Ring, Ring

Hello,

You've reached the desk of Benji Bremner at the Department of Child's Play. I'm not available right now (busy having fun) but leave a message and I'll get back to you!

Back to Work

Hi folks. Sorry that there hasn't been a recent post, but my limited time has become even more limited! This is my third week back at work and so far we're surviving. He's 3 1/2 weeks old, but here's his belated montly picture with Mr. Quack.

It was so hard to leave Benji at daycare that first day. He has a great daycare provider near our house, so I know he's in good hands...I just wish he were in mine! Since then, it hasn't been any easier to leave him, but we're starting to develop a routine of sorts. Having Wednesdays off is my saving grace. I get to spend all day with the Munchkin, and also regroup and get things ready for work/daycare for the rest of the week. I'm even more exhausted than I was before, but I'm handling it better than I thought I would. I tell people I've just
developed a new baseline in terms of fatigue! I'm just taking it one day at a time. Trying to figure out how to get everything done over the long term is just too overwhelming!

The daycare provider is on vacation for the first two weeks in August, so my mom is taking care of him this week, and then Ed/Alex will be off for a week to watch the little one. Mom, as most grandparents are, is completely infatuated with Mr. Benji and they are having a great time with each other. We even went to the pool on my day off. He was in awe of everything around him (waterfalls, kids playing, etc) but he seemed to have a good time.

Benji is growing like a weed. Everyday I notice that he's a little stronger, or that he's just a bit more skilled than he was the day before. Over the past few days he's started passing objects from one hand to the other (crossing the midline is a big step). He's really trying out his voice by letting us hear his excited, high-pitched squeals or his sweet cooing all day long. He's started to give "kisses," and he seems to like to play with anything cloth/blanket-like. He loves the little mini-blankets which are attached to a stuffed-animal head. Even a clean diaper will keep him happy if we're in the car coming home from daycare.

He sees his feet, and occasionally tries to grab them, but he can't quite get that little foot into his hand quite yet. He's a little less perturbed by tummy time, and when he's on his back he can turn on to his side.

He's a wonderful little boy. I can't imagine life without him.

Up, Up, and Away

The three of us took a trip down to North Carolina to visit with my family and to introduce Benji to some of his relatives. We had a great time, and Benji was a champ when it came to traveling. The plane ride didn't seem to phase him at all, and it was much easier to navigate the airport with a baby than I had expected.

I sure enjoyed being home with my family. I always miss them, but having a baby makes me miss my family even more.



Over the past couple of weeks, Benji has been reaching for and batting at objects. Sometimes he even manages to grab them! It started with him reaching for my necklace when he was nursing, and slowly evolved into him reaching for toys, etc.

He is also becoming progressively more vocal and expressive. He recently started to laugh a bit (occasional chuckles), and he loves to blow bubbles (or spit, according to Ed/Alex). He also seems to get a kick out of sticking out his tongue, especially if we stick ours out in response.

This is my last week at home with the little fellow, and then I have to return to work. I'm certainly thankful that I have a job that I enjoy, but I'm really going to miss being home with my baby. We were able to find a home daycare provider whom I feel will give Benji lots of nurturing and attention, so I know he'll be well taken care of. At the end of the day, however, I wish I was the one taking care of him all day. Luckily, my workplace has been wonderfully flexible with me, and I'll have every Wednesday off. In exchange, I'll work a longer day on Tuesday, but this will give Ed/Alex and Benji some guy time together without me hovering!

Here are some of his cute expressions:

Um...I think someone ought to check my britches...



I'm so excited I can't contain myself! I love bathtime!


Hey, why did you take me out of the bath?

Oh happy day!


Yes? May I help you?

Brave Boy

Poor baby had to have his 2 month immunizations yesterday. He was mad for about 3 seconds and then he was over it. I think it was harder on Mommy than Benji!

At least he got a snazzy bandage. He would have been right at home in the 80s with that neon bandage!

2 months old!

Benji is 8 weeks old as of yesterday. Time sure is flying by. He's such a fun kid!

