Two Months with Atticus

Okay, it’s gotten to be RIDICULOUS how much I love this little baby.  I simultaneously can’t wait for him to keep growing and getting bigger so we can do more and more things together, and hoping he never changes because having him sleep on my chest all tiny and wrapped up in my arms is the best.  The best!  You’re killing me, baby!  How are you so amazing?!

That is one regal baby

This month we went on lots of picnics.  The weather has been amazing, so I’m trying to get him outdoors as much as possible.  Look, kid, it’s the sun!  It’s fun to hold things under his nose and watch him smell them for the first time.  Grass seemed to make a big impact.

Doing his best to outgrow his napping chair.

He’s growing at an alarming pace.  He was 7lb 15oz at birth.  He is now 14lb 2oz.  Well, that was last week.  Who knows what he’s at now – at one point he gained 10 ounces IN FOUR DAYS.  Dear god.  He’s in the 89th percentile for weight, and the 100th percentile for height.  This kid is going to be enormous.

Going to bed is serious business.

This month we started working on a bedtime routine.  We used to just let him nap in the living room with us until I was ready to go to sleep, and then I took him to bed with me.  Not anymore!  Now we put him to bed at 9pm, and then I sneak in whenever I feel like going to bed.  I’m an adult – I go to bed WHEN I PLEASE.  So far he’s been super easy to put down.  I nurse him, sing a few songs (Baby Beluga and Goodnight My Someone are the two hits for now), then put him down in the middle of the bed all swaddled up.  Sometimes he wakes up 5 minutes later crying and I go nurse him again and then he’s out, but most nights he’s just out all by himself.  I go to bed around 10/11ish, and he doesn’t wake up for a feeding until 12:30/1?  Around then.  He’s waking up every 2-3 hours at night.  I just scoot over to him and give him the boob, and he eats for about 4 minutes and then falls asleep.  So, not too bad.  I’m looking forward to longer stretches of sleep, though.  Annnnnnny day now, buddy.

He’s still sleeping in our bed, right in between us.  We are getting a bit torn on this.  On one hand, it’s so wonderful to have him right there, to cuddle up to him, hear him breathing, be able to feed him without having to get up…on the other hand, that kid thrashes around a lot while “sleeping” which is tricky, and I do miss cuddling with my husband.  So, we’re not sure what the plan is.  But for now I get to curl up with a lightly snoring little puppy-like human when I go to bed, and that can’t be beat.

Breastfeeding is still going great.  I’m thankful every day that it’s been as easy as it has for us.  I’m still making way more milk than necessary – after I feed him in the morning, I pump about 5 ounces on each side for freezer storage.  He eats almost every hour during the day (this may explain how he is nearly 15lbs), so it’s wonderful to have the food always on hand.  Or, in bra.  Two weeks ago he was getting a lazy latch, so my nipples started hurting a bit again (like they had in the beginning), but otherwise there’s been no pain whatsoever since week 3 or 4.  We are pros!

Cloth diapering is getting much easier.  I still hate how wet they stay on his skin, but it doesn’t seem to bother him all that much so we’re going with it.

I used a stroller for the first time last week!  And hated it.  It was great to have a little bed for him to sleep in (I took it to a picnic) so I didn’t have to be holding him the whole time, and it was nice to be able to bring more stuff with me (basket below carried the picnic blanket and food), but the wheels are so annoying and it’s just weird to have him away from my body.  So, it’s nice to have the option but I don’t think we’ll use it that much.  I’m using the carrier (Beco Gemini) constantly.  My body hurts a little bit, but it seems to just be from all the walking combined with the extra kid weight – there’s no specific back pain from the carrier.  So: Beco Gemini is a good fit.  I still covet every other carrier I see, though, sort of like how I used to be obsessed with purses.  Accessories are so fun!  But damn, carriers are PRICEY.  So, I’ll stick with the Beco for now.

This was a very filthy baby.

He’s starting to like bath time!  We now bring a space heater into the bathroom and make sure to have as much of him under water as possible, and now he loves it!  And holy crap, a naked baby laughing in soapy water is probably the cutest thing ever.

He makes noises now!  And laughs!  It’s amazing!  He does this coo/gurgle thing while staring at us intently, so it seems like he’s really trying to communicate.  Because, you see, my baby is a GENIUS.  But also, so cute.  It’s awesome to see him learning how to exist in the world, and trying to connect with us.  We went to a baby sign language class today (free classes at the Oakland Library, Thursdays at 2:30pm all month – except Thanksgiving – if you’re local!), which was fun.  Supposedly kids can start signing at 4-5 months, so we’re starting a bit early.  My current method is to say “do you want some MILK?” with the sign for “milk” each time I’m getting ready to feed him.  I ask “are you DONE?” with the “all done” sign, and then confirm “all done!” while signing it again if he doesn’t keep eating, or say “okay, let’s have MORE” with the sign for “more” if he’s still hungry.  That is my elaborate plan for teaching this baby to communicate.

Two months old!

So, we’re doing good.  He’s healthy, happy, and seems pretty fond of us.  We are totally smitten and regularly exclaim to each other “HOW IS THIS BABY SO CUTE.”  I am grateful every day that getting (and staying) pregnant was so easy for us, and that he came into the world so quickly and painlessly and that we get to have him in our family.  This baby is awesome.

Posted by dkingneece on November 1, 2012

https://dkingneece.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/two-months-with-atticus/