First Week with our Little Creature

Life with Mattimeo so far has been amazing. Every day we fall even more in love with him, if that is even possible. Pretty much our days have consisted of nursing, sleeping, changing diapers, reading, and going for little walks. We have been making sure to take it easy since I am still recovering and get sore very easily if I over exert myself. It has been wonderful having Robbie home (he has 2 weeks and 3 days off from work), and I am going to miss him terribly when he goes back. We make a great team, and it will be tricky going solo. I'm sure we'll be okay though.  Plus we have been fortunate to have lots of support from friends and family! Here are some highlights and pictures from our first days together:

First time in his car seat

Mom decorated our apartment and Pi liked sleeping in our suitcase

We have had lots of visitors. They have been really helpful by bringing us food that we can heat up later on or buying take-out to share with us. They have allowed us to take naps together while they snuggle and get to know Meo. My mom has helped out a ton with doing laundry and cleaning for us. People have even been so kind as to pick up random things we need at the store.  Everyone has been so kind; we truly feel loved and secure.

Grandma

Grandpa

Lauren

Leakana

Memere

Pepere and Memere

Grammy

Grammy watched Meo while I took a bath and Robbie went to the store; I found them napping when I was done

Grammy

Ryan

Aunt Samantha

Mattimeo has been great about sleeping and is super snugly! He is still a bit of a night owl, and we can't seem to get to bed before 11 pm. However, once he is in bed (and if we let him sleep with us) he only wakes up every few hours to nurse, which is perfect. We have trouble getting him to sleep for long in the cosleeper, but we are trying to get him used to it little by little. For now I love having him sleep safely beside me in my fort of limbs.

Daddy and Meo

Mommy and Meo

Nap time

Mattimeo absolutely hated his first bath; we think it may have been because Robbie made the water too cool. Since then, he has learned to enjoy being cleaned all over with a warm cloth. He doesn't like to be cold, but he loves to be bundled up in a warm towel!

Hating his first bath

Loving being dried off and warm afterwards

Our cats, Pi and Theta, have done really well adjusting to the changes associated with bringing an infant into the family. At first they were both very curious and cautious. They both would get really scared when Mattimeo started crying and run away. But within the first day, Pi was already used to the baby crying and didn't even seem phased. Pi spends a lot of time hanging out with us and the baby, and possibly has gotten more affectionate. Theta is taking a little longer to get used to the baby. If Meo is really crying, he is still bothered by it and will go in the other room. But he will hang out with us now and doesn't seem to mind the baby being around. Right now he is sitting on Robbie's lap, who is next to me playing a game on his lap top while Meo is passed out on my lap in a milk coma.

Pi is concerned one of the first few times he hears Meo cry

Theta likes sleeping on Meo's books

Right now, Meo's favorite thing in the whole world is nursing. And he does such a great job of it! He eats about every 2-3 hours, although sometimes it is more often than that. He established a great latch right after he was born and we haven't had any difficulties. Nursing has become a nice relaxing time for us, and I love the bonding time it gives us. I also love how satisfied he looks after he is done eating, I like to say he is in a milk coma.

Meo in a milk coma on my lap

Mattimeo's other favorite things include dancing (well we dance and hold him....he loves it!), reading, and being tickled. He will smile when we gently stroke his cheek or tickle his body, and it melts my heart. We have been reading a couple books to him everyday, and sometimes I read the books that I am reading for myself out loud to him as well. Currently, his favorite book was one we got for free through the Raising Readers Program (a scholarship in the state of Maine that gives children free books throughout their first years of life) called What Does Baby See. This book has really basic pictures and no words, so you make up different things to say each time. Because the pictures are so simplistic, Mattimeo is able to focus on them, and will even turn his head to track the pictures if we move them from side to side which is great for developing coordination and neck strength.

Looking at a picture in What Does Baby See?

Reading Dr. Suess with Daddy

Mattimeo has also been enjoying going for walks. We have been keeping them pretty short so far, mainly because I am still recovering from child birth and can't over exert myself. We have been using our Moby wrap to carry him, and although he tends to protest when he is being put in or taken out of it so far, he enjoys being walked around in it. Today we took our first walk out on an actual trail (Clarks Pond Trail) and Meo seemed to really enjoy looking at the trees. He also was very content feeling the breeze and looking around when we took him out of the wrap to change his diaper.

Clarks Pond Trail

Clarks Pond Trail

First outdoor diaper change

My boys

Trying the sling on

Making faces at each other

Everyday we have also been making sure to give Meo some tummy time. At first, he doesn't really mind the experience. Then he starts kicking his legs out like a frog trying to propel himself forward. He also will bob his head up and down, though he is not very strong or coordinated yet. He tends to work himself up quite a bit and cry. But then he calms down and starts trying again. We only do tummy time for a short while so that he doesn't get too frustrated with it at first.

Tummy time

Frog legs during tummy time

Lastly, here are some random pictures that I like of our new little family:

Buddha Baby

Mommy and Meo

Crossing his eyes

Meo

Holding Daddy's thumbs

Yoda Baby

Mattimeo

Sucking his finger for the first time (the same finger both Robbie and I sucked when we were little)