The Amazing Jude

So I know I've mentioned a few times that Jude is a great, fantastic, super baby, but haven't really said much more than that.  I suppose I've been refraining from boasting about my little angel babe until I knew it wasn't a temporary fluke.  Well, it's been 3 1/2 weeks since he arrived in our world, and I'm still impressed.  We have our moments, but really, this experience has been nothing like the first few weeks with my firstborn.

I was fully expecting the worst for our first night in the hospital, and it appeared to be headed in that direction.  Jon took the 9pm-11pm shift with a somewhat fussy baby while I sorta drifted in and out of sleep.  But after that, the child just slept.  He slept so hard that I couldn't get him awake to eat, which is why we had all that drama over being "dry" and not urinating the next morning...  The second night in the hospital was pretty good too, if the hospital staff didn't keep coming in to the room for checks I might have actually gotten some decent sleep.  In fact, the whole first week home I actually had to wake Jude up to eat ever 3 hours at night.  At our one week doctor's appointment he weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, which means he gained an entire pound in the 5 days since we had left the hospital.  I figured with that kind of weight gain I could let him sleep as long as he wanted to at night, but that was also the day that Jude decided to get himself up at night.  And so, for the past 2 weeks he's been waking up twice on his own, usually around 1-2am and then again between 4-5am.  He nurses, I change his diaper, swaddle him up, and he goes right to sleep.  Just. like. that. 

Apparently, lots of babies do this.  But since I've only ever had one other baby, and he kept me up ALLLL night for the first 2-3 weeks, and then half the night for the second 2-3 weeks, well I just wasn't expecting to get that much sleep at this point in my life.  Typically I wouldn't get all excited over only 6-7 hours of interrupted sleep each night, but I cannot even begin to tell you what a difference it makes (that and the face that I don't have to deal with that stupid carpal tunnel this time around!).  I can't imagine taking care of a newborn and toddler-Jack in the zombie state I was in 19 months ago, this is much better.  In fact, I told Jon that if I knew our future offspring would be like Jude I'd easily take 4 more!

I think Jon appreciates the nighttime routine too.  He hasn't had to pull one evening shift yet.  Jude's been sleeping in the bassinet next to me at night, which is very convenient.  I just reach over and pull him in bed, then put him back when he's done eating. We've even mastered the "nursing while laying down" bit, which means I can almost sleep while he's eating.  If we don't do that then I'll either listen to teaching on my iPod or read a book with "Polaris", the nifty booklight I got for Christmas.  Jon nicknamed it such becuase he claims it is incredibly bright.  I used to agree, but now that I use it to change poopy diapers by ... I realize it's not really that bright.

For some reason I've been more reluctant to move Jude to the crib than I was with the last baby, even though it's only on the other side of the room.  Jon kicked Jack out of our room at two weeks when he went back to work.  So, at his insistence, Jude slept in his big boy crib last night and everything went well.  He'll stay in our room until we move, and then he gets his own space.  And hopefully by then I'll only be getting up once a night.

#2 is an old pro at the eat-awake-sleep cycle already!  He's gotten much better, and more efficient, at nursing.  We spend a little time staring at one another, sharing smiles, or getting kisses from big brother, then it's down for a 2-or-so hour nap, and back up to do it all again.  He's also got the whole poop and pee thing down.  I forgot how many diaper changes newborns require!  I've only gotten peed on once so far, and while I was trying to manage the small fountain, he promptly followed it with a forceful poo.  Jon and Jack got a kick out of watching Mommy deal with that. 

The biggest challenge so far has been burping.  He's either very easy to burp ... or impossible.  Just this past week he's been having some gas issues.  So I've been pulling out all the stops, trying every burping maneuver in the book.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.  I've officially decided that burping is my least favorite aspect of newbornhood.  I think I'd rather change 20 poopy diapers then burp.  At least I KNOW they are poopy and I KNOW how to take care of it.  But, that's not an option.  So would someone please invent a burping machine?!?  I would gladly write a recommendation.

I was worried that he wasn't eating as much as he should, but we had his 3 week follow-up appointment yesterday and he weighed in at 9 pounds, 4 ounces!  Maybe I just worry too much.  Actually, the nice thing about a second baby is that you don't worry as much.  I've heard moms are more laid back the second time around and I have to agree.  The combination of a great baby and a more easy-going mom have served us well.  And so, he's finally growing out of his newborn clothes, all 5 outfits that I was so well-prepared with.  I'm very excited because we have some adorable new clothes for him to try out, and I'm tired of looking at the same 5 outfits week in and week out!  And you know I love me some chubby baby!  We love watching him grow, but are relishing every second of his "newbornness", becauase I know how fast these days will fly by and I wouldn't miss them for the world!