The Jensen's

Carter Waking Up

2012-02-04T13:43:00.001-06:00

I try to take videos of Carter almost as often as I take pictures. I wish I could share more but they take a while to upload to the internet. This one took an hour! I'll try my best to share more often!

Weight

2012-01-31T19:02:00.001-06:00

Most babies double their birth weight by 4 months. It looks like Carter is going to do it by 3 months though!

I weighed myself and then weighed myself again holding Carter. He was only wearing a diaper but the weight difference was 12.8 lbs. Carter was 6 lbs 12 oz at birth.

It is recommended that babies start solids (purees, rice cereal, etc) at 6 months. They can start as early as 4 months though. I think our doctor said something about maybe starting before 6 months. If the doctor says he's ready for solids early I'll probably still wait until he's 6 months anyway.

Back to Work

2012-01-27T03:04:00.001-06:00

I went back to work this week. Thankfully as part of my allowable 12 weeks under FMLA I was able to ease back into the working world by going back part-time for 2 weeks before returning full-time. So I work 8-noon and then get to go back home and have the afternoon and evening with Carter. I love this situation because I get the best of both worlds but I know I have to return full-time so I can't get used to it!

While I'm at work Ryan gets to take care of Carter. Ryan sends me at least 1 picture text a day while I'm at work so that is super nice! I started sending Ryan pictures too when he's at work in the afternoon. I was a bad wife previously for not doing that!

I'm going to try and blog more often but they will probably be short and might not have pictures because I'm updating from my iPod. I need the laptop to blog with updates pictures and it's hard to find time to get on the laptop.

Blow Out

2012-01-21T09:22:00.001-06:00

Carter had his first blow out on his 2 month birthday. Ryan was at work when it happened so I got to change that one! I didn't document the blow out with our new camera (to spare Carter from being embarrassed and you all from having to see the present he clearly meant to leave for me and only me). I did however take a video of him after the blow out! Password to view: carterj

Carter Blow Out from Erin on Vimeo.

Wake Up Call

2012-01-19T06:54:00.001-06:00

I've been without an alarm clock since Carter's first few days home. Normally they advise against waking a sleeping baby, but I had to wake him to feed him since it took him a while to get back to his birth weight.

Ever since then he's had no issues in the eating/weight gain department and we've been going with the flow ever since. We don't have Carter on a schedule. It's generally not recommended to put infants on a schedule until around 6 months, when they've more or less established their own routine.

Next week I'll set my alarm again to re-enter the working world. Carter does tend to wake shortly after 6 AM every day with some predictability but I'm not going to count on him to be my alarm clock on week days anymore.

The bigger wake up call next week is going to be for Ryan! He'll have to be awake with Carter by 7 AM so I have time to shower before work. Ryan is used to "Jensen time." I'm not sure what the exact definition of Jensen time is but it probably means some form of not waking to an alarm and/or not waking before 8 AM (or much, much later, in Ryan's case 10 AM was early before Carter). In Ryan's defense (as he would argue) he works second shift (3-11pm) and isn't ready for bed the instant he gets home from work. His nights of 8+ hours of sleep are ending along with my maternity leave! I'm going to call this one early and say my return to work will be harder on Ryan than it will be on me (or Carter)!

Naps

2012-01-14T13:27:00.001-06:00

Carter must have read his 2 month blog post! He has taken a nap 3 days in a row now! I'm so thankful that he's figuring it out. Nap now while you can little man because you're going to grow up fast (against Mommy's wishes) and you'll wish for nap time someday!

Smiles

2012-01-14T13:26:00.001-06:00

It's been hard to capture on camera, but Carter has been smiling a lot more lately. He started smiling in his sleep a while ago, but now he is smiling as a reaction to either Ryan or I. I hate to admit it but Ry seems to get him to smile more than I can. I'm pretty sure he still loves me more though!

Carter - 2 Months

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

Weight
Birth: 6 lbs 12 oz
Now: 10 lbs 5.5 oz (average weight gain of > 1 oz/day which is higher than the average 1-2 oz/day!)

