A Day in the Life of an 11 Week Old

I always enjoy reading "Day in the Life" posts, so I figured I'd finally write one since Carter is sort-of getting into a routine.  Here is a sample day...

6:30am: I am either jolted awake by baby cries from the nursery or my body naturally awakens before he starts stirring.  Either way, we're up for a feeding, diaper change, and clothing change from pajamas into a onesie.

7:00am: Carter sits in his rocker and we watch the Today Show while I pump and eat a quick breakfast (whole grain english muffin + peanut butter or jelly).

7:30am-12:00pm: Baby is BORED.  No more TV, time for something else. I typically lay him on my bed while I clean/work on my laptop, lay him on his playmat for tummytime, or feed/rock/cuddle/shush him until he stops crying.  Sometimes I shower if I'm lucky.

(he's judging you...)

12:00pm-12:45pm:  Dad is home for lunch!  We cook lunch and he plays with Carter for a few minutes and lets the dog out.

12:45pm-5:15pm: Baby is BORED AGAIN. More feedings and cuddling/rocking/shushing.  If all else fails, we take a walk outside.

5:15pm-6:00pm: Dad is home from work!  Carter gets his last feeding around 6:00pm and watches us cook dinner from his rocker that I drag into the kitchen.

6:30pm-8:00pm: Time to relax and spend time with Daddy before bed.

8:00pm... on the dot!: Bath + footed pajamas + bottle of pumped milk + swaddle + kisses + prayers from me that he will get a good night's rest = bedtime.

8:30pm-10:30pm: Usually a glass of wine and TV with the husband before we both pass out from exhaustion.

... and then the rest of the night is up in the air - he occasionally wakes up once to feed at either 1:30am or 4:30am, but often he doesn't wake at all and I wake up rested (with majorly sore boobs).  He's doing pretty amazing for being 11 weeks old.

Also, someone sent this link to me about Baby Sleeping Positions and I found it hilarious and so appropriate:

(Image: Source)

2 Month Update

Carter is two months old as of Tuesday!  He is so much fun now and is growing like a weed.  The past week or so has been lovely - he has started sleeping from 8:30pm-5:45am (9 hours!) and I miss him while he sleeps.  I never thought I would miss our late night/early morning nursing sessions, but I do.  I feel like he doesn't need me as much anymore and is growing so quickly!

He also spent an entire week at the beach and was such a good baby.  He can adapt to just about anything, though he hated the cold ocean water.  When his toes touched it, he stuck all his limbs out and screamed bloody murder.  Next time we will have to ease him into it.  Other than that, he either napped in his Boppy or looked at the waves from under a tent, several towels, and a blanket propped up as double protection from the sun (paranoid parents!).  It wore him out!

Weight/Length: 24"/11.2 lbs. [as of 7/16/2012]


Clothing Size/Diaper Size: A few 0-3 clothing items fit, but mainly 3 month now - which we have tons of! /Size 1 diapers all the way!

Likes: Being outside, riding in the carseat, riding in the stroller, being held, bathtime, peeing during bathtime, Cloud B Sleep Sheep, kicking around on the changing table, nursing, watching Mommy and Daddy cook/clean/walk around, being talked to in a high pitched voice, Fisher Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker, watching TV

Hates: Being naked, napping

Likes/Hates: Pacifiers, napping, tummy time, Fisher Price My Little Snug-A-Bunny Swing

Milestones: Finding his hands (and sucking on his fist all day long!), blowing bubbles/drooling, wearing pants, going to the beach for the first time!

Mom Scares: I set Carter down for a nap in his Boppy Newborn Lounger on the couch and went into my room to quickly pack a few things for our beach trip when I heard him let out a cry.  I ran into the living room and from my angle I could only see the Boppy at first.  And he wasn't on it.  I panicked that he had fallen off of the couch and hit the coffee table somehow but as soon as I turned the corner I saw him facedown on the couch squirming.  He had rolled off, but was safely on the couch.  At ~1.5 months old he is already rolling off of things... crazy!  Mommy learned her lesson and won't be doing that again.

Happy 2 Months, Carter!

A Love Letter to My Top 10 Baby Items

Dear Inventors, Creative People, or Whomever I have to thank:

Few things have made my life easier the last 8+ weeks than the following 10 items... in no particular order.  Most of these items are not particularly ground-breaking, but I thought I'd recommend them for anyone out there who is expecting.


[fun fact - this post took almost 2 weeks to write in numerous sittings while Carter was distracted!  Sorry for the errors and ugly formatting]

1. Cloud B Sleep Sheep

We use the travel size which has a little velcro strap that we hook on his crib.  This little device is used at bedtime for white noise - I'm a believer because Carter has been sleeping through the night with only 1 (occasionally 2) feedings since Week 3.  And now he sleeps 9 hours a night with no breaks!  And we are thankful for that every day.

