Lessons Learned

These 3 weeks have flown by and I still cant believe that we have a baby. Sometimes, I wish I was still pregnant, where taking care of a baby was a little easier but than I get that whiff of newborn hair and fall in love all over again.

Kannon is growing bigger every day and is gradually adjusting to a regular day/night schedule (thank god!). He is most alert at 8 am and again at 8 pm giving us just a glimpse of his personality and charm. We have spending most of those alert hours cuddling in bed and watching him discover his world.

At 3 weeks old, I sadly have to say that our little one is finally outgrowing his newborn clothes. The sleepers that I loved to dress him in are now stretched out in the feet and his long sleeves are beginning to look like 3/4 lengths. So, out with old and in with new, I started Kannon in the 0-3 month clothes which have plenty of room to grow.

I keep meaning to take note of all the things I would do differently next time around and have so far come up with a pretty extensive list. I remember sharing with my dad that I was eager to have this baby so I could figure out our routine. We spent the last 9 months reading every childbirth and parenting book on the planet to discover that we threw it all out the window and have set our own agenda instead. Some lessons learned:

1.) Skip the onesies. We got 18 onesies from baby showers and we have yet to use a single one. Kannon hates have stuff pulled over his head and we have been unable to figure out how to pull them over his delicate head without causing mass hysteria. So, we tossed the onesies in a box.



2.) Stock up on sleeper suits that button or zip. We started out with 3 of these and now we have a dozen. They are perfect for Montana--keeping our babe's arms, legs, and feet completely covered without worrying about disappearing socks. It also makes for easy diaper changes as we can unzip/unbutton half of the outfit with him getting cold. Now that he is outgrowing the newborn sizes, we will have to stock up with more 0-3 months, as I am in love with these things, plus you don't have to pull them over any one's head.

3.) Always use a changing table. For a minute there, Dale and contemplated the necessity of a changing table. Diapers can be changed anywhere, the floor, the bed, etc. But, our baby seems to like pooping the second the diaper comes off, and in almost every case, misses the back up diaper underneath. So the changing pad has been cleaned almost daily. I cant imagine having to clean up baby shi* on my bed.

4.) Bring a baby sling or wrap wherever you go! For the most part, Kannon falls fast asleep in his carseat wherever we go making errands easy and fuss-free. However, when he does wake up, shi* hits the fan. He wants to be held, fed, and taken care of in minutes whether you are standing in line at Costco or waiting for your bill at a restaurant. Having the wrap nearby makes for an easy transfer--just pop the baby in, give him the boob and he can live without a diaper change until we get home.

5.) Develop good sleeping habits. We started Kannon off in a bassinet in our room. That worked for 2 days and then he started fussing every night. We discovered that he loves sleeping his stroller (great investment!) and it is convenient because we can wheel him around without him even noticing. However, at 3 weeks, we are starting to transition him into his own crib, and we are failing miserably! So unless, you plan to co-sleep forever, get them started in their cribs early on!

6.) While we are at it, get a lazy-boy for the baby's room so Dad has a place to rest while he is on pacifier replacement duty. Dale's back is sore from the nights he has spent sleeping on the floor, arched over the crib. Perhaps, I will put this one on a Christmas list.

7.) Don't let the music stop! Kannon likes sleeping with noise--tv, music, the fan, you name it. We had just spent an hour getting him to sleep and we forgot to hit the repeat setting on our cd player. Sure enough, the second the cd stopped, Kannon wailed for another hour!

8.) Buy more mirrors. Mirrors are great distraction for our little one and as an added bonus they help ensure that moms don't walk out with spit up in their hair.

9.) Always keep batteries on hand. Our baby monitor stopped working and we didn't have batteries to replace it and spent the night with the baby because we cant hear a peep through our thick walls.

10.) Breast feeding moms--pump a supply for Dad. As much as I love breast feeding and bonding with Kannon, after zero sleep and a baby who feels compelled to nurse on the hour during the night, it is understandable to roll-over and say "I quit". Of course, you remember that its not an option unless you have some milk stored away. Since Dale has taken over some nighttime feedings it has given me a chance to sleep and given Dale more confidence in soothing those nighttime cries.

11.) Stock up on many different types of pacifiers. We didn't want our kid to be the one of those pacified pacifier babies but after 3 weeks of soothing Kannon with our pinky fingers we gave in. It took 4 different types of pacifiers to find one that Kannon likes--the soothie brand we came home from the hospital with. Now, our pinky nails have a chance to grow back and Kannon is happily fulfilling his sucking need.

12.) Glass bottles rock! We were given both and have decided that glass bottles are our favorite. They heat up much faster when you are trying to soothe baby and warm a bottle one handed. As an added benefit, they handle the dishwasher with ease.



13.) Go Cloth! If you can, use cloth diapers. We have been so surprised at our success with cloth diapering. It is sooooo much easier to run a load of laundry then run to the store for more diapers. We still have had NO blowout with our cloth unlike the disposables that disappointed us before. We spent $75 for 24 prefolds, 3 covers, and 4 gDiapers, I cant imagine what we would have spent buying disposables. They are cute, warm, and take just a few minutes to change. (I plan on doing a cloth diapering blog soon, for those of you who have been curious)

14.) They all say "sleep when baby sleeps" but make sure to use this time for "us". This is so hard to do, when you are staring a pile of dishes and unopened mail but you have to do it. If you don't want to sleep while baby sleeps, do something with your husband like watch a movie, or cuddle, or go for a walk. I felt like I hadn't seen Dale in days, then we took a nap together and cuddled for the first time in weeks. It truly elevated my day. Since then, we have been trying to make sure to use sleep time for "us" time, whether we sleep, walk, cook, whatever.

15.) Get dressed first. Those first few day my robe was my uniform. Finally, I started passing the baby to Dale for an hour each morning so I could get dressed, washed, and clean. I felt better, looked better, and smelled better meaning my day was off to a good start. So while those dishes could be washed while daddy is holding the baby, make sure you get dressed first. Plus, it is so great to feel pretty when you have a baby spitting up down your shirt.

Alrighty, these were quite a few lessons learned and I am sure they wont be the last. I am sorry to bore you with any of the details but for those new parents that read my blog, I am sure you can relate! There have been so many challenges but it is so worth it. We love parenthood and have enjoyed every day with our son, who shows us how big your hearts can grow and how wonderful the world is. Kannon is starting to stir so ta-ta for now!