whiny baby tales

It is becoming more and more obvious to me that Zachy is a "fussy" baby. I'm really ok with it, he's just got more personality than the other kids did, right? LOL Our days are typically fine, for the most part - if we stay HOME - he's fine. If we're out running around all day long he gets upset more because he hates his car seat than he hates being out of the house. But watch out come about 4 PM. That's our witching hour around here, and it lasts until about 8 or 9 PM. And boy oh boy does that baby have a set of lungs on him. I'm ok with the fussy stuff, even with the crying. Last night though, the screaming in PAIN about killed me.




But I handled it, and him, with grace. We left the noisy family room where everyone else was watching a movie and headed into the dark and quieter bedroom with just the TV on low in the background. We laid in the big bed and snuggled and nursed and talked. He cried and fussed, pooped and burped and spit up. I smiled and cooed and soothed him as best I could. Then I thought maybe a nice warm bath would help. And I decided to use the regular tub where he could be in the water rather than have the water poured over him. Baby boy LOVED that! I got in the tub with him and used his bath sling tub thingy...but he's still all slouchy and I was all kinds of worried he'd get his head under the water. He did great and we soaked and talked for about 20 minutes before I even started washing him. He was fine with everything until I got to his hair, and he was done. And when this boy is done, he is D O N E. So I hurried to get us out and that's where I figured out I did a poor job of planning! LOL I had no towel for me, and no where other than the cold ceramic tile floor to lay the baby. But we managed. And we snuggled in the bed again and nursed again and guess who fell asleep? I took advantage of that bit of sleep to pass him off to Daddy so I could get some things done in the kitchen and finally (after 9 PM) eat something for dinner. Long night here folks. But we did great. Baby napped with Daddy and big brother until almost 11 PM, so I had a nice "break"...not that I needed it, but it was nice to check email and surf the web for a bit without little feet kicking the laptop off my lap! LOL




Zachary slept very well last night, waking at about his normal times of 3ish and 5ish. He didn't wake up enough to poop until 6 AM, he has been doing it around 4 AM and has been staying up for an hour at that point...so I got to sleep later and better! After the diaper change we slept again until just after 8 AM...almost missed saying good bye to Daddy before he went to work. Thankfully Daddy was slow this morning and we got to say have a nice day! LOL




This is Mike's last week at UPS for the season. Rumors are flying hard and fast that he's going to be hired on...but if you've followed our story for any length of time, we've been told that many times before over the past 2 or so years. I'm not holding my breath at all this time. If it happens, fine. If not, fine too.




We had another open house this weekend and had another agent call to do a showing during that time. This time though, a wife came with the kids to see the house, and apparently she liked it well enough to have the agent call for a second showing later that day...to bring the husband. Haven't heard back from them yet...I'm sure they had other houses to look at still with the thousands that are on the market right now, but for the wife to want to show the husband the same day means something. Right? LOL I really want to sell this house in the next few weeks just to get out from under the mortgage payment. I'd stay in CO if that is what we're supposed to do...just find me a cheaper house to rent for now.




I'm going to hop into the shower while baby is napping. Got a couple of things to do today and don't want to smell like baby puke all day long!

Gosh life with a baby is busy! LOL




I promise we are still alive. Things really are going well. Zachary is just like his daddy in his dislike of me spending any amount of time online. I might get to check my email once a day, if I am lucky! LOL What a difference from the "freedom" of checking it 20+ times a day just a short month ago.




I can not believe my baby is a month old already. He's getting to be a chubby wubby too! LOL I'm loving watching the rolls build up. This last week he's decided that his eyes do actually stay open more than 3 1/2 minutes at a time. In fact he's actually managed to stay awake and alert for over an hour several times a day! No reactive smiles yes, still just reflexes, but I think we're getting pretty close. He coos a little bit too...but the big thing he does is CRY and SCREAM. I think it's colic, pretty regularly from about 4 PM to 9 PM or so every night. I'm coping pretty well with it...no big crying fit from me YET. LOL




Oh...the doctor showed Zachary how to roll from his belly to his back at his 5 day and his 2 week appt...he can roll over. It's not real often so I haven't officially called him a rolling over baby...but he can sure do it when he wants to.