Length
Birth: 19.25 inches
Now: ? inches (TBD until his appointment on Tuesday)

Diapers – Size 1

Clothes – 0-3 Months

Feedings – Every 3 hours

Nighttime – He typically goes down around 8pm and sleeps for 5-6 hours. Then he wakes to eat and goes right back down to sleep (typically). He sleeps for about 2-3 more hours and wakes to eat again and sometimes goes back down to sleep, or is awake for the day!

Personality – He's a fussy one! He rarely "sits still" so I enjoy the few moments when he does! Usually it's when he's revving up to fill his diaper, but I take what I can get! He's usually pretty calm in the morning and more fussy at night, with the fussing usually starting around 6pm.

Development

Coos/squeels
Smiles responsively (more often in the AM hours)
Holds eye contact
Tracks moving persons (usually Daddy or Mommy because he knows our voices)
Head wobbly while sitting
Grabs Mommy's shirt or hair

Loves

The sound of water running...the faucet, washing machine or shower
Pulling Mommy's hair
Laying on the changing table
Being swaddled to sleep (this was on the hates list last month...how wrong we were!)
Laying in your crib staring at the mobile

Hates

Napping...he's a fighter when it comes to sleep
Being in any place (swing, bouncer, play mat, etc) or position for more than say 2 minutes at a time
Being burped. He has begun to throw himself back, especially if it's mid-feeding. He's too strong for his own good!

1 month

Calling the Doctor

2012-01-06T16:34:00.000-06:00

I hate calling the doctor's office. As a first time mom (FTM) I'm sure I'm basically on the nurses shit list to begin with. I probably get no respect from them the instant I tell them my son's birthdate and they realize how "young" he is.

One time I called near 5pm, probably the end of the nurses shift. I was concerned about Carter having green poop. He was having at least 1 green poop a day for the last few days. She proceeded to ask me what formula he's on, to which I imformed her that I was breastfeeding. She asked me if I was only breastfeeding and not supplementing with formula. After I confirmed he was exclusively breastfed she finally searched her computer for green poop. She basically just said his poop may change colors depending on what I eat, and then she asked what I was eating. She was almost demanding like I should know what I was eating that could cause green poop. So I told her the only things I could think of that I ate on a regular basis, yogurt, cheese and a can of soda.

Then she proceeded to read what red poop meant, to which I cut her off to remind her that his poop was green. She said she was going to go through all of the colors so I know for future reference. At the end of the green section the information she was reading said green poop is normal in breastfeeding babies for the first 2 months. I pretended like I didn't hear what she said and made her read that part to me again.

It probably didn't help that one time that I called near 5pm, but I think she could have done a better job concealing her annoyance with me though! She did call me hun at the end of the call, so maybe we can be friends?

Fussy McFusserson

2012-01-06T16:19:00.000-06:00

I know I've been terrible at updating this thing but I have an excuse! Babies require a lot of attention, especially when you have a fussy one! Isn't it funny that nobody ever wants to tell someone else that their baby is fussy? You can tell me...I already know because I live it every day!

I wouldn't say Carter has colic, but he's certainly fussy. He doesn't sit still often, so I cherish the few moments when he does. Usually if he's real still it's because he's revving up to fill his diaper, but I'll take what I can get!

When we got Carter home from the hospital we figured swaddling was out of the question because he liked having his hands up by his face, usually in his mouth. After paging through The Happiest Baby on the Block, which I received for Christmas, I quickly realized how wrong we were. I pulled out our swaddles that I had previously packed away with the newborn size clothes. I swaddled Carter up and he seemed to hate it at first as the book said he probably would, but after only a few times I think he got the hang of it. While it doesn't calm him down entirely, it does allow us to give him a pacifier which he wouldn't take much prior to swaddling. More importantly it gets him to sleep better! The first night we swaddled him he slept for a 6 hour stretch at night, whereas previously his record stretch was usually 4 hours!

