2 weeks already!

I can't believe how quickly the time has passed!  Monday was Jakson's two week birthday and Rob's last day of paternity and I'm starting to realise how fast my wee man is going to grow up! 

Jakson is doing very well since all the chaos at the hospital, with only a few small challenges along the way.  The biggest of those challenges has been his weight and making sure he is feeding well.  Unfortunately, the combination of Jakson being born so tiny (2.9 kilos/6 pounds & 6 ounces) and my c-section make it more difficult for him to feed and subsequently gain weight.  In the first few days he lost .3 kilos which caused the midwives to be slightly concerned.  Despite it being normal for newborns to lose weight before they start gaining, Jakson lost a bit too much and was outside the 10% loss they consider normal. 

As a result they've been monitoring his weight every few days and at the last weigh-in J-man had re-gained .2 kilos.  So we are hopeful he's on the way back up to his birth weight.  The midwife is back tomorrow (Wednesday) to weigh him again and if he's back up to (or hopefully beyond) his original 2.9 kilos we will know all is well.  I think the comparison of week 1 vs. week 2 photos shows a slight bit of growth...?

Week 1



Week 2



Getting the hang of feeding has been directly linked to his weight gain but over the last week Jakson has been feeding like a maniac - i call him my little vampire because he just wants to feed all the time.  I think he's doing what is referred to as 'cluster feeding' as he can go for hours upon hours and only take short breaks between feeds.  This often happens in the evenings so from approx 8 pm until midnight I am feeding almost non-stop.  This is obviously good for him in the weight-gaining department and does indicate he's in the midst of a growth spurt but does present some challenges for mummy.  I'm pretty sore these days but doing my best to get through.  Luckily i think both Jakson and I have nearly got the hang of things and I'm hopeful the feeding process will be nothing short of a normal part of the routine within the next week or so.  Let's hope anyway...

Other happenings over the last couple of weeks include my parents finally making the trek to London to visit and meet their first grandchild.  It has taken over two years for them to gather the nerve and make the trip but they are finally here.  Here they are cuddling with Jakson:

We also took Jakson out for his first walk in the pram, which he truly enjoyed.  I however found it challenging as it's the most i've done since the surgery and i pretty much felt every step in my belly and around my incision.  I'm sure the pain will fade over the next few weeks but right now I'm reminded of my c-section pretty much every time i move.  I continue to remind myself that I need to take it easy...which is not easy for me and not much fun, I must admit.  But, here is a shot of the first adventure out in the buggy:

Jakson has also started to develop a little personality.  I know they say babies this young don't smile but i swear this kid has a lovely little happy face!  He of course does the standard newborn smile in his sleep but he also smiles a fair bit when i speak to him and smile at him.  He gets so excited sometimes he just can't contain himself.  It's just precious to see!!  And he's becoming more alert after feedings and for short intervals during the day.  He loves to look around and take in his surroundings, it's so amazing to think what he must be feeling/seeing/experiencing in these first few weeks.  You can see for yourself how much he's developed over the first two weeks, this is my favourite photo so far...i'm sure you'll understand why :)