Sunday, July 7, 2013

The First Two Weeks

Today, Harlan is 18 days old and it has been an amazing 18 days. Ryan and I are already starting to notice some changes he is making and it is so fun watching him grow.

I will start from the beginning.
We had our first pediatrician's appt on Monday, June 24. We saw Dr. Simmons and he said Harlan looked great. He only lost 5 oz since his birth. Newborns typically loose 8-15 ounces. All that means is that our boy is a great eater. From moments after his birth when he experienced his first feeding, he latched on perfectly and knew exactly what to do and has been doing it ever since. In the beginning he wanted to feed every hour but now we are feeding every 2-3 hours. Much better!

Our next pediatrician appt was on July 3 and we learned Harlan had gained 9 oz in 9 days. Right on track! Dr. Simmons again said Harlan looked perfect. I am so grateful for his health.

Sleeping in the beginning was non-existent for Harlan. Well let me take that back, he would sleep but ONLY if somebody was holding him. Harlan did NOT like being left alone which was really tough at night. We got literally no sleep for the first 10 days. His nights and days were also mixed up. But recently he has gotten on the correct schedule. He only wakes up 1-3 times a night and on the night of 4th of July, he actually slept from 10:30 p.m.-5:30 a.m. Ryan and I both woke up at the same time and rushed over to his bassinet in a sheer panic to check on him.
Harlan already has some amazing neck strength. He holds his head up when he is on his tummy and we really have to watch him because he will flail all over the place.

The faces and noises he makes are my favorite. Harlan is definitely all Pettigrew. He looks like his daddy but he really looks like his Grandpa Jerry, Ryan's dad. If he didn't come out of me, I would question if he was my son :) He doesn't look much like me at the moment but that is ok.

Both Ryan and I feel like we are starting to get into a routine now. We absolutely adore our son and can't wait to see what the next 18 days, months and years hold for Harlan!