Lachlan: 0 to 4 Months

1 Week Old

Likes: Boobs, sleep, snuggling on Daddy's chest, sucking on a pinky when a boob is unavailable
Dislikes: Thermometers, baths, wearing his incubator eye mask
Notes: Supplemented nursing with tube-feeding pumped milk to help fight jaundice. Very tricky to keep him awake to nurse. First night home at 5 days old!

2 Weeks Old

Likes: Staring at windows, boobs, making faces, his noise machine
Dislikes: Wet wipes, being strapped into his carseat
Notes: He cluster fed and slept 5 hours straight this week!

 

3 Weeks Old

Likes: Boobs, long walks in the stroller, passing out on Mommy mid-feedng
Dislikes: Tummy time, needing to burp
Notes: Balding, scaly and starting to plump up! Becoming quite grumpy in the evenings.

1 Month Old

Likes: Making angry goat noises at bedtime, long walks in the baby carrier, bouncy seat, boobs, Mommy's "That's Why We Wear A Bib" song and dance number
Dislikes: When he spits up milk out his nose, having a booger, being unable to locate a nipple immediately
Notes: Rash, angry nursing, super chubby

5 Weeks Old

Likes: Stripes, windows
Dislikes: Getting his face wiped
Notes: Awake a lot more, super grumpy/fussy in the evenings

6 Weeks Old

Likes: Being sung to in a very high pitched voice, ideally: You and I, Chim Chiminey, June Hymn...
Dislikes: No new dislikes this week.
Notes: Successfully held head up while on tummy long enough to give mommy a huge open eyes smile or three!

2 Months Old

Likes: Sheep mobile at Grandma's house, cheek tickles, showers, songs, Dr. Suess, smiling, Sleep Sheep
Dislikes: Stationary strollers, tummy time
Notes: Almost giggles, babysat by Nanny and Papa, slept an 8 hour stretch on June 29th

3 Months Old

Likes: Jolly Jumper, drooling, mirror Lachlan, giggles, his car seat, Dad's face
Dislikes: putting clothes on especially over his head
Notes: Visited Vancouver Island, rolled back to front on July 9th, slept a 9 hour stretch on July 17th

4 Months Old

Likes: Coo-ing at his Tigger toy, smiling at everyone, enjoying new toys, Sophie teething ring, giggling, trying to talk
Dislikes: Vaccination lady, being unable to locate his thumb, not getting to touch/eat adult food
Note: His reaching and grabbing is getting very good

Dear Santa - Lachlan's First Christmas List

I didn't plan on buying Lachlan anything for Christmas this year, I also planned on discouraging anyone from buying him anything. Then, I started seeing all the awesome stuff that's out there and BOOM we had bought him an Elf on the Shelf, a percussion insturmet toy set and a baby sled. So, now I know it's not fair to ask people to restrain themselves. After years of buying gift cards, licorice, slippers and paperbacks it is SO fun to buy for a baby! I do hope to set up an RESP in time for Christmas, for those who wish to go the practical route, but in the mean time here is what Lachlan told me he wants.* (*Dictated but not read.)

Padraig's Baby Slippers - Baby Size 5 Grey Stripe 

 These are a staple for Westcoast babies! They are super cozy and the quality is amazing. I would have to go with a neutral colour like the grey or cream stripe because for the price you want to be able to use them on future babies too!

Northwest Native Expressions Bath Toys

 

We found these first nations inspired bath toys on the ferry during our last trip to Vancouver Island. Each one is designed by an artist from a local tribe. We already bought the Kwakwaka'wakw Duck! I think it would make a great little collection! Plus L loves to chew on the soft rubber and play with them in the bath! We also really love the puppets from this site!

 

Munsch Mini-Treasury One

 

We already have Treasury Two and you can never have enough Munsch! So far this Christmas list is seriously Canadian...

Name Puzzle

 

 

These are so simple but so great!

Bla Bla Dolls!

 

 

I will never forget how much my niece loved her Bla Bla. I am sure Lachlan would treasure one too. These are soft, high quality and adorable! I love Licorice the Dog, Andiamo the Dog and Bamboo the Bear. Although Hercule the Elephant and Luigia (the mustachioed) Frog are fantastic too!

Oversized Hooded Bath Towel

 

The infant sized ones just aren't big enough to keep him cozy!

Bed Rail

This one is not very exciting, but I would love one for the times when we cuddle in bed or when the only way I can get him to nap is to put him in out bed! A used or craigslist find would be great!

 

 

 

 

Insta-Lachlan

Lachlan's Birth Story: Part Four

Find parts 1-3 HERE

 

I asked for a napkin as my baby’s first meconium poop filled my hand. I didn’t care. I told him he could poo and pee all over me, I loved him and I loved his poop. I didn’t get to hold him long before everyone had to leave the room so that I could get x-rayed to make sure the surgical team had not left any instruments inside me as the surgery was so rushed they didn’t have time to do a final instrument count. Andrew says that upon hearing this he said that if they had left something inside of me he would punch the fucking doctor in the face. He was very tired at this point…We are thankful to the talented OB who got Lachlan out in under five minutes. The reason Lachlan’s heart rate had dropped was that he was so small that when he entered the birth canal the  umbilical cord came with him and was pinned next to his head so he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. It’s called cord prolapsed occult. I had heard of cord prolapse but didn’t realize there were different versions, undetectable during labour. We will never know if I could have safely pushed him out but he is here and healthy and that’s all that matters.

