Growin' Like a Weed

So, Henry is two months old; it is really hard to believe.  On one hand, it seems like he has always been here.  He seems like an old soul. He has already met so many people (aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc.).  He has also already been on some outings and a road trip:  Urban Orchard, Asheville Pizza, Buffalo Nickel, Grandparents' houses, The Underwoods, Universal Joint, The Mall, and Nine Mile).  On the other hand, it still seems surreal and new perhaps because he is changing and discovering new things in his surroundings every day. 

The first month presented LOTS of joy and some challenges as well.  Challenges first in no particular order:  crazy pregnancy hormones, an online class, Sam going back to work for a couple of weeks before his summer vacay, having to start clinic when Henry was only three weeks....meaning... I had to start pumping week two probably a little too soon before I  had a well established milk supply....which led to painful nursing...on top of pumping....on top of pregnancy hormones...on top of having to leave Henry for a couple of days a week before I was feeling ready.  I had originally thought I would not begin my clinic placement until July.  However, this could have meant that I would have had to go 5 days a week from 8-5.  Therefore, when the opportunity for a 2 day a week clinic placement for only a couple hours a week presented itself, I weighed my options, and decided that this was probably the best one.  Although, leaving him didn't sound too much fun, period.  (is the word period followed by an actual period redundant?).  So all of that is behind me...smooth sailing now.  The waters definitely do not seem so rocky.

Month 1: Henry settled into somewhat of a schedule.  He began to sleep a four-five hour stretch at night, nurse, sleep another 2-3 hours, nurse, and then sleep another two hours.  This afforded us a decent night of sleep.  There was an occasional night where he would wake ever two hours ready to nurse, but he was really pretty consistent.  His morning routine was to wake between 6-7, sometimes later, nurse, and then chill in his swing listening to birds for about 20-30 minutes while Mommy and Daddy ate breakfast.  He is so considerate!  He also really enjoys that wake up time in solitude.  I wonder what he thinks about?

He became much more alert.  He began to notice things around him that were in close proximity or provided a big contrast like an open window with a dark frame around it.  He also developed a preference for the right side of his head which had us worried, but when we called, were told that unless it hurts him to turn his head to the left, it is developmentally appropriate.  He also gained a lot of strength.  He began to turn his head 90 degrees during tummy time!  He also began to explore making coo and ah goo noises.



Month 2:  This month has been much easier, from about 6 weeks on.  He started cutting his feedings down from 12 to 9 or 10 which has really freed up some time for me!  He started going 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours between a couple of his afternoon feedings as well as sleeping 6 sometimes 7 hour stretches which means he is typically only waking for one night feeding.  Score!  More sleep for us! *Sike!  update since I last wrote that...his new schedule is to wake up at 11:30, be soothed back to sleep, 1 o'clock to eat, 5 o'clock to be soothed with his pacifier again, and then 6-6:30 to eat*.  *Another update since we started writing this:  He slept for the first time in his crib last night.  It went great.  He slept from 8-2:30 and then until almost 7.  It was great for me because I am such a light sleeper and wake up for every little peep he makes in his sleep.  Video monitors are the BOMB*  (As you can see with all the updates, it has taken us several weeks to write this blog!)  He has also started noticing faces, social smiling (which is precious), making eye contact, and exploring the many noises he can make (high pitch squeal and sometimes raspberry with his lips which is accidental right now...I think).  Henry has also begun to make it to his mouth with his hands (first his right and then his left), grasp objects with his hand (he is so close to being able to see an object, move his hand towards it, but he doesn't have the whole open fist and then move arm thing coordinated just yet...any day!), hold his head up for longer periods while he is being held, push up and try to roll over during tummy time, support a little weight on his legs, and follow Mommy with his eyes every step she takes.  And, boy has he grown!  He is roughly 23 inches and weighs 12.7 lbs.  It is truly amazing!  He is out of his newborn clothes, plowing through 0-3 month, and nicely fills out 3 month clothes now!

He seems to like the songs Little Bunny Foo Foo, 5 Green and Speckled Frogs, and 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.  He also likes it when I vacuum.  He had his first immersion bath and loved it!  He went from cough-crying to instantaneous ahhhh and relaxation.  I really enjoy swinging him under the big tree in our yard.  I think he likes to look up at the leaves and see the light through them.  He also smiles when I make a ghost noise.  Creepy, I know.  Oh, the things we will do to make a baby smile!  He fills his diapers but also my heart!

He hasn't had his 2 month appointment yet, but we had to take him to the doc last night because his belly button was oozing and he had a lump in it.  Turns out it is a granuloma which is when the tissue doesn't form properly.  Instead of regular skin, skin like the inside of his mouth had formed in his belly button, and the doctor burnt it out with silver nitrate.  It didn't seem to hurt him, but his belly button and the surrounding tissue turned gray like zombie skin!