The most instant soothing method we use for Carter is turning on a faucet. It's cRaZy how well that works to stop him from crying! It doesn't often work for long if he's real upset, but at least it settles him down a little bit. Ryan actually happened to determine Carter liked the faucet by accident, but after googling it apparently this is a common calming method. I immediately searched for apps or Youtube videos with faucet noises but somehow Carter knows the difference between the real thing and a noise oming from an electronic device. Apparently our child is above modern technology.

And how did I find time to post this blog you ask? Carter is napping and instead of joining him (like I should be) I'm uploading pics and blogging so people don't think we fell off the face of the earth! I'll sleep this weekend when Ryan is off on Sunday...insert evil laugh!

2011

2012-01-01T15:37:00.002-06:00

(Previous Years: 2010)

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?Bought a brand new car and gave birth!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I was going to take more pictures, but I definitely slacked in that department! I want to take more pictures in 2012 and I should easily complete that considering our new camera should be delivered sometime this week! I also plan to breastfeed until Carter is at least 6 months old. Breastfeeding is a huge commitment so I hope we can keep it up once I'm back to work!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?I did! My cousin Jeff's wife Beth gave birth about 3 months before me to a baby boy, Conner. Two of my co-workers' wives gave birth, also to baby boys. Also a lot of people I'm not as close with but friends with on Facebook gave birth. Most of the babies born were boys but a few girls snuck in there! Also found out my sister is expecting her third boy in April, 2012!

4. Did anyone close to you die?Nope.

5. What countries did you visit?None.

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn’t have in 2011?A house. We hope to be able to purchase one in the spring/summer!

7. What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?March 20, 2011: Day I found out I was pregnant
November 13, 2011: Day I went into labor and gave birth to our son, Carter!

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Giving birth, for sure! Breastfeeding is a close second. I didn't think I would be able to do it, or more importantly keep up with it!

9. What was your biggest failure?Spending too much money.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Throughout my entire pregnancy I only felt ill enough to call in sick to work one time. I don't even know how related to the pregnancy it was. I think it was all the greasy food I ate the night before!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Rock n Play sleeper for Carter. It saved our lives after our first night home from the hospital! Our Jeep has been a pretty nice purchase also!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?Ryan. He has been an amazing dad and husband. I wrote a post about how great he is!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?People who don't support breastfeeding. Until I became a breastfeeding mom I didn't understand it enough. I'm not comfortable breastfeeding in public, especially uncovered, but I get it now. Babies need to be fed when they're hungry, and some babies don't like to be covered when they're eating. I probably couldn't eat comfortably with a blanket over my head!

14. Where did most your money go?Probably stuff for Carter. I basically bought his entire wardrobe through approximately next fall. I also stocked up on diapers and wipes. At least it's all stuff we need right?!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Carter!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?Rolling in the Deep (love this dad/daughter duo: Jorge and Alexa Narvaez), Moves Like Jagger, Pumped Up Kicks

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?a) happier
b) fatter (but not by much, I just have a few more pounds to lose from the pregnancy)
c) richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?Taken more pictures.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?Shopping.

20. How did you spend Christmas?Christmas with Ryan's family was a week before Christmas. Christmas Eve we went to church (we were a little late...ask my mom about it sometime!), and then opened presents with my family. Christmas day Ryan worked until 3 and Carter and I went to my Aunt Bonnie & Uncle Gary's for breakfast and then to my parents in the afternoon.

21. Did you fall in love with 2011?It was love at first sight with Carter!

22. What was your favorite TV program?I watch too much TV now that I'm on maternity leave! My favorite is probably Teen Mom, which is what I also said last year. I like horrible TV I guess!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?I don't think so!

24. What was the best book you read?
I sucked at reading this year. I mainly just read What to Expect When You're Expecting which has been pretty helpful! I also have What to Expect the First Year.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
This question is dumb.

