Jesse has his 2 month appt this morning. Goal weight for the day was 8 Ibs 13 oz. Actual weight was 8 Ibs 12.5 oz. Dr says close enough! He actually wasn't done with breakfast when he had to get weighed, so I think we could have made it if it were 10 minutes later. His weight puts him in the 5th percentile (I was so scared we wouldn't make the 0th) and he's 22 inches which is about the 25th percentile. He's a peanut but hit all his milestones and Dr. was happy with him. He was happy with the doctor too and gave him big smiles - the nurse was another issue though since she was the one with the shots! He got 3 (one was the whopper - the DTap has Hep B in it now too? Something like that - they gave me the paperwork to read up on it but I just shoved it in my bag like usual).
WE ARE SPECIAL, WE ARE WEIRD, BUT WE ARE NOT ALONE
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
January 7, 2007
Jesse and I went to Elisabeth's shower yesterday. We managed to leave the house by 8am and he slept all the way to Boxboro. Then he ate for a while and did well getting to Lowell as well. He did well at the shower, which was very nice (especially the food) and Elisabeth did well in the gift dept! Then he fidgeted on the way back to Boxboro but not bad, ate for a while, and then screamed all the way home to CT. Ahhhh well. I considered pulling over multiple times but didn't want to drag it out any longer than necessary.
Once home he ate and passed out, must have been exhausted from the screaming, but that threw our nighttime schedule off. He had been developing a pattern - be awake and eating on and off from 6-11: 30 or 12, then sleep about 5 hours, then eat for 90 minutes and sleep for another couple hours. Not a bad pattern. Last night he napped from 8-9:30 and then went back down 10:30-2:30 and then was up every couple hours thereafter but we stayed in bed until 9, so not that bad really.
Jocelyn continues to be breathtakingly cute. She has been Morgan's shadow this week, copying everything he does. The cutest is when I ask him to give her a hug and she holds her arms out for him and REALLY hugs him tight. So sweet!! I think he's enjoying the attention, though he'd never admit it!
She's also been doing a lot of playing in her play kitchen and with her new face blocks (each block has a funny face on it). She figured out how to get into the baby swing this week and had some fun with that.
Morgan had sharing on Wednesday (like show and tell) and brought his Jack's Big Music Show CD. They played his favorite (Bugs are Really Swell) for the class and he started dancing and then pretty soon the whole class was dancing. The teacher said it was hysterical and he was a big hit.
I haven't seen Timothy lately - he's pretty obsessed with the PS2 he got for Christmas. I'm pretty sure he still lives here, but I wouldn't put any money on it.
Jesse has his 2-month check up on Wednesday and then I've got my belated 6-week check up on Friday. Fun week!
I've managed to get my pumping output up to 4oz a day, though I didn't pump yesterday so today could be a challenge. I went through the freezer and bagged up the first half of December vs. the 2nd half and will eventually do the same for January (I only have 2oz left from November and will probably use it this month at some point - we're still giving him a couple bottles a week just to keep him used to them). I think as of this morning I'm up to 74oz frozen - my goal being 120 before I go back in February. I bought the new Dr. Brown's manual breastpump this week because it was hyped as revolutionary. I found it far from revolutionary and in fact hate it!
I guess that's it for news - not a real entertaining week.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
December 31, 2006
My New Year's Resolutions
I resolve to use my video camera more.
The issue is that I did not follow through on last year's resolution to slow down time, to keep these kids from growing up so fast. So this year I'm trying to be more realistic and just use the video camera to capture more and then watch it later and transport back.
I can't believe another year is ending.
I can't believe Timothy is four and a half feet tall and upwards of 70lbs. I can't believe he asked me what an orgy was the other day. I can't believe little girls send him notes to meet at the swing set at recess. I can't believe that he's in the 3rd grade learning cursive. Where did my baby go? Where is my toddler that learned to order from the McDonald's drive thru before he could actually talk? Where's the little boy who needed 3 binkies to go to bed, the little boy I rocked to sleep, the little boy I comforted when he woke up from nightmares. Where is my kindergartner with his clothes on backwards? Now he towers over his sister and cousins and before long will tower over me. Now he gets up in the middle of the night to be sick and doesn't bother waking us. Now he corrects my grammar and time telling abilities. So for Timothy I resolve to remember that he's still my baby and still needs to be hugged and held each day. He still needs my patience and encouragement. With any luck for a while longer anyway, he still needs me.
