BABY REACHED A NEW MILESTONE, NO LONGER NEWBORN
I can no longer call it an episode because it’s not a crazy reality show. It is a beautiful time in our lives. I don’t know what happened since I just blinked and went from being pregnant in contractions and then saying goodbye to the newborn baby stage. At least that’s how it felt.
I thought pregnancy went a bit quick but nothing compares to having your little baby with you to speed time up faster. The sleepless nights seem like they were a part of a bad dream as if they never happened to us. But I have pictures to prove they did, with ugly bags under our eyes.
BIRTH TO FIRST MONTH
That month, beginning from going into labor, to the hospital and coming home, it’s all the worst. It just gets easier from there. No one came around to tell us that but somehow we learned it. The few people that came by were just here to love on the baby. Plus we used that time to wash bottles, bathe or anything else.
Between the breastfeeding, the pumping and figuring out our little one’s needs it was a heck of a month. Somehow we squeezed Christmas in there.
He loves his sponge baths and hates burps & hiccups. My weird child.
FIRST MONTH- SECOND MONTH
We started a new year, still having to remind ourselves that we were parents. We took him to his first art opening. He saw me win a prize for one of my artworks. No big deal to him, since he was part artist, he did help make the piece while I was pregnant.
I spoke about the fourth trimester, which I’m sorry it is. I still felt that in a way I was pregnant. Having to take care of myself and now guard a little life, it was a process. I couldn’t wait for him to get his shots.
During this time, he lost some of the crazy gassiness he experienced the first month. We also switched him to a great formula, but that is a story for another post. We migrated from our living room to Hubby’s man cave. We don’t want our home to throw up baby, so this helps to keep our house organized. Baby Zev loves bright colors, and he’s enjoying TV shows with such colors. He also went on his first road trip, we drove at night while he slept, but still, he did great.
He hated his first bath, we tried a different way on his second it wasn’t the best, but third time’s the charm. We obviously nailed it because he loves his baths now.
SECOND MONTH-THIRD MONTH
This entire time I haven’t been super mom doing it all alone. The sleepless nights have been a shared experience. The husband was on family leave of absence. I was going through too much before the delivery, during delivery and after. I can completely understand how women break down and have postpartum depression. Luckily I have a good husband and a great doctor who kept talking to him about how to help me. Sadly he lost his job when he returned from the leave of absence, but we are ok.
By this time baby was used to his new family and was training us pretty well on how to take care of him. All A+ at his pediatrician visits, far cry from the lectures we received at the hospital because he lost weight while we were there. Now no one can stop him from growing!
We had to leave our little prince for the first time, but he did great. He is now progressed from bright colors to PBS, I would have never guessed he could understand. He loves all the shows, all very educational by the way, we are learning things from them! He is cooing and baby talking all the time. He smiles! A smile that melts me each time. This is the best!
THIRD MONTH
Our little man is growing so much and so fast. He is his own little person full of a unique personality. Things he did in my stomach, he is still doing, like the soccer kicks. He is such a strong kicker. Daddy swears he will be a football or soccer player.
The restless sleep is gone, he sleeps long hours now. I’m so thankful for 3-6 hours of sleep, it feels amazing. He loves tummy time, he can’t hold his head 100% but he loves trying. Baby is also trying to sit on his own, this little boy is obviously going to be very independent. I began taking him on daily stroller walks and he enjoys them, but they wear him out, he goes down for his nap as soon as we come back. You would think he is the one walking and pushing the stroller.
We took on his second road trip. He hosted family from out of town and he bonded after a few days. We took him everywhere during that week and messed with his nap schedule and he was still in great spirits. The following week he did rest a lot to make up for it. He also had a few firsts during this time. Reaching and grabbing being some of those first. He reached out for me, his mama, I almost cried.
We left him with my sister for a second time for a few hours while we celebrated our anniversary with our first date since becoming parents. We ended his first trimester with a photoshoot with Anel of Tender Nest Portraits. That was a great experience for mommy since I have been wanting professional photographs with my Prince.
HOW WE DID SO FAR
I think for a couple that had no help from parents or grandparents, I think we did pretty good. We did have to leave him twice and I was so torn about it. My sister was thrilled to be his first and so far only babysitter, even if it was only a few hours. He loves her so it all went smoothly.