Home with Hamilton

Our sweet little Hamilton is growing nicely these days. He's had several weight checks just to make sure, and he's finally on the charts! His last appointment, two weeks ago, put him at 8 pounds, 3 oz, and he's due for his two month appointment next week. We ended up dropping the breastfeeding, after trying EVERYTHING to increase my milk supply. Oatmeal, dark beer (that part wasn't so bad), pumping, feeding every two hours, 16 fenugreek pills a day and finally a prescription.... all with no results. Hamilton was getting frustrated, I was exhausted, and he was getting the majority of his nourishment from formula anyway. It was a tough decision, but I am confident that I tried everything in my power, and my boy is growing up healthy and strong regardless of how I feed him. We have a little store in the freezer too, so if he gets sick, he'll have that as a back up.

Hamilton is cooing and smiling much more often now, and is fun to "play" with when he's alert and happy. He's a generally well-mannered little bugger, only crying if he's tired or hungry. We've finally transitioned into the pack n' play for  naps AND night time sleep, which is a relief for when I go back to work and he has to sleep in it at daycare. However, while he was having some glorious 5-6 hour stints of nighttime sleep in the swing, he's down to 3 hours on the dot in the pack n' play. Sigh. We'll get there.

Being a stay-at-home mom is a tricky thing for me thus far. When Hamilton was first born, I couldn't stop worrying about my students and my classroom, and I wanted very much to be in two places at once. The tragedy at Newton didn't help. I wanted so badly to be there for my students. Now that I'm adjusting to motherhood though, I've let school fall by the wayside and am getting used to being at home with the little man. There are still days where I'm terribly bored and lonely of course, but now I'm beginning to dread the many hours he will spend at daycare. If he's going to bed around 9, that means I'll only have five hours with him before he's asleep. That's a tough pill to swallow. However, I know that once I get back I'll be happy to see my precious school babies again, and I do crave the stimulation of daily interaction with adults and kids. Plus, I've only got three months, and then summer vacation!

We had friends over for the Beyonce concert Super Bowl, and it was great to have a home where everyone fits, the kids have room to play, and we can enjoy each other's company. I can't wait for this summer when we can host barbecues and parties. We are SO happy to be out of that duplex, I cannot even describe it.

On the school front, my sub has been great about keeping me in the loop. I've sent a couple of emails with pictures of Hamilton, and will go in next week to visit the kids and show off the boy. I got a new student apparently, and am excited to see everyone again. My sub even emailed me to tell me that she'd taken care of all of March printshop for me so when I return I don't have to worry about it. Wowza, I'm a lucky teacher in that department! My first day back is March 4th, so in the next few weeks I'll be reviewing curriculum and lesson plans to figure out where the kids are and how to proceed. I'm both excited and terrified of the workload in addition to parenting. Because deep down in my heart, I know which one will come first (I think they'll be OK if it takes me two days to grade math papers, don't you?)!

It's a shame the boy hates hats. First, because I'll be making them for his whole life, secondly because he looks so darn adorable in them!

 



 The little snow angel all decked out for a cold winter walk. I'm looking forward to spring!

 

 

This is how the Hamster sleeps all.the.time. We can swaddle the heck out of him, but by the time he wakes up to eat, he's got both arms up.

Thanks for your patience as my blogging is few and far between! My computer is at school, so I've got to use mom's for the time being. Also, thanks for hanging in there with me as I have nothing to talk about except for Hamilton. Soon I may (or may not) have other news. Until then, enjoy my boy!