The Great Diaper Disaster

I'm staring at a sinkful of yellow-baby-poop stained clothes, which are soaking in a mixture of water and vinegar...amazed at how such a pleasant morning could have gone downhill so quickly.  Allow me to give you a glimpse into the dreaded progression of events, which eventually lead to the glass of wine I am drinking as I compose this blog.

Last Wednesday, Colin had his 1 month check up with the pediatrician.  He weighed in at almost 9 lbs!  "Best not to buy any more newborn diapers!" said the doctor.  After all, we had plenty of size 1 diapers ready to go, and the newborn ones were seeming a bit snug lately (plus, we had had a few leaks to boot).  So yesterday, we used up the last newborn diaper and transitioned to the big boy size 1s!  They did seem a little big, but the package claimed they were appropriate starting at 8 lbs.  So onward and upward...I'd just make sure it was extra snug.  Fast-forward to 5 am - as I'm feeding my sleepy angel, I notice a wet spot surrounding his little leg.  Guess I hadn't quite made it snug enough!  The next round of diapering held fast, so I assumed we were in the clear.  We had a very typical morning of feeding, singing, playing on the activity mat, snuggling, and napping.  I was even able to get a lot of chores done while Colin took his morning nap!  Just as I was feeling very accomplished, it happened - the biggest blowout to date.  The yellow liquid seeped through Colin's onesie, and onto the seat of the swing as he was swaying side to side.  I rushed him upstairs to clean up the mess.  After wiping him down, the pee pee fountain began!  Colin tinkled all over me, the wall, his Gloworm, and himself.  So, we began the entire process again.  Finally clean and cozy in a new onesie and an extra snug diaper, we headed downstairs for the next feeding and cuddling session.  Then, much to my dismay, IT HAPPENED AGAIN.  Only this time, it seeped through Colin's clothes and onto my pillow!  Those of you who know my love affair with my pillows can probably imagine how distraught I was!  It was back to the changing table for yet another cleanup...only this time, the bag in the very full diaper genie became stuck and impossible to change.  Once I finally figured it out, Colin decided he had had enough, and was ready for a nap.  I laid him down in his crib - this time, in an all white bleach-able outfit, on top of a waterproof pad - just in case!  Marshall is picking up some more newborn diapers on the way home from work.  I think we need to create a diaper size between newborn and 1...and if any other mommies have also had an experience like mine today, I think we'd make a fortune!  In the meantime, I'll just enjoy my glass of wine, and hope that the stains will come out.  Here's to a much drier and cleaner evening :)

All Smiles!

Colin's latest cute milestone is smiling!  We've seen him smile (probably unintentionally) as he's dozing off to sleep...he usually does this just after nursing, and it melts my heart.  But yesterday, he gave me his first real smile after gazing into my eyes!  I was just getting him up from his nap, and before picking him up from his crib, I talked sweetly to him, making happy and overly expressive faces.  He responded to my gestures with a great big smile!  I have read that this is something babies typically do around this time, at 5-6 weeks.  Colin gave me another sweet smile today on the changing table, and I'm doing my best to encourage him by making all the silly faces I can think of.  He also had some great big smiles while his cousin Evyn was holding him during their visit.  He did this for long enough that we were even able to snap a few pictures!  Here are some for you to swoon over :)

ONE MONTH!

Colin is officially one month old today!  I'm amazed at how fast the time has gone since that wonderful day when he came into our lives.  He has already grown so much, and his little personality is beginning to take shape.  He's almost grown out of newborn clothes and diapers, and he is totally fascinated with the world around him.  He's even beginning to make little cooing sounds, especially when laying on his activity mat and reaching for the dangling toys.  I'm also happy to report that he has slept for over 5 hours in a row for the past 2 nights, and is taking regular lengthy daytime naps as well!  To commemorate this special day (using an idea found on Pinterest!), I updated our chalkboard wall with some of our little guy's accomplishments and interests.  Here's a photo of the finished product:

Bath time continues to be our favorite time of day...Colin loves the feeling of the warm water and is so alert as he lays in his bath seat.  Marshall and I are getting more comfortable with it as well!  These are some of my favorite bath time photos:

Aunt Adrienne and cousin Evyn also came for a visit today!  We're excited about spending a few days together just relaxing and cuddling the baby.  Here's a couple cute pics with "Auntie A" and cousin Ev:

Now I know that Colin is still too young for birthday cake, but I just couldn't resist :)  So we had a little one-month birthday celebration for our cute little boy after dinner.  Happy one-month, Colin!  We love you!

To Sleep or Not to Sleep...

Monday began my first week home with Colin, doing the stay-at-home mommy thing, all on my own!  Mom and Dave left on Sunday morning, and I was sad to see them go.  The help and support that they gave us in the first few weeks made our transition so smooth, and we are forever grateful to them!  Marshall and Dave also managed to finish the half-bath remodeling project, and it looks amazing!  Dave hung the wallpaper, and Marshall used all of his new tools to cut and install the wainscoting and chair rail.  I, of course, was in charge of decorating, and found some cute towels, a mirror, wall cabinet, and accent pieces to tie it all together.  We still need to get the cabinet hung, put the crown molding up, so I'll post some before and after photos next time.  Mom also helped me to take down all the Christmas decorations, which is always a huge project.  But at least life feels as though it's starting to get back to normal.  This week, I'm working on developing a loose routine with Colin that revolves around eating, activity, sleeping, and my time.  He seems to be comfortable with our nighttime routine...he wakes up about every 3 hours to eat, then falls back to sleep pretty easily (on most nights).  Nap time seems to be more of a struggle.  Yesterday, Colin was particularly fussy, a result of being overtired for much of the day.  So, after consulting a few books on sleep strategies, and countless articles and forums on the subject, I decided to try a timed schedule to help Colin establish more regular daytime sleep patterns.  As today is the first day of this, I would consider it mostly a success, seeing as how I am able to update my blog now as he snoozes peacefully upstairs!  I think the biggest difference has been to put him down for a nap in his bassinet, where he sleeps at night in our bedroom.  The shades are down, and the environment is dark and quiet.  He takes a bit to get calm and settled, but so far I'm happy with the progress he's making, especially for being only 3 weeks old!  We'll plan to transition him to his crib once his schedule is more constant. Since I function so much better with a predictable schedule and routine, I'm hoping Colin will learn to do the same :)  For now, we're both still learning the ropes.

Here's a photo of Colin snoozing in his bassinet:

Colin's favorite toy is his Gloworm, which was also his very first toy, sent to him buy his Aunt Adrienne.  Gloworm has made changing diapers much more pleasant, as Colin studies the lights and enjoys the songs it plays. 

He also found his thumb this week! (But he still prefers his paci!)