Xander baby is 2 months today.
Oh boy.
Where is the time going?
As of 3 Feb, 5 days ago at 8 weeks 2 days,
he measured at 59.8cm
and weighed 5.718kg.
Doesn't seem like much?
Well, we've had to break out his 3-6 month (00 size) clothes already.
He was stretching his 0-3 month (000 size) clothes to the max, and a couple even has holes at the bottom from all the stretching.
Even more impressive is that he's wearing socks meant for 6-12 month old babies.
Yeah, he just can't fit into any of the smaller sizes.
Freaky.
This past month has seen Xander baby grow out of being a sleepy newborn baby who just eats, poops and sleeps.
He has developed a personal character entirely of his own,
and amazes us each day with how smart he is.
He's cooing with us,
trying to talk to us,
responding to our questions,
smiling at us...
Yes, you saw right.
He responds to our questions, no joke.
If he's hungry and I ask him: "want mum mum?"
He would smile and start "talking" to me.
If he's not hungry, he would either ignore my question entirely,
or he would pout his lips and look away.
It's the cutest thing :p
His daily schedule,
which he came to entirely on his own without any encouragement from us,
is still pretty much the same.
Some days are better days,
some days are not so good.
Some days he doesn't nap at all, or not for more than an hour at a time, making it impossible for me to get anything done around the house.
But overall, it's pretty predictable.
Wakes up for the day around 7.30/8am with his main poop of the day
Hangs out on his rocker with his toys while I shower and get ready for the day
Feed
Nap from around 9am to 12noon
Wake up
Change nappy
Feed
Play
Nap from around 1pm to 3pm
Wake up
Change nappy
Feed
Play
Nap from 4plus to hopefully 6.30pm
Wake up
Play
Feed if hungry
Bath
Feed in the room with blinds drawn and minimal noise
Cuddle time or story time depending on his mood
Asleep around 8/8.30pm
Wake for feed around 12.30-1.30am
Back to sleep immediately
Either wake again at 4plus/5am or every 2 hours from then on, depending
Last night was one of those bad nights.
Woke up at 12.30, then 2.30, then refusing to sleep until his next feed at 4.30, falling asleep and waking again at 6.30, again refusing to sleep unless he's being cuddled on my shoulder.
But I managed to steal another extra hour and a half of sleep with him in bed with me, sleeping on my shoulder.
I couldn't decide if I was enjoying having a sleeping baby on my shoulder, or if I was annoyed because all I wanted to do was sleep in peace but can't with him there.
I think I enjoyed it until my arms started to ache.
There's nothing quite like the steady heavy breathing of a sleeping baby and the sweet newborn baby scent.
What else do I have to say?
Hmm. Let's see.
I use cloth diapers with my baby boy.
Because it's good for the environment and doesn't add to the earth's landfills.
Because it's good for my baby's little bum with no icky chemicals.
Because it works way better than any disposable nappies I've ever come across.
Because it is kind on our tight family budget and money saved on disposables (35c each?!?) can be put towards something more important, like an education fund instead.
We do have a stash of disposables.
For emergencies mainly.
And also for those times when I KNOW he's gonna poop (we're so in tune that I know when he's gonna poop!),
so we can hastily put the disposable on him.
Less for me to worry about ;)
Poop and throw away.
No extended wearing if possible.
We use like, 1 disposable a day. If not none.
But the funny thing is,
I still have to put a cloth diaper cover over the disposable because chances are, it'll explode out of the diaper.
So far, no explosions in the cloth ones.
I am proud to be cloth diapering, no matter what other people think about it.
I use cloth wipes for my baby boy.
Say what?
Yeah you heard right.
I don't like using disposable wet wipes for my baby boy at nappy change time.
That's not to say we don't have a tub of it sitting on the change table,
it's there for emergencies and I don't use it unless I have to.
Like when it's laundry day and I don't have anymore cloth wipes.
Again, landfill, chemicals, budget, effectiveness.
All of that.
All I need is a small tub of water, sometimes with a smidgen of baby wash added to it,
and of course the wipes, which is essentially just small square hankies, and voila!
Ready for the next poopy diaper.
Since I'm already washing cloth diapers,
it makes no difference to add some cloth wipes to the load.
I exclusively breastfeed my baby boy.
To each their own,
but breast is best.
I'm grateful for the fact that I can breastfeed,
and haven't (touch wood) faced any major problems with it so far.
And when people ask me how long I intend to breastfeed for,
my answer will always be: as long as possible.
I will breastfeed for as long as my baby boy wants to,
in tandem with introducing solids at 6 months and beyond.
My goal is 2 years.
I know that sounds freaky,
but it IS nature's intention and the only super food babies really need to thrive.
If we do end up having another baby in the meantime,
I'm hoping to tandem-nurse both at the same time if X doesn't decide to self-wean himself then.
Fingers crossed ;)
I am a babywearing fan.
I love wearing my baby in the Sleepy Wrap.
I love heading out to the shops or to restaurants to eat,
and having my baby close to me.
Close enough to feel his hot breath on my chest,
close enough to smell his sweet scent under my nose,
close enough to kiss the top of his forehead whenever I want to, just because I can.
Somehow, the stroller is just not good enough.
I've just ordered a new mei tai baby carrier from http://babyhawk.com/ so that it can be used when the weather's really hot, or when we go back to SG for holiday.
The sleepy wrap is truly awesome, but sadly it's too thick and warm for hot weather.
No lugging around the stroller on crowded SG MRTs and jam-packed shopping malls for me, thank you very much.
I'm keeping my baby as close to me as possible.
Less chance of him catching viruses and germs floating about in the air,
less chance of random strangers coming up and touching him without asking for permission from moi,
more chance for me (and his daddy when he's wearing him) to bond with my boy.
With him so close to me,
I can pick up on his cues and respond to them quickly,
so he doesn't have to start crying at all.
It's about instinctive parenting and tuning in to my baby's early cues.
So far, it's worked out well for us.
I can even go grocery shopping at the supermarket with him in his Sleepy Wrap and not have to worry about carrying him or putting him in the trolley seat.
I so can't wait to receive my babyhawk! :)
So now you know what kind of a mommy I am and what I do when it comes to caring for my boy.
Don't be too surprised if and when you visit and you see what you see.
:(
There goes our privacy and routine.
There goes my freedom to nurse my baby boy anywhere I like in the house.
There goes my freedom to walk around in just my nursing bra.
There goes my peace and quiet when the baby is asleep during the day.
There it all goes...
For the next 2 weeks at least.
Sigh.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
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