Liam Grows {2 Months}

Even though we're halfway to 3 months now, I wanted to get this post up so I won't forget all the fun stuff Liam has been up to this month! Maybe I can get the 3 month post up on time???
 

2 Months!

{as of 8.13.13}

2 Month Stats:
Weight: 12 lbs, 7.2 oz {50th percentile}
Length: 23.5 in {68th percentile}

Yay! I'm growing!

Clothes:

All 0-3 and 3 month clothes as well as 3 mo sleepers. I think we're going to make it through all his clothes at least once before he outgrows them! Plus I've gotten to repeat some of my favorites...some of his stuff is so darn cute! He's still wearing size 1 diapers, although we'll be making the jump to size 2 once our stash of ones is gone.

A couple of my favorite outfits {both from Janie + Jack}...and my brother just happens to be holding Liam in both pics

Health:

All babies have sensitive skin, but I think our little guy is really sensitive. He seems to always have little red spots on his face, arms, and legs. I'd be willing to bet that he'll have eczema once he gets a little bit older. He's also had some cradle cap, but that usually gets better if we put Vaseline in his hair every once and a while.

At his two month appointment, he got his first round of shots. He cried when the nurse gave them to him, but quieted down right away afterwards. I nursed him for about 5 minutes, and then he was out for a couple hours. And, yes, even though I didn't think I would, I couldn't help but tear up when he got them. :( He was his happy, normal self the rest of the day though!

clueless before the shots

no fun :(

Diet:

All mama's milk. Now that I'm back to work, he gets 3-4 bottles of pumped breastmilk during the day, and then I feed him the rest of the time when he's with me. He typically eats for 10-15 minutes {10 on one side, then maybe another 5 on the other}, and I stop him every 5 minutes to burp him. When he takes the bottle, he usually eats about 4-6 oz.

Sleep:

Right around the 8 week/2 month mark, Liam started sleeping through the night pretty consistently. Now, it's not every night, but he'll at least go 4-6 hours between feedings at night. He sleeps in his crib {he has since his 3rd night at home}, and I keep my eye on him with our video monitor. Naps are still a little more variable - sometimes he's in the crib, sometimes in the Rock n' Play, sometimes in the bouncer seat. If we're out and about, he has no trouble napping in the car seat or stroller. Some people may not like that, but I would prefer that Liam be able to nap anywhere...that let's us get out and about more!

We are still doing a pseudo-swaddle {see above pic} with the SwaddleMe blankets every night, but Liam is quickly outgrowing those! Any recommendations on what to use next? Or should we wean out of the swaddle altogether? I was planning on getting some Halo Sleep Sacks, but I don't want to use a fleece one till it gets cooler outside. What should I use in the meantime?

Schedule:

With being back at work, it has kind of forced us to get onto more of a schedule...but it's definitely still a work in progress. Now that Liam is sleeping longer at night {but still a little unpredictable}, I will generally feed him between 5 and 7am, then he either goes back to sleep in his crib, or we put him in the carseat and head over to my parents' house {they watch him while I'm at work}. He then eats between 9:30-10am, 12:30-1pm, 3:30-4pm, 6-6:30pm, and 8:30-9pm. We have been playing around with the right time for bedtime, but, in general, we have been trying to start his bath between 8:30 and 9, then I feed him, and then he's in his crib between 9:30 and 10pm. 

Like I said, his naps are still a little variable. He usually takes a good 2+ hour nap after his first feeding of the day, which is the best time for me {or my mom if she has him} to get something done {if you can fight off the urge to be lazy too}. He will take another decent nap sometime in the afternoon either after the 12:30/1pm or 3:30/4pm feeding. The other times throughout the day he is generally up or just takes a little catnap. We try to keep him up after the 6/6:30pm feeding so that he's nice and tired after bathtime and his last feeding of the day.

Baby Gear Love:
A lot of the same as before...

