Week 10: The Eat Beast Cometh

14 pounds, 7 ounces. That's what breast milk will do for you. This is nature's protein shake. (My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard? No? Ok. I'll stop.)

Desmond went in for his two-month checkup: Everything is as it should be and he is growing gigantically. Measuring in at over 23 inches he is nearly as tall as his best buddy, Jake, who is six months older.  He has grown out of almost all the 0-3 clothes and earned the nickname "Eat Beast".

The stats:

Date		Visit		Weight
6/17/2011		Birth		9 pounds 4.8 oz
21-Jun		First Dr. Visit		9 pounds 2 oz
7/6/2011		Second Dr. Visit		9 pounds 12 oz
29-Jul		Visit to midwives		10 pounds 11 oz
8/24/2011		Two Month Well Baby Visit		14 pounds 7 oz

I make mommy's arms tired.

TWO MONTHS!

Two whole months have flown by and every time I turn around Desmond is bigger. We have gotten the hang of this breastfeeding thing, have gotten used to the cushy cloth diapers and have come to agree that zippers are far superior to snaps on clothes when one party involved wants to get the baby dressed, already, and the other one wants to wiggle. 

Sleep, and creating a routine for sleep is the next big hurdle.  I won't be going back to work for a few more weeks and though getting the fella to sleep is sometimes a challenge, Des and I are equally lazy in the morning and have shared the sofa for many a mid-morning nap. Laziness seems to be hereditary.

 

Week 7: Sweden, Babywearing and Dads

If we lived in Sweden, I wouldn't be going back to work for a long time.  This past week NPR ran a story about maternity leave around the word, (a map can be found here) and if we were to reside in Stockholm, we would be entitled to benefits that can cover up to 480 calendar days. Two months are reserved for the father. Not bad.

I have been having a lot of conversations about the division of labor when there is a newborn at home and everyone seems to agree: Moms have to to the bulk of the work where baby is concerned. The pregnancy part, the delivery, the breastfeeding part, it just seems to work out this way. This naturally leaves some new dads wondering where they fit in, but things are about to change, thanks to one Tom F, husband of one of my oldest friends.

Mr. F. is father to two beautiful kids, both under age 5. He was quick to pick up on the fact that caring for a newborn is very mom-centered and watched as his wife carried their kiddos around in an baby sling. I can do that, he thought and strapped on the baby carrier and quickly renamed it: the DUDE-terus! Figuring this was the closest he would come to knowing what carrying an infant is like Mr. F. happily wore both of his children.

Hearing this, Rob strapped on Desmond this weekend and quickly realized what I had known for weeks already: its really hard to sit down to a meal and not drop food on the baby's head. That is why the baby gets a bath before bed, so we can get the salad dressing out of his hair and the crumbs from behind his ears.

And the carrier we use, why, its called a Baby Bjorn, and comes from of all places, Sweden.