Griffin at Two Months

How is it that on a Saturday morning (Feb 7) I find wide myself awake with Griffin napping sweetly in the swing, Auggie and Eland playing nicely upstairs, laundry in the washer and the dryer, and on top of that the kitchen is relatively clean? Pretty sure my wakefulness is due to my friend Brooke's amazing healthy brownies. At least she said they were healthy and I'm taking her word for it--especially after having eaten about five of them after breakfast. (Can't eat brownies at night, they'd keep me up. Loving this excuse. ;) The boys are responsible for themselves, and Dan is pretty much amazing, too. He's responsible for the clean kitchen, while I'm responsible for the "relatively" part. With all that said, and being shockingly awake, I bid you, "Griffin at Two Months."

This little boy is absolutely thriving! He's grown through several sets of clothes in the past month, including the outfit my mom got for him that I didn't think he'd even fit in for several more months. Thank goodness she had the foresight to see that Griffin is growing! He's wearing 3-6m or 6m clothes depending on the brand, and while his cheeks are plenty squishy and pinch-able, length is where he needs the bigger sizes. In the same outfits that Auggie and Eland wore, his belly doesn't fill out the midsection nearly as much as theirs did.

Two month stats: 13 lbs 2 oz, 23 inches

Griffin on February 11, 2015 - exactly 2 months

PLAYTIME

Around 7 weeks I finally pulled out the baby play mat that our older boys loved as babies. Griffin was thrilled and contentedly bats at the hanging toys. There's definitely a point when he's done, but so long as he's fed, changed, and well-rested, he really enjoys the play mat. He also seems to enjoy toys more. Griffin isn't yet able to grab things on purpose, but he can will his arms in a certain direction, and if his hands land on his Angel Dear giraffe blanket, he enjoys holding the super soft fabric. He likes getting his fingers in the holes of the blanket I knit for him before he was born, and a little dark-blue-and-white bear will capture his attention, too. Perhaps it goes without saying, but Griffin has become adept at tracking moving people and objects with his eyes and even moves his head to do so.

NICKNAMES

While before he was born Griffin held the nicknames Tweedy, Darth Vader (both from Eland), and the Name Du Jour of one of Auggie's kindergarden classmates (Levi, James, Nate, etc..), we have settled on a few at home. They're pretty tame: Grif and Griffy. And sometimes I call him Bubba, or Bubba-lubba, but I'm pretty sure I called all my babies that. Most of the time he goes by Griffin.

NURSING

Griffin is still has a fabulous appetite and he even had a major growth-spurt this past month. Somewhere between six and seven weeks he started nursing voraciously and wanted to eat about every two hours or less during the day. Then he caught Auggie's cold. :( He seemed a little less interested in eating for a bit--which left me very uncomfortable--but picked up again after a couple of days. He still eats about every two to three hours during the day. I find that if I can tank him up in the late afternoon into the evening, he'll sleep for a miraculous five hours (last night was nearly seven!) before waking for his first night feeding. Then he'll wake again after about three hours.

SLEEP

Speaking of sleep, Griffin is by far my best little-baby sleeper. Auggie and Eland were up every two hours for what seemed like ages, while Griffin wakes twice at night. I think God is simply being merciful. I had a lot of conversations with Him while I was pregnant that went something like, "You don't have to, but I could really go for a great sleeper..." Naps are another thing altogether. I suspect Griffin would have a steady ebb and flow of daytime napping if it weren't for the fact that I'm always putting him in his carseat to take the boys to and from school. We've had a few sick days this week, and without all the driving he has been very capable of a few 30-40 min naps or even longer. (Currently Griffin naps in the swinging swing. Eventually I'll transition him in to non-motion sleep.) But all the driving is our lot in life right now, so hopefully we can find a routine even with all the trips in and out of the car.

"Mama, why are you taking my picture when you should be picking me up?!?!?"

(Side note: I'm not really sure if it's experience or Griffin's disposition, but I suspect his ability to sleep longer may be due to my being a more seasoned mom. When Auggie and Eland were babies and slept in our room at night, the moment they fussed I found myself wide awake. They might have settled a bit, but I usually woke them and fed them immediately since I was already awake. With Griffin I've taken a different approach. When he fusses I do my best to keep sleeping, and I typically don't get up to feed him until he's made it clear that he really is awake and ready to eat. This strategy can be a pain in the beginning, but I think it's ultimately worked out well. There are times when Griffin will fuss a little and then sleep for another hour or even two.)

