Baby diary: 6 1/2 weeks

[petronia]

 Here I am, back on the LJ code fork ahaha, for reasons of: 1) I can cut the text such that folks who're uninterested can scroll right past this, 2) DW is still the most stable and now holds my entire imported LJ archive, 3) it's chronological, 4) I can backdate - I've been taking notes since mid-December, I just haven't typed anything up.

It's become evident to me that I'll regret it if I write nothing about the baby, is the thing, given that he'll only be a baby for a year, I've managed to blog the past 20 years of my life, and that has archival value to me if no one else. XD; I didn't manage to write much about the pregnancy, and now I feel obliged to go at it essay-wise and "make sense of things." Jotting down notes on a day to day basis would have been easier.

Alan:

• Is 11-12 pounds
• Has a natural Asian Mullet(tm)
• Has double eyelids(tm)
• Was born speaking French (yells LAAAAAIIIT) but is losing it as he is not hearing nearly as much as he did in the womb
• His horrible baby acne has cleared up, but his face is still dry. It's tough to be a winter baby
• Still has the seborrheic dermatitis aka cradle cap aka dandruff skin, which swept across his forehead and is now in his hairline :( 
• Looks at picture frames, not pictures
• Tries very hard to hold his head up
• Is just about trying to reach for things a foot in front of his face, eg my hair or a mobile, but doesn't know how to use his arms or hands to grasp - it's like watching someone attempt to operate a toy catcher arm machine
• Poops with great intensity
• Will sometimes aggressively rub his hands over his face, like a cat cleaning himself - this seems to be triggered by bodily discomfort as he then gets angry but the reason is not always evident 
• Will lie quietly in his bassinet at night even if awake and do business by himself, unless hungry (so good!!!)

Comments

[horusporus]

i haven't given my congratulations on the baby, so congrats! :)

[petronia]

Thank you! :D

[lacewood]

Congrats on Alan! He sounds like a charmer, will look forward to more stories and noted about him.

[petronia]

Thank you! And hi again :D

[marej]

Sabina! Oh My God! Congratulations to you and (belated) welcome to the world to Alan! Pictures please!

I rubbed Jake's head (well actually my mom and A. did, since I was terrified to bathe him until he was like 8 months or something and possibly even then) during bath times to remove the cap, which helped to remove it.

And what a good boy for lying quietly in a bassinet, you're so lucky! :)

[petronia]

Mare!! Thank you - I will post a photo shortly, stay tuned!

It does seem like once it disappears from a patch of skin it doesn't come back, so I'm just trying to keep him clean and hydrated at present. Luckily he also likes to have his hair washed, though we don't do it more than 1-2 times a week...

[unnique]

Oh, my! Congratulations to you, and welcome to the world, Alan! ♥


(I was solaas on LJ, ten thousand years ago, or so.)

[petronia]

Yes! Ha, I'm surprised to see how many people are still checking this regularly. XD And thank you!

[karalee]

<3333 哇，好乖！

I think you are totally right about the archival merits. I did the same briefly with Bean as a newborn and I regret not keeping up with it more. I literally could not remember a damn thing I wrote in it until I went back to check, so I'm sure I would have forgotten those things, too, otherwise.

Bean had the same horrible cradle cap btw! I'm sure you are awash in advice on how to deal with it, but ping me if you want to hear how I got rid of hers with One Weird Trick (as recommended by my daycare provider).

Continued good wishes to you and Alan!

[petronia]

I'm writing things down to the minute, there are three adults in this house at present and none of us have the memory span to remember how long it's been since the last feeding or diaper change. XD; Got side-eyed by the visiting nurse in the first week...

Gosh, please let me know the One Weird Trick! I washed his hair this morning and now the scalp looks a bit better but there's baby dandruff everywhere. :(

[karalee]

OMG I forgot until I saw your comment that for quite a while we kept a running log of feedings/diapers/naps/etc. I had issues with lactation so I was also recording volumes of formula etc. Hahaha. I wonder if I still have that graph pad somewhere. But anyway, I remember writing in the margins after one particularly eventful diaper change, "IT ARCS! BEWARE!" possibly complete with a cartoon illustration ...

Cradle cap cure! What we did is SOAKED her hair/scalp in baby oil. Just absolutely doused her. Give it a few minutes ... and make sure you have a trashcan nearby. The stuff will start flaking off in chunks. You can comb out a good amount, but I regret to say that unless you have one of those SUPER fine tooth combs you will probably have to use your hands for the rest. It's simultaneously disgusting and soothing. If memory serves, we did it several times over the course of a week. It went away after that and never came back. Good luck if you choose to try it!

[petronia]

It does arc. XD We went to the clinic to get him weighed and he peed and pooed all over the counter... glad they were used to this sort of thing... Thanks for the tip! I'll see how it goes!

[bell]

Yay Alan! I look forward to hearing more of his growth & adventure ^___^

(For the first two years I used the app Day One religiously to take photos/document anything new, and I’m definitely glad I did. Now that L is four he’s so complex and unique it’s hard to write short little anecdotes so I’ve fallen behind XD;;;)

[petronia]

Heya! ^_^ Thanks for the app rec - I'd never heard of it, but it seems great, I'll try it I guess? I've really got to commit to where I'm writing/sharing what, though, Tumblr has never been ideal and now it's all over the place. XD;

I've been signing Alan up for daycare waiting lists (it's through a gov't portal in Quebec) so have been reading your workplace stories... going to be one of those visiting parents in the next few months!

[bell]

I hear you about committing to one format/audience! With a kid you've really got to be efficient about documenting because at this stage of their lives they don't care WHY you're away (you're writing! about them!) just that you ARE and that it's unacceptable. At least, that's my experience XD

And, ohhh, I know nothing about daycare standards & expectations in Quebec! They vary considerably from province to province, I'm terribly curious about what it's like there. Best of luck in finding a good second home for Alan. It's a big decision but I find that daycare teachers are passionate & dedicated to the well-being and growth of the children.