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I can explain.
Really.
So, in the last day or two, Justin has developed a great case of cradle cap (fortunately it’s not yellow, just a lot of dandruff). Today I read an article about getting rid of it by scrubbing mineral oil into the scalp then washing it off with normal baby shampoo. It worked, but I think it may take another hair washing or two to get his hair back to its less “Kramer” and more “ducky-fuzz” state.
Hello everyone! Sorry for not blogging for a while – it’s been crazy around here!
Justin is doing awesome – growing like the cutest weed on the planet. A couple of big things happened this week though, following Justin’s 2-month birthday. He was a little fussy Tuesday from his shots, but by Wednesday he was right as rain. Just in time for his first really full day home with daddy.
As some of you know, my labor with Justin was pretty traumatic physically. I had a third-degree episiotomy (to avoid the otherwise inevitable c-section), and as part of the delivery, the doctor avoided using forceps by putting her hand in my rectum to pull Justin down by the chin. Gross, I know, but it worked. This procedure left me with some very painful fissures that caused me to bleed enough every time I went to the restroom that they had to put me on additional iron supplements to compensate for the blood loss. Anyway, as of last week they still weren’t healing (9 weeks later), so the doctor sent me for surgery this past Thursday. It’s a short procedure, so I got to go home the same day, but I wasn’t allowed to hold Justin while standing for 24 hours afterward because of the anesthesia. Early in the morning, I drove to the surgery center (my parents drove up from Seattle to pick me up and spend the afternoon with me), and left Justin with Matt.
As you may recall, the last time I left Justin with anyone for more than an hour or two left me a little tense (see “Iron Nanny“). This time, with the help of general anesthesia, it was a piece of cake! As I was coming out of the anesthesia haze, my dad asked me how I felt, and, even though I was indeed thinking about Justin at home with Matt, I admitted to him that I was the most relaxed I’ve been since Justin was born. Thank you general anesthesia!
The surgery went well, and everything is fine – no complications or side effects. I’m a little sore, and for a few days I found a new use for our boppy pillow (we generally use it to prop Justin up during tummy time). I’m moving a little slower, but getting better every day. I’ve got some pretty substantial brusing, but that’ll heal. Percocet has been my friend, though it hasn’t been easy to find someone else to drive me where I need to go when I’m too hazy from the meds to drive. Now that I’m mostly on Ibuprophen, that’s not an issue.
Alright, enough “butts” – on to our visitors!!
Firstly, on Saturday afternoon I got a WONDERFUL visit from my friend Stacey, who I used to work with at BioLife. She graciously came over and watched Justin while I took a shower, drove me (and Justin) to the compounding pharmacy for one of my meds, and even vacuumed my apartment which desperately needed the attention. All that, and it was so nice to talk to a grown-up who wasn’t exhausted from throwing couches around at work. Thank you, Stacey! You rock!
Later, our friend and sponsor, Niko who finally graduated from Holy Cross in Boston and is home in Western Washington until he gets hitched in August came up from Seattle. Niko (and his fiancee, Stella), as you may remember, is who we chose to be Justin’s Godparents. He came to visit Saturday night and stayed over that night and Sunday night. It was AWESOME. It was so great that he got more time to get acquainted with Justin, spend “buddy” time with Matt, and was a real help with Justin as I was healing.
The four of us went to Church together on Sunday, and although I was sore, it was nice to have yet another set of hands. Justin LOVES his Nouno (the Greek familiar term for godfather). Justin really liked laughing and smiling at Niko, often having some good “conversations” with him. Now I can hardly wait for Justin’s Nona to have some time with him! Come soon, Stella!
On a side note: you may notice that Niko is giving Justin a bottle. After 4 weeks of persistent yeast infections of the nipple, then a bacterial infection that had to be treated with antibiotics, and then having the yeast come back (complete with blisters and cracks), Justin is primarily getting pumped milk by bottle now. Yup, we’re a pump n’ serve household. It’s not nearly as convenient as being able to “whip it out”, in fact it’s more than double the work, but at least he’s getting breast milk as pumping doesn’t hurt half as much as direct nursing. On the upside, my supply is enough now that I’m able to pump half again as much as he needs so I’ve got at least 5 “meals” in the freezer and another 4 in the fridge at all times. Also, things in nipple-land are finally starting to heal. The triple-threat of triple-nipple-ointment, vinegar solution, and genetian violet are doing wonders and it looks like I’ll be able to start weaning Justin back to the breast in the next week or so (yes, he’s shown a lot of interest). YAY! Thanks for all the breastfeeding encouragement, friends! We’re doing it!!
