A Day In The Life of Cooper (The second month: 4-8 weeks)

What does Cooper do all day?

Well, in case any of you were wondering.... here's the run down on Cooper's routine.

The first 4 weeks of Cooper's life were a bit of a blurr, struggling with breast feeding and recovering and appointments and figuring out how to be a new family. Mostly Cooper was eating and sleeping and eating and sleeping and pooping and not much else. Also, daddy was home for the first 4 weeks, so we worked through the day together. Since Daddy has been back at work, Cooper and mommy have been working on a new routine (if you can even call it that). It goes something like this..... Let's start with the biggie.

THE FEEDING SCHEDULE.
Our whole day is centered around Cooper's meals, and seems to be in 2 hour blocks. Starting at around 5 or 6am Cooper eats every 2 hours. So let's count em up. 6, 8, 10, 12, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, midnight. That's 10 feedings a day. Give or take. Sometimes he goes 3-4 hours between feedings. But sometimes he only goes an hour. So I'd say it averages out to between 8-12 feedings a day. That's a lot of food for a little guy, but funny enough it is right on track with the guidelines we were given by the lactation consultants. He generally eats between 10 and 20 minutes per feeding. 5-10 minutes on each side, with a burp in the middle and at the end. Right now he is generally pooping everytime he eats, and I'd say we use about 15 diapers a day. Sometimes more and sometimes less. In fact, sometimes he goes 2 or 3 times right on the changing table (he loves to trick his mom and dad) -- so we go through 3 diapers in one shot!

EARLY MORNING
Cooper wakes up between 5 and 6. He gets unswaddled and spends some time stretching before breaking out into a wail to be fed. First, daddy changes him, while the bottle is being warmed up. Mommy pumps, while daddy feeds him a bottle. And we have some nice family time in the nursry together, usually half asleep still, but signing a few lullaby's and saying goodmorning to each other. Daddy gets ready for work, while Cooper and mommy go back to bed. Cooper wakes around 8am and is ready to be fed again. MORNINGS After our morning feed, mommy eats her breakfast and checks email while a nice calm baby sleeps in his basinet and looks around at all the interesting things in the room. Next mommy hurries to get ready before the next feeding. Cooper and mom hang out in the bedroom (he listens to music while hanging out in his basinet). Right now his playlist of choice is his birth playlist. Go figure! I think he likes the songs because he's been hearing them before he was even born. Cooper is generally pretty good (with minimal or no fussing) while mommy has a quick shower, makes the bed, and does her hair and make-up. Next we come downstairs and have a little floor time. Usually both back and tummy time. He loves looking up at all the dangling toys best, but mommy also tries to get in a little tummy time. Then we break for a feeding, a change, and a cuddle. Mommy has stations set up downstairs and in the nursery (with a glass of water, a phone, a receiving blanket, swadling blanket, burb cloth, and nursing pillow) so that we can feed upstairs or downstairs, depending on where we are. Cooper usually has a bit of a fuss during the next hour or so and mommy and him try lots of different things, including his rocking chair swing, where he usually finally settles down and has a little sleep and mommy has her lunch, checks email, writes a blog, or makes a couple phone calls.

AFTERNOONS
After lunch (and a little sleep), Cooper eats again, is changed, and ready for his outside time. Mommy and Cooper and Phinnegan head out for a walk. It's usually touch and go, because Cooper is unpredicatble when you get him out in the stroller. So far mommy hasn't been brave enough to venture very far, for fear of a serious meltdown. Cooper prefers to be held and sometimes loves the stroller, but when he decides he's had enough, he's had it. It's okay when there are two of us, because one of us can hold him or carry him, while the other one pushes the stroller home and takes Phinnegan. I think it would be much easier for mommy to do if she didn't take Phinnegan, but she feels so guilty going on a walk without him that, even despite her saying she will every day, she ends up breaking down when she looks into Phinnegan's sweet hopeful face. So off we go, all of us, out for a walk. We start out by checking the mail, and then venture out on the trail, or more usually, go around the block. And if we're still good (no meltdowns), we go again, and if we're still good, we go again. Usually before the third time is done, Cooper is melting down, Phinnegan has had a run-in with a dog, and mommy is getting frazzled, we head for home. Thankfully we did not go too far! Once in a while we are brave enough to go to Starbucks and have a drink on the patio. But usually by now we've pushed our luck and so it's quick back to the house, and fast as we can, mommy is ready to feed Cooper once again. We come home, and our little piggy eats again. Then he has some happy time looking at his mobile, while mommy throws in a load of laundry and folds. We tidy the upstairs, and then both head downstairs to have some more floor time. We have a little floor time again. And then Cooper has a swing time, while mommy gets dinner ready, finishes her blog, and does any other projects or things that need to be done around the house. By this time, Cooper is starting to fuss, so we spend some time soothing down, bouncing on the exercise ball and mommy holds him on the couch so he can settle into her arms for an afternoon nap. sometimes, if he's really fussy, mommy puts him in the sling and walks around the house with him. He generally falls asleep in the sling. But sometimes, he can't settle into a sleep and continues to fuss instead. Thankfully daddy is usually home soon, and can't wait to see his little guy when he walks in the door.

EVENINGS
Daddy plays with Cooper, changes him, and mommy feeds him again. Mommy and Daddy have dinner, while cooper hangs out in his basinet and looks around the room. Then we go for a walk together (sometimes in the stroller and sometimes daddy wears him in the sling), have some more playtime on the floor with daddy, fuss and bounce on the ball. Some nights Cooper has a bath (the first 4 weeks, we only bathed him once a week, so as not to dry out his skin, but now he gets 2 baths a week), which he's really starting to love! He eats a couple more times while mom and dad try to settle onto the couch, snuggle, watch an hour of TV, and put our feet up. And of course, we're all so tired, we usually end up falling asleep. (or at least daddy and Cooper do!) BEDTIME
Cooper eats one more time in a dimly lit nursry. This is mommy's favorite part of the day. Daddy comes into the nursry and reads a book to Cooper while mommy feeds him. Or we sing lullabys to him together. It's such a sweet family time, even though everyone is ready for bed. Cooper's Lullaby:


When Cooper is done eating, he's changed, swaddled, and we all head to bed.
Cooper sleeps in the bed between us in his swaddle nest. And hopefully (cross fingers) sleeps till at least 5am. He used to get up once in the night around 2 or 3, but so far, lately he's been sleeping right through. Way to go Cooper!

Then, suddenly, Cooper stirs, wakes, and we start the whole routine over again!