Asleep in the Rock-in-Play

SICK FAMILY

Sick days and colds... When Griffin was 6.5 weeks old Auggie came home (I think from Sunday school) with a rough head cold. Lots of snot, and now he has a fever and bad cough. Since then we've all gotten various versions of this cold. Eland has a runny nose and briefly had an earache; Dan had a fever, runny nose, and now is coughing; I have a runny nose and bad congestion at night; and Griffin caught the runny nose. We had one very rough night with him having a hard time breathing through all the snot. There was a lot of nursing and bulb-suctioning involved. Thankfully nights haven't been too bad since, but he's still fairly snotty. My sister told me about something my sister-in-law told her about (thanks Alisa and Elisabeth!!): the amazing and magical NoseFrida. This thing is pretty amazing--basically the parent sucks snot out of their baby's nose via a long tube. Nope, I don't end up with snot in my mouth or anything like that--in fact it's supposed to be quite sanitary--but it is significantly more gentle on baby's nose than a regular bulb syringe, and for that Griffin and I are extremely grateful. While I hate to have a sick baby, I am daily thankful that this is not the flu and while this cold has been long and painful, we will all survive. My main concern is that Griffin's cold is over with before his 2m pediatrician appointment so that he can get his first Dtap immunization. I won't have him immunized if he's sick, but I'd really like him to have Dtap sooner than later... Ah well. No point in worrying.

[UPDATE: Griffin's pediatrician and I decided to go with DTaP and Hib. He had absolutely no cold symptoms on the morning of his appointment and he checked out perfectly.]

My sweet baby with his Band-aids

GOODBYE, GRAM
My mom left on Wednesday, January 14, and we are so thankful that she came and helped soooo very much! Before she left, she outfitted Griffin in camouflage to match his big brothers. Thank you, Gram!

ZACK AND DONNA VISIT!

Perhaps one of the best parts of Griffin's second month of life is that his Nana and Papa came to visit! Zack and Donna (Dan's parents) arrived the day before Griffin turned six weeks, and stayed for about a week. We were so thrilled to have them here!!!! Donna got lots of baby snuggling time in, and Zack did, too. I remember being more possessive of Auggie as a baby (sorry, guys), but this time around I was happy to share the baby snuggling. They're only this little once!

Donna working out some fussiness

Griffin soaking up the sun with Nana

We had such a great time with Dan's parents! Auggie and Eland got to show off their schools, we treated ourselves to Starbucks, Donna made tons of great meals, and Dan's parents helped us redecorate two rooms in our house which required quite a bit of planning, furniture moving, and painting. We squeezed all the redecorating into two and a half days, so it was a lot of work, but I am so thankful for their help as it would have taken me months to do it on my own and I'm positive I wouldn't have come up with the same results.

Can you see him? Probably not.. But yes, Auggie is here. :)

Eland enjoying pirate eye patches from Papa and Nana

While Zack and Donna were here Dan and I ran off to the local climbing gym twice and had a great time climbing together. We even did some day dreaming about organizing a babysitter for Griffin next year on Dan's off Fridays so that we can climb together some more. While gone the first time, we had Donna try to give Griffin a bottle of breastmilk. He'd taken a pacifier a few times with ease, so I assumed it would be no problem at all. Instead, he gagged on the nipple quite a bit and didn't take the bottle at all. In fact, he's absolutely refused the pacifier ever since. Thankfully it had only been about three hours since his last feeding by the time we got home--which is a perfectly reasonable length of time between feedings--so no harm was done. We tried the bottle again the second time Dan and I left to climb, but with intentions to get home again to nurse if needed. This time Griffin was more successful and ate about one ounce of breastmilk. Not loads or anything, but Donna figured out that he was able to eat more easily if he didn't have the entire nipple in his mouth. Dan and I haven't tried giving Griffin a bottle since, but we really should. Eventually I'd like to be able to leave in the evenings to climb at the gym with my friend Kendra. Or even just go somewhere alone like a normal person?? Either way, Griffin is really a cute ball and chain. ;)

TEAMWORK REQUIRED

One of the more challenging parts of life--as I think I've mentioned--is getting Auggie and Eland to and from school with Griffin in tow. Auggie starts school 1h and 15min before Eland. Eland finishes an hour before Auggie. Thankfully Eland only has school three days a week, so it's only for that many days that I have about two hours to kill in transit daily. Their schools are pretty close together so there's no point in driving home in between trips to school. Besides having lots of time to kill, poor Griffin has to spend a decent chunk of the day in his carseat. That, and I have to be up at 6am in order to get everyone to school on time. Thankfully Dan is amazing. Family life has always required teamwork between the two of us, but I feel the positive results of this teamwork now more than ever. If I have a particularly bad night up nursing Griffin, Dan will get the boys ready for school and encourage me to sleep till as late as I possibly can before hopping in the car to drive the boys. He also makes breakfast for all of us daily, and he drives Auggie to school most Friday mornings. He takes the big boys to the climbing gym regularly to get them exercise, and for the past two days he's pulled the sick boys up and down hills in our Radio Flyer wagon (read: extremely heavy load!) just so that we can all get outside and walk together as a family. I am soooo thankful for Dan and the things that we are capable of when we work together.

