Just a few pics

Haven't felt much like writing lately, but here are a few pics :)

This kid...

makes more noise (including farts) in his sleep than anything I have ever seen! He's napping in the pack n play right now and you wouldn't believe the sounds coming out of him! Lots of grunting, arm flailing, farting, everything you can think of. It's pretty hilarious. Nicholas has been up a lot more and been a bit more cranky, but when he's happy and alert he is the sweetest little guy. He still goes NUTS when you change his diaper or if he is hungry, but he's already changed so much since we brought him home. It really is amazing. My friend Alisha visited yesterday and it was so great to see her. She has two children of her own so it was great to talk about mommy stuff and have some adult time. We share a lot of the same frustrations and it was nice to not feel so alone with the issues I've been having. Since becoming pregnant and now having Nicholas, I've come to realize there are very few people that genuinely care and will be there for me (us), and while it is pretty hurtful, it's been a great eye opener. I haven't taken too many pictures lately but more to follow soon! Photo taken by Alisha:

Also, I purchased The Happiest Baby on the Block months ago but didn't read it - on the recommendation of a friend I started it and really enjoy it - I am definitely able to calm Nicholas down faster when he starts screaming and I have a much better understanding about what is going on in his head when he gets so upset. I'm about half way through and plan to finish it as soon as the peanut lets me. xo

Gotta love...

this amazing weather we're having! Nicholas has been better with sleeping, although when he's awake he's a bit more of a crabby ass. He has states of "quiet alertness" as they call it, but then he gets over it, gets crabby, wants food, and wants sleep. I'm starting to learn his "signs" better and that makes me feel better, so I can kind of figure out what he wants. Last night Nick put him to bed around 11 - we now let him sleep until he wakes up wanting food (the pediatrician suggested it) so he woke up around 3:45 and then at 6:45. It was amazing to get up at 6:30 and he was still sleeping - here's a shot of that:

I went downstairs, got a bottle ready, let Dexter out and fed him, and then the "little monster" (as we affectionately call him) was up and ready to go. But it was a great night of sleep for him (and us:) in my opinion. We have a pretty quiet weekend which is nice, it seems as though the calendar is starting to fill up again and the thought just makes me exhausted. My friend Alisha is coming over Sunday and I'm looking forward to seeing her and having her meet Nicholas for the first time. My dad is here until Sunday and it's been great watching him with Nicholas as well.

At Auntie Lexi's

Sleeping for hours on Grandpa

In case you were wondering, this is what a formula coma looks like.

1 Month Doctor Visit

The little guy has been pretty active the last few days so just a quick update:

Weight: 9.6 pounds!!! The doctor was very happy with his weight gain. We continue to feed him on demand and he enjoys eating very much.

Length: 22 inches

I know there is something that has to do with what percentile Nicholas is in, but I don't really care about things like that. As long as he is growing and healthy, that's good enough for me. He's a happy, healthy, boy, and Nick and I couldn't be more thrilled.

The downside of the visit - Nicholas got his first shot, his second one for Hepatitis B (I wasn't there for the first one as he had it in the hospital). It was DEVASTATING. I'm not exaggerating. He screamed so loud and so painfully. I can honestly say it was the first time I REALLY felt like a mom. I wish I could have taken the shot for him. He is fine now, but I am still having trouble getting over it.

A giraffe rattle from Kath Antista. It looks as though he's holding it, but honestly it was a pause in his screaming that I gave it to him to try to calm him down. :)

Activity Mat from my Dad's friends - he's really starting to enjoy looking at the colors.

He was up since 3 am...so at 5:30 am he needed a nap ;)

Favorite Things...

Although nowadays I don't have much time for me...thought I'd post a few things I'm digging.

1. The hospital lotion with almond oil - haha...sounds funny, but the lotion that I was given at the hospital is unscented and very light, and I mix it with pure almond oil and use it on my whole body, including my c-section scar and stretch marks. It is very absorbent and light, and I use very little/no fragrance now since the babe is alway close.

2. Oatmeal - original flaxseed with no flavoring from market basket. A packet is only 100 calories and I mix in some cinnamon. Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal is one of the grossest smelling things ever - I felt that way even when I wasn't pregnant. This is much simpler and quite delicious. :)

3. Sleep. 'nuff said

4. Yoga- what little I can do of it, feels fantastic.

5. Shea Body Scrub from The Body Shop - virtually unscented, light, and makes my skin super soft.

Happy Greaster!

Happy First Greek Easter to Nicholas :)

Nick and I had a great non stressful weekend. He came home early Friday and I got some good quality naps in. He also got up with Nicholas on Friday and Saturday night so I was able to sleep quite a bit and I think it made me a much nicer person in general...

Today was Greek Easter and we went over to Nick's parents house. It was low key with tons of good eats and we had a really nice time. Nicholas slept for most of the day - my more relaxed persona must be rubbing off on him. It was also a GORGEOUS day out, very warm and felt almost like summer - loved it. I took Dexter for a walk in the early morning, it was so quiet and peaceful, very enjoyable. Here are some pics of the day.

Nicholas is 1 Month Old!

Holy crap - can't believe it's been a month already. (thanks for the sign Maggie and thanks for the outfit Uncle Aaron and Auntie Morgan!!)

Likes:
Sleeping on Mom's chest. There is really nowhere else he wants to be, ever. He loves Nick, but because he's with me all day I think he is very attached already.

Eating. This kid eats like a champ. His gums are like an iron grip on the bottle. When you pause to try and burp him if he doesn't have to burp, he screams bloody murder at you.

Tummy Time - he's kind of getting the hang of this one. He loves the activity mat that my dad's friends gave us, but obviously doesn't do much other then "flop" around on it a bit.

Dislikes (sadly this list is much longer, but I'm hoping that changes by next month).

Sleeping anywhere but on someone. He's had a few good nights here and there, but definitely prefers to be on someone instead of in his crib, bassinet, or napper station of the pack n play.

Outfit changes/diaper changes. Screams the entire time...his morning diaper change for some reason has been pleasant, he wiggles around and almost "coos" now (or he's trying to anyway)

Bath time - he's only had a few baths so far (once a week) but he's not enjoying it very much right now

Having his nose cleaned/suctioned and his face cleaned when he spits up/dribbles formula - I don't think any baby/child likes this.

His doctor's appointment is on Monday April 16th so I will post weight/length updates when I have them.

My co-workers Pat and Gail were kind enough to come visit me on Tuesday and we had a great time. They brought over food from the Athenian and we had a few drinks - it was so nice and relaxing to have some grown up time. Nick took care of the babe while we hung out for a few hours. My friend Maggie came over yesterday and it was so great to see her, it had been far too long!

My mom and brother are visiting for a few days and it's great to have their help.

This weekend we have a party to go to and Sunday is Greek Easter. I haven't gotten any family photos yet so I'm hoping to get one of those then as well.

xo