Amos has officially graduated from the bassinet! Look how much he has changed in 7 Weeks! (Note: We received the same outfit in both newborn and 3 months sizes, making the comparison more fun!)
Last night, our boy spent his first night away from us in his crib. It was definitely harder on me than him. Amos went SIX HOURS between feedings. (We'll see if it was a fluke tonight when we try again.) We set up our video monitor so that I could see him, which was a good thing because otherwise I probably wouldn't have slept!
In other news, my long-term sub is quitting. She called me today to share the bad news. :-( I'm trying really hard not to stress out too much. I understand, but I worked so hard to prep her for the job. Now who knows who will be coming in. Sigh.
Despite the fact that I went out of town for the weekend, we got to catch up on family time on Monday since Tim was off for President's Day. We also spent the day cloth diapering to see how we liked it.
I liked both the BumGenius 4.0 and the Flip. The BumGenius did leak after the first diaper change, but it may have been my fault because it didn't leak any more after the first time. I actually think the Flip is more convenient. You don't have to pre-stuff and you can use the cover over and over. However, I have read that as the baby gets older, the insert can move around. In any case, towards the end of my trial period, I discovered diaper rash! I used California Baby Diaper Cream on it, which is supposed to be safe for cloth diapers. It smelled great, but Amos's rash looked worse. Sooo, I went back to disposables, and it improved. I'm going to wait for it to clear up completely then try out the cloth diapers again.
On Tuesday, we stayed home and played. I discovered that Amos could hold a rattle and shake it a bit before it would fall out of his hands.
I also discovered that Amos LOVES when I read to him. A few times, he has been mildly fussy and then I start reading, and he is captivated. Tim came home one evening and caught us reading.
On Wednesday, we got ready and joined my friend Beth and her two kids at the zoo.
(Pink flamingos always remind me of my eccentric middle school English teacher...oh, and the John Waters movie.)
Thursday on our walk around the neighborhood, one of our neighbors stopped us and gave us a stuffed dog. Another exciting thing that happened Thursday, is that our ErgoBaby carrier arrived. We also got the Infant Heart2Heart Insert FREE, so we can use it now if we'd like. Tim is especially excited because while he likes carrying Amos in the Moby, he hates putting it on. This carrier is more like putting on a backpack!
On Friday, my friend Raechel came over. Amos and Gavin spent a lot of time doing this:
Friday was also Raechel's last day off. She goes back to work on Monday! Boo!!! I'm so going to miss hanging out.
Speaking of work, my long term sub has been having quite a bit of trouble. I think the issue is mostly that the kids aren't taking her seriously (despite the fact that she has a Ph.D in science) and there are classroom management issues. Then, she had to be out for the last three days this week because her 91-year-old mom is very sick. I'm a little nervous that she won't be able to finish out my maternity leave. I have been stressing over it more than I should. I find myself thinking...and even having nightmares...about school. I know that my decision to take 12 weeks was a bit frowned upon by some, so I'm even paranoid about that. Also, during my absence, there have been several big initiatives that I'm worried about catching up on and implementing properly. Hopefully, everything will be okay.
Saturday, we did NOT sleep in. (Thank you, Amos.) Amos is so stinkin' adorable in the morning, though, that I don't mind so much. I have been following the lactation consultant's advice and pumping after the first feeding of the day. While I pump, Amos is in his crib happily chattering and cooing. I love hearing him, but hate that I'm not beside the crib watching him. (Oh! I just realized that we installed our video moniter. I can watch him now!)
Speaking of pumping, I can't figure out for the life of me how women get large freezer stashes. I am only get an ounce after the first feeding. So, it nearly took me all week to get ONE "meal" to freeze! Amos is still nursing about every two hours, so I can't imagine trying to fit in more pumping sessions. Some women have suggested that I pump in the middle of the night now that he is pretty consistently going 4-5 hours, but the thought of me getting even less sleep is inconceivable to me!
After breakfast, Tim gave Amos what I pumped that morning. And he took it like a champ! Yay!
