12 Week Update

12 weeks?! Really? I can't believe my baby is a whole trimester old! :) He is getting to be so animated and really developing a little personality - it's so fun to see how he changes everyday. Literally - he does something new everyday! So like I mentioned in an earlier post about not wanting to take weekly maternity pictures because I knew I'd miss a week and it would drive me crazy...I've missed one of my two week marks - the 10 week update. Yes, it's driving me crazy and I considered abandoning the idea all together, but decided that I must push through this. I can't be a quitter - what kind of example would I be setting for my son?!

Davis - 12 weeks:

Likes: when daddy tickles his chunky thighs (seriously, I've never heard him laugh so loud!), sitting like a big boy in his Bumbo seat (he starts smiling sooo big!), watching tv (I know, I'm a bad mother), staring at the lights and listening to the music on his starfish, trying to mimic facial expressions - especially sticking his tongue out, doing "sit-ups" using our hands to pull himself up, dancing around and singing with mommy (Bob Marley is always a favorite), staring at his hands, and being swaddled to sleep, which is the weirdest thing because he HATED this from birth until about 2 weeks ago.

Dislikes: still very impatient while waiting for a bottle - he screams like he hasn't eaten in days (even though it's only been about 3 hours), waking up from a nap only to realize he's in his car seat, sand in his toes (figured this out at the beach this week), tummy time, when mommy disturbs him to take pictures while he's trying to watch Sports Center...see the annoyance:

 

Other news: Davis took his very first vacation this week! We traveled to the Outer Banks - Corolla, NC and stayed at the beach for a week. He was incredibly good on the 14 hour drive. On the way there, he only cried for maybe a total of 20 minutes. The way home wasn't as great, but still pretty impressive for a 3 month old! He loved getting to meet Uncle Matthew and spending lots of QT with Mimi and Grandpa! This was also his very first time at the beach. (I know, Andrew and I feel like failures as Floridians that our son's first time at the beach was in North Carolina!)

 

Latest Claim to Fame: Sitting in his Bumbo - he's got some serious head/neck control! What a big boy!!

  

Baby Olympics

Just admit it. We all do it. Comparing your child with others is inevitable. As much as I said I would never do it - even before I was ever pregnant - I can't help myself. As sick and twisted as it is, I want my baby to be the best - better than all the others. Of course, in my opinion, he is! :) I do realize, however, that all parents feel this way. We all have the best babies in all the world and that's okay, but let's just settle it once and for all...let's hold a "Baby Olympics"!

One question I get asked constantly is, "How does he sleep?" Do you really care how another person's baby sleeps? Absolutely not. The real intention behind it is, "Does my baby sleep longer/go down easier than yours?" I'm guilty of this myself. It's unfortunate if you're sleep deprived, but really I'm just sizing up the competition. I'll be the first to admit, Davis isn't winning any medals in this category, but he's been practicing and will be some serious competition in the near future. Be on the look out!

Competitions in which Davis is certainly topping the podium are eating and gaining weight. I challenge anyone to find a baby that likes to eat as much (and gets as excited at the sight of a bottle) and had to take the 4-11 month dose of Baby Tylenol after his 2 month shots due to his weight. At 15 lbs, he isn't playing any games. (*15 lbs was a few weeks ago, so who knows what he's up to now!)

There definitely would have to be a competition for each of the major milestones. Smiling - who started the earliest? Who does it the most? Spontaneous or in response to something? Laughing - same as smiling. Rolling over - Davis can't enter this race yet...is that a bad thing? Tummy time - who can hold their head up the highest degree? How many times can your baby turn his/her head side to side in 5 minutes? Which baby can go the longest without crying during tummy time? Cooing - when did it start? How many different sounds can your baby make? Vowels? Consonants?

These are all just in the 0-3 month bracket. I imagine that competition only gets fiercer as the babies get older - walking, talking, curing cancer - oh my! Like I said, I'm just as guilty as the next mom so I'm not just throwing stones here. Perhaps it's simply human nature to compete in all areas of life - including babies - who knows? I do know, however, that the only real way to settle it is to hold the 1st Annual Baby Olympics! Who's in?

8 Week Update

Two months already!? It's really hard to believe! The first month absolutely flew by and then the second month seemed to drag a little, but thinking back on it, it seems like just yesterday I was in bed eating a blueberry muffin wondering if my water broke or if I slowly losing control of my bladder. Oh the memories...

