Mr. Orin is 5 weeks old, and this mama is really loving every minute with him!
During week 4, we worked hard to get a consistent night time schedule by starting the day at 8:30am and ending the day at 8:30 pm. That really paid off, because everything seemed to finally click in week 5.
I’m sure now that we feel we have a schedule in place, he will change things up on us, but here is his current schedule:
8:30AM- Eat
9:30/10:00-11:30AM- Nap
11:30AM- Eat
12:30/1:00-2:30PM- Nap
2:30PM- Eat
3:30/4:00-5:30PM- Nap
5:30PM- Eat
6:30/7:00-8:30PM- Nap (This naptime tends to vary)
8:30PM- Eat
9:00PM- Bedtime
3:30-4:30AM- Somewhere in here he wakes up for his middle of the night feeding. And then we start over.
For the last week, Orin has only been getting up once in the night. Huge success! He has also been consistently taking 4 ounces for each feeding. He does a great job putting himself to sleep for his naps and at bedtime. We are so thankful he is a good sleeper!
He has really started to smile this week. It is so fun to talk to him as he coos and smiles back at you. We love seeing his personality come out.
This week, after all that has happened with Baby Stellan and his heart condition, I have been reminded of how blessed we are to have a healthy baby boy that we get to rock and cuddle…even if it is in the middle of the night.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Stellan
Pray for Stellan. He is back in the hospital for the same heart condition he had in the womb. You can check out the story and updates on MckMama's blog.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Letter to Orin
Our Little Man, at one month old...
You weigh somewhere around nine pounds.
You go to bed around 9:00, wake up around 1:00 and 5:00 to eat, and then you're up around 8:30 to eat again and start the day. Sometimes you only wake up once around 3:30, and then you sleep until 8:30. Mommy and Daddy enjoy those nights! You have done a great job at putting yourself to sleep for naps, but for the second middle of the night feeding, you like to fuss for a while.
You like to be in your bouncy seat. You somewhat like your swing as long as you have your pacifier. You are starting to notice toys on your playmat, and you seem to enjoy the music.
You like your baths now that you can be submerged in warm water. You especially like mommy to wash your hair!
You have big, blue eyes. We hope they stay blue like Great-Grandpa Orin’s. We think you have mama’s eyes, but the rest of you look so much like daddy when he was little.
You are such a good baby. Your daddy and I are so thankful. You are the most adorable baby, and we can’t believe you are ours. You have added more joy to our lives than we could have ever imagined. We love you more than we knew was possible. And though that’s a lot, never forget that God loves you even more.
You weigh somewhere around nine pounds.
You go to bed around 9:00, wake up around 1:00 and 5:00 to eat, and then you're up around 8:30 to eat again and start the day. Sometimes you only wake up once around 3:30, and then you sleep until 8:30. Mommy and Daddy enjoy those nights! You have done a great job at putting yourself to sleep for naps, but for the second middle of the night feeding, you like to fuss for a while.
You like to be in your bouncy seat. You somewhat like your swing as long as you have your pacifier. You are starting to notice toys on your playmat, and you seem to enjoy the music.
You like your baths now that you can be submerged in warm water. You especially like mommy to wash your hair!
You have big, blue eyes. We hope they stay blue like Great-Grandpa Orin’s. We think you have mama’s eyes, but the rest of you look so much like daddy when he was little.
You are such a good baby. Your daddy and I are so thankful. You are the most adorable baby, and we can’t believe you are ours. You have added more joy to our lives than we could have ever imagined. We love you more than we knew was possible. And though that’s a lot, never forget that God loves you even more.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Week 3
This was my first week to be on my own with Orin. It was great having the moms here to help out the first 2 weeks, but I was ready to do it on my own with just my husband.
Feeding- He is still eating 3 ounces during the day and 4 ounces before bed and during the night. On Wednesday, he switched to Carnation Good Start. He did great! He didn't seem to notice the difference at all. I'm so glad he doesn't spit up or struggle digesting the formula.
