Lucas 9/52

9 weeks old today!

Look at these cute feet! 

Mama Love + Lucas 8/52 Photo

Part of what makes some moments so special is that you can't capture them on film, but it sure is great when you can have your cake and eat it too! I love this photo that Himay took of Lucas and I after a feeding. Ahh... <3 

There are so many sweet little moments that I would love to capture and keep for my life. I can't believe how fast the last 8 weeks have gone. Of course, in some ways it feels longer and others, like it was yesterday. 

Things are finally finding a rhythm in our household, which is allowing all of us to enjoy our time more. Lucas is just so damn precious! Its funny how in some moments when he is being very out SPOOOOOKEN I can be thinking about how much I just want a break and to do something "normal" that I used to. But when it comes down to it, I can't be away from this little guy!

Today I had a 2 hour time commitment to talk about massage with a group of doulas at Treasure Valley Midwives. I made sure that we had enough pumped milk and "coached" Himay on how to do it, (although he already knew). I had to be there at 11 so I woke up early enough to take care of myself and feed him. But he was sleepy and didn't want to eat when I had the time to feed him so I decided to pump. Himay and I were talking and then I started talking about how I was having a hard time even though it was only a couple hours. I totally started crying! I was sad that he was going to wake up without me there and vise versa. For eight weeks, I have been there to say good morning when he finally arises and been available to breast feed him. 

I couldn't help but feel silly for crying but it was great to feel just how deeply I have bonded with him. He is so beautiful and I love him so much! Returning to work is going to be an interesting endeavor! I'm just so grateful that I work for myself and can be available often. Monday marks the real return to work, as I will be gone for a whopping 4 & 1/2 hours! Eeek!

Oh, the little one is calling for me... 

Ah, such love!

<3 HJae

Lucas 7/52

Lucas 7 of 52, My lil' Monkey Man:

This pic was taken with my cell phone so its a bit washed out. Lucas is getting so big, probably close to, if not already, 13 pounds. He is leaning on the couch here, can't sit up quite yet but he is developing strength in his neck very well. He can hold up his head for quite some time already! 

This week it seems as though we've turned a bit of a corner with the affairs of his tummy. After a bit of research online drjacknewman.com I think he may have been having some hunger issues. Its not that I haven't been feeding him enough, its that he hadn't been getting enough "hindmilk" which has a higher fat content. It helps a baby feel satiated, and also helps digestion. Foremilk has more sugar in it which, if not in balance with hindmilk, can overload the small intestines in the digestion process. 

With that newfound information, I've been feeling a bit like a milking cow. But its been great too. I feel more connected to him, am enjoying the quite "little" moments between us, and he seems to feel more content too. 

I've been plotting my way back to work and with the closeness found between us in the last week, I wish I could find a way to stay at home all the time. I love my job though, its more than a job and is my creative outlet. I look forward to going back, but as Himay says, there is no "going back" to anything now. Its about creating it all over again. I'll be working less and have a new vision. I'm excited. 

~HJae<3

Lucas 6/52

I have yet to write a blog dedicated to my sweet lover and Lucas' proud papa but man he deserves it. I am so thankful for his support and how available his heart is for both Lucas and I. As I mentioned before in my Mommy Meldowns R Us blog, I enlisted the help of Dunstan Baby language and qued the "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD for techniques to communicate and calm our baby. 

I highly recommend both and think they are very complimentary as Dunstan language helps you understand what your baby is asking for and the Happiest Baby techniques help soothe a baby when they've gotten themselves in "freak-out" mode. Dunstan is particularly helpful for partners because you can have a back-up ear and there is no room for debate about what the baby needs and what should be done about it. 

In adopting these techniques, it has given Himay an ability to calm and connect with Lucas that seemed a bit evasive before. This has helped me get more "me" time and 2 nights of the best sleep I've gotten since Lucas was born 6 weeks ago. 

So here it is, Lucas 6 of the Lucas 52 photo series, Papa changing Lucas' diaper: 

and a runner up because I like it for its "artsy" quality: 

This is James doing the Swaddle/Side position/"Shushing" techniques from "The Happiest Baby" DVD.  Its freaking amazing how well it works! Although, I must admit, Papa is much better at it than I am. Yet another reason to say: THANK YOU HIMAY! I love you!

HJae<3 

Happy Baby = Happy Mom

Man, what a difference a smile makes! This pic was nabbed a few days ago. A day that involved hours of fussiness, tears, and my least favorite: screams from gas pain. I have yet to say that Lucas has colic, because I want to refuse to believe it but in truth, I do think there is a high possibility that he is one of the unlucky 20% of babies who get the condition.  

The term "colic" gets thrown out there for fussy babies way too often. I believe the diagnosing factors are if a baby cries for 3 or more hours, for 3 or more days a week, for up to 3 months. Well, in the past few weeks we definitely have at least 2 days when he cries and screams from stomach pain almost all day long. 

I've done everything within my ability to help him but nothing seems to work and it definitely has to do with his intestines ability to digest food. I guess colicky babies have muscle spasms that affect the digestive system. 

Anyway, I could go on talking about colic. Its rather interesting, especially social implications of the condition, but I will refrain as I only have a few spare moments and its not the intention of this blog.

So, last week I'd been complaining because Lucas doesn't seem to smile much. I know it takes a while for babies to start smiling but it seemed like all of the people we know who have newborns were posting pics of their smiling infants. I was jealous! I have been putting in long hard hours and our lil' one hadn't been giving us any smile love. It can make me feel like there is no end in sight to this. Like somehow my experience of being a mother is just one day of soothing fussiness over and over; my own "Groundhogs Day" nightmare. 

I think it was Wednesday when I kept bringing it up to Himay and Lucas as a sarcastic joke through out the day. This was the day that he was particularly grumpy and fussy too. But then... at the end of the day, Himay went out to Caldwell with his Mom and I was sure that I was going to have to single handedly try to soothe our screaming bundle of love. 

But then, as the daylight turned into dusk and Lucas was particularly drawn to our front window I decided to open up my laptop and play with photobooth with him. I had only taken one shot and then *BING* a gorgeous, wide-open smile stretched across his face. I was elated and amazed! I fumbled to try to capture it on the computer, but somehow I managed to get one shot. It was great though, he went through 3 or 4 series of amazed expressions with bright eyes and a beaming grin. 

Its cliché but oh so true, those are the moments that make it all worth while!

HJae<3

Grandpa and Lucas photo blog 5/52.

This past weekend we celebrated my nephew Zack's 7th birthday. Here is a pic of Grandpa Puckett with Lucas.  They sure do bare a striking resemblance! BTW Lucas is already weighing close to 12lbs in just 5 weeks post birth. I guess its my intuition was right on track when I added Björn as a middle name, as it means bear. Can't wait to keep seeing how much he grows. We got a big 'un on our hands here folks!

Here is Zack and Papa Himay playing Star Wars on the Wii:

And Zack blowing out the last candle on his camo cake: 

Happy 7th Birthday Zack!!

Much love,
HJae<3