Babycakes is One Month!

Wow - I have survived the first month of newborn duty! It is as hard and exhausting as I remember it to be only this time I have another child that requires my care as well. I was definitely more prepared for the exhaustion this time around and I know that eventually, sleep will come for all of us. Until then, I am relying on caffeine and napping when ever I find 15 minutes.

So how is little Chase? Well, last night I declared out loud that "Babycakes is rotty rotten!" And it is my fault! Baby boy LOVES to be held and really isn't content unless he is pressed up against someone's warm body. So what do I do? I pick him up and hold him. Now I know he is too young to spoil but it sure is hard to cook dinner while holding a newborn. I know, I know - I need a sling but the 3 places I have been to get one did not have what I was looking for. Fortunately, some sweet soul gave us a Baby Bjorn when I was pregnant with Wyatt so I have been using that for now.

Now the good news is that he is staying awake more during the day and sleeping well at night. Still up about every 4 hours to eat but going back to sleep rather quickly after that which means I get to as well. And last night - are you ready? - I got 5 uninterrupted hours of sleep! Woo Hoo! He slept from 10:30 until 3:30 when it was time for him to eat again.

Now for stats: He weighed 7 pounds on Monday when I took him back for his weight check. He was born at 6 lb 13 oz, dropped to 6 lb 3 oz, then stayed at that weight for a week which caused much concern. So we were all thrilled he had gained 13 ounces when I took him back on Monday. He is also 22 inches long which means he has grown 4 inches! He is long and skinny - just like his uncles.

I am hoping to take a picture of him every month on the 26th. A blogger I follow did this for her little girl and it was a great way to see how much they grow and change even in a month's time. The giraffe's name is Sophie and is "the thing" in France. I thought it would be good to include her in the picture every time so I can compare how big he has gotten in relation to her. Yeah, we will see how long I can actually keep up with Sophie.

I Need Some New Material

It is hard to come up with posts when the one you are caring for around the clock doesn't talk.

I decided to try to get some pics of him today when he was awake.




He was getting hungry - imagine that - so it was short lived...




Today his hair seems more red to me than blond. What do you think?




He goes to the doctor on Monday so I will know more about his stats as far as weight and length. He acts as though it is the end of the world when he gets his diaper changed. Baths are half and half - crying because he is naked but yet intrigued about the whole water thing. He is also on the fence about the paci. If I were smart, I'd never give it to him again and save us all some heart ache down the road.

Next week we have appointments and errands almost every day so I am thrilled at the thought of getting out of the house. I am hoping to go "to town" tomorrow since the weather is going to be pretty. I think some sunshine and fresh air will do wonders for us all.

A Little of This and a Little of That...

Wow with this awful, cold weather! We are definitely going stir crazy in the Donaldson household. There is no way I can justify getting Chase out in this bitter cold so we just stay at home. It has been a long 3 weeks for sure. If you are wondering if I would like visitors, the answer is YES. Please - I need some adult interaction.

We did go to my parent's house on Sunday so we could celebrate Wyatt's birthday with my side of the family. There were lots of eager "baby holders" there - especially little Clara YouMei! She LOVES her some baby time. She is very interested in him and wants to hold him, pat him, or just be in contact with him in some way. We think she would have him in the baby doll bed in the play room if we turned our backs so he was in the "baby protection program" which means an adult was always holding him.

So here is Wyatt with his store bought dinosaur cake - he is being a T-Rex hence the claws and facial expression!



And here is the homemade cake that he and I did on his birthday.



Isn't it....lovely? Remember, Martha Stewart I am NOT. :)

He placed all the little creatures on it and wanted it to say "Wyatt Big D with a dot". At school there is a Wyatt P. and he is Wyatt D. so he thinks the "big D with a dot" always needs to follow his name.

He wanted to add the little sprinkles on the entire cake but his daddy said he did not like sprinkles. So Wyatt left the top right corner piece sprinkle free. Then he took the purple icing and made a big dot on that piece so we would know that was his daddy's piece.

On the newborn front, I picked up this little bouncy seat the other day as I felt Chase's entertainment options were slim.



My friend Leslie got him a Miracle Blanket which is the best thing ever. It swaddles him up nice and tight. I quickly realized that I needed a back up so I had my MIL pick him up another one. You can undo the bottom which still keeps his upper body swaddled for diaper changes or when you need to strap him in to some kind of contraption. Notice his little socks - that is the only way they stay on. These are newborn socks but they won't stay up unless I tuck his pants down into them - a little salute to the fabulous 80's!

...and then this hat - so cute but a little big as well.

Dear Wyatt...

Apparently I blinked and you are now four years old.



I love it and hate it all at the same time. It is so great to have you be such a big helper to me. You are so self sufficient which is a big plus now that baby Chase has arrived. But at the same time, when I hold your brother, it takes me right back to when you were born and it does seem like yesterday. In fact, I still catch myself calling Chase by your name when I am talking to him.

When you were born, I remember thinking you were just perfect.



You were so big and healthy with a perfectly round face and a beautiful head covered in dark hair. I have learned so much by being your mother - the biggest thing would be patience. And unconditional love.

