Two Months

Goodness, baby boy.  Where has the time gone?  It really seems to fly by now that I'm back at work.  I just finished my first full week back at work, and man...let me tell you...I'm POOPED!  This working-mother-to-an-infant thing is HARD!  It's a constant struggle between mom and wife and worker...balancing all these hats is difficult.  I remember with my daughter that the first few months were the hardest, and thought that was mainly because I did it all with little to no help from the ex.  I get LOTS and LOTS of help now...and it's still challenging.  Maybe it's just supposed to be that way, or maybe I'm just 8 years older!  LOL!

Anyway, we took the little man to the doctor yesterday for his two month check up.  I have to tell you, I was worried about his weight gain a little bit, but he turned out totally normal.  Here's the stats:

Weight - 12 lbs, 7 ounces - 50th percentile

Length - 23" - also 50th percentile

They didn't write down the head circumference for me, but that was the only measurement that he was in the 90th percentile on!  He's got quite the noggin!  But we say that's just because he's so smart...got to have somewhere to store all those brains...but my favorite part of him?  Those little feet!!  They're just so cute!

But even being as cute as a button, performing well on tummy time for the doctor and looking great everywhere else didn't save him from the dreaded shots.  He got three injections and one oral vaccine.  Yuck!  (While we were there, big sister also got her first flu shot...she has to go back in 4 weeks for the secondary one...but she lucked out and it's a sniffer "shot" of mist through the nose!)  He was totally happy...

Picture taken with cell phone RIGHT before the nurse walked in...

And then all hell broke loose.  That first needle got him and he was like "What the HECK?"  I know that it was totally unexpected and startled him more than anything.  On that one he cried, but not that badly.  It was the two injections that came next that had him turning fourteen different shades of red and crying so hard that no sound was coming out of his little mouth.  Don't worry, though.  The lungs only malfunctioned for a few moments and then the real screams started.  I don't know who cried harder, him or me!

Afterwards, he slept.  A lot.  He ate too, but not like normal.  He was pretty restless all night long and ran a little bit of fever, but so far this morning he's been a peach.  Let's hope the day continues in this trend, because after getting up with him all night every 30-60 minutes to settle him back down...this house is tired!

Let's move on to your tricks!  Jax, you're changing so much each and every day.  You still don't really like tummy time, but you push up with your arms a little bit and hold your head up really well.  You like to play on your back on your play mat and are starting to actually reach for the toys that hang in your face. 
You smile, laugh and coo at us after your belly is full...and when it's empty you have NO problem letting us know that we're slacking in that department!  You're eating 3.5 or 4 ounces every 2.5 or 3 hours.  I break it down that way because at day care you eat less in each bottle because you want to feed more often.  At home, you take the fuller bottle less often. 

Your sleeping patterns have improved drastically over the past month!  You used to sleep from 8p for about 4-5 hours before being hungry and you will now stretch it to 5-6 hours each night.  And knock on wood, but the other night you went 7 hours before feeding with only waking up once for your pacifier.  I'd like to see that particular trend become more regular, so let's work on that, ok?  Thanks!  Since doctors define any stretch of sleep lasting longer between 5-6 hours as sleeping through the night, I guess you're there!  You also like to feed again in the early morning hours sometime between 5a-6a, but most days Mom's already up and about by then!

You are wearing clothes in the 0-3 month range with a few smaller 3-6 month outfits thrown in for good measure.  You are just starting to take an interest in some of your rattle-y type of toys, but not much else.  Your absolute favorite thing to play with right now are your hands.  You keep making the attempt to suck on your thumb, but since you keep it tucked into your fist you end up trying to suck on your whole fist - pretty comical!  You hold your hands constantly and once or twice you've snagged Mommy's and Sissy's hair.
You still love your swing most days, and you've taken to sleeping on your side.  You sleep each night in your crib...but still using the Boppy pillow.  You will NOT sleep unless you are swaddled.  And you have one swaddle blanket in particular that you're fond of.  I swear, it's got baby crack in it or something...maybe it's magic?  You will start fussing, and Dad or I will wrap you into that swaddle and you go out like a light.  Regular blankets will work in a pinch (if the magic crack swaddle blanket is being washed) but you don't like them as much. 

You recognize our voices and turn your head to find us when we come into the room.  When Dad picks you up from day care in the afternoons, you are just starting to squeal with happiness when you hear him...that really tickles him!

You are eating about half formula and half breastmilk these days as I struggle with my milk production.  This weekend, we're trying to let you cluster-feed to help with that, but it's a struggle to not give you any formula when you're crying and I know it's because you're hungry and there's nothing else for you from me.  It's early in the weekend though, so we'll see how that goes...I make no promises. 

Most of the time, you're a happy baby boy...
But we all have our days, right?
 
We love you SO much, Jax!  Looking forward to all the changes that will continue to come our way!