Here’s the very first video of Damien ever, before they even finished cleaning him off. The pediatrician is doing his Apgar scores while Dan looks on. I’m stuck in bed getting stitched up in unmentionable areas (you can actually hear me apologize to the doctor because I’m flinching. WTH, of COURSE I’m flinching, I’m getting NEEDLES STUCK IN MY CROTCH and it HURTS!!)

This video is after everyone met Damien and went home for the night, but before we were transferred from the L&D room to the regular hospital room. Damien is just hanging out in the warming bed while Dan looks on. I, on the other hand, just fainted in the shower (earning a Fall Risk bracelet!) and you can hear the nurse giving me instructions on how to sloooowly come back to the bed. Fun stuff.

Finally, this is Damien ‘sleep singing’ later that night. The nurses thought maybe he aspirated some fluids and that’s why he sounded like that (they were the ones who called it ‘singing’ too.) Turns out we just have a very vocal sleeper, since it’s two months later and he still does this! :)

Another possibility for my excitement is that local stores just started putting out their summer things. I am amused and amazed by the tiny baby shorts, swimsuits, and little sundresses (obviously we won’t be getting the third one, which further convinces me that at least ONE of my kids has to be a girl) and I also like the idea of letting Damien run around (read: be carried/roll/crawl around) in his cloth diapers, since they’re so cute on him.

I haven’t been able to resist the call of the summer baby items; here’s what we have:

• Infant sunblock. Granted, babies aren’t supposed to wear sunblock until they’re six months old, but Damien’s skin is almost as fair as mine (read: borderline albino) so I think that using sunscreen in moderation (for example, on his hands when they’re uncovered) is better than getting a nasty burn. Of course, keeping the sun off him altogether is the best option, which brings us to…
• Infant hats. I was a little unsure this would work, since Damien tends to HATE hats and hasn’t worn one since he was a week old (he even cries if I put a hood on him!) I thought maybe a bucket hat would be different so I picked one up, and lo and behold he doesn’t mind it. It was such a miracle I had to go back to the store and buy another one in a different pattern!

Sleeping in the front pack, with his hat on - we were going for a walk

• Infant sunglasses. I didn’t even know these existed with the stretchy band around the back, but it’s actually quite genius, and Damien looks ADORABLE in them. (He also tends to close his eyes whenever he’s wearing them, lol – I think he thinks it’s night. Then again, he’s never worn them in bright sunlight so that should help.)
• Baby swimsuit. OMG is there anything cuter than a little baby in a little suit? We have a pool in our backyard and live close to two lakes, so I’m excited to take Damien swimming this summer (it’s almost always over 100° so we’ll need to cool off!) I bought this rashguard from Target, and swim diaper boardshorts from My Swim Baby (on sale, so I bought one in both small and medium.)

• Baby carrier. Yes, yet another one (for those playing at home, this is the fourth I’ve purchased, but I’ve had good reasons for that I swear.) This time I purchased the Infantino Union, and I really like it. I wanted a carrier that Dan and I could both use (so my pretty Maya Wrap is out, lol) and while I have a cheap front pack, it’s difficult to get Damien in and out of and the straps are too narrow/not padded enough. The Union is SUPER comfy, super adjustable for multiple users, and puts baby in an ergonomic position (aka it’s good for his little hips.) You can use it as a front pack for small babies, and a backpack once baby can sit up. The only drawbacks I’ve discovered thus far are that it takes two people to put it on, and all the straps that make it so adjustable are also kind of annoying. : P Oh well, for $30 it’s still an excellent carrier!

Damien loves sitting in a Big Boy Chair

Height/Weight: (I’ll update this as soon as I measure/weigh him, hopefully later today)

Daily: Typically Damien wakes up for the day between 8-9am. I’ll change his diaper (and clothes, if he’s wet), feed him, and cuddle him for awhile. Then he’ll sit on the table in his rocking chair while I make myself breakfast and coffee. If I have things to do around the house I’ll put him in his carrier and he’ll ‘help’ me do laundry, get the mail, put away the dishes, straighten the house, etc. (If it’s a day Dan’s not working, he hangs out with Daddy while I get stuff done.) Before work Damien sits in his rocking chair in the bathroom while I get ready, then I strap him into the dreaded carseat and we go to work together. He likes to look at the lights on the library ceiling while I run the tutoring center. He also likes it when his grandparents or auntie come in and visit him. :) I usually end up feeding him at least once during TLC time (I guess I’m teaching the kids that breastfeeding is normal? Though I do use a cover) and I’ll put him in a carrier/ring sling after that.

After work we’ll sometimes go grocery shopping, and by the ride home Damien usually cries or screams at least part of the way (unless Daddy is with us, and I can sit by him or hold his hand.) We’ll eat dinner at home and maybe watch TV. He’ll hang out with his grandparents or aunts to give Dan and me a break, and usually sits in his rocking chair in the bathroom while Dan and I take a shower (he likes the water sounds) – if he’s not taking a shower with us. By 10pm we’ve lowered the lights and sounds in our room to get him ready for bed. I try to feed him frequently and have a thick diaper on him to get him ready for the night. After he drifts off (either eating or rocking/being held) we swaddle him in his SwaddleMe blanket (it’s really tricky to keep him asleep while doing it, but if we try it while he’s awake he’ll never fall asleep in the first place!) and carefully set him in his bed, which is still the bassinet inside the big crib. Then we cross our fingers and hope for a big sleep block! (Which hasn’t been happening lately… see below.)

