“You wouldn’t believe how many amazing things happened right before the person trying them was about to give up entirely. It’s, like, most of the amazing things. Really.” ~Unknown
Chance turned 9 weeks old Tuesday and I took him in for his 2 month check up with the pediatrician. He got his first round of shots and was such a trooper. I couldn’t help but admire his little legs getting a little pudgier with two colorful band-aids.
Now typically I, like most mothers, would say “awe….shots” — but really they were nothing. Nothing at all. Maybe it’s because he’s my third child…or maybe it’s because I’ve seen this little guy endure much more than some silly shots. Yes, and he did amazing. He barely cried at all. In fact, the nurse said he was one of the best babies she’s had to give shots to because all he did was let out a little wimper of a cry.
His check up confirmed the obvious…this little guy is growing. He is now 10 pounds 2 ounces (25th percentile) and 20 1/2 inches long (3rd percentile). Despite how much he’s grown, I returned home to reflect on Hope and Jaylen’s measurements at the same age. Considering he was itty bitty at birth and went through so much in the first three weeks it should come as no surprise that Chance is the smallest of the three thus far. Perhaps he’ll catch up to their growth in time, but if not, I still enjoy him being my uber cute little guy.
Speaking of growth…the milk supply has definitely grown since we’ve been home from the NICU. I’ve maintained the pumping schedule I’ve been since Chance was in the hospital on to ensure that when I returned to work we wouldn’t be scrambling to make sure Chance had enough to eat during the times I was away. It can be very stressful to try to “keep up” so I feel pretty awesome knowing that’ll be one less thing to stress about. The only stressor now is keeping it all organized by date to ensure nothing expires. Here’s about a month’s worth of hard work. All 260 ounces of his milk that equates to about 16 1/4 pounds. Yes, I officially feel like a milk factory after doing the math. This kid better start eating more or we may need another freezer before long.
I know everyone is eager to see his sweet face. So here’s a quick photo I took of him today in his swing as he sat contently sporting his sheriff shirt.
This week has definitely been one of the busiest weeks since Chance was born. Tuesday the kids and I got to watch Hope play in her little league softball game. Thankfully Chance slept contently in the bjorn while I got to take lots of photos of the game. I’m sure the parents got a kick out of me toting around a baby and my nikon that many have claimed weighs more than the baby.
In between taking photos I am typically making sure both the boys are content which isn’t always the easiest task when it’s 90+ degrees outside. Chance slept the entire time this time around which made life sooooo much easier. Jaylen sometimes begs to go home after a short time, thankfully this time he ran around and played. Three is definitely one of my favorite ages to photograph…I get such genuine expressions from him.
Tonight we had a bit of fun at Hope’s school at one of their annual functions. Yes, I say this week has been busy between work, photography, and the kids…but really I think it’s really been more of an “active” week for me as I’ve been steadily learning to take all three kids out on my own and I’ve been doing more and more physically than I have in months. Okay, I admit it made me tired tonight…but really it does feel great to gradually getting back to things. Here’s me & my boys…while I was toting Chance in the bjorn, the trusty camera/diaper bag, and my other kid (aka my nikon).
Realizing how much I have going on I had to keep myself sane by creating another mindmap of my to do list. I suppose these darn things have helped make sense of all I have going on. People joke with me saying “you’re busy” but it never really hits me until I make one of these. Most of the things listed pertain to teaching, tenure, SCAD, or photography. I totally neglected to put in the other things that consume my day like laundry, dishes, and everything else around here to keep this crazy house of mine in order…ah, but that would be a totally different mindmap that might be larger. Anyhow, you might be humored to take a peak at it if you’re curious to know the things I’m juggling at the moment. If you click on the image it will allow you to see it a bit larger in flickr.
Oh, and one more update…if you’re interested in a free photo session keep an eye out for a chance at one. I plan to post more info tomorrow so we can help get this scholarship started in honor of Deputy Brandon Coates at Valencia. I’ll share more info in the next day or so.
by Amanda Kern
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