You have always had a smile on your face from the time you were old enough to really give those smiles out. You wake up happy just about every day. You sleep upstairs all by yourself in your big boy bed. You usually sleep about 10 1/2 - 11 hours at night but you are an early riser. You get up when you see the blue sky coming in through your blinds. And you call out to me "Maaaaamaaaa - I took a good night night nap."

You are a skinny little thing - only 33 pounds! But you have always been slim and I think it is because you don't slow down from the time you get up until you go to bed. You are 39 inches tall and seem about average compared to your classmates.

You are really turning into a great eater - finally. You love chicken so we tell you everything is chicken and you eat it. For instance last night we had roast and potatoes. So we said it was brown chicken. Ham is pink chicken. Pork chops we just call chicken b/c it looks like it. And you will eat chicken just about any way we make it. You are eating your vegetables too. You love corn, green beans, mashed potatoes and you ate fried okra the other night. And you LOVE these noodles I make that are tossed in butter, parmesan cheese, and garlic. Who knew? But you still refuse to eat a hamburger.

My friend Melissa did an interview with her daughter when she turned 6 which I thought was a great way to document who you are at this age. So here is your 4 year old interview. I love you sweet boy, my firstborn, and am so proud of you. You will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Love,
Mama

(for some reason the entire video didn't download but you get the idea)

It's 11:00...

and this is how he rolls...




every night...

Tonight we are listening to Classic Rock hits from the 70's through today on satellite tv...

giving him a break from the Food Network...

hoping he'll get so bored he'll fall asleep...

Two Weeks Down and a Lifetime to Go

Happy two week birthday Baby Chase!




So how have you changed since we brought you home? You are starting to have longer periods of time when you are awake. Unfortunately those times still seem to fall in the middle of the night. Thank goodness for the Food Network Channel. Paula, Rachel, and Bobby feel like old friends at this point and I am insanely jealous of Giada - beautiful, skinny, and an amazing cook.

But back to you Chase. You are starting to be more open to spending time in your swing but your favorite place is in my arms or lying on my chest.




And if I didn't need to do things like parent your brother, do laundry, clean house, grocery shop, cook dinner, and update my blog, I would let you stay in my arms all day, every day.


So you seem to be right on track for two weeks - you eat - OFTEN, not sure I can keep up this pace - you sleep and you go potty. Wyatt helped change your diaper today because it was a "pee pee" one. He runs from the room if it is the other.


Speaking of Wyatt, tomorrow is your big brother's 4th birthday. We have a busy day planned. We are having pictures taken at our home in the morning - mainly of you of course but we hope to get some family shots as well. Then Wyatt and I are baking and decorating his birthday cake. That ought to be an adventure - hoping it turns out better than the sugar cookie fiasco!

We love you Chase Griffin - or as Wyatt calls you, Chase Gwissin!

Practice Makes Perfect

It is definitely going to be more of a challenge to get a good picture of 2 boys instead of just 1. We were coming or going somewhere yesterday and I realized Chase had his eyes open. So I tried to get a quick picture of Wyatt holding him and just snapped a couple pics.

One is better of Chase...




and one is better of Wyatt.




We are sun tan bed free in our home! Chase's bilirubin level went down to a 9 so we are all done with that. He is definitely awake more at night and sleeps great all day. I am just going with it for now but will have to reach back into my brain to think about how I got Wyatt's days and nights straight. I am thinking it is way to early to be talking schedules so we are just going with the flow right now. But feel free to leave me advice in the comment section!

Wouldn't a Spray Tan be Easier?

When we first got home, this was pretty much the position that Chase and I stayed in...




I could literally just eat this little guy up. He smells so sweet and makes the cutest little facial expressions when he is stretching and waking up from his little nap.




Of course on Sunday we found out that Chase's bilirubin levels had not gone down enough so he had to start phototherapy treatment aka the tanning bed. We had to go meet with a nurse over at the Nurses HomeCare office so she could go over everything with us as far as how to use the bed. The nurse was SUPER FRIENDLY and kept trying to engage Wyatt while J and I were just like "let's get on with it so we can get home." I know it is her job to go over everything but she even showed us how to unplug it by holding it at the outlet instead of pulling the cord. She also asked me if I knew how to take a temperature under the arm. SERIOUSLY.

The fatigue had caught up with me and I was crying when we got home because I did not want to put him in that bed. He is supposed to stay in there 20 - 22 hours a day. I am allowed to take him out to feed him and change him but then he has to go back in. I was terrified he was going to be crying the entire time but I was so wrong.

HE LOVES HIS SUN TAN BED!

He can wear socks, a diaper, and a hat. Then she instructed me to layer blankets as needed to keep him warm as I have to monitor his temperature. That worried me a little b/c I know you aren't supposed to put blankets in the crib with newborns but I think he is strapped down too tight in that gown to move them any.

So here he is when I lay him down before I get him all warm and cozy.



And here he is all snug as a bug in a rug. I am so thankful and relieved that he has done well in this bed.



Wyatt is doing better with each day too. He got to play with his cousins on Sunday afternoon and then spent the night and today with his Ditda and Poppy. He and Ditda baked me a cake and he has been playing the Wii with Jeremy tonight while Chase works on his tan.