It seems like we hit the 2 month mark SO FAST. It does not feel like it's been that long since we brought our new, little love home from the hospital. Wesley has been such a joy and a wonderful addition to our family. He's been an easy baby so far, for which I am thankful and also surprised!
Size: Our muffin man grew out of his newborn size diapers and began wearing size 1 diapers in his second month. We knew it was time to upgrade when Wesley started leaking through his diapers, especially at nighttime. Luckily the switch was easy, since we had plenty of size 1 diapers on hand from my baby shower diaper toss game. He also started wearing some of his size 0-3 jammies, as his newborn sizes were beginning to become quite tight! It was my goal to get him into all of his newborn outfits one last time before needing to retire them for good.
Health: At his 2-month well baby checkup Wesley clocked in at 13 pounds, 5 ounces (in the 72nd percentile) and measured 22.5 inches long (23rd percentile). His hair is a tiny bit fuller and remains blonde, and his eyes are still blue. Wesley's head control continues to improve, and I now feel comfortable carrying him on my hip since his trunk is so incredibly strong. He still requires a firm hand supporting his back, because this wild child just wants to fling himself about like an acrobat. Wesley's grip is still firm, and he has quite the wiggle in his arms and legs when lying on his back.
Feeding: We have had another month of a wonderful nursing relationship. Wesley's hunger cues are very obvious, as he sucks on his hands and makes a specific humming sound. He rotates between longer and shorter nursing sessions, depending on the time of day and our activity level. He's clearly a well-nourished baby, considering his weight, and I am very thankful for our continued success. There were a few days of really heavy spitting up, leaving me completely soaked and in need of a shower. I decided to try cutting dairy in hopes of less spit up. I also started pumping to start a freezer supply of milk for when I return to work. I'm pumping on one side while I nurse Wesley on the other, which is really going well and doesn't leave me feeling like my entire day is consumed with nursing and pumping back-to-back.
Sleep: Wesley's sleep cycles have started to fall into a routine. He typically will nurse and fall asleep around 10:00 pm and will sleep roughly 3-4 hours. From there, he will wake up every 2-3 hours to eat until morning. He wakes more frequently some nights more than others, but I'm happy to already be seeing the beginning of some consistency. Wesley is also napping well in his swing, which gives me an opportunity to take a shower, make something to eat for Simon and/or myself, get a few things done around the house, etc. When Eric is home, Wesley almost always without fail falls asleep over Daddy's shoulder while being burped. It's adorable!
Milestones: Our little guy's head strength continues to improve. We rarely need to help Wesley support his head while sitting up or being held in an upright position. He's getting better at lifting his head during tummy time, but still gets most of his tummy time while lying on us. Wesley also smiled for the first time during his second month! My dad was tickling his face with a burp cloth, and Wesley began to grin! We just love seeing that sweet, toothless smile.
Likes: Wesley likes sitting up or being in any upright position. If he's being held in a cradle hold, moving him upright so that he can see everything around him pretty much always fixes his mood. He also still seems to enjoy daytime diaper changes. Very often he will calm down from heavy crying the minute we lie him on his changing pad, and he will flash his little smile to let us know he's relaxed. Our little boy is a lover of bath time, too, either in his infant bathtub or in the shower with Eric. Wesley's soothed by the warm water and always looks content.
Dislikes: As any normal baby, Wesley definitely dislikes having to wait to eat. Whether it is my need to wash my hands after changing his diaper, refill my water, take care of Simon, or gather my pump pieces, Wesley hates to wait if it's been too long since his last meal. I don't blame him, though, as don't we all become quite cranky when we're hungry?! He's also not a fan of being dried off after being bathed. We think it's the shock of leaving the warm environment of the bath or shower and entering a colder one, which is of course understanding. I try to keep the bedroom door closed to trap the heat and have his diaper and jammies ready for a quick transition from wet in a towel to dry in clothes.
Social: The more Wesley smiles with my dad, Simon, Eric and me, the more I see his little personality start to show. He is a happy and relaxed baby and only gets worked up over an obvious need. Wesley has started making cooing noises, and I always mimic his sounds in return to have a conversation with him. He still enjoys being held by Big Brother, whom is still completely in love with having a baby in the house. I already can't wait for their budding relationship to really start to develop.
Other Updates: I was happy to confirm in January that I was eligible to stay off work for an additional 6 weeks after my disability leave ended. Originally, I thought that I wouldn't receive any paid leave after my 6-week pregnancy leave and was unfortunately expecting to have to return to work before Wesley was 2 months old. My HR department contacted me to let me know that I was actually eligible to stay off work for 12 weeks under Child Bonding Leave with 50% pay after my sick hours were used. I jumped on this opportunity immediately, figuring that my half pay loss would about equal the amount we'd spend in childcare if I returned to work at the 6-week mark. Getting this unexpected extra time at home with Wesley (and Simon) was a wonderful and thankful blessing!
last newborn diaper!
New Year's Eve baby
growing out of newborn size clothing
an unplanned nap with Daddy
first smile!
big brother cuddles
Mommy's blonde angel
