Naps and Nipples: May 28th

Naps and Nipples
A Day in the Life of Dominic Stack

May 28th 2010- 3 Months old and counting:

I had this thought last night about doing a blog type of thing about Dominic’s day. Each time we call or get called by a grandparent they ask the same thing: How’s Dominic? So I wanted to let them know each day by writing a little about it. I asked JW “if you were a baby writing a book about your life what would you call it, and I would like it to be witty. “ As you can see witty is exactly what I got his reply was “Naps and Nipples” after I died laughing and then became embarrassed to write such a thing I realize it is the perfect title to Dominic’s life.

Due to his early start to life he is a small guy at 3 ½ months old he only weighs I am guessing close or a little over 9 lbs. Which as many of you know that is what most Newborns come in to this world weighing. Despite his low weight the Dr said he is really healthy. But we are supplementing his nursing with formula. Actually we have been since about a few days old due to the jaundice we fought for 2 months, and with that and his poor nursing my supply went down. I felt horrible about his weight and cried many times at the Dr feeling like a bad mother but he reinsured me that I was doing things right and he was just gonna be a little guy for a while. I am glad to say he is finally getting bigger. He now has a cute little fat roll on his legs and is Finally in Newborn size clothing. He was still wearing Preemie pants but has too big of a belly now for them! We also moved up to size 1 diapers a few days ago. The Newborns still fit but left red marks on his legs and the 1’s practically have to be wrapped around him twice but fit is chunky little legs and keeps all the goodies inside.

As of late Dominic hasn’t been sleeping at night. He goes to bed about 10 or 11 depending on how late of a bath he got and then sleeps til about 2:30 for a night feed. Sounds great right… well the kicker is he from that point on wakes up every hour on the hour and as of the last few days has woke up every 20-30 minutes!! Sleep… HA! After researching and asking friends we found many tips and tricks to try to get him to sleep. First off many had said to put cereal in his bottle but I was very iffy about this. I have read so many bad things against doing that but found some where spoon feeding. After breaking down and bugging my Dr again for the hundredth time since he came home I was giving some medical advice that well I am trying. Our Dr’s nurse whom is so good with Dominic and remembers all about us said since he is close to 4 months and is a little guy starting him on rice cereal would actually be good for him. It would give him extra calories to grow on and should help him sleep at night. I am to mix a tablespoon of rice cereal with some formula or breast milk and feed that to him after his warm bath and then give him a warm bottle and off to bed after a good burping session.

Speaking of bath, he now loves them and is finally letting me bathe him in his baby bath tub. Before there was just not enough water for him but he has now outgrown his pink bucket thing the hospital sent us home with. I read to do “Baby Massage” with the baby lotion. I always lotion is head and arms and stuff but this massage thing he HATES!! It did not go well at all it more or less (pardon my French) pissed him off. Which in turn made his first feeding with the rice cereal horrible. He was so mad at me that he cried the whole time and finally I only gave him about half the bowl (he did do well with the spoon) and gave him is warm bottle. We burped, swaddled, and rocked to sleep super fast after that.

We are also trying something new that a good friend of my suggested: music. After she told me they play music for their little ones while sleeping I thought “Why don’t we?” See I hate the silence so all day long I have on the TV or radio just as back ground noise so he is use to it. He even sleeps with the vacuum going. Yet at night its quiet. His mobile plays music but only for 20 minutes at a time unless I start it up again… so we are playing a little country music tonight as well. So far he has been sound asleep for over an hour and the music hasn’t bothered him. So here is crossing the fingers that tonight or well at least in the next few weeks we get a better schedule down and sleep habit that everyone likes!

Well normally these won’t be so long but we had a little background to cover and well when I get to typing and writing I just go on and on… kinda like how I never shut up!!

I hope ya’ll enjoy these little glimpses into Dominic’s life. I thought it would be nice for the grandparents as I said and to look back on and remember things and for him to maybe one day read about his life has he grew up, and maybe take the things I learned the hard way and use them for his own family. I enjoy each day and love to watch him grow and learn… being a parent is one of God’s greatest gifts and we cherish it so much. So here to end today’s glimpse I want to send a shout out to our Lord… Thank you God for such an amazing miracle you have given us and thank you for the patience and knowledge as well. You know more than anyone that we need all we can get. Goodnight!