All kinds of things have happened in the last 3 1/2 weeks and I don't know where to begin so I'll just ramble for a while and hopefully, you'll pick up on the majority of it.
How can you forget so much in such a short period of time? What am I talking about? Well, I can't remember Dylan's fussy time of the day or even how fussy he was. I can't remember how much he was eating at what age. I can't remember how many times I had to get up with him each night. Those are all the bad things you say. Yes, and that's why people are able to have more than one child. If God allowed you to remember all those long miserable nights where you were up and down 3 times for an hour at a time, you got peed or pooped on in the middle of the night, or even better spit up on twice, you had to change their clothes more than once and yours also or how much they cried all day and you couldn't figure out what was wrong...well, that's why God doesn't leave that fresh in your mind.
How can two children be so much alike, from the same parents, and yet so different? Dylan was sooooo easy to put on a schedule. Out he popped and in the hospital we established a 2 1/2 to 3 hour feeding schedule and when we got home it just continued. At least, I think so. See that's the problem. I can't remember. So, then we have Eli. There's no scheduling in the hospital now. They'll bring them to you every hour if they think he's hungry and then they'll wait up to 6 hours if they don't. How crazy is that? Then, you come home and he wants to eat now and maybe again in an hour. They say most babies are fussy in the evening. Not Eli. His fussy time is between 8 and 10 in the morning. Eli is so much stronger than Dylan was at this age...at least, I think so. Again, that's the problem. I can't remember. I think I'm going crazy.
They say you should have a first smile some time nearing the end of the first month. No, gas bubbles that produce smiles don't count. I've seen him smile but I'm talking about a responsive smile. That means you do something or say something and then he makes eye contact and smiles. I haven't got one of those, yet and we only have 5 days left before month one is over. That's ok, though. We'll get it!
They say babies can only see 8 to 15 inches away and then nearing the end of the first month they can start to concentrate on objects up to 3 feet away. To be honest with you, up until about 3 days ago...I wasn't sure he could even see me when I was 6 inches in front of his face. He wouldn't make eye contact at all. Now, he'll actually follow my face if I move it around right in front of him. That's cool!
They say babies should be eating 6-8 times per day on average 3-4 ounces per feeding. Well, there are days we eat 3 ounces a feeding and then there are days, like today, where he eats 2 ounces one feeding and then the next he gobbles down 6 ounces and is still gnawing on his fist wanting more. That's crazy!
They say breast fed babies are given a natural laxative in the breast milk and formula fed babies are more constipated. Well, I can assure you that is true with both of my children. Dylan had diaper rash only once or twice in his diapering days. Well, those are completely over...but you know what I mean. Eli had diaper rash a time or two in the hospital but once we got home and got our Super Duper Diaper Doo, he hasn't had it again. We put a little on after every diaper change. And, yes, he has problems with his bowel movements. You definitely know when he's doing his duty and it's not always daily. So why didn't I breast feed? It didn't work out. I was going to pump 4 times a day and I did that very consistently until he was 3 weeks old and then I just felt like I wasn't really getting a whole lot pumping. I was still having to supplement a lot. I was spending that much time not sleeping or spending time with "my boys". So, I backed it down to 3 times a day and then 2 and then 1 and then none. I'm done! I did it that way so I wouldn't get engorged. It worked ok. Eli being a formula baby was not my plan. I really wanted breast feeding to work out, but when it didn't I knew in the back of my mind that pumping and bottle feeding wasn't going to be permanent. Then, I just decided to not worry what everyone else thought and formula feed. Dylan turned out fine and many other babies have, also. He may be sick more often and he may not have regular bowel movements, but we'll work out all of those jitters and he'll still have a great life because he will be, most importantly, LOVED by his father and mother.
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