It seems that I won't need to worry too much about him taking a bottle at daycare...though we'll continue to practice just in case!
We also played a great deal on Saturday. On Tuesday, Amos shook the rattle a little bit. Well, on Saturday, he was really showing off for Daddy! I didn't get the best moments, but here's a glimpse.
Amos is also half rolling right now. Another really cute thing is that when I play the singing dog, he "sings" along with him oftentimes. I'll try to capture that soon.
Something that we are working on is napping. In general, Amos is only napping for 20-30 minutes at a time after each feeding. And to do so, he is often either in the swing or the Moby as I have mentioned before. My goal, though, is to get him consistently sleeping in his crib. And then, hopefully, he'll also sleep for longer stretches.
When he does fall asleep in the swing, he looks like this:
Then, I sneak and recline the swing back.
On Friday, when Raechel was here, I reclined him a bit too soon. So, I had to raise him back up, wait for him to fall back asleep, and then recline him again! It cracked Raechel up. My finicky boy. He gets it honest, though. I hear my mom's voice echoing in my ear: "When you grow up, I hope you have a child just like you!"
I absolutely can NOT imagine returning to work after six weeks. This first six weeks have flown by. Both momma and baby have undergone lots of changes.
I am so thankful that I can now get out of bed without a lot of pain. At the same time, I'm a little surprised by how much recovering my body still has to do. My muscles are still sore to the touch and the incision still hurts quite a bit...maybe because it was infected? Playing around with Amos sometimes can be painful when I accidentally move the wrong way. Nonetheless, I am feeling up to playing with Amos. I am also walking faster and faster. Pretty soon, I should be back to my normal speed walking ways!
As for Amos, it is amazing how much he has changed. At first, he was this tiny, balled up, almost lifeless little guy. Now, he weighs 1 1/2 times more than when he was born. He smiles, coos, and moves constantly. Some of my favorite moments have been when he is nursing, and I catch him staring at me. When I gaze back at him, he gives me one of his goofy, toothless grins. It melts a momma's heart. Amos is also become more independent. At first, I literally could not put him down without him squalling. Now, he happily goes to bed in his bassinet around 10:30 pm, he will spend many quiet moments in his crib cooing, and he will nap consistently in his swing (we're still working on napping elsewhere consistently).
Monday, 2-13:
While I can't imagine returning full-time to work, on Monday, I did go visit. It was parent teacher conference day, so I thought it was the perfect time to introduce Amos to the faculty and staff at Ballard. Because Ballard is pretty spread out with lots of stairs, I decided that the Moby was my best choice for transporting Amos. At first, he was wide-eyed checking everyone out. He even smiled and cooed for Ronda, a fellow chemistry teacher. Soon, however, he was happily snoozing...until it was time to eat. I was visiting one last colleague, and I warned him that Amos would likely wake up in 5 minutes crying for food. My plan, though, was to just head home and feed him when we got there. However, this male colleague insisted that I should feed him before going home. I hesitated because Amos was squalling at this point. He adamantly insisted that I follow him to the teacher's lounge where he planned to ensure I could feed my baby. When we were almost there, he changed his mind, and decided that he knew of a "better" place. We went to the south office, and he asked the vice principal if he would let me into Mrs. Riggs old office to nurse. WELL, the vice principal decided that it would work because there was a window on the door. Keep in mind that Amos is screaming, so I'm at their mercy. He ends up leading me into a closet with a rickety old chair. I needed to get Amos out of the Moby, but there was no place for me to lay him while I get myself out of it. I held back tears while I struggled to figure out what to do while he continued to cry. I awkwardly nursed him for about five minutes...long enough to quiet his screams...then I slipped out a back door so that the men wouldn't know that I left. For one thing, I knew that I would cry. And I also realize that they were only trying to help, so I didn't want to make them feel bad. I went back to Ronda, and she held Amos so that I could wrap him up and head out. It was exhausting!
