Can he really be FOUR months old? Wasn't I just pregnant with this little nugget?
There have been some major changes in our littlest guy the past few weeks...
First of all, Andy began wanting to hang out with me several times a night. Like, on average, four times. Yes, I realize this is ridiculous. He was going to bed at 7 (exhausted) and then waking at 11, 2, 4, and 5:30. It was ROUGH. I wasn't sure if he was just hungry, or if maybe I wasn't producing enough milk throughout the day and he was trying to make up for it at night...? We had his 4 month check up (more to come on that one later) on Monday, and his doctor said to me, and I quote for effect: "Carrie. This child is WORKING you." He really was working me. He just wanted to nurse whenever he felt like it. She convinced me it was time to cry it out.
When I told her my concern for him being full, she said I could start giving him rice cereal or oatmeal.
So, Monday night Andy had his first bit of oatmeal, mixed with breast milk:
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| you mean I'm supposed to eat that?? |
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| but do I still get boob?? |
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| okay, then it's not so bad! |
At first he was very unsure of the oatmeal, but once he got the hang of how to eat it, he liked it! My doctor suggested I nurse him for the last time of the night and then feed him the oatmeal so that he would still nurse fully, but that just didn't work for our schedule with Cal eating (sorry, Andy!). Instead, I feed both boys their dinner and then we all go up to bathe, and then Andy nurses and then everyone to BED. Phew!
Monday night, when it was time to go down, I kissed Andy and told him I would see him in the morning! It was time to let him cry it out! At 1:00 he woke up and cried for 42 minutes (yes, I sat and stared at the clock and monitor watching him), but he worked himself back to sleep and didn't get up until 7. I woke up at 6:30 about to explode, so I went down and pumped waiting for him to wake.
Night one: success! He cried, but he did work himself back down. I was dreading this, thinking he would wake up 4 times and have to cry himself back down each time...
Tuesday night, we did the same thing with the oatmeal, nursing, then bed. I went to bed at 11, looked at the monitor and saw this:
He wasn't crying, but he was just staring at me, and my chest was already pretty full (I am thinking he didn't eat much before bed because he was really tired). I decided to nurse him one more time to get him through the night. He went down right after nursing and woke up at 2. He had flipped onto his back and was trying to flip back over, but couldn't get it. I let him cry for a few minutes, but once I realized he wouldn't go to sleep on his back, I went into his room, didn't say a word, and flipped him to his tummy. He cried for all of 5 minutes and was out! He woke up at 6 and I nursed him and he fell back asleep until I woke him at 9! I wanted to take a class at the gym, so I had to wake him... not sure how long he would have slept!
Last night, we did the same routine, and Andy went down at 7...and we did not hear a PEEP from him until I WOKE HIM at 8! UNBELIEVABLE! I had to wake him to get Cal to school.
Who is this kid???
We went to the gym again Thursday morning, and I was worried Andy would melt down since he didn't eat much when he woke up, and when I walked into the nursery after class, Andy was sound asleep! The lady said she had never seen such a chill kid in her life! ANDY??? The same kid who screamed every 10 seconds for the first 8 weeks of life?!?!?!?!
Thursday night, it was the same thing-- went down early, woke up at 1 on his back, I flipped him over and he slept until 7:30!
So anyway, we are doing well with Mr. Andy this week! YAHOOOO! I just have to train my boobs now-- I have been up every morning at 6 soaked (TMI? Sorry about it!).
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| Happy Boy! |
Weight: 16 pounds, 7 ounces -- 90th percentile
Height: 25 3/4 inches -- 90th percentile
Head circumference: 43 cm -- 75th percentile
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| at the pediatrician's office |
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| he was loving looking in the mirror |
BIG BOY!
Andy: you are just about as sweet as they come! You smile all the time and your laugh makes everyone around you smile too. You are a snuggle bug and I can't believe how strong you are getting! You like to stand up while holding mom or dad's hands. It is hard for you to nurse on both sides because you really want to watch whatever your big brother is doing across the room. I sometimes can't believe how much I love you. I didn't think it would be possible to love another kid as much as the first, but it really really is. You make my heart feel so full and I am the luckiest person in the world to have you as a son. I love watching you grow...just don't do it too fast... I am trying to enjoy every minute!
