(Ok, it wasn’t with Mommy so I don’t know if this would count as being “professionally done”.)

I am sure there will be more to follow and this was just a quick 5 minute session with Daddy today…

Mommy is already being a critic…so I am sure she will do a photo session of her own soon.

We are swaddling “Baby Jacob” much like we swaddled “Baby Connor” and are getting a much happier baby (and more sleep) because of it. And hopefully that will continue into the future.

One thing I have noticed is Baby Jacob might be small, but he sure is powerful. He tries to wiggle his way out of the swaddle every now and then and it is amazing to see how close he actually gets to getting a shoulder free. I don’t recall Baby Connor doing that. Granted, Daddy might not be swaddling Baby Jacob as tight as he did with Baby Connor because of his light birth weight and early delivery, but he is still quite good at wiggling.

Well we decided to take Jacob up a nipple size (still Dr. Brown’s) and he gladly accepted.

With the “preemie” nipple, he would take 30-50ml over the course of 60-70 mins (sometimes longer).

With the size 1 nipple (at the 1am feeding) he took 50ml in just over 40 mins.

Great job little buddy!
Daddy

***UPDATE — Mommy gave Jacob 60ml at his 5am feeding – a new RECORD! ***

Jacob’s billirubin test revealed that his “jaundice level” has come back down to 8.6 and the doctor was happy to see that. His weight stayed the same 4lbs 14oz as the day before, again the doctor was pleased with that.

We go back on Monday to have him weighed again.

Evidently, the sunlight helped out with the jaundice…we stand by the window quite a bit with him and have moved one of his pack-n-plays near a window.

He is definitely eating more and he is more alert. He watches things and hears things going on around him.

On Friday, Connor and I headed up to my office so he could see Ms. Tammy and his other “fans”. We had plans on going to Toys R Us when we were done, but he fell asleep on the ride there, so I took a detour and took him home. He took a nap and then he played with Abby and Isaac (while I took Jacob to the doctor’s office).

Grandma stopped by to bring us a spaghetti dinner and “surprised” Connor. He was so HAPPY to see her.

After dinner, we finally made our trip to Toys R Us. Usually we keep Connor in a shopping cart, but I let him walk into the store so he could explore. He was looking and touching everything but didn’t seem to be interested in the area we were in. So I said, “Connor, do you want a truck?” He replied, “Yeah!” So I pointed him in the direction of the trucks and hot wheels and off we went. Here is a video of him searching for the “right truck”. He ended up getting a different truck from the one in the video…

And here is what he bought and played with ALL NIGHT and the NEXT MORNING! He loves it! It is a recycling truck like the ones that come around our neighborhood. (Ms. Tammy will tell you that he has always had a thing with trash/recycle bins — remember this.) Just his way of trying to be “green”.

Just when we are thinking/worrying about feeding issues, Jacob makes Mommy and Daddy proud at his 12:30am feeding. He took 35 ml which is just over an ounce and is the 2nd most he has taken in a feeding. Way to go “little buddy”!!!!

He also had a “normal bowel movement” which was a major accomplishment as well. Previously there were all meconium. This was mustard in color with a tint of green and had “seeds” in it…that is expected for breastfed babies (since he was getting breastmilk previously).

GREAT JOB, JACOB!!!!

We love you!

Really, it is a lack of one that is becoming a problem. Breastfeeding with Mommy was becoming more difficult, he was not taking too much from me with the bottle. He didn’t like the nipples on the bottles we had bought but rather liked the nipples given to us by the hospital.

We went to the doctor today for Jacob’s checkup and he had lost another 2 ounces since we left the hospital. So, he has lost 5 ounces since he was born. Not unusual but since he was 35 weeks and his bilirubin test came back as showing he is jaundice (this morning), the doctor was concerned. So, we are heading back to the doctor again tomorrow for another bilirubin test to see if he has improved or gotten worse. The doctor said to keep feeding him and suggested we give him more…(easy for him to suggest.)

So, when we returned home from this news it was time to feed him. Breastfeeding didn’t work…onto Daddy and the bottles. It took me nearly 40 minutes to get him to actually take some milk. I had to switch nipples a few times and finally ended up going back to the one from the hospital. When he did take the milk, it was not much. I was concerned at this point and even thought about calling the doctor.

Then he surprised us all and took 40+ ml (twice as much as he has EVER taken) a few hours later.

He continues to urinate and have many bowel movements, but he just doesn’t not seem to be eating as frequently or as much as the doctors say he should. Could it be that he takes after Victoria and not Daddy in the eating area???? (I’ve heard Victoria was a fussy eater when she was an infant too.)

He is eating better now and I found a “preemie” nipple at Babies R Us (Dr. Brown’s bottles and nipples was the only brand to offer it). He seems to like that nipple and that is the one he took 40+ ounces from in the afternoon!

Victoria has decided discontinue breastfeeding because it was very difficult and painful for her. It reminded her of the troubling times she had at the end of Connor’s breastfeeding. I completely support her and I am glad she has made a decision. This will allow us to focus on getting Jacob fed. I’ve watched her feed Connor and try to feed Jacob and see how difficult it can be. It is really amazing that some women are capable of doing it, but some women just are not “made” to do it. The effort Victoria made for Connor and now Jacob was excellent, it just was becoming too troublesome for her.

Jacob…let’s see you take another 40 ounces tonight!!!

Connor went down the street and hung out with his buddies Abby and Isaac. Here is a video of them just going in circles. Connor got to try as well. (Where were these when I was growing up?)

It was a busy day today…

This afternoon Connor and I headed to Babies R Us (twice), the Fresh Market, Target, and finally Farm Fresh. Just Daddy and his 1st “perfect son”. Each time we got out of the truck, he asked if he could ride on my shoulders. It is something I like doing but normally do on long walks, not shot walks into a store for example. But, to make my boy fell “special” I gave in to those pretty blue eyes and hoisted him up on my shoulders each time we left the truck. He was thrilled!

We love you, Connor!

For those people out there that kept telling us having two kids would be difficult…

Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!