Woo-hoo!! We survived the Trikester’s first month! The past four weeks were a roller coaster of emotions, as we experienced some of our highest highs and lowest lows. After the first drop, I wasn’t so sure we’d made the right decision to get on this ride, but now that we’ve gone through a few loops, it was clearly an awesome call.

Mr. Tricycle and the Trikester get to know each other.

I’m already amazed by changes I see in the Trikester. It’s terribly cliché, but he’s growing up so fast! Here’s a round-up of the last four weeks.

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Sleep:

The first night the Trikester came home from the hospital we spent an hour trying to figure out where and how he was going to sleep. The Rock n Play? The crib? Our room? His nursery?  Swaddled? Unswaddled? We tried all combinations multiple times that first night. During the next two weeks, I soldiered on and attempted to put him down to sleep, but he woke up every forty-five minutes crying, and couldn’t be soothed just by rocking. I really wanted to follow all those doctor recommendations about the baby sleeping in their own crib, but after spending a few hours sobbing in the recliner at 3:00 AM following another sleepless night, I gave in.

This is my all-time favorite view of the Trikester. I love the sweet innocence of it.

I was so not going to be one of those crazy co-sleeping mamas, but that’s what works best for us. The Trikester and I now happily sleep on the couch in the living room (I know, the couch isn’t recommended). I pull off all the back cushions to make the couch wider, using the boppy to fill in the gap, and he then slumbers peacefully on my chest for two, four to five hour stretches, waking up to nurse.  The only downside to this arrangement is that I miss my husband! I’d bring the baby to bed, but Mr. Tricycle is such a sound sleeper that I’m worried he might accidentally squish the Trikester. We’re going to re-evaluate our sleeping arrangements at six weeks and then again at two months, and adjust as needed.

The Trikester is a champion napper – as long as he’s sleeping on my chest. He will happily take three or four long naps during the day. Watching him sleep is one of my favorite things – I have so many photos on my phone of him dozing away. We don’t have a strict schedule, but more of a routine: Wake-up, nurse, diaper change, play, sleep. I try to make sure we don’t go more than two hours between when he wakes up and when he goes back to sleep. Over the last two days, he’s just started napping in his bouncy chair. I thought he didn’t like it, but I was making a critical mistake by attempting to put him in the chair when he was already grumpy. I’ve since discovered that if I put him in the chair when he’s happy, he’ll fall asleep as long as I bounce it vigorously with my foot (and continue to bounce for the whole nap).

Eating:

I think the Trikester’s sleep problems are rooted in digestive issues.  On a positive note, nursing has gone really well; I use a nipple shield, but otherwise everything works and I enjoy that time together. He’s gained a little over TWO pounds in the last month – he now weighs a whopping 7 lbs 11 oz – a regular brute!

On the downside, he often seems in pain. I know babies have immature GI systems, but I feel like he might have other issues. He’ll be sound asleep, and then wake up crying, scrunching up his whole body as his face turns bright red. It will last for a minute or two, and then his body will relax and he’ll fall back asleep. Earlier this week he had four diapers with specks of blood and an awful sore on his butt. We went to the pediatrician expecting to be told to try a dairy elimination diet, but our doctor said he was “skeptical” of milk protein allergies, and said the blood was probably caused by a little tear somewhere. I hate seeing my baby in what I think is pain, so I’m eliminating dairy anyway to see if it helps.

Disposition:

The Trikester likes to cry; we have lots of photos of the poor baby bawling his eyes out. I think most of his grumpiness has to do with his GI issues. Some weeks (wonder weeks?) have been much worse than others, and I think I see a little improvement in his mood every day, so I’m hopeful that I can one day call him a “happy baby.” He does amuse us with the funniest faces. He has big eyes that are always open wide when he’s awake.

Our baby is a champion when it comes to making funny faces.

Milestones:

The Trikester started flashing a social smile last week, and we occasionally get a little cooing when he’s in one of his rare good moods. He’s gaining weight – we’ve left behind both preemie and newborn diapers, and moved into size one. I’m anxious to try our cloth diaper stash, but his little legs are still too skinny for our cute diapers to fit. He wears mostly newborn sleepers, but many of them are now too short for his long legs and massive feet, so we occasionally size up to 0 to 3 months, which look silly on his narrow body.

Taking the baby’s first monthly photo was challenge! I only have one white onesie in his size, and every time I put him in it, he had a diaper leak before I could take the photo. Once I actually got him in the chair, he refused to cooperate (surprise, surprise), and all I got were photos of him screaming. Oh well! At one month, he screamed a lot, so this photo captures that.

Adventures:

A few weeks ago we made a trip to the pediatric emergency room. Needless to say, this was not the highlight of our month. I had been feeling awful for a few days, and finally decided to take my temperature. When I realized I was running a fever and had all the classic flu symptoms, I panicked and worried that the Trikester might also be sick. Learning to take a baby’s temperature rectally is not a fun parenting lesson (watch out – babies poop when you stick stuff up their butt!). We got thermometer readings of 99.4 and 99.6, and our pediatrician recommended we bring him in. Luckily, at the hospital, everything checked out just fine, and after buying another thermometer we realized the one we were originally using was off by a degree. I was so worried I was going to pass whatever I had along to him that I wore a mask for 48 hours any time he was in my arms. Eventually something clicked and I realized that my “flu-like” symptoms, accompanied by redness on one of my boobs, were actually caused by mastitis. Phew! I was so relieved knowing that what I had wasn’t contagious, and was therefore thrilled by the ten days worth of heavy-duty antibiotics my OB prescribed.

We went on our first road trip this weekend to celebrate Christmas at my Dad’s. The Trikester did fine on our two-hour car ride, though we stopped once to nurse when he woke up from a nap and got fussy. We had a house full of visitors for the holidays, and everyone showered him with presents. He got teddy bears, clothes, puppets, books, and an inaugural Hess truck (thanks, Mr. Tricycle).

The Trikester isn’t all grump. Occasionally we get a happy, content baby.

Even though taking care of the Trikester is hard work, I love our little man more than I ever imagined I could. I can’t wait to watch him grow and develop.

Did you have a fussy baby? Please tell me they grow out of it.