Workin'

So I have officially been back to work for about a month now. Jack isn't signed up to start daycare until Monday (which I'm sure will be another post) so thankfully my work has been very flexible and allowed me to work from home most days. The days where I have to go in Amy has been staying home with the babe and when I get home she goes off to work. Needless to say it's been a pretty rough month. I feel as though I've been performing two full time jobs simultaneously, while trying to be there for Amy too. Most days I've felt as though I have been failing at more than one of these jobs.

As hard as this month has been I think it's been a good transition time back into the workforce. I had to learn to be away from Jack, how to pump at work and how to multitask like a madwoman while I have a screaming baby in my arms and a deadline for a project at 10am. This month has prepared me to leave Jack in the capable hands of others and trust that he will be okay without me. Even though when I left for work he was being taken care of by Amy it was still hard to leave but every time got easier and I think this has hopefully gotten me ready for the giant leap we'll be taking on Monday. I'll be sure to let you all know how Daycare Day 1 goes.

Jack Has Something to Say

Birthday Boy

I know you may think you do, but you don't. We have the world's best dog and today is his birthday!!

Happy Birthday Campbell.

Shots, Screams and Smiles

Jack turned 2 months old this week and I can't believe how fast this time has flown. Looking back at his old pictures it's crazy to think he was that small. Unfortunately, turning 2 months old meant the inevitable trip to the pediatrician to get his first round of some of his vaccinations.

Jack checked out fine, he now weighs 13 lbs. 6 oz. (75th percentile) and is 24 1/4 inches long (75th percentile). I don't remember the circumference of his head but that was in the 50th percentile. We didn't have any major questions except for one. The past few weeks we've noticed that Jack's pinky toe has been red. At first we thought it was a bruise but after reading Puffers post on Toe Hair Tourniquets (check it out here) I got a little more concerned. Oddly enough the doctor thinks it's a birthmark and that we just need to keep an eye on it. It'll be interesting to see if in fact Jack will have a birthmark covering his entire pinky toe. If so, it looks like being a foot model will not be in his future.

The visit was going well until the nurse came back in the room with her bucket of swabs, band aids and syringes (you know, the regular bucket full of baby torture devices). Jack was laid down on the table and I was asked to hold down his arms. As a side note, I have to say that I don't think it's right to ask a mother to hold down her child's arms while he is being poked with needles, I felt like an accomplice to an incredibly heinous crime. Well needless to say, Jack FREAKED THE FUCK OUT!! I thought I had heard that little boy scream before but I had no idea that he had been taking it easy on us these past two months. You would have thought that we had cut off his birthmark covered pinky toe the way he was carrying on.

The nurse left the room and I did my best to console him but he was having none of it. He screamed and screamed and screamed. So after 10 minutes I very ungracefully threw the diaper bag over one shoulder, carried the car seat in one arm and screaming Jack in the other and proceeded to go up to the counter with credit card in my mouth to pay. The nurse was very apologetic to Jack and the receptionist said that in the 4 years she had worked there she had only seen one other baby freak out that badly. I don't know if I should be a proud mama or worried that he probably has a red flag in his file now at the doctors office.

Thankfully they gave me a free box of Tylenol and Jack was a sleepy boy the rest of the day. All my worries were put to ease when the next day I got to see this little face again.

Cousins

Jackson met his cousin Lily for the first time this past weekend. We didn't get many chances to take pictures this week but we did get a few good ones. It was nice to see the family this weekend but a little difficult because Jack had a bad sleeping night. I think my sister was surprised how upset Jack would get when he cried. All my talking and she now understands what we are talking about with cranky Jack. Lily was a happy baby and when she gets upset she would let out little moans. They told us it will change soon. I am still waiting...

Sleep Post

Every baby blog has to have at least one sleep post. So here is ours :)

Jack went 3 1/2 hours last night between feedings!! It's been about 2 1/2 hours every night. Getting an extra hour really does do miraculous things for a person. I feel very well rested this morning. Next battle is getting him to nap in the day in his crib and not in the swing.

Jack has the WORST time falling asleep. He can be all quiet, eyes droopy, mouth hanging open and just has he is about to fall asleep he freaks out and starts to panic and wail. I can almost see it in his face this complete fear of this strange sensation called sleep. He will start to fiercely kick his legs, suck on his pacifier harder and faster than I have ever seen, and when you add in the hysterical sobbing and shortness of breathe he is a very sad sight. I can't wait until he gets to the age where he can self soothe a little more. So far the only way we have been able to get him to go to sleep are:

1. In his swing
2. Wearing him
3. Bouncing on the exercise ball

If none of these 3 things work we go to the kitchen and turn on the vent/fan above the stove (this awesome tip was given to me by a friend) and go trough the list of three items again and one of them will work. It kills me to do these things because I see us creating a sleep monster but if we don't he continues to loses it, which only gets him more and more sleep deprived and then we begin to lose it. I'm hoping time will help change things.