8 weeks of Theodore

Sleep deprivation is real.  When I'm under slept, my world can fall apart.  And I don't mean under slept like a night will go by and I didn't get my 8 hours.  I mean, 3-4 nights and days where I'm only getting 4 broken hours in a 24 hour period.  And this is while I'm already trying to catch up on the sleep I didn't get when Theo first came home.  So when a few days go by, and I don't get at least 3-4 hours solid straight SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW, I get pretty rattled. 

 

And that's where I was the other day.  We broke Theo's schedule last week.. and we paid for it over the weekend and the start of this week.  When I'm in a state of sleep deprivation, I feel like Theo never sleeps, and he always cries.  And truthfully, that's not the case.  He is a good baby.  But when I'm at my worst with sleep and emotions... he can come across as an overwhelming terror.  And he is!  But on days and weeks where my sleep is up to par, it doesn't seem all that bad.  I actually like my day-to-day with him when I'm refreshed and feeling somewhat well rested.

 

I started recording his naps and night time stretches of sleep because I was convinced that he wasn't sleeping enough for his age.. or was sleeping too much... or I don't know.  I was paranoid, and it's a habit I picked up after reading that after 1 month old, babies can sleep 5-6 hours at night, and start feeding every 3-4 hours instead of 2-3.  Well, Theo is getting appox. 12-16 hours in a 24 hour period most days.  I just didn't believe it because >>>>I<<<< wasn't get such glorious amounts of sleep too.

 

Anyway... I want to thank you all for the support and love after my last post.  It truly was Right Where I Was on that day, in that moment in time.  And there are many days like that.  But I know things have to get better as he grows and adapts to the world around him.

 

***

 

So, I feel super behind in keeping this growing child up-to-date on this blog.  I really wanted to blog every week, and show cute pictures of Theo.  But getting to the computer in those first weeks out was pretty impossible.  We took so.many.pictures of this kid... I really don't know what I'm going to do with them all. 

Be prepared to be PHOTO BOMBED with 8 weeks of Theodore!!
I dated every single picture.  So if you catch yourself asking, "oh, how cute, I wonder how old he is in this picture...?"  Well, he was born on April 23, 2013... and you can do the math from there! 

You're welcome :)

 4/24/13

not even 24 hours old.  I could post about 100 pictures from him in the hospital (because that's just about the number we took of him!) from our 2 1/2 day stay.. but I have to pace myself....

 

 

 

4/27/13

 Oh, 27, how you tug at my heart.  When I took this photo, I didn't realize it was the 27th to be honest.  Theo was just 4 days old... and I was in a sleepless, paranoid haze.  But as I compose this post, I think this picture was perfectly taken on the 27th.  One boy next to him, and one in his heart and hopefully in his dreams.

4/27/13

still has his chubby cheeks at 4 days old

4/27/13



4/30/13 Theodore @ 1 weeks old!

what a sleepy lookin' fella

4/30/13

What a funny looking jaundice little boy.  Thank goodness as you scroll down it only gets better!!

 

5/3/13

First time sitting in his chair.  It was still a little early to pop him in this thing for longer than a few seconds as his head would easily slouch into his chest... but still a cute photo op

5/5/13

still skinny faced and new

5/7/13 Theodore @ 2 weeks old!

5/7/13

A little early for eye contact (or so I was told..) but he'd lock eyes with the camera every now and again.  Oh my little old man child :)

5/8/13

I'm assuming all newborn babies make the "crying" face in their sleep... because he's SO OUT in this picture.. but you'd never know from his expression

 

5/14/13 Theodore @ 3 weeks old!

5/16/13

I just think he's super funny looking in this picture!

 

5/17/13

Practicing martial arts in his sleep

 



5/18/13

he was up at 6am (FOR GOOD) on this morning.  And he was looking at me - like REALLY looking at me - all like, "What are we out of bed and off the boob for?"

5/18/13

such a little peanut

 

 5/20/13

he used to nap like a superstar in the evenings (not so much now... sigh)

5/20/13

I so wish to find out what is always so damn funny!

5/20/13

It looked to me like he was raising his hand in class.  My goodness, he's so small and delicious.

 

5/20/13

 showing him newborn stimulation video's on the iPad for the first time

5/20/13

 the forever changing black and white shapes were pretty trippy!!

5/20/13

 showing us lots of developmental milestones and followed the iPad where ever we moved it

5/21/13 Theodore @ 4 weeks old!

 unfortunately, this is the only picture I have from this day.  And Daniel took it, and didn't button his onesie... and I can see his diaper is full of pee.  Wonderful.

We have a video from that day... but I it's only exciting to us. 

 

 

5/22/13

I love his hair

5/23/13 - 1 month exactly

 On his way to the doctor's for his 1 month check up

I didn't notice it then, but he was still pretty jaundice.  wow.

 

 

Here are some shots from (our attempt at) his 1 month "photo shoot", May 23rd 2013



 This bear was a gift from Daniel's family on Theodore's birth day.

 however, we couldn't get Theo or the bear to cooperate for a good shot...

 He ran out of patience pretty fast - and if anyone uses pampers "wet indicator", you can see the blue line on his diaper, and he used to get pretty pissed off when he was wet :(

 Daddy changed his diaper, and tried to console him...

