Thursday, March 12, 2009

Max is 5 weeks old....and a day

Max is 5 weeks old and a day. I'm not as good at keeping up with the photos on here as I was when I was pregnant. Probably because I had literally NOTHING to do but sit around and grow a baby in my belly and eat and watch tv. Now that Max Harrison has arrived I barely have time to remember to sit around!

Here is a little video for ya:




This week he is awake more - and his eyes are more open - he is tracking us with his eyes more - and enjoying listening to all the music that our friends Amy, Sean, Vera Mae and Iris sent to us! He is starting to grow out of the premie clothing - but not really fitting into regular newborn onsies yet. He is gripping things with his hands and drawing whatever it is to his mouth. We are taking him out a little bit - took him on a walk at the Rose bowl in his stroller - which he was asleep for but his parents totally enjoyed. And friends are slowly being allowed over to meet him.

Mama never really was able to produce any breast milk that was in an amount that could satisfy him, so after doing every single thing that the lactation consultant suggested ( pumping every 2 hours, taking fenugreek, eating oatmeal, putting brewer's yeast on my food, drinking mother's milk tea, going to breast feeding support group, putting hot compresses on my breasts, visualizing being filled up with breast milk ) I then learned that people who have polycystic ovaries don't produce much milk. Would have been so great to know this BEFORE I went through all of this. It was pretty stressful, depressing, sad, etc. I didn't know I was going to take it personally - but I sure did. I finally decided that being with Max was more important then stressing out over how he gets fed and I put it all to rest and remembered that Formula isn't the "f" word.
Do you remember that video by Momversation that I posted before I had Max??

This week we met a family that invited us over for lunch so we could meet their 9 month old who has down syndrome. Talk about ADORABLE! I couldn't stop staring at him. I'm so glad we met them and tomorrow we are going to a play group with them and other families and children that have "DS". I signed up for a yahoo group for parents of children with "DS" and already met handfuls of warm, loving and helpful people that I will meet in person soon. I'm feeling more and more excited about all that is going on for people like Max, and learning more every day. Jerry and I are tickled by all the love we are still receiving from friends and family.

Today Max spent the afternoon naked so he could air out after a sponge bath and then we gave him some tummy time to learn how to hold his head up more and gain more strength in his neck and arms and head, and then had a photo session with him and some of those photos have ended up here. We bought him a new rattle and a new pacifier that has a red dog stuft animal attached to it that you can see in one of the photos. The green, round pacifier and red dog on his tummy as he is totally passed out in my arms. I love listening to him breath, and watching his tummy move up and down with each breath. The squeeks are still killing me when he drinks from the bottle and we are still trying to catch this on video but for some reason he seems to be better at it off camera then on!

Max - we are so so so so so so so so so so so so so in LOVE with you - can you tell?





1 comment:

ClairityBe said...

So sorry to hear about your struggles with the milk. Of course you would take it personally. Of course, you *shouldn't* but that rarely stops us. But you are SO right - LOOK at him, my goodness, he is just so darn perfect, yes, just the way he is, how can you stay down? You are an inspiration to others and we look forward to seeing how you bring this great energy to the community you are finding for DS.
P.S. Love those kind of pacifiers