Tuesday, 2-14:
Amos and I went to see Dr. Price for my six weeks appointment. Unfortunately, we got two inches of snow, so I had to take extra time getting the snow off my car. (It was melted by the afternoon, so it's too bad that my appointment was in the morning!) Instead of lugging the heavy carrier, I used my stroller, which turned out to be both a nuisance and a life saver. The exam rooms are so tiny that the big and bulky stroller was in the way. However, when Amos was fussy, I was able to rock him by moving the stroller back and forth. I worried that we would have another meltdown because my appointmet was at 9:20 am and his next feeding was due around 9:45 am. Thankfully, by the time Dr. Price arrived, Amos was snoozing.
I tried to talk with Dr. Price about my labor, but it wasn't that fruitful. I asked her about the injection that stopped my labor, and she acknowledged that it wasn't ideal. She told me that the C-section was only due to fetal distress and with my incision, I would be a perfect candidate for a VBAC. However, they do not induce patients who want a VBAC. She said that if I went into labor around 38 weeks on my own then I would likely be able to get a VBAC. But if I follow a similar pattern as in this pregnancy where I had no contractions by 41 weeks, I would have to get another C-section. It's WAY too early for me to worry about this, but it's kind of a bummer to know that I'll have to deal with all of this in the future.
After the appointment, Amos shocked me by going 2 1/2 and then 3 hours between feedings! I had registered for a returning to work class at Babyology, and I worried that we would be late when Amos didn't wake up! The Returning to Work class only had two people in attendance: me and Raechel. So, we got lots of one-on-one attention regarding our concerns. I had already read about most everything, but it was nice to have someone confirm in person what I had already read. A couple of interesting tidbits: sage and peppermint are bad for your milk supply while caffeine (in small doses) and oatmeal are beneficial. Green poop and lots of spitting up (if it's not acid reflux) may indicate that the baby is getting too much food. Breast milk is organic and changes on a daily basis. So, if I'm exposed to bacteria at school, my body makes antibodies that Amos will also receive to keep him well. While bottle fed babies need more and more milk as they grow, breast fed babies stay needing only 2-4 oz because the milk changes to satiate them appropriately. Since we are currently a bottle feeding culture, care givers of breast fed babies often try to overfeed them at first. We also got great tips about how and when to pump at work. She also encouraged me to start pumping every day after the first feeding.
Tuesday was also obviously Valentine's Day. Tim had a coworker who was willing to babysit for us so that we could go out, but I said absolutely not. I was not ready to leave my baby with someone that I barely knew. Is that crazy and and neurotic of me? I think in a few more weeks, but just not yet. Tim and I tend to go low key on commercialized holidays like this one, but he did come home with this:
A funny/pathetic moment that evening was that I started to cuddle with Tim on the couch for a few minutes while Amos dozed in the swing. Well, Amos started crying at that same moment for food. So, I ended up cuddling with Amos on the couch and falling asleep past our bedtime. Poor Tim.
Wednesday, 2-15:
We stayed home all day. I did put Amos in the Moby and walk the 30 minutes round trip to the YMCA in order to cancel our membership. Along the way, I actually got honked and whistled at as this truck of men approached me. I bet they felt super silly as they passed and saw that I had a baby! Why are men so dumb, by the way? I could never imagine a group of women behaving like that. Then, Amos continued to stretch out his feeding times. He also slept five hours through the night again. Yay!
Thursday, 2-16:
I spent Thursday waiting for my cousin Melissa's daughter to arrive. The plan was to head to the hospital with Amos as soon as she was born. However, it was 10:03 pm when Layla Claire made her big entrance, so I decided to head out Friday morning.
Friday, 2-17:
It was no easy task to get Amos, myself, and all of our stuff into the CR-V. I was up at 7 am trying to get everything done. We were on the road by 10 am and then we arrived at the Women's Hospital around 11 am. Amos did super well until...you guessed it...it was time to eat. So, I lugged in the stroller and carrier while Amos cried. Jeremy met me in the waiting room, and I fed him there. FINALLY, around noon we got to meet Layla:
(Amos's shirt says, "Party in my Crib at 3 am!" He wore it just for Layla!)
Isn't Uncle Jeremy such a natural with kids?
