Monday, February 23, 2015

Week 9: Naps are for Chumps!

Cameron is already 2 months old!  Where is the time going!?! 

Well, these days we spend a lot of time walking!  That's right.  The only way little Cameron will nap is if I put him in the baby carrier and walk out the door.  Even so, he fights me for at least 10 minutes (sometimes longer) before finally falling asleep.  Once asleep he'll nap anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.  We do this about 3 times every day; therefore, I walk A LOT!  And, my neighbors are slowly beginning to know me as the lady that walks and that has a crying baby!

Night sleeping is going a lot better now, although getting Cameron to fall asleep can be quite the challenge.  The fastest I've been able to complete bedtime is 50 minutes and the longest is 3 1/2 hours.  Once asleep he typically sleeps for 3 1/2-6 hours (he slept 6 hours once) followed by another 3 hour stretch and then the remainder (til 12 hours since bedtime) until waking up for the day.  Basically, he's sleeping a lot longer and only waking up twice in the middle of the night!  This is such a huge improvement from just a couple weeks ago!

Always putting his fist in his mouth!
Other than that there were quite a few firsts this month:  first smiles, first Super Bowl, finding his hands, first family picnic, first trip to Oak Glen, being able to stand on his feet (while holding onto my fingers) and taking steps, and first time (and only time so far) sleeping through the night! 

Also, Lloyd and I had our first date night since having Cameron!  We are so thankful that my mom was willing to watch Cameron for a couple hours so Lloyd and I could go to a very nice steakhouse near my mom's house.  Dinner was delicious but most importantly it was very nice to spend some good quality time with my husband and best friend and to have a little break from Cameron!  

And, it just so happened that we went on this date on the 6th anniversary since our first date!  Time sure does fly and I am humbled by how much God has truly blessed our marriage and our family!  We have enjoyed so many adventures and created so many memories these past years- some of the most precious ones just recently as we've welcomed Cameron into our family!  Life is good and God is simply amazing in how He continues to love and answer our prayers on a daily basis!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Week 8: Fun with Grandmas, Valentine's Day, and Nighttime Sleeping

Mr. Adorable enjoying Grandma Linda
Week 8 was quite busy!  We were lucky to have two visits with my mom and a visit with my step mom!  Cameron enjoyed all the attention and it was nice to have such great visits with everyone as Cameron was much happier and content!

We went to my mom's on Friday to surprise her for Valentine's Day!  Cameron wore his onesie that she bought him that says "Mommy's Heart Breaker"!  We also brought her flowers and a card and just enjoyed being able to spend time with her!

Playmat fun with Annette and Gramma!
This week was also very focused on getting a handle on nighttime sleeping.  Cameron and I moved back to the guest room to accomplish this and things seem to be much better!  He has gone from sleeping on me (and not in long intervals) to the first three nights doing a 4, 3, 3, 2 schedule, all in his rock n play.  It's amazing how much better I feel now that I'm actually getting some decent sleep!

But, now his naps are much worse so we need to work on those next!  He seems to only want to nap while I wear him in the baby carrier!  I am getting a lot of exercise these days between tons of walking for naps and my running in preparation for my half marathon in May.  With all this exercise I am now down to within 6 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight!

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Week 7: Lactation Consultation

Ready to go run Mommy!
Week 7 was full of challenges.  We had started Cameron's new reflux medication and probiotics but he was still having mostly bad days, although better than before.

Luckily, a friend's neighbor is a lactation consultant for Kaiser and I was able to connect with her.  She works out of a hospital that is over an hour from our home but after our conversation I knew that Cameron and I needed to go visit with her.  So, I made an appointment and we went on Thursday.

The appointment was amazing (the drive, not so much thanks to Cameron screaming for most of it both ways!)!  She recommended cutting dairy out of my diet and feeding Cameron in an upright position to control the amount of gas he accumulate while feeding.  In this new position he is able to burp while feeding and it already seems to be helping! 

We also did a weighted feeding and it was great to learn that Cameron has continued to gain weight and it now 8 lbs, 4.6 oz (up 1 lb in two weeks!).  He also consumed 2.5 oz during the feeding.

Other than that, I have been back to running and managed to run 20.5 miles this week! 

Lloyd and I also decided it was time to start doing things as a family and get out of the house for a bit.  So, we decided to have a family picnic at the park!  We called in sandwiches at a local cafe, picked them up, and headed to a local park.  It was quite the adventure and much different than pre-Cameron picnics but also great to get outside for a bit.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Week 6: Colic, Smiles, and Superbowl

First smiles! <3
Week 6 was filled with the best of times and the worst of times.  The first part of the week was HARD.  Cameron was in a ton of pain (from gas) and literally screaming during most of his awake time.  It was hard seeing him in so much pain and not being able to soothe him.  On top of that my patience was running thin and I was exhausted from him sleeping on me all night long (otherwise I wouldn't get any sleep since he was waking up with gas pain every hour or so).  I had so many thoughts of "how am I going to get through this", "I need a break", and "I want to go back to work".

Then Thursday came and it was like I had a whole new baby!  Cameron started napping more during the day and even spent a decent amount of time in his RNP on Saturday night!  I'm really enjoying this new version of our baby and am prayerfully hoping that his medication is helping and these changes are here to stay!  He seems to be much more content, isn't vomiting as much, the gas pain is more manageable, and he's napping!

Pre-Superbowl walk with Mommy
Yesterday was also Superbowl Sunday!  We started off the day with a family walk/hike, carrying Cameron in the Ergobaby carrier.  He slept most of the time so that was good!  It was nice to be outside the house as a family and a great way to start our Sunday. 

Once home, I fed Cameron again and then took him for a walk in the stroller while I made a few phone calls and he took another nap!

We came home and he was warm so I changed him into something a little cooler.  While doing so he was responding to my talking with his first smiles!  I absolutely love these precious moments with our son!  It's so fun watching him grow each day and seeing his personality blossom!  I just love how he looks at me and how attached he is to me already!  He loves to just have me hold him and cuddle...it's absolutely the best feeling in the world to see how much he needs me and adores me!

Other than that I sent his stool sample in last week and am hoping to hear from his doctor sometime today or tomorrow to see if the results have come back.  Hopefully we will have some answers and make some changes, if necessary.

I cannot believe that Cameron is already 6 weeks old.  Time is going by so fast and I find myself remembering the first moments with him at the hospital and how much he continues to change each and every week.  It's a reminder to embrace and enjoy this season, even if it's super hard and trying at times. 

In the hardest of times I have found that leaning on God is still my default and the peace that comes with His presence and guidance is unbelievable.  I know that He gave us our sweet Cameron and we are the best parents for our son.  We just have to lean on God during all times and know that the hard times are just a very small piece in the big puzzle of life.  Thank you God for giving us our precious son!  We truly cannot thank you enough for Your amazing gift!