Two Weeks

Our Tiny Boo2 is two weeks old, I am amazed that the time has gone so fast.  He is feeding so well and I am really happy that I have plenty of milk for him as well - with JBB we needed to top him up every night with formula but we don't have to do that with Boo2.  We have an appointment with the maternal health nurse tomorrow so I am looking forward to a good weight gain.  A girlfriend who was due on the same day as I was had her baby a couple of days ago, also a boy but he was almost double Boo2's weight at birth.  Boo2 was in 00000 clothes when he was born but he is already too long for those now - he is very, very skinny (but very healthy, thank goodness!!).  I'm thankful every day that they got him out a little earlier since he had stopped growing.  He is one hungry kid, let me tell you.

He is a pretty chilled out baby, eats well, sleeps well and has a little chat (aaaaah) when he is awake.  He has quite an intense stare and he likes to check out everything around him when he is awake.  I am feeding on demand and he usually goes around 3-4 hours between feeds, sometimes (like yesterday) he will go through a cluster of 3-4 feeds in around 4 or 5 hours.

It is taking me a long time to recover from the c-section, there is still quite a bit of pain and it feels like such a longer road back to health this time. I also am very concerned about my weight - I definitely need to start losing some weight as it got out of control during the pregnancy.  This is hugely important to me because I am an older mother, I need to be in tip top shape to be able to chase after my boys but also to be there as long as possible in their lives.  I hope to be around and fit enough to enjoy being a grandmother but that will mean that I need to be in absolute top fitness (i.e. if they wait until they are in their 30's to have kids, I will be in my 70's - eeep!!!).

JBB is an awesome big brother, he is so gentle with Boo2 and loves to give him kisses and hold him.  I am so proud of him.  We did have a rough time last week because he was way out of his routine and wasn't having his afternoon sleeps so we were in tantrum city. Thankfully this week, he is back having his afternoon sleeps again and we have a much more harmonious household.  It is great to have JourneyMan at home to help out with the two of them as I definitely would be struggling if I was on my own since I can't pick up JBB at the moment because of the c-section.

Last week, I was feeling pretty low because JBB was having lots of tantrums and I felt like all I was doing was telling him off.  Now we are in a bit of a better routine and we are now back to having lots of cuddles and I make sure that I spend some one on one time with him every day.

The hormones have gotten to me a bit as well.  Last week JBB said that one of his friends at daycare had told him to 'go away' and I burst into tears.  

It is interesting though what a difference experience makes.  With JBB I was pretty stressed out because I didn't have enough milk for him and had to top him up with formula.  I also was really shocked at the relentlessness of getting up every 2-4 hours to feed, it was quite a change to how our lives were before and of course, nothing could prepare you for how that was.  This time, I am tired but for the most part it is just something I do.  I think that the hardest thing that I have dealt with over the past 3 years is when JBB got sick.  Those weeks were the worst of my life.  I was up for almost a week without sleep as I was holding him whilst he whimpered with pain for days on end.  If I dozed off, I would wake up and rediscover that the nightmare was still real.  

I think that the experience of that terrifying time has given me really good perspective.  I hear Boo2 crying with hunger and whilst I am tired, I am also happy to get up and give him some food.  It's a time that I am relishing being with him, just him and me.  It is the last time that I will be breastfeeding a newborn so I am enjoying every minute.  

Two weeks, where does the time go?