Tyler: Week 12

September 8-September 14, 2010 (11w-11w6d old)

Breastfeeding:

This is a day and a half worth of pumping and supplementing... e-nuf said!

Diapering:

You've heard me talk about hard water issues in the last couple of posts.  I believe this has caused us leaking dipes as the minerals in hard water 1. bind to detergent limiting its ability to clean and 2. leaves a buildup on the dipes causing them to repel liquids.  Well, we went to a home show over the weekend and stopped by a plumbing booth that was displaying a house water conditioning system that supposedly removes all the issues that hard water causes.  I inquired about it and then lost interest when they told me it cost $1900.  I entered in their drawing and then left.

The next day I got a phone call congratulating me on winning the system and wondering when they could come install it!  I couldn't believe it!  They installed it the very next day.  While they were here they tested my water.  On a scale of 1-25 with 25 being the hardest, our water was a 20.  So now I sit back and see if this system resolves the problems.

I tried out the Flip organic insert in my Flip dipe (pictured below).  I do not like it at all!  It's basically a big prefold folded in 3. It is way too bulky, especially between the legs.  Kerry took one look and said "OMGosh, he's got diaper camel toe!".  I laughed so hard!  I'll gladly stick with the Flip stay-dry inserts that I totally love.

I tried a new dipe this week, Softbums.  There's a little toggle on each leg elastic that allows you to adjust the leg openings perfectly to your baby.  They are very soft, fairly trim and work well.  I've tried both the dry touch and organic bamboo pods.  Both work well but so far I prefer the dry touch as it doesn't leave baby sitting in a wet dipe.  No stuffing required, just snap the pod in place and it's ready to go.  The shell is re-wearable as long as it doesn't get soiled, just snap a new pod in and go.  I really like this diaper system.

Tyler Update:

He sucked his thumb for the 2nd time.  I think we have a thumb sucker on our hands as soon as he develops a little more hand coordination.  He's also sucking his hands more aggressively and quite loudly.  It cracks us up!

He gives the most pathetic, but oh so cute pouty lip right before he starts to cry.

When he gets mad, he breathes heavy and tries to push his feet off.

Video:  Aggressively sucking his fists and then pushing his feet off.

He's almost starting to giggle, it won't be long now.  I can't wait!

He's starting to understand the word bottle.  I supplement with a bottle anytime BFing doesn't satisfy him.  Because he spends the 5 mins it takes me to prepare the bottle crying, I've been working on a way to communicate to him that more milk is on the way.  I keep saying the word bottle and when it's ready, I shake it in front of him so he can hear the liquid and continue saying bottle.  Now he seems to remain a little more calm when I say bottle as I think he's starting to associate it with more milk.

I put together his highchair this week and introduced him to it.  He's not super excited about it yet, but I'm sure that will change when he starts eating solids.

Video:  1st time in highchair

He loves being naked.  He stretches and if he could talk, I think he would be saying (in a 60's tone), ahhhh, I feel so free, peace man!

He finally holds our finger.  He's preferred to keep a tight fist since birth and had no interest in holding our finger until now.  I told him when he's holding daddy's finger to not pull it!

His eyes are finally free of eye boogers!  He's had this goop in his eyes since birth and it's finally gone.  The doc said it could last 6 months, so very happy it's over with.  No more cleaning his eyes every time he wakes up.

He loves sitting on his feet.

He's very slowly losing his strawberry blonde hair, all except at the back of his neck where there's a huge chunk of hair.  Blonde peach fuzz is starting to come in on the top.

Ty has never really been a needy baby as far as needing to be held, but he's starting to show more interest in wanting to be held more.  He used to only get fussy if he was hungry or overtired, but he's added wanting to be held to that list.

He's developed very mild stranger anxiety.  We used to be able to let anyone and everyone hold him.  Now he will sometimes burst into tears when handed to a stranger and immediately stop as soon as he's handed back.  It's funny watching how fast the stranger will hand the baby back!

I keep trying to introduce toys but he still has no interest in them.

He weighs 11lb3oz.  I can tell he's getting heavier as my back lets me know after carrying him all day.

Show and Tell:

Mama Update:

Considering I'm going back to work in a couple of weeks, I thought it was time to get Ty on a schedule.  I started out with the nursing schedule.  I tried to nurse every 3 hours but gave up after 3 days.  Ty prefers an every 1-2 hr schedule during the day and I don't have it in me to deny him nutrition when he cries for it sooner than 3 hrs.  I then read in a BFing book to never put a young baby on a feeding schedule and that it's best to feed on demand as that will ensure you meet their nutritional and emotional needs.  I'm just going to enjoy my last couple of weeks of going with the flow while I can.  I'm sure once I go back to work and I'm actually on a schedule, hopefully things like bed time, nap time, etc will fall in place for Ty as well.  We shall see, I'm sure it will be an adventure in itself.