Observations from Penny's Fourth Week of Life

By four weeks of age (the week of June 3rd), many exciting things were happening. We were given the green light to start bottle feeding, and the dreaded "nipple confusion" was not an issue, mostly because Penny was already well-versed in a variety of nipples; plain ol' nipple, nipple shield, feeding tube + nipple shield, etc, etc. As I see it, there are three major benefits to the occasional bottle: 1) I know exactly how much Penny is eating, 2) anyone can feed her, and 3) I can bust out a bottle in public without fumbling around and exposing myself to people.

Britt gets up at 6:00 every day to read the paper, consume a gallon of coffee, and get ready for work. I do not do this. I am a perpetual snoozer. Feeding our little one has become part of Britt's morning routine, which I love, because it means I can sleep in....usually. Sometimes I MUST pump. What is the sound of one boob exploding?

Having some additional help with the feedings was a huge relief to me. At this point, I was still obsessing over Penny's weight and had to make sure she was getting enough to eat, which meant feeding her every 3-4 hours, and waking her up in the night to MAKE her eat. Waking her up was no easy feat, which added to my guilt and the secret desire to just leave her alone. I would think, "This is for your own good! I want to sleep too!" as I cruelly unwrapped her swaddler; her face scrunchy with annoyance. But it turns out, it was for her own good! She really started to pack on the ounces and looked less like a starving orphan.

Meanwhile, we were beginning to see some smiles during week 4, which really had me psyched, although they were usually followed by gas escaping from various places. Her "falling asleep" reflexes (still) really crack me up. Penny's eyes roll into the back of her head, and then she smiles, and looks completely possessed. I know she can't help it, but it is pretty freaky. Penny, please don't swallow my soul.

Penny was also starting to enjoy bath time a little more, meaning she didn't cry the WHOLE time. We are (still) trying to establish the "going to bed" routine, which includes her bath, a meal, and cuddling. The bath usually tuckers her out, and the meal is the KO. And then her parents congratulate themselves for surviving another day and pass out from exhaustion.