A Month Old! (and a week)

Owen turned a month old a week ago. I can't believe he's getting close to six weeks old! The time really is flying. He has some new tricks - he's cooing and smiling on purpose now! He is also gaining weight, something that had been a problem for the first four weeks. Babies are supposed to regain their birth weight by the time they are 2 weeks old. He did it in four weeks. We went on an exhausting three-step regimen of breast feeding (30-40 minutes including burping time), bottle feeding either expressed breast milk formula to suppliment what he got at the breast (10 minutes), and finally pumping milk to increase my supply (15-20 minutes including set-up, and putting the milk in the fridge). If you've don the math, that's around an hour or more. Then we got to start the whole rigamaroll again in one to to hours. This was being done round the clock. The good news is that it worked. We started on a Wednesday evening following an appointment with lactation at the hospital (Owen weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz.) and by Friday noon, he had gained 7 oz.!!! Go Little Man!!!! He has steadily gained an ounce each day since then. Too bad it took us 5 weeks to get nursing really established.

One nice thing at the hospital is a free mommy/baby group that is run by a lactation nurse. We go each Wednesday morning and weigh Owen to see what he's gained from the previous week. It was at this group that we found out that he wasn't gaining enough weight. It's been great to get together with other new moms. After group, we go out to lunch. Last week they were going to go to Olive Garden, but I didn't have enough cash on me for that (nor did I have the check book and I don 't have a credit card) so they offered to go to Jack in the Box instead so I could come. We sort of took over an entire wall of the restaurant between the 7 of us, plus babies, and strollers. I'll be going to the group until I go back to work.

We had Owen's one month check up with his pediatrician last Monday. He grew 2.5 inches in his first month - he's up to 23" long now. (fromt he 50th percentile to the 90th in 4.5 weeks!) He dropped percentiles in weight, but that is under control and will change by the next appointment.

I go to my doctor on Wednesday for my six week check-up. I'm hoping that because nursing has JUST been established that my doctor will extend my need for leave through Christmas. If not, I'll have to go back the first full week in December. I'm not looking forward to that prospect. I'm not ready! I really don't want to interrupt the nursing right now. It's at too critical a point. I'll keep you all posted.

We took our first professional family pictures last Monday also. Owen was so good. He opened his eyes on the last picture, but was pretty much asleep for the rest of the pictures. After pictures were taken, we noticed that Santa was at the mall (and there was no line at all)so we had a picture taken with Santa. We got the package that had four pictures in it - all 3.5 x 5 - one for each of my parents, one for Jeffy's parents, and one for us. It's darling! I can't wait to see what Santa brings for Owen this year!

My sister comes out on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. She has yet to meet Owen. Jeffy's sister and brother-in-law are also coming out on Wednesday and they also have not yet met Owen. Needless to say, he will be spending most of the time Thursday with these two aunts and his uncle. I'll probably only get him back to feed him or put him in the back bedroom to sleep or chill out if he starts getting too overstimmed.

I'll try to post pictures this weekend from Thanksgiving and my sister's visit.