We officially have a big boy on our hands, friends – he’s 2 months old! (of course, he picks today to be very serious in pictures…)
Here’s one of Justin’s 2-month pictures with his buddy we can’t leave home without - “Froggy”.
Not only did we celebrate with a few pictures and a little gift, but we also got to go see the pediatrician for Justin’s 2-month well-child check up. Justin was pretty happy at the doctor’s office and, as has been the case lately, done his darndest to flirt with any girl he sees: the one-year-old in the waiting room, the nurse, the doc, the receptionist… the looks, the squaks – he knows he’s just too cute to ignore.
Once in the exam room, Justin thoroughly enjoyed being naked (also as usual) and was all smiles for mommy, daddy, the nurse, and the doctor.
Nurse weighed him and got his measurements: 24 3/8 inches long (eek! Big boy! no wonder he’s in 6-months size clothes in many cases!) That’s about 90th percentile like last time. The BIG news? Justin now weighs 13lbs 6oz. That moves him from the 50th percentile to the 88th. Yup, our boy is filling out!
He enjoyed his physical examination until the doctor started fussing with his hips – he’s fine, but there was one motion she did that surprised him and made him cry. 
As if mom wasn’t already a mess about his shots.
Once he got settled down from that, it was about time for immunizations. I’ve been researching, even going to a seminar, all to help me decide about what vaccines I’m comfortable with. I’ve waffled and waned, and finally decided that the one shot I’m really anxious about is the MMR, which we don’t really have to decide on until his 12month visit. We finally decided to go ahead with the usual 6 two-month vaccines: Diptheria, Tetanus, and Whooping Cough (one shot), Hep B (shot #2), HIB (shot #3), and Pneumococcus (oral suspension). It’s a lot. He didn’t like it. Fortunately, the nurse was VERY quick and all three shots were done in about 15 seconds and Justin was on my breast to be soothed within seconds of that. He then went to sleep long enough for us to keep him in his stroller and get some grocery shopping done.
Once home, I changed Justin into his jammies as a calming-comfy-treat (I have a little policy about everyone getting dressed in the morning and staying dressed until it’s time to wind down for the night – if you think I’m crazy, that’s okay, I’m just a real stickler for little routines like that).
Once in his jammies, he spent some time with daddy, and seemed to enjoy checking out Optimus Prime (Justin is most definitely his father’s son):
This evening however, we’ve experienced the return of Johnny-Fuss-Pants, as our little boy is enduring some discomfort from his shots. He fusses and whines and has trouble staying asleep – I sure hope it doesn’t last too long. Poor boy didn’t want to be put down for even a moment since we got home. The spiffy Joe Cool bandaids aren’t helping much, but the Tylenol seems to help a little.
Tonight Matt and I went on a date. To see Iron Man. Without Justin. EEEKKK!!!
No, we didn’t abandon him alone at home. I’ve been interviewing nannies like a mad woman this past week, and we decided that it was time to give the one I liked best a trial run.
Matt did okay. I was a wreck. Justin did so-so - but to no fault of our nanny. He’s never been away from me for more than two hours, and that was with daddy. Alone with a total stranger was a bit of an experience for him.
Helen came over at 6 so I could give her the more detailed this-is-how-we-warm-bottles-in-the-new-warmer-with-our-freaky-bottles/this-is-who-to-call-in-an-emergency speech. At 6:30, we kissed Justin goodbye and told him we’d be back at 9. I was a tense mess from the time I started the car on the way to our movie (we’ve been wanting to see Iron Man and thought a movie would be the best distraction for me in being away from Justin for the first time.)
