10 Weeks Old

Bradley is 10 weeks old today. I have seen him roll from his side to his back a few times, and Lovey saw him roll from his back to his tummy. So I guess we have to start watching him now! No more just putting him on the bed and running to get something really quick. :-)

Lovey and I were talking, and we were laughing at Bradley because he was smiling about something. When I laughed at him, he laughed back.

He was grumpy the other day, and I put the pacifier in his mouth. He started making sassy little noises like he was backtalking me--trying to tell me just how upset he was. I'm sure I won't like that a few years from now, but it was cute this time. :-)

His vision seems to be clearer b/c he watches me from his crib when I'm walking around the room. His neck gets stronger every day, and he seems really L-O-N-G. He was 9 lbs., 14.2 ounces, when I weighed him last.

He is starting to take more naps in his crib. Up until now, he has taken most of his naps on me or in his bouncer seat. Feeding times were so frustrating, I felt like I had to have that cuddle time with him or I would go crazy. But now I am putting him in the crib for pretty much all of his naps. He is doing really well with it, and I feel like I have some time to do other things now--like blog! ;-) I was taking a shower the other day, and I knew Bradley had woken up and was crying because Riley started meowing. What a good little watch "dog!"

Bradley smiles when we look in the mirror, so I put a mirror in his crib, and he talks to it a little bit.

The lady who used to cut Alex's hair cut my hair yesterday. Alex does NOT like getting his hair cut. When she saw Bradley, she said, "We're going to have to start a little bit earlier on you!" :-)

7 + 8 + 9 Weeks (!!)

I have tons of notes and pictures to share... The big news since my last post is that we moved from GA and are MUCH closer to my family. Xon is staying with a college friend while we get settled since it's near his work, so I haven't had much time to blog. As my mom says, "Katie doesn't like being a 'single parent.' " ;-) Hopefully we will all be able to be under the same roof soon. Though we are trying to visit Xon as much as possible so he doesn't miss out on Bradley time.

I am now a stay-at-home mom, and that is going splendidly, though "mama hours" are much longer than regular work hours. :-) I found one of the benefits of staying at home is that I can run errands just about any time and don't have to stand in the long lines at lunch and just before closing. Nice!!!! I have also been able to go visit lots of friends and family and stay for a while because I don't have to be anywhere at a particular time. That is WONDERFUL.

My sis (who is an award-winning writer, btw) just moved, so we went to see her new place 2 weekends ago and are going again this weekend. Love it! Bradley also met his Great Grandma Margaret, Great Aunt Connie, Great Aunt Joyce and Uncle David, and Cousins Tammy and Paulette. Before we left GA, he met Xon's dad, Robin, and Xon's sister, Autumn. Did I forget anyone??!!

A high school friend passed away last weekend, so I am glad I am nearby so I could go to the memorial service.

I weighed Bradley last Monday. We had been off the supplement for a week then. He was supposed to have gained at least 3.5 ounces, and he had gained 4. WOO HOO! That's the first time he gained what he was supposed to without the supplement. I am going to weigh him again this Tuesday. Assuming his weight is good, I will talk to the lactation consultant once more, and then I think we will be done with weighing him all the time and supplementing and all that jazz. What an answer to prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got REALLY frustrated with Bradley's eating when I visited my sis. The most frustrated I had ever been.... Probably b/c everyone told me things would turn around by 8 weeks, and they still hadn't. But then I came back home, and he suddenly started eating pretty well--and has kept at it. I still have to pester him some to keep him awake, but it's not too bad. Mom says he is starting to "fluff up." ;-)

He is testing out his vocal chords and making more sounds the past couple of days. He follows things with his eyes when I move them. His head is getting stronger. He smiles a lot. If I move where he can't see me and then come back, his eyes light up and he smiles a bunch. Cutie pie. :-) His hair looks auburn now--especially if you're in the sun. We think this is fitting b/c of his namesake. His eyelashes are growing. His tummy is very gurgly, so he cries a lot b/c of that. Erich said Alex cried for the first 3 months. Two aunts said my cousins cried for the first 4 months. So maybe we are close to the end of this phase... It must have stuck in Alex's head that Bradley toots and burps quite a bit right now, because after we left Dawn's Alex started saying, "Kaka baby toot." :-) Alex seems to like Bradley and says "baby" when he sees him.

Think that's it for now. I will post the pics just as soon as I can!!!!

All Smiles

Yesterday Bradley was such a little charmer. He smiled at me when I made a funny noise. I did it 2 more times to see if he was really smiling at what I was doing, and he did. Cutie pie. :-)

Back to Supplementing

Bradley should have gained anywhere from 2-4 ounces this time, but he gained 1.7. So we are back to supplementing with a 1/2 ounce twice a day. Amy, the lactation lady, thinks it will only be for a week, so here's hopin'...I'm just going to keep on trusting everyone who said we should have everything down pat by 8 weeks. Our pediatrician said that, Amy said that, friends who had similar feeding issues said that. If that's the case, only about a week and a half to go!!! We used to have to supplement with 10 ounces a day, so we definitely have made good progress in the past 6 weeks.

6 Weeks Old

Mr. Bradley is 6 weeks old. He went to church for the first time this morning. We spent most of the time in the nursing/crying room. ;-)

When I blew on his tummy this afternoon, he smiled a HUGE smile. It made us giggle. :-)

Bradley has entered the colicky stage this week. Sometimes he will scream like he is dying, and you can feel his tummy gurgling when you put your hand there. The lactation consultant said to "be generous with the Mylicon." ;-)

Speaking of, I met with the lactation consultant on Friday, and she said we could take Bradley off the supplement and see how he does. She wants to see him again Wednesday. She said if his weight is not on track, we may have to put him back on the supplement again, but she thinks it would only be for a week. So we took him off the supplement yesterday, and Bradley added 2 feedings throughout the day, so I take that as a good sign! Yippee! Also, he is correcting his bottom lip on his own now--most of the time anyway. What a good boy!!!!!! Soon we will have this eating thing down!!!!!!!

Everyone says this week Bradley looks like a little Xon--with my hair.

I just love watching him stretch for several minutes when he wakes up after a nap. I will have to try to get a pic of that. As Auntie Dawn says, he is a cute patoot!

Did I mention I want another one???!!!!!!