Six Weeks As A Family
Kellen has been with us for six weeks now. While his first two weeks were pure bliss, the four since have been a bit more challenging.
Kellen now weighs a little over 10 lbs., a gain of about 4 lbs. since birth.
He’s transitioned out of newborn diapers and clothes and is now wearing mostly 0-3 months. It’s amazing watching him grow and change so quickly. He’s almost always wide-eyed and engaging when he’s awake.
Thrush
After his first few weeks, Kellen started to develop a case of thrush, which is basically an oral yeast infection. We discovered it after noticing white specks on his tongue. We initially thought they were just remnants of formula but quickly discovered they couldn’t be wiped off. This, combined with some fussiness while feeding, led to a visit to our pediatrician. He confirmed that Kellen had a fairly pronounced case of thrush, and we were given an oral medication to give him. The thrush is nearly gone (notice his speckless tongue below), although it’s taken some time to get to that point.
Time To Eat
While his thrush occasionally bothers him when feeding, according to our pediatriction, Kellen’s eating habits and weight gain are right on track. He typically eats 3-4 oz. of formula every two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half hours. Thankfully, he’ll occasionally go as long as five hours between feedings at night.
It’s not unusual for him to fall asleep mid-feeding and have to be woken up to finish.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day, Aimee’s first, was a wonderful celebration of our new baby boy. Kellen and I woke up for his morning feeding, letting Aimee sleep in for another couple hours. I made Aimee one of her favorite breakfasts while Kellen supervised.
Later that day, the three of us went to my parents’ house to continue our Mother’s Day celebration and to honor my step-mother, Becky. Becky’s sister and mother were there as well. Dad grilled up a fantastic lunch for all of us.
After lunch, we gave Becky her card and gift, and, to our surprise, Aimee received cards and gifts not only from my parents, but also my sister, Tori, and Becky’s mother and sister. It was a wonderful, emotional experience for both of us, especially Aimee. I couldn’t ask for a better mom to Kellen.
Growing Up
As I mentioned before, it’s amazing watching Kellen grow and change. He’s so much more expressive, and he’s developing his own little personality.
He has to occasionally wear mittens to keep from scratching his face.
Hanging Out Outside
We’ve discovered that Kellen loves to sit outside during our cool summer evenings. There have been several occasions when Kellen has been fussy to the point of being inconsolable but was completely content once taken outside to sit in our rocking chair.
A Visit With Grammy & Bo-Bo
Grammy and Bo-Bo, Kellen’s great-grandparents, invited us over for dinner one Sunday night. Aimee wasn’t feeling particularly well, so I decided to take Kellen and give Aimee some time to herself at home.
While we were there, we video-chatted for a bit with Kellen’s grandfather, Bill, who still lives in Colorado where I grew up. This was the first time he’d seen Kellen in any way other than photos.
