Happy 5 weeks Oliver

Mr. Man is 5 weeks old!  Can you believe it?  This means my maternity leave is 1/2 over...and sometimes I don't know if that's horrible...or a blessing!  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE my time home with this guy...but I'm not "Stay at Home Mom" material and part of me is ready to get back to my routine.  I've been trying to work from home, but it's not easy.  As soon as I start something, Oliver demands my attention.  As soon as I try to make a phone call, Oliver starts screaming.  I've heard so many people say that working part-time is harder than working full-time or staying at home full-time...and I truly understand how that can be.  You just feel like you aren't giving anything 100%.  I can't imagine the day I have to leave this guy for over 8 hours.  My arms will literally ache for his hugs.  My nose will ache for his sweet baby smell.  My lips will ache to give him millions of kisses.  But alas....the time will come.  And I'm not going to think about that right now. 

WOW! I just jumped right into this post - didn't I!

I didn't think it was possible, but I love this guy more and more every day!  How is it possible that he has only been in our life for 5 weeks?  And how (how oh how oh how?!?!?!) did I ever think I wasn't going to be able to love two of them?  Oliver completes our family.  Our family needed him.  He truly was hand picked and specially sent to our family. 

Sweet baby toes! 

I feel like we've turned a MAJOR corner with sleeping.  We've finally found where and how Oliver is comfortable at night.  He's sleeping for a 4 - 5 hour stretch in the beginning of the night.  Now on Monday night, he only woke up once.  Last night he slept for his 5 hour stretch, but then returned to every 2 hours for the rest of the night...So nothing is really a guarantee for us...but I see hope.  And we are ALL happier when Oliver is well rested.  This kid doesn't know it, but he's happier when well rested!  Thankfully, as I type this, he's sleeping next to me...but not very peacefully...lots of squirming and grunting.

 

Although, yesterday, he would only sleep in my arms.  I couldn't put him down once.  It was a long day!

Nursing Oliver continues to be a bit of a wild card.  He still really likes to nurse every 2 hours, almost to the minute.  But he only nurses on one side and usually only for about 10 minutes or so.  If that.  He latches on like he's STARVING and nurses GULPS for about 3 minutes (during let down) and then gets MAD when he has to work for it.  So he quits.  By the end of the night, my milk supply is greatly reduced because of this crazy feeding schedule.  I stress out a lot about knowing if Oliver is getting enough to eat.  I stress out a lot about the fact that he is still in his Newborn size clothes.  I feel like he should be in at least 0 - 3 by now.  And if he was getting enough milk, shouldn't he be going longer than 2 hours between nursing sessions at this point?

Nursing with Eleanor was horrible, but she wanted to nurse and when I pumped I could get almost 6 oz on EACH side!  With Oliver, nursing is EASY, but he doesn't have much interest in it and when I pump I'm barely getting 3 oz on my right side and about 2 oz on the left side.  I've tried many things to help increase my milk supply...but I think in the back of my head I know I only have 5 more weeks of great nursing.  Returning to work was the beginning of the end for me with Eleanor. I hated pumping at work.  And with my meeting schedule these days, it's going to be even harder to schedule pumping time during my day.  If I could figure it out to nurse in the morning before work and at night when I get home and then supplement the rest with formula...I think that would be my happy place.  I also know that the formula I'm supposed to use for Oliver is going to be the price of our mortgage payment...and combined with diaper costs and increased daycare costs...I just loathe the idea of paying for formula.  AND I want Oliver to be getting as many antibodies from me as possible through cold and flu season. 

One final comment about nursing - at least it's easy enough for me to nurse anywhere.  With Eleanor I had to nurse in my rocking chair, with my boppy - it was all routine.  I wish I documented each place I've nursed Oliver.  It includes Washington Avenue during Wine and Harvest Fest...Texas Road House...The doctor's office...and the parking lot of La Fuente's.  When your son needs to eat every 2 hours, you start to feel trapped at home...or you just whip it out wherever you are (don't worry - I have a nursing cover :-/ )

And Saturday was SUCH a beautiful day, I just couldn't be at home any longer.  We packed the kids up (still sounds weird to me!) and went mini-golfing!  Oliver slept through the entire thing and Eleanor lost interest around hole 13...but we considered our outing a success!

My handicap included wearing a baby!

 

Losing interest....

 

 

And speaking of Eleanor...she continues to be obsessed with her brother.  She always asks to hold him, kiss him, sit next to him.  She get SO protective of him when other people show interest in him, especially other children. 

She's a great big sister...but can still be easily distracted by TV (give me my NUK sissy!)

Photo-bombed by a bunny lovie



Oliver is starting to show interest in other things.  He'll notice shadows, responds to sounds and lights...So we are starting to bring some things out to "entertain" him. 

But he can quickly get overstimulated...

Each week...day...minute is something new with this guy...so what's next?!