OMG where did the last 3 weeks go???

Wyatt is 23 days old today and I have NO idea where the time has gone... Each day we see more character and emotion out of our little man, but I swear, I can barely recall what it was like in the hospital before we brought him home!

So much has happened that I need to just list it out...

Week 1 - WVL is born and 5lb 9oz and goes home after 48 hours. He drops weight down to 5lb 2oz causing a bit of concern on our part. But after visiting the lactation consultant and supplementing his feedings with a syringe, at 1 week, he is up to 5lb 4 oz.



Week 2 - Weight gain continues and weighs in at 5lb 8oz at 12 days old. We are also able to stop supplemental feedings as Lizzy is producing plenty of supply!



At his two week checkup (16 days) he is up to 5lb 10oz! With the weight improvement, so does his crying ability as he is now very vocal :)

Week 3 - The third week brings the first visit from Abuela Tita and Abuelo Tito all the way from sunny South Florida. They did not put down their grandchild the entire time here.  WVL is growing and has now officially started wearing newborn clothes! Preemie outfits no longer fit.



I can't wait to see what is next!

More coming soon including a guest post from mommy herself soon!

Shopping for a #preemie

You know...preemies are neglected by the big stores like Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us.

Lizzy and I were expecting Wyatt to be around nine pounds since I was 10-2 and Lizzy was 8-2. Needless to say we had no clothes for Wyatt when we came home. So it was my job to go on the search for preemie clothes small enough to fit a five and a half pound baby boy.

What an EPIC FAIL by the big shops.

I went all around town trying to find a simple long sleeve onesie for Wyatt to wear. I couldn't find more than one half-ass rack of preemie gear in either of the big named stores. Oh, I also tried #Target. No luck there either.

I had to buy a pack of simple white cotton onesies. No cute animals or cars or dinosaur patterns. Apparently, preemie clothing is not ordered as often as the other sizes.

Total Bullsh!t.

I can't imagine there isn't a gigantic market for preemie clothing. It just isn't a priority for the big stores.

Well, I am going to have to try and find an alternative place to shop. Even if it will be too late for me, I want the next family to be prepared and have options like the big babies do.

Suggestions are welcome.

Oh btw most cribs, rockers, etc. do not tell you whether a preemie is too small to be used by preemies. Most labels say newborns and up. I think they should mandate a smallest size label on those things. I had to hope the rock and play would work. And when I called their consumer help line at 1:30pm on a Saturday, they were closed til Monday. Way to go #fisher-price.

Struggles of feeding a preemie

Wyatt joined the world at 36 weeks which is technically a preemie. Now besides the fact he is tiny considering the doctor predicted a 9 pound baby, Wyatt is perfectly healthy.

We have had a small obstacle when it comes to feeding him because of his size and the fact his jaw muscles did not have the power yet to handle the time that is needed to fully breast feed. Lizzy was producing the milk, he just tired out too soon before getting sufficient nutrition.

We eventually saw a lactation consultant (who I would absolutely recommend) who told us that until Wyatt gains a bit more weight, we have to supplement the breast feeding with more breast milk using a syringe.

Man is that hard to do. It feels like you are forcing food down his throat when in reality, it's just trying to assure he doesn't lose too many ounces from his birth weight. But at the end of the day, it's for the good of him and his health.

As of this morning, we have been supplementing each feeding with anywhere between 5-15cc of breast milk and you can absolutely tell he is getting heavier. It is such a relief and joy to both of us knowing he is growing!

He even grew out of his first pair of socks this weekend!!!

Week 1 in the books

It has been a week since little Wyatt has joined us in this world and I can't be happier! He shows Lizzy and I his personality everyday and just how much character he has.

His expressions have begun to expand and he have us a HUGE smile in his sleep today. It was amazing. I cannot wait for him to realize he knows how to smile so he can continuously smile at us all day.

I mean...how can you not melt with that look?

That helpless feeling...

Guys, it's inebidable that with a newborn there will be a night where you don't sleep. Scratch that, nobody sleeps because your baby cannot stop crying. Whether you sing, carry, rock or lay him/her down, nothing works but mom's teet.

It is such a helpless feeling.

Not because the baby won't stop crying, but more because you know as a man, you do not genetically contain the ability to give your child the only thing he wants. And to top it off, you cannot yet use words to figure out what exactly is causing the baby to cry hysterically.

Last night was that night for us. We took for granted that the night before he slept like a baby. Lizzy and I were rested, alert and ready to take on the world. BIG mistake. Wyatt was just preparing his surprise attack as he dropped the insomnia bomb on us.

I tried every trick i had in my arsenal to counter the crying baby but nothing worked. The only thing I was able to do to get him to stop crying was pass him onto Lizzy and have him latch on. It was so frustrating for me because as I looked into Lizzy's eyes, all I could see was defeat and a woman who was sleep deprived to the point of no return.

That hurt.

Current Parents, you know what I'm talking about. Expecting parents, get ready! It's gonna be a bumpy ride.

I will say this...It is all worth it when you see your child stare back at you like this guy did in this picture.

Welcome Wyatt!

So it's August 4th 2012 and Wyatt has decided to join us almost 4 weeks early! I cannot even begin to describe what the experience of birth is like, so I won't. Let it suffice to say that it is surreal. Holding my boy for the first time was something I will never forget.

I thought I knew what to expect when I read about the process and by hearing accounts from other new moms (Lizzy has a great group of friends with small children) but NO WAY does it prepare you for the actual event.

The first 72 hours were nothing but a blur and although I tried to absorb everything I could, I know I missed something. I have nothing but excitement for what is coming soon and way down the road!

Welcome to the world Papo!