Once they finished the x-rays I got the baby back, we were wheeled to our room and we started trying to breastfeed. He was brilliant. Andrew and I took shifts doing skin to skin cuddling while the other parent tried to sleep. The trauma of the day caught up with Andrew early in the morning and he got sick so we called my mom to come cuddle Lachlan while we tried to get some real sleep. She arrived and sat in the rocking chair with our baby for over three hours. That day almost all of our family came to visit. My recovery was very painful at first, putting me back in the “never doing this again mindset” but after a few days I felt better. We spent five uncomfortable, sleepless nights in the hospital, two of which Lachlan had to be in an incubator because of a jaundice scare. On Friday March 29^th we finally went home. We felt such relief to be in our own beds and start our lives as a family of three. We couldn’t be happier with our perfect boy. All the pain, frustration and exhaustion totally dissipates when he opens his eyes and looks at us.

Nothing about our birth went according to plan but we got our healthy baby boy home safe and sound…I guess that was the plan all along.

 

Lachlan's Birth Story: Part Three

Find parts one and two HERE

Our nurse was still having a hard time finding the baby’s heart rate on the monitor. I heard her calling for backup and figured out that they had to put a scalp monitor on the baby. Things start to get really jumbled for me here. People started piling into the room, an OB was called. I would be writhing on my back and then they would suddenly have me flip as fast as I could onto my side, then the other, back and forth. I could tell that something was really wrong but the gas kept me in somewhat calm, with my eyes squeezed shut. The OB arrived (First time: I opened my eyes to see his face) and checked me, he said there was a little bit of cervix left, my midwife arrived as I started to feel the urge to push. I yelled “I wanna push!” asking if I could and both the midwife and doula urged me to. I beared down and the relief I felt was amazing. I desperately hoped I could push the baby out myself. At some point they put a catheter in to drain my bladder. The baby’s heart rate was very low and they started to talk about forceps and booking an OR. I got a needle for some freezing to prepare for a forcep delivery. Baby’s heart rate dipped again and suddenly we were rushing to the OR. By this time I had been out of the shower for maybe 20 minutes or less. Someone draped a sheet over my exposed lower half as we rushed out the door. I could hear our nurse yell, “Can we go faster?!” and felt them speeding up, running down the hall, crashing into doorways and yelling for people to get out of the way. We reached the OR wing and they told Andrew he couldn’t come with me. He was horrified and I remember calling out to him saying it would be ok (Second time: I opened my eyes to look back at him). He said, “I love you.” I said “I love you more.” And they wheeled me through the doors.

I only opened my eyes for a split second in the operating room (Third time). It was cold and bright and there were a lot of people.  They gave me another couple chances to push and tried the forceps to no avail. They frantically prepped me for surgery. I felt them squirting disinfectant on my stomach as they strapped my arms down. My legs were bent and they told me I had to flatten them but it hurt too much. I knew there wasn’t time for an epidural and no one had said how they were going to numb me so I was literally worried they were just going to cut me open wide awake. I was asking if I would feel the surgery while nurses tried forcing my legs straight. Someone put a mask over my mouth and nose and said I would be asleep in a few seconds. I realized then that they were going to put me under and I managed to flatten my legs at the last second. That’s the last thing I remember before waking up.

 I don’t know how much time passed before I woke up but I was alone and disoriented laying flat on my back in a bed in a small room with bright halogen lights. I was very warm under my blankets but there was a sharp ache in my lower abdomen. The fact that I had just had a baby didn’t cross my mind for a few minutes. An older Australian nurse walked in. I asked: “Where’s Andrew?” She replied: “He’s with your son.” “It’s a boy?” I squeaked.

 I waited for a while before I saw anyone else. The nurse was checking me and warning me that I would need and x-ray soon but they would let me meet the baby first. Eventually my midwife arrived wheeling a bassinet. She was followed by Andrew and maybe the doula, I can’t even remember if she was there at that point. I smiled at Andrew and felt my emotions starting to build up. I had felt pretty numb since waking up. I saw our midwife unwrapping a pale green towel and out of it she lifted a pink, scrawny little baby. My heart was pounding, my face got warm and I felt tears in my eyes and my throat tightening as she brought him toward me. The moment lasted forever and then all of the sudden, there he was; warm and naked on my chest. All of my pain disappeared. I was so instantly happy and in love and I understood why all those crazy people do this two or three or five times! I whispered “Hi Lachlan.” And “I love you.” I hugged him close to me and took in his sweet smell while kissing his fuzzy little head. It was not the moment I had been planning for, but it was the best moment of my life…And then he pooped on me.

Skin-to-skin with Daddy while I was still in recovery

Tiny boy.

First family photo, taken on our third day in the hospital. This is the first time I held Lachlan while out of bed.

I was finally able to see him in the full daylight next to the window. <3

Lachlan Jude Gillott

Born via emergency c-section at 6:54pm on Sunday March 24^th, 2013

6lbs 3oz and 20 inches of perfection