With Morgan it's a little different. I sometimes equate raising an autistic child to parenting in slow motion. Accomplishments are sometimes harder to see, but easier to appreciate. Still, I can't believe that just a short time ago he wasn't speaking. He wouldn't walk down the hallway at school on his own. He couldn't go to a store without us singing Old MacDonald over and over again to calm him. He screamed every time the car came to a stop. Now he can work a computer, the internet, the game systems, and the dvd player. He can count and spell and is starting to read. He is my gentle giant most times, and my not-so-gentle giant at other times. So for Morgan I resolve to remember that he's still my baby and still needs to be hugged and held each day. He still needs my patience and encouragement. With any luck for a while longer anyway, he still needs me.
Jocelyn is still adjusting to not being the baby. I was looking through pictures from the beginning of the year and forgot that she had no hair. She wasn't walking, she wasn't talking, and in fact I was worried about her lack of talking. She wasn't sleeping through the night. Now she runs around the house yelling her brothers' names. She puts her doll in her little tikes shopping cart and walks around the house. She tickles the doll and laughs and hugs it. She pretends to serve me tea. She points out every baby she sees. So for Jocelyn I resolve to remember that she's still my baby and still needs to be hugged and held each day. She still needs my patience and encouragement. With any luck for a while longer anyway, she still needs me.
And then of course there's Jesse. He IS the baby. A year ago he wasn't even conceived. What an amazing transformation he's made this year! From a handful of cells to a full term baby with his father's good looks. He needs more of me than the others this coming year, as he did in the last. But then I know he'll grow big like the others and while I won't miss the sleep deprivation, I'll miss smelling his warm head and tickling his toes to keep him awake while he eats. So for Jesse I resolve to remember that he's still my baby and still needs to be hugged and held each day. He still needs my patience and encouragement. With any luck for a while longer anyway, he still needs me.
But for me I resolve to try once again to slow down time. To smell all their heads and hold them tight. To tickle them daily and kiss them goodnight. To watch them with wonder, to listen to them play. To appreciate each of them for exactly what they are - my sole reason for being.
And just in case that doesn't work as well as I'd hope, I resolve to use my video camera more.
December 30, 2006
Hellloooooo everyone!
Jocelyn has been so clinging and whiny this week. I realize this whole new baby thing is difficult, but it was getting ridiculous. I'd finally had enough and set her in her booster seat on the floor in the dining room and told her that when she finished crying she could get up. I started to walk away and she stood up to follow me. I turned around. She hit the floor like the security guards in Tommy Boy. It was hysterical! Trying very hard not to break out into giggles, I put her back in the seat and told her she could get up when she was done crying. I left the room, without being followed this time, and stood outside the door to make sure she stayed. She did.
The baby cried so I went to get him and sat outside the door feeding him while she continued to cry and scream. And then, all at once, she stopped crying and stood up, came to find me, and sat in my lap hugging me while I fed the baby (making sure none of her body actually came into contact with him). It was pretty cute. It was a few days before she had to be put back there again, but this time the routine was much faster and she stopped crying pretty quickly and got up and went on about her day.
Jesse seems to have made up some weight this week. I've been able to pump 2oz each day in addition to feeding him, but need to kick that up to 4oz, so that's my goal for Jan. I figure I won't be able to pump as much as he eats once I got back to work, so want to have a good freezer stash.
Josh was called for jury duty for Tuesday but thank goodness we found out when we called in yesterday that he was one of the lucky ones to get canceled. I would have had to do the whole morning routine by myself! eeeek!
Timothy and I cleaned out his room and organized all his new toys and also went through all his clothes to hand down whatever doesn't fit to Morgan. Now everything has a home and all his clothes fit in his drawers - yay!
Jocelyn and I went to Target this week to spend the gift cards that the kids had gotten from Elisabeth & Rob. Jocelyn got barbie play jewelry, play make-up, and tea set. Jesse got a frog humidifier. Morgan got a boom box CD player for his room. Josh took Timothy separately and got a video game.