Being crazy (as I told her I would be these first few times), I snuck out of the movie to call and check in at 7:30. Meltdown ensued about 5 minutes after we left as Justin discovered that Helen was most definitely not mommy. Helen, being a trooper, tried all the things we normally do to get him to settle down but to little-or-no avail and ended up taking him outside to feel the breeze and listen to the birds. This did the trick and he was firmly on the road to chilling down by the time I called. When I called again at 8:30 (yes, I checked in every hour), Justin was enjoying his bottle. When we arrived home, Justin was happily playing on Helen’s lap until he saw us. Then he had to tell us that we were horrible parents for leaving him behind. After a short cuddle with daddy, he stopped crying. Until he got passed to me. Then he really started crying, but after a little cuddling and the reward of snuggling up to a boobie, Justin was contentedly sleeping. Poor boy wore himself out. Truth be told, so did I.
Every five minutes for the first half of the movie I was checking Matt’s watch (as I’d told Helen when I’d call so she could be near the phone). I sat on the edge of my seat (the movie was awesome, but that’s not why I was poised ready to escape at a moments notice). After the 8:30 call, I was a lot more relaxed and had finally let go of my purse handles and sat back in the chair. I’ll admit though, I was still pretty distracted. Of course, the next fret was about getting back home by 9. I flew out of the car and up the steps faster than I’ve moved in a LONG time, unlocked the door, and heard Helen sweetly telling Justin, “Justin! Look who’s home!”
Yes, our first movie night was full of drama, excitement, suspense… though not necessarily the kind I was expecting. I knew it would be hard, but I know that after it all, I’m gonna sleep hard tonight. I know Justin is. I think we’ll have to do this again so both of us can get used to it. Otherwise, my first few days back to work will be… how shall we say? ”Special“. After “chatting” with Justin and debriefing the nanny, I think she gets the job (background check complete, of course). I may have been crazy, but she was calm and collected. Needless to say, I was pleased.
Today we pulled out the shorts and the floppy sun-hat and headed for a short (too young for sunscreen, so it had to be short) foray into the out-of-doors.
Isn’t this little boy, cross-eyed trying to look at the hibiscus flowers on his hat with little pudgy arms and curled toes just about the cutest thing you’ve ever seen?
On another note, it’ll be interesting to see how he does in tomorrow’s record breaking heat with his penchant for heat rash on the back of his neck from wearing any more clothing than I’d wear (generally you dress babies in one layer warmer than you’d dress yourself). I don’t think we have to worry much about this kid being too cold.
Ooh! and today he rolled from his side to his tummy, and from his back to his side for the first time!! Exhausted from the exertion, he promptly slept 2.5 hours for his nap today and fell asleep for bed an hour early. Ah, I wish I could take a nap like that for rolling over…
This past weekend (Mother’s Day), we went to visit Nanna and Poppa down in Edmonds:
“Poppa, what are you trying to do?”
“Ha ha! You’re funny!”
“You make me laugh, Poppa!”
We also got to see Nouno (Godfather) Niko and his mom on Mother’s day for Church:
All in all, a good time was had by all (even with the impromptu bath in Nanna and Poppa’s sink!). We’ll have to do this again soon!
Next on the agenda: Our two-month well-baby check up on Monday. Eek!
Today I put my now 8 week old son down for his afternoon nap – he was so beautiful, I just had to share this picture with you:
… and check out that little belly he’s got there! 
At least we know he’s eating!
Ok, so I know it seems silly after only just under 2 months, but I have a few pregnant friends and I remember one of the very best things I did for myself before I had Justin was to ask another new mom what her favorite baby products were, the ones that REALLY made her life easier, especially in those first few weeks. I got a couple of those things and have to pass the wisdom on. Also, being that this blog is part journal, it may be fun a few years down the road to be able to laugh at the silly things we used to help us get by with our little ones. 
So here we go – and these are in no particular order except the first two which were wonderfully recommended to me by Erin when I was 5 months prego:
1. My Brest Friend - This nursing pillow leaves Boppy in the dust. It goes all the way around you and buckles so you don’t have to readjust the pillow if you need to move or change position. It also has the convenience of a pocket big enough not just for your Lansinoh cream, but for the cordless phone too (very useful since the phone inevitably rings just as you’ve gotten your little one latched on).
