We survived!

Well folks, I made it! Phew! Actually my first day back at work was great, and I am glad to have it done and over with. I realized that the anxiety of thinking about going back to work was a lot worse than actually doing it. Truthfully, the hardest part was the night before when I was putting Jameson to bed. I felt the overwhelming sadness of leaving him and not seeing him for almost 24 hours. I didn't want put that little nugget down! Luckily, the morning came and went with more ease, probably because he was still soundly sleeping as I rushed out the door (I knew better than to go in and check on him before I left because there would have been some major waterworks!). It was a quiet day at work and it was good to see all the people I spend so much time with. Between taking care of patients, getting caught up on email, tying up loose ends and pumping (so time consuming) the day went rather quickly. When I got home that night I told Jake that my patients seemed so tiny, their combined weights barely more than what Jameson weighed at birth (I took care of a three pound baby and two four pounders). I want to say thanks to all my friends and family who sent me texts or words of encouragement throughout the day. I greatly appreciated it.

And believe it or not Jameson survived without me (tear). He had a great day with his grandma and I have no doubt he was happy as a clam. It was his first day of exclusive bottle feeding and it sounds like he did pretty well, of course, it may take a few days to figure out what his schedule and routine is going to be when he isn't nursing. Jake gave him a bottle around 7 and then he nursed for about 20 minutes at 8:30 and then he was off to bed. I don't know if he was truly hungry (playing catch-up?) or if he just needed a snack or he just did it because he enjoys it. Either way, I was happy to have him all to myself!

We spent this past weekend at the cabin with my parents and Will & Ann. It was pretty low-key, but a nice change of scenery for us. Of course, all the dogs were there too and I bought a pair of clippers at Target the other day and Jake & I had a pretty good time giving Lila what I call a "hillbilly haircut". Needless to say, she looks pretty mangy and I'm not sure if it was better or worse than the shaggy look she was sporting. The clippers were either so cheap or her hair was too thick (read: matted) to even work effectively, so we mostly trimmed her up with scissors. That would explain the random tufts on long hair I keep spotting but at least she can see now and we can forgo the groomer for a few more weeks. I'm sure she will get some pretty interesting looks the next time she heads in there. Anyway, I do not foresee myself making a career change to doggie grooming, I'll stick to trimming my bangs. I'm sure Lila will appreciate that, although she took it like a champ, obviously she hasn't seen herself in the mirror.

Headed out for a hike!

We also went on a little hiking excursion and enjoyed the great weather. After hiking my butt (and Jameson's) up a few hills I remarked that this felt just like the last time I hiked around the property being 40 weeks pregnant with Jameson (What was I thinking?). I was off balance and out of breath, but all of that adds up to a pretty good little workout. It was actually probably a little bit easier this time around since I was theoretically only carrying about an extra 15 or 16 pounds, instead of the at least 40 I gained while preggers (sigh). Anyway, we had fun and Jameson loves the opportunity to sport his neat little fleece :)

Little Rocker

Of course, Jameson dances to Metallica

12 weeks isn't enough!

I feel a little neglectful this month. I have posted plenty of pics but my words have been few. This could be for many reasons, one being I just love Jameson's sweet little face! Two being it is much easier to upload a pic than to sit down and right out a few things about our routine and blah blah blah. You've all heard it before. And third, it might be because I am very busy soaking up every second with my baby.

This week is my last week of maternity leave and I am very much struggling with the fact that I "get" to go back to work. Notice how I put the word "get"? It is part of my motivational and positive thinking. I think I tell Jake daily "I am so lucky to have such a great job" and then I go on and on to list the reasons why I love it and why it really is conducive to raising a family (but I also continue to have that feeling of dread). Now, that is not to say that I wouldn't prefer spending every day at home with the kiddo. But I keep reminding myself and saying my mantra aloud to Jake because it really is true. I mean, I can't complain about working 3 days a week, or even two days a week (When I go back I will be alternating between full-time and part-time, switching off each week). Yes, 12 hours shifts are a long time to be away (which usually ends up being about 14 hours away from the house), but heck, I will still have more days off work than on. I also have the world's greatest coworkers, who are much more than coworkers and feel like family. I also have the privilege of taking care of teeny-tiny babies, which feels more like a passion project than a job. And the most important thing I am grateful for is the fact that I even have a job and it allowed me 12 weeks at home with Jameson.