Morgan asked me for number 8 the other day. I had no idea what he was talking about. I asked Josh what on earth number 8 was. Turns out that track 8 of his new CD is the bugs are really swell song that he's so fond of. Silly me!
As for me, the scale is starting to creep up on me. Ugh. I need to get back on the treadmill and cut out all the holiday sweets! It's hard to figure out when Jesse is really going to sleep for a while and when it's just a 15 minute nap, but I need to figure something out. I'll probably take the rest of the weekend off but get started on Tuesday. I better, or none of my clothes are going to fit when I go back to work!!
December 26, 2006
So usually at night I feed Jesse and then put him in his bassinet next to the bed for his first sleeping stint. However, last night I was so tired that I must have fallen asleep while I was still feeding him. I'm not sure when, guessing around 10. When I woke up at 2:30 I was very confused and my glasses had fallen off and were lying on him. We both woke up with stuffy noses - big bummer! He seems to be handling it well so far.
We had a great holiday. Saturday Jesse didn't nap at all, which made cleaning a challenge, but somehow we managed. Sunday morning I managed to get all the beds made and even shower. Everyone was here by about 12 :45 and I managed to hussle everyone into the dining room for a group picture before the football game started. Not everyone is looking at the camera, but no one is crying, so that's something!
Then the men, except Josh, retired to the living room for football. Josh was busy cooking dinner which was ready just at half time - perfect! Meanwhile the kids played and mom had some games for them which of course they enjoyed immensely. Adult games were after dinner and we all stayed pretty occupied until 6:30 and then just sat around chatting. Jesse took a loooooong nap, from about 2 -6, very unlike him but gave me a chance to eat with both hands and play the games. I normally wouldn't let him go that long without eating, but one day won't hurt him.
The kids got new pjs. In the grand Lessard tradition - pjs were bought to be big. However, Morgan barely crammed into his 7s and Timothy's 10s certainly didn't leave much extra room. Everyone else, however, was pretty much swimming in theirs, especially Jesse! Pretty funny.
The kids went up to bed around 7:30 and we played another game and then filled the stockings and set them out and we all went in to open adult gifts. I got a chain saw - look out world!! After presents we sat around snacking and then finally went to bed about 11: 30. Jesse slept until 2: 30 and then until 4: 30. He finished eating at 5: 30 and I decided to just get up so as not to wake Jocelyn and Timothy. Jocelyn had missed her nap since everyone was here and ended up in a pretty foul mood because of it, so she needed to catch up on a little sleep. Morgan was already awake so he and I and Jesse went downstairs and made coffee. Grandpa joined us around 6 and then by 6: 30 everyone but Jocelyn was up and we did stockings and had breakfast and then started the tree. Jocelyn joined in a bit later.
Since Jesse was now sleeping again, I sat by the tree and played Santa, though Ruby was my main helper and handed out most of the gifts. The kids all do such a great job waiting for their turns. Sage got so many babies that she didn't have any hands left and at one point asked Ruby to open her next present for her - too funny! Jocelyn got into it, though wouldn't part with her binky, and even Morgan stayed with us the whole time (though Uncles Rob and Jeff took a beating for a while there as he was kicking and hitting them both - for play, but still, that's 65 lbs of Morgan comin' at ya - we coaxed him onto a different couch). He did open a couple presents. That's progress for him from previous years when he didn't last quite as long or really show any interest in the presents at all.
The kids all made out like bandits of course. Too many gifts to list - but among the favorites - Timothy got a remote control fart machine (don't tell Uncle Joey - there's a whole plan for his next visit) so there were a lot of fart noises going on yesterday. Jocelyn got a bunch of stuff for her kitchen.
Jesse got a new exersaucer (the kind where the baby walks circles around the middle stationary part) and Morgan got a sponge bob portable dvd player.
Presents were done around 8:30 and everyone was packed and gone by 10. Josh had cleaned the kitchen while everyone was packing so we put together enough toys to keep the kids entertained and then collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day - which means we have a lot of work to do today! All these toys need a new home and I'm thinking of rearranging the dining room (really a play room) and also need to organize Timothy's room, and rotate toys in Morgan and Jocelyn's rooms. I need to get some things put up on the walls in various rooms too.
