A blog about babies: the babies I lost, the babies I never had, the baby who made me a Mama.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Autumn Afternoons for Two; or, Nine Weeks

Smudgie and I are listening to Bach as the winter sun dies outside. Our Christmas tree (his first Christmas tree!) is glowing in the corner of the room. He had his two-month vaccines today, so he's a little out of sorts, fussing and sleeping in his swing.

It's been a busy but happy few weeks. We've met new moms in our neighborhood for walks and yoga classes and happy hours at local bars (nothing like 6 or 7 moms with pints and zonked-out babies occupying the bar stools with their diaper bags and ergo carriers). We've joined a knitting circle of new moms at a local coffee shop. It's both wonderful and heartbreaking how easy it is to meet people with a baby. In the past two months we've made more new friends than in the previous 3 years of living in Park Slope, which I love and feel a little guilty about. We're in the club now, and it's great, which makes the hardness of those years on the outside even sharper. Or maybe makes the happiness of this time even keener.

We've had lots of lovely autumn walks through the park together, just the two of us, Bella sometimes riding along in the lower basket of Smudgie's stroller. We've had lots of leisurely lunches at quiet restaurants chosen. He's a pretty great lunch date.

Smudgie is still teeny-- only 9 lbs 5oz today at 9 weeks and 22 inches. He's in the 25th percentile for length and the 5th for weight. The doctors tell us he's gaining just fine, perfectly on track, and that being small is not a problem. We think he's going to be long and lean, just like his daddy.

Smudgie loves to trade smiles in the mornings and he lights up when he's held up to see the colorful artwork over his crib. He stared mesmerized at the decorated tree last night, most likely captivated by the twinkling little lights. He can flip from belly to back and has been since he was 7 weeks. He's a tummy time champ. He's not the greatest sleeper, but we're getting one 4+ hr stretch a night and hoping he'll start to lengthen that soon.

We've also been dealing with reflux for the last few weeks. Smudgie's constantly wearing a bib these days. Tummy time may at any moment turn into an explosive situation. Spit-up has been known to coat his face and hair, though it doesn't seem to bother him. We've got a prescription waiting in my bag but are waiting to see if he improves at all on his own over the weekend and next week, as the past few days he's fussed and cried and spit up less.

Life with a two-month old is physically and mentally exhausting. But also very sweet.


9 comments:

  1. Such a cutie!! Glad to hear things are going so well! :)

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  2. what a cutiepie. i love this picture. he looks like he is SUCH a happy baby!! we dealt with reflux from the getgo, so i know how unnerving it can be worrying about the baby. zantac helped a lot (we're on prevacid now though), so i hope the spitup goes away very very soon. P is 6 months now and she HATES tummy time and doesn't really role although she can sit up. she decided that she's too cool for rolling around, so i'm like "uhhh, how did we just totally skip that. is that a problemo or what?". anyhoo, sounds like you guys are doing super duper well, so yaay! xoxo.

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  3. Very sweet indeed with that endearing little smile!!

    I'm jealous of all of your mommy-and-baby activities. They sound like a lot of fun and a really nice way to spend some time (especially the happy hours)!

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  4. Well, hi there, cutie pie! All the activities you and smudgie sloper go to sound AWESOME! I hope the reflux issues get ironed out, but hooray for a happy, smiley baby boy!

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  5. Wow-- he is the PERFECT mix of you & LG!! I can see so much of you both in him. :)

    Hope that the reflux lets up-- I know what a beast it is and how horrible it feels not to comfort them. The good news is that it resolves itself in many babies around 4 months, so maybe (like colic) you're already through the worst of it at nine weeks.

    We know all about long and lean babies in our house. :) Liam was below the 3rd percentile for quite some time and he's just fine. (He was in the 10th percentile for weight at his (very late) 1 year old appt yesterday.) He was 9lbs 12oz at 8 weeks and he was almost a full pound bigger than Smudgie at birth! He's just a slow gainer-- looks like Jack will be the same way. At 3 weeks, J was still an ounce away from his birth weight.

    I'm so glad that you guys are getting out and meeting people!!! It can be hard this time of year with the cold and the holidays. It sounds like you guys are doing fantastic!!

    XOXO.

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  6. One of our babies is loooong and leeeean too, just like his Dad. Smudgie looks beautiful and healthy and perfect!

    I 110% know what you mean about the heartbreak and joy you experience when all of the secret Mommy doors suddenly open up. I have not made tons of new friends, but I have all of these new connections and convos with various people in my life (college friends, coworkers, etc) and sometimes my heart skips a beat with sadness at all that I was missing—and gratefulness to be experiencing it.

    Love the update!!! xoxo

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  7. So cute, and I am so happy for all of you guys. It is nice that Smudgie is so small-- he has forever to be big, and you get to cherish his littleness now. Penelope got enormous way too quickly!

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  8. Cutie pie! It sounds like things are going really well, Sloper. I'm so glad. And the happy hour sounds perfect:)

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  9. Hi Sloper! I've been a long time lurker of your blog - because we do have a lot in common. I really don't know why I've never commented. Smudgie is adorable - so smiley. Just wait until he starts laughing. Love it about the name, I rarely hear it. So glad you have this time home with him, I went back way to soon, but the mental exhaustion does get better and one day you will actually want to start researching and writing. Nice to "meet you.

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