 FP Rock n' Play sleeper
FP bouncer seat
Skip Hop activity mat
Motorola video monitor
Swaddle Me swaddles
Dr. Brown's bottles
 Britax B-Safe car seat and B-Agile stroller
Soothies pacifiers
Everything Aden + Anais {bibs, burpy bibs, swaddle blankets}
Kate Spade Stevie Diaper bag

Likes:

Our little guy still loves to be on the move, whether it's in the car or in the stroller. He also loves bathtime...it really helps calm him down in the evening! Over the past few weeks, he has started to enjoy looking at the dangling toys from his bouncy seat or on the activity mat so much more. Some days, he can be entertained by them for a good 30+ minutes. It's so fun to see him smile at his toys...I just wish I knew what was going through his mind!

ain't that the truth?

 

loungin' in my tub

where are we off to now, mom?

Crying:

Liam is a pretty happy baby, but he lets us know if it's been too long since his last meal. His crying in the evening has definitely improved, and we rarely have to give the gripe water anymore.

Nicknames:
Bud, buddy, peanut, pumpkin, stink butt {the last one is due to Liam's uncanny ability to poop within 5-10 minutes of putting a fresh diaper on him}

Milestones:

He is smiling so much more since my last update, and I am loving every single one! He is cooing much more often too, and I love having "conversations" with Liam. He is also bringing his hands together more often and sometimes he brings them to his mouth to suck on them. It's so cute!

Oh, and he LOVES to stick his tongue out too!

He had his first dip in the pool and was NOT a fan! The water was really cold though!

A big milestone for Liam this past month was that he was baptized! I need to do a whole post on this because we have lots of pictures from this special day!

Social:

Liam traveled for the first time this month! On August 1, we ventured up to the Colts training camp {it's an hour away}, for an afternoon of football. It was a little challenging trying to breastfeed him with a cover on the bleachers on a windy day, but I did it {with TJ's help}! It was also really sunny, so we had to keep him covered up as much as possible. But, it was all worth it when we were able to get QB Andrew Luck's autograph on Liam's jersey! We will definitely be framing that one!

My mom and I went down to Cincinnati for a couple days {two hours from Indy}. We had a fun visit at my aunt and uncle's house, and we got to meet the newest addition - Annalise! She's the daughter of one of my cousins, so she's my first cousin once removed and Liam's second cousin!

The next day, Liam surprised his great grandma with a visit! My grandma hadn't gotten a chance to meet him yet, partially due to the fact that she had her hip replaced recently and couldn't come to his baptism. I was so happy that we pulled off the surprise, and she loved meeting her great grandson!

We also went to the Indiana State Fair, but Liam slept the majority of the time :)

Postpartum:

