The Wedding

Jonah and Elliott had their very own babysitter during the wedding ceremony and reception.  The caregiver, arranged through the hotel, was wonderful, although we had our reservations.  Admittedly, it wasn't until a few minutes prior to her arrival that (lacking the foresight to do a background check) Drew thought it prudent to at least run a quick google search.  Later, we learned that everyone at the hotel seemed to know her and reported how well-behaved the boys were.  Still, I did check up on them at dinner, and again for bedtime.  I felt a little sheepish being that nosy parent, but breastfeeding was a good excuse to be there for good-night kisses and prayers!  I needn't have worried.  She was so thoughtful, she even gave Elliott a sponge bath instead of putting him in the tub.

The End of my Weight-Control Silver Bullet

I had discovered the magic to maintaining a high metabolism and low weight: breastfeeding!  Imagine, hundreds of food calories burned without a bit of effort.  If I could package and sell the idea on an infomercial, I'd be rich.  (Maybe an appearance on Shark Tank is in order?)  Having nearly expunged all exercise habits in the cold months, I still managed to maintain a nice size 4.  Yes, a four!  That's a full 10lbs and two sizes smaller than pre-Jonah, thank you very much!  Back in the fall I treated myself to a shopping spree when I realized how incredibly frumpy my old, worn and over-sized pants looked.

So you can imagine how resistant I was to giving up breastfeeding all together.  Not to mention how much I enjoy the quiet snuggle time with my son.  So the dates keep getting pushed back.  At first I was going to wean Jonah at 12mo (we did get rid of daytime feedings), then at 15mo (I dropped the morning feeding), then I thought we could keep the nighttime ritual through 18mo.  But tonight that all changed.  Jonah was suckling before bed, though the milk had been depleted for a good 10 minutes.  I asked if he was all done and Jonah held up a finger: "one more minute, Mommy!"  Daddy pointed out that when you are having a conversation with your child about breastfeeding, it is probably time to stop.  And so it is.

Thank you, Jonah!

I'd like to start with an apology and warning to any Moms struggling to regain their shape... but I need to brag:  Jonah was probably the best thing that's ever happened to my figure!  I was frustrated by my ill-fitting pants and took myself shopping after work to catch the end of the holiday sales.  I fit pants two full sizes smaller than I did pre-Jonah!  (...and a cup size larger.)  Yay!

Admittedly, I haven't been trying especially hard (as noted by my nightly ice cream or Halloween candy), though we still go an an occasional hour-long run.  It's hard for me to believe chasing a toddler is so much more effective than all those years of intense gym workouts.  I may be onto the next trend for all the Crossfit dropouts!  Really, I attribute the extra calories burned to breast feeding, which I'm now even more reluctant to give up.  We still enjoy our morning and bedtime snuggle snacks.  :-)

First 100% Whole Milk

Vomit: Silent Grossness

I slept in past 7am and casually wondered in to get Jonah for breakfast.  As usual, he was happily sitting and babbling in his crib... in a mess of regurgitated dinner!  My heart absolutely broke that he had been sleeping in his own vomit.  There were bits in the hair.  I hadn't even checked in on him before bed, as I usually do.  There was no telling how long the mess had been there, except it certainly was not "fresh".

Jonah, please cry and wake Mommy if you need me!!!

Jonah nursed for breakfast and, immediately after one side, all the milk came back out.  All over him.  All over Mommy.  And I didn't care.  In fact, I was glad that I was there to take care of him this time.  (And hoped that my nightgown was enough to absorb the milk that kept coming and coming...)  As we took a bath and cleaned up, Jonah was in a surprisingly normal, happy mood.  He was only upset later when I only allowed him a few sips of water or Cheerios at a time.

1 Month!

I can't believe it has been one month already!!!  Mommy did an unofficial weigh-in at 11.5lbs and 22in, though by the ever-shrinking size of his onesies, I'm sure he is longer than he was 2 weeks ago.  The size 1 diapers are getting small, as are the 0-3 month clothes.  Jonah still eats on a varied schedule, usually every 2-3 hours during the day with a 4-5 hour stretch overnight.  The end of his sleep cycles usually include an hour or so of grunting, throat-clearing, and other heinous glutteral sound that only he can sleep through.  It isn't uncommon to find him with his hands completely free of the swaddle and fist in his mouth.