Speaking of walks, my Beco soft carrier is amazing! Griffin and I walk nearly every day with him in the carrier. I love it and he seems to love it, too!!

Griffin in his walking outfit.. Which he has since outgrown. 

SMILES

Griffin is still not smiling much. I am super anxious to see his precious smiles! He had a smile for me in the morning and another for Dan and the boys later in the afternoon on Monday, February 2. On Saturday, February 7 he smiled sweetly in the morning for me. He does tend to have happy, smiling eyes from time to time, but I am waiting for more social smiles. They're clearly coming soon, but this mama wants more!!! :) Here he is practicing his smile:

EYE COLOR

While last month I thought Griffin would end up with blue eyes, I'm not entirely positive anymore. His eyes are still blue--a murky grey blue--and sometimes I'm sure they'll stay blue, but sometimes when the light catches them the right way Griffin's eyes look warm enough that they might turn brown eventually. Only time will tell.

Don't they look like they're conspiring?

I picked this mirror because of the brand's name 

Snuggles with Kierstin before her move 

Watching the Super Bowl with Dada

Dan doing what he needs to do to be a happy dad :)

Have I mentioned G's sticky-outtie belly button? I guess it's technically a hernia but not one that causes problems. He'll grow out of it.

MONTHLY NOTES

I've been writing bits and pieces of Griffin's growth and minor or major milestones down on my phone throughout each month so that I don't forget his progress by the time I write his monthly blog post. Here are my notes from this month:

01.14 - For the first time Griffin moved his head to continue tracking Eland with his eyes as he moved around Griffin.

01.16 - The boys and I tried a small sip of pumped breast milk. We were all curious. It was sweet and not being hind milk was more on the watery side. Both boys decided they didn't like it and definitely didn't want more, which cracked me up since they were the ones who wanted to try it in the first place.

01.17 - Cries through almost all nighttime diaper changes and 50% of daytime ones. Always been like this.

At 5wks has a fairly consistent day. Awake time for about 1.5-2h around 7 or 8am (may change when I'm regularly taking the boys to school again), sleep most of the day waking 2-3.5h to eat, awake again from 6-9:30/10pm, sleep waking 2-3x at night. I appreciate the predictability. :)

To pacifier or not to pacifier?

01.18 - G didn't poop at all on 01.17, so while I wasn't freaking out on 01.18, I was at least concerned and aware. I read that around 6 weeks a baby's digestive system changes along with the fact that highly laxative colostrum is finally gone from mom's milk, it's normal for babies to continue popping 5x a day, once every other day, or even once a week. That said, I was watching Griffin. The problem was that he seemed uncomfortable and cried in a very agitated way every time he woke up. I gave him a small fingertip of infant probiotics hoping that might help. Not sure what did it (well, we were praying a lot), but right around dinner time Griffin finally pooped--and was much more relaxed afterwards. I am hoping he poops at least once daily in the future for his own comfort, but I guess we have to wait and see. ... Next morning started with two BIG poops. :)

01.23 - Griffin grabs onto things today. He was purposely trying to get his hand up to his mouth to suck his fingers, but kept getting frustrated because he couldn't get his hand just right. Right now he's holding onto the hem my shirt while nursing.

Dan and I went climbing at the local gym and left Dan's parents with a bottle of pumped milk for Griffin. We assumed that since he's capable of taking a pacifier that he'd be able to take a bottle. Apparently Griffin tried valiantly to drink the milk, but kept choking on it. Dan's mom suspects that the nipple was too long and perhaps with more practice he'll get it eventually.

Griffin's schedule through 01.19.2015 - two awake periods: early morning and three or four hours between 5-10pm. Sleep the remainder of the day/night between feedings--not necessarily peacefully. Griffin's prolonged awake period in the evening worried me since I've read that young babies should not be awake for more than two hours at a time, but my friend Kendra said her son used to be awake for five hours in the evenings, and since Griffin is still clocking plenty of sleep time otherwise, it must be okay.

