New Milestones

We had a very busy weeekend with lots of changes!

Feb 26th
Mama was able to clean the house, do laundry, shop and get some dinner ready while taking care of you... sounds minor but it was a big deal

Feb 27th
Grandma and Grandpa Berger came babysit as Mom and Dad went to CPR class. In addition, you aunt Holly and uncle Mike, along with cousins Lauren and Nicole came to see you as well. It was a festive day and you were at your best behavior. You even let everyone play with your toes which was a real treat!

One of the milestones were that you were able to start to sleep in 3-4 hour spurts and you don't poop at each diaper change. Doesn't sound like a big deal but it is!

Mom and Dad took advantage of the babysitters and went out to dinner - it was great. However, I realize that I was away from you for almost 6 hours today and that was hard! I missed you too much and had to race back home. Going back to work is going to be tough for Mommy. :)

Happy 1st Month Benjamin!

Hello Benjamin,

Today is your estimated "date of birth". Since you decided to come exactly a month earlier, we are celebrating both days. As I'm typing this, you are lying in the Boppy next to me, waving your arms, hiccuping, smiling and cooing.

It's been an amazing 5 weeks and you are getting bigger and more adorable. Everyday, you show us something new. As of today, you are able to do the following:
-smile and coo at the same time
-make really cute sounds
-sleep without the swaddle! you still flail your arms but it doesn't wake you
-find your thumb, although it's not as big as your paci and you prefer the paci
-during tummy time with baba, you can lift your head up - ALOT
-you spit up a lot
-you're able to eat 3oz and sleep 3 hours straight
-you weigh about 9+ pounds and measure in at around 20-3/4 inches

Mama and Baba love you very much you are very easy to care for. You let Baba sleep thoughout the night and you also know when it is night and day. You still have your 'fists up' pose which everyone loves, especially grandma!

Happy 1st month little champ :)

I slept like a baby

Whoever came up with this term must have not had my baby. We are nearing the end of week 3, Bill and I are still in shock that we are now parents. Bill went back to work today and Mom will leave by the end of the week.

Benjamin is doing great. He celebrated his first Valentine's Day and is nursing very well. In addition, we are slowly getting him into a good sleep schedule. As a preemie, he loves to flail his arms and grunt - which often scares himself, wakes him up or keeps him awake. First, we needed to find the right bed. We have a crib, pack n play and newborn napper. The crib worked for a few days, then the napper worked for a week, then nothing worked. I finally put him on the Boppy for a nap and it worked like a charm. However, the Boppy is the last place a baby should be napping. It's actually very dangerous. Needless to say, the Boppy has gone back to it's primary use: feeding. After a few more failed attempts, Benjamin seemed to go back to the newborn napper. This taught me a lesson: try something more than once.

Next: Arm flailing. The mighty Benjamin is quite forceful - he manages to get his arms out of every blanket swaddle we've made. We then tried the SwaddleMe - which is basically like putting your baby in a straight jacket. It worked! Well, when morning came, he usually manages to get one arm out but he sleeps quite well throughout the night :)

At week 3, Benjamin's (or his parents) favorites are:
-Swaddle Me
-Newborn napper
-His brown blanket

Beni is now taking in about 3+ounces and slowly able to find his thumb. He is over 8 pounds and can sleep up to 3 hours at a time. He loves it when Daddy's changes his diapers and always leaves extra surprises. Mommy loves playing with his feet and watching as he changes every day :)

Week 2

Benjamin went to see the pediatrician yesterday for his second week checkup. He weighed in at 7lbs. 14ounces, quite an increase from last week's 6lb.10ounces. Dr. Inman (awesome pediatrician) recommended he goes off the bottle and train to breastfeed. Last week, I tried to nurse but it was unsuccessful - when Benjamin is hungry, he wants his bottle and Mommy didn't want him to go hungry! This week, it's like he understood what Dr. Inman said, he started to nurse all by himself. It is amazing what a difference one week makes.

What's new in Benjamin's life:
-he likes to be held when he's sleeping (probably still wants to be in the womb)
-he MUST have his arms out at all times, even if it means cold fingers
-he has found his favorite blanket and loves to sleep in the blanket
-he has numberous expressions, including smiling and laughing out loud when sleeping

What's new in Mom & Dad's life:
-3 hours of straight sleep feels wonderful
-Beni can sleep through a vacuum cleaner but doesn't like the crunch of frosted flakes
-Mom gets very lazy for feeding at night
-Dad has done everything around the house in addition to changing and feeding
-Grandma loves to hold Benjamin

Bill will be back at work next week so I'm curious how things will work out then!

Happy New Year!

Gong xi fa tsai, shin nien hau!

It is officially new year's day and the Year of the Rabbit. Mama Wu will be arriving tonight and we are completely ready to celebrate the new years. HA - by completely ready, I mean dressed and showered for the day.

Benjamin is doing really well. He was at the pediatrician two days ago and has gained 2.5 ounces from his birth weight. Babies typically lose weight after birth and then regain. For a preemie, he's moving along ahead of the curve! Whoo hoo

There's also been a few milestones:
Feb 2nd, 1am: First blowout for Daddy
Feb 2nd, 9pm: First bath at home, slept like a log afterwards
Feb 2nd: First smile, not sure if it was a conscience smile but still a big smile

We are slowly getting the hang of things. It no longer takes us 5 minutes to change a diaper. I've now learned the true meaning of "multi-tasking". When you're sitting down, you'll be amazed at how much you can do with both hands and feet! Slowly, sleep is coming in more than 1 hour increments.

I am constantly amazed and in shock that we are parents now. It seems surreal. Life changes overnight and yes, my phone is now filled with baby pictures and every little moment looks cute. I've become a Mom.