2 Months Old

It seems like just last week I was writing Clark's 1 Month blog post...oh wait, that's right, it was last week. I am in the running for Mom of the Month, so today's update is actually on the right day - Clark is two months old!

He weighs in at 10 pounds, 9 ounces and measures 22 inches long. He's in the 12th percentile for height and 8th percentile for weight - just a little guy! His pediatrician says he has a bright future ahead of him as a horse jockey! He still wears newborn clothes, but is inching closer to the 0 - 3 month size stuff. He eats 4 ounces every 4 hours, and Daddy has turned him into a diva who will only drink a warm bottle.

Some highlights from this month were starting Daycare, learning how to jibber jabber and tell lots of tales, and starting to sleep much better in his bassinet (as long as he is tightly swaddled in his baby straightjacket!). Clark got to attend his first Super Bowl party this month, and he has started smiling more and more every day. He also took another trip to Cedar Rapids with Momma to see his Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.

A couple of lowlights from his second month were attending Great Grandma Kay's funeral (but he did get to meet lots of family he hadn't seen yet), and getting his first cold.

His nicknames are still Bubba, Tooters, Clarkie, Booger Butt, and Daddy has added 'Clark Bar'. Clark Skypes with Grandma and Grandpa Higdon several times a week, and he smiles great big whenever Grandpa says, 'Packers, Packers, Packers!' so we either have a budding cheesehead on our hands, or he just thinks Grandpa is funny - the jury is still out.

He still looks very similar to his Daddy, although he did get his first 'You look just like your mom!' last week, so I guess that makes the final tally 843 votes for Dad and 1 for Mom. It's a tight race. His puppy dog, Mia, is a great big sister who watches over him during Tummy Time, kisses his nose every morning, and even lets Momma park Clark against her. Clark hasn't reciprocated the love quite yet, but we're confident he'll learn to love her as much as she loves him.

1 Month Old

I'm a week or two (or four) late - so sue me. I'm just a little busy with a newborn, a full time job, and a house and a life to keep in order.

 

 

 

Clark is one month old! He is 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measures 21 inches. He eats 3 ounces every 3 hours, sleeps (mostly) in his bassinet in between feedings, recognizes daddy's voice, and keeps his eyes firmly planted on his momma no matter who is holding him. His likes include sleeping, snuggling with mom and dad, eating, sitting in his bouncy seat, and taking warm baths. Clark's dislikes include diaper changes, being awake, and being in his swing while awake (double whammy!).

 

He is getting very good at grabbing onto things like a knitted blanket and momma's long hair, is a champion belcher (like, grown man beer drinking burps...impressive and a little gross all at once!), and he's finally starting to fill out his newborn clothes.

 

Some highlights from this month were: taking his first out of town trip to see Aunt Tammy, Uncle Bob, Aunt Robin, Morgan, Aunt Becky, and Nick and Janna, going to church for the first time and sleeping through the whole service except the music (just like when he was in mom's belly!), and being mom's assistant at work. Momma's co-workers love him so much that they are disappointed on days when I don't bring him with me!

 

A couple of lowlights from his first month were an unexpected hospital stay (all better now!), and having some of his hair fall out on top of his head while simultaneously battling his first bout of acne - a combination that momma has coined his 'teenage-slash-old-man phase'...luckily, this should pass quickly.

 

His nicknames are vast depending on who you ask, but the ones that seem to have stuck the most so far are 'Bubba' (from Momma), 'Tooters' (also from Momma), 'Clarkie' (from Daddy), 'Clark the Shark' (also from Daddy), and 'Booger Butt' (from Aunt Tammy). I'm sure he'll appreciate those in his senior yearbook!

   

 

 

Swing or Torture Chamber?

Clark may only be 6 weeks old, but he already has a pretty distinct list of likes and dislikes. Much like his mom and dad, there is no real grey area for him when it comes to his temperament - when he is displeased, he lets it be known.

 

He's very particular about his preferences, and he's not afraid to let you know if you aren't obliging his wishes. Clark isn't a huge fan of being awake, so it is a bit of a struggle to keep his eyes open during the day. He will tolerate being alert for about 45 minutes immediately after eating, but only if you are bouncing him. We have biceps of steel after continuously bouncing the equivalent of a bowling ball for an hour at a time multiple times a day. And his choice of view whilst being bounced must be either staring at us or the ceiling fan. I would like to think that I am his preference to look at, but really, it's a tight race with the fan.

 

When our arms give out and we can't hold him any longer, Clark will accept being placed in his bouncy seat, but his first choice is to be in the carrier that is strapped to my chest. Sidebar: I am pretty sure there is security footage from Toys R Us that would win an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos starring yours truly trying to get myself and my baby into and out of various baby wearing contraptions. Thirty minutes and a sweaty, uncoordinated new mom later, we settled on the one that has a 6 point 'click' system so that I could rest assured that I probably wouldn't be dropping my baby on the floor when placing him in said carrier.

 

The downfall of both the carrier and the bouncy seat is that Clark uses them both as beds. This kid LOVES his sleep, and will take any opportunity he can find to catch some shuteye. Searching for something that we could use when our arms get tired from bouncing him and also wanting to promote awake time, we recently introduced Clark to his fancy schmancy baby swing.

 

This swing has 5 speeds, 10 noise options ranging from songs to ocean waves to crickets chirping, an adjustable volume switch, and hanging koalas for him to look at while swinging. Ryan spent an hour assembling the swing using an instruction manual entirely made of complicated diagrams, and I made a late night run to the store for the right size batteries because I couldn't wait one more minute to put him in it. He loves being swung to and fro when in his carseat and his bouncy seat, so we just knew that he would also love his swing. 

 

The verdict? He hates it. Like, really hates it. We're talking 'scream your head off for fifteen consecutive minutes while your mom tries every noise/volume/speed setting and tries to reason with you and tell you how much you love your swing, which just seems to make you angrier' hates it.

 

 

As a mom, I do pretty well with his crying. I don't ever rush to pick him up, but instead I try to give him a few minutes to work it out on his own. Before you send me an email, I carefully watch to make sure he is okay and not in danger, and then I try talking to him or offering his pacifier or various other methods to help him practice self soothing. Then, I set a time limit of when I will pick him up if he hasn't calmed himself down. My one caveat to this rule is when he gets real tears. Real tears rolling down his cheek and that sweet bottom lip curled under, and I am rendered helpless. Such was the case this morning after his swing induced meltdown, so I caved and rescued him from the apparently terrifying koala contraption.

 

 

Five minutes of cuddling on mom's chest and staring at the ceiling fan, and all was right in Clark's world. He used his harrowing experience to his advantage and looked so peaceful and content that I gave in and let him go to sleep on me. As much as I would love to cuddle him all day long, this house doesn't clean itself and we can't afford a live in maid, so I bundled him up in one of his favorite blankets and we tried the swing again.

 

 

It turns out that as long as he is sound asleep and has no awareness of where he is, he is mostly okay with the swing. So now his list of things to use as a bed include (in extremely particular order): mom and dad's arms, the carrier, his bouncy seat, a bassinet, and a swing.