I will laugh if you get a call from the airport tomorrow telling you that there are about 17 babies all with notes to their shirts saying, “Please deliver C.O.D. to Alice The Goon”. 
My son was born just over two weeks ago. I posted a few pics in this thread. I’d say more, but goddamn, I have to go feed him again.
He is our first child.
He’s beautiful! Those constant feedings are exhausting. I hope you have a comfy chair and that you drink loads and loads of water. The feedings will get more predictable, shorter and less constant soon. Not that that helps now.
I have a favorite series of photos I feel I must share: step 1, step 2 and step 3.
(My son chased her around for a good 20 minutes to get those things on, then when he wanted to take them off, she got a little irritated.)
Oh, I just feed him with a bottle. My wife is the one who needs to drink all the water. 
Thanks, all! Yeah, Elysium, he’s becoming a little ginger kid. It seems strange, since I’m a dark-haired, hazel eyed lad, but both my wife and I have redheads in our immediate ancestry. Also, she had red-brown hair when she was born.
Irishbaby is 13 months. She’s crawling, cruising and attempting to stand unaided. Neither irishfella nor I walked before 14 months, so she’s right on track in the lazy family footsteps.
She has a lot of words though: mama, dada, doggy, monkey, chair, yes, no, biscuit, night night, twinkle, Violet (her doggy), Diego (her monkey), baby, boobie, milk, yummy, teddy, duck, up, out, car, more, done, hi, bye, hugs, kiss, cuddle- basically all her favourite things!
She’s a very cute, good natured child who has slept through the night since she moved into her own cot at 3 months (although she did like to waken at 5am for a while). Her eyes are currently green/hazel/grey but they look like they might eventually be brown like mine.
I breastfed on demand until 7 months when I went back to work, then I expressed at work and continued 3 breastfeeds a day. Now we’re down to 2 feeds (first thing in the morning, last thing at night)…she’s not exactly keen to wean yet, but she’s finally taking milk from a cup when I’m in the room, which is major progress.
Aww.
Coming out of the closet here very tenatively. I had a positive pregnancy test about two weeks ago. I’m r-e-a-l-l-y hoping this one sticks as I’ve had two miscarriages in the past two years. But the numbers look really strong so far and they saw a sack with a fetal pole this morning.
Yay! Wishing you all the best for an uneventful 9 months. A few mums in my mums’ group had a couple of miscarriages before they had their bubs, and they’ve talked about how hard that was, and how hard it was to sit back and relax and enjoy the ride - make sure you do.
That sounds like G - can they really change that late? I had heard that if they were going to change it would happen by a year.
I’m going back part time in Oct and we’re still on 4 feeds a day, so I’ll be expressing 2x a day at work. They are good and provide a special room and all that - but any other hints as to how to handle this? We’re going to have a nanny not daycare if it matters.
I’m jealous of all you moms who are able to breastfeed. I really, really wanted to, but was unsuccessful. Believe me, I tried and don’t get me started on the lactation specialist at the hospital when Danny was born. She was zero help. I complained to the hospital about her and asked them if they’d hire me to do her job since she’s paid to do nothing. How easy I’d have it.
Even though breastfeeding didn’t work I was still determined to feed him breastmilk so I bought a bump (damn! they’re expensive!) and I pump 5 times a day. Very exhausting, but like the ads say, Every Ounce Counts. I have to supplement with formula since pumping alone isn’t as efficient as a sucking baby and I notice my supply has been less and less as time has gone on. I was hoping to provide breast milk for the first year, but I doubt my supply will keep up. Yep, I’ve tried all the things they say will increase supply, like fenugreek, beer…etc. Didn’t help. Anyway, I’m rambling, but I envy all you breastfeeding women out there.
Also, keep your fingers crossed for my son that he has a good 6 month checkup on Monday. He seems healthy and happy in every way, but we noticed a lump on the side of his neck an inch or so below his ear. It’s hard and pea sized and doesn’t seem to be causing him pain. We discovered it a few weeks ago and it hasn’t changed in size or anything, so I hope it’s nothing serious.
I am so behind in organizing all his pictures but I will get to it and post a few.
I like this thread and enjoy looking at all the beautiful mini Dopers. Thanks for posting them.
We had the two-month checkup yesterday. My son went, weight-wise, from 5th percentile to 50th. No WONDER I’ve barely kept up with feeding demand!
