This and That

Jack is sleeping.....FINALLY.....so I thought I'd do a quick update while I can.  We had our first wedding this past weekend, my cousin Justine got married and he was SOOOOO unbelievably good the entire time.  Didn't cry or fuss once!  It was super hot and muggy, outside, and I totally expected him to be cranky.
Great to see family and for them to meet little Jack for the first time.
So my highlight of the week is that Jack has started getting really excited and smiling when he wakes up in the morning and he sees me lean over his bed and say good morning :)  It is exactly how I want to wake up and start my day, there is nothing like seeing his little face light up because he sees his momma.
Johnny and I chanced it and took him to lunch with us yesterday and although he woke up a couple times he was really good, no fussing at all.  I'm so proud of him!
I got one of those really nice digital cameras with the big lenses last week and have taking pics non stop of mostly Jack but really anything trying to learn how to use it.  Its really a lot of fun and I just uploaded all of my pics to the computer today, how I'm going to sort through them all is beyond me.  I like that it shoots multiple shots at once so you don't miss anything.
Here are a couple pics from the past week........he's getting so big!

Oh and today I had a first.....I was able to fit into my first pair of pre-pregnancy jeans!!!!!!  SO EXCITED!!! 

A few firsts

So we've had a few firsts lately, first smiles....yes that was plural!!  They only seem to happen in the morning though, Jack is a very happy baby after he wakes up and eats.  That's when we have the most fun.  We hang out and look around, we talk, sometimes sing, and watch Good Morning America and Live with Kelly!  Then its usually time to eat again...for Jack, not me.  Sometimes I don't get to eat until lunch time.
He was a bit cranky this morning for some reason though.  We had a lot of company last week and our schedule was thrown off a bit so we were all exhausted yesterday.  He slept all day so I knew I was in for it today.
I had a sad moment the other day when I realized he is quickly growing out of all of his newborn clothes (yes I'm going to be that mom who gets all sentimental over things like this).  I've had to pack away all newborn sleepers, his legs are too long for them :(  thankfully he still fits into the onsies and of course NB diapers.  But it was another first this week that we started wearing 3 month sleepers.  They are super cute though and it was nice to be able to start using some of the new stuff that's just been hanging in the closet.  Seriously the kid has a TON of clothes! 

All Smiles!  I love those toothless gums and chubby cheeks!

Jack got to meet his cousin Elin this past weekend, she is 2 years old and did not have a huge attention span for Jack.  Such a ball of energy!!!

Jack is one month

This week my sweet baby Jack turned one month!  I can't believe it and if every month flies by as fast as the first one did then I don't want him to get any older.  I could stare at him all day, not sure I will ever get sick of this.  Part of me wants him to stay this small forever, but then I'm so excited to see him smile (on purpose), and do all of the fun things that happen with getting bigger.  He has filled out so much already and I just love his chubby little cheeks he's getting.

 

He was so cute when trying to take these pics, with that said I really want to get one of those nice cameras with the big lenses.  I want to be able to take a picture when I push the button and not have to wait for it to focus and flash like I do with my point and shoot.  

As I've mentioned before I am currently breast feeding Jack.   I usually feed him every 2 hours but lately he's been wanting to eat sometimes every hour to hour and a half.  This would explain those chubby little cheeks.  I've tried to get him to take a pacifier but he just won't take one.  I've tried about 5 different kinds, I even went out and bought the kind that you stick your finger in based on a recommendation - but he will only suck on it if your finger is in it if at all.  So do I have the only baby on earth that hates a pacifier??  Any suggestions?  Part of me is happy he doesn't like it so I don't have to worry about breaking the habit later on, but another part of me wishes he would take one so that it keeps him occupied, and not always wanting to eat if all he really wants is the sensation of sucking.  

Some Essentials

So I was thinking it might be helpful to other soon to be mommies to know what I have found to be necessities so far having a new born.  There are lots of things you are told you need and then buy and then never even touch.  At least that's what I've found.  I'll start with the hospital bag.  When I was getting close I would Google and Google what items to have in your hospital bag.  There are so many lists out there but I don't all of it is necessary.  This is what I took with me: 

For ME:
1.  Comfy Pants / Pajama Pants 
2.  Nursing Tank - very comfy and easy access for breastfeeding
3.  Nursing Bra - shouldn't wear under-wire once you start breastfeeding plus they are super comfy to wear under tanks

4.  Going Home Outfit
5.  Phone Charger - essential for both Johnny and my phones
6.  Shower Stuff (travel size shampoo/conditioner, body wash, loofah, razor)
7.  Makeup, Makeup Remover Towelettes - I love these because they are great for just freshening up when you start to feel gross from just sitting around in hospital bed all day.
8.  I did bring a Hair Straightener :) But I wanted to be prepared for pics....hahaha
9.  Prenatal Vitamins
10.  Comfy Clothes for Johnny - he stayed in hospital with me both nights
11.  Toothbrush and Toothpaste
12.  Baby Calendar- so that nurses could stamp Jack's footprints in it - I don't have a baby book so I'm just using this. - *make sure to take this into delivery room with you and let nurses know you'd like this done because they do it all so fast once baby is born.
13.  Socks - but didn't use because it was summer
14.  Flip Flops - just wore to hospital - but may want to wear in shower as well
15.  Bathrobe - just a comfy lite one for covering up especially when you have visitors
16.  Pillows - for both Johnny and I - nice to have a piece of home with you when sleeping (not that we did much sleeping)
17.  Boppy - we didn't initially bring this but the lactation specialist asked if we had one when she was working with me, so Johnny ran home to get it.  Definitely helps!  So I recommend just bringing it with everything else.
18.  Chapstick - you WILL need this, hospitals get very dry
19.  Face Cream & Lotion
20.  Camera & Charger

