I am writing with a brain in bliss, oxytocin running wild, after having held my baby for 30 minutes of peaceful wonder. Jen is in front of me, beautiful and smiling, having a bit of coffee and a great scone. Nancy by my side, an all to happy lita. In the background, Gillian Welch and, now, Neko Case.  

It is not as if parenting has gotten suddenly easier. We are trying to figure out the feeding. Jen is not quite producing enough, so, we are also using a breast pump every second feed and we are supplementing with a little of formula. This just began yesterday when we were able to get a hand on a rental breast pump from the hospital. Thursday, Javi went to his weekly check and though wonderful in most ways, he is not gaining weight; hence the extra-measures. All of the things we have to do in addition to breastfeeding take time and, since Javi is feeding between 9 and 10 times daily, and each feed may take 60 to 75 minutes, Jen is a bit run down, as I too am. With the supplement formula, he has stopped crying for hours, but that doesn't mean that he wants to go to sleep without being held. So, we spend a lot of time with him in our arms and that, you parents out there know, is both tiring and incredibly wonderful. 

We are tired, but also quite happy. 

Morning bliss

Breakfast. The pulled out chair is Jen's, who is taking the photo

Time flies when the baby has difficulties sleeping. The first few nights were rough. Javi is awake and screaming during the first half of the night and begins to relax around 3 or 4am. Jen and I were exhausted. But things are already improving. Yesterday, we went to the pediatrician for Javi's first check up and everything went great. He is as healthy as he can be. Also, and very importantly for us, he gained more than 2 ounces since the hospital, which means that though he is crying a lot and had fed sometimes for almost two hours in a row, he is actually not starving. He is gaining weight and thus he is getting food. Yes!
Yesterday, Jen's mom, Nancy (o 'lita') arrived to give us a needed hand for the next couple of weeks. That is such a blessing as she right away took some of pressure from us, holding Javi and giving him comfort and love while we could just relax.
On recommendation by the Dr. Ranney, yesterday we began cluster feeding around 5pm, hoping to get Javi very satiated by 10 or 11pm and hoping that he wouldn't be unhappy for the first part of the night. Cluster feeding is basically feeding him around every 2 hours, instead of 2.5 or 3 hours apart. It worked. After the feeding that ended around 10pm, he was crying very loudly still and I tried everything. On recommendation by his pediatrician, the last thing I tried was swaddling him and tried to put him to sleep like that (he has hated the swaddle, so, this seemed a long shot to me). At the beginning he cried even harder, but after a few minutes of voicing his disapproval, he began calming down. Round and around the house for an hour, he was sleep, soundly, by 11pm. I put him to bed and he stayed sleep. Wow! That worked!
All night Jen fed him every three hours or more, instead of every two, and each time Javi went to sleep promptly and he never cried for food. Last night was, in other words, the first night in which we got a sense that parenting is sustainable. Before, we had our doubts:) Jen took on all the feeding and, except for a couple of times where I got up to change him, Jen allowed me sleep. What a difference! This morning, I knew what day of the week it was:) As importantly, Jen is feeling great too, as she took a couple of good naps yesterday. Hector.

Nancy helping us burp our little fellow. That's a happy baby and a happy lita. 

Coming Home

Our stay in the hospital was very nice (other than the hospital food). We got a lot of help from the nurses and doctors on how to breast feed and generally take care of Javi and myself. And, as you can see from the lovely picture of Hector in one of the earlier posts, the hospital room was very nice, with a beautiful view of the hills, where the trees are beginning to change color.

We came home Saturday afternoon and settled in quickly. Saturday night was a bit rough, as the nurses predicted. Javi was hungry and up frequently and my milk has not yet come in. This is what the nurses told us was to be expected. So, Hector and I were up most of the night and Javi cried much more than he has before. Hector and Javi hung out this morning together so I could sleep in and get a bit of rest. Then we all had a really lovely Sunday morning, enjoying some sunshine (Javi has a teeny bit of jaundice so we are getting him sunlight as we can.) We took a walk this afternoon and are all looking forward to naps.

Hanging out in the hospital

Beautiful smiles (okay, probably gas).

Dressed and ready to head home.

On our way.

Sunday morning, enjoying the sunshine in a great bouncy chair borrowed from future pal Eleanor.

Jen is writing a longer post. This is a very quick press release. Javi went for his first walk around the neighborhood.

He slept most of the time.

It was sunny and beautiful. 

Good times:)

It is official. We have a birth certificate and it says Javier Oliver Amaya-Petersen. Ok. Javi.
The day has continued uneventful, except for visits from our friends Brie, Marty, Jon, and Pam. Of course, we also had all the nurses, lactation consultant, well, people come and go. Javi seems to be getting the handle on sucking, latching, and sucking, and latching. He is right now awake, on his mama's arms, who is singing to him a classic song by Mercedes Sosa ("Duerme, duerme, negrito, que mama esta en el campo, negrito":). He, with is hiccups, is keeping rhythm.

It was a sunny day in the afternoon. The view is great! And the landscape behind is not so bad....

Javi enjoys the sunshine as well. He is nice and alert when he is awake but also sleeps very well. When he is gassy is kind of looks like he is smiling at us.

Yesterday was great. Overnight, Javi was taken by the wonderful nurses to a room with other newborns. That allowed us to sleep between feeds and we were able to sleep one 4.5 hour block and a 2.5 hour block. It felt great. Although yesterday's feeds were not necessarily successful (the baby probably got just a little bit of colostrum), today, around 7:30am, he had a nice long feed. It felt closer to what it should be. Jen is not yet producing milk, only colostrum, but all is part of the process. Javi is wonderful. The skin is incredibly soft... wow!
Although Jen and Javi are strong enough to be discharged, we may stay until tomorrow morning at the hospital and take advantage one more night of the wonderful nurses. One extra-night of ok sleep is probably a good idea.

Jen and Javi this morning, October 19, in the recovery room. I took this photo so that you would have some sense of the space. This is the part of the room where we stay. The stripy couch at the back becomes a bed and that's where I sleep. In addition, there is a second area with a more medical feeling and a nice bathroom with a shower (no jacuzzi here:). Now, the best part is the view. We are a bit higher up, and you can see the beautiful hills around Charlottesville, with the beginning colors of the fall. 

Daddy in training

Yes! he is nonchalant. Yes! he is like 'Whatever'!. Here is Jen, the mighty, introducing..... ratatata,  Javier (Javi) Amaya-Petersen. What a vision!

Our son was born at 12:10am, on October 18, 2012. He weighs 7 pounds and 11 ounces and measures 20" 1/8. He has a fuzzy but almost bald head of dark blonde or red-hair (we don't know for sure). His eyes are dark, but it is hard to tell whether they are dark-blue or dark-brown

Our beautiful son one minute after birth

After his first bath

Here he is being measured. All is perfect

9 months and counting

In Durham, N.C., with Jen's sister

In the Blue Ridge mountains, probably out last hike for a while.

The nursery is (almost) done