Social Mommy

So I hosted a lunch today for 2 of the girls in my mommy's group. What a kick! We've been meeting in restaurants downtown, but last week with 5 girls, 4 babies + strollers, and 2 grandmothers, I think we strained our relationships with the other clientele. So this week, I volunteered to meet at our house. So there we were, 3 women with babies. We alternated chatting, breastfeeding, changing dirty diapers and clothes, and calming crying infants. It was lovely to have them here today, not only to have people in the house and adult conversation, but to share the time with 2 similar women in the exact same situation as I find myself. This baby is all of our firsts, we all work, and we are all planning on going back to work. We commiserated today that a "big day" these days is when you accomplish things like getting the car repaired or going to the grocery -- a long shot from our previous life! I look forward to years ahead with these women.

Week 0 - 7 :: Visually

The first 7 weeks with our little Miles...

Overdue Update

I apologize for the lapse in posting! It's been a while - but we have a lot going on! My Mom, "Beebles" (grandma name) came out to help out now that Tim is back at work. We had a nice visit, but she was mostly here to work. She made dinner every night, weeded in the garden, and helped with some other new-home-owner tasks like trying to sort out the sprinkler system and looking for bookshelves. More than that, though, she got me out of the house. We went out every day for various errands or meals, and helped me get confidence taking an infant around with me who may or may not be on his best behavior.

One of the more exciting moments was in the framing store. Miles cried all the way to the store - about a 15 minute drive - in his car seat. So I decided to take him out of his seat and put him in the baby bjorn. For those of you who are not familiar with this great apparatus, it's basically like wearing a back pack on your stomach where the baby is the back pack. He is positioned, more or less, with his head right at my boobs - this is oddly comforting to him. About 2 minutes into the store, he puked, which, you guessed it, went straight down my chest. I was wearing a v-neck shirt and he covered the better part of my chest plate, my shirt, bra and sweater in milk. Sweet... or should I say sour!! (I guess these are the moments that I will look back on fondly.)

After Mom left, Tim and I took advantage of a spectacular weekend out here and went out to Half Moon Bay on both Saturday and Sunday. I am getting more and more comfortable getting out of the house. Though I have yet to breastfeed in a public place, I have done it in the car a number of times and we are getting pretty good at it. I have also taken to using my hooter-hider (no joke - a cloth thing that allows me to cover up me and Miles while he feeds but still allows me to look down at him) in the house when Tim's folks are here. I know it isn't public, but it is all steps in the directions towards getting out and about.


The last 2 days, Miles and I have settled into a good routine! No tears from me this week and I am getting more confidence daily. We typically wake up around 7:30. I leap out of bed and shower in the moments before Miles demands to be fed. After I get ready for the day, Tim takes his shower and I feed Miles. Tim is then off to the office and I Miles and I hang out together. This is my favorite time of day - he is typically super smiley and happy after a good nights sleep (for him) and good breakfast. He often cluster feeds in the morning so we usually have another feeding around 9:30. By 10:30, I am out the door in the car for errands (grocery, target, whatever). Miles hates his car seat and often cries the whole time, but he is getting more used to it. At the crocery store this morning, I had him in the baby bjorn again and he was perfect. When we get home, I feed him again around noon. At 1:00, we've been napping for a good 2 hours. (yay!) Then in the afternoon, we go for a walk, yesterday is was down town for some more errands and today it was to meet Tim at the train station. He has been getting a bit fussy in the evening, but as I understand it, this is normal for babies in the evening.

Life is good in the Reeth family. Grandma and Grandpa are here for dinner tonight as they have packed up all their California belongings and are officially moving up to Reno for retirement. I only have the opportunity to blog as Miles is in Grandma's arms right now.

As for a Miles update - he is definitely growing! It's amazing looking at him now and comparing him in size to the little man we brought home almost 7 weeks ago! He is much more alert when he is awake and is smiling more and more. Sometimes we get a giggle out of him, but haven't been able to capture it on film yet.

More photos at Flickr!

More Independent

Miles seems to be getting more and more independent - which is great because it allows me to have my hands free and for me to be more and more independent. I got a vibrating rocker from ECK that Miles now sits in while I do my business in the kitchen. He can sit there for about 20 minutes at a time, which allows me to make and eat breakfast and lunch, and cook dinner. Sometimes he'll take to the swing, but it tends to be hit or miss, and if it is a miss, then it is a way miss. I don't want him to switch completely to not want me to hold him (I love holding him) but, I do also need to get some things done sometimes!!

5 Weeks!!!

We had some big milestones (or 'tones as we call them around here - get it?) this week.

• -I had my first day all by myself and the little man. We mostly made it through ok, but towards the end of the day and Miles' witching hour, we both had a meltdown. It didn't help that Tim was delayed in the city and I just wanted him home. (Side note:I have to admit that I was totally spoiled by his month off with us. He is a tremendous father to Miles and a wonder helper to me - what a great husband I have.)
• - We figured out the baby bjorn and I can now use that to calm him and to walk around in. I used it to do chores around the house and at the grocery store today.
  
• - We successfully used the swing twice today!!! At breakfast, after his morning feeding, he happily swung himself to sleep. At lunch, we put him in it while he was asleep and he stayed asleep. Needless to say, he has gotten a lot of sleep today - which may account for a little of the fussiness we are getting tonight.
• - He lunched downtown with me and my Mom who is out here to help out. She's been great and encouraging to me to help me learn what I can and how mobile I can be with an infant. (She's also organized my pen bucket -- HUGE help. grin.)
• - He rocks at tummy-time. He help his head up high - about 45 degrees and for a while today. I was truly impressed with our little muscle man!!
  

He seems to be responding more and more to me and Tim. He watches us attentively. While we interact with him, he seems to brighten up and smile more and more. I am not sure if this is a full born social smile, or still a reflexive smile, but we love to stare at him and watch his face come to life. What an amazing experience.

Could they be any cuter?

:: see more ::

Yesterday was not a good day for Lina

(side note: I just wrote my name as "Linda" -- give you any insight into how I am doing?)

Yesterday was the first day that Miles and I had on our own... or at least it was supposed to be. After probably a total of 4 hours of sleep, being awake for 8 hours by noon, and 4 hours of Mile's wailing inconsolably, and baby puke to write home about, it seems I needed rescuing. Right about the time that I sent the SOS, I actually got the situation under control. When Tim came home at 3:00, we were both napping upstairs and Miles awoke in a delightful mood.... which he stayed in through Grandma and Grandpa's visit. In fact, he was a little angel until about 8:00 when he got over tired and fussy again.

I headed to bed early and let Tim give him a bottle at 9:00. The two of them came to bed around 11:30 and we had (another) fitful night. It seems our boy has taken to squeaking throughout the night. It might be somewhat cute, except that it robs us of sleep. Tim was "on call" or should I say "on squeak" until 1. Then I took over from 1 - 5. And Tim was back on from 5 - 7. On squeak doesn't take much except putting a hand on our sleeping boy. He stops squeaking when this takes place and we get more sleep. We may need to revisit our sleeping strategy as being on squeak doesn't yield much rest, regardless of whether he quiets down or not.

This morning started before 7:00 - but the good news is that I got a shower in! At 8, a fed Miles and I drove Dad to BART in Millbrea and headed home. He got home pretty fussy, but I got him into the baby bjorn and now he is zonked out on my chest. I got some paperwork organized and have been on the phone with insurance companies all morning (isn't our health care system lovely?). It's now time for another feeding, but this day is off to a far better start then yesterday! If you read this, send me good thoughts - Tim won't be home until late!!