Baby McKay

To say I am in love with this little baby would be the biggest understatement of the century.  I am infatuated, obsessed, smitten, just painfully in love with him.  Love does multiply with each child, it doesn't divide (thanks Shannon for the quote).  The kids and I get so excited when he wakes up and they love to help with him, hug him, and make him smile.  McKay enjoys the attention and is patient with his siblings and performs quite well.

So, here's a little bit about the new little guy.....

He's amazing at putting himself to sleep.  The other two needed to be rocked to sleep.  But when McKay is tired I just lay him on my bed, put a blanket on him, go about my routine, and I'll check on him 5 or 10  minutes later and he's peacefully put himself to sleep.  No tears or anything.  What a blessing!

He's a homebody.  At church or my mom's house or at stores he can be demanding and challenging but at home he is almost always content and happy.

He's a mama's boy.  Ben has watched him a few times when I've needed to do something and each time has been a bit of a disaster.  Ben says he senses when I'm gone and cries the whole time.  Poor kiddo!  I have noticed, mostly when he's tired, that he likes for me to hold him. I don't think he's as extreme as poor Ben thinks he is, though.

He loves to nurse laying down.  At church this past Sunday he went nearly the whole three hours without nursing even though he was hungry because he didn't want to nurse with me sitting up.  Go figure! He just gets fussier and hungrier but when I try he won't latch and cries.  It doesn't bother me to nurse him laying down at home but I wish he would be happy when we're out and about to nurse regularly.  Usually he does just fine but there have been several times he gets mad and refuses.  Not sure what to do about that.  

  

He's starting to sleep more at night.  Twice he's made it 7 hours and he even made it 9 hours two nights ago.  He goes to bed around 7:15 and I usually wake him around 11 to eat when I'm going to bed.  Then he wakes up around 4 and I fed him on one side and usually we both fall asleep in bed but he starts getting fidgety an hour later so I feed him on the other side and move him back to his bed.  Not bad, huh?  I can handle that pretty easily.

He's becoming more of a baby and less of a newborn.  He can hold his head up, smiles, and follows me with his eyes as I walk around a room.  I'm actually quite sad not to have a newborn.  I so much enjoyed it this time!  I know it will be a while before we have another one (yes, I want another one, hopefully that will happen one day) and I'm sad to see the newborn phase ending.

He nurses often during the day.  Well, I think it's normal but everyone tells me it's often.  He usually eats every two hours and fifteen minutes.  Of course, I don't really try to hold him off.  When he's hungry I'm happy to feed him so it doesn't bother me that he nurses often.  I feel the need to plump him up.

So there you have it.  He's only two and a half months so there's not a whole lot to report.  Pretty much we just love him.  A lot!  A lot, a lot, a lot.  I feel like the older two get me worked up and McKay always calms me back down.  He's just so sweet.  He smells so good.  He's so wonderful.

Truthfully, when I found out I was pregnant with McKay I was disappointed because I thought I'd never be able to give this little baby (and the older ones) the love and attention they deserve.  But not so!  I feel like each one has had to compromise a few things but what they're getting in return is so much better.  McKay especially.....I feel like he's quite advantaged, so loved, and just the perfect addition to our family.  He and Jax will be wonderful friends and have so many fun times together.  And it's quite convenient for me to have them close - they'll share clothes, do similar recreational activities, and keep on eye on each other for me.  I feel blessed.  So blessed!