26. What did you want and get?A healthy baby boy!

27. What did you want and not get?A house...we're working towards it!

28. What was your favorite film of 2011?I didn't go to many movies. Bridesmaids was alright, but not as great as people hyped it up to be. Breaking Dawn and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are probably good but they came out after Carter was born so I haven't seen them yet.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?Although I don't remember exactly I would guess that I worked and didn't do anything exciting! I turned 28.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having enough money to buy a house. This apartment is pretty small with all of Carter's accessories!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2010?
I rocked the maternity clothes!

32. What kept you sane?Ryan

33. What political issue stirred you the most?I don't pay attention to politics. I'm a terrible citizen!

34. Who did you miss?
My co-workers while I've been on maternity leave. I don't get much adult interaction while I'm in the apartment all day!

35. Who was the best new person you met?I don't know?

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.Other people don't always know what's best for my baby! I need to do my own research on what's best before making decisions. Example: The doctor told me to give my baby formula to get him to gain weight but I kept breastfeeding and he gained like a champ!

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.I'm not doing this one again.

New Years Eve

2012-01-01T07:29:00.001-06:00

Our New Years Eve was relatively uneventful. Carter woke up for the day around 10 am. The he proceeded to remain awake ALL day long with only short 5-15 minute naps after he ate.

Ryan worked 3-11 so we didn't make any plans for the evening. My mom ended up inviting us over to my parents house because my Aunt Judy and Uncle Roger were visiting from Tennessee.

I got Carter and all of our stuff (diaper bag, pump and rock n play sleeper) loaded in the Jeep a little after 6pm and we were on our way. I made a pit stop at McDonalds because I was craving a peppermint hot chocolate. They screwed up and gave me peppermint mocha...gross! Carter started fussing while we waited in the drive-thru so I got back on the highway to take a longer route to my parents house in hopes that Carter would fall asleep. It worked but he only stayed asleep for maybe 10 minutes! Luckily he was very content while he was awake for the most part.

Carter in his party shirt from his Grandma Deb

My cousin Mindy, her husband Bruce, 2 of their 3 kids and my cousin Samantha also came over a while after me. Mindy made some appetizers while I tended to Carter...feeding him in another room, changing diapers and outfits, etc.

Finally Carter fell asleep! I put him in the rock n play and filled a plate with food. A few bites shy of finishing my plate I heard Carter waking up! I took him upstairs to feed him in hopes he would go right back to sleep. Turns out he wasn't hungry...or ready to fall back asleep. Ryan came over after his shift and I made the decision to just take Carter home.

I drove Carter in the Jeep and took a long route home. Thankfully that was what he needed to finally fall asleep! so we ended up being in the car when midnight struck, but I guess such is life when you have kids!

Did anyone make New Years Resolutions? I usually don't but this year I will:

Take more pictures. Our new camera should be delivered this week so I have no excuse!
Feed Carter breastmilk exclusively until 6 months. It is recommended to breastfeed for a minimum of 6 months by the American Academy of Pediatrics so we're shooting for that!

Cold

2011-12-22T18:55:00.001-06:00

Carter woke up today from an uncharacteristic 3-hour nap sounding congested and I sucked a big green booger out of his nose. I changed his diaper (#1 only) and fed him. He started dozing off after feeding but it didn't last long.

He still sounded congested but seemed very content and unphased by it. Naturally I googled "newborn cold symptoms" and it seemed like he was missing some of the symptoms so I caught it early. He didn't have a cough or really runny nose, he just sounded congested. The sites I was looking at said infants have a higher likelihood of their cold turning to croup or pneumonia so they may need to be seen by a doctor.

I called the doctors office and they went through a list of questions and then gave me suggestions on what to do. Basically I wouldn't need to bring him in unless he got a fever. So I got out our rectal thermometer only to realize we needed a water-soluble jelly and not petroleum jelly to use it. Ryan was at work so I called my mom to see if she had time to run to the store and bring it over.

Then I called Ryan to let him know what was up. After I got off the phone with Ryan I got projectile spit up requiring an outfit change for both Carter and myself. We got cleaned up and then I fed him. He fell asleep again so he was sleeping when my mom got here. His breathing sounded fine in his sleep (he was sleeping upright on my chest) so I kept telling my mom it really was bad. He didn't sleep long and woke up while my mom was still here. She heard him breathe and agreed that he was congested (and I'm not crazy!).

