The only thing keeping me from feeling "too" guilty about dropping the ball on these milestone posts is the fact that not a lot changes during these first few months....or at least that is what I keep telling myself #MomGuiltBeGone
I had good intentions of documenting his every single thing like I did his brother...but seriously, you guys...2 kids is no joke. On top of that, it's been a whirlwind of a couple of months. Not only did we bring home a newborn, but our house was struck by lightning, we were displaced from our home for 10 weeks, I went back to work, the holidays and 4 month sleep regression hit simultaneously...and it's as if I blinked and 6 months went by.
I feel kind of guilty, because these last 6 months have been purely about survival and I don't feel like I even remember the early days with Cam...and I especially can hardly remember the 10 weeks living at my parents. My parents are so wonderful and SO gracious to let us live with them... but let me tell you...being displaced from your home with 2 small children is a bit stressful.
I thought about throwing in the towel completely on these updates, but I can't tell you how many times I have gone back and read Benny's updates...so I know I will regret it if I don't.
There are so many little moments that I don't want to forget...so many little things that I know my sleep deprived brain cannot and will not commit to long term memory ;)
So here we go...I'm going to dig deep, look back at photos, notes on my phone (I usually try and write stuff down as it happens...#BecauseMomBrain) and put together a post documenting the first 6 months of this sweet boys life.
Diapers
Holy mother of poop this kid has has more blow out diapers in his six short months of life than I ever thought possible. In the hospital after babies are born they give them 24 hours to poop before they intervene (not sure I wanna know) and this sweet boy waited until hour 23 to deliver his first stinky package. From that point on he never stopped pooping...When Benny was little he would poop once every couple of days and Dr. Foss said that was completely normal for breastfed babies...so when I asked about the Mr. Poonami she assured me that this was also normal for breastfed babies...#ThisIsWhyParentingIsSoConfusing
Since this little peanut was only 5lbs 15oz when he was born, he started out in preemie diapers and wore those for almost a month. He wore newborn sized for a bit and size 1s for a very short period of time and is now comfortably wearing 2s. We bought some overnight diapers (not that he needs them) and those only come in a size 3...and those fit just fine as well.
Clothing
Much like with his diapers Cam wore preemie sizes for about a month. He was so teeny tiny at first even the preemie sizes were a little too big. He wore newborn sizes for a very short time and spent a couple of months in 0-3 month sizes. He is now wearing his 3-6 and 6 mo sized clothing pretty comfortably.
Food
This kid was a champion nurser from day one. He may have been a few weeks early and teeny tiny, but his appetite was huge. He latched on perfectly right after he was born and only lost 2 oz before leaving the hospital.
He continued to nurse really well, but at his 4 month appointment Dr. Foss was a little concerned that he wasn't following his growth curve. He dropped from the whopping 5th %-ile to the 0.5% so she suggested we start adding a tablespoon of formula to his breastmilk bottles at daycare. After exclusively breastfeeding Benny for 15 months, I was a little disappointed that I would have to supplement, but obviously I will always do what is best for my babies.
At his 5 month appointment he had gained weight at a faster rate than normal...but was still below his curve and only at the .95%-ile and I definitely was discouraged. Dr. Foss reassured me that we were on the right track and that we should continue to add formula to his bottles.
Shortly after his appointment we introduced avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas, and continued to add the formula to his bottles and at his 6 month appointment he was back on his growth curve (6%-ile) soooo basically he is huge now ;)
We introduced purees a few weeks after he turned 5 mos, just like we did with Benny, and we started with Avocados because they are high in fat. This kid was a champ...not only did he LOVE the avocados, but he ate really really well. It was clear he was ready for solid foods. Over the last month or so he has been kind of up and down with eating food though...some nights he gobbles it up and has his mouth open like a baby bird waiting for food, and other nights he swats the spoon away...we aren't super consistent with feeding him purees at the moment and will likely just wait until he is 9 mos or so and start giving him food from our plates.
Sleep
Even just thinking about this kid and his sleep (or lack thereof) makes me want to cry. We started out on such a good note...he slept pretty well the first couple of months. He easily slept in his bassinet for 3-4 hour stretches, and would wake up, eat, and go right back to bed. He transitioned to his crib around 4 months, and while we never got those magical long stretches parents always brag about on social media #STOPDOINGTHISPEOPLE 3-4 hour stretches were manageable...and then...it happened...
THE FOUR MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION....and let me tell you it kicked our butts. This kid was up every 2 hours to eat and I was desperate for sleep. Benny went through a bit of a regression, but it only lasted a week or so...this was at least 6 weeks...but I am still so tired I can't be sure exactly how long it lasted.
We have luckily come out on the other side of the hell that is waking every 2 hours, but he still isn't sleeping great. We decided when he turned 5 months old to do some sleep training...I have never been a fan of letting a baby cry it out...but I was desperate okay?