Davis - 8 weeks:

Likes: smiling, mimicking me when I stick out my tongue, laughing, when Bear licks his toes, laying on his aquarium mat and kicking his ball, still LOVES staring at himself in the mirror, splashing/kicking his feet in the tub

Dislikes: getting out of the bath tub, still has no patience and hates waiting for a bottle to heat, when his pacifier falls out, his bassinet (he refused to sleep in it anymore at about 7 weeks)

Other News: I had been noticing that he seemed uncomfortable and in pain - usually after he ate. I passed it off as being extremely gassy, but after weeks of gas drops, pumping his legs, and massaging his belly, it didn't seem to be getting any better. Actually, it was getting worse. Long story short, we went to see the pediatrician about it and she diagnosed him with acid reflux. :( Poor baby. Immediately, I felt like a terrible mother for waiting so long to take him in. I was "afraid" to be that overly protective/paranoid first-time mom - I figured I was overreacting. Shame on me. However, the doctor said it wasn't too bad and that in her opinion, all babies have some form of reflux - just differs in severity. She prescribed him Zantac that he takes twice a day. Aside from him hating the minty flavor and making some serious scrunchy faces, it has worked like magic! No more screaming, high-pitched squealing, arching his back, waking up from dead sleeps to cry for 2-3 minutes! Let's hope it continues to work! It's also really fun to watch people's reaction when I tell them that, like a 60 year old man, my baby takes Zantac.

Happier news - Davis has just been introduced to his teddy! He seems to like it so far!

Latest Claim to Fame: At the pediatrician's office at 7 weeks old, Davis weighed a whopping...13 lbs! At 2 weeks old, he was 9 lbs 12 oz and in the 78th percentile for his age. Now? He's in the 96th percentile! Tee hee! My baby is such an over-achiever!

"Easier Everyday"

I had heard during the last few weeks of my pregnancy and was reminded numerous times during the first few weeks after having him, that "it gets easier everyday." An "experienced" mother (she has 3 kids, so I consider that experienced) told me, "If you can make it through that first day at home, just know that it gets easier everyday after that - but it never gets easy." I almost completely agree...

Yes, all of those people were right in the fact that it does get easier, but never gets easy. However, the first two weeks were a breeze! He slept all the time, I had Andrew home to help - plus 2 fabulous grandmas staying here! It wasn't until the third week that $&*# hit the fan. I was alone - alllll alone - with a little man to take care of...needless to say, I was terrified. I was lonely too - going from a houseful of people, visitors constantly, and all the excitement to nothing but me, Davis and 'The View' was a huge transition. That's when it came....I can't say I wasn't warned, but it was only by one person (also a new mom)....the third week - dun dun dun!!!! Holy moly - the third week was a struggle. My sweet, sleepy baby was no more. He was awake and cranky! We had a day or two when we suspected the awful 'c' word - colic. Thankfully, I don't think that was the case...just a few extremely gassy, fussy hours. That's about the week that the thought "what did I get myself into?" came into my mind. Show me a mother who says she didn't have this thought - even for a split second - and I'll show you a liar. During the more difficult times, I had to cling to that famous phrase - "it gets easier everyday". So at 3:30am, after 2 hours of crying for seemingly no reason, I kept thinking to myself, "if I can go to sleep and wake up tomorrow, it will be easier than it is today." For the most part, it was true.

Now, being in the middle of the 8th week (I can't believe it!!) I can honestly say that it is easier! Yes, he's awake more but he's happy! Or if he's not happy, it's easier to figure out why and to fix it! It doesn't hurt that a few weeks ago he started smiling and hasn't stopped since. It is absolutely impossible - no matter how frustrated I am cleaning a diaper blow-out at 4 am - to be angry when he looks up and smiles at me from that changing table. I melt. This kid will get away with anything in life if he keeps looking at and smiling at me (and his daddy) like that!

So, if there are any expectant mothers out there that are tired of hearing all of the stories and advice from us "experienced" mothers, just ignore all of it except "it gets easier everyday - starting after the 3rd week." It may be what gets you through the day....or at least the next few weeks until the smiles start rolling in! :)

How could you resist this face?!