Merry Christmas

So I missed an update on the 15th Week...I had every intention of doing it, just not enough time.  So let's do reverse chronological order of the events since that's how the blog posts would be if I completed them in time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Aidan definitely has some generous and loving family members!  He received a walker, a jumparoo, a playmat along with awesome penguin onesies, books, a blue glass sphere, miscellaneous toys, and silver dollars.  I think we'll start expanding the house next week so we have a place to store everything!  He loves his new toys, though Mr. 95th percentile is too short for the walker.  All in time, though...he has plenty of other toys to keep him busy (and worn out, extra cranky, and fighting sleep.)  Mom also made a really neat stocking - one side is John Deere (AJ) and one side is penguins (me, of course).  I can't imagine next year...and I think the givers were more excited than Aidan, but that's a good thing.  It's better to give than to receive or so "they" say. :) 


The Sixteenth Week

So this week is another transition week.  The fourteenth week was the transition of me going back to work.  The sixteenth week is the transition of having to deal with Aidan's sleep regression by ourselves and making it through the day with little sleep.  Hello Caffeine! and patience...  So apparently between the 3rd and 4th month, sleep regression can start to occur.  Google it.  For parents who experience this, it can make you frown, but it's just another stage that you think We can get through this, and we can.  Sooooo, we (well, Diana moreso than AJ) pulled sweet, little Aidan into the bed on Tuesday night.  Aidan didn't make a peep, and he did not stir when my alarm went off at 3:15AM.  I, of course, too, the bait and just KNEW that the entire week would be this way. 

Nope, AJ arrived home at 1:30 AM one night (out working), and Aidan woke up do to the dogs barking.  He was wet, so we changed him.  He was cranky and fussy, so we soothed him.  He might have been hungry, so I fed him.  While I enjoy nursing him, 2:15 am is a little late (or early) for me.  However, I laid on my side to allow Aidan to feed and fell asleep, and I can only assume he finished his meal and went to sleep since he had a content look on his face at 3:15 am.  Finally, another night, Aidan woke up periodicially; it seems he could not get settled.  Can I make it on 4 hours of sleep? Yes.  Do I want to? No.  But I wouldn't trade any sleep in the world for my sweet, baby boy.  I just drink more caffeine, and I was disappointed I had to jump off the no-caffeine wagon, but hey, gotta trudge through the day somehow!

The plus side to having mom watching Aidan as opposed to my wonderful Memaw is mom can send me pictures and texts through out the day.  I love seeing him randomly through out the day, though I do have a background on my computer that has 15-20 pictures of Aidan in a collage. 

 Mom tends to put Aidan in matching outfits, where Memaw chose clothes on a functional basis.  I did love to come home and see how Memaw dressed Aidan and hear why she decided to onesie on the outside of the pants. :) 
Going to work has become easier, though by Fridays, I am worn out and I am about out of fresh pumped breast milk.  It seems I have a hungry monster on my hands.  I pump 10-12 ounces in the morning and 15-18 ounces at work.  However, Aidan requires 30 ounces while I am away, so I have had to pull a little from the freezer stash.  But I think due to attending the company Christmas party and AJ taking Aidan to Hampton that I didn't have enough weekend extra milk to help the work week milk operation.  We shall see...

In other news, I did donate 65 oz of breastmilk to a mom and baby in need.  The mom wants her baby to have breastmilk due to allergic reactions to formula and her not being able to produce milk because of medication for lupus.  I felt so blessed that I could make this donation.  I still have 100+ oz of milk in the freezer, so Aidan would be taken care of if I were sick for a few days.

Towards the end of this week, Aidan has giggled and laughed a lot more frequently, and it melts my heart.  I love the noise of his giggles.  On Friday, my day off, Aidan and I sat in the living room, and he only had on a diaper.  I was blowing raspberries on his stomach, and he started laughing...so of course, I continued.  Then AJ was undressing Aidan on Saturday, and Aidan turned to his side and made it difficult to undress (purposefully if you ask me!).  So AJ would tug at the sleeve, and Aidan would giggle.  Oh my, love you so much baby boy.

The Fifteenth Week

This was Memaw's 2nd week of watching Aidan...she said the first week was exhausting, so I'm sure she is glad I had 4 day work weeks!  I was sad to see Memaw go because I love visiting with her and seeing her spending so much time with Aidan.  Memaw says that Aidan rolled unassisted (and without encouragement) from front to back!  Then he fussed and fussed because he did not want to be on his stomach, but he couldn't roll back over or even onto his side.  He'll learn.   He continues to enjoy his bath, but he is learning how to splash more and more.  If you don't want to get wet, then don't bathe Aidan!  He is so happy in his bath and gives the best smiles!

Aidan is still trying to master his jumparoo, which was an early Christmas present from Grammy and granddaddy (my parents).  He likes to sit in it, move a little, and yell at the toys attached.  Then he fusses and wants nothing to do with it.  I'm sure he'll love it one day, just like the swing, but not today.  December 17th, I attended my work Christmas party, and I had my first beer in almost a whole year, in fact, 51 weeks!  I had Bud Select 55 and Mich Ultra...yes, I still love light beers, none of the dark stuff for me.  I enjoyed the Christmas party, and of course, showed off pictures of Aidan.  Though I do miss him when I am not with him, I can have fun and enjoy myself when I do go out sans baby.

And here's a lovely fashion statement made by Aidan courtesy of my Memaw...Love it!

I should add that my left wrist still aches/hurts, and there is such a thing as post partum carpal tunnel.  Boo.  Guess I'm just waiting to see if it gets better or worse.  I tried sleeping with a wrist brace, but it's extremely uncomfortable, especially when Aidan wants me to let him hold my finger as he falls asleep.