2.  Summer Infant SwaddleMe

This picture is only a portion of my swaddle collection. These are another part of Carter's nighttime routine.  He sometimes flips out when he is swaddled at first, but it prevents him from startling himself awake at night by flailing his arms.  I don't use it during the day and sometimes when he is napping he flails so hard it wakes him up and makes him cry, which is awful!  He is almost getting too big for the Small/Medium size (7-14 lbs.) but we checked out the Large in Target and it was huge!  He will just have to stretch these for a little longer.

3. Boppy Newborn Lounger

While I'm not a fan of the Boppy nursing pillow, this little pillow is amazing.  My stepsister bought me this and it is a must have.  He can now roll out of it (will write about this Mom Scare at his 2 month update), so I have to be careful, but it's a great place to set him down.  He takes most of his naps in this lounger and I will carry him from room to room in it.

4. Crib pads (any kind will work)

Back when Carter was wetting his bed (before we switched to Size 1 diapers), I'd have to clean him, change his diaper and clothes, and change his sheets almost every night... not fun.  My Mom felt sorry for me and purchased these for us.  They are waterproof yet don't crinkle and are soft enough for him to lay on.  Now if he spits up at night I can just change this pad and I haven't had to change the sheets underneath in about a month (don't judge me).

5. Baby Bath (any kind will work)

I remember my Mom telling me that she used to bathe my sisters and me in the kitchen sink, so I assumed buying a baby bath was unnecessary.  This tub was actually a hand-me-down from a friend, but it has been great for Carter's nighttime bath.  He usually loves the bath now that he can be submerged in warm water.  This one is nice because it has two cupholders for shampoo, water cups, wash rags, etc.  

6. Medela Pump InStyle Advanced / Pump and Save Bags

After a few long stretches of not breastfeeding one weekend, I started worrying about my supply, so I broke out my pump.  I've been pumping 3 times per day (early morning, lunch time, and before bed) to build up a freezer supply and to protect my milk supply.  Pumping was uncomfortable at first, but after the first month of initial nipple soreness, it doesn't bother me.  The bags are pricey, but still cheaper than buying tons of bottles to store your milk.  Also, the bags make it easy to keep track of freshness - I just take a Sharpie and write the date I pumped directly on the bag and then we toss the bags once we finish one (he gets one bottle at night).  I don't usually pump directly into the bags, but have tried it and it works well with the adapter.

7. Onesies (any kind will work)

I thought I'd be one of those Moms that dresses her baby (and herself - but that's a story for another day) up in cute outfits every day.  Well I'm not.  Onesies for the win.  Short-sleeved ones for the day and at long-sleeved ones for the night.  We like the Carter's brand (of course!) but have tried Gerber and other brands as well.

8. Philips AVENT Express II Microwave Steam Sanitizer

When I first started pumping, I was frustrated with the fact that I'd have to clean my pump parts constantly.  Once I learned that I could rinse them off and stick them in this sanitizer for 4 minutes, things got a lot easier. I still wash my bottles/parts in the dishwasher after a few days, but this saves time and kills any germs.  We also use it for his pacifiers.

9. Fisher Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker

Watching Saturday morning 'toons!

This little rocker is great because it vibrates, so it is supposed to be calming.  It also reclines to more of a bassinet for newborns.  He likes to be sitting up a little more and I can tell he is getting better and better about holding his neck up instead of flopping to the side.  It's super lightweight so I just drag this thing from room to room and he watches me cook, clean, take a shower, etc.  I literally drag it with him still in it - he loves it... right? :)

10. Gerber Flannel Burp Cloths

(Image: Source)

Buy tons of these... we have like 10.  They are thick and sturdy and better than the flimsy terrycloth ones.  Yeah, buy them!

Love, Samantha

Dear New Mommy...

Even if you have never been able to take naps in the past, you will learn.  In fact, you will sleep anywhere and everywhere if given the opportunity, even if it means folding yourself in half to fit horizontally in the portion of the backseat of your car not occupied by a carseat.

You will find that letting your baby sleep in his own crib, in his own room, from Day 1 was the right choice - but that doesn't mean you will not tiptoe into his room to check that he is breathing.  Over and over again.

You will miss him while he naps. No really, you will.

Everyone and anyone will want to come over and see your baby the first week.  You won't want to.  Say no.

You will wonder if your dream to have 6 children was created by a madwoman because pregnancy was harder than you thought it would be, motherhood was harder than you thought it would be, and mostly because you don't see how you could love another child as much as you love your first. 

You will find that those first few months of motherhood will make you want to call up your own Mom just to say thank you for having you.

Breastfeeding truly is as painful and difficult as you anticipated.  But you will want to keep doing it because you know it's best for him... and it will get better.

You will find that baby hugs are the sweetest thing in the world.

You will find that when someone critiques your parenting, you will hate it more than you thought you would.

The idea of going back to work will seem blissful the first few weeks, but when the time comes, the thought  of leaving your baby in daycare will hurt.

Your standards for cleanliness and personal appearance will drop.  Drastically.  You won't care.

You will find that your first few Mom Scares make you realize just how precious your baby is.  After the first, you will know that you would give anything for them.

You will find that despite the many mistakes in your past, becoming a parent was the best thing you've ever done.