She is so adorable!
Then, Amos and I went to my parents. Mom cooked a delicious dinner, and we all just hung out for a bit. Uncle Jeremy got some more QT with Amos:
Saturday, 2-18:
We had a bit of a rough night. I think Amos might be outgrowing the bassinet because he kept hitting the side of it all night, which would then wake him up. At his 2 am feeding, he also felt super cold, so I then couldn't sleep well because I worried about him. Finally, we got up around 6 am. My dad, who is an early bird, took him from 7 am - 8 am so I could sleep a bit more.
Later that morning, Grammy feed Amos his first "real" bottle. Last weekend, he just sipped a bit. This time, he drank it all! Yay! Then, Amos, Mom, and I made our way to Kroger's to buy food for my cousin and her family. Here is Amos all ready to go: (That pacifier stayed in his mouth for about 0.5 seconds.) Amos slept in the Moby throughout our Kroger trip. Nonetheless, here's what he did while we were cooking: We planned to deliver the food around 6:30 pm, but beforehand Tim called to tell me that my father-in-law was coming for a visit and also that he was worried about the roads. After deliberating, I decided to go ahead to Melissa's. She had a full house! It was Amos's cranky hour, so I quieted him by putting him in the Moby. Mom got to meet Layla for the first time: After dinner, we gave Amos a bath. It was quite the event. Aunt Gina, Uncle Jeremy, Grammy, Emma, and Lucas all helped! Amos loved it...until we took him out of the water!
Sunday, 2-19:
We had an even rougher night. Amos just could not get to sleep. I finally put him in bed with me until his first night feeding. Then, he stayed in the bassinet until his last night feeding. He had a blow out that woke him up, and the poor baby couldn't get back to sleep. I finally just got up and got ready to get back to Louisville. Bill had spent the night, and I didn't want to deprive him of his grandson any longer! Thankfully, the bad weather missed us, so we made it home without incident.
Amos was a bit cranky after all the travel, but he did charm Grandaddy Jones with some smiles and coos. Here, Amos is making his Elvis face:
After lunch at Chili's, Grandaddy headed out. We missed seeing Grandma Berta!
Amos after his bath. He ended up sleeping a bit past his normal nursing time after this...very unusual for Mister Every-Two-Hours-On-The-Dot. Two surprise visitors -- The Toons.
Sunday, 2-5:
We planned to go to church, but we were both exhausted. Instead, Tim and I took turns napping to get a few extra minutes of sleep. Then, the Irvines dropped off the Taurus just as my friend Kim and her husband Matt were arriving to meet Amos. (I forgot to take pictures!) After a nice family walk outside and a quick trip to Target (where I also juggled a phone call from my long-term sub), we cozied up to watch the Super Bowl.
Monday, 2-6:
We had a low key day. Amos did have a blow out that covered me and him both. Yuck! We cleaned up and then took a walk. Generally, by 5 pm, I'm pretty exhausted. Thankfully, Daddy comes home and plays with the boy for a bit to give Momma a break. (Plus, it's super cute for me to watch.)
Tuesday, 2-7:
On Amos's 5 Week Birthday, we took a walk and Amos met the neighbors. These neighbors don't speak English, so we often struggle to communicate. The older gentleman smiled really big when he saw us the first time and said, "Bebe, very good!" As I made my way back home, he got my attention, and pointed to Amos and asked, "Sick?" (I think he was wondering if he was healthy.) When I told him he was not sick, he is healthy, he said, "Very good." He also forced me to accept five dollars. It was really sweet.
This is a common sight in the evenings at our house around 8 pm. (Obviously, Timmers isn't really sleeping.) Amos refuses to lay down before then. He prefers this position when Daddy holds him. (Isn't he such a Tiny Tim!?!)
