Just Like Daddy

Pop-Pop and Pauline found some great hats for Max that are just like the ones Daddy wears. BUT....they don't fit Max just yet. So he tried on Daddy's hat instead!

The Car Seat Series

Sometimes you will come visit my blog and you will find witty writing about Max's latest endeavors. Sometimes you will find musings on motherhood, or gripes about sleepless nights and dirty diapers.

And sometimes, you will simply find gratuitous pictures of my adorable child in his car seat. Completely self-indulgent, isn't it?

But humor me people. These are life's simple pleasures, and you can't disagree with a woman who hasn't slept more than an hour at a time for the last 30 days.

I hope you enjoy "The Car Seat Series".

Peace Out.

Road Trip!

Aunt Katie, Nana Nancy and Uncle Scott are back in town! It's been great to have them hang with us....and Uncle Scott is officially an SF local now! Welcome to the 'hood!

Why Not?

Max is ONE MONTH OLD!

Happy One Month Birthday to our beautiful, strong, brilliant baby boy! Max, you continue to impress and inspire us with your little personality, your sweet baby noises, and all of the new things that you see and do in your new world. We love you, and we're so excited to see what the next month will bring!

As of this morning, you BARELY fit in some of your newborn size onesies! You are officially needing your 0-3's now! You also had some "awake time" on your play mat, and Mommy was able to complete her first chore "with Max" (folding lots of laundry!).
You've become a VERY active little boy, and you love to take in your surroundings and gaze at new things. You're fascinated by the ceiling fan, and we can already tell that you're taking stock of all of the shapes, colors, and noises around you. Yesterday Aunt Katie read you a story ("I Love You Stinky Face") and you actually looked at the pages! You loved hearing her "story voice", and it calmed you down! You can "scoot" across your play mat now (with a little help from Dad). You try to hold your own pacifier or help us to hold your bottle. You are always kicking your little legs and waving your arms. Your big, dark blue eyes look right at us when we're holding you, and sometimes they even track what we're doing around the room!

You're so smart and active and alert, that you think sleeping is over-rated! You like to take a long nap in the early evening, but then there's so much for you to do every two hours at night! Every two hours means that you eat for 45 minutes (sometimes 1.5 oz, sometimes 2, sometimes even 3-4!). Then we change you, then we burp you, then we rock you a bit, then you usually spit up and we wipe you up....then we're about an hour or so in to the cycle, and when we finally all fall asleep, you wake up again in about 45 minutes! Hooray!!

Now that you're a big one month old, Mommy and Daddy are getting smarter about all of your tricks. We're going to try some new things....like changing your diaper BEFORE you eat your midnight snacks, cutting your long afternoon nap from 3-4 hours down to 2, talking to the Dr about why your little nose is so stuffy and asking if that is waking you up, and realizing that maybe you're not so hungry in the night, you just need a little cuddle. This morning, Daddy stretched the cycle out to 3 hours by helping you go back to sleep instead of sticking a bottle in your mouth. Then Mommy tried the same thing the next cycle, and cuddled you in bed for an extra hour when you woke up. Hmmm...are we on to something here? I mean, we LOVE this sleepy face.....so if you could just "bring it" between 10 pm and 7 am....we'd be so appreciative! Maybe that can be one of our goals for your NEXT month of life! Happy one-month birthday cutie pants!

4 Weeks Old!

Max is four weeks old today, and oh MY how he has grown! The other day he weighed in at just over 8 pounds, and he's become SO active! He likes to squirm around and kick his arms and legs, and he makes the funniest grunting and squeaking noises.

Sean and I braved bathtime alone, and Max seems to have turned the page now that he's a big boy. He LOVED being in the water, and happily wiggled around while we washed him. He was so content that we let him play in there for a little longer than we had anticipated, and he didn't get tired of it at all. He's also discovered the little boy in the mirror, and had a long conversation with him about this whole "being clean" thing!

Partyin' With My Peeps

Jack's Grandma and Grandpa threw a little party, so we all put on our cutest outfits and joined them for some P-Town partyin'. This was probably the first time that we've been out of the house for a social event in...oh.....four weeks???! We were a little delirious, but it was well worth it!

