Week 2: Peter Bennett

Week two has been a roller coaster. Filled with sleepless nights, screaming days, trouble eating and baby tummy issues… it has driven us to our wits end, and the beginning of a new kind of patience. It’s crazy having a tiny human to take care of, who depends on us, who relies on us for their very existence. It’s both terrifying and beautiful wrapped up in a cute little package.

This week I kept saying ” I had the wrong impression of ‘sleepless nights.’ I thought it was  a matter of waking up every few hours to feed and put back to sleep. I never realized it was screaming and crying all day and night, 2 hour feedings throughout the night, and 30 minute increments of sleep.” I almost felt like I was duped by all the mommy blogs and books that make this phase feel so easy, “just snuggle that little one, soak up the newborn phase because it’s so special and short.” Reality was nowhere near my expectation for these two weeks. And there is a weird element of guilt that comes along with not matching up to this “ideal newborn phase” that everyone talks about.

Today- however, baby boy slept throughout the day in his wrap carrier. It was glorious. It  breathed a new breath of life into both of us. We both thought, “ok- a break from the crying is enough to revitalize us.”

Baby boy:

Every time you scream, I know it’s your tummy, and I know you are hurting. We are going to figure this out. We are going to make things easier for you. I promise.

Also- we love you so much.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here are a few things that have been game changers for us:

1. Baby shusher: “SLEEP SOOTHER: Using a real human voice, lull your baby to sleep with a calming shush — freeing up your precious time”
   This is a miracle machine! (And it’s portable.) It sounds like a human going “shhhhhhhh” and you can crank up the volume, we couple this with a few other things, but it has been a game-changer.
2. The Haakaa: “The Haakaa Silicone Breastpump lets you express milk using the power of natural suction! Simply squeeze, attach to your breast and let it work its magic.”
   I haven’t been pumping much because this catches all of the drips from the opposite breast while feeding. I can usually get about 4-6 oz’s per day, which is enough for back-up or night bottles.
3. The Boon Bottles: “designed to mimic the natural form and feel of mom for baby feeding, easy to latch and encourages proper tongue positioning.”
   Our lactation consultant said these were her favorite bottles, and I have to say they are awesome! very slow flow, and the internal pouch keeps air out of the gulps.
4. The Solly Baby Wrap: I got this as a hand me down from my sister-in-law, and it’s AMAZING. Comfortable, much easier to put on than I anticipated, and he loves loves LOVES it. It’s the first thing to consistently help him nap.