It's amazing. All the cliche's are true. This special time is so short and it flies by. He changes by the day and there are so many firsts. First time in a particular outfit. First time at our favorite restaurant by the sea. First time he really smiled back at us. First time at my mom's house. Just earlier tonight a friend asked me about motherhood. I said it's hard and it's easy. And it's amazing. Like Sergio said in an email to an old friend just a few days ago:
It's pretty fun having him in our life.
Luca report:
He is more responsive now and we are loving it. The mornings are the best. If he doesn't wake us with a cry, it's his cooing and baby gurgling that does. We go over to him in his bassinet at the foot of our bed and he will smile when he sees either of us. Sometimes, if it's a little early and he's not quite crying but making soft fussing noises, we'll bring him into our bed with us just for a bit. He usually settles down and dozes off. It's the most wonderful feeling ever to have our child in our bed with us. Immensely cozy.
I can't remember when it happened but he stopped fussing through diaper changes. Though he doesn't like a dirty diaper in general, he seems to hate the wet variety with red-faced passion. We play with him when we take him to the changing table. In my case, it's really just me trying to make him smile. Right now, it's me saying "Good morning!" in a funny, exaggerated voice. Sometimes I'll say it in Cantonese or Italian. I think it's the lilt in how I'm pronouncing the words that makes him laugh. I also caress his cheek and chin or touch his little nose. He seems to like when we dab the corners of his mouth really dainty-like with a cloth. We also played our first successful game of peek-a-boo! I also sometimes sing the chorus to "you are my sunshine" - that's the only part I remember. He doesn't seem to mind the repetition. In fact, he seems to think all of this is just lovely and fun. It's so amazing and heart melting to see his little face beaming back at us.
What he doesn't find fun right now is bottle feeding. We had early success when he was a month old, but he is refusing it currently. We've tried three different sets of bottles/nipples. We tried warming the milk, giving it to him fresh...nope. Tears and lip quivers. A little bit of screaming. But he is eating healthily on the boob! Breastfeeding was painful in the beginning but it's all good now. I still haven't mastered the art of nursing in public. I have a cover that Martha gave me but I can't seem to make it work.
He is filling out nicely with all the eating! He's got some very smoochable cheeks and squishable thighs. I love it. Whenever he eats, it's as if his entire body fills up and I can feel the difference in weight. Sergio and I think his face rounds out after a meal and then slims back down as he digests. Can that be? We think he is at around 12 pounds now based on our home scale. We have a doctor appointment in a couple weeks so we'll get the official weigh in. He's grown out of his newborn clothes and steadily going through his 3 month old outfits. He hates hats. Just like his dad. We've kept mitts on to keep him from scratching his eyes out. Amazing how quickly his nails grow.
We dealt with colic type response early on and I changed my diet as a result. No more gassy veggies like onion and broccoli. We think he must be sensitive to lactose right now as I've cut out dairy and he's immensely better. (I miss cheese. Really. I do. But I can eat goat cheese!) He is now sleeping very well. At about 1.5 months he was only waking once in the night for a feeding. Now he sleeps all the way through from about 9PM to about 6AM - give or take an hour on each side. Fingers crossed he remains a good sleeper!
He hangs out in his crib fairly well during the day and loves his little owl mobile. It literally makes him laugh! But I like to keep him nearer to me in his bouncer chair. We haven't used the bounce feature in a while though. Sergio puts him in the swing if he's having a particularly rough night, which is rare. It does work most of the time. Unfortunately only if the music is on and honestly, the music is pretty awful.
We tried the tummy tub in the beginning and he really hated it. The first time we switched to the whale tub, he loved it! In fact, it's when he gave us some of his first real smiles! Since then though, he sits through bath time with eyes wide, quietly watching us. Seems like he enjoys it but I'm not really sure. He hates it when we take him out, probably from the temperature change.
His skin has cleared some. He was flaking for quite a while and he definitely had a case of cradle cap on his face (not his scalp oddly). I also think he had a mild case of baby acne mixed in. His tiny cheeks got so rough and chapped, and his eyebrow area was so crusty. I'm not sure if he felt uncomfortable from either but we were a little worried it wouldn't go away. Of course, it began clearing up the week we decided to make a doctor appointment.
He has experienced some some digestive issues - most recently he was throwing up after feedings. Not every feeding but many. And the vomit is projectile, coming out of his nose too. Poor guy. We think he was having acid reflux type symptoms because he'll burp and then sort of frown after tasting what came up and then cry. Again, we almost made a doctor appointment but instead, changed things up according to internet advice (how did people live pre-internet???) and it has helped immensely. Basically, feeding him a little less - which is to no longer let him suckle after he's dropped off to sleep - and keeping him semi-upright for at least an hour after meals.
We've been going on near daily evening walks to and in the Occidental College campus. I've been wearing the ErgoBaby with newborn insert and Luca seems to really like the strolls. We want to leave off the newborn insert because he seems to be getting a little big for it and is uncomfortable but his neck is still kind of floppy. We switched to an Infantino carrier and he likes that - but it's killer on the back. I want to try and get the Moby wrap to work so I can carry him around the house but can't figure it out. Oddly, Luca doesn't seem to like being held in general. He likes to be entertained from his little bouncy chair throne. Sigh. He's got us wrapped around his itty bitty finger.
But really, it was inevitable. I mean, really.
Inspired by what Nicole of
Making it Lovely did with her children, I'm going to try and take a portrait of Luca every month in the same chair, for a year.
Click here to see other photos of Luca from month two.
