Recap for Past Two Weeks (11 weeks)

My Big Boy:
Zeke is really getting big and is at least 12 pounds according to our scale. He is even growing out of his newborn clothes and I spent part of this weekend getting the next size of clothes out. I can't believe I am already getting ready to pack away his first clothes. (I have to pack them away -- I can't bear to get rid of them and you know I never have a qualm getting rid of anything.)

He spends a lot of time being alert and vocalizing. I think I heard him say "how" at least twice today. He is also kicking a lot more and even able to grasp things, though I don't know if he does it intentionally. He is definitely a little more handy and will find his hand to suck on it sometimes to sooth himself. We are still a good ways from him finding his thumb though. He loves to kick and smile especially when he is watching his bear mobile. It is a not a particularly interesting mobile to me and is even a little unattractive. It is a windup affair with three green-grey bears. This is probably the first of many things that Zeke will like for reasons that I can't fathom! It came with his playyard, but I thought I would attach it to his cosleeper to see if it would distract him during diaper changes. He absolutely loves it and so we bought a nicer mobile to attach to his crib upstairs.

Changing him is also different these days. (I know not everyone is interested in such things, but I am recording all of this for me as well as you, so I get to write about even yucky and inappropriate things!) He is finally to the point where he is not having bowel movements every time he eats. Wow, does this make life a little easier and diaper changes 100 times faster. He more than makes up for it when he does poop every couple of days, but the tradeoff seems fair.

While I still don't quite know what his daytime schedule is, we have gotten the nighttime schedule down a little bit more. And, to answer everyone's first question, he is now able to sleep for six hours at a stretch at night and has been starting to make a habit out of it. On Friday night, he slept for seven and still took a morning nap!

My Triumphant Return:
I have been back at work for two weeks. It's not entirely a coincidence that it has been that long since I have posted. Being back at work pointed out to me again just how long and yet how short of a time nine weeks was. So much happened while I was gone, but not that much -- plenty for me to catch up with, plenty still left for me to do.

Of course, everyone wants to know how we have all been adapting. Aaron probably has the worst of it as he is trying to work full-time and simultaneously take care of Zeke during the day. Aaron is providing daddy daycare and I am so relieved not to have to find, pay for, or trust a sitter or daycare. It means a lot to know that Zeke is at home. Of course, he hasn't been at home the whole time. Aaron has been able to take him to two business meetings in the past two weeks. Zeke is not that much different than a lot of grown-ups that I know as he slept through one meeting and was grouchy in the other.

I feel a little harried but in comparison at least only have to see after one thing (or child) at a time. We are still nursing and I truly appreciate that 1) I have my own office for pumping sessions and 2) I can go home at lunch to be with Zeke. The biggest change of course from my work habits before I left is that I can't come in early and I can't stay late. Aaron only wishes I had found the motivation to this before....I think Zeke missed me at least during the first week. It seemed that he would be more clingy when he nursed and I took that to be a sign that he noticed I was gone during the day. The first week back was fairly smooth, but my expectations were pretty low. As I said often and out loud, my highest expectation was that I would show up at work -- clothed and mostly on time. I managed to achieve this successfully.

Zeke Meets His Grandfather:
My dad came into town over Memorial Day weekend and got to spend some time with his new grandson for the first time. It was a really nice visit and Zeke ended up with even more clothes. My dad even got a little one on one time with Zeke at the Toyota dealership as he watched Zeke while Aaron and I took a test drive (see below for reason). I can't wait for Zeke to meet more family.

New Improved Photos:
It doesn't look like we will be taking Zeke to Sears anymore for portraits. Aaron finally got his new digital camera that he had been asking for and I have to admit it takes photos that are much better than our old camera. Poor Aaron wanted this camera even before Zeke was born but it seemed like such an extravagance. It was, I guess, but the new photos have been great and I do sort of wish we had it to record earlier moments though I know there will be many more years to use it. The danger is that Zeke is going to think his daddy has a camera for a face. Here's to being a well-photographed baby!

Other Stuff:
First the computer, then the guinea pig and now this. Aaron's Saturn died. Aaron has had it for a decade and it has served us well, but its time has come and gone. Be on the lookout for another hybrid in the driveway soon. Aaron is shopping for the best deal on a Prius now.

Zeke also got to meet our good friends Pam and Tom who were visiting Atlanta from Chicago for the weekend. He slept through most of it, but he was still pretty cute and I hope he didn't frighten anyone from having children. Again, I can't wait for him to meet more of our long distance friends and loved ones. Zeke has also gotten to meet another baby on the block, but more on that in another posting!