em, right?

2 week check up

Colin had his first check up today. Going in, I wasn't worried about his weight gain because I knew that with how often he ate, he had to have been back to his birth weight by now. Boy was he! He was born at 6 lbs 4 oz, and left the hospital on 4/20 at 5 lbs 14 oz. Today he weighed in at 7 lbs 3 oz!  I guess these long, sleepless nights are not for nothing. At least they're paying off in some form. His weight puts him in the 25th percentile. 

He's also 1/2 inch "taller" (75th percentile), and his head circumference is 1 1/4 inch bigger.

If he were a bit older, I'm sure he would have earned a sucker for how well he behaved as he lay in his diaper on the table getting poked and prodded at. He was proclaimed healthy, beautiful, and "looks like a boy" by the PA we saw. Whom, by the way, agreed with our decision to delay some immunizations. We enjoyed her. We thought we'd be seeing one of the MDs on staff in the long run, but perhaps we'll go back and see this PA again. We've got 6 more weeks until the next appointment to decide.

Why I chose a Midwife over an OB

This post goes out to my reader, C, who I promised to tell about my midwife experience.

I chose a midwife for the following reasons:

1. She'd be delivering my baby, not an OB whom I'd potentially never met

2. She'd be there during labor the whole time, not just to "catch" the baby when it comes out.

3. She did the water births...the OBs did not.

4. This particular Midwife came highly recommended by many people.

5. I knew I wanted to go as med-free as possible, and I knew that a Midwife would support that and tell me to buck up more than an OB would. Of course, when the time came, I didn't even think of asking for pain meds, so this didn't matter in the long run. But it could have!

Now...for my personal experience.

I saw this MW for exams and other things before zygote Colin came along. She really is quite fabulous. Some people say that MWs spend more time with their patients. I wouldn't say that's particularly true, although I don't have an OB from the same clinic to compare to. But the woman's busy, and she only has appointments 3 days per week, so I'm sure her schedule is packed. I can't blame her if she doesn't spend 30 min with me at every OB check. She's got other people to see.

She was kind, caring, gave me "alternative" approaches to making my labor go smoothly...some I didn't partake in (perineal massage, anyone?), some I did (I bought a book she recommended. It's called Birthing From Within. I didn't get a chance to finish it, so maybe I missed the boat on something in the book, because I wouldn't recommend it, as I'm not into creating and interpreting "birth art"). She always gave me the confidence that I was doing the right thing, that there was nothing to worry about, that everything was perfect.

As for the labor part...the poor lady arrived tired as heck since we woke her up at 2 a.m., the day of a big 8 a.m. meeting, I guess. A day when the OB doctor running the meeting said, "no water births on Saturday morning." Oops...well, we were done by 6. Hope she got some rest before the meeting! Anyway...she asked if I wanted some music, and I said I just wanted it to be quiet. While I was in the tub, she sat on a stool next to it and filled out some paperwork I think. I was having contractions, breathing through them just fine. I told her I was sorry for being boring, and she said she liked boring labors :). When the time came for pushing, she meant business. There was going to be no 2-hr push fest with this lady. I won't go into details, but what she did down there prevented any tearing. 

The only part I was disappointed in was that after we had Colin and she was done doing her repairs and we chatted for a short time, I didn't see her. Granted, she did have that meeting all day on Saturday, and the next day was Sunday, and on Monday when we went home she typically doesn't have office hours. Maybe it's for the best. I think if I would have seen her while we were in the hospital, I would've cried out of love for her.

Would I recommend a midwife? Hands down.

So C and anyone else who's thinking about it, get busy and find yourself a midwife! :)

More cuteness (Week 1)

Week 1 in pictures:

First "play"date with Nolan (3 months). Nolan played, Colin slept:

Yo yo yo

To be? Or not to be?

That's enough.

Pictures with the duck (exactly 2 weeks old):

Trying to run away perhaps?

The best picture was the last picture, of course:

Belly pic, 2 weeks postpartum. Still in comfy pants.

And for your viewing pleasure, a moment when Colin is actually awake!

A whole lotta cuteness (Week 0)

But before that...I spoke too soon. The night sweats came back last night. They make me so crabby, and it makes me a grumpy mommy when I try to feed Colin in the middle of the night. Bonjour, night sweats. Please don't stay long because I hate you.

Week 0 in Pictures:

Snuggle time with Dad and mom:

Enjoying some time in his bouncer:

Tummy time fail:After being fed and burped:My Grandma, Mom, Aunts, and Cousin came last Friday.

This is sort of a "4 generation" picture...

although that's my dad's mom...but whatevs.

With Grandpa and Grandma J:This might be our first family picture taken with my camera.

Isn't that kinda sad?

Rocket gives the side eye:

Last but not least, a new sort of belly pic. Still sporting maternity pants:

So long, farewell...

Goodbye horrid night sweats! I'm so happy to not wake up to a crying baby in a state of thermal confusion. I am excited to no longer be all hot and sweaty, but shivering because I'm freezing cold. Amidst the attempt at homeostasis, it was hard to nurse a hungry newborn while trying to stay warm...or is it cool? Auf wiedersehen!

Goodbye umbilical cord stump! You fell off this morning. What's left is a bit of black crust, which will make way for a super cute belly button in a day or two. We are happy to not have to work around you and try not to catch you on clothes and our diaper-changing hands. Adieu!

Goodbye maternity shirts! Not the pants...just the shirts. Oh...except for that thorn-in-my-side pair of torn Old Navy jeans which are going in the garbage. The shirts are going in the winter/summer/maternity clothes bin in the basement. It was fun while it lasted. Some of you I will miss. Some of you I will not. Au revoir!

Goodbye solid night's worth of sleep! Although I can't complain much. Colin usually sleeps 2-3 hour stretches, sometimes with a 1 hr (or less) stretch thrown in there. I'm getting up about 3-4 times a night. Kevin is too, poor guy. He's a very light sleeper, and if Colin makes the slightest noise, Kevin's awake. He's on diaper/pre-burping duty, while I'm on feeding/post-burping duty. Lucky duck, he gets to go back to sleep, and I stay up anywhere between a half hour to a full hour each feeding. Ciao!

Goodbye Mt. Vesuvius (I think)! Although now left side is confused as to why it's not getting as much action as the past week and a half. Today has been better on the feeding front though. Two successful days in a row of switching off at every feeding :) Arrivederci!

Tomorrow Colin will already be 2 weeks old. I'm not sure how I feel about that. 2 weeks...he's getting old already. How can I slow down time? But then again, I'm excited to be able to play with him, teach him things, take him places, etc. Each phase will have its perks and its hardships. I'm trying to enjoy Colin being tiny while it lasts.

I will post pictures of days past tomorrow.