I did a blog post about Tanner when he was two weeks old, so I wanted to make sure to document our little Brody at two weeks as well (even though he is 2 weeks and 3 days as I type this). I am working on typing out my birth story and hoping to finish that soon too. It isn't very easy to find time to sit in front of a computer with two kiddos, as expected. Please excuse me if this post seems random and has a fair share of mistakes. Sleep is not something we are getting much of these days :)
So, what have I been up to the past two weeks (when not nursing)? A little of this...
And some of this...
I literally live for these newborn cuddles. They are my favorite. And they make me want to have 500 kids. How about it, Tyler? ;)
Tyler went back to work the Monday after Brody was born, but he has gotten in his fair share of cuddles as well. Melts my heart.
We knew Brody was going to be very different from his big brother before he had entered the world (from all the false alarms and "teases" he gave us) - and we were right! Brody wants to eat all the time (sometimes every hour, sometimes every two... and we have recently started getting three hour stretches between the start of one feeding to the next, which has been heavenly). Breastfeeding has been very similar to how it was with Tanner. We've had our share of blood, sweat, and tears, but it is all worth it. I have just gotten to the point where I don't shriek every time Brody latches, which is definitely a good thing ;) He is a very efficient nurser, eating (gulping, basically) for 4-8 minutes on each side and then calling it quits. We used to have to cut Tanner off after 20 minutes on each side, so this is all new to me.
Because Brody nurses so differently from Tanner, I worried he wasn't gaining enough weight. At our first pediatrician appointment (and first trip out of the house), Brody had lost some weight, as normally happens with newborns during their first week. He also had his first blowout during this appointment and I was happy my sleep-deprived brain had remembered an extra outfit.
At 2 weeks, I am happy to report that Brody was 9 pounds 10 ounces (he's actually 10 pounds even as of today!). Considering he is supposed to be just back to his birth weight at two weeks, I am happy that he was a whole pound over. He is obviously getting what he needs from his momma - yay! He is out of newborn diapers (we only used them for a few days) and almost out of newborn clothes as well. Looks like he will end up being a big boy like his big brother.
Brody's first night was a challenge, as we quickly learned that he hates the bassinet. Tanner slept in it like an angel, but here is what Brody thought about it.
Brody loves to sleep... just as long as he's on someone's chest or shoulder. Which is awesome... until we want to sleep too :)
Needless to say, Tyler and I held him a lot that first night (and the few nights after). We also found that he enjoyed our bed, so we would put him there (perpendicular to us, so he was safe) some nights. A couple friends then told us about a rock 'n play, which is like a bassinet, but more cuddly and also inclined a bit. Tyler bought one the first day he was back to work (out of desperation, mainly) and Brody slept a little better, as in he didn't start screaming within 5 minutes as he would in the bassinet.
However, I've since decided we WILL make the bassinet work, as it's a precursor to how he will like his crib. He's been sleeping in his bassinet the past couple nights and, although he sometimes needs soothed, he is making progress. Woo hoo!
Tyler's mom stayed with us after that first night for a couple nights. She was a big help!
My mom got to our house that Saturday and she's been amazing as well. Brody was excited to meet his Grandma!
Many people have asked how Tanner has been handling being a big brother and all I can say is AWESOME! We are so impressed with him. He hasn't shown one ounce of jealousy and truly loves his baby brother. He is always interested in what he is doing - eating, getting his diaper changed, or sleeping, typically :) Tanner has had one or two tantrums in the past couple weeks, but they have been unrelated to Brody and more just about being 2 years old, I think! Here he is holding Brody for the first time. He was in awe!
Love my boys. I am a blessed momma.
Brody loves to smile, even though he has no idea he is doing it ;) He gave us our first smile when he was less than a day old and hasn't stopped since.
St. Patrick's Day was just a few days after Brody was born and I was able to get a couple cute pics of my two sweet leprechauns.
I should probably be trying to sleep while he sleeps, but all I want to do is stare at these sweet cheeks all day long.
We tried our first walk as a family of 4 with our double stroller. We got about 4 houses down before Brody decided he wasn't having it. Maybe next time :)
Brody's first sponge bath. Clearly he was not a fan.
One thing Brody does have in common with his big brother is his difficulty during newborn photos. He was just 5 days old when Kristin came to take photos for us... and she ended up being at our house ALL day! At least she finished in one day, though. Tanner took two days. Here is a little behind the scenes glimpse. We can't wait to see the finished photos!
Tyler got me the most amazing "push present." It hasn't left my neck since.
One of my best friends, Hillary, brought Starbucks the day after we had Brody (she is a SAINT!) and filled out the pretty wreath she had made with his stats. Love it!
My sweet midwife and sweet momma made me feel special with flowers :) Love them both. One thing I haven't mentioned is how amazing I feel physically this time around! With Tanner, it took me over a month to feel like I could get around "normally," but this time I felt almost 100% normal in a few days! It is WONDERFUL!
We had planned a sprinkle for my friend, Angela, for last weekend and I was determined to go for a bit. We made it! Here we are all ready to celebrate Baby Alyssa.
My boys and I with Grandma. As usual, she has been a HUGE help. She is the reason I am getting any sleep at all and the main reason for my sanity as well :) I am going to cry some major tears when she leaves on Wednesday.
We have had bouts of spring weather here in Georgia and I was excited to play outside with Tanner less than a week after giving birth to Brody. It feels so good to feel so good!
Since Brody reached the 2 week mark and we knew he was gaining weight, we decided to start trying to implement some Moms On Call methods to work toward sanity and more sleep :) One of those methods is nightly baths. Brody didn't hate it = success!
We are also using the white noise machine, swaddling, and trying to get him on some sort of a schedule, as our experience with Tanner is that he found comfort in knowing what to expect throughout the day and night. I'm hoping to get on some sort of a schedule before my mom goes home, so I can survive being a mommy of two during the day on my own!
Second baby problems = "Baby's First Halloween" outfit in March. Ha ha.
Brody's eyes are the same slate gray color that Tanner's were as an infant. We will see if he ends up with brown eyes like Tanner and myself or blue eyes like his handsome daddy!
4 generations of good men.
Meeting Great Gamma and Aunt Ana and Uncle Brayden!
Hi, my name is Brody. My favorite middle of the night activity is to wait until my sleep-deprived mommy has nursed me, changed my diaper, swaddled me, and is ready to take me back to bed... and then I let out an explosive poo so she has to do steps 2-4 all over again again. Here I am smiling on the changing table after doing just that. Luckily I am cute, so I know my mommy can't be mad at me when I do this multiple times throughout the night.
Tanner drew our first portrait as a family of 4. We all look... well... tired. He's a good artist.
Even though we are tired and feel like walking zombies most of the time, I wouldn't trade these first two weeks for anything! We are already so in love with our newest little man. And he's excited to be 2 weeks old!