2. Swaddling blankets/”swaddlers” with velcro – There are a few types, I have three different kinds. I don’t think Justin would sleep longer than half an hour in his crib (not on me) without one. They all have their pros and cons. When Justin was fresh out of the box, I really appreciated the ease of use of the SwaddleMe. It comes in fleece or a lightweight jersey cotton (nice for when the little old lady downstairs decides to crank up the heat), plus you can change diapers without unswaddling the arms. The downside? Justin, no matter how tight I make it, somehow manages to get his hands up to his neck. I honestly don’t know how he does it – little Houdini! Also, the difference between size small and Large is HUGE. Right now I’m really appreciating the size flexibility and warmth of the Snug & Tug. It’s a little more complicated to get Justin into, and it does have to be removed for 3am blowouts, but those arms are not going anywhere in this thing – plus, it actually looks comfy as his arms can be bent more than in the SwaddleMe and still hold tight. Lastly, I was sorta dissappointed by the Ultimate Receiving Blanket, but it has many other uses. It’s a 42″ square, so even now, I could certainly swaddle Justin in it, but he works his way out of it within an hour. It’s a nice stiff flannel though, which means that if say, Justin is sleeping in his crib and he’s too cold in just his jammies and either of the other swaddlers, I can wrap him up in it over the swaddler and it’s not a “loose blanket” in the crib that increases the risk of SIDS.
3. Various Lansinoh products – Everyone knows about their lanolin, couldn’t survive breastfeeding without it. Beyond that, they make the BEST nursing pads: they’re slim, absorbent, and don’t stick to sore nipples like Gerber ones. Also, and this is my latest find as right now I’m a “pump and serve” mom – I LOVE their milk storage bags! Seriously, while the double-zipper top and easy stand up design makes filling and keeping them filled nice, the real bonus is that they are tough enough to be warmed in very warm water (plus, no BPA). They allow you to warm refrigerated milk in almost no time, as opposed to Medela storage bottles where the plastic is thick (great for freezing), but you have to heat all that plastic too.
4. Graco’s SafeSeat car seat – Ok, so beyond the fact that it’s good up to 30lbs (instead of the standard 20lbs), it has the greatest feature ever: look at the link – you’ll see a little strap coming out between where baby’s ankles would be. Yeah, that’s the feature. It’s a button that allows you to loosen and tighten the shoulder straps with baby in the seat so you don’t have to risk breaking baby’s arms to get him out. You’re supposed to keep the straps snug, but often that means that it’s very difficult to remove those straps when it’s time for baby to make his exit. It has a few little downsides I don’t like much – mine has red where the linked one has blue, so Justin stares at the red and black when he would otherwise be sleeping (yeah, it actually keeps him up sometimes). Also, it’d be nice if it came with some padding for the shoulder straps. We use bondage kitties, they’re pretty cool. Justin sucks on them.
- ok, weary readers, the next few product kudos will go quickly and more briefly -
5. Exercise Ball - From easing sore hips and back during that last pesky month of pregnancy, to helping baby move down into position, and now it has been a total godsend to soothe a fussy baby who is having trouble relaxing. Rocking chair? Pth. Exercise ball, baby. And we can take it to Nanna and Poppa’s house. Do that with your rocking chair!
6. BreastFlow Bottles - Seriously, Justin can nurse at the breast, take an ounce or two by these bottles, then go right back to the breast in one feeding session and not notice a difference. In fact, he has a better breastfeeding type “latch” on these bottles than he does on my breast since they both make him open his mouth nice and wide for the duration of the feed and he actually has to work to get milk out. Excellent for those of us for whom pain leaves with an erratic milk flow, or now having to take a (hopefully short) break from direct breast feeding (pump n’ serve for us right now ’till I can heal enough for us to try again – hopefully with more suck and less chew on Justin’s part). Totally worth the extra cleaning of the double-nipple system.
7. A small lingerie bag with a zipper – yes, one of those like, $5 ones from Target with an added loop at the top. I use it for those itty bitty socks. I toss the dirty ones in the bag, zip up the bag and throw the whole bag in the wash with the rest of the baby laundry so no little socks get lost. I’d've lost my mind by now without it.
8. Bebe au Lait/Hooter Hiders - I’m not so graceful while breastfeeding yet to be able to get away without something to cover up with. These are AWESOME. Lightweight, boning in the middle at the top so you can see what the heck you’re doing, and it hangs over your neck like an apron so you don’t have to worry about keeping a receiving blanket from sliding off and exposing your business to the world, plus it has a little terry cloth pocket in the corner for your breastpad/nippleshield that also double as a burp cloth. Plus, it rolls up small to fit easily in your purse or diaper bag.