Sleeping- He did three six hour chunks at night, and he even did one seven hour chunk on Thursday night! He has been doing great at putting himself to sleep at night. After his last feeding around 8:30, we swaddle him and lay him in the cradle. He has no problem putting himself right to sleep. He still fusses after his middle of the night feedings because he wants to be awake, but we let him cry it out, and he eventually goes to sleep within 20 minutes. I'm still confused and frustrated with his schedule. We have started doing his last feeding at 8:30. But if he wakes up at different times during the night, then we might not get started at 8:30 every morning. Our goal is for him to eat at 8:30, 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 8:30. But if he wakes up at 7:30, there is no way to hold him off for an hour, and if I feed him, then it throws off the whole day. We are still trying to figure this out. I guess we are learning as we go.
Waketime- Orin loves to lay or sit and just look around. He likes to be sung to and talked to. He is looking around a lot more, and he really studies our faces when we feed him or talk to him. Sometimes he enjoys tummy time, other times he cries through it. But his little neck is getting stronger! He is now in size 1 diapers full time. We gave up on the newborn diapers after he was peeing through all the time.
Orin went to the doctor Friday, March 13, and he weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz. and was 22 inches long.
Feeding- He is still eating 3 ounces during the day and 4 ounces before bed and during the night. On Wednesday, he switched to Carnation Good Start. He did great! He didn't seem to notice the difference at all. I'm so glad he doesn't spit up or struggle digesting the formula.
Sleeping- He did three six hour chunks at night, and he even did one seven hour chunk on Thursday night! He has been doing great at putting himself to sleep at night. After his last feeding around 8:30, we swaddle him and lay him in the cradle. He has no problem putting himself right to sleep. He still fusses after his middle of the night feedings because he wants to be awake, but we let him cry it out, and he eventually goes to sleep within 20 minutes. I'm still confused and frustrated with his schedule. We have started doing his last feeding at 8:30. But if he wakes up at different times during the night, then we might not get started at 8:30 every morning. Our goal is for him to eat at 8:30, 11:30, 2:30, 5:30, and 8:30. But if he wakes up at 7:30, there is no way to hold him off for an hour, and if I feed him, then it throws off the whole day. We are still trying to figure this out. I guess we are learning as we go.
Waketime- Orin loves to lay or sit and just look around. He likes to be sung to and talked to. He is looking around a lot more, and he really studies our faces when we feed him or talk to him. Sometimes he enjoys tummy time, other times he cries through it. But his little neck is getting stronger! He is now in size 1 diapers full time. We gave up on the newborn diapers after he was peeing through all the time.
Orin went to the doctor Friday, March 13, and he weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz. and was 22 inches long.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Family Pictures
We went back home this past weekend to visit my family and to take family pictures.
Friday, we got to see my brother and sister before they left on spring break to Florida. We also were able to celebrate my Mom's 50th birthday. She was able to see her grandson all weekend, so I think she enjoyed this birthday! She even took both nights with Orin, so Ryan and I got some extra sleep.
On Saturday, we had family pictures. A lady near Des Moines does photography as a hobby, and it recently turned in to a part-time hobby/business. She takes several pictures, edits, and burns them onto a CD all for $50. I thought it went really well. She has put up 8 preview pictures. The rest will be coming soon. You can check out what she has so far at http://sarahmcconnellphotography.com/
We met up with Adam and Kim Saturday night and went to the 3A and 4A boys state championship games in Des Moines. We left Orin at home with my parents for the evening. That was the first time we left him for a long period of time. We missed him, but we had a great time at the games.
Sunday, we celebrated both of my parents' birthdays at my grandparent's house. It was fun for my relatives to see Orin, some for the first time. He was the source of entertainment...family gatherings have changed forever!
Friday, we got to see my brother and sister before they left on spring break to Florida. We also were able to celebrate my Mom's 50th birthday. She was able to see her grandson all weekend, so I think she enjoyed this birthday! She even took both nights with Orin, so Ryan and I got some extra sleep.