Well...minus the fact that he can now fall asleep on his own at bedtime and for naps...sleep training did not work. I am sure our inconsistency and inability to truly let him cry it out has something to do with it...but seriously, this kid cries one of those piercing "someone cut my toe off" screams. It sounds like he is in pain...and he is relentless. Sometimes he would cry for a few minutes and put himself back to sleep and others he would cry for over an hour...and I am not all about that life.
Currently we are just splitting the night shift, going to him when he cries, and feeding him if he so pleases...he's in charge. It's less stressful for us right now, and we are actually getting more sleep like this. We will all sleep again someday...soon I hope.
As far as naps go, he does a really good job napping at daycare. Miss Francine said he falls asleep on his own and sleeps for a good chunk of time 2 x per day. He is still needing that little evening nap...which is the worst. We get home from daycare and he goes right upstairs for a 30ish minute nap. Oftentimes we end up just holding him...for his and our benefit ;) There isn't much better than 30 mins in a dark room with a snuggly babe after a long day at work!
Milestones
This is where things will get tricky...I can't remember exactly when things happened...but to be quite honest with you, not a lot changes or happens milestone wise in the first 6 months.
He did all the usual stuff, making eye contact, tracking, smiling, etc right on time...he rolled over from front to back early...like REALLY early...something like 3 weeks or so. He did it several times so I know it wasn't a complete fluke...but he didn't do it super frequently.
He rolled over back to front around 5 months and is VEEERRRY close to being able to sit up on his own. He still needs our support or the boppy close by because he gets too excited and topples over.
He smiles, laughs, and giggles constantly and started that pretty early on as well. He is the happiest little guy and knows how to work a room :)
He got sick for the first time in December, and he had bronchiolitis...which was pretty scary. He had to be deep suctioned at the doctor's office, but other than that it was a pretty mild illness...thank goodness!
Likes/Dislikes
This kid has been a roller coaster of emotions. While he is typically a VERY happy little guy he has had a few periods (leaps I suppose is what you would call them) where he was extra fussy and cried a lot but other than that he is happy happy happy.
He loves his big brother and these days Benny can make him giggle and it just about melts this mama's heart!
While living with my parents Cam and my dad spent a lot of time together. Cam's eyes would immediately find my dad when he would walk into a room. Those two are the best pals and Cam just loves his papa!
Another person he loves is Miss Francine, our daycare provider. As any mom would tell you it's not easy leaving your baby with someone for the first time...but let me tell you we hit the jack-pot with Miss Francine. When I drop the boys off in the morning Cam will damn near break his neck trying to see her when he hears her voice. He gets a huge smile on his face and just stares at her when I hand him over...he LOVES her so much and it makes me so happy.
He has always been a mover and a shaker and the minute he was big enough for the jumper he was in it and didn't want to leave. He love, love, loves jumping and squealing. He spends most of his evening in that thing and couldn't be happier.
As far as dislikes go he isn't a big fan of sleeping long stretches, being tired (a bit contradictory right?) or not being able to reach something he would like to grab. As long as he is fed and rested he is pretty content.
I've felt pretty guilty off and on over the last 6 months because things with baby #2 are so vastly different. I don't have the time to dote on him and pay 100% attention to him. It's a balancing act with 2 kids and trying to make sure they both get all of the love and affection they need. I always feel like I am missing out on one or the other...if I get alone time with Benny, I think about what I am missing with Cam...if I am snuggling up with Cam and AJ is off playing with Benny I feel guilty that I am not with them playing too...Life with 2 has been nothing short of challenging, but I can't imagine our lives without our sweet little Cam, and as the days pass and he and Benny start to interact even more I get so excited for what the future has in store for these bros <3
Since this little peanut was only 5lbs 15oz when he was born, he started out in preemie diapers and wore those for almost a month. He wore newborn sized for a bit and size 1s for a very short period of time and is now comfortably wearing 2s. We bought some overnight diapers (not that he needs them) and those only come in a size 3...and those fit just fine as well.
Clothing
Much like with his diapers Cam wore preemie sizes for about a month. He was so teeny tiny at first even the preemie sizes were a little too big. He wore newborn sizes for a very short time and spent a couple of months in 0-3 month sizes. He is now wearing his 3-6 and 6 mo sized clothing pretty comfortably.
Food
This kid was a champion nurser from day one. He may have been a few weeks early and teeny tiny, but his appetite was huge. He latched on perfectly right after he was born and only lost 2 oz before leaving the hospital.
He continued to nurse really well, but at his 4 month appointment Dr. Foss was a little concerned that he wasn't following his growth curve. He dropped from the whopping 5th %-ile to the 0.5% so she suggested we start adding a tablespoon of formula to his breastmilk bottles at daycare. After exclusively breastfeeding Benny for 15 months, I was a little disappointed that I would have to supplement, but obviously I will always do what is best for my babies.
At his 5 month appointment he had gained weight at a faster rate than normal...but was still below his curve and only at the .95%-ile and I definitely was discouraged. Dr. Foss reassured me that we were on the right track and that we should continue to add formula to his bottles.
