The Adventure Begins!

Our adventure with Alan began upon leaving the hospital. Literally. 

When we left the hospital, Alan screamed until we got home. Not kidding. 

It took me ten minutes of rocking him when we got home before he calmed. 

   

All Pictures taken by 1,000 Words Photography

  

The doctor was right. By the third night, babies wake up and decide they are hungry. Well, guess what, Alan? Momma doesn't have any milk yet.  We were all three exhausted after that night. Luckily my milk had just come in before our 2 day doctor visit. He was not up to birth weight yet, but by the next 2 day visit that Saturday, he was above birth weight. That made me feel much better to know I wasn't starving my little boy! Well, once he started eating, he hasn't stopped! In the first few weeks, he gained about a pound a week. No, really. We have pictures to prove it! 

   

   

 I don't know how it happened, but I gave birth to a very social little boy. (I am just kidding about not knowing how it happened. We ALL know where he got his social nature from!) He still fights sleep and wants to be where momma and daddy are. We are still making progress with his naps but his night time stretches are much, much better. 

   

We take a nightly walk around 7:15 or 7:30 and get a little fresh air. Then we take a warm bath. Alan has started to really like this. Whew... After we are all dried off and tears have been wiped, (Alan likes his bath so much, that he doesn't like to get out!) we put on our pajamas and eat second dinner. I will read a book to him if he is still awake after I nurse him. If he has already dozed off, we skip the book, and I sing a little to him as I am putting him in is bed. 

   

  

Now, most nights he goes to sleep without any tears, but occasionally he fights us at night, too. He usually wakes between 1 and 2 o'clock to eat and then again from 5 and 6. Most of the time, he wants to stay awake after he is finished eating, but he does a good job of entertaining himself in his crib. Sometimes he takes another short nap, but other times, I think he just lays there and looks around. We tried the pacifier for about a week, but saw no improvement. 

As far as we are all concerned, it doesn't exist!

  

   

He is eating consistently every 2.5 to 3 hours now, which makes momma very happy! He is also gaining about 3/4 a pound each week now. For the first six weeks, I fed him whenever he was hungry. This was usually every hour or hour and a half. I am hoping those days are gone forever! 

   

    

I have a few more weeks at home with him, and I am trying to soak it all up while I can. Miss Michelle is very excited about getting to spend her days with him, and I couldn't have asked for a better caregiver for my sweet little boy. I have no doubt I am leaving him in the best hands!