He's gained a couple of skills in the past few days. He's started to gain some control over his arm movements and he's been noticeably reaching for things. He has more misses than hits, but sometimes he manages to grab (or at least bat at) whatever he is aiming for. He's been doing this primarily with my face and my necklace when he's eating.

He has also started playing what I call the "tongue game." I'll stick my tongue out and wiggle it around. He'll smile and laugh, and then he'll stick his out. He's a big fan of this game!

7+ weeks and Adventures in Cloth Diapering (abridged)

Hi there!

Benji is about 7.5 weeks old. It's been almost 2 whole months since he was born. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed already. Looking back on his earlier pictures, I'm struck by how much he has changed already. He's been a joy at every stage. While I miss some things (how his tiny little peanut self curled up into a little ball when we'd put him on our shoulders), he's captivating us with new and exciting skills.

Over the past few days, he's rediscovered his hands. He hasn't been examining them yet, but he's very interested in how they taste! He's also been "talking" more than ever. He does talk to Ed/Alex and I, which makes us feel very special...until he has an extended conversation with the ceiling fan...then we feel a little less special! He loves bathtime more and more every day, and is finding out how much fun it is to splash the water when he kicks. He's a very happy baby. More often than not, if he's awake then he is smiling, cooing, and happily kicking his little legs.




People ask me how I'm liking motherhood...and my answer is always an unequivocal, "I love it." And it's true. I can't imagine life before Benji. That's not to say that being a newbie Mommy isn't difficult. I have days where I doubt everything I'm doing, and when the lack of sleep starts to really take it's toll. But I still wouldn't trade it for the world.

I mentioned that I might do a little "Adventures in Cloth" post. If I were to really get into it, I'd have to make it a separate blog, so I'll just give you the "short story."

Ed/Alex and I decided to use cloth for a few different reasons. While we can't claim any awards for being "green" we do try to do what we can, and we felt that this was one way to reduce our portion of landfill waste. Granted, we're using more water to wash the diapers, so one could debate how green we're being, but we try not to be wasteful in general. Also, we weren't completely comfortable with all the chemicals in the disposables. That said, he's had "sposies" on in the hospital and a few times when Mommy was behind on the laundry, and we'll likely use them when we go on trips.

Ed/Alex was interested in the Blowout Prevention Potential (BPP). The fact that he has actually seen the cloth diapers contain what would have otherwise resulted in poop on furniture has made Ed/Alex a proponent of cloth! Lastly, we wanted to save money. Disposable diapers are expensive. And babies will often pee/poop on a clean one as soon as it's put on (or in Benji's case, in the process of it being put on).

We use the old-fashioned prefolds, primarily (the cloth diapers most people are familiar with). However, we don't have to use pins or those oh-so-sexy rubber pants. We use convenient (and often cute) cloth diaper covers, and we've had good luck just folding the diaper in the cover. Alternatively, we can use a little rubber device called a "snappi" in lieu of pins.

This is the least expensive cloth diaper system, but also the most time consuming. The covers don't have to be washed with each change, only if they are soiled. However, the poo of an exclusively breastfed baby quite often leads to a soiled cover. Having to buy a few more covers so that we can wash the diapers every other day, on the other hand, is much nicer than having to deal with messy blow-outs. The covers are great at containing all that poo, whereas he's almost guaranteed to cause a huge mess if he's in a disposable diaper.

Lately, we've been trying out a few of the more convenient styles. These are all-in-one diapers or pocket diapers which go on and come off much like a disposable diaper (no fussing with the cloth and then the cover). These are nice when out and about, and will also be useful when Benji starts daycare.

Overall, it involves a lot of trial and error, as well as research, in order for it to work. Certain detergents and/or washing routines can cause the diapers to lose their absorbancy, etc, so you have to know what you're doing in that regard. The most commonly used diaper creams are a no-no with cloth as they can stain the diapers (not a huge deal unless you're planning to sell them later), or can cause a fish-market-like stink (bigger deal unless you want your kid to smell like trout). Also, no one diaper system works for every kid or every family. Families differ in their preferences, and kids come in all shapes and sizes, which affect the fit and effectiveness of various diapers. It takes patience, but so far we've found it to be worth the effort.

