Winter Blahs

Trying to fight the winter blahs.  I think some photos will help :)

I feel like winter just kind of drags on. It stinks to get to work before the sun rises and also leave work after the sun has gone down.  Work has been extra long hours too. But at least on my days off I get to hang out with a really cute lil guy.

Someone loves the remote

Sleepy boy

Getting ready for a walk outside

The CUTEST lil boy in overalls

Enjoying dinner

Cousin play time!

Having fun

Learning how to high five

Merry Christmas

Adam had a wonderful first Christmas.  I had 5 days off, so we headed to the Sonneborn's on Thursday and stayed for the weekend.  Adam was a big hit at the Seacoast Cancer Center Christmas party at Henry and Suzanne's home.

Adam turned 9 months on the 22nd.  That owl is getting smaller and smaller!

Adam and Mom for the "nine months in, nine months out" photo

Uncle Steve made a surprise visit to West Hartford and met Adam for the first time.  Steve roasted a ribeye with a port-wine reduction and made wild mushroom risotto for Jeff and I.  We also enjoyed some of Steve's home-brewed beer.  What a delicious meal!  Adam was happy to make a new friend!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas at the Martens.  Adam was again spoiled with gifts, including a covered wagon, and his own remote control and cell phone.  He loved petting and giggling with the dogs.

My Favorite Time

As most people know, Adam has become a much better sleeper.  He goes to bed at 7:30 pm and still gets a dream feed at 10:30 pm and at 5:30 am, and he usually wakes up around 7:30.  He has gone from getting up a minimum of 5 times per night to only waking the two times when he gets fed. It has made a world of difference for everyone in our family.  Many pediatricians will say that after 6 months a baby does not need to eat anymore overnight. Our pediatrician's motto is that as long as the baby is happy and healthy, then we can keep doing what works for our family.

I love the dream feed at 10:30pm. Afterwards, Adam is still fast asleep so I rest him on my shoulder and let him sleep there for a few more minutes. I can feel his little breaths on my neck and lay my cheek right up against his little cheek.  I can feel his little heart beat against my chest.  It is the absolute most perfect time. And it doesn't happen every night, some nights he wakes up a little bit and cries, those nights I place him back into the crib so he can sleep. 

Maybe it's selfish, but keeping with the dream feeds works for our family.  And the added bonus is the precious snuggle time I get with my little boy. It truly is a little slice of heaven and my absolute favorite time of the day.

Road Bumps

This is an over share, you are being warned.

So we've hit some road bumps along way. Last week while Adam was at daycare I could not pump enough to meet what he drinks in his bottles. Of course this upset me which then made pumping even worse. Pumping is best accomplished while relaxed because being stressed is a sure way to prevent milk from coming down.  Hannah was kind enough to lend an ear on multiple occasions and offer advice.  I drank plenty of water, tried to sleep more, and did my best to relax while pumping.

For me, pumping is really related to stress. Breaking away from the go-go-go mentality of patient care at the hospital is stressful enough. I've learned that I have to take the 20 minutes of pumping and use them just for me. I don't return pages, I have one of my colleagues carry the service pager. I just focus on pictures of Adam and let my body do it's work.

Maybe part of the difficulty is also realizing that I won't be nursing Adam forever.  Adam and I have been really fortunate that nursing has worked well for the both of us so far. I plan to wean Adam when he is one and is able to drink regular milk. Part of me felt that my body was failing me after 8+ months of nursing. And that was the most distressing part.  Seems really silly actually to state that out loud because I know it's not true. I just wasn't mentally prepared to stop before the one year mark.

And this week we are doing well. Adam is nursing well and I've been pumping great. But who knows what tomorrow brings. And honestly it doesn't matter what next week brings because we will be ready for it. I know Adam and I will be perfectly happy and healthy no matter how Adam is fed. Maybe the speed bump last week was just a way to let me prepare for the inevitable. And truthfully I feel better prepared mentally for what will happen.

Thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at my parent's house. My mom was kind enough to serve dinner at 1pm, which left me plenty of time to get to work. Oma was back from visiting Tante Wies in the Netherlands and Aunt Carol and Uncle Joe joined us as well. Adam was the highlight of dinner of course.

My night at work was very uneventful. I admitted a patient at 11pm and got to sleep uninterrupted for almost 5 hours. I was so well rested that we returned to my parent's house the following day to spend more time with Oma before leaving for New Hampshire.

The cousins had lots of fun playing together in New Hampshire. Jeff and I had a relaxing time visiting with family.

Happy Belated 8 Months!

Wow, Adam is 8 months old already!

Adam's First Haircut

I have been debating cutting Adam's hair for a few months. Part of me really wanted to cut his hair to remove the wispy strands and rat tail. And the other part of me wanted him to keep his baby hair forever. While Jeff was away at the pharmacy, and Adam was playing quietly on the floor, I got out the scissors and gave Adam a little trim.

I think he looks handsome :)