Naps on Mommy's chest... (please disregard my hairy cavewoman arms, lol!)

Bedtime: We’ve had some regression this past week, where Damien has decided to sleep in two or three hour blocks. It’s hard, but he’s still cheerful during the day for the most part so I’m thankful for that (if only I could say the same for me… then again, I’m allowed to drink coffee.) I’m thinking it’s a growth spurt (maybe he needs to eat more and that’s why he’s waking up?) and still holding onto hope that the wonderful 5-8 hour blocks will return someday.

Eating: Typically Damien eats every 2-3 hours, though he’ll occasionally let you know he wants to eat more frequently. He tends to take breaks while he’s eating (he unlatches and leans back for awhile) which may make him swallow more air, I don’t know, but I think it has to do with my forceful letdown so I’m not about to force him. It makes nursing in public a little interesting, but if I’m uncomfortable I use my cover and he does just fine. I’m really enjoying breastfeeding and am glad it’s something I can do to bond with my baby.

Sizes: 0-3 is getting a little small, but 3-6 is still big – is there an in between size?! (Actually, it’s mostly the sleepers that are small, so when his sleeper supply is just too low I’ll add some too-big ones to the rotation. He’s just sleeping in them after all.) His sposie diapers are still size 2′s, and I haven’t had to adjust his FuzziBunz this week (alas, they’re still asymmetrically snapped, unless I double-stuff them for overnight.)

I didn't post this one in the V-day post because it's blurry, but it's super cute!

Firsts:

• First Valentine’s day
• First sick baby (and first medicine too – bubblegum flavored Tylenol, which made him sleepy but brought his fever right down)

Memories:

Warning, this is a ridiculous memory! So I noticed Damien had a stuffy nose and thought I’d try to help him out. I misted inside his nostrils with saline and then tried to suck them out with the bulb syringe (utterly useless BTW) but then he started sneezing (something he’s really good at! He almost always sneezes three or more times.) When he was done sneezing there was a booger on his face, and I automatically wiped his face off. With my bare hand. And then I was sitting there with a baby booger on my hand and no idea what to do next, fairly grossed out. (I eventually wiped it on some trash in the trash can. Why I didn’t just grab a tissue, I don’t know.) It reminded me of the first time I spit on my finger to clean his face – you do these little annoying/disgusting mom things without even thinking about it!

I told Dan to take a picture of us, and this is the face Damien made...

Damien has also started ‘singing along’ to songs that play on the radio – well, at least he makes a lot of cooing noises. I don’t know; maybe he’s telling me to change the radio station lol. He’s also started grabbing on/holding on to me a lot, which I love – for example, I’ll hold him belly-down across my arms, and he’ll wrap his little arms around my big arm. He still holds onto my shirt when he’s nursing, too. It’s so precious and forces me to hold him longer when I should be sleeping (like now, for example…)

February 17, 2012

I took these photos a day late… oops! On the plus side, I took them in the morning so Damien was in a happy, interactive mood. Unfortunately he wanted to interact with his month ‘sticker’, which is actually printed on plain paper because I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about him grabbing it for a few more months. Looks like I was wrong… and need to invest in some sticker paper!

Ohhithere!

Love that you can see his red hair so well in this one

This is a bittersweet flashback: me, age three or so, with my Grampa Bob.

Grampa Bob is my maternal grandfather. He died the day before Damien’s baby shower (I know, I should say he ‘was’ my grandfather, but I have a really hard time with the whole past/present tense with death. I also refuse to say I ‘loved’ him, because I still do.)

Last weekend my maternal grandmother and step-grandfather were in town, and this weekend my paternal grandparents are visiting from Maine. I keep thinking that something is missing. I know my Grampa Bob would absolutely love Damien and having a great-grandson.

On a happier note, many thanks to Lindsey at The Accidental Wallflower for the banner! Play along if you have a Friday Flashback to share.

Auntie Kassi gave him the monkey!

Snugglin' with Monkey Friend

...okay, I think we're done now.

Valentine’s Day was pretty unexciting around here. Damien decided not to sleep last night so I was dragging pretty much all day (and he was grumpy too), but we still ran a few errands in town before I had to go to work. Dan usually works late on Tuesdays, so we decided not to worry about doing anything outside the house today. We did exchange cards/gifts and gave Damien his present:

I managed to read this to Dan and Damien upside down, because I'm talented like that

Every once in a while our camera will magically discolor an image like this...

As you can see, Damien received “Guess How Much I Love You” and “Baby Love” (it’s a soft book that folds up; the other side of the ‘Love’ is a lift-the-flap book.) I was surprised that they had a card for exactly this occasion:

Aww... card cuddles!