I could continue to go on and on about all the reasons I love my job. And I am sure Jake will appreciate me listing some of them here for you so maybe he will be spared tonight, but if you think of it, say a little prayer for me (especially on Monday) as I leave Jameson for the longest stretch ever. I promise to put a smile on my face as I squeeze back into those scrubs and spend a little time with my work family.

Now, for the real reason you are all here, here is a little update on Jameson. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but the kid continues to be awesome and he truly brings us so much joy. I've switched him to an 8 o'clock wakeup time and we are both happier and more bright-eyed. He's in bed by 9:30 at the latest and he is cooing up a storm. One of my favorite things is when he takes a break from eating to look up at me and coo and smile. It is so precious and I know it is a moment made just for me and that makes it all the more special. I've also pushed him toward more of a 4 hour schedule as he becomes a more efficient eater and since he will have a few days a week of exclusive bottle feeding when I am back at work. He seems pretty happy with it, and we are still working on cutting out his 5th feeding of the day which is really like a snack before bed, but I'm sure he'll drop it when he is ready and that's fine by me.

Other than that we haven't been up to much! I haven't had any income for weeks so we spend most nights watching Netflix and we are hooked on Lost! I know, we are definitely a little behind on that one, but it keeps us entertained when we aren't playing with Jameson. We've been able to have a few date night's with gift cards from Christmas, which mostly allows me to practice spending time away from home and Jameson so I don't go into shock next week ;) Until next time...

Prince Charming

Oh you know, just taking a little break from eating to show of my big gummy grin!

A Picture is worth a thousand words

Or in this case, a ton of pictures!

Noody!

I love my baby nakey! Look at those legs! Btw, it took some talent to snap this pic and I didn't even get peed on!

Baby Whisperer?

At least Jameson thinks so :)

Check Up

Well as most of you could probably guess Jameson is a growing boy. We had our 2 month wellness checkup today and he passed with flying colors. His stats are as follows:
Weight: 14.9 pounds which puts him in the 95 percentile
Height: 24 inches, 90th percentile

The doctor said he is well on track with his growth (which is pretty obvious) and he is very happy with his sleeping and eating habits and said just keep on keeping on. He did notice a little bit of atopic dermatitis, aka what he thinks might be the beginnings of some eczema on Jameson's skin. Being my child, I am not surprised that he might have some skin sensitivities. He has some rough areas above his knees and elbows and we previously experienced some cradle cap, which the doc thinks may be more related to the possible eczema. So we have a new bath routine (daily instead of every few days and less soap) and a new post bath routine (a new lotion and more of it). It's barely noticeable and right now our goal is mostly preventative because not much has popped up and we hope to keep it that way. Plus Jameson loves the bath so he isn't hating the new routine. Just be careful picking him up, he's awfully slick with all that lotion!

Jameson also has a tendency to favor keeping his head turned to the right. Ever since he was a few weeks old I would always find him in his crib with his head turned to the right and he favors it when laying on his back playing. Therefore, he has developed a little bit of a flat spot on that side, but the doctor said all the things I am already doing to help encourage him to spend some time looking to the left are helpful. So we will continue to try and capture Jameson's attention on his left side and I flipped him in his crib last night in the hope that maybe he is looking at the airplane pic on the wall and that's why he favors turning his head that way. Anyway, the only people who probably really notice it are crazy NICU nurses like me and luckily it's not a problem yet, but we want him to have a nice round head!

These days Jameson has become quite chatty, cooing an flirting. He is all smiles and continues to sleep 8-10 hours a night. He is a pro at finding his thumb and looooves to suck on it, his little fiinger is red. He has really mastered the thumb-sucking skill in the last few days. He continues to breastfeed like a champ and he loves to sit upright and look around. The best are his smiles that he gives out pretty freely!

So excited to be 2months old he can hardly contain himself!

HAHA- Jake and I strapped him in the highchair for fun- it makes him look so tiny!

so sweet

Lila wasn't far of course!

rub-a-dub-dub!

Most days our lives are pretty simple and follow a basic routine. We had another low-key weekend around the house running a few errands and hanging out with family. Kiki was in town so we spent a fun day in Noblesville trying out a new sushi restaurant and keeping my mom company while she wasn't feeling well. I am so happy to live near my family and it's days like that we are glad to have them near. Jake was pretty excited that some stuff he bought for Jameson arrived this week, including a landing strip bib with a matching airplane spoon and a star trek onesie (sigh) all from thinkgeek.com. Other than that not too much to report, just spending most of the day cooing over the sweet little baby in our life!

Little stinker

Story time

Steve Jobs style.