I've started to see a pattern in Amos's feeding and sleeping schedule. Amos has been pretty precise with his feeding schedule for a while. Every two hours, without fail, he wants to eat. It cracks me up. He can be in a seemingly deep sleep, but the moment two hours are up, he pops his head up and screams for food. Generally, he eats for 15-30 minutes. After eating, he is in a coma-like state for a few minutes before his eyes pop open. At this time, he gives me lots of coos and smiles. I'll change his diaper and then we'll do tummy time. (Recently, I've added playing in the crib during this play time, which Amos LOVES!) This all usually takes 30 minutes. Then, he's tired during the next hour. Generally, he spends time being fussy and fighting sleep. Finally, I'll put him in the Moby, and he will zonk out. Recently, I have been able to get him to nap in his swing. However, he will only go in the swing if it is as upright as possible. This worries me when he does fall asleep because it looks like he'll hurt his neck when his head slumps over. So, I have to sneak over and recline the swing once he's asleep. If I time it incorrectly, and he's not totally asleep, he's back up fussing. It's really a coup, by the way, if he naps in his bassinet or crib. We repeat this pattern until his final feeding, which is around 10:30 pm. After this feeding, he happily snoozes in his bassinet for an average of 4 hours before the next feeding. Then, he goes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. And then we go back to every 2 hours. I try to pattern my outings around this tight schedule.
Wednesday, 2-8:
Amos and I traveled to Momma's Hip to look into cloth diapers. As a compulsive researcher, I've looked into cloth diapers forever...even before we were expecting Amos. However, I've always been overwhelmed. After talking to the woman there, I decided to just try a couple and see what I thought. So, I purchased 1 BumGenius 4.0 and 1 Flip along with 3 Flip inserts. Both diapers are All in Ones (AIO) and accomodate babies up to 35 pounds.
After getting home from Momma's Hip, Raechel dropped by starving. She had been at a KTIP meeting at Seneca, and it took longer than she expected. So, I fed her and then sent her home to Andrew.
Thursday, 2-9:
Thursday was Amos's one month appointment. It was at 9:20 am, and I wasn't sure what to do because I knew that Amos would want to eat at 9:30 am. Since I had to wait an hour at the last appointment, I just decided to go and bring my cover to nurse in the waiting room if I had to. To my surprise, they got me into an exam room immediately. When they asked me to totally disrobe Amos, I knew it was probably going to be bad. There's nothing like a mad, naked, hungry baby. He squalled and squalled! After the nurse weighed him, she was pretty much like, "Feed that baby!" So, I did. (And, by the way, he was all coos and smiles as soon as she left us alone.) However, the nurse practioner came in after about 5 minutes, which was just long enough to tease him but not to satisfy his hunger. As he's screaming, she's trying to check him, and I'm trying to ask questions. I finally held a pacifier in his mouth to quiet him. THEN, he had to get a shot. Poor baby.
Amos is doing exceptionally well. Here are his stats:
Weight - 9 pounds 5.5 ounces (40-50 percentile)
Height - 21 3/4 inches (65-70 percentile)
Head - 14 3/8 inches (50 percentile)
After his cry-fest at the doctor's office, Amos was in a really good mood. Here he is playing in his crib.
Isn't it funny how apparently all babies do this jousting pose? According to the nurse practioner, research shows that they generally "joust" in a certain direction. Amos usually looks left, though this is a rare right-looking joust.
Friday, 2-10:
Amos and I visited Daddy at work. Here again, Amos's strict feeding schedule caused us problems. Tim had an hour from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm for us to come. Amos was due to eat at 11:30. So, I drove the 25 minutes to Tim's work and fed him a few minutes early in the car. I'm not sure if this was the best plan, though. He still cried when we first arrived. I had gone to the bathroom, and when I returned, Tim's principal is trying to soothe him.
Since it was lunch time, Tim wanted to show Amos off to all the kids and the teachers. It was pretty adorable to see what a proud papa he was. And the kids were pretty excited as well. Amos only really grinned at one person, Holly:
He maintained a tired old man grimace during most of our visit...but at least he wasn't crying. The over tired boy did that once we got home.
The hospital had given us coupons for two free combos at Chick Fil A, so we decided to dine there Friday evening. It was nice to have some more normal Tim and Glenda time. Amos slept until, of course, his feeding time when he started to beg for food.