Tomorrow Dan and I might go out to ice cream or something, but today it’s fun just to hang out as a family (albeit just for a little while until Damien decided to be a fussypants and cluster feed for hours on end… Joy.)

Oh, and here’s a picture that made both Dan and me laugh:

What the heck, both of you? Those are some silly expressions...

General Info: in these pictures Damien is around 13 lbs and 8 weeks old.

Review #4: Happy Heinys One-For-All: Hook/Loop

Shocked Baby Face

Previously I bought a HH in what I thought was hook/loop but turned out  to be snaps… oops. As you can see, this one is the real deal. It’s sized the same as the snap Happy Heinys diaper, just with Velcro on the tabs instead of snaps, and comes with two microterry inserts (a small and large.) For a pocket diaper it feels sturdy, and the pocket itself is easy to stuff.

As far as ease of use goes, it’s obviously simpler than the snaps, but not as easy as the Blueberry hook and loop diaper. With the Blueberry it doesn’t matter which tab you use first; with the Happy Heiny, you have to overlap the right tab over the left or the Velcro doesn’t line up (and even then, it’s hard to get it straight, as you can see from the photo. That doesn’t affect the use of course, but it is a little annoying if you’re OCD like me.)

Diaper closeup

Overall it’s a good diaper, and I don’t have any really big complaints with it, but I am a little disappointed in the Velcro aspect. However, it washes and wears well and doesn’t leak, at least on my baby, so I’ll definitely continue using it… but I want to check into some other hook and loops as well.

Review #5: Lovely Pocket Diapers: Classic

Quizzical Baby Face

If you’ll remember, this is the $7.50 diaper I was excited about in the last review (the non-patterned version is $7.) LPDs are sold by a new mom/cloth diaper user, so it’s definitely a SMALL business, meaning you get personalized attention (I got a thank you note on my receipt) and a money-back guarantee (if you’re not satisfied, send it back within 10 days for a refund.) My diapers arrived quickly and I was excited to try them out. They each came with one insert rather than two, but it was the long one I actually use so this wasn’t a problem for me.

In comparison to my other pocket diapers, both the outer covering and the inner fleece feel a bit thinner, so they may not hold up as well long-term. That said, at $7 they don’t really need to, and the slight decrease in quality didn’t result in them leaking or working any less well. The shape of the diaper is really similar to FuzziBunz, with a more accessible pocket that even my husband’s giant hand could easily stuff. The hip snap keeps the tabs from floating around in the diaper, but is a little difficult to fasten (then again, all hip snaps pretty much are, at least on my baby.)

Diaper closeup

I like this diaper, and probably would have an even more glowing review of it were it not for…

Review #6: Lovely Pocket Diapers: Rave

Silly Baby Face

This diaper is definitely my favorite of the three. At the price of $12.50 ($12 for the patternless ones) it’s a little more expensive than the Classic LPD but still much cheaper than any other cloth diaper. It’s the same basic size and shape as the previous diaper, with an added bonus – the double leg gussets that absolutely keep any messes inside. (It also doesn’t have a hip snap, which means you have to tuck the side tabs in. Kind of annoying, but not a dealbreaker.) The pocket is narrower by necessity, because of the leg gussets, but it’s not inaccessible. Like the Classic, it washes and wears well despite being a little less sturdy than the $20 pocket diapers. (It is sturdier than the $7 version, though.)

Diaper closeup

Right now I have 18 total pockets (though one is MIA – where is my poor missing diaper?) and I’d like to have 24 total, so I think I’ll have to add a few more of both LPDs. As for the Happy Heiny, if I find one on sale or for a good price used I’ll pick it up, but otherwise I’ll hold off on getting more of these for now. (Of course, this could change as Damien grows up – they might start fitting him amazingly and I might need to get a whole bunch…)

The problem is Mr. Damien. This morning he projectile vomited on me (and the bed, the carpet, the bookcase…) but was in good spirits the rest of the day. Tonight, though, he was a little fussy and then took a super long nap. He’d randomly wake himself up with loud screams of pain, then fall back to sleep again. I also noticed Damien was flushed and a bit warm, so I took his temperature under his arm – according to the instructions, 98.6 is normal and his was 99 and climbing when he wiggled his arm away (I went to take his rectal temperature and, well, he started pooping. So I decided to stick with armpit today, lol.)

Obviously he’s not feeling well, but I really hope he doesn’t have the same thing I do because if it makes me want to die, how will it feel to a little baby who doesn’t understand what’s going on? I gave him some infant Tylenol (bubblegum flavor – he really wasn’t sure about that) and nursed him and now he’s sleeping peacefully in my lap, but who knows what the night will bring.

Oh, and Dan is now the one person in the house who hasn’t gotten sick. I’m sure he’s crossing his fingers that it’ll stay that way, and so am I, because Damien and I need someone to take care of us!

(It just occurred to me that, as I was tickling him while he was naked on his changing table, I ran the risk of being peed on. Oops! Thankfully I dodged that bullet, hehe.)