Henry, one month old

Cooing, and smiling, but not for the camera...still too skinny according to the doctor, but gaining better!

stream of consciousness posting

1. I am going to post like this, in a numbered list, like I'm making rational points about something when really I'm not, I just feel like posting and have no set topic and can't organize my thoughts so I'm just going to spew them out here in really really long run on sentences.

2. I'm going to order an Ergo carrier today. I think. Some of John's family sent us a generous gift card and I'm paralyzed with thoughts of how to use it. Right now I'm torn between an Ergo and a double stroller. I have three carriers already. One is a ring sling, and it is my "on the go sling". It normally lives in the car. It folds up small and is quick to get Henry in and out of, and it has a really long tail that doubles wonderfully as a nursing cover up or a little tent to keep sun or wind off the baby, but it's not terrifically secure and I always feel like I need to keep readjusting him. I have a moby wrap (thanks Charlotte! :)), and that is my "at home" sling. It takes more time to put on (though I've gotten much quicker at it) and it's bulkier and hotter because it's a lot of fabric, but it holds him very securely and works wonderfully for toting him around and still keeping my hands free. And then I have a kirby backpack that I love to use, in and out of the house, when I have to hold a bigger baby/toddler for an extended period of time. I'd be all set, except that when they fall asleep in the kirby their little heads bob and fall all over the place. The ergo has those nifty little hoods that holds their heads up. There was a mom at our homeschool co-op that toted her 3yo around all afternoon while he napped in one of them. But is that worth $100 plus dollars? I don't know....

3. Henry is not gaining weight fast enough for the doctor. He was weighed at 3 weeks, last Friday, and still had not regained his birth weight. He nurses all the time, and he pees and poops plenty,,,he looks great to me! I have plenty of milk,,,oh, look, it's letting down now, well, that's just special, and do I have nursing pads on? Of course not! Sigh.....

4. SO, anyway, I'm back. He's not gaining weight fast enough, and so they want me to supplement with formula. When I acted less than thrilled with the idea, they gave me a bag full of samples to take home. I guess they thought I didn't want to spend the money. Well, I *am* pretty cheap, but that's not why I breastfeed, you know? So, I did what I always do when I can tell the doctor isn't listening to me. I nodded my head and took the bag and went home to do whatever I want. The church's food pantry will get the formula. I'm loading him up like a fatted calf this week, and we'll see what he weighs on Friday. That's when I have to go back.

And now I'm typing one-handed, so I'd better wrap this up. Nice chatting!

Henry at three weeks

The lighting came out a little weird...




I wanted to get these up now, but don't have time to type much! Henry is gaining weight too slowly, according to the pediatrician, so we are nursing *a lot*. Hope to be back soon!

Potty Party!

Jack has gone poo-poo in the potty two days in a row!

Um...well, yes, he is 5 1/2. Imagine my relief when I found out that these issues are very common in autistic children! It's related to their sensory/social skill issues. He mostly potty trained right around his third birthday. But he had never, ever pooped in the potty. Never. Not once. He had bowel control. He just wouldn't go in the potty! He would ask for a diaper and go in that instead. Oh, yes...we tried everything. We tried ignoring it and waiting for him to mature out of it. We tried sticker charts. We tried bribes. We tried just refusing to give him a diaper at all (um...major backfire...he just wouldn't poop at all. For days.). None of it worked.

But yesterday we unexpectedly ran out of Jack-sized diapers (the other two mostly use cloth, but he has used disposables since around his first birthday). I knew I was going grocery shopping this morning, and I really didn't want to have to make a run to the store just because we lacked one diaper to get through the day. I told him we were out and I encouraged him to just give the potty a try. Now, we've done this before, accidentally and on purpose, several times over the years, and it never worked. I don't know why yesterday was different, but he did it, he went into the bathroom and just did it! He said, "I made a poop stick!" And so, today I have been making good on three years worth of bribes...we bought a new Thomas train today,



and we had a "potty party" complete with chocolate cupcakes and ice cream. And he used the potty again today!

I couldn't have been prouder if it happened three years ago!

Henry is two weeks old....

....and I have no time to blog.

But in a good way.

Bear with me while we find our new normal! :)

I have started his birth story and hope to have it posted soon.

A one week old daybook

Outside my window...cloudy and cool. Many days have been quite warm already, reminding me that our hot southern summer is coming!

I am hearing...the whir of Henry's swing, and every so often a grunty, rooting sound that tells me my computer time will be short this morning. :)

I am thinking...does anyone else's children find it physically impossible to *close* things? Bread bags, cabinet doors, front doors...I cleaned out the fridge while John and Maria went grocery shopping (not the scrubbing out kind of cleaning, just the digging around for funky, outdated stuff kind of cleaning), and I must have found 15 milk jug caps floating around inside the fridge because instead of putting the cap back on the milk they just leave it on a shelf. Sigh.

I am thankful for...baby swings. I love attachment parenting, but I do love me a baby swing. I do not consider the two to be incompatible.

I am wearing...very old pajama pants and a tshirt. I do not get dressed the first two weeks after having a new baby. I feel it sends an important visual message to my family..."I am healing, don't expect much."

We are currently reading...Kain and I are now onto "Little Town on the Prairie". I got a bunch of Keven Henke books in a Scholastic book order. I discovered these back when Maria was a preschooler...she was *SO* Lilly in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. :)
Chrysanthemum is probably my favorite. Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum.

I am praying...for Henry's goopy eyes. He has blocked tear ducts. I'm praying they don't require antibiotics.

Latest on the babies...Henry is doing great. He's lost enough weight that I have to bring him in on Wednesday for another weight check, but I think he'll be fine. He's nursing well, and big babies can afford lose more. He's getting those baby zits and he's peeling so much he looks like he's molting. So much for pretty baby skin. The kids are freaked out about it, but I've assured them that they all did this, and his skin will be pretty again very soon. He's very alert and loves to listen to people talk. We spend long periods of time just staring at each other and chatting. He thinks I'm quite fascinating. And the feeling is mutual. :)

From the kitchen...freezer meals, freezer meals, freezer meals. Maria had her name day the other day, and I did make some Italian sloppy joes, which are *way* easy, and John picked up a cheesecake from the store, so that's the extent of my actual cooking.

Around the house...imperfect cleaning done by husband and children. God love them for doing it.

In the learning room...I'm filling out enrollment papers for Mother of Divine Grace. This will be our first year to enroll, or to try to anyway...I hope we get in. I'm a bit late.

In the garden- weeds.

Plans for the rest of the week...John is off work for another week, so he will be running everyone around to therapies and dance class and all of that. Woohoo! I have to confirm with the church, but I think we will be having a baptism on Mother's Day.

Our week in pictures...

Henry's first bath. He's not thrilled.

My parents bought this little swing for Henry. Tess adores it. She sits in it and pushes with her feet and says, "Whee! Swing!!!" She's gotta be right around the 25 pound weight limit, maybe even a smidge over. I'm thinking she'll get over it soon though, and forcing her out of it will only contribute to jealously issues. Yes, there are a few, though over all she is quite taken with Henry.

The next three were taken in the garden outside the local rec center. The kids' homeschool co-op had their end of the year gala here last week, complete with a show and play that all three participated in.



Henry in the morning sunlight.