It's been one month and we survived! To celebrate his birthday Jay slept 7 hours last night! YEAH! 'Cause we partied so hard the day before! Okay we didn't. Last night feels like a miracle (please don't be a fluke) because there was no build up to it. Nights have been..... well, a nightmare until last night. What got into that little guy to sleep so long we don't know, but he was loved extra hard this morning by mom and pop. We woke up and looked at each other- did you get him last night? No, did you? He slept, one-two-three, SEVEN HOURS?! 

Actually, Christian did wake up a few times because he was so startled by the lack of crying he went over to the crib make sure our baby was still alive. Glad one of us is on it.  Jay even kind of smiled when he woke up. See Jay! Sleep makes us happy! When you sleep EVERYONE is happy! 

Jays weighs, as of yesterday, roughly around nine and half pounds. When we took Sheldon to the doctor last night for a knee thing, when the nurse left the room I plopped him on the baby scale and it was 9.5 with his clothes on. Fat and happy, just how I like to be! I mean, just how I like them to be. My babies.

We don't know what Jay's likes are yet. He's kind of reserved about his emotions other than the tears. No wait, he likes to be held. Sorry. If he's not in mom or dad's arms he will cry/scream/flail until he makes his way there. But other than being held around the clock I couldn't tell you what he's into these days. He's a mystery, that boy. I think he has some tricks up his sleeves.... 

We know what he doesn't like though. No mystery there. 

What he doesn't like is- pooping. Hates that. Makes him really mad when it's time to poop. Strange, but I figure since he is a boy it's only a matter of time before he begins to relish it like all the rest of the males in this house. I don't know if it hurts him or what, but I don't know how to break the news to him that this is something he is going to be doing every day for the rest of his life. If he's lucky. Or if he's talented like me, once a week. Anyhoo. 

He also doesn't like to eat, or spend too long doing it. But that's very common in our home. I raise air ferns. None of my kids eat and hate taking the time to have food shoved down their throats. So if I can wrangle with him long enough to get about 2 ounces down every 2 hours I feel good. Hopefully he does too. He's gaining weight despite the fact that he doesn't like to eat much so I'm not worried. 

Jay nurses and takes a bottle. I know it's always warned that you can't do this and your milk and boobies will shrivel up and disappear, but I think that maybe because I have nursed so many kids, my tap is always on and running. There's always a little somethin' there. Who knows?  But for our crazy life this is what works and I tell everyone I will continue to do it until the well runs dry. By that time, I'm all over the place and itching to take trips and get out and about with my hubby and the other kids. 

Uhmmm......We know he is not deaf. Took a test for that.... He's doing really well. 

 

He's not our easiest but he is certainly not the hardest. He kind of reminds me of Gavin when he was an infant. Minus the nursing part. I think Gavin would still nurse if I let him. Kidding! For those of you who think I would actually nurse a nine year old! He's just a little demanding. And needy. I know all babies are needy, some are just a little.....extra. But I've been told that's common for the male species. I've always joked that I was never worried about losing Gavin cause all I would have to do is look down and there he was, attached to my leg. Or boob. And I feel that is the direction I am headed with Jay. Which is very okay with me. I love to be loved!

Christian has been the world's best husband/man/angel and takes the older kids with him to work almost everyday, so I can sit here and rock Jay and love on him and bond together before pre-school starts with Whit and the Fresno trips for Gav. He also will get up with him in the middle of the night. Oh, the joys of having a husband who is an insomniac! Christian's always happy to have some company at 3:00am for some cookies and milk and a little CNN. The kids love going to work with dad and I love being able to really spend some quality time with Jay and get my feet under me before all the chaos begins. With 3 kids so close in age at home I wouldn't be able to do this with him otherwise. It's like my first in certain ways. Getting to sit around and nurse him and hold him so much. He does prefer me to anyone else and ordinarily that would make me feel frantic and claustrophobic but I'm loving it. When Sheldon was a baby, life got so nuts, so fast, there was no time for much sitting around and cuddling and snuggling; so I'm grateful and giddy that Christian is letting me have these precious moments with my baby and I'm grateful to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy and appreciate it. Thank you thank you thank you my dear! The sweetest thing is, this in not a chore to him in any way and he genuinely doesn't mind taking the kids to work and sharing night duty. At least that's what he says to me. He doesn't even ask me if I want him to do it. He just packs up the kids while I'm still nursing in the morning, kisses us goodbye and is off.  You won't hear me resist.  

The first month is always the hardest for me.  Including the past 2 months of being pregnant, tired, super huge and uncomfortable and immobile followed by a month of absolutely no sleep, I always feel overwhelmed and sad for no real reason. I'm so anxious and uptight but once I hit that four week mark, and it's purely a mental thing, I start to feel back to my old self. I can see my old life and schedule (and hopefully body) coming back around the corner and things start to feel normal again. I feel confident again. Not so scared of all these little people running around the house, taking over everything and spilling cereal. These past few days I have felt like the old SusieMom. Plus 30 pounds and 2 extra cup sizes. But still, it's nice to be back. Except for the boobies. I would like my old ones back please. 

Luckily this being my fourth baby, I know what to expect the first month and I try to patiently wait it out and not give into the late night sleepless demons. I'm loving perspective. Before we know it Jay will be all over the place, shoving cigarette butts in his mouth at the park and choking the cat. And life will be completely normal-crazy once again.