Overall, doing well. I'm loving being a mom. Unfortunately, 8 weeks marked the end of my maternity leave, so finding a balance between work and home has definitely been a challenge. Being a working, breastfeeding mama is not easy {pumping has quickly become one of the most annoying things I have to do everyday}, but Liam's smiles and snuggles when I get home make it all worthwhile!

~~~~~

Liam,
My love for you has grown so much more in the past month. I love to talk and smile with you and can only imagine how fun it will be when we can really start playing with you! You have brought so much joy to Daddy and me, and we just smile and laugh at some of your expressions. You have the ability to relax your tired, stressed out mama in the blink of an eye, and your cuddles and snuggles are pretty much the best thing ever. We love you so much, little buddy!
all my love,
mama

Friday's Love List

Hey y'all! Remember me? I really wish I could blog more, but time has a tendency to get away from me these days, especially now that I'm back to work! So, at least for now, you'll have to be satisfied with a post every 1-2 weeks.

Here's what I'm loving this Friday!!

{one}

my {not-so-little} man

Liam had his 2 MONTH birthday this past week! Can someone please tell me how the last 2 months have passed so quickly?!? I don't know where the time has gone! Liam is growing and changing everyday, and he's just so much fun. His smiles melt my heart, and I could snuggle with that boy all day, everyday! We have his 2 month check up this morning, so I will have his full 2 month update some time next week!

such a happy, smiley boy!

Not loving: Liam gets his first round of shots today :(

{two}

sleep

Liam has slept through the night 6 of the last 7 nights. This is a huge win in my book! Granted, by the time I go to bed and wake up around 4-5am and NEEDING to pump {my breastfeeding mama friends will understand!}, I'm still only getting 5-6 hours straight, but that's much better than 5-6 hours of interrupted sleep. For the time being, we do bathtime between 8:30 and 9, get him ready for bed, I feed him by 9:30-10, and he's asleep by 10-10:30. He will generally start stirring around 4:30am and does this off and on before waking up between 6 and 7am. The timing is working out well for me because it gives me time to get ready for work {I set my alarm for 5am}, eat breakfast and drink my coffee {key step right there!}, and nurse Liam before taking him over to my parents' house. Eventually we will move bathtime/bedtime up a little bit, but for now, our schedule is working pretty well.

{three}

back to work

snuggling with my buddy after work

Yes, you read that correctly. I'm kind of liking being back at work. You see, I love my job. I get to work with patients and athletes all day, which is something that I've worked towards for the last TWELVE years. Not to mention the fact that it's nice to get ready and look presentable every day and interact with adults. I miss Liam a lot during the workday, but my mom has been good about texting me pictures periodically. Seeing his sweet face definitely helps get me through the day, and his snuggles when I pick him up are priceless! I only have a month left of my sports medicine fellowship, and then I will be done with school and training FOREVER. This has been a long time coming, and I am so excited to finally be done and start working for real.

Not loving: pumping at work...it's time consuming and takes planning...boo.

{four}

National Breastfeeding Month

Breastfeeding is a huge part of my life right now {pretty much everything revolves around when I feed Liam...or when I have to pump at work}, and it has been so nice to read and "talk" to other moms who are going through the same stage in life. My blog friend, Julie, has a fantastic "Breastfeeding Diaries" series on her blog, and I love reading about different people's experiences every week. Another blog friend, Britt, shared her breastfeeding story yesterday. And I can't forget to mention the ongoing support I have from my other blog buddies Tiffany, Leslie, and Danielle {they all had baby boys on the same day!}. In honor of National Breastfeeding month, I plan on sharing my breastfeeding story thus far sometime next week. Stay tuned!

{five}

Fall!

It's August 16th, and fall is just around the corner. Over the last few days in Indy, the morning temperatures have been in the 50s and 60s, so it has definitely felt like fall! The cooler temps have definitely gotten me excited for scarves, boots, pumpkins, changing leaves, and, of course, football!

Linking up here and here.

 

Have a great weekend!

Bittersweet

It's here. My last day of maternity leave.

{cue the tears}

Well, technically, yesterday was my last full day since I have to go to a presentation on sports psychology tonight. So that's kind of like working.

But, anyways, back to the point...

For so long, August 8 seemed so far away, and it has certainly crept up on me. First of all, I can't believe my sweet baby boy will be 8 weeks old tomorrow. That's just crazy. He's not even really a newborn anymore. He's my chunky little guy with chubby cheeks, chubby thighs, and little arm rolls that I absolutely adore. He's so alert when he's awake, not to mention all of his smiles and the cooing he's been doing lately. It has been so amazing to see him grow and change everyday for the past 8 weeks, and I feel blessed beyond words that I have been able to spend this time with him.

my little peanut 8 weeks ago...

snuggling with mama