Amos must have truly been tired because he went almost SIX hours between feedings that evening! I was so excited that I could barely get back to sleep...or it could have simply been that my body was not used to so much sleep!
Saturday, 2-11:
I'm not sure if it was all that extra sleep, but I was a busy bee on Saturday tackling a lot of projects. First up: I pumped for the first time. I did totally feel like a dairy cow, but it was also pretty fascinating. Then, Tim gave Amos his first bottle while I was preparing breakfast. I had heard lots of horror stories about how babies scream and that mom should not even be in the house. Well, we tried the bottle about 20 minutes before his normal feeding time. I sort of helped Tim angle the bottle, and Amos took it!
But then, seconds later (once I put the camera away), he just looked at us both and laughed. With the bottle sort of in the corner of his mouth, he kept grinning and cooing at us. So, he didn't eat much, but at least it was pleasant! When it was his actual feeding time, I tried the bottle one more time before nursing him, and he laughed again. I wonder if he was thinking, "Momma, you can't fool me...I know that's not the real thing." My dad hypothesized that maybe the nipple on the bottle tickled him...that might also explain all the grins.
Amos was even nice enough to snooze during breakfast so Mom and Dad could spend time together.
Then, Amos was in the best mood playing in his crib:
After breakfast, I set to work trying to figure out where I can put all the bottles. I also thought of a way to make more space for Amos in our bathroom. During this time, Tim was taking care of Amos. Happily, he even got Amos to nap in his crib!
I also attempted the cloth diapers that I had purchased earlier in the week. The flip looked HUGE, so I went to try the BumGenius 4.0, but Amos pooped on it as I was putting it on! (I'm not sure if that's a commentary.) On Sunday, I tried again. The BumGenius was cute, but it did leave some red marks on his leg. Maybe I had it on too tight? Later, I tried the flip. It actually did work. But I'm still trying to figure out the best way to clean them. At the moment, I only have two, so it's kind of a pain.
Later that afternoon, Raechel called to see if she, Andrew, and Gavin could come over and watch the UK game with us. I hadn't realized it, but Andrew hadn't even met Amos! We were more than happy to hang out with this cute family.
Sunday, 2-12:
I woke up around 7 am in order to get both Amos and myself ready for church at 9 am. Amos wasn't sure about it at first,
but he ended up doing very well. I did have to feed him, but then he was all smiles and coos during the service. During praise and worship time, he was wide-eyed, checking it out. It was pretty adorable.
Then, Tim and I decided to eat lunch at O'Charley's. My very generous and thoughtful mother had given us a gift card to dine there when we were in the hospital. We just hadn't been able to get it together before then to eat there. As we were driving to O'Charley's, Mom called to see if they could come visit. Of course, we are always excited for a visit from Grammy, Pa-Paul, and Emma! (Unfortunately, Lucas had a bit of a runny nose, so Gina decided to stay home with him.)
They arrived around 3 pm with coffee cake, chocolate covered strawberries, and a V-Day present (diapers, a onesie that says "Chick Magnet", chocolates, a heart-shaped bath fizzer, and a card that Emma picked out). Amos was a bit fussy, but Grammy still enjoyed holding him.
(I have been trying to catch him smiling. He started showcasing some real smiles last weekend with my dad.)
This week was a bit more laid back than our previous weeks.
Monday, 1-30:
After our busy weekend, I kind of planned to veg. But then Raechel called to see if I wanted to go to Seneca Park. Our weather has been unseasonably warm, so I also didn't want to miss the chance to soak up some sun. Raechel and I walked and chatted. It was so nice to be outdoors. Amos and Gavin enjoyed snoozing most of the time. Moments before Gavin went to Sleepy Town:
Tuesday, 1-31:
I was feeling exhausted, so Amos and I stayed inside and played. This is one moment too late after a big grin:
I was bummed when I figured out that what I planned for dinner needed to be defrosted. But THEN...I remembered that the lovely Michelle Lobo had sent us some yummy Lou Malnati's Pizzas! So I popped the pizza into the oven and cued up a chick flick while I awaited my husband's return. Tim got home after 7 pm, which was stinky, but he didn't bring any work home, so he took care of Amos while I took an hour nap. I so needed that! THEN, Amos went almost FIVE hours between feedings that evening. (Generally, he nurses every 2 hours.) I guess we were both exhausted!