Max and Jack were the life of the party, and slept through the entire thing.
We've come a long way from how our parties USED to be. These days, we're easily entertained and had to take some pictures of the boys' little baby feet.

There was no shortage of friends to cuddle them, and it was great to see everyone and get some fresh air in Pam and Pat's backyard! Here's Jack's Grandma Pam showing Max some love....
In true "Roomie Fashion", there was a cocktail menu that announced the signature drink, named after little Jack!

It must be SUMMER!

Random Musings on Max

1. Max's eyelashes are getting so long! His beautiful eyes are straight from Daddy's gene pool, but I'll take full responsibility for Max's lips thank you very much!


2. Max is superman strong. When he's on his tummy, he lifts his head up and tries to scoot his body around.


3. Max is making lots of little noises all the time now. I'm convinced these are the early beginnings of verbal prowess. Or as Sean says, "He's probably going to talk alot, just like his Mommy".

4. Random and only sort of Max related.....I took the last strips of surgical tape off of my C-section incision the other day....freaky and weird! Apparently you're supposed to leave the last few pieces on until "2 to 3 weeks after your surgery". Ok, so I waited the full 3 weeks. What if it was the only thing holding me together?? I had seen my incision scar before, but once it was free from any last remaining tape I took a good look at it and saw...........that it was CROOKED!! That damn Dr. N did me crooked!!! Or as Sean said "Well, he did look kind of tired that night". Actually, my C-section incision is totally Max-related. I was reading an article the other day about C-section recovery and someone had written that as hard as it is, and as long as the recovery process takes, your scar/incision is something that connects you to your child forever, signaling that you belong together. Awwwww. Now if only I could f-ing drive soon, or lift the carseat, or sleep on my belly again. Sighhhhhhh.

5. We took Max to run some errands yesterday. He started SCREAMING full force in Pier 1. Took him out of his stroller and Sean carried him around. Lady in Pier 1 remarked on what an adorable (and tiny) baby he was. Then she congratulated us on "being out of the house.....my husband and I always say that when we have a baby, we're not going to be one of those couples whose lifestyle changes. We're going to do all of the same things that we used to do, and just bring the baby with us." Oh yeah Lady? F you! We said the exact same thing circa 2 months ago, but once you are actually home with your real live baby and you are waking up every two hours at night to feed him, and your boobs hurt so bad because you are pumping all the damn time and you haven't showered in forever and you've been wearing the same ponytail/glasses combo for three weeks straight and you're still in your maternity pants because even though you don't look pregnant your C-section scar is still red and raw and conveniently placed EXACTLY where the waistband of all of your panties and cute low-rise pants hit so you may not wear anything stylish again or at least not until you heal which could be in three weeks or it could be NEVER because you live in a 3 story house and you continue to go up and down the stairs even though the Dr. told you not to because you sleep on one level and eat on the other level and you're always leaving something on the level that you're not on anymore and one can only ask their husband to go BACK upstairs to switch the laundry so many times when the baby has barfed on the changing table pad again and you have to make sure to wash it and then you realize that you left your pumping stuff downstairs because you are SO TIRED that you can't remember what sink you washed it in...you just hope it wasn't the sink that you rinsed out Max's pants in, after he pooped through his diaper and onto his clothes....lady, you forget that you ever said a baby wouldn't change your life one bit, and before you know it, you are at Pier 1 at 3 pm on a Monday afternoon and you are looking at your husband as he's contemplating vases for the family room and adoring every little bit of him as he's holding the amazing child that you birthed and you're thanking god that you are out of the house at all, even if you are among the Summer Candle Sale and all of the wicker patio furniture. And yes, my kid is damn cute, isn't he?

And then you realize that being your child's parent is exactly what matters, and you look forward to the scrunched up face that your little boy makes as he's waking up from a nap, and you crave the warm little cuddly peanut shape that he makes when he curls up on your chest after you've burped him, and you know, without a doubt, that the changes he's made to your life are absolutely worth every sleepless second, and every new beginning that your family will go through is exactly where you are supposed to be.

Awestruck

Sometimes I just look at his gorgeous little face, and I am overwhelmed by how amazing it is that our love created this tiny, perfect human being.