On Saturday, we had family pictures. A lady near Des Moines does photography as a hobby, and it recently turned in to a part-time hobby/business. She takes several pictures, edits, and burns them onto a CD all for $50. I thought it went really well. She has put up 8 preview pictures. The rest will be coming soon. You can check out what she has so far at http://sarahmcconnellphotography.com/
We met up with Adam and Kim Saturday night and went to the 3A and 4A boys state championship games in Des Moines. We left Orin at home with my parents for the evening. That was the first time we left him for a long period of time. We missed him, but we had a great time at the games.
Sunday, we celebrated both of my parents' birthdays at my grandparent's house. It was fun for my relatives to see Orin, some for the first time. He was the source of entertainment...family gatherings have changed forever!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Photo Shoot
We had a little photo shoot today. There is a picture frame collage in Orin's room, and we have yet to fill the frames with pictures. I haven't decided which ones to print, but I thought I would share a few good ones. Can you tell I love baby feet?
Sunday, March 8, 2009
2 Weeks
It's hard to believe our little man is two weeks old already! Seems like we were just bringing him home from the hospital. For future reference, I want to blog about how things have been going and the routine we have been following with Orin.
Week 1 and 2-
Feeding- Leaving the hospital, he was eating around 2 ounces every 3 hours. At night, he was eating every 4 hours. A day or two after getting home, he was up to 3 ounces every 3 hours. By the end of week two, he was eating 3-4 ounces for his nighttime feedings. We have given him a few 4-ounce bottles during the day, but he seems to spit up more with them, especially if he doesn't burp after each ounce. So I have cut back to only giving him 3 ounces during the day. He seems to be fine with that for now. So far he has been drinking Similac, but he will soon switch over to Good Start once the free samples of Similac are gone.
Sleeping- Like all newborns, Orin sleeps a lot. We've been working on trying to get him to have a short wake time after each feeding. By week two, he has been more alert and awake after the feedings, especially when we change his diaper. He does great at sleeping 4-5 hour chunks at night as long as he is swaddled very tightly in his miracle blanket. It has been hard to get him on a consistent morning feeding. His first feeding for the day varies depending on when he wakes up in the night. Sometimes he has his first feeding around 7:30 and other times not until 9:00. That's a bit frustrating! We have been putting him down for bed between 7:30 and 8:00. He usually wakes up to eat between 12:00 and 1:00. And then again between 4:30 and 5:00. Most times, he likes to be awake after his first night feeding. He isn't fussy. He just wants to look around. We have started laying him back down in his cradle and having him put himself back to sleep. He fusses a little, but he eventually gets back to sleep. It hurts my heart a little not to rock my baby to sleep every time, but I know in the long run, I will be glad he can put himself to sleep. But we still cuddle and rock some during the day. :)
Waketime- Orin is such a great baby. He is very content with just sitting in his bouncy seat and looking around. He loves the vibrator on the chair, and he enjoys using his swing. We have also started giving him the pacifier during wake time. But we don't use it to sleep, because I don't want to be up every 20 minutes putting it back in his mouth!
He has gone through a large box of newborn diapers. We bought a new box of newborn pampers to start week 3, but I don't think he will need them much longer. He seems to be peeing through a lot more often. We plan to use size 1 diapers at night when he doesn't get changed as often as during the daytime.
He went to the doctor March 3 for his one week check-up. He weighed in at 7 lb. 4 oz. When he was born, he weighed 6 lb. 14.5 oz., and when he left the hospital, he weighed 6 lb. 7 oz. So it was good to see that he is growing at a healthy rate!
My recovery- The first week we were home, my mom came to stay with us. Ryan's mom came the second week. They were a huge help! They did most of our cooking, laundry, and cleaning. They also got to cuddle with their grandson and take nighttime feeding shifts. Oh, and don't forget the poopy diapers! It was such a blessing to have them here to help. I know that they really helped speed up my recovery process tremendously! At the end of week 1, I was only taking Ibuprofen sporadically when I felt like I needed it. By the end of week 2, I felt really good! Ryan and I spent most of Saturday shopping and going to the state tournament game in Des Moines. After several hours of shopping, I had to take a few breaks to sit. I took Ibuprofen before the game just in case the pain caught up with me.
