Turner will be 4 Weeks old on Sunday! It seems like time is flying by but that may also be because I have no clue what day it is or what time it is (unless it is time for Turner to eat). It's crazy how your whole world gets wrapped up around this one little small person.
Brandon and I were walking with Turner last night and Brandon says "Isn't it crazy that he is a little person." - It was so cute! But yes, it is crazy to believe, and crazy that God trusts us to raise him.
Turner is eating like he is starving at each meal. Which is great, I just hope that translates to longer periods in between feedings soon. He eats about 3 to 4 oz. every 2 to 3 hours. In every book I have read and every website I have looked at it says they are supposed to be (if eating formula) eating only every 3 to 4 hours. I think we have only made it to the 4 hour mark once. We are glad he is eating though...it means he is growing strong. What comes in must also come out so I have been changing diapers like a champ...which is also good because that means his intestines are working!
His sleeping is all out of whack right now but it probably had more to do with me than with him. I was so stressed about making sure he was on a schedule and that he was eating so much and pooping so often that I was a stress case. I even have two apps on my phone and I would track when he ate, how much he ate, when he pooped and what his poop consistency and color was. At the hospital they drilled into my head..."schedule schedule schedule" and so I felt like if I wasn't keeping to that schedule than I was doing it all wrong and he was going to die (okay, not literally, but you know what I mean...that "its the end of the world feeling"). We had a really rough night two nights ago where he had just eaten and he had a clean diaper and he was supposed to be sleeping but he wasn't, and he cried from about 10:30 to about 3 and I just lost it. I cried and cried and Brandon came out and took him and laid down with him and he went right to sleep! Good thing he has a Daddy! Good thing I have a sweet husband who doesn't mind staying up with him even when he has to go to work the next day. My amazing mother in law called me the next morning because she felt inspired to and talked to me about how it is hard but so worth it and she shared some tips and tricks of the trade. I was so grateful for that phone call! She also gave me great advice....She said "I never put my kids on a schedule, I just let them set the schedule and it always worked out." That statement made me feel like a free woman again, not tied to an app on a cell phone scheduling every second of his day and trying to calm him while I wait until a specific time to feed him. Oh how I love Mothers! My mother, my mother in law, and all the mothers who have shared their kind words of wisdom (and war stories about their first few months with their newborns).
THANKS MOMS!
You already are figuring it out! It is a steep learning curve but you are rocking it! Just remember to learn from those few moments of clarity.
ReplyDeleteThat little bugger boo will definitely let you know what his schedule is! Listen to your mom in law...shes got it right! Scottie only ate in small portions all day (like every hour to 45 mins) and let me tell you....It did not stunt his growth or upset his childhood! it only altered my life!! Scott had colicky stomach issues then and a sensitive stomach his whole life...I wonder if the small portions more often are better for that?
ReplyDeleteDont be surprised if he bottle feeds longer than what your books tell you, either...every baby is so different! There really isn't a set in stone norm!
You are a great mom already!! I almost miss those long nights!! Almost... :)
Ok … my first one, Alann, ate every 45 minutes also - and, rarely slept. He is now 6'3" and over 200 lbs. He was just a growing boy! If I had stuck to a 2-3 hours schedule … oh my! Books and websites are great to give you information but every baby is different - trust me! All three of mine were! … And sometimes, they just cry - it doesn't matter how much you soothe, rock, change diapers, or cry yourself - they just cry. But, eventually, he WILL quit crying (then you fall into a mentally and physically exhausted heap, grateful that he finally went to sleep.) All three of you will survive this part of his life. It's all worth it, Mom … it's all worth it!
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