This is fun work for me but will have to be done in between feeding Jesse, who only seems to have gained 3 oz this week instead of the required 4, but as of Saturday had not gained anything so I think he's in the middle of a growth spurt and will catch up over the next few days. (In separate news, the two of us had our first bath together yesterday, which was very relaxing). He is growing though - I gave all of his preemie outfits to Elisabeth and then started another bag (which I keep next to the dresser) and have had to retire several newborn outfits (typically meant for up to 8lbs) as well. He has long limbs so outgrows the arms and legs but is still swimming in the rest if it!
A tip for baby shoppers out there - Gymboree brand clothes run small so 0-3 month will fit small babies, no need for the preemie size unless you expect a 5 pounder. Also - I love Gymboree brand, especially their blankets which are bigger and thicker than other brands and last forever - or at least longer than 8 years from what I can tell, even with frequent use. Shop the clearance racks though, they are a little pricey. I just bought Jesse a squirrel ensemble from their sale bin, with matching blanket, and it is soooooo cute! Oooh, and while I'm on the topic of shopping tips - here's another for the new moms-to-be – 1800diapers.com has free shipping on orders over $45 and prices are better than Target. An average baby will go through one case of Newborn swaddlers before moving up to a size 1 (Elisabeth - don't buy any newborn size!). Pampers swaddlers are awesome. Huggies don't work for boys, though I like and use their wipes. Pampers sensitive wipes are good for recently circumsized boys, but otherwise are useless because they have no grip. Oh, and baking soda sprinkled in the bath cures diaper rash better and faster than any cream, and is way less gross. Target brand baby shampoo in the purple bottle is only 99 cents and is awesome. Soothies brand binkies are great but need to be boiled prior to use to soften them up and make them acceptable to baby. Nipple confusion is a myth made up to torture new moms. Medela breast pumps come with *average* breast shields (also called horns) but over 70% of women need a larger size, which will costs you $10 plus shipping but be way more comfortable and increase output. Kellymom.com is a fantastic breastfeeding resource. If you plan on formula instead, ask for freebies from the hospital and also sign up on their web site and they'll send you coupons and samples (I sign up on all the sites and then trade with friends - Enfamil seems to have the best giveaways).
Alright, more tips are available upon request.
December 19, 2006
Well our goal weight this morning was 7lbs 12.5 oz, and our actual weight was (drum roll please) 8 Ibs 1oz!! yay!! It was very exciting and we don't have to go back until his 2-month appt on the 10th. Also, this was the same weight as our home scale, so I suspect that he's actually gained an oz a day in the last week, which is quite a good amount. I think he's finally got the hang of this.
December 17, 2006
Gooooood morning everyone! Happy Chanukah to applicable parties! Let's see let's see, what was the haps this week.
I think Jesse might finally be getting the hang of the whole weight-gain thing (knock on wood). I bought a baby scale which arrived Tuesday and according to that he was 7 Ibs 8.5 oz on Tuesday, which would mean he had gained the required 4 oz that week. I started weighing him before and after eating and before and after diaper changes to see if he was actually inputting and outputting as expected and he seems to be doing both. I had been having Josh give him a couple ounces of formula each day to fatten him up a bit. He doesn't care much for it though. When he gets a bottle of breast milk he gulps it down like ice cream, but formula he sort of makes a face for and lets dribble down his chin.
Then Friday night when Mandy and family were here I never got around to giving it to him and he slept better than he had all week and yesterday weighed in around 7lbs 14oz or so, so I'm not sure the formula was really helping him all that much. We skipped it again yesterday so we'll see what he weighs in at today. We have our official doctor weigh in on Tuesday and our goal weight for the week is 7 Ibs 12.5 oz - cross your fingers!
Friday I took Jesse out and we stopped by my work's department party. I had to actually loosen the straps in the car seat to get him in, so that's a good sign! As soon as I walked into the party, four of my coworkers went running for the ladies room to wash their hands. How nice! They were the moms of teenagers, always a good target for baby holders. So they took turns holding him (a fight almost broke out at one point with one coworker supposedly hogging him - hee hee hee). I must say he did look especially cute as I had him in an outfit from gymboree that consisted of brown corduroy pants and a squirrel sweater. It was 0-3 month size and I only had to fold the pants and arms over once. It was nice to see everyone (and I even took a break to use the bathroom BY MYSELF for the first time since my maternity leave started) - we stayed for about 45 minutes and then headed home.
