Trace’s Second Month

Our second month with Trace was filled with lots breastfeeding and figuring out our diet, lots of sleepless nights, and many days spent home.

Our month began with Trace having both gassy and fussy days and nights. Missing sleep and battling those fussy days were hard. I began researching to see what I could do to help, and this led me to start eliminating foods from diet. I had many days of eating the same foods over and over. And, for a girl who loves to cook, this was hard. What I learned was dairy is hard for Trace to digest right now. Once I cut dairy out of my diet, our days were completely different. Trace slept. I slept. My husband slept. It was wonderful! I am still playing around with my diet to see if I need to eliminate any other foods (possibly soy), but overall I am so happy we figured out how to help Trace.

The hardest part of the last few weeks was being tired and wondering if I should give up breastfeeding. I could tell my milk was coming him trouble, and it was hard to see your little one suffer. I am thankful for a supportive husband and friends and fellow mamas who shared information that helped us. Their words and ideas gave me the strength to continue.

The last two weeks Charles and I battled colds and sinus troubles. Those days led to more rest, more days at home, and a very laid back second month. Here are some of my favorite memories from this time!

TWO MONTH MEMORIES

• Watching him grow. We had our second month appointment yesterday, and he is weighing 11 pounds and measuring at 22.25 inches.
• Seeing him smile so much, especially at the sounds of our voices! He smiles when he first wakes up and after diaper changes.
• Sleeping through the night! This month had our most sleepless nights, and our nights where we received the most sleep. And let me tell you, sleep is a game changer. I was so excited when we had our first night of 8 hours of sleep. I did wake up almost every hour waiting to see if Trace would wake, but he kept sleeping. Charles had already left for work that morning, and I called to let him know that Trace had slept more than a 4-5 hour stretch. I. Was. Ecstatic. I am so thankful for the sleep!
• Hearing him coo and make baby sounds. Over the last week or two, he has become really chatty.
• Watching our pups become more comfortable with him. Jack, our terrier, loves to lay by him, has stolen one of Trace’s stuffed animals, and has his eye on Trace’s newborn lounger/pillow. Bruno, our lab, is becoming more comfortable with Trace and keeps an eye on Trace whenever he is close.
• We started back at church this month, and Trace made it to two masses.
• He spent lots of days with both grandparents being snuggled and rocked.
• Started postpartum workouts, and Trace gets to enjoy this workouts as well.
• Watching him love bath time. Bath time was not his favorite during his first month. However, these days Trace is loving bath time. He enjoys being snuggled in a warm towel and completing baby stretches afterwards.
• He loves being rocked and enjoys tummy time. He enjoys listening to Charles and I sing to him and make up nursery rhymes. He loves an afternoon stroll. He hates when I eat dairy,

Here are my favorite photographs of our second month with Trace!