We are ridiculously in love with our son, and so unbelievably grateful for each day that brings us new experiences with him. We're learning all about his little personality, enjoying the funny noises that he makes when he's settling in to sleep, and anxiously awaiting all of the milestones yet to come.

As tired as we are, as nerve-wracking as this can be, we collapse on the couch together at the end of the day and are completely hypnotized by his sweet little face.

We are so glad that you are in our world, our sweet little son.

Bathing Beauty

Baubee helped us to give Max his very first "real bath" this weekend. Thank goodness she was here, because it's pretty tricky to know how to wash a screaming, slippery three week old on the very first try! I'm not so sure that Max was thrilled about the whole process, but he loved being snuggled in a nice warm towel when it was all over!

Baubee Is Back!

This baby thing is REALLY TOUGH....so Baubee came back to stay with us for a few days and help us to get moving in the right direction again. She took such good care of all of us, and was an enormous help. We honestly can't thank her enough for all of the TLC, laughter, help around the house, and endless cuddles for Max. The extra hours that Sean and I got to sleep in each morning made a HUGE difference too! We feel like we're ready to take on the world again....or at least a few more nights of "every two hours" feedings!

We love you Baubee!

First Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day! Pretty soon, Max will be buying ties for his Daddy on Father's Day, but this year.....

He took a nice long snooze and Daddy opened his cards and toasted his son with a bit of bourbon. Max and Mommy promise that next year we'll be up early to make Daddy breakfast and celebrate in style....

Chillin' In My Crib

Look At That Face!

Am I the luckiest woman in the world, or what?! Watching a baby nap....it's good for endless hours of entertainment!

I still can't get over how tiny he is....and the fact that we created this amazingly beautiful, peaceful (well, most of the time!), perfect human being.

Max makes the best faces when he's starting to wake up. I'm convinced that he knows how cute he looks, and lets his little personality shine through. He might be (barely) three weeks old, but he's a charmer :)

Our absolute favorite "Max face"....raised eyebrows and all! We are so looking forward to watching more of his little personality emerge with every new day!

I'm Growing!

Max met with the lactation consultant again today (actually, he just tagged along for the ride while Mommy and Daddy had a little chat with her about the pros and cons of The Great Breastfeeding Debacle).

Fortunately, Max didn't have to perform at all this time. He just sat in his car seat and listened to us ask questions. He did have a big weigh-in though, and our little guy now tips the scale at a whopping 7 pounds! We sure THOUGHT that his clothes were fitting him differently! And sure enough, that's why! Max was starting to feel humiliated by having to wear preemie clothes, so he started eating more and now he fills out his "newborn size" clothes quite well!


Lactation Lady had some interesting feedback about Max's looooooooong crying spells every evening. Ummmmm.....maybe he's still hungry???? Wow....Mommy and Daddy missed the boat on that one. We thought it was gas. Apparently babies sometimes like a bigger meal once in a while, and now that he's getting bigger, he's going to need more and more. Duh, right? Well, just like we never really prepared for anything other than a natural childbirth (and got a C-section), we never really prepared for formula feeding (and ended up with formula supplements and The Great Breastfeeding Debacle). Sorry Max...your parents are rookies. But we'll learn these things together! Lactation Lady also mentioned that maybe the reason why you're waking up every two hours at night (other than the fact that you're a baby, of course) when you used to be able to go for longer, is because you're.....drum roll please....still hungry!!!!!! Wow. 2 points for Max. 0 points for Mommy and Daddy thinking you're just restless and over your Co-Sleeper.

Max says: Screaming my head off makes me exhausted!!!
LOVE the arm across the eyes...this kid is ALL personality! Look at the belly on our little 7-pounder! He loves to sleep like this...even though it worries me that his head gets tweaked like that, he seems perfectly comfortable!
Daddy knows that "skin to skin" is a great way to calm Max down....and it works! Max loves being held, loves being close to us, and is usually best soothed when he's skin to skin with Mom or Dad. Who can blame him? ;) Here he is, chillin' with Daddy for a nap...

He's Official!

