Carson Radcliffe

It has been just under 3 weeks now since we welcomed little Carson into our family. At his 2 week checkup, he was gaining weight (and therefore eating) like a champ at 8lbs 1oz (a 13 oz gain in 8 days!)  And our pediatrician said since he's gaining so well, I didn't need to worry about waking him to eat if he's sleeping long stretches.  Alright! Except now and then I do anyway, since the long stretch of sleep only sometimes falls during the night time.  He was also measured at 20.5 inches (compared to his birth 18.5,) so either the hospital or the ped was a little off... Either way, he's in the 40's for height, 34th percentile for weight.

Speaking of weight gain, Carson was a champion eater right from the start.  I nursed Amelie for 3 months, but only made it about 2 weeks with Alisa because it was so painful.  I had vowed I would make it longer with Carson and did everything I could think of to help and motivate me - I bought another pump, nursing cover, reausable nursing pads, used all different holds and tools to help out, corrected his latch over and over... Problem is, he has a very very very strong suck. I was pretty damaged before we even left the hospital.  I tried very hard to stick with it, even though nursing made me tense my entire body, curl my toes and sometimes even cry.  They say it gets better after the first week or two.  I began pumping now and then to give my body a break, but then it just provided a contrast to how painful it was when I nursed.  So, after daaaaaaaayyyss of painful deliberation, I decided to go more with the pump and formula and less nursing.  At first, I would still directly nurse once or  twice a day, but I had an immediate drop in my milk supply and now I don't even make enough to feed my very hungry boy in one sitting.  I am still pumping 3-4 times a day, but Carson is now eating more formula than milk.  I am so very sad about this, but I know that he will turn out just fine.  He is a little more gassy/spitty/fussy, and it makes me feel terrible, but I am just glad that I live in a time where he can still be 100% healthy even though I can not keep up with his eating demands.

So, on a brighter note, Carson is a great great baby.  He is pretty mellow and rarely cries (comparitively - knock on wood.)  I have to agree, he loves his momma (and I love it!)  His sleeping schedule is totally erratic, but every once in awhile I get a long stretch (like 4-5 hours) of sleep at night.  He has a great array of facial expressions, including both smiles and scowls.  Luckily for me, Jeff is on graves again, so 3 nights a week I get to sleep the whole night! He is so amazing at this - the other day, I went to bed at 10, and not only slept til 6:30, but woke to a clean house!  My husband is so amazing!

The boy-rrito. 

I know that most people keep their newborn in the house until 6 weeks or so, but Carson has already been many places.  McDonald's, Chili's, the zoo, a church party, and up the canyon, including a partial hike up Timp.  I suppose I could hole him up with me, but it's just different with 3 kids.  Everyone has somewhere to be and we can't put everyone on hold.  Not to mention, I have been recovering much more quickly, so why not get out and fight the cabin fever!

He is loved!

His sisters still adore him, and Amelie especially is great at helping out.  Thank goodness, too!  It's easy to forget how demanding of your time a newborn can be.  We sure love having him around, though!