So we changed his diaper and took his temperature (I made her do it!) and it was 97.3 so no fever! My mom also got out our cool mist humidifier since that was one of the nurses recommendations. After that Carter basically just wanted to nurse all night.

Ryan called when he was leaving work and I had him stop at the store for nasal drops. I had forgotten that recommendation but some friends reminded me on Facebook!

Once Ryan was home we used the nasal aspirator (I have a funky electronic one), nasal drops, humidifier and we took Carter in the bathroom and turned on a hot shower. After the hot shower he got sleepy and passed out for the night.

I'll post a status update when I get a chance!

Daddy

2011-12-22T04:31:00.001-06:00

It has become harder to find time to blog lately as Carter became extremely needy these past few weeks. I think his eating is slowing down as I am now able to get away with setting him down for short periods of time in either his swing or bouncer. Thankfully he likes both of them because Ryan simply couldn't believe this child would really need all this stuff before he was born!

Speaking of Ryan...

He's doing a fantastic job as a Daddy! While I take care of Carter all day Ryan makes sure I'm taken care of! He makes sure I've had enough to eat and scolds me when I don't eat dinner. He keeps my water mug full and tells me to drink more water. Ryan calls me when he's done with work to see if I need him to pick anything up on his way home.

Even though I primarily care for Carter since I'm on maternity leave and I'm breastfeeding Carter, Ryan has been doing a lot around the apartment to keep things running smoothly. He does at least 1 load of laundry each day, makes sure the dishes are done including the breast pump parts so I never have to worry about cleaning those! He also does the grocery shopping and takes out the garbage. I'm sure I'm missing some things but basically he's doing all the cleaning around here and I'm so thankful!

Ryan is also good with Carter. Last week Ryan offered to take care of Carter so I could get out of the house and get my haircut. It was nice to get out for just a couple hours and I'm sure they enjoyed their bonding time together!

Things are going to be a lot different when I'm back to work but I'm so happy that I know Carter will be in good hands with his Daddy for at least half of the day while I'm at work. Carter will be cared for outside the home when I'm back to work also, but probably only in the afternoon hours.

Google

2011-12-16T07:08:00.001-06:00

I have never appreciated the following 4 things in my life until after having a baby:

• My bed: I cursed it throughout my pregnancy claiming it was uncomfortable, but it was heaven to me our first night home from the hospital!

• Taking a shower: It is often hard to find time for taking a shower given that I try to "sleep when baby sleeps" so when I do get the chance I enjoy that time and feel so much better after a shower, even if I just put a new pair of PJ's on after it!

• Going to the bathroom: This is along the same lines as taking a shower but is equally as nice! I appreciate being able to sneak away to pee every now and then! Thankfully I have an amazing bladder and can easily put it off for a bit if Carter needs me.

• Google

I use Google for EVERYTHING now that I am a mother. How did mom's do things before the Internet? They must have called the doctor/nurse a lot!

I google (google is a verb now right?) all sorts of random things. Most recently I searched "is it safe to get a tattoo while breastfeeding?" and got my answer from the La Leche League website which was the first site that came up in my search.

I should also say I appreciate my iPod touch but I appreciated it before I gave birth! Now I am able to use the iPod to do my google research and breastfeed at the same time (with assistance from the Boppy). The iPod even pre-fills my random searches for me! Every random "mommy" question I've had has auto-filled for me so I know I'm not the only crazy with those questions!

Note with TMI: I drafted this post on my iPod touch while sitting on the toilet! Ha!