Max received a very important piece of mail today....his Social Security card! I felt very "parental" holding my son, who now has an official government number that will follow him for the rest of his life. From insurance info to college apps to his marriage license.....welcome to the world of bureaucracy little guy!

Nana Nancy and Auntie Katie!

We were so lucky to have Nana Nancy and Aunt Katie come to visit us from San Diego! Aunt Katie just graduated from eighth grade, and now they're on a road trip up the CA coast this summer.

Max loved meeting more of his San Diego family, and Sean and I were so thankful for having two extra sets of hands around to hold Max. Nana Nancy helped out with Max's very first "poop explosion" (Sean gets the honor of diaper duty most of the time, but my son saved this one just for me! Oh my god....do I take the diaper off first? Do I take his shirt off first? There's poop EVERYWHERE!!!). Katie learned how to hold a floppy newborn who likes to be JUMPY. Oh....and we had crispy tacos and homemade guacamole....exactly like Nanc used to make when we were little!

Milk Machine

Some of you may have noticed that I've been posting quite a bit more at night lately. Why? Let's just say that babies are eating machines. And pooping machines. And just when you think the cycle is done, it starts all over again.

Due to some minor issues in the hospital, we were supplementing Max's breastfeeding with formula. Breastfeeding has now become a HUGE issue, and we're really committed to figuring out how to get it right. I say "we", because it's been wonderful to have Sean supporting me every step of the way. He pays attention to every word that the lactation consultant says, and sits right next to me when I nurse to help get Max into the right position or just provide moral support.

A few days ago I went to see a lactation consultant at a new parent's center that we had joined, and I was less than pleased with her feedback. Anyone who suggests to a new mom (who is incredibly sleep-deprived) that the only way to increase her milk supply is to take on the Olympic challenge of the "Triple Feed" should lose her boob license.

So today we went to see a new lactation consultant...someone who works with the hospital where I delivered. Someone who sat and talked with us for two hours, answered all of our questions about all things boob related (and some other things too...like C-section recovery and dry skin on babies). She was so supportive and non-judgmental, and we came up with a great plan for the next week. Oh, and did I mention that meeting with her was FREE??

But I digress. What I wanted to say was that part of the new plan is that I nurse Max during the day and we give him his formula supplement through this little tube that I actually put in his mouth WHILE he is nursing. It's an all in one thing. And at night, or as many times as possible during night feedings, Sean will give Max a bottle while I go pump.

So tonight, as I'm sitting here pumping (wow...TMI for you guys, huh?!) Sean and Max came by the pumping station (AKA our guest room) to say hello on their "burp walk". This is what they shared:

Daddy Lesson #1:

Max learned how to get a couple extra milliliters of formula in. While I was feeding him, I noticed that his belly was hanging over his diaper. He had a "formula belly". I loosened his diaper, allowing him to fall in to a slight formula stupor and making room for just a few more drinks.

2 Weeks Old!

Just a few pictures from the last two weeks to show you how Max has grown....here he is after his first sponge bath last week. His umbilical cord fell off this morning, so from now on he gets real baths! He looks so tiny in his car seat!
All snuggled in for a nap, in his favorite position (he sleeps exactly the same way that Mommy does!)
At two weeks old, here are some changes that we've noticed:
1. Max is much more alert now! He will hold eye contact with you for longer periods of time, and will let us play little games with him.
2. No more umbilical cord....he has a real belly button now! Was it pregnancy hormones when I got a little choked up that he had lost his last connection to being in my belly???
3. Max is finally starting to fit in his "newborn" size clothes! We had to buy him some preemie things when he was first born, but pretty soon his little legs were too long for those. Now his belly is filling out the newborn onesies (pictures to come, I promise!), even though his little bottom is not. Sean says that it's because he has the "Simon butt". Better that than my "Silverstein butt" I suppose ;)
4. Diapers, diapers, and more diapers. I got peed on for the first time this morning. Actually, it wasn't just me...he managed to get his own belly, over his head, the fresh diaper that I was trying to put on, the changing pad cover, and the basket with diapers in it. Oh, and the adorable new jumper that I had just put him in. Fantastic fun folks. It's amazing how a little guy can pee that much...and that far!

Cuddle Time!