Week 3

This was our first "normal" week since Kieran's arrival. By normal I mean that we didn't have any assistance at our house and that Reed went back to being at Grandma's house one day, Nonna's house one day, and then home with me the rest of the week. Kieran had his two week appointment and I had a follow-up appointment as well. We are both doing great and the Nurse Practitioner was in shock that on Tuesday Kieran weighed in at 8lbs 3oz, she said she's usually pleased if babies are back to their birth weight by that point (he was over his by 13 oz).  Over the weekend I attempted to weigh him again and think he's somewhere around 8lbs 8oz now.

The other big event for the week was Dodger's Birthday. My "first baby" turned six years old and Reed was very excited about celebrating. I came up with the idea to have hamburgers for dinner and share with Dodger, but Reed insisted that we make cupcakes and party hats too.

So far Kieran continues to be a good sleeper and eater. He usually has one or two fussy spells during the day where he just can't get happy, but usually if we can work a burp out of him he calms down. His happy place is surrounded by comfy towels chillin' in his bathtub on the bathroom counter looking in the mirror. Seriously, the other day I needed to get something for work done and he wouldn't settle down. I moved the paperwork into the bathroom while he entertained himself for a good 20 minutes.

 

The toughest part of the day seems to be from 11:00 am to Noon. This is when Reed is getting ready for lunch but is almost ready for a nap (read: the threat of a tantrum is at level red) and Kieran usually decides this is when he wants to eat non-stop. There have been several lunches spent with me sitting at the kitchen table trying to rationalize with a screaming toddler while nursing a newborn. Aside from this bewitching hour Reed has done pretty well adjusting to Kieran. At least once a day he tries to hold him, sing to him, or tells him "I wove you Kieran" while hugging him. I can also tell that Kieran adores his Big Brother - check out this Tummy Time/Jam Session below!

"K" continues to be good during his nighttime feedings as well. He has been waking every 3-4 hours, nursing for 10-15 minutes, get his diaper changed, nurses for another 5-10 minutes and then usually goes straight back to sleep. If he's awake when he's done nursing usually walking around the house with him rocking or bouncing for about 10 minutes will do the trick. He does however think that my bedtime is when he should wake up and party for a bit - this is when I usually hand him off to Jon and they have their "stare-off."

On Sunday my college roommate Sarah and her family stopped by for a few hours on their way from Northern California back to Southern California. They were so excited to meet Kieran and equally happy to let their almost 3 year old, Alyson, burn off some energy with Reed. I think we had success on both fronts!!! It was great catching up with them, even if it was only for a little bit.

 

Other notable moments for the weekend include Kieran taking a bottle and a pacifier for the first time. I was really nervous about the bottle, because he had resisted the pacifier every time we had tried it. He took the bottle like a champ and the next day he accepted the pacifier. Yay for Mom being able to leave for an hour or two without worrying about starving the babe and for having another tool in our arsenal for calming K down when need be.