Carter - 1 Month

2011-12-13T09:59:00.000-06:00

Weight
Birth: 6 lbs 12 oz
Now: 7 lbs 11.5 oz

Length
Birth: 19.25 inches
Now: 20 inches

Diapers – Newborn

Clothes – Newborn, although he has outgrown a few sleepers due to his length

Feedings – Breastfeeding on demand. I've got an app on my iPod that I'll start using to figure out his "schedule"

Nighttime – He is an awesome sleeper at night and has been since day 1 (knock on wood). I usually get at least 1 4-hour stretch out of him. He is usually fussy at night starting around 6-7pm. He doesn't typically go to sleep for the night until sometime between the hours of 11pm - 1am but once he's out he wakes up to have a diaper change and eat, and falls right back asleep. He usually wakes up again a couple hours later for another diaper change and feeding and falls back asleep. He tends to "sleep in" until around 9-10am. Again, I haven't officially tried tracking his schedule so this is just how I think it typically goes.

Personality – He is usually very content. He does well when he's around other people and doesn't mind when other people besides his mother holds him. We took him to the mall one busy Friday afternoon during Christmas season and he slept the whole time. I don't know how he slept through all of it but I'm sure glad he did! He had 2 days in a row where he was pretty fussy and was cluster-feeding. He didn't get much sleep at all which frustrated me a little (Mom's got to eat and go potty too!), but after 2 days he went back to his normal self!

Development

Lifts head while lying on tummy (has done this since day 1)
Responds to sound
Stares at faces
Sucks his thumb
Smiles in his sleep
Reflexes: Startle, Grasp & Rooting
Makes "ah" sounds

Loves

Mom's boobs
Car rides
Swing with music turned on low
Sleeping on mommy's chest after feeding and in the Rock 'n Play Sleeper

Hates

Being naked. He holds onto his clothes when we change him!
Sleeping in the crib
Being swaddled

Weight Update

2011-12-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

Carter now weighs 7 lbs. 11.5 oz. so he gained 10.5 oz. in a week! The average weight gain for a newborn is 4-8 oz. per week, and 1-2 lbs per month. He's above average for the week but right on for the month.

Right now I'm feeding the little man on demand rather than having him on a schedule. I don't know how people are able to put their kids on a schedule! When he's fussing and rooting it's obvious he's hungry so I'm not going to withhold food from him just to get him on a schedule. I think a schedule will come naturally once he transitions to the bottle when I'm back at work.

Cutest Kids Contest

2011-12-12T00:55:00.001-06:00

I never thought I'd be "that mom" but I am...I entered Carter in a "Cutest Kids Contest!" I have an online friend who lives near Milwaukee and she's a professional photographer. She's hosting the contest and the prize is a photo session with her. So please vote for Carter so I can win a photo session!

To vote you need to do 2 things:
1) "Like" Nikki Allen Photography on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/nikkiallenphotography
2) "Like" the photo of Carter in the "2011 Cutest Kids Contest" photo album: http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=232985896772723&set=a.232936970110949.57494.192828860788427&type=3&theater

Comments are welcome but do not count as votes.

And if you feel so inclined please also ask all of your friends to vote also! Thank you for your support!

Zielinski Christmas

2011-12-11T15:31:00.000-06:00

Carter went to his first Christmas party this weekend! He wore a "My First Christmas" sleeper with a reindeer on his butt. I love buying Carter's brand clothes for him...they conveniently have his name already on the tag!

Carter did really well at the Christmas party. There were a lot of people there and he was held by a lot of different people. He wasn't fussy at all except when he got hungry. We were there from 11:30-5 and he ate a total of 3 times while we were there.

My cousin Jeff and his wife Beth had a son, Connor, in August so he's 3 months older than Carter. Here is a picture we took of the 2 babies. Connor was about the same size as Carter at birth, so it's crazy to think that Carter will be about that size in just 3 more months!

Carter and Uncle Travis

After the family Christmas party we rushed home so I could pump and Ryan and I could both change since we also had my work Christmas party that night. After we got ready we brought Carter over to my parents house so my mom & sister could watch Carter for the evening. It was my first time leaving him for more than an hour!

I was nervous to leave him for 2 reasons. He is still a little young to be used to a bottle as a breastfed baby and he tends to only fall asleep while he's eating. Well it turns out that it's true what they say about breastfed babies that they are able to sense when their mother is around. Carter knows he can breastfeed whenever he wants when I'm around but he's also really good at taking a bottle when I'm not around. He is also able to be comforted into falling asleep without me. It's so refreshing to know this since I will have to leave him in the care of others for 9+ hours a day once I'm back to work full-time.