I have to say, though, that the best thing about this experiment...has been the cloth wipes! They clean that stinky tush so much more thoroughly and quickly! If I ever gave up the rest of cloth diapering, I'm pretty sure I'd stick to the cloth wipes! And, we haven't had any stink issues
from the diaper pail (just a flip top trash can with a waterproof liner that goes in the wash with the diapers).

If you're curious about how it all works there are blogs devoted to cloth diapering all over the internet which are full of great information.

I've Been a Mommy for only 5 weeks...

...and yet I can't imagine what it was like before Benji came.

Benji is a great kid. He really is a very content baby. He fusses when he's hungry, and occasionally just because he's a baby and that's what they do. But he rarely has long periods where he is just crying or irritable. Most of the time he's eating, sleeping, or just happily taking in
That's not to say he's not a lot of work. I'm no stranger to babies and kids, but I was not prepared for how all consuming being the mother of a newborn would be! Uncle Evan visited when Benji was about 3 weeks old and asked, "but what does he do?" Well, right now he pretty much eats. And eats some more. Occasionally he'll grow tired of the gluttony and snooze. Uncle Evan might be happy to know, however, that Benji is starting to smile at us (real smiles, not the gassy smiles) and is finding his sweet little voice.

Right now are days follow a fairly predictable routine. We usually wake up for Benji to eat around 5 am. Afterward, I take him out for a nice long walk. This gives him a chance to get some fresh air and take in the sights and sounds of the outdoors (assuming he stays awake) before it gets too hot. It also gives me a chance to get out of the house and get some exercise. After we get back and he's nursed again, he typically has a period where he's very alert and happy. He and I will talk to each other, with his end of the conversation usually consisting of "ooh," "ahh," "gah," and "eee!" We'll also sing some songs, and he'll watch me as I move around trying to straighten up or get myself together for the day. He has these very alert periods about 2-3 times a day. Otherwise, he's usually eating or snoozing.

He enjoys his baths in the evenings, and he also likes to cuddle with his Daddy and I. Tummy time is something he's learning to like. Right now he's okay with it for about 2-3 minutes and then he starts to complain and wants to be flipped back over. Keeping that head up is hard work!

His Daddy and I are starting to feel like we have things somewhat under control at this point. I have to admit, though, that I tend to still have bouts of anxiety about whether or not I'm doing this whole mommy business right. I realize that this may just be what defines parenthood! Whenever I have my doubts, though, my own mommy is quick to reassure me and give me any advice that I may need.

We're still going strong with the cloth diapering. That's a whole separate post (I'll have to try to write and adventures in cloth post soon), but so far it's working out pretty well. There's been some trial and error, and there may be some things I'd do differently if there is a next time, but it's been great overall. Ed/Alex is even a fan now, and he wasn't completely convinced when I told him I wanted to give it a try. Now he's telling folks how much he likes it!

Benji is still breastfeeding. It's amazing how bad babies are at the whole nursing thing...I'd have thought it was something that instinct would pretty much take care of! Many mommy-baby couples have difficulty for one reason or another, and not all women are able to start or continue breastfeeding (through no fault of their own). We've been lucky in that he's only had some minor latch issues which have been more of a discomfort issue for me than an issue for Benji. He's growing like a weed, so I know he's getting plenty of milk! I have to admit, though, that it's not always rainbows and sunshine. It's a lot of work, it's not always very comfortable, and it does make me feel like I'm constantly nursing at times. I'm very glad, however, that it has worked out for us and that he can continue to receive breastmilk. I was starting to become somewhat discouraged but then I read an article that actually acknowledged the challenges of breastfeeding (rather than making it sound like each session is supposed to be marked by angels singing and a halo of light around the little one). Realizing that I wasn't abnormal for feeling frustrated with the process at times made it much easier for me to start enjoying and appreciating the opportunity!

So, we're doing well over all, and trying to take the challenges in stride. Those big eyes, that beautiful smile, and those cuddles makes it all worth it!