5 Weeks: Still growing

Liam had his 1 month well baby check up today. He is getting so dang big! The doc said that "normal" babies typically gain about 2 pounds from their birth weight at this appointment. Well, he weighed in at 11lbs. 8.5oz.! I guess it's really been an month + a week, but last week when I took him in he was 10lb. 2 oz. So, in 8 days, he's gained a pound plus some more! Yikes! Doc said that at the next check up (2 month visit), he'll probably be around 14lbs. My wrists are hurting more just thinking about that. Anyway, his head was 39cm around, and he is 22in. long.

I had other concerns to ask about, like his baby acne. It's all over his face, scalp and neck. Doesn't look very cute. He said it would go away on its own by 2-3 months. He's also got cradle cap. Another thing I asked about was reflux because Liam arches his back a lot. He said although it is a sign, he wanted to be conservative on medications and just wait to see if it got any worse at the next appointment before prescribing Zantac, which I totally understand. He doesn't spit up too often, and it's not projectile vomit, and he is gaining weight well, so he didn't think it was necessary at this time.

This week I also made the decision to bottlefeed. I'm pretty much over breastfeeding. It was too stressful for me with making sure the latch was right, dealing with gassiness, and just sitting there being a cow. I didn't feel any bonding like they say mothers feel when they breastfeed their baby, so it did not benefit me much. I'm pumping and feeding breeastmilk during the day, and for the night feedings we are giving him soy formula. It's worked out pretty well so far. He has been a little constipated, but that's just his body getting used to the formula. His poops are more pasty and stinky now. I kind of miss the kettle-corn popcorn smelling soft poops of breastmilk! Oh well. I'll take the stinky poos over being stressed!

We haven't had a blowout-colicky night lately (knock-on-wood), so maybe this new regimen is working out for the better! He still cries during the day, i.e. sometimes I can't just sit him down for 5 minutes without him crying. But I've learned to kind of phase the weak cries out and not let them get to me. I can distinguish the hunger cries from the cries that are just for attention or discomfort. At least I think I can. There are good days where he is calm most of the time and I can put him down to sleep and get my showers in. A good shower makes me feel so much better!

We also paid a deposit to the daycare that will be watching Liam when I have to go back to work. It seems like a nice place with nice people. The infant room has about 9 babies in it with 3-4 ladies working in there at a time. All those babies were so calm when I visited! I hope they can handle the Master Liam and his fussy bouts! LOL Maybe by the time he starts he will be over that stage... It was going to start Feb 1, but my short term disability went though and they sent me a check, so I may take another month of leave to have the complete 12 weeks that FMLA allows. If it works out, then I won't have to start him until March 1!

I am going to post a few more photos on shutterfly I took from the past couple days. We visited Auntie Jen Lee and her kids, and Auntie Clarice and Luke!

Friday is my 6 week post-partum checkup! I hope everything looks good down there!!!