2 Month Check Up!

 

Band-Aid Baby!

 

This past Friday Dawson had his 2 month old check-up!  This mommy was not excited about her baby getting shots.  If you know anything about me, you most likely know that watching a needle enter someone is one of my biggest fears.  I can usually handle it when I get it done (after years of learning not to pass out).  But I still cannot watch someone else, let alone my child, get a shot.  I had told Brent that I was going to have to find someone to come with me or tell the nurse that I wouldn't hold Dawson.  I will do anything for my child, but I was more scared that I would drop him or let him fall from seeing the shot go in.  So I called the best person to call in these situations....who other than your own mother!  My Mom and Dad came and spent the weekend so that I would have some "support".

Dawson looked like he knew what was about to happen!

Grandma snuggling him before his shots.

Dr. Fisher is Dawson's pediatrician ( and no he does not normally look scary lol) .  I absolutely love him because he is "old school" and super thorough.  It is so nice to have a doctor who actually commended us for his tummy sleeping.  He even admits that the new SIDS rules have caused other issues with all of the back sleeping etc. and that as long as Dawson is strong ( and he is) then we need to do what is best for him to sleep!  As a new mom it is so nice to have a doctor who takes his time to sit and answer any questions that we have!

During Dawson's appointment we learned that we have a big "Little" boy ! He is growing like a weed and super healthy. 

Weight: 12 lb 13 oz (54th percentile)

Height: 24" (71st percentile)

Head: 42 cm (90th percentile)

Dawson seems to be doing well. His colic seems to be gone and we are going to start slowly weaning him back onto dairy this month.  Yay for mommy!!!

 

Dawson was not so perky after getting his shots ...poor fella!

We are thankful for a healthy, happy baby at 2 months! 

2 Months Old

 

 

How old? 2 Months
Total Weight:  Find out Friday…I’m guessing around 12 lbs.

Length: Find out Friday!
Eating: Back to nursing hallelujah! So proud of my boy for not giving up on me…Still giving him an evening bottle so Daddy can feed him. 
Sleep: Napping every 2 hours or so during the day….sleep is sporadic at night still…not really sure we have a pattern anymore…He must be growing!
Fun Facts: I have found my hands and feet this week!  I love to eat my fist and watch my feet kick!
New Developments:  Really holding my head up on my own these days!

I cannot believe I am already writing his 2 month post....where has the time gone?? My little baby is growing entirely too fast!  Being Dawson's mommy is the greatest gift ever...at times it is challenging and tiring and I see why being a Mom is one of the hardest jobs in the world! I am so thankful that my little boy has seemed to find his stride this month.  Once we cut out all dairy he seems to be such a happy little camper.  He is in such a good daytime pattern these days and although it was tough sticking to my schedule through the colic and reflux days...I do believe it has paid off!  He is on a 3 hour schedule (dictated by his feedings) of eat, wake time, and nap.  And so we repeat all day long!  He usually wakes up and I feed him....after he eats he loves to lay in the floor and coo and smile and giggle at the fan.  If he isn't playing in the floor he is in the crib watching his mobile and kicking away.  I absolutely love his wake time and make an effort each day to just simply play with him during that hour to hour and a half.  I have learned as soon as he begins to whimper during wake time it is nap time.  If we let him keep playing he becomes cranky and fights his nap, but if I lay him down immediately he sleeps for a solid 2 hours most times.
  Besides figuring out Dawson's tummy troubles, our biggest challenge has been his sleeping arrangements.  From the moment we found out we were expecting we decided we would not be co-sleeping whatsoever!  Dawson would not sleep in our bed through the night for any reason.  We wanted him to learn that he has a designated place for his nighttime sleep and that our bed is for Mom and Dad.  Many people may say oh an infant doesn't recognize that and I am sure in the beginning he wouldn't, but I did not want him to get used to feeling mommy beside him every night to fall asleep.  It has definitely been a battle and my tired body can see why some families decide to go with co-sleeping.  Due to all of the tummy troubles he has had a very tough time sleeping for any lengthy amount of time.  If he doesn't wake from hunger, he usually wakes from gas pains.  We went through a period in the day time where he would only sleep in 30 minute stretches and cry the rest of the time.  He has been sleeping in his bouncy seat and we would try the crib for naptime during the day ...only to end in him screaming the whole time until he refused to sleep at all.  I began to get very frustrated due to the fact that my son is quickly outgrowing sleeping in the bouncy and as for the bassinet he wakes every time he has a startle reflex.  One day while we were playing in the floor I decided since he was beginning to have better days without much fussing I would try tummy time again....Mind you during those rough weeks he HATED tummy time....well he hated almost everything except being held.  Well that morning I thought I would try it again.  As soon as I turned him over he started rooting for his paci so I gave it to him.  Within a matter of minutes he fell asleep....so I covered him and let him sleep.  I was thinking it might last for 30 minutes, but to my amazement for the first time in a few weeks he slept for 2 hours!  I thought that surely he was just very tired but decided to try it again next nap time.  Sure enough same thing!  And all day we did this and success!  So then my mind starts thinking...hmmm he won't sleep in the crib on his back but maybe his tummy??? So once Brent got home and we could both keep an eye on him we tried it...and he didn't even fight it!  This was a huge milestone for us! After that day Brent was set on letting him sleep on his tummy at night.  I was still so nervous because the pediatricians pump the word SIDS into your brain from the moment the baby arrives and every time you see them.  I knew I grew up sleeping that way as most of my generation did, but still couldn't get past the fact of what if....what if...thanks to all of the pamphlets they have you read at the hospital.  We talked to several people and got input because for this mommy it was a big decision.  We found that many colic babies have this issue and that most parents give in and have a tummy sleeper.  After letting him nap this way several days I started noticing him turning his head on his own.  This gave me such relief knowing he can move his face if something were to be blocking him from breathing.  Brent and I talked and talked about this decision and I still needed my extra security knowing I would be in a different room at night.  I told Brent that I wanted an angelcare monitor and that the peace of mind would be worth the money in my opinion.  We got online and read reviews and looked for other people in the same boat.  Sure enough many parents who have babies with tummy troubles invest in this monitor simply to let baby tummy sleep.  We found one for a great deal and purchased it and just started letting Dawson sleep in his crib at night.  I love being able to see the light blink when he breathes in and out.  The first 3 nights have been a little challenging because he seems to be waking more frequently.  We are assuming he is just getting used to the change or going through a growth spurt because he is wanting to eat more.  He has really done ok considering he used to refuse to lay in the crib, but we are ready to see him stretch more than three hours or so again at night. 
This week we go get shots and our 2 month check up!  I will post his stats in a blog over the weekend!  Life is great with sweet Dawson!