 This might be the best shot we got...

 but ultimately he just wanted to be back with mom

 

 

 

5/25/13

keeping track of his "home coming" outfit.  I'll be kinda sad the day he doesn't fit into it any longer.  We bought that outfit a few weeks/days (I don't remember right now exactly when we took that leap of good faith) before Theo was born.  It was such an awesome feeling to see him wear it the day we brought him home - and I still get that same feeling every time I see him wear it.

 

5/26/13

such long arms and big hands!

5/26/13

remember this post when I posted a picture of him in this outfit at 4 days old?  He's really filling out his car seat now :)

5/26/13

 First time meeting his new friends on his activity mat!

 

 5/27/13

 

5/27/13

 big stretches when I unwrap the swaddle

 

 

5/28/13

 Sometimes we let the cats look after Theo...

5/28/13

 ...this was purely a coincidence

 

 

 Roller coaster dreams

5/28/13 Theodore @ 5 weeks!

 

 

 

5/29/13

 his favorite place to be.. (well, about 6-8 inches lower, to be exact)

 

 

 6/1/13

definitely outgrowing his bassinet

 

 6/1/13

hanging out in his chair... enjoying some iPad vision

 6/1/13

 

 

 6/2/13

Theo realizing he actually LIKES bath time.  This is him in anticipation. 

 6/2/13

starting to look more and more like me

 6/2/13

"Bath time rocks!"

and is my baby abnormally hairy?!  I think so... he's got hairy upper arms and back.

 

 

 6/4/13 Theodore @6 weeks old!!

somehow he managed to inch down, and get his foot out of the crib.  Whenever we manage to successfully have him unswaddled for night time sleeping.. we're gonna have to get our mesh "bumper" pad up.  

 

 a smile.  he was A-DORABLE while I was obsessively taking his pictures as he was waking up from his morning nap.

 

 

 6/6/13

I was trying to get a good shot in his "home coming" outfit to show how much he's grown.  "One second baby, mommy's almost got it..."

 "one more second... the flash is too high.. "

 "ok, I got the flash just right..."  "ok, ok, ok, no more pictures!!"

 

6/7/13

chilling out in his chair

 6/7/13

lots of love from dad in the evening

 

6/8/13

 6/8/13

I only ever stomach sleep him when he's 100% supervised (and it only started a few weeks ago).  I really wish he didn't love sleeping on his stomach so much... because he stopped tolerating sleeping on his back unless swaddled, and somehow we have to stop swaddling all together.. and we'll be completely at his mercy at night

 

 6/10/13

Snug as a bug

 6/10/13

but... he grunts and squirms until he breaks free, hits the sides and wakes himself up

 

 

 6/11/13 Theodore @ 7 weeks old

 6/11/13

Cute.  All I have to say about this.  Cute, cute, cute

 

 

 6/12/13

graduated out of the bassinet to a playpen

I'd like to mention that Theo DOES NOT SLEEP IN THIS THING FOR MORE THAN 40 MIN AT A TIME AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH HIS EVENING NAPS ARE A THING OF THE PAST UNLESS HE IS SLEEP *ON* SOMEONE.

 

 6/13/13

going out for a walk with mommy.  It's been cold lately.. and Theodore DOES NOT like hats.

 

 6/14/13

already filling out the playpen

 

 

We were adventurous this past weekend, and attended our first birthday part with Theo in tow.  This boy was turning 1, and we are his godparents, so we really wanted to make the effort and show up.  Even though the party was at 10am, and would disturb Theo's nap time entirely... we made it.  I didn't want to forever be bound to his routine, and at almost 8 weeks old, I figured he has to start to venture out into big crowds filled with children and relatives carrying germs and snot that insist on touching his face and hands at some point in his life. 

6/15/13

4 Generations.  Theodore with his daddy Daniel, Daniel's dad and grandfather

 6/15/13

We tried to put him down when we got home, but he was kinda wired and overtired.

 6/15/13

snuggled up with mommy

 

6/17/13

 starting to find the camera when mommy calls him

6/17/13

 more eye contact to daddy while I gave him a bath

 So we've seen a few pictures in his chair.  But we've been calling it his "poo chair" lately, because like magic... we put him in, sing a song, or play a video... and pow, he'll blow out his diaper.  Sometimes it's at night, and sometimes it's during our morning play... but it's a pretty safe bet that he'll poo for us if his bowels are full if placed in that chair.

And yesterday afternoon, for your viewing pleasure, I caught him in action.  I was putting him down quickly so I could dash to the restroom... and he got himself geared up...

feeling the rumble..

...bearing down...

state of my diaper = blown out

aaaand I'm done.

*sigh*

 

He always has this shark fin, or as my aunt called it, "rooster comb" (she said I had it too at this age).  But last night, Daniel said, "I got it!  I know who he reminds me of..."

 

 

 

And he took this next picture....



"Astro Boy!!"

6/18/13 Theodore @ 8 weeks old!

 

 

Ok, ok, ok

 

I must sleep.

 

 

I've been working on this post through out the day.  Theo finally went down for his 3-4 hour nap this morning (after three days of NOT NAPPING ROUTINELY SO I COULD SLEEP TOO) and I uploaded all the pix... and I've been working on dating and commenting for the past hour and a half while Theo has been down for the night.  Silly silly me... complaining about not getting sleep, and I'm NOT sleeping when my baby sleep. 

 

But I've got to have some balance. 

 

Enjoy, and good night!

 

p.s

I am not spell checking or proof reading.  yikes!