Ryan and I are working on writing a post about Orin and how his name came to be. Hopefully that will be ready soon! But for now, I will leave you with a few pictures of Orin. If you would like to receive occasional Shutterfly pictures of him and our family, and you didn’t receive the first batch of pictures I emailed out, leave me your email so I can be sure to add you to the list.
Week 1 and 2-
Feeding- Leaving the hospital, he was eating around 2 ounces every 3 hours. At night, he was eating every 4 hours. A day or two after getting home, he was up to 3 ounces every 3 hours. By the end of week two, he was eating 3-4 ounces for his nighttime feedings. We have given him a few 4-ounce bottles during the day, but he seems to spit up more with them, especially if he doesn't burp after each ounce. So I have cut back to only giving him 3 ounces during the day. He seems to be fine with that for now. So far he has been drinking Similac, but he will soon switch over to Good Start once the free samples of Similac are gone.
Sleeping- Like all newborns, Orin sleeps a lot. We've been working on trying to get him to have a short wake time after each feeding. By week two, he has been more alert and awake after the feedings, especially when we change his diaper. He does great at sleeping 4-5 hour chunks at night as long as he is swaddled very tightly in his miracle blanket. It has been hard to get him on a consistent morning feeding. His first feeding for the day varies depending on when he wakes up in the night. Sometimes he has his first feeding around 7:30 and other times not until 9:00. That's a bit frustrating! We have been putting him down for bed between 7:30 and 8:00. He usually wakes up to eat between 12:00 and 1:00. And then again between 4:30 and 5:00. Most times, he likes to be awake after his first night feeding. He isn't fussy. He just wants to look around. We have started laying him back down in his cradle and having him put himself back to sleep. He fusses a little, but he eventually gets back to sleep. It hurts my heart a little not to rock my baby to sleep every time, but I know in the long run, I will be glad he can put himself to sleep. But we still cuddle and rock some during the day. :)
Waketime- Orin is such a great baby. He is very content with just sitting in his bouncy seat and looking around. He loves the vibrator on the chair, and he enjoys using his swing. We have also started giving him the pacifier during wake time. But we don't use it to sleep, because I don't want to be up every 20 minutes putting it back in his mouth!
He has gone through a large box of newborn diapers. We bought a new box of newborn pampers to start week 3, but I don't think he will need them much longer. He seems to be peeing through a lot more often. We plan to use size 1 diapers at night when he doesn't get changed as often as during the daytime.
He went to the doctor March 3 for his one week check-up. He weighed in at 7 lb. 4 oz. When he was born, he weighed 6 lb. 14.5 oz., and when he left the hospital, he weighed 6 lb. 7 oz. So it was good to see that he is growing at a healthy rate!
My recovery- The first week we were home, my mom came to stay with us. Ryan's mom came the second week. They were a huge help! They did most of our cooking, laundry, and cleaning. They also got to cuddle with their grandson and take nighttime feeding shifts. Oh, and don't forget the poopy diapers! It was such a blessing to have them here to help. I know that they really helped speed up my recovery process tremendously! At the end of week 1, I was only taking Ibuprofen sporadically when I felt like I needed it. By the end of week 2, I felt really good! Ryan and I spent most of Saturday shopping and going to the state tournament game in Des Moines. After several hours of shopping, I had to take a few breaks to sit. I took Ibuprofen before the game just in case the pain caught up with me.
Ryan and I are working on writing a post about Orin and how his name came to be. Hopefully that will be ready soon! But for now, I will leave you with a few pictures of Orin. If you would like to receive occasional Shutterfly pictures of him and our family, and you didn’t receive the first batch of pictures I emailed out, leave me your email so I can be sure to add you to the list.
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