In not baby news:  Sam and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary at Curate and French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  FIVE YEARS!  Boy, has time flown...I guess that means we have had some fun!  We also checked out Addison Farm Vineyard in Leicester.  It was pretty impressive.  The wine was good and the scenery was beautiful, not to mention it is close to our house, and we don't have to go through the hassle to park downtown for a glass of wine!  Other things we have accomplished on our summer to do list:  badminton, sangria, grilling, eating a Buffalo Nickel and Rhubarb.  A note on Rhubarb: overpriced and you leave hungry.  It had a write up in Southernliving, but we were sadly disappointed.  Should have gone to Cracker Barrel.


A letter from Dad:

Dear Henry,

It's pretty strange to think about how you've only been in the world for about eight weeks now.  All the things you've seen.  The sounds you've heard.  The poops you've pooped.  I'm sitting here on the back porch watching you fight falling asleep.  It seems we spend most of the day out here, and the day just flies by.

Things you like:  Your Mommy.   I think it's fair to say you like her more than me.  And I think she probably likes you more than me also.  So I've been spending a lot of time hanging out with Delilah, who's also sadly been neglected.  But it's ok.  I've grown quite fond of you anyway.  I've always thought of myself as a fairly quiet person.  Your Mother has since informed me that I am actually rather loud.  She usually informs me of this when you are napping, and I'm just walking through the house (rather loudly apparently) and maybe shutting a door or cabinet (also quite loudly).  You also like pooping.  You get a big smile on your face after you fill your diaper.  We take our daily sojourns out into the garden and around the house.  Usually more than once a day.   I think you like our walks.  I tell you about the garden, the chickens, the trees, and usually try to give you some nugget of wisdom, but you usually like to fall asleep when I get to that part.  You like to listen to birds.  One time we were laying on the back porch and you heard a bird and smiled.  I mimicked the bird and you looked and me and smiled in, what I like to think was amazement.  You really like to look at your Grandma's ukelele that is hanging on the wall in your nursery beside your changing table.  Every time your Mom or I strum a few strings you smile and laugh.  I'm not quite sure if you like it when I play the banjo for your on the back porch.  You at least tolerate it.  Sometimes you like to grab my finger and attempt to crush it with your mighty grip.  Sometimes it seems like our world is the back porch and the yard and garden, but that's ok.  It's a good place to be.

Sometimes I worry you'll grow up to like terrible music, video games, or something lame more than all the cool stuff we have to teach you.  Gardening, yoga, carving, basketball, badminton, the outdoors, genealogy, Westerns.  There is so much cool stuff in the world that you can do and create.

Speaking of which, a few projects I've been working on this summers, when I have time, are cleaning old rusty tools, and especially axes.  I found an old rusty axehead in the yard one day.  I thought it was a rock, so I dug it up.  Turned out to be an old pitted, rusty axe.  I cleaned it, using electrolysis on the back porch.  Then with sandpaper and a wire brush.  My Dad helped me put a new handle on it, and it turned out pretty nice.  I found another old rusty axe in my Dad's shed.  Cleaned it up using sandpaper.  Turns out it was my Granddad's axe.  It is a Sager Chemical Axe made in 1944.  Found the date under layers of rust.  It cleaned up REALLY nice.  Still had the original handle, which we put Tung oil on, and it looks incredible.  I also cleaned several old rusty Army picks my Dad had and some old tools Kellie's Dad had.  I'm not sure your Mom understood why I did all of this, but maybe you will one day.  They are really cool.
                                
 My Granddad's Sager Chemical Axe from 1944 (picture doesn't do it justice) and some picks (before and after cleaning.  The axe was in as rough shape as the back pick.
 

I have also been slowly chopping away at two tree stumps in the yard with a go-devil.  Talk about good hard work.  And fun!  I just couldn't stand those things.  The yard will be so much better without them.  Won't have to mow around them.  It will look great when I'm done, and I'm getting close.

You're Mom and I picked a bunch of blackberries at your Grandparents' house last week.  Your Mom made the best blackberry pie I think I've every had.  I guess I helped too.  You'll enjoy blackberry pie one day. 

Well, I have to say, you've really changed our lives.  For the better of course.  It's hard to describe what being a father is like.  I guess it's like this:  Fatherhood is getting pooped and peed on in the middle of the night.  Changing a diaper 10 seconds after you finished putting a fresh one on - also in the middle of the night.  Getting spit up on.  And loving you anyways.  (Because of all the other stuff I mentioned earlier).

One last note about poop.  I was thinking, the other night as I was changing your diaper at about 12:30am, how, changing your diaper at 12:30am is not my favorite thing to do.  You really fight it.  But the next day, I was watching you try to hold your head up, and it wobbled from side to side, and I realized how much you're growing and how independent you are already getting.  I realized how fleeting this time is.