Now looking back over the past 6 weeks, Mike and I can both say what a ride... And not always in the best way. I can't even complain about Jack- on an average night he sleeps in 4 to 6 hour stretches. He is generally calm during the day with a few mild "fussy fits" that are typically solved by snuggling or singing. He breastfeeds like a champ, takes a bottle if I need him to without any problem, and has used a nook as needed since pretty much day one. He smiles when we talk to and play with him, and almost always calms down when one of us walks in the room. He makes the most hilarious faces- my favorite being when he sucks his lips under his gums and "chews" his cheeks and lips, like a little old man who's lost his dentures. Not to mention -and I know every new mommy believes this about her baby, but seriously- he is freaking gorgeous. Mike and I definitely can't complain. We were blessed with a happy, beautiful, non-colicky baby who surprises us every day with how big he's getting and how alert he has become. Our little genius in he making. Compared to the little troublemaker we thought he'd be with how violent he was in utero, he is a total angel.
So what's hard right now? Well, right now Jack is going through one of those often-forgotten times of babyhood many parents refer to as "growing pains." Typically, babies hit these points around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. How do you know they're going through a growth spurt? Ohhhh let me tell you. YOU WILL KNOW. Why? Because baby won't be the only one having growing pains.
Clue #1: Baby will NOT be put down. Jack decided early on during a growth spurt that if you put him down, you will risk total deafness. He would fall near-comatose in my arms for a good 45 minutes. Set him down in the crib or rock-n-play, and he lets out a shriek deafening enough to summon the Wauwatosa Police Department.
Lesson learned: Baby carrier + Swaddle = Mommy & Daddy's best friend during a growth spurt.
Clue #2: Baby fusses about nothing, constantly. No, it's not the deafening, inconsolable cry of a colicky baby. Nothing is that bad. But during a growth spurt baby will fuss about everything, always. The tv is too quiet, now it's too loud. The blanket's too cold. The lights are too bright. Your perfume is too strong. The dog smells like a dog. Anything. It doesn't matter what you do. Swaddling, nooks, feeding, warm compresses, even Johnson's calming lotion has got nothing on a growth spurt.
Lesson learned: Baby massage and warm baths (for baby), accompanied by lots and lots of distraction playtime. Seriously. Even if it's only 10 minutes of quiet, 10 minutes is 10 minutes. It does help. And then when baby's calm, give yourself a warm bath... But don't get too comfy.
Clue #3: Baby will try to latch onto everything but the kitchen sink. Yes, he really is that hungry. Growing is hard work. I get that growing is hard work, but when baby even tries to latch onto his pajama (that can't possibly feel like a nipple), you'd think he's more of a Tazmanian Devil than a baby. Jack normally would eat every 3-4 hours or so. During a growth spurt: try 1-2 hours. IF I'm lucky.
Lesson learned: Have your boobs or bottle armed and ready at all times.
Clue #4: Your nipples feel like they're going to fall off. This, obviously, is a direct result of Clue #3. Remember that crazy awful soreness you had those first 2 weeks after baby was born? Well, it's back with a vengeance. Back then, you had a measly little 10 day old hacking away at your breast. Now you're at the mercy of a ravenous 6 week old- and let me tell you, there's a BIG difference.
Lesson learned: Lansinoh. Unfortunately for me, Jack can't stand it regardless of how little or when I put it on (he's picky, like his father). So what do I do? Coconut oil. It washes off far easier than Lansinoh, and even if it doesn't, then Jack just gets a tropical twist to his meal.
Clue #5: You feel like you could eat everything in the pantry and still be hungry. Yup. Baby drains you, literally, during a growth spurt. You will be just as ravenous, if not more so, than baby.
Lesson learned: Make sure you have plenty of healthy food stocked in your house at 2 weeks and at 6 weeks, so when this period hits and you don't catch on right away, you don't go nuts and eat an entire pizza by yourself. Followed by half a gallon of ice cream.
Clue #6: Baby wakes up at all hours of the night. Yes. The schedule/routine you thought you had is gone. Jack would sleep for 4-6 hours a night. During a growth spurt I'm lucky if he sleeps 2 hours. It will make you want to die. You will sit there in bed with baby on your breast, thinking to yourself "What the heck did I eat today to make him so fussy? How is he still hungry? Did I forget to put the bedtime lotion on him? Is his onesie too tight? Is he too hot? Too cold?" No. He's just hungry as hell and won't let you sleep until you've given him every last drop from those boobs of yours.
Lesson learned: The crib is useless during a growth spurt. When he's having a bad night, we bring him in our room and put him back in his rock-n-play for the night to keep him close for when he fusses, and so Mommy doesn't have to get up over and over again. You'll feel like you're moving backwards when these nights come, but it will save you your sanity and there's a 99% chance he'll be right back to his crib in a few days time, sleeping like a champ again.
Clue #7: You feel like a zombie. Whenever Jack hits a growth spurt, I feel like I could land a leading roll in the Walking Dead. I am miserable the next day. Not to mention, it is extremely hard to wake me in the morning when Jack is up every hour to feed.
Lesson learned: Have the coffeemaker set to "auto." BUT, only have one cup. Seriously. Coffee can do unfortunate things to an otherwise calm baby.
But the worst of this spurt seems to be over. He's back to his normal, snuggly little self again and handsome as ever. He's getting so big it's amazing. He is even starting to get tall for his 3 month old clothes! Of course, he's a skinny little man, but my goodness is he tall. Our little string bean.
Major events
Jack now is a professional head-holder-upper. He LOVES books, mirrors, and Cooper. Oh, and his play gym. I can not recommend this thing enough. This one came with a little turning music mobile, which will entertain Jack for 20 minutes at a time. He is already reaching for the little hanging animals, and will sit and smile and coo at the brightly patterned mat.