2011-12-09T17:12:00.000-06:00

We took Carter to the mall for the first time Friday afternoon. It was actually his first time shopping ever, and the first time in the stroller. He was sleeping when we left home, so I fully anticipated that he would wake up while we were in the mall and I would have the screaming kid in the mall. But all went well and he stayed asleep the whole time even though the mall was crazy busy with holiday shoppers! I was more overwhelmed than Carter was!

We dressed him in his reindeer sleeper and reindeer hat!

Sleep

2011-12-08T03:59:00.001-06:00

With a newborn in the house there has obviously been a lack of sleep, mainly for me since I have the proper tools for providing nutrition to Carter. I still can't believe that I alone am capable of providing all the nourishment the little guy needs. Having a child really makes one realize how awesome women are because they have crazy superpowers which allow them to:
• Carry and allow the full development of another human being
• Expel that mini human (although they don't seem so mini compared to the orifice through which they are expelled) AND
• Produce milk which is the sole source of nourishment the baby receives

Back to sleep. It's crazy to me that I am capable of functioning on only small increments of sleep. Thankfully Carter has been giving at least one 4-hour stretch of sleep each night (knock on wood). It often takes us until 1am to get him down initially but I can usually fall asleep with him knowing I'll get a good 4 hours in before my cow-like services will be requested again.

Carter usually sleeps really well during the day also. He tested the durability of my nipples yesterday by cluster-feeding. Google that if you're unsure what it means. Cluster-feeding is the worst and most frustrating thing about breastfeeding. Carter did it for the first time our 2nd night at the hospital. Typically babies cluster-feed when they're going through a growth spurt. Even though Carter rocked the scale at 7 lbs 1 oz this week the doctor has requested 1 more follow-up weight check next week so we'll see if the cluster-feeding paid off on Monday!

St. Nick

2011-12-07T17:20:00.000-06:00

I grew up with St. Nick, which is a tradition that Ryan claims to have known nothing about. He thinks we have a bunch of Hallmark holidays here in Wisconsin that don't exist in Minnesota. I think he's just jealous that he didn't celebrate St. Nick or Sweetest Day, etc!

I totally forgot about St. Nick until I saw people posting about it on Facebook. We had already been out of the house earlier that day, so I wasn't going to leave again to run to the store. So the next day Ryan stayed home with Carter while I ran to the store. I bought Carter a few stocking stuffers and even got some candy to put in Ryan's stocking!

Carter got 3 board books, 2 toys that attach to the car seat handle, some new bottles (we're using the Playtex Nursers/Drop-Ins) and a holiday sleeper with reindeer on it. Since St. Nick was a day late he stopped by our apartment while Carter was napping!

Weight

2011-12-05T13:03:00.001-06:00

We went to the doctor's office today to have Carter weighed. He is now 7 lbs. 1 oz. so he has passed his birth weight of 6 lbs. 12 oz.! We're so proud of our little buddy! He is now too long to wear the outfit he was wearing in the picture below! I'm sad that I'll have to start packing up his newborn size clothes soon.

Vikings

2011-12-04T17:26:00.000-06:00

Since Ryan is from Minnesota he is a Vikings fan for football and a Twins fan for baseball. Unfortunately for Carter that means Ryan is going to try and get Carter to enjoy the same teams, even though all of Carter's friends will probably be fans of Wisconsin teams!

The first clothing item Ryan purchased for Carter was a Vikings sleeper. It's a 0-3 month size so we weren't quite sure when our little guy would fit into it. Ryan decided to try it out on a Sunday so Carter could watch the Vikings game with him in matching attire!

Vikings

2011-12-04T13:02:00.000-06:00

Ryan dressed Carter for the Vikings game today. Here is a video we took of him in his outfit!

The password to view is "carterj"

Vikings Outfit from Erin on Vimeo.