Real Clothes, Candy, and a Nursing Dilemma

 Interesting new developments have occurred this week.  Overall, in New England we got hammered with snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, which was a miracle that I was not working on those days!  I worked on Thursday and thank goodness, the snow had stopped.  Somehow all the other shifts I had worked so far, it snowed or had freezing rain either in the morning while driving to work or on the way home.  It was so frustrating!  I kept saying, "I work 1 day during the week and somehow the weather is always bad on the day I have to commute!"  But I got a reprieve.

Last Friday, started Tyson's 14th week.  He is officially 3 1/2 months old now!  A big thing that I decided last Friday was that I would be dressing Tyson in "real clothes" everyday.  Usually he would stay in sleepers, or his pajamas all day long.  But I decided to change this for a couple of reasons.  First of all, he can't do this forever and what am I teaching him?  That you can just lounge around in your pajamas all day?  No, he needs to get up for the day and put on real big boy clothes!  Another reason that I decided to do this is I realized that he will never wear all these cute outfits that he has, if he just stays in his pajamas.  Now that he is really into the 0-3 month clothing, it is so sad to see all the newborn outfits that he never wore and can't fit into now!  Unfortunately, he seems to have more blow outs when he is in real clothes, why that is I just can't seem to figure out.  I'm thinking that he might need to go up a diaper size again, but I am trying desperately to finish the case of size 1 diapers that we still have.  We probably have about 80 diapers left - which is about 8 days worth, so we will see if we can make it!

Ty in "real" clothes (outfit picked out by Auntie Shannon)

Ugg booties made by Auntie Amanda

Another thing that happened on Friday was that he had his first taste of candy!  I know, I know, all of you are horrified right now.  But it is not what you think.  Ty was having what appeared to be an attack of GI upset, colic pain on Friday afternoon.  One of my co-workers had told me to try to have Tyson take a lick of a candy cane and that the peppermint soothes the stomach.  I don't know if it really helped his stomach, but he sure stopped his crying and took to that candy cane like it was going out of style.  I really only gave him a couple of sucks, so don't freak out.  This doesn't mean he is going to be a candy-aholic like me!  But I wouldn't be surprised!

One lick is all he needed to be hooked!

One thing that is new that he is doing is making some real consonant sounds.  Definitely m's, g's, y's.  It was so funny, Shannon did not believe me when I told her that he is doing this.  But she was over and in a shocked voice said, "Did he just say 'Mama'?"  Because when he does the "m" sound and then cries with an open mouth, it really does sound like "Mama."  I can't wait until he is saying it for real.  Of course Heath thinks that he will say "Da-da" first.  I guess we will see!

Will it be "Da-da" first?

Or "Mama?"

Another thing that he has been doing all of a sudden is watching TV.  He used to be oblivious to it and would never care if it was on.  However, now he is mesmerized by it.  We will sit him on our laps, facing us, and he will crane his head around to try to see it.  We put our hands in front of his face, turn him away, but it is harder when he is on his playmat or in his swing.  I keep angling everything so he can't see it, but he finds a way.  It is something that I have to be on constant alert about now, since the recommendations is "No TV until age 2."  I'm afraid he is taking after his mother with the TV thing.

Desperately trying to see the boob tube!

Tyson has been having nursing issues this week.  First of all, he has been "vomiting" after every feeding.  I know, it is probably really just spit up, but sometimes it is so much, that I feel like I can't call it spit up.  It's so weird - he was never a big "spitter-upper" but he has been doing it constantly.  Do you think he has reflux?  I just don't know.  Well, I had done the laundry on Friday and changed our sheets and wouldn't you know it, on Sabbath morning, Tyson spit up all over the new sheets - just missing the burp cloth I had out infront of him.  I mean, it was a huge area!  Oh my.  I am getting a bit concerned about both Tyson and my milk supply.  Lately he has been preferring the right side over the left for awhile during nursing, but this week it got ridiculous.  He started to straight out refuse to nurse on the left side after only 5 minutes of nursing.  I mean, I would try everything, having him chew on my finger first and then try again, tried every position known to man - he just wouldn't do it.  Now he is starting to do the exact same thing with his preferred side as well.  The only time he would not have a problem was first thing in the morning.  So I figured it had to be a milk flow problem - he is probably getting frustrated because it does not flow as fast and he has to work harder.  So I have been pounding 2 bottles of water about an hour before I nurse him and I think I notice a slight improvement.  However, yesterday AM, he started giving me "attitude" during the first morning feeding, which is not a great sign.  I just keep giving him breaks and having him go back to nursing and I finally will get him to get in 30 minutes of nursing, but it takes about an hour and 15 minutes.  He is definitely getting enough because his poops and wet diapers have not diminished, but I'm a little concerned that I am losing my milk.  But when I pumped at work yesterday, I'm getting about 2 oz out of my left side and 2.5 oz out of my right side with 10 minutes of pumping.  So the milk is there!  I just hope he is not getting too used to the bottles because I'm not ready to be done nursing yet.  So please pray for us because this is starting to stress me out.

A happier time after nursing

Sabbath we went to Concord church with Sean, Mom, and Dad (Shannon was under the weather).  He was great during church and was very happy in Noni's arms, but he still needed a trip to the mother's room.  However, it was not due to attitude, it was due to a blow out in his cute church outfit.  Why does this always happen?

On Sunday, Shannon and Sean came to hang out (and use our internet) and Heath was MIA ice-fishing.  What is new?  Tyson was cranky all day for some reason, who knows why?  On Wednesday, he was happy all day - there is just no rhyme or reason to his crankiness, I swear. Wednesday was fun because it was a snow day!  Vutek actually closed down for the day and Heath and Adam were home all day with Ty and I.  That was fun and we braved the snow to go to Pizza Hut for their $5 all-you-can-eat buffet.  It was pretty good but we were stupid and got lemonades, which were $3 each! (We didn't know the price before hand)  So the drinks were almost as much as the food!  Ridiculous, but at least there were free refills.  One of the cute things he did on Wednesday, was when he was lying on his playmat in the family room.  Heath was on the phone pacing back and forth in the kitchen and down our hall.  Every time Heath would walk back into the kitchen, Tyson would turn his head and look towards Heath.  He would hear his voice getting closer and wanted to see him.  It was so cute!

Looking for Daddy...

Yesterday, I worked 11a-11p and that was not a fun shift.  A few more weeks of these random shifts and then I will be on my regular Wednesday 9a-9p during the week.  It is good because I got to feed Ty in the morning, but working at 11am instead of 9am doesn't do me any good because Ty goes down for his morning nap and I don't get to spend any more time with him!  Then I don't get home until after midnight and Ty is obviously asleep.  Last night was the first night that I did not put Tyson to bed!  That was kind of traumatic.  I missed it.  My mom did put Tyson on the phone and had me talk to him during the day when I called to check in.  I don't know if she was lying, but she said he really responded to my voice, looking at the phone, and had his eyebrows raised!  I wish I could have seen it!

 Enjoying the day with Noni

Well, I think that is about all the highlights from this week.  Have a good week!

 Naked Ty!

Cuddling with his whale buddy

A little too close, but I still think he looks adorable!

 

He looks so angelic here!  

Zoning out looking at his bug friends

 I need to start utilizing this binky holder more (you are right Shannon)

 First thing in the morning, excited for his diaper change, and sucking those fists!

My silly boy!