Wednesday, 2-1:
I woke up with lots more energy thanks to a bit more sleep. The weather remained beautiful, so Amos and I went on a walk. Here, Amos is thinking, "Yes, I think I like this world."
Amos was also delighted when Daddy got home early to play. (Tim has written a musical that will be performed by middle school students at his school. They rehearse Tuesday and Thursday until 5 pm and then generally he has to work on library stuff a bit after that. Wednesdays, he usually has faculty meetings that run late. With the commute, he regularly is getting home around 7 pm. Since he leaves around 7 am, his days are long, and we miss him a lot at home!)
Thursday, 2-2:
Amos was fussy and wanted to cluster feed. I put him in the Moby and started to vacuum, which he loved. Unfortunately, he started crying again once I stopped vacuuming. I guess my floors are going to be really clean! I also walked around our cul de sac to soothe him. Finally, we went to the grocery store. Amos slept in the Moby the entire time and then he slept for an hour in his bassinet. Score! During that time, I wrote letters, did laundry, organized around the house, and prepped dinner. I felt so productive!
Friday, 2-3:
Amos turned a month old!
Tim took a 1/2 personal day because he had an interview for a library media specialist position at Watterson Elementary. This school is just a couple of miles from our home and it would mean a considerable pay increase, so it would be wonderful if he got the position. However, we're not holding our breaths because JCPS is such a behemoth. After the last interview that he went on, he found out they were just "going through the process," but already had someone in mind. They were just stalling by interviewing until they finished getting certified. Boo! Even when a school is serious about hiring, though, the competition is pretty fierce. So, we'll see. He's really happy where he's at, even though the pay is not ideal.
Another coup on Friday is that I showered while home alone. Before this, I waited until Tim got home because Amos would squall the moment I would try to leave him. My parents arrived just as I finished getting ready. They were excited to see their grandson. And then, we took them out for a quick dinner at Chili's before they continued on to Horseshoe Casino. (It was also quick because Amos started demanding dinner for himself!)
Saturday, 2-4:
Tim let me sleep in while he watched Amos. So, I got a heavenly two hours of sleep. Then, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of mini quiche florentine (thanks to Janet!), bacon, fruit, OJ, and coffee. While Tim was at the post office, I received a call from my friend Ashley. Ashley's son was born this past May via C-section, so we had a lot to talk about. I also talked to my momma and wished her a happy birthday.
Then, we spent the day together as a family playing and just enjoying each other. We especially delighted in getting Amos to share his adorable grins and coos.
The things that make Amos content right now include:
1. Being worn in the Moby. Regardless of whether it's me or Tim wearing him, he's asleep in a few moments.
2. Laying on his changing table. I will put him on the table, and he immediately seems happy. Generally, he looks towards the blue wall, totally enthralled. Even once I've finished changing him, he stays there, cooing and smiling.
3. Bath time. The moment he is in the water, he seems super happy. (He does cry, however, once he's out of the water for just a moment.)
4. Vacuums, running water, hair dryers, and his sleep sheep. In general, I think the noise is reassuring because it reminds him of his time inside momma.
I stayed in, but thanks to the Moby, I was able to get some chores done around the house!
Tuesday, 1-24:
Amos and I went on our first walk alone through the neighborhood. I put in him in the stroller, and he loved it. He was wide-eyed, checking it out. (He did zonk out towards the end, though.)
Tim got home after 7 pm, and I was a frazzled mess by that point. There were tears, but then he watched Amos so that I could shower. Showers make things so much better.