Nursing is going really well. No cracked or bleeding nipples like I had with Haley by this time. I think I had gone to the doctor about 4 times in the first month I was nursing her for all kinds of issues. So far no issues with Zachary. I do hope we can continue for another 11 months this way.




His arm is healing very well, he started using it last week with no pain. He has a check up with the orthopedic doc on Tuesday, not sure if we'll be getting a repeat x-ray or not though. The insurance company is still being slow about adding Zachary on so no physical therapy just yet. Soon, I'm sure.




OK, hungry baby...gotta go.

I can't believe he's 2 weeks old. Wow.




On Tuesday this week Zach's pediatrician sent us for x-rays of his arm. I told her on Friday I wasn't happy with the lack of improvement he's showing, and in fact he was using it less every day. So, the protocol was go for x-rays and the office would be contacting our insurance to get physical therapy started. I went to the x-ray place, all told it took almost 2 hours there. But the good news is they found out the reason behind the lack of use in his left arm!




Zachary, in his infinite hurry to be born, fractured his left humerus, above the elbow joint. Thankfully it's already healing, but damn. My BABY, my NEWBORN BABY, has a broken arm. We were called into the orthopedic doc's office immediately Tuesday afternoon, me all in a panic that they would have to re-break his arm and set it or something equally as icky and painful. Turns out the doc is quite pleased with the healing progress and didn't want to do anything...except see us back in 3 weeks. Thank God! I asked if we should continue to "make" him use his arm, have him squeeze our finger in his hand and anything else we were attempting to do to keep his muscles working, and was told to just let him rest it as much as he needs to...he'll begin to use it again when the pain subsides. My poor baby!




He's doing really well with his arm, he's moving it more and more every day. But I can tell he's got muscle loss already from the first 2 weeks of non use. So I'll be keeping on top of that physical therapy request...once he is using his arm a lot more and doesn't have pain when "stupid mama" moves it wrong. Worst mother EVER...making the baby cry because she can't remember (in the middle of the night mostly) to NOT move his arm too much. It's damn tricky to nurse a newborn baby when he's needing to lay on a broken arm...but we're doing well. The boppy pillow has become my BEST friend. And nights are getting easier, Zachary finds his way to the nipple in the dark just fine! LOL




So...what else is new in baby-land? Hmm... Oh, he was weighed and measured yesterday.




Birth stats: 8 pounds 4 ounces, 20 inches long


5 day stats: 7 pounds 11 ounces, 21 inches long (seems WAY too long to me, but what do I know? LOL)


2 week stats: 8 pounds 9 1/2 ounces, 20 1/4 inches long (that seems a bit better measurement, doesn't it?)




Little boy seems to be growing just fine to me! That magic mama milk, I'm sure. I'm so glad he's as good of a nurser as he is...my other kids had me flabbergasted for a while. I gave up with Micheal at 4 weeks old, I always had WAY too much milk for him and he never seemed to get enough to eat. Didn't know squat about lactation consultants and Le Leche League way back then. With Haley I nursed her the first 2 months, then did formula and nursing for another 5 months. Gave up nursing her when she got her first teeth...again didn't have a clue to ask questions or anything! Zachary and I will not quit until HE is ready to quit. Mike is very supportive of nursing this first year, maybe two years. We both get the willies thinking of nursing a 3+ year old...but we'll see what our future holds as it happens!




I've also been thinking I really wouldn't be opposed to doing the pregnant thing again. Not right away (unless that's God's plan for us) but in a year or so. I really didn't hate it as much as I thought...or is that lack of sleep and the delivery amnesia talking? LOL I was MISERABLY uncomfortable, could barely walk and all that, but it's SO worth it in the end. All the anxiety over losing Matthew, every step of the way to have Zachary here with us was TOTALLY worth it. Staring into those sleepy blue eyes (I have a blue eyed baby! I know they may change, but the others never were blue like Zachy) seeing that satisfied booby milk coma smile. Totally worth the journey. This little boy has changed my life in so many ways, ways I don't think I can ever describe. I feel whole again, healed in places I was sure were way off limits to healing.