June 23. Which makes him a Cancer. Which, may I say, with my totally inappropriate sense of humor, I think is hilarious, because I was pregnant with him while I had cancer – I was getting chemo during most of the first and part of the second trimester. My husband and I were point-blank TERRIFIED when we found out, but all seems to be well. Our fingers are in a permanent state of crossedness. Though as a friend of mine said, I should relax; don’t I know this is how superheroes are created? 
(bolding mine)
Really? Really? 20 minutes? :eek: Oh, I can’t wait…
That sounds… dreamy. I’ve been trying and trying to do sidelying and it just doesn’t work except during daytime naps, so far.
(bolding mine, again)
10 minutes?! Better and better!
And “little shark” – bwaaahaaahaa haa hee hee!
Oh yes it does help. Yes it does. Yes. (sighs, drifts of in daydream)
Stick! Stick! Stick! Stick!
It took some practice for me to get it. The lactation consultant at the hospital (who was awesome - I got very lucky) showed me how to do it one way, but it didn’t really work with a standard bed. So it worked at the hospital, but not at home. Since I had the basic idea, I was able to squirm about in bed with my daughter until we found something that worked for us. It took me a couple of weeks to feel comfortable enough to just leave the lights out while I nursed at night.
The lactation consultant I had was the best. Some of the things she showed me didn’t really work, but she was soooo much more patient than anyone at LLL or the hospital where I had my son. She gave me a lot of confidence, and that’s one thing I think first-time breastfeeding moms are lacking in - you feel like you have to have four hands to do the job, you’re exhausted and maybe having some mixed feelings and dealing with the realities of a new kid all at the same time. It’s completely overwhelming. And she was so non-judgmental, which was key.
Hi all! Willis seven months old today. He just learned to pull himself up into a sitting position two weeks ago, and he’s working really hard at the crawling thing. He’s also just recently started babbling, and the first time he said Mama I about cried. Also, twice now I’ve come in to find he’s pulled himself up to a standing position in the crib. But both times he was crying pretty hard–I think he knows how to get himself up, but not how to get himself back down!
He’s got an older sister, Kate, who will be three in November. He adores her, and she tolerates him. Life is good.
Also, just wanted to add a note of thanks to everyone here who helped me back in the first few weeks after Will arrived. I had major, major post-partum depression but got some counseling, got some drugs, and I’m doing wonderfully now. Everything all you Dopers posted really helped me through.
GFM- my tip is to express at night, before you go to sleep, after the baby has gone to bed, for a few weeks.Not only will that increase your supply, you’ll have built up your store of EBM in the freezer (it lasts for 3 months) so you don’t have to panic if you can’t express one day.
I used to express at work, and then last thing at night, plus feeding on demand whenever I was home with her. Worked for us. Hopefully you’ll be luckier than me and not have to work irregular shifts, weekends, nights or be at the mercy of a bleep, so you can schedule your expressing into a regular slot at work. I just did the best I could when I could- if I got 6oz at work I was happy.
By 1 year they only need 350mls (11 1/2 oz) of milk- two 5oz bottles or feeds and a bowl of cereal or porridge made with milk will do it. Juice and water can fill out their fluid if you give other dairy (cheese, yoghurt etc).
We just muddle through with breastfeeding positions- at present irishbaby prefers to stand up beside me while I lie on my back in bed and do a sort of downward facing dog to get at the breast. She’s content, so I let her get on with it.
An update: Evan has the first cold of his life today. Poor kid!
Baby Lily has gone from " this smooshy-faced little being to this very alert cutie in almost four months. She’s the happiest baby ever, but it’s hard to snap a photo of her smiling - this is one of the few. Despite the dearth of photos proving it, Lily is really as happy a baby as anyone could hope for, and why not? She has doting parents and siblings (9-year-old sister, 13-year-old brother, and 8-year-old “fuzzy brother” German shepherd who adores her) three sets of grandparents, and two great-grandparents to worship the ground she doesn’t yet walk upon. Favorite hobbies include making raspberries, playing peek-a-boo, listening to music (even including my singing, which proves that she’s a tolerant and patient little soul,) trying to shove her entire foot or hand into her mouth, and smiling at anyone who engages her attention.
Blame sleep deprivation: Baby Lily is actually just shy of 5 months.
My son was born yesterday. He’s in special care but should be OK.
Oops.
Though I’ve heard that men can lactate if they try really hard. If your wife doesn’t know that, though, I won’t tell her.