8 Weeks Ago...

It is hard for me to believe that Max is already 8 weeks old.  Next week he will visit Dr. Slaymaker for a well check and (gulp) shots.  Although, Mommy and Daddy are more worried about this than Max. 

It is amazing to me that in this short amount of time Max has changed so much.  He is eating like a mad man and his size proves it.  He weighed 11lbs 7oz at the doctors office this week.  I am curious to see how much he grows before next week.  Especially since he is now wanting to eat between 3 and 4.5oz per feeding.  Not that his full belly is letting Mommy get any extra sleep.  He still wants to eat every 4 hours.  His awake time is increasing though, making play time much more fun.

He is also starting to "talk".  The video below shows him talking to the octopus on his play mat.  He loves that thing and can talk and/or yell at it for quite some time.  However, talking seems to wear him out.  He will usually pass out after talking for a few minutes. 

Reality is starting to set in for me, too.  In just a four short weeks I will be back at work and Max will be at school.  The lead administrator for the infant room at school has been wonderful.  Miss Blair has fielded all of my questions and concerns so politely.  I am sure she has dealt with worried moms like me many times before.  She also seems very excited to have Max since she worked with both of my nephews.  I am excited that Canterbury is so close to my work.  I am sure I will pop over on my lunch break sometimes to check on my little peanut. 



All tuckered out!



Tuckered out after play time.

It is so hard being a baby!

Reflux...Round 2

Well, after putting Max on Zantac a couple weeks ago, we thought the reflux issue was under control.  Think again!  Yesterday after some massive spit up episodes we took Max to the doctor.  The good news is that a physical exam showed that Max is looking good.  However, as previously noted, preemies tend to have under developed digestive systems.  The short story is that Max's stomach will let food go both up and down during digestion causing spit ups and discomfort.  The doctor was able to prescribe an additional medication to help with this.  The good news is that we have gone nearly 24 hours with minimal spit ups and have a very happy baby.  The bad news is that he is on another medication. Hopefully, we will only be on these for a month or so while his body catches up. 

While at the doctor's office they weighed Max.  He is now up to 11 lbs 7oz.  While his weigh would warrant him moving off of the preemie formula, the doctor suggested that we keep him on it for another couple of months to make sure that his bones have developed properly.  We totally understand and are willing to do whatever it takes to keep Max healthy and growing like he should.  Even if that means we go through a canister of formula every 3 days!

Max has also started to discover his hands and that he can grab things.  Some of his favorites are, toys on the bouncy seat, Mommy's hair (which now stays in a ponytail), and Daddy's chest hair!  He is also starting to smile at us when we talk to him.  He has a giant smile with huge dimples!  It is so cute to see.

In other news, the boys helped me celebrate my birthday this weekend.  It was fun to have a birthday as our own little family.   We also spent time celebrating with my sister and her family.  It is fun to see all of our boys playing together!

Sleepy Time

Max has been great about sleeping 3-4 hours at a time since coming home from the hospital.  Lately he has been eating significantly more, leaving me with the hopes that he will sleep longer.  Last night I got my wish.  Yesterday was a crazy day of draining 4oz bottles and wanting more at the bottle just before bed (5oz total).  I fed him his last bottle at 8:30pm and placed him in bed.  I woke to hear him stirring in the night.  When I looked at the clock, I panicked.  It was 1:45am...did I sleep through him crying?  Surely not, he gets SO loud.  When I went in his room at 2:00am he was just waking.  Yay!! 5 1/2 hours of sleep.  I am hoping this is a new pattern and not just an anomaly. 

On a different note, Ron and I debate every day about who Max looks like.  Of course, I think he looks like me, but I have been saying for some time that Max reminds me of my nephew Will.  Well, earlier this week, I found a picture of Will at 2 months old.  Will and Max could be twins, they just have different hair colors.  I guess there is no denying that Max is a Knauss Baby! 

Here are some new pictures to enjoy!

Mad at Mommy for spiking his hair!

Spiked Hair

Mommy and Daddy's Superman

Yup...That's Right...I RULE!

Feeling Better

Wow!  What a tough couple of days!  Ron and I knew being parents was not going to be an easy task, but Max seems wants to test us.   Here is the latest...

Max has been experiencing an upset tummy and spit up with every feed over the past week.  When he spit up a whole bottle this week, I called the doctor's office.  After about a million questions from the nurse, she decided that we had nothing to worry about.  She told us this was all "normal baby stuff" and gave us some tips to deal with the issues.  I thought the tips might be helping until Ron left for work that night.  Max spent the entire night screaming a blood curdling scream, fussing and refusing to be put down in his crib.  I knew something was not right because this was not like my sweet little boy.  After a whole night without sleep, and worrying about my baby, I called the doctor's office again.  This time Max was diagnosed with reflux.  This was not unexpected for us, especially since the nurses in the NICU warned that digestive problems are often an issue for preemies.

Now Max is taking a medication for his reflux and gas drops.  Unfortunately he will still spit up but his tummy seems to feel better .  He is like a completely different baby.  We are so relieved to have our sweet baby back! 

Due Date?

As we approached today, I wondered how I would feel.  This was supposed to be Max's birthday, my due date.  When I woke up this morning for a 2am feed, I looked at Max and felt relieved.  Ron and I are so blessed that Max does not have many of the issues preemies usually have. Immature digestive and immune systems...We can handle that.  Special formula and a nasty multivitamin...We can handle that too.  Sure, Ron and I would have liked to have had 4-6 more weeks to prepare for Max's arrival, but as he has reminded us time and again WE are on HIS schedule.

Max also made me feel a sense of relief when I took his stats.  He weighed 10lbs 7oz and was 22 inches long this morning.  It is amazing to me that he is growing so fast!  He has gained nearly 4 pounds and 4 inches since birth.  He seems bigger every day.

Like most parents, we had a special coming home outfit for Max.  Although, with his early arrival, he did not get to wear it home from the hospital.  So, today I put him in it for some pictures.

Monday Night Play Time

With Ron getting ready to head back to work this week, we have been trying to make the most of our time.  We spent this cold, snowy night with Max playing on his play gym and having tummy time.  He is becoming more alert and "talkative" every day.  He is also getting very strong.  It is hard to believe he is going to be 6 weeks old in a few days.  Here are a couple of videos of him playing. 

Play Gym Fun

Tummy Time

New Year...New Ivener

2010 brought us many new and exciting adventures.  We bought a new house and a new car.  I graduated with my MBA.  Ron celebrated his first year with Lawrence.  We were also preparing for our first child, due January 13, 2011.  We were able to see our baby boy via ultrasound several times (mostly due to his large size).  However, much to our surprise, our little peanut was not going to wait until 2011 for his arrival. 

On December 1, 2010, Maxwell Bennett Ivener arrived.  He was 6 weeks 1 day early and spent the first 12 days of his life in the NICU.  However, Max had no issues breathing and was a good size (6lbs 8oz and 18in). 

Max did very well in the NICU.  He hated his IVs and NG tube, and was not shy about removing them on his own.  Ron and I were able to feed, change and bath him.  So, given the circumstances, we feel blessed that we were able to be so involved with Max's care during those first days. 

On December 12th, we were able to bring our little peanut home.  What a blessing and wonderful Christmas present!  We all adjusted quickly.  Although, Sophie didn't sleep for about a week (she is very protective of Max).

Max is now growing like a weed!  He is up over 9lbs and 21in.  He also has quite a personality! With such an exciting 2010, we are anxious to see what 2011 will bring for us!