'Tigerspring'

The last few days, Little Dude has been 'fussy.'

'Fussy' for Little Dude is actually quite calm compared to the stories I hear from other parents, but it is still heartbreaking for him to be unhappy and not be able to help him. He doesn't scream, but he seems restless and seeks comfort. He has also been a good sleeper for about 3 weeks - but last night he woke up every 3 hours and was hungry and needed some cuddle time.

A little internet research showed me that LD is just in time for his 8 week tigerspring.

I've done some reading on Tigerspring before, but never memorized them or read that much into it. But it is remarkable that he is this on time and pretty much fits the description right on the dot.

He has slowly started to notice that he has hands and that he can actually control those odd things at the end of his arms. It also seems that he is making more conscious noises - 'talking' on purpose.

There are a few of the things I already noticed a while ago: such as the way he has purposely been turning his head toward noises (especially our voices) and he has noticed and been fascinated by shadows on the wall or moving objects.

He is easily overstimulated, but also seems to be quite content and entertained for a long time when he is 'playing' or looking at his toys. But suddenly he gets angry with them and needs comfort.

Denmark around the World

2 years down...

Hard to believe it's been 2 years, but it's true. Two years ago today, I ate sushi and drank wine with this cute boy, and somehow he still likes me.

A year ago I wrote about how amazed I was at the thought that he didn't think I was (too) crazy yet and how he was willing to move into a tiny apartment with me.

To celebrate, we are leaving our baby in the care of others and spending an evening all alone for the first time in 7 weeks....

Pretty sure I have the easiest baby in the world!

I have tons of things to write about, but no time and no energy - and sometimes some other priorities. But we are all well, alive, and thriving.

My little Dude now weighs 6 kg and is 63 cm. Well actually, those were his latest measurements taken 9 days ago. For comparison his birth stats were 3.85 kg and 53 cm. Today he is 7 weeks old.

 He is so good at holding his head and likes having belly time to train his neck and back. He can lift himself up on his elbows and now we are practicing going up on our hands! He is very alert and has started smiling and laughing. It is truly the greatest sound in the world to hear his little laugh and see his eyes light up at us.

Sleeping and eating is going well. I don't want to write how much he sleeps for fear of jinxing it. Suffice it to say that I am more than satisfied. It is really amazing how much sleep means for happiness/energy levels. The first many weeks were tough - really tough. With a baby waking up every 3 hours during the night.... and learning to 'sleep when the baby sleeps' - is difficult!

As far as eating goes, he still eats alot. All the time. We are 100% breast feeding which is going really really well and I am so happy it is working as well as it is. Only sometimes I wish Daddy could take over... He has, a few times, with a bottle that I've filled during the day.

Just a little update from here. I have to go tend to a baby that is supposed to be sleeping (I am trying to teach bedtimes and the differnet between night and day!)

A few things I've learned so far

(AKA the lies we tell about motherhood and childbirth)

Giving birth hurts. Like Alot. I know I know, I've been hearing it all my life, and yet for some reason I never believed it could really be that bad. It could and it was.

You don't necesarily forget about it the minute you get your beautiful baby into your arms.

Breastfeeding is alot harder than it looks. And also it hurts untill your girls get used to it. And also you should be really careful to keep warm and dry (you entire body, not just the twins. Especially your feet) - if you want to avoid infections. They hurt.
And it's not fun to have to go the emergency Dr. on a saturday night with your 6 day old baby while you're running 39 degree fever. Actually, it's not fun to have another human being be 100% dependent on you when you are running a 39 degree fever. That's just a general rule.

You can learn to function on less sleep than you ever though possible.

Babies do not sleep peacefully. They make noises, cough, sneeze, wiggle, burp, etc. You will wake up every time your baby moves. It will interrupt your sleep even more.

'Sleep when baby sleeps' is alot harder than it sounds as is a skill that must be learned, similar to remembering to shower, eat, and drink.

So far, being a mom is everything I expected and so much more. It is at the same time the most wonderful, beautiful, giving thing in my life, and at the same time the most terrifying and scary thing ever.

There are constant worries - is he eating enough? Is that red mark supposed to be there? Is he comfortable? Does he feel warm? Is he wearing the right clothes?

I would give anything for just 5 hours of un-interrupted sleep or a nice long bath.

But my little Dude is thriving and growing, and he seems happy and well adjusted. He is 4 weeks old today, and he is getting better at being awake, taking the binky, eating on a more regular schedule, and enjoying changing/bathtime. I'm fairly sure we've started seeing the first real smiles, but I'm afraid most of them are just poopy smiles....

The best part of my day is watching him sleep, all peaceful, and listen to his many noises and watch his many facial expressions - he always has his arms placed above his head, and stretches them often.