He is now very adept at the cobra during tummy time - he pushes up on his arms and lifts his head to full vertical.  Rolling over is getting more difficult with the extra pounds, but he can still succeed at times when he doesn't give up half way upon realizing that laying on his side isn't so bad.  He is also tracking objects with his eyes in all directions, but he prefers to look at lights.

Bottle

Jonah took his first bottle from his Daddy.  He chugged the 2.5oz wile giving Daddy this incredulous stare - "Not the Mama!"  I think Mommy needs to pump more milk for my hungry boy!

Cluster Feeding

The last few nights, just as the doctor ordered, Jonah has been doing a 5-hr stretch between feedings, usually 10pm-3am.  He had been exceptionally cranky in the evenings, with Mommy and Daddy a little slow to catch on that he was looking for additional feedings after only 2 hours.  I later read about "cluster feeding" in the evening to help a baby sleep longer a night.  It seems Jonah knew about this before I did!  Mommy couldn't be more thrilled to get a 4-hr stretch of sleep!

Barracuda

Almost overnight Jonah went from a leisurely Gourmand to a Barracuda feeder!  He chows down veraciously for only 5 minutes and is done.  Naturally, this seems to include swallowing many bubbles and is sometimes followed by a significant amount of spit-up!  I'm a little worried he hasn't eaten much by the time all is over!  We've tried taking burp breaks, but he's not a fan of having his meal interrupted.  Jonah has also taken to making loud grunting noises in his sleep, usually signaling that he will be awake soon.  It sounds like he s clearing his throat... perhaps he caught a little something and is fighting off congestion.

"Favorite"

Jonah has a strong preference for the left breast, now nicknamed "Favorite", an endearment similar to the use of "My Precious" in reference to the ring in the Lord of the Rings!  We are still practicing on the right side... Mommy finally found a trick: pinning his arm under him, instead of wrapping around Mommy.

Welcome Home, Jonah!

We were discharged from the hospital and strapped a screaming Jonah into his car seat for the ride home.  Poor little guy didn't like the 5-point harness, but quickly fell asleep for the car ride.  For our return, the neighbors had decorated the street with balloons and left a nice gift on the front stoop.  What a nice homecoming surprise!

It didn't take too long to adjust to being home, though I suffer from that new-parent syndrome where I am afraid to leave Jonah for an instant, lest he stop breathing!  It's tough not having the safety net of the nursing staff or emergency response, if necessary.  I'm a little fearful to put him down, even in a safe place, like his crib or bassinet.

My milk has come in fully, and it is a relief that my baby won't be going hungry.  He's been suckling all the while to help expedite, but I'm sure he's excited to reap a more fulfilling reward for his efforts!

Jonah's First Class

This morning we had a visit with the lactation consultant, who gave the impression of being a caricature of the most annoyingly serene children's therapist TV character you can think of (though I fail to remember her likeness).  She helped Jonah latch on the right side (he has a strong preference for the left) and was so impressed by his success, she practically made a B-line for the door.  It took some pointed questions to get very little out of her (a YouTube video link that borders on pornographic and pamphlet for breastfeeding African-American women) before she was off to help those having more difficulty than we.  I guess Jonah is the archetypal neglected "A" student.

Jonah's cousins came to visit a share a three-way birthday party!  We are so fortunate that Aunt Pamela and Uncle Ryan were able to visit while they were up in NH for a wedding this weekend.  It was an hour of chaos with Cailin super-excited (on the trip Grandmama told her about Jonah, to which she replied, "I still hope it is a girl") and Declan challenging Jonah to a screaming contest.  Holiday visits will never be the same.  We also had a visit with Aunt Cheryl, Uncle Bart and Uncle Jeff.  Auntie Cheryl just couldn't resist!

Jonah "roomed in" with Mommy and Daddy, with the exception of a couple hours overnight when the nurse just didn't return him to our room after his check-up (against my request, but I had dozed off and didn't notice until his next feeding!).  I suppose I am a little thankful for the few hours of solid sleep without the guilt of having willingly sent my baby away!