Milam - One Week

Sweet Milam,

Your first week with us has been pretty calm.  You so far seem to be a sweet natured little boy.  I spent a lot of time praying for you before you were ever born, or conceived, that you would have a calm disposition like your dad and so far that is holding true.

My favorite thing about you so far is that you can be awake and happy.  Your older sister was NEVER happy at this age.  NEVER.  If she was awake then she was crying.  You will lock eyes with us a just stare or look around the room.  It is so so wonderful.  If you haven't had a baby with colic then you can't fully appreciate a non colicky baby.

You've been eating great overall.  I have hypothyroidism (under active thyroid that I take hormones for but can be super unpredictable after birth) so I knew going in that formula would most likely be apart of your diet.  My milk came in the day after you were born (which was great and painful) and you continued to eat really well.  I've even been pumping two times a day and that was giving me enough to let your dad feed you two times a night so I could get some rest.  I think your dad and I have decided though that I will continue to pump twice a day (your dad would hate, by the way, that I said we've decided because he honestly doesn't care how you get fed as long as you are healthy and happy) and use that milk when/as needed, I will continue to nurse you all day, like I do now, and your two night time bottles will be formula.  As for now, that just seems to make the most sense to keep everyone fed and well rested.  Example, today I nursed you all day, I had enough pumped milk for most of your night feedings, and you got 1 oz of formula because you were still a bit hungry when the pumped milk was gone.  You're a really good eater during the day.  Nighttime you get a bit lazy.

Your sleep has been pretty good too.  As of now you're taking two really good naps a day with a few shorter naps thrown in there while being held and passed around.  Your nighttime sleep isn't amazing but it isn't terrible either.  Once you fall asleep you sleep really well but getting you to sleep at night can take awhile.  Your dad or I will get you down for the night around 8-10 and then try to get ourselves to sleep as fast as possible as well.  Then, I take the first feeding, your dad takes the second, and I take the early morning.  You have two bedtime obstacles.  1) you don't fully realize that you need to go back to sleep after you eat.  Sometimes you just want to be awake and it can take upwards of an hour to get you back to sleep.  2) You poop a lot and that makes it hard to get you back to sleep.  You will eat, get really drowsy, and then poop.  So, we have to change you and that always perks you back up and we have to start all over.  You dad was feeding you a few nights ago and you pooped four times in a row and it took him over 2 hours to get you to go back to sleep.  Overall you're getting better.  You've been here for 7 days so we know you'll get there.  Whether it is day or night you will sleep 1-3.5 hours at a time.  Nothing consistent that I've noticed yet.  You're sleeping mostly in a Rock N' Play (in your room) a friend randomly brought over or in your crib.  You are also swaddled which helps a lot although you really like your hands and almost always find a way to get them to your face. (Actually, last night you didn't have any "wake" time.  You would cry, eat, and then fall right back to sleep.  We put you down for the night at 9 and you woke up for the day at 6:45).

You had your first doctor's appointment this week.  You were 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth and when we left the hospital you were 8 pounds 3 ounces and by your appointment you were 8 pounds 8.5 ounces so you have been released from your 2 week appointment and don't need to be seen again until your one month old.  You also waited through your first car rider line.  Not something you will be doing a lot right now but we had to go pick up your sister.

I've been taking the time when you eat at night to pray over you and your sister.  It's nice because I have to sit and be still so I try to focus and have a nice time of prayer.

Your sister is over the moon in love with you and we are trying really hard to balance snuggling with you and keeping your sister feeling important.  (If you want to see real love, make your five year old daughter a sister for the first time.  Although I'm not sleep deprived enough to believe she will always feel this way about him.)  For now, it is so funny to listen to her talk to you.  She says the funniest things.