 For BABY:
 1.  Going Home Outfit - I brought a newborn and a 0-3 month because I wasn't sure how big he'd be.  At 7lbs 11oz he easily fit into a NB and still does 3.5 weeks later!
2.  Hat
3.  Mittens
4.  Receiving Blanket for ride home
5.  Car Seat - but don't need to bring that in until its time to go home

It was nice to be able to put some music on in the delivery room, I know it sounds cheesy but for the first few hours you are just laying around waiting for your cervix to dilate enough to start pushing.  So Johnny played a Jack Johnson mix on Pandora.  Our room had a dock for our phone right behind my bed so it was convenient.
Also I recommend bringing some snacks or candy or something to munch on during your long nights in hospital.  I made Johnny bring me some swedish fish.  I just had a craving for them and since the baby roomed in with us, we were up all the time.
I ate hospital food but I also made Johnny go out and get me a turkey sub since I hadn't had one in 9 months!  It tasted SOOOOOO Delicious!



OK so once  you are home, and believe me you will be so glad to get out of that tiny room and into the comfort of your own home, you will find certain items to be more of a necessity than others.
Here are a few things that we have found to be really helpful and  we literally use every single day:

1.  Nursing Pads- if you are breastfeeding you WILL need these for leakage protection, plus I found they protect your breasts against rubbing against clothing

2.  Boppy -this will become your best friend, you can set the baby in it to sleep while your on the couch, on the floor for tummy time, and of course its great for breastfeeding

3.  Lots of Receiving Blankets -we go through so many of these.  I line his moses basket with one instead of a sheet because he pees through it often so I just swap it out with a clean one.  Since its summer they are lite for covering bare legs and arms, especially since he's in air conditioning all day and night.

4.  Diapers & Wipes both upstairs and downstairs - we change just as many diapers if not more downstairs as we do upstairs, so I got a cute basket and keep a set of diapers/wipes/Vaseline (for circumcision) downstairs in the family room.  The basket is a pretty way to keep things contained but not look like you have baby stuff all over the place.

5.  Zojirushi Water Boiler -I made to sure to register for this and let me tell you its a godsend!  It keeps water at 208 degrees at all times so all you have to do is push a button and steaming hot water pours out.  Perfect for sterilizing and warming bottles quickly.

6.  More than one Changing Pad Cover -baby will wet everything so you literally need at least 2 of everything you use all of the time.

7.  Lanolin -for mothers who are breastfeeding, this will really help on those cracked/blistered/very tender nipples.  Plus you don't have to wife off before feeding - its safe for baby.

8.  Breast Pump - life saver!  during those first couple weeks you and baby are learning how to breastfeed and it can be really tough.  Hard on you and your nipples.  When my milk came in my breasts became so engorged and were too hard (not to mention sore) to even fit in Jack's mouth - there just wasn't any extra skin for him to grasp.  So pumping first relieved some milk and softened them up for Jack to be able to eat. 

9.  Breast Pump Storage Containers/Bags -If you are pumping then you need these because breast milk is like GOLD, you don't want to waste any of it, especially for women who may not produce as much as others.  I just freeze any extra that I have.  It keeps for up to 12 months frozen.

10.  Dr. Brown Bottles - I prepare 2 bottles every night before bed of breast milk that I've pumped, this way Johnny can get up with him in the middle of the night and feed him.  Plus lets face it, my boobs are DONE by the end of the night, so I give them a rest all night.  The reason I like the Dr. Brown bottles is because it has a tube inside the bottle that reduces air getting into your baby, and I can tell it works because Jack only occasionally burbs after feeding. 

11.  Sanitary Pads -unfortunately you will need these for at least a couple weeks and then I've found I can go down to just liners.

12.  Flannel Waterproof Pads -I have a bunch of these and in all sizes, they are great for putting on the couch underneath baby when I need to change him.  I put one under the blanket on the mattress of moses basket (using as bassinet) so that any accidents don't touch the mattress.  I also have one on top of the changing pad cover so that I don't have to keep washing and changing it so much. 

13.  Onsies with Built in Mittens -these are so much easier than dealing with those little mittens that don't even stay on their little hands.  The bottom of the sleeves fold over the hands and stay in place.  I like to put Jack in them at night time so that I don't have to worry about him scratching his face during the night.  Carters has some really great ones, in fact I have the striped ones pictured above.

 And of course here are a few pics of Jack, I just can't resist :)

The Nap Nanny above
is GREAT for keeping Jack
content, its so soft and plush, plus
I can take it in any room I'm in!