Shortly after his appointment we introduced avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas, and continued to add the formula to his bottles and at his 6 month appointment he was back on his growth curve (6%-ile) soooo basically he is huge now ;)
We introduced purees a few weeks after he turned 5 mos, just like we did with Benny, and we started with Avocados because they are high in fat. This kid was a champ...not only did he LOVE the avocados, but he ate really really well. It was clear he was ready for solid foods. Over the last month or so he has been kind of up and down with eating food though...some nights he gobbles it up and has his mouth open like a baby bird waiting for food, and other nights he swats the spoon away...we aren't super consistent with feeding him purees at the moment and will likely just wait until he is 9 mos or so and start giving him food from our plates.
Sleep
Even just thinking about this kid and his sleep (or lack thereof) makes me want to cry. We started out on such a good note...he slept pretty well the first couple of months. He easily slept in his bassinet for 3-4 hour stretches, and would wake up, eat, and go right back to bed. He transitioned to his crib around 4 months, and while we never got those magical long stretches parents always brag about on social media #STOPDOINGTHISPEOPLE 3-4 hour stretches were manageable...and then...it happened...
THE FOUR MONTH SLEEP REGRESSION....and let me tell you it kicked our butts. This kid was up every 2 hours to eat and I was desperate for sleep. Benny went through a bit of a regression, but it only lasted a week or so...this was at least 6 weeks...but I am still so tired I can't be sure exactly how long it lasted.
We have luckily come out on the other side of the hell that is waking every 2 hours, but he still isn't sleeping great. We decided when he turned 5 months old to do some sleep training...I have never been a fan of letting a baby cry it out...but I was desperate okay?
Currently we are just splitting the night shift, going to him when he cries, and feeding him if he so pleases...he's in charge. It's less stressful for us right now, and we are actually getting more sleep like this. We will all sleep again someday...soon I hope.
As far as naps go, he does a really good job napping at daycare. Miss Francine said he falls asleep on his own and sleeps for a good chunk of time 2 x per day. He is still needing that little evening nap...which is the worst. We get home from daycare and he goes right upstairs for a 30ish minute nap. Oftentimes we end up just holding him...for his and our benefit ;) There isn't much better than 30 mins in a dark room with a snuggly babe after a long day at work!
Milestones
This is where things will get tricky...I can't remember exactly when things happened...but to be quite honest with you, not a lot changes or happens milestone wise in the first 6 months.
He did all the usual stuff, making eye contact, tracking, smiling, etc right on time...he rolled over from front to back early...like REALLY early...something like 3 weeks or so. He did it several times so I know it wasn't a complete fluke...but he didn't do it super frequently.
He rolled over back to front around 5 months and is VEEERRRY close to being able to sit up on his own. He still needs our support or the boppy close by because he gets too excited and topples over.
He smiles, laughs, and giggles constantly and started that pretty early on as well. He is the happiest little guy and knows how to work a room :)
He got sick for the first time in December, and he had bronchiolitis...which was pretty scary. He had to be deep suctioned at the doctor's office, but other than that it was a pretty mild illness...thank goodness!
Likes/Dislikes
This kid has been a roller coaster of emotions. While he is typically a VERY happy little guy he has had a few periods (leaps I suppose is what you would call them) where he was extra fussy and cried a lot but other than that he is happy happy happy.
He loves his big brother and these days Benny can make him giggle and it just about melts this mama's heart!
While living with my parents Cam and my dad spent a lot of time together. Cam's eyes would immediately find my dad when he would walk into a room. Those two are the best pals and Cam just loves his papa!
Another person he loves is Miss Francine, our daycare provider. As any mom would tell you it's not easy leaving your baby with someone for the first time...but let me tell you we hit the jack-pot with Miss Francine. When I drop the boys off in the morning Cam will damn near break his neck trying to see her when he hears her voice. He gets a huge smile on his face and just stares at her when I hand him over...he LOVES her so much and it makes me so happy.
He has always been a mover and a shaker and the minute he was big enough for the jumper he was in it and didn't want to leave. He love, love, loves jumping and squealing. He spends most of his evening in that thing and couldn't be happier.
As far as dislikes go he isn't a big fan of sleeping long stretches, being tired (a bit contradictory right?) or not being able to reach something he would like to grab. As long as he is fed and rested he is pretty content.
I've felt pretty guilty off and on over the last 6 months because things with baby #2 are so vastly different. I don't have the time to dote on him and pay 100% attention to him. It's a balancing act with 2 kids and trying to make sure they both get all of the love and affection they need. I always feel like I am missing out on one or the other...if I get alone time with Benny, I think about what I am missing with Cam...if I am snuggling up with Cam and AJ is off playing with Benny I feel guilty that I am not with them playing too...Life with 2 has been nothing short of challenging, but I can't imagine our lives without our sweet little Cam, and as the days pass and he and Benny start to interact even more I get so excited for what the future has in store for these bros <3
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