Getting to Know Rhett

We're settling into this whole "parenting business" nicely. Newborns like Rhett are quite demanding, but we're loving every minute of caring for our little son.

The worst part of our first two weeks with Rhett were that he didn't really feel like our son. Having a C-section didn't help our bonding process much. I was pregnant and thirty minutes later I wasn't and they were showing me this little baby and I didn't have to work for him at all (at that point any way. C-section recovery is a real bitch). While Rhett was in the nursery for two weeks, we had people telling us when he was to be fed, changed and swaddled and how to do it. We didn't get to pick out his bottles or shirts or blankets. The nurses called him (and all the other babies) 'my baby' whenever they were assigned to him for their shift. I hated that. He wasn't their baby, he was mine! But he didn't really feel like mine.

But enough about how awful the hospital was! Geeze, it's depressing me to just write this. Here's what we know about Rhett so far:

We love Rhett so much. Early on, we started referring to him as "the best baby in the world". His eyes are often open and looking around. He loves (nay, needs) to be held whenever he is awake. He's easily startled by loud noises (the two thunderstorms we've had have led to some completely sleepless nights). He hates his diaper being wet, and he also hates it being changed. He wiggles out of his swaddles like a mini-Houdini, even though when he IS tightly swaddled he goes right to sleep (the kid just doesn't know what he REALLY wants in life). I still have the hardest time figuring out what color his eyes are. They're dark. I'm starting to think they are a really dark blue-green. They are definitely lightening, so maybe it will become clear soon. Rhett can wear preemie or newborn clothes. Preemie clothes just barely fit over his cloth diapers, but they do work. He has a tiny amount of dark hair, which is longer in the back than the front (baby mullet!).



When Rhett was born, he weighted 4 lbs, 3 oz. At his lowest, he weighed just a hair over 4 lb. When he was discharged, he was 4 lbs, 14 oz. As of Monday, when he was three and a half weeks old, he weighs 6 lbs, 4 oz. So he's gaining weight pretty well. His pediatrician recommended waking him up to eat at night AND fortifying my breast milk with extra calories for him to gain weight faster. I don't think he like either of these things, so we haven't been doing it. I was really nervous to get him weighed on Monday but he's been gaining weight like a champ! I'm feeling smug about my motherly instincts.

Rhett is usually up at night from about 11:30-1 and from 4-5:30. He seems to be the most awake and alert during these times. He gets fed, changed, fed again, then tightly swaddled. Then he'll usually watch my face for another hour or so and whine if I put him down. He has this whiny voice when he wants to be held and he puts it on every night.

In "I SWORE I WOULD NEVER DO IT" news, we've had Rhett in bed with us after his last feeding about half of the time he's been home. He wants to be with us, and I like to snuggle with him, so I just did it one night. I was so nervous about rolling over on him but if I keep my arm under him, it's pretty much impossible to roll over onto him (without breaking my arm). I know that's kind of hard to picture, but I definitely feel safe with him in bed with us. I don't know how long we'll keep that up. I don't want to form a habit, but he's too little for that right now anyway. And we get more sleep. And happy parent=happy baby. So...we'll see how that goes.

Phew...that's a lot of information. I really want to write things down, because I KNOW I'll forget. I've already forgotten some things about his birth. I just remembered the other day that the fist time I saw Rhett, he's eyes were open and he looked at me with his forehead all crinkled up. I don't want to forget that stuff. So I need to be more disciplined about writing it down. Wish me luck in my blogging adventures with Rhett!