James is 2 weeks old today!

I can’t believe it’s already been 2 weeks.. it has all gone by way too fast.  And I’m already dreading the day I have to go back to work and leave my sweet boy all day (14 weeks left..).

Here’s a few things that have happened these past two weeks:

Breastfeeding: This was the most stressful situation for me.  I wanted to breastfeed all through my pregnancy, but was under the notion that if it didn’t work out, I wouldn’t become the stressed out mother who forced herself to continue even if it wasn’t working.  I decided before he was born that if it didn’t work, we’d do formula, and it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.  

After he was born, I tried to breastfeed for 5 days.  And because I have flat nipples (TMI) it was hard for James to latch on properly.  The lactation consultants at the hospital gave me a nipple shield and that seemed to help a lot.  I was producing a lot of colostrum, and James had a really great latch, but the pain I felt on my nipples every time he fed was excruciating.  I got blisters, I was bleeding, and I could tell James wasn’t eating enough.  On top of the fact that it took an hour for me to breastfeed (30 minutes on each side).  Finally, my husband sat me down and suggested we try something else.  I hesitated.  As much as I hated the pain, I loved to look down at my son and see that I was able to provide in such a beautiful way for him. I broke down crying, thinking I had not given it enough time, and that I was giving up too soon.  Finally I came to my senses, and since then, we’ve decided that I would exclusively pump and feed him breastmilk.  Essentially, it’s the same.  James is getting what he needs, and I am still able to supply it.  I’ve been pumping every 2-3 hours everyday, and I’ve seen my supply go up from 2 oz to 3-4 oz each time.  So far, so good.

Weight: He dropped some weight shortly after he was born, which I know is pretty normal, but I’m thinking he’s gained it back and then some.  We have his 2 week appointment tomorrow morning, so we’ll see how much more he’s gained. :)

Changes:  He changes everyday.  It’s amazing.  He’s still the same James from day 1, but each day, his features and personality are more and more enhanced.  And my love for him grows each day.

Sleep: Oh my gosh. He is SUCH a good baby.  I can’t believe how good he is about sleeping.  James sleeps about 20 hours a day, and, not bragging, but he sleeps through the night and needs to be woken up for feeding.  I hear all of this can change after 2 weeks, but we’ll see :)  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Tongue-tied: James was born with a long frenulum (the connective tissue underneath your tongue).  It wasn’t the worst case scenario, but our pediatrician still recommended that we snip it now before it developed into a speech impediment later on in life.  We went last week and got it done, there was a drop of blood, he cried for a bit and then everything was back to normal.  Like he didn’t even realize anything had happened.  

Newborn photos: We got these done last Tuesday - I can not wait to see how they turned out.  The photographer we went with was a dream come true.  And James was a perfect model - slept the whole time, and didn’t poop or pee on anyone :)

Faces: I love to just stare at him, and I love all the faces he makes in his sleep and when he’s awake.  Sometimes he looks like an old man, and other times he looks just like his daddy.  When he’s upset and crying, he looks like me.  Go figure :)

Hubby and I are so overwhelmed with love for this little man.  He is such a blessing in our lives and we just can’t imagine our lives without him.