Day by Day

Everyday we encounter new challenges and new joys.  All three of us are constantly learning and getting to know each other more and more.  The house is finally clean, laundry seems endless, we have cooked a few meals at this point but still rely heavily on easy options with minimal clean-up.  I don't think losing the baby-weight will be a problem as I rarely have time to eat a full meal let alone snacking throughout the day!  I am anxious to get out and walk and start my post-natal yoga class but Fin isn't quite ready to go for long walks and, I guess, neither am I.  Maybe because I have never asked other women about their birth stories, and I really never questioned the recovery post-natal, I am only beginning to understand that my labour and delivery were hard.  Uta has slowly revealed more at each follow-up appointment and it seems that Finlay's journey into the world took a little longer and was pretty intense.  As I mentioned before, I don't have a lot of memory of the event.  I remember being really tired but also thinking "this isn't painful."  But after all those spectacular hormones wore off, man, has it ever been a long and uncomfortable road back!  And I'm still a long way off!

Another major challenge has been breastfeeding.  I'm not one to give up but there are some moments where I want to just call it a day!  Thankfully, there is a lot of support out there and although it isn't easy I just keep telling myself that it will all be worth it.  I am sharing these two more personal challenges only because I wish I had been aware of them before they arose so that I would have been more prepared for them.  In our polite world, we often don't talk about it!  So there you go!

I think Tyler's main challenge has been the sleepless nights.  I seem to have nature on my side and I feel as though the rib pain during the latter weeks of the pregnancy prepared me more (I'm actually getting more sleep than I did in November and early December).  The poor guy works 50 to 60 hours a week, and some early and late hours, so he is quite tired when after a night two 3 hour naps and maybe an hour tacked onto the beginning or end of the night he is facing another busy day.  Also, I can have a nap during the day if I need too (although I'm not really into napping lately).

Finlay's challenge, aside from latching, seems to be gaining weight.  He takes after his dad in this respect: a high metabolism seems to be thwarting the efforts of his cluster-feeding.  But he is gaining.  A couple exciting new developments with our little boy is alertness.  He is more and more engaged in the world around him.  He started interacting with a toy the Tyler was dangling in front of him.  Tyler would make the toy make a noise and Fin would turn his head to look.  Also, he is showing more facial expressions and making more eye contact.  He has been smiling more and more and with more excitement.  He has also be making more cooing noises.  He just gets cuter and cuter every day.

Here are some updated pictures.

Santa comes to good little boys - this year he brought an adorable monkey sock puppet!

Here is Fin snuggled with his Nans on Christmas Day. 

I received some really nice Tea from Megan and Kori -calming herbs for a new mama.

Grand-Mooma sent a beautiful pull toy for when Fin gets a little older.

Aunt Kalandra sent a couple cute outfits.

Very cute!

Finlay was pretty fussy at the end of the day on Christmas.  Nans worked hard to get him to stop fussing.  This position seemed to work.  We still use it!

Cute even when fussy!

Mummy and Fin on Christmas Day.

We had some visitors - Hilary and Rory swung by and Fin had lots of cuddles.

We took Fin to his first concert.  We saw Joel Plaskett and Fin made it through about 70% of the show - pretty impressive for a two week old!

Fin loves the hair dryer and so does his diaper rash.  Gotta love that face!

The neighbours brought by some granola and a cute outfit.  We tried to get a picture of him wearing the outfit that says "Mommy's Little Monster" but, true to form, Fin did not cooperate.

Almost!

"Forget it!"

We also took Finlay to see the "Paradise" exhibit at the Art Gallery.  It was a show of Chinese Communist Propaganda Art.  They were playing some creepy music and Fin didn't seem to like it or Mao.  Aaron came with us!

A little bit of red wine for me, a little bit of red wine for Fin.  They say you should expose them to all kinds of flavors!

Tyler wearing Fin in the Cuddly Wrap while we cook dinner.