your 2 weeks old....and a day

Dearest Max!

You are already 2 weeks and one day old - I say it that way because I had all intentions of getting a blog post up yesterday to celebrate your two week birthday. But I have to say that I am just not as good lately at keeping up with my own list of things to do. What I am more interested in is making sure you get fed on time and that your diaper is dry, and you are happy and comfy. That's really all I care about right now!

Here are a few photos we took yesterday. One was taken in the middle of the night right before I woke you for another feeding. You are so so so sweet and quiet and adorable that I just didn't want to wake you up.

Can you blame me!

This was a big week for you.

You spent time with Grandma DeeDee over the weekend, then you met your Grandpa Jerry, and his wife Shari. And now you are spending time with your Grandma Marty! WoW! Lots of grandparents wanting to meet you and squeeze you. They are all so in love with you and excited that you are here! I took photos with you and all of them and I just haven't gotten it together to download them and then post them - maybe that's a task for another blogging day.

Today you had an appointment with the Regional Center - Free assistance with Down Syndrome. They came over to check on you and see how you are doing. They raved about you - saying that you had just wonderful muscle tone and that are just so CUTE they couldn't stand it. We agreed!

Then we took you to another Pediatrician appointment. She says you are doing great. We need to keep adding more ounces of food each feeding and get you back up to your birth weight. Right now you are at 5 lbs,13 ounces and we want you at 6 lbs!
You eat so much as it is that I am surprised you aren't past 6 at this point!

You are opening your eyes more and more. Not sure what you think of us what you see us but you seem very intrigued by your papa - as am I ! Isn't he entertaining?!?!

I'm having a hard time with the breast feeding - which makes me really sad. I want to give you lots of great nutrients and my body just isn't supplying much. So while dad feeds you formula - I pump my milk for you - and you get whatever I can get for you. That seems my biggest mission at this point. Getting your milk supply! I've gotten lots and lots of support from friends, lactation specialists, and women who seem to know all about breast milk. Lots of it is helpful. Some of it is militant and un- necessary - but I am learning to take what I need and leave the rest - which I know you will be learning too at some point along the way.

I wish you could sleep with us in our bed. I want to hold you all night long. It's hard to have you in the bassinet next to the bed and not be able to reach over and put a hand around you. But - your papa and I just don't feel great about having you in the bed with us because of all the pillows and covers we use. We want you to be safe and that's more important to us then our own selfish wish to hold on to you all the time. If there was any way I could be 100% certain you would be ok in the bed - you would be there for sure. I wonder how you like the bassinet, and if you feel ok there emotionally without us as close to you or holding you? You seem to be ok - but I just can't tell!

You are starting to stay up a little more at night and we hold you on the couch as much as we possibly can when you get fed.

Your feeding schedule is:

1am
4am
7am
10am
1pm
4pm
7pm
10pm
1am

and repeat.

The feeding / diapering usually takes about an hour - when I am pumping milk as well as putting you to breast to see how that goes.

At night you get papa around the 4am feeding and I sleep , and then I do the 7am feeding so Papa can sleep.

I hear that generations before us the dad's didn't get up to feed or diaper. It just wasn't done. But luckily for you - you get both of us. Sometimes we share the feeding time, and some times we take turns so you get one of us for the entire time.
I love being a team. We have always called ourselves "team seiner" and now you make out team complete!

So glad you are here - and doing well and we love watching you grow and change right before our eyes.

Happy happy 2 week birthday baby Max. You light up our lives!

Love
mama