Gavin is 2 Months!

Where has the time gone?! I feel like life is flashing by in the blink of an eye! Last Monday, 5/18/15, Gavin turned 2 months young! We had his 2 month check up and I was so nervous. He was getting his vaccinations.

 Daddy had to work at his new job with AT&T and couldn't request the time off yet so Mommy and Nana went to his check up appointment (I was still recovering from my gallbladder issues and couldn't lift him in the car seat, my mother truly is a blessing to be able to help) . They checked his vitals, 11 lbs. 12.5 oz. and 23" long. He is in the 45th percentile for weight and the 50th percentile for length. That could change as he grows but he sure is in a growing spurt. He still has his piercing blue eyes with no indication they are turning any other color but the pediatrician said they could change up to a year of life....yeah right.

The pediatrician came in and checked all his movement abilities, hearing, vision, and everything else they check for in a newborn to make sure he is progressing as he should. She notified me that we are doing a great job with him thus far. She did say we needed to start training him for his sleeping patterns and to give him more tummy time on the floor so he can strengthen his neck muscles. That's a bit hard to do when someone is ALWAYS holding him...haha.

We talked about the idea of him self soothing himself, letting himself cry it out a little now that he is getting older, some people don't agree with this as they feel it makes the baby feel neglected but a baby this small doesn't know if they are manipulating their parents into holding them or spoiling them....I could see that in an older baby but not at 2 months. He is to lay in his crib or our choosing and if he cries, we have to try to let him see if he can soothe himself. After about 5-10 minutes, we can go and comfort him by placing our hand on his chest and talking quietly to him to let him know we are there but if that doesn't work, we can then pick him up and try to calm him down to try again. A baby 2 months old cries because something is wrong, they are hungry, in pain, needing burped or needing to pass gas...whatever it may be, they do not just cry for no reason until they get older and understand that they get a reward for it, at least in my opinion (as well as my  mother's).

The pediatrician explained that we should set goals, particularly about his feeding situation, meaning how long we plan to breastfeed or feed him breast milk, starting to move him to the crib within the next month or two, and give him more tummy time. I guess you can say it's kinda like parent homework. I like that the office does that for us though because it gives us a good idea of what to look for when he starts progressing in age and where he should be. They aren't pushy about it either, they know each parent will have to do what is best for them and their child. I said I would like to have Gavin eating breast milk for at least 6 months but ultimately I was shooting for a year, now that he won't latch from me and I do not produce as much milk, I will take what I can get since breast milk is the most beneficial to him for nutrients. I would like to have him in the crib by himself by 4 months possibly sooner and I said I would work on 15-20 minutes of tummy time a day to help build up his neck muscles. Now that I am back to work, I have told my mom my goals and since she babysits for me, she knows what I would like to happen. If things change and I cannot live up to these goals, that's just life. I will know that I am not failing as a parent, just know that I am doing my best and whats best for our lifestyle.

At the end of the appointment they brought in the shots. I was scared for him, I knew he would cry. I was afraid I would cry...I just held his hand and his head and comforted him. I didn't look at the needle going into his little chubby legs, 2 shots on the right and one on the left....a good 10 minutes of crying and mommy was there to console him. They said his legs could get red, tender to the touch and he could get a fever but none of that happened, my boy is a trooper! 

Gavin still has a full head of hair, cooing and giggling at us, especially when he is dreaming, it's the cutest thing ever! I have people that comment when we are out and about and on facebook that he is the cutest baby and how much more hair he has than most babies...he was definitely blessed in the hair dept. I always say, 'he knew mommy was a hairstylist so he had to come out with something'. He LOVES taking baths but hates getting water in his eyes so it's easier if he takes a bath with mom or dad. He loves motion, walking around while being held of course, bouncing, swinging, riding in a car or stroller. I worry that he is getting used to the vibration feature of his bassinet and his pack n play....his crib does not have a vibration feature!! I guess I'll work all that out when the time comes! That's the perks of parenting. 

I cannot explain the amount of love I have for my son. It is different than the love I have for my husband, my brothers, my best friend....It is so powerful and so rewarding. Gavin is my world, my everything and I wouldn't change anything about him or my lil family! My husband is the best daddy he can be and I give my everything to be the best mommy I can be and we can only hope and pray that it will be enough. Being a parent is a full time job in itself and to know that a tiny human relies on us to sustain life, is a pretty big role but we attack it full force. We would die for our son, take a bullet for him to prevent him any harm. When he is in pain just from a tummy ache, I want to take that pain away from him and the love and desire to be a good mom just gets more intense every day!

We live in a pretty crazy world and to raise a well mannered, well behaved and respectful man is few and far between but we are confident we can make it happen. Eventually we will add to the family but when the time is right....God knows when that will be! For now, we will enjoy the presence of this little man and make memories that we will cherish forever!