9. ERGO baby carrier - this thing has made getting Justin through Church SO much easier. One of the best features? the sleep hood.
10. Sleep Sheep - Won’t calm a screaming Justin, for that we have to make with the hairdryer on cool. But the Sleep sheep is a wonder at keeping him asleep long enough to get into that deeper level of sleep.
So that’s my Top 10 baby products list. I hope it helps someone!!
This Wednesday marks the beginning of week 7, or, in terms outlined in “The Wonder Weeks” more like week 9 (since Justin was 2 weeks overdue). As a result of a big developmental leap, Justin is learning some new tricks, but they don’t come without a price.
Justin now “talks” to his “friends”, to momma and daddy, the little yellow warning sign on the side of his car seat… yeah, pretty much anything that catches his attention is a worthy conversationalist. It’s entertaining to watch and hear “ehh, bbbtth, baaa” while he looks at whatever he’s talking to with very serious, pontificating body language. Here you can see him carrying on a fascinating discussion with his current favorite toy: a frog with brightly-colored frills of various textures around its neck (thanks Shannon and Brian!).
He’s also getting excited about patterns. I’m not so much talking about the black and white stripes that fascinated him since weeks ago, but more rhythm and repetition. The other day, I had him sitting up on my lap facing me and, because they’re tasty, I was “munching” on his little hands. Munch, munch, munch. Pause. Munch, munch, munch. Pause. And to my surprise, after I let the pause be a little longer than the others, he reached up his own hand and put it to my mouth with the expectation that I’d complete the pattern and munch away again. He does this too when I roll him back down my legs and pull him back up. It’s all about repetition. It’s not so much a fun game yet, with laughing and smiles, but he’s VERY focused and serious, just taking it all in as though he’s being sure to take in every word of a fascinating lecture.
What’s the price we’re paying for all this delight and growth? Sleep and attention. For the last week or so, Justin’s eating patterns have changed, it’s now next to impossible to put him down again as he needs constant reassurance (which, from what I need is a normal part of this growth/development spurt). Only after being properly changed, fed, rested, soothed, and cuddled do we get the little gems described above. Turns out that some of his insisting on being at the breast for all eternity during the day is part and parcel of this developmental leap. Considering all the nipple trauma happening in this household, it’s comforting to know that being on, or even near the breast, is soothing for him, which means he’s not trying to rip my nipple off, just have it close by. Fortunately, while he sleeps for crap during the day now (unless he’s on the breast/nursing pillow), he still sleeps at night pretty well.
In other news: nursing has gotten a little more complicated. The encouragement of friends has renewed my determination to breastfeed my little boy. For the time-being, however, to allow my “Steak/Nipples Tar-Tar” to heal a bit, I’ve used the last 3 days to reduce actual on-the-breast nursing to about 3 times per day and feeding Justin pumped milk for the other feedings. So far, we’re doing really well. Nipples are finally starting to heal a little bit (though VERY slowly), and we’re all getting our needs met even though it means washing pumping stuff constantly. I’m hoping that when I’m healed a little better, I’ll be able to work toward weaning off the nipple shield (it’s such a pain in the patoot), and just plain get a fresh start on nursing.
Now the next task: finding the right nanny for us. If you know anyone in the Bellingham area who wants to nanny 20-25 hours a week, drop me a line or give them my number. I’ve been working on this for the last few months, but things aren’t coming together quite as quickly and smoothly as I’d hoped. Plus, it’s hard to think about leaving him behind already to go back to work. I just know the next few weeks are going to fly by and June 11th (return to work day) will be upon me.
Thanks for all the encouragement and support everyone!!
I took Justin to visit my workplace on Saturday (BioLife) and was told there was a T-shirt in my mailbox for me. This is what I found:
Erin, I know you’ll really appreciate this. I’m just glad to have evidence of the silliest plasma donation promo mascot ever. And yes, corporate has big foam suits of this guy – yup, it is possible to dress up as a very large drop of human serum… that looks like a cross between pee and the Kool-Aid man (who I’ve decided is Captain Plazmo’s arch-nemesis).
Oh Yeah!
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