Andrew: 3 Weeks

Part of me is amazed that Andrew is three weeks old already though another part of me feels like he's been with us for a lifetime!  Here's some bits and pieces about life right now...

• Andrew is a champion nurser and has chunked up quite a bit since he was born.  He likes to nurse every hour or two when he's awake.  And it seems like feedings ALWAYS fall at mealtimes (though I guess with him nursing so frequently that would be a given), so I'm usually nursing at the table while trying not to drop any of my chicken/salad/yogurt/toast/etc. on him. 


• We go for his next check up on Friday so we'll see how much weight he's actually gained.  He switched from newborn to size 1 diapers after the first pack of newborns ran out (I only bought one pack since that's what happened with Nathan as well).  He also got too long for his newborn clothes sometime between weeks 1 and 2, so now he's solidly in 3 month footie outfits.  I tried some 3 month two piece outfits on him and the pants just about fell off they were so big around the waist!  Thankfully Grandmother offered to buy Andrew some new clothes so now we have a nice supply of 3 month footie jommies for him to wear. 


• We are still trying to figure out sleeping positions for Andrew.  Nathan we kept strictly swaddled on his back until 5 months, Sarah was on her stomach after day 2 (with a movement monitor), but with Andrew we've been switching back and forth between the two positions trying to figure out which one he prefers (ie. which one will help him sleep the longest).  Today at least he's swaddled in a sleep sack on his back.


• Evenings are almost always dicey around here.  Andrew will be up and down from 6ish until 9 or 10 - sometimes we can get him to sleep in his bed but he'll wake up every hour to nurse (tonight), and other times he'll be awake almost the whole stretch but very grumpy and want to nurse more frequently then every hour (last night). 


• Night times are completely unpredictable.  One night he'll sleep for a four hour stretch, the next night he'll wake up hungry after 1.5 or 2 hours.  Some nights he'll be awake for an hour after a feeding, then the next night he'll drop right back off to sleep.  Sometimes we break down and bring him into bed with us and he'll stay there the whole night, the next night he'll do great in the pack-n-play.  Nighttime wakings are usually only once or twice in the middle of the night, and then usually once more around the time Brian gets up for work (5:30-6ish), which is when I have the hardest time getting him to settle back to sleep.


• The big kids are still enamored with Andrew!  They both still love to hold him or kiss him or pat him on the head.  Both kids are eager to jump in and try and comfort him if he starts crying in his rumble seat (his vibrating chair), both will cry out in alarm if he starts spitting up and will eagerly fetch me a burp cloth. They both want to be sure to give him a kiss and pat on the head before I put him down for naps or bedtime.  Nathan in particular always seems to read my mind and anticipate how I need help - he'll run to get the rumple seat and bring it to the table before meals or he'll realize I'm about to nurse Andrew and jump up to get the boppy pillow for me.  I am so impressed with what an eager and cheerful helper he is!


• Days with three kids have been going rather smoothly now that both big kids are fully over their sickness.  I haven't ventured out with all three by myself yet, and I'm not sure when that's going to happen either!