Checking In

It's been a few weeks since my last post. I am doing much better now that I am no longer breast feeding/pumping. All is healed, and all though I loved that time with Kaya, Jimi and I just never got into a good place with breast feeding. He started his first few days of life in the NICU with IVs, and then bottle fed, so he only at best tolerated breast feeding, and pumping and bottle feeding just wasn't going to work long term for me.

Jimi is getting into somewhat of a routine. He eats about 6 oz every 3-4 hours and then at night he sleeps about 4-5 hour spurts so I'm only waking once around midnight or 1:00, then I'm up at 5:00 for the day for his next feeding, getting Kaya ready for school and out to the bus stop. I'm getting around 6-7 hours of sleep off and on each night, and I've gotten used to it.

Kaya loves Jimi so much, but she has had a bit of a hard time coming to terms that she is not the center of the universe. It could be a mixture of her age and the fact that we have a new family member, but she is getting in trouble (albeit small trouble) at school now, and we are going through at least 3 melt downs a week at home where she won't do as she is asked. She gets punished, then she breaks down because she got punished...fun times. She is a sweet, beautiful girl, and we are all getting through it. We know it is a big adjustment for her. She stayed home this morning from school with a rash, I already had an appt at the pediatrician for Jimi's check up so she went in with us. She had an allergic reaction to something, and is being put on steroids for 2 days and then claritin. She was soo not happy that I just dropped her off at school.

Joey has comfort issues with newborns. He feels really uncomfortable holding and entertaining an infant that can't quite hold himself up yet, and fusses a good part of the evening. So he takes on the household duties and Kaya, and I have Jimi duty. We did this same thing when we had Kaya, and by the time they get to be around 5 or 6 months, he pitches in with them, and things get back to normal. But in the mean time I'm pretty much solely responsible for Jimi, minus a few changes of diapers, and a few spurts of Joey watching a sleeping, easy baby. Don't get me wrong, he loves hanging with Jimi, but only if I am there as his security in case he starts crying...

I am doing ok. I am slightly dreading going back to work. I am ready to be part of the adult world again, but I have loved my time home and will really miss this newborn stage since we are positive Jimi is our last child. I have started weight watchers again, and have lost around 5 lbs so far, but I have about 30 more to go...yeesh! I just came back from taking Jimi to his checkup and I had to seriously fight the urge to stop at the McDonalds right around the corner...I was good and came home and had a carton of peach yogurt, all the while imagining I was eating an egg mcmuffin. I am trying to psych myself up to start going to a gym, but maybe that will come later.

So Jimi had his 2 month checkup today, he will be 10 weeks tomorrow. He is doing well, she told me to cut down on his feedings...how do you do that when the child is hungry all the time? She said it is not that he is hungry but that he wants to suck. Well, I've tried the pacifier and I hold out as long as I can, but when he cries and head buts you and roots until you give him a bottle, I call that hunger. I could cut back on the amount, but then instead of being hungry every 3-4 hours, it would be every 2 hours, and that is making backwards progress in my opinion. I will at least try to cut back an ounce each feeding and see how that does. He weighs in at 11 lbs, 4 oz and is 22 inches long. That is 50th percentile for weight and 25th for height. He also has demonstrated a tendency to hyper extend his head a lot, so she suggested an xray to rule out scoliosis, but she did a quick test while we were there because he was doing it at the time, and when she turned the light off, he returned his head to normal. Light on...hyper extended, off, normal. So she is really just doing an x ray to be cautious. He got several shots and is now sleeping them off.

As far as what is going on in the world...when did gas prices suddenly get this high? I will admit, I never pay attention to the price of gas...until a few weeks ago when Joey told me it cost $75 to fill up my van? Of course my gas lasts about 2 weeks, but still..sheesh! As far as the presidential race goes. I rarely get involved with politics, because for years I have said they are all crooks and I don't have any faith in any part of the process. But, I will say this... I believe that Obama and McCain are honest men...well, as honest as a politician can get. McCain is a moderate conservative that votes his conscious. I may not agree with every policy, but at least he doesn't always let his uber conservative counterparts sway his vote. Obama I believe is the same way, and I agree with more of his ideas and beliefs. Hillary is just evil incarnate. I have nothing else to say about her, I liked Bill, but not her. I will more then likely vote for Obama, unless he does something stupid like asking Clinton or another idiot as his running mate.

Ok, I think that is enough sharing for now. I will post pics later.