Naturally I made the mistake of assuming that Griffin would carry on with this schedule when it was convenient for me. ;) On Tuesday 01.20.2015, my first day at home with both Auggie and Eland at school, I assumed that Griffin would sleep all day at usual. Instead, he was awake for the majority of the day fussing and taking the occasional very quick cat nap. I laid him down at one point thinking he'd sleep for awhile, and decided to nap myself at the same time. Naturally Griffin woke up ten minutes after I fell into a nice, deep sleep. Such is life. :) He didn't take a nice nap on Tuesday until fifteen minutes before Dan came home from work. Griffin repeated Wednesday.

Thankfully Dan's parents arrived for a much anticipated visit Wednesday night, and Griffin resumed his previous schedule of sleeping for the majority of the day--although I will say that he's had a few more awake periods than before. I am wondering if all the time spent in his car seat driving the big boys to school and back is messing with him and making it hard to nap. He naps some in his car seat, but is woken as we go in and out of schools twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. However, this is simply life so Griffin will have to adjust the best he can. Wish I could keep him at home but that's not an option.

01.25 - Griffin takes a little bit of bottle, still refuses pacifier

01.26 - Griffin deliberately bringing hand to mouth to suck--accidentally got thumb and seemed to like it.

Slept or was happy all day, had a really tough evening of crying.

01.30 - Four days ago he started more deliberate arm movements and seems to be practicing in the middle of the night. I used to be able to set him down right after nursing and he'd fall asleep, but now he flails his arms and wakes himself. I have to hold him for 20-30 min after feeding in order to get him to not wake himself. Arrgh!

Griffin developed a runny nose last night.

02.02 - Griffin's first social smile!!!

02.06 - After about five days of not bring able to immediately put Griffin down to sleep after middle of the night feedings I can do it again! Griffin still moves a little, but does not seem to wake himself doing it--that or he is able to fall asleep even if he does wake himself.

I've noticed Griffin bring his fist up to his face and rub around his eye area a bit. It doesn't seem like tired eye-rubbing, but more itching or irritation-related. I'll ask his MD about this.

Griffin dislikes having his nails clipped. It requires nursing acrobatics on my part. :)

02.08 - Griffin woke after sleeping for over SEVEN hours (!!), nursed, slept, and then woke up hourly after that sounding like he was in pain or was uncomfortable. I felt bad for my little guy! He even spit up a massive at one point. :( (I wasn't too, too tired after 6.5h consecutive sleep.) He fussed on and off all morning and had a temp of 100.2*F around noon.

Since it was Sunday I couldn't call our ped till 1pm. Got him in for a 2:40p appt. ... This not-so-little-guy clocked in at 11lbs 8oz! I had no idea!! That's 3lbs 6oz in just less than 7 weeks! Amazing!!

Anyway, the NP wasn't too concerned. Griffin checked out just find. She gave me warning signs to watch for, but sent Griffin home without much worry. Since then Griffin has been fine aside from the occasional snotty nose. Phew. :)

02.09 - Griffin soothed himself in bed for a little while this morning sucking his fist. I think he even put himself to sleep this way.

Stationary sleep for 1.5h in swing with range fan on--great white noise. Wish I had napped instead of doing everything I could possibly get done. ;)

Another smile!

02.10 - Griffin never really went through the 1-month-no-hair-on-top old-man-baby phase that the other boys did.

Griffin is interacting more with toys when he's fed and well-rested: plays with a little crinkly elephant in his car seat, and thoroughly enjoys the hanging toys in his play mat.

Does not stay sleep in his car seat after being brought into the house.

Griffin still has a runny nose. He's supposed to get his first immunization tomorrow and I can't decide whether or not to do it. I hate to vaccinate him while he has a cold since he's so little, but at the same time I am anxious for him to have some protection against pertussis. (That's the only shot for tomorrow--Dtap.) I am happy to have a delayed vax schedule with all my kids, but pertussis makes me nervous. I'm leaning towards doing it since Griffin's big brothers are very capable of bringing home germs from school--unlike when when they were little and we're only exposed by choice. (Well, sort of..) We'll see what his doctor says.

I got a half-smile out of Griffin today while kissing his feet.

02.11 - swoon! While attempting to nurse Griffin he insisted on smiling at me instead. He was with Dan for a few hours and seemed to me showing me how happy he was to see his mama. :)

Griffin did great at the doctor. Dr. was impressed with how strong his neck strength was, along with what a big boy he was! Two shots: Dtap and Hib. Absolutely no signs of his runny nose at the doc, so I felt like it was a good decision. Dtap for protection from pertussis, and apparently the boys can bring Hib home from school, so Dr. thought it was best to add this one today.

Griffin slept lots in the afternoon and clearly has sore legs. My poor baby! By evening he seemed less uncomfortable, but still not normal. He did have some fever.

PREVIEW OF MONTH THREE

He smiles!!!!