Eight Pounds

Our boy is an eating machine. He gained 9 ounces in 4 days and is consuming enough formula for a baby that weighs 3 pounds more than he does. We are working hard to convince him that he isn't hungry after eating a reasonable meal for a person his size. Oink-oink!

As the volume of his feeds comes down to a reasonable level (and the CMA problem is resolved), much of his colic symptoms (reflux and gas pains) should dissipate, meaning less discomfort for Samson and more nighttime sleep for Mama & Daddy.

Tonight, we're on our own again after having had three blissful nights with a doula, Ryka, over to take care of Samson while we got some sleep. For the past three nights, Daddy got 6 straight hours while Mama still had to get up to pump milk, so hers was broken into two blocks of three hours.

Now that we're rejuvenated, we hope we can better manage the nightly ritual we call "Hammer Time." This starts after Samson's 9pm feed, when he begins to get more and more irritated, gassy, and inconsolable, and it lasts until about 4am, with brief 15-30 minute stretches when he sleeps. Daddy and Mama take 3 hour turns comforting the wailing baby, patting and bouncing, walking and talking, singing and humming, swaddling and holding, feeding and burping, wiping and changing. When the sun finally comes up, Samson is exhausted and finally quiets down to sleep, while Mama and Daddy collapse to steal a hour or so nap between feeds & pumping, and the daily cycle begins again. Here we go...