Unfortunately, tomorrow marks the day when I will no longer be able to spend every minute with Liam. I won't be able to focus all my time and energy on him and not have to think about work. From now on, my attention will be divided, and I hate that. Liam, TJ, the housework, my patients, studying...that's a lot to have on my plate, and I honestly don't know how I will be able to keep up with everything. I hope we will be able to fall into a solid routine over the next couple weeks...having a schedule will help this Type A mama a lot.

As much as I dread going back to work, I am glad that I will be a role model for Liam and our future children. When they are older, I hope they realize that in addition to being their mother, I have spent many years in order to follow my dreams to become a doctor and care for other people as I would my own family. I want them to see that it's possible to be a mommy and still provide for our family so that their dreams can come true. Even if I can't be with them every day, my heart is always with them and it doesn't make me love them any less.

So, today, I'm soaking up every snuggle I can with my sweet Liam. It's the end of one chapter, and tomorrow is the beginning of a new one. As amazing as these last two months have been, I have a feeling that life with Liam is only going to get sweeter.

my sweet angel face

I love you, buddy.

Liam Grows {6 Weeks}

6 Weeks!

{as of 7.25.13}

Weight:
We weighed Liam on the scale the other day and he was 11 lbs, 12 oz!!! I don't know if that was totally accurate, but needless to say, my little boy is growing!!

Clothes:

He's pretty much wearing all 0-3 month and 3 month clothing now. He definitely has the most clothes in this size range, so I'm trying to get him to wear everything at least once. It's so fun to dress him everyday! :) There are a few newborn onesies that still fit {the Circo brand from Target...seems to run on the larger side}, so those are getting mixed in with the larger sizes. He is wearing size 1 diapers.

Health:

Some diaper rash here and there, but other than that, he's great!

Diet:

All mama's milk. He's getting about 1 bottle per day {anywhere from 4-6oz at a time} and doesn't seem to have any trouble with it.

Sleep:

Liam typically goes 3-5 hours between feedings at night. He sleeps in his crib at night {he has since his 3rd night at home}, and I keep my eye on him with our video monitor. Naps are a little more variable - sometimes he's in the crib, sometimes in the Rock n' Play, sometimes in the bouncer seat. If we're out and about, he has no trouble napping in the car seat or stroller. 

Schedule:

I have been trying to stick to a schedule as far as feeding goes. We typically start the day between 7 and 8am, and he usually goes back to sleep pretty quickly after that...it's like he's not ready to wake up for the day quite yet. He then eats between 10-10:30, 1-1:30, 4-4:30, 7-8, then again between 9 and 10. He doesn't always nap after each feeding...sometimes he's wide awake, and we just keep him occupied till his next feeding. We are still a little variable with bedtime too - if it's a night where we give him a bath, we do that around 7:30, put his PJs on, I feed him, then he's in bed by 8:30. If it's not a bath day, then we sometimes keep him downstairs until he's hungry around 10. Then we do PJs, I feed him, and he's down for the night between 10:30 and 11. He either wakes up around 2-3am then again around 5-6am, or sometimes he sleeps till 3-4am and then we start the day around 7am. The other reason we have stayed variable on the bedtime is whether or not he's fussy. It seems like he's fussy with either the 7 o'clock or 10 o'clock feeding...he'll cry every time I stop to burp him, and then he'll fuss after he's done eating. I really hope that gets better over the next couple weeks.

Liam and his crazy post-bath hair

Baby Gear Love:

 FP Rock n' Play sleeper
FP bouncer seat
Skip Hop activity mat
Motorola video monitor
Swaddle Me swaddles
Dr. Brown's bottles
 Britax B-Safe car seat and B-Agile stroller
Soothies pacifiers
Everything Aden + Anais {bibs, burpy bibs, swaddle blankets}
Kate Spade Stevie Diaper bag

Likes:

Liam loves to be on the move. Whether he's in the car, stroller, or being held, he's either awake and happy or asleep! He also likes to fall asleep on our chests which I just can't say no to!

Crying:

Liam cries when he's really hungry or during his fussy time in the evening. Overall, he's a pretty happy baby!

Milestones:

Over the last two weeks, he started smiling! It makes my heart melt every time!!! Liam is becoming so much more alert, and it is so much fun to see him look around at everything. He's also cooing and making more noises, so we have fun "talking" to each other! :)

Social:

We have continued to take Liam out and about with us a lot, and he does really well. A couple weeks ago, we met up with a friend from church who had a little girl, Miriam, a couple weeks before Liam was born. If you thought Liam had crazy hair, check out Miriam's! :)

they're holding hands!

Postpartum:

Still doing well. I have kind of reached a plateau with the weight loss and am about 7-8lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'd like to lose about 15-20 lbs total from where I am now. I had my 6 week postpartum visit last week, and my doctor gave me the go-ahead to start running again. {Yay!} I am going to start slow with some interval runs before starting the training for my half marathon on November 2. So far, getting a workout in after the 7-8am feeding has worked best, whether it be on the treadmill or outside and he can take a nap in the stroller while my mom pushes him. I have a feeling I'll be investing in a jogging stroller soon!