Jack is 39 weeks old today! His due date is quickly approaching, and it is truly crazy to think that I'm still suppose to be pregnant. Our little guy is growing up right before our very eyes. We went to the Doctor today and LB now weighs 6.5 lbs. She said he's looking so good - he has chin rolls and arm rolls she exclaimed!
His appetite has definitely increased - so we aren't surprised at all by his weight gain. There were a few nights there were he was getting up every 2 hours, and I kept thinking REALLY? I'm so glad you are gaining weight child, and I'm so glad you have a hearty appetite, but really? Your dad and I are exhausted, and I think I just might run out of breast milk, impossible, but let's just say I have turned into a pumping machine in order to keep up with his appetite. I mean this boy has got to eat, and we have yet to master the whole breastfeeding thing...or maybe I should say he has. So I pump, and he guzzles the bottles.
We are starting to see just how Jack's time in the NICU shaped us and our parenting habits, and it's all slightly amusing.
In the NICU Jack wore onesies and then sleepers over his onesies, and they bundled him up real good considering it was really important that he stayed warm and didn't use any of his calories up by trying to keep himself warm. And now he is in our household, and I'm still putting him in onesies and I'm still putting sleepers over them. And if I'm honest, it does keep him warm considering he HATES being naked, cold and having his diaper changed, but it is kind of silly.
In the NICU they also changed his diaper every 3 hours - let's just say we have nixed that and we probably change his diaper every other feeding. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but rarely more.
In the NICU he always had a hat on his head, and this has not changed since he's been home with us. The child doesn't have hair and I am convinced his head is ALWAYS cold.
We definitely bathe him more at home, but not much more. We have only bathed him 3 times since we brought him home 2.5 weeks ago, and that has all happened in our teeny tiny bathroom sink. I gave him a bath today after he peed all over himself and all over his face. Oh man, I wish I could have documented the shocked look on the little guy's face. You would think I would learn to do something about covering him up when I'm in between diapers, but I suppose I haven't been too entirely inconvenienced, thus the inaction. However, I have been eyeing all sorts of peepee teepees on Etsy, and I told him that's all I wanted for Valentine's Day!
We are enjoying our days with Jack at home, and I have slowed down ALOT, which is so strange, but so good. The Doctor told us today to keep him away from public places for at least another month, and I had a bit of a breakdown in the car on the way home. I just imagined that I would have a baby and I would be able to take him around with me wherever I went. And now, we are having to filter everything and everyone, and I never leave the house with a baby, thus I have to wait for Peter to get home before I can do anything outside of the home. I suppose I should enjoy not having to cart the baby and his 500 things around with me, but I think I have reached the point where I really want to. I want the world to know that YES, I am a mom, and YES, I have a baby, and let's be honest, I want people to meet him without always having to come to our house, but that's not our reality right now. And Jack's health is really important, much more important than me taking him to the grocery store or to a friend's house.
And his time will come! Until then, we are enjoying our snuggle time and finding joy in being housebound.
Love,
Malia and LB
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