Then, silly me, I was bound and determined to give Amos another bath because it's supposed to soothe them so that they sleep better. Well, Amos squalled the entire time! And then. THEN. I get the bright idea that I just HAVE to cut his toenails. I accidentally cut more skin than nail. And that toe gushed blood everywhere! His screeches of pain broke my heart. I literally nursed him on the floor of our bathroom to soothe him. Meanwhile, daddy had to cut an already tiny band aid in half to fit his tiny toe. Needless to say, I did not proceed with the toe nail cutting.
Wednesday, 1-25:
It was another rough night. But then, around 4 am, I swaddled Amos again, and he went to sleep! In order to get things for my cousin's shower that weekend, I drove for the first time. Amos and I went to Target. I wore him in the Moby Wrap, and he slept the entire time. I was pretty exhausted by the time I got home. I guess Amos was as well because he took an hour nap in his bassinet!
Thursday, 1-26:
Amos has started a pretty precise pattern. He wants to nurse every two hours on the dot. Then, he gets a diaper change, plays for a while, and then sleeps (usually in the Moby) until he suddenly awakens roaring for more food. Repeat.
Dan Ball dropped by that evening with curried chicken salad and veggies.
Friday, 1-27:
I woke up and started getting ready to go to my friend Marta's house where she had invited a few mommas to come over. We chatted for a couple of hours, nibbled on some of Marta's amazing chocolate chip muffins, and enjoyed some decaf chai tea. Then, Marta rode back with me to borrow the black Taurus we are housing. She and her husband are a one car family and that one car broke down, so we offered to help them out. Marta also brought with her this UH-mazing soup, cornbread muffins, and a couple of the extra chocolate chip muffins. (She's a gifted cook, so we were excited to receive some of her yummy food!)
When I checked the mail, Amos's birth announcements and social security card had arrived! Yay! Amos took ANOTHER nap in his bassinet, so I was able to make the cheese ball for the shower and pack to go to my parents' house.
Initially, we were going to wait and go later in the weekend, but Tim was starting to feel lousy. Out of fear of getting Amos sick, he knew he wouldn't be much help to me, so we decided to go on to my parents' where there would be lots of helping hands. Amos did wonderfully the entire trip until we were about 15 minutes away. It was time to nurse, so it wasn't surprising. He did make it, though, but he was eager to eat once we arrived. Mom, Dad, Gina, Emma, Lucas, and Ernie eagerly waited for him to finish eating so that they could hold him and play with him.
Saturday, 1-28:
Dad, Amos, and I were the first up. We played with Amos and enjoyed a bit of Cafe Du Monde Chicory coffee. Then, Mom made breakfast for everyone. Jeremy was able to see Amos; he had previously only seen him a couple of minutes in the hospital.
I had brought a military MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) that I had received this summer from the Corps of Engineers for Emma and I to make together. I figured this was a great moment to teach her about exothermic reactions! (I'm not sure she got the science, but she enjoyed making the meal!)
Here's what Amos was up to during this time:
Then, we discovered that Amos had a diaper rash. Boo! :(
By the end of the night, I was soo exhausted. Then, unfortunately, it was a rough night.
Sunday, 1-29:
I was a tired, weepy mess in the morning. Thankfully, my dad and then my mom watched Amos so that I could get a few blissful hours of sleep. Gina made her famous breakfast casserole for breakfast and then we finished getting the house ready for my cousin Melissa's shower.
The shower went really well. Before the shower started, Uncle Danny got to spend a few moments with Amos. Next, we proceeded with the Hisle tradition of lots o' pictures in groups. First, the expectant family: Then, the aunts: 1st cousins (with Amos unintentionally photo bombing): 2nd cousins: Once everyone arrived, we played a few shower games. Then, we chowed down while the Donathans opened their gifts. My beautiful cousin holding her newest 2nd cousin: We hated to leave, but Tim had to get back for work. While we were packing up, my dad got a few smiles out of Amos! (Here is my attempt to catch it, but I missed.) Just as we were leaving, I changed Amos's diaper and he PEED over everything, so we had to have a costume change. Cute, eh? (I bet you won't be surprised to know that this was a Daddy purchase!) Stop taking my picture! Okay! Okay!
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