Mandy and family arrived around 5:30 on Friday after getting stuck in some unfortunate traffic - big bummer. After Patience had a snack we all lit candles and had presents. Jocelyn got a bunch of play food for her kitchen and the girls all had quite a good time with that. Sage seems to have warmed up to me and even called me Auntie Rhonda to my face (i.e. without whispering in Mandy's ear instead - hahaha). After latkes and pizza I filled up the tub and Ruby, Sage, and Timothy put on bathing suits and got in. Jocelyn preferred to go au natural. Everyone is now big enough that we could fill it sufficiently to turn on the jets, so that was a big hit.
Yesterday was quite a beautiful day, especially for December. We actually all went outside. Jesse got dressed in his winnie the pooh bunting and nursed on the front steps while we watched Josh play football with the boys and Jocelyn sort of participate. The game made it to half time before getting called on account of nap time. After naps we all played dreidel with the many many pieces of gelt that Uncle Joey had brought us. I must say, it was pretty fun! Then we lit candles and had more presents. I got Josh, Timothy, Morgan and Jocelyn all matching Patriots shirts, which they all put on right away and looked simply too cute in. Then we opened the many gifts from Susan and Jonathan, which was so fun! Among other things, Jocelyn got a party dress that is significantly nicer than my wedding dress. My other favorite was a romper for Jesse with little animals on the feet - hysterically cute!
Jocelyn continues to be so cute that sometimes it's hard to breathe. Her new favorite phrase is "want some?" which she says whenever I am trying to enjoy a snack. She'll pretty much eat anything if it is something I was trying to eat alone. When we were outside yesterday she came over to point everyone out to me. She calls Morgan "Morgie" - too cute!
My 6-week dr's appt was supposed to be this week but I guess my doctor is going away for the holidays or something because I got rescheduled for Jan 12th. I decided that that was much too long to wait for a bath (she had told me no baths for 6 weeks - that's like torture!) so I took my first post-pardum bath yesterday afternoon (while Jesse was taking his 2nd nap of the day I'm hoping this whole 2-nap thing is a new pattern!). I forgot how much I love my tub! I could have stayed in it all day.
Josh had been rooming with Timothy still but since he came back to our room Friday night while the Roberges were here, he decided to make it permanent. Unfortunately, he was woken up around 1am when Timothy came in to announce that he had throw up. Since he's a boy, of course it was on the carpet. According to Josh, he threw up everything he'd eaten since birth. I guess that wasn't quite accurate since he came in again at 6:30 to announce a new spot on the carpet, and again just now when he almost made it to the toilet but not quite. Poor kid. No fever but clearly not having a fun day so far. He says he feels fine in between puking. I'm kinda hoping it was something he ate because otherwise the rest of us are in for a cruddy week (and possibly Mandy's family as well - so sorry)! Right now Timothy is quarantined to his room and only Josh is going in and out.
My old boss (Jim) is retiring from Aetna after almost 33 years. He's the Chief Actuary so each year hosts something called the Actuarial Forum (this year it was web cast so I was able to listen in for certain parts). There are annual awards in various categories and this year he added a new award just for me - the nerd award! It was for the letter I wrote in regarding my first date with math and my prize is an old framed poster that he has with a picture of an actuary and the caption "Math Nerd". It was a promotional campaign for actuaries that Aetna had done some time ago. Jim also recapped his 33 years by quoting the many actuaries he had worked with over that time, including me. He quoted me as saying "perfect is the enemy of good" (which I did say but stole from something I heard on NPR). It was certainly nice to get a mention and I will really miss him when he's gone (he doesn't plan to leave until March I believe).
I suggested to Josh that he should write up some dad-tips for Rob and put them in his stocking, but he said the only thing he can think of is to grab Rob by the shoulders, shake him a bit, and say "you have no idea". No exactly the holiday gift I was thinking of!
I guess that's about it from here. Nothing new with Morgan. He desperately needs a haircut, as does Timothy, and Josh for that matter. We'll see if I can get to that this week.
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