Post Partum check in: 3 months

Baby:

Zachary is fantastic. No official measurements this month but he is definitely going through a big growth spurt. He is officially into his 3-6 month clothing and showing signs of outgrowing his current diaper size.

Eats: We were still battling intermittent feedings and cranky evenings until about a week ago when he finally started eating substantial bottles. His best eating day was on his first day at daycare, go figure. He is now eating 25-30 oz a day.

Sleep: I think I may have jinxed myself last month with all my bragging about how Z is a great sleeper. Even though his food intake has increased substantially and his nighttime routine hasn’t changed, his normal 6-8 hour stretch at night has turned into more of a 4-6 hour stretch. We have been trying to get him to sleep around 7 and stay asleep until his last feed which is around 11. He isn’t quite the solid sleeper he used to be and every noise seems to stir (and sometimes even startle) him. He fights being in the swing when he doesn’t want to go down but eventually the swing wins. We are also on the verge of transitioning him from his Rock ‘N Play newborn sleeper to his crib. I’m waiting to see how he handles the crib at daycare first since he’s never slept on a flat surface thanks to his severe newborn congestion and a Florida winter that can’t make up its mind.

Character: Z has continued his super smiles and constant chatter and we love it. We sit and talk with him all day long. In the past few days he also started laughing; especially for his daddy and for Chloe when she gives him puppy kisses (this seriously melts my heart). His vocabulary has advanced past  “ah-goos” and now includes “maahs” and “baahs”. He also lets you know when he is aware that you have stopped paying attention to him with a hearty squeal and a disapproving scowl. The faces this kid makes are pretty great.

Moves: Z’s head control is solid now; no more bobbling at all. He loves to be propped up in a sitting position in our lap or in his Bumbo seat. We recently tested out the Jumperoo as well because of his excellent head control and his incessant urge to kick. We use books underneath since he’s still too short to reach the floor. He loves it!

Adventures: Zachary had a ton of visitors this month and went on quite a few fun outings. First, his grandma Lenore, uncle Chris and cousin Sophie drove up  to visit him.

Then grandpa Zach and aunt Heather came to visit.

Daycare: March 1st meant the official end to my maternity leave. I tried to soak up as much time as I could with my little man and we went to daycare a couple days early to sit and take it all in. Honestly, it was overwhelming for him and heartbreaking for me. But I’m so glad we went for a trial run because I was able to handle that first day better than I expected to and apparently he had no problems settling into the routine of things. His teachers seem to love him and constantly tell me how adorable and sweet he is so it seems like it’s a great fit for him. It’s only been two days but I’m already getting back into the swing of things at work and even though I miss him, I’m adjusting.  I look forward to picking him up  in the afternoons and spending some quality snuggle time with him. I usually strap him into the Moby so we can walk around the house getting chores done while we discuss our day with each other.

I get asked a lot how I get Z to sit for his monthly photo shoots so well. Let me tell you, it isn’t always bright eyes and smiles. When Zachary is done with a photo shoot he certainly lets me know. This kid has the most ridiculous pout I have ever seen:

People also like to take guesses as to who Z looks like. While I think at times he might resemble me, he is without a doubt Anthony’s kid. Z looks a lot like Anthony did when he was a baby, and not much like I did at all. His face definitely transforms depending on if he is smiling, pouting, thinking,  or sleeping so much it amazes me. Sometimes I feel like he looks like a completely different baby depending on his mood and facial gestures.

Body:

Fitness: I’ve got to be honest…I’ve done nothing since the last check in on this front. I’m still battling issues with engorgement which makes it incredibly painful to even think about any type of exercise. Also, now that I’m back to work my time is incredibly limited and I’d rather spend the little time I do have with my kid. I’m hoping after a few weeks of settling into our new routine I will find the time but I have a feeling that a proper exercise routine will be taking a back burner until I’m done pumping. Just keeping it real.

Food: Because I’m finding it so difficult to exercise I am really trying to focus on eating a healthier diet. I’ve got a post coming on the different food goals I’ve set for myself recently. I’ve recently started tracking my food into MyFitnessPal just to see how many calories I typically take in on any given day and I’m hoping to improve my eating habits little by little until I’ve established a strong healthy eating routine.

Weight: I’m finally to the point where I’d like to try to slowly lose some weight while continuing to pump. This means not restricting calories per se but working on eating healthier and perhaps trying to tackle this whole exercise regiment conundrum. I’m definitely interested in losing the weight I intended on losing before I found out I was pregnant and I would love to blog about it for accountability but I’m just not sure the timing of it is appropriate while I’m still breastfeeding. I’m waiting to see if I can maintain my supply as I return to work and try to improve my eating habits.

This next month will be just as crazy and fun as the last. We’ll be focusing on settling into our new routine. We will be tackling crib sleeping, sleep training (just a little bit), a long road trip to visit family for Passover and a 4 month check up with some more not so fun vaccines.

Stay tuned!