Snorts, gurgles and cries

Baby boy is now three weeks old. Time seems to have gone by fast. And yet slow. Days can be long, especially if he's particularly fussy or feed-demanding which can sometimes happen on an hourly basis. Still, we're starting to get used to each other.


He seems to be awake a bit longer during the day. Hubby and I have been trying to find good ways to keep him entertained, rather than just lying awake in his crib. Sometimes he seems happy to stare at the ceiling fan or some other intrigue unbeknownst to us. Other times, he gurgle-cries and does his rapid-breathing technique to indicate he is stressed/bored or some other emotion not yet clear to us.


But we're finding a routine. Slowly. Not an exact science, to be sure. However, I know that he has longer waking periods during the morning hours. He tends to nap a lot during the afternoon - enough so that I have to wake him for regular feeding. He has another wakeful period late afternoon/early evening. These can be "bad" crying periods. And two nights out of three, he seems to understand that nighttime is largely for sleeping, barring a few feeding frenzies. When that is the case, I actually feel fairly well rested during the day. Still, I typically nap at least once a day to keep my energy levels up. And hubby typically takes over at about 9pm when I sleep till midnight or so, before a night of sleeping/feeding cycle.


I haven't yet managed to find a way to do some work in between time. Most of my hours are taken up by feeding, changing, washing the baby, washing the dishes, doing laundry, etc. Yesterday, hubby was away most of the day, and we went to the market place together. I carried baby-boy in my chimparoo-sling thing; it worked great for him, but nearly killed my back (and it's only 4 blocks to the market). So I don't think that'll work out for very much longer. I'm considering returning the sling to the store and using the credit/money for other baby stuff. It seems like a waste otherwise.


It's fun to see baby-boy grow so much already. In fact, two outfits were never worn because he was too big from day one, and he's starting to outgrow a few others. He's feeding well and growing strong. My nipples are suffering and we had a frustrating day with a breast feeding expert this week who told me to try a new position. The first day of this "football hold" was a disaster for all concerned, but we seem to have found the trick to making it work. Although I'm not able to sit upright yet to do it, so it's another back killer. The expert also told me to use some special cream to heal the wounds that have formed on the sides of my nipples ... not sure if it's really working as the gaps remain but I'll try it for the recommended 7 days and see. In any case, I see my own doctor again next week.


Baby boy weighed 4080 grams as of Tuesday, a slight reduction in growth rate from 52g a day to 39g a day. But still well above the average which is good. 


And now, time for a nap, methinks.