Donovan Has Lunch with the Ladies

Today Donovan met the Stratford Hills women--Jo, Betty Fay, Kay and Mary Jo. We usually meet for lunch monthly, and since I had to be home by 1:30 to receive the main celebrity, they came to my house for lunch. Donovan arrived and was a perfect gentleman--smiling, cooing and being fed. Then we went to my piano lesson and my teacher got her "granny fix" as she calls it. I am finding that I'm having a harder time carrying him in his car seat, with my back out of whack. Maris suggests that I carry the seat out and then add him to it. I think until I get my back squared away, that's what I'm going to do. Over the weekend we had some pictures taken, from a certificate from the Peace Center auction. We had both Avery and Donovan and us. Tomorrow he and I are going to see them and make selections. The day of the pictures promised to be cold and rainy, but at 1:00 when the photographers arrived, the sun came out and it warmed up, so we got some great outdoor pictures! The weeks are going so quickly, I can't believe it! He is already 12 weeks old and as many pounds!

A Perfect Friday

It's cold and rainy out, so how could it be a perfect Friday? Well, I had a productive meeting this morning about some potential work that I'm excited about. And then Donovan arrived, had a very peaceful bottle, and settled down for a real nap. I'm trying to remember what my own kids were doing at this stage of life (I remember it best for Adam and Maris, since we got them at 8 weeks old each and so I can recall some of the early milestones). I remember lots of specific things about Kathleen's infancy, but in a more general way. She was particularly good and always competing with Adam and Maris in my memory! This will no doubt confirm what each child remembers about how I didn't pay attention to them or how someone else was the favorite! Their lives loomed large in my life at the time and I was less able to really know that every event is not a life-trend. I get that now so am a little more attentive to the daily details. But also, I'm taking some time to write about it, something I surely did not have time to do all those years ago. In a month, if it's not written down, I won't recall the details of these days at all. Anyway, after the nap, more feeding and some cooing and smiling. Altogether a very good day.

Thursday

Donovan was already here and outside with Greg when I arrived home. He loves to sit outdoors. . .so he stayed out there until he got hungry and then inside for a bottle. He is still trying to get his fist in his mouth without success, but yesterday there was lots of cooing and smiles. We went for a walk in his stroller, which he likes, but it was really windy and the wind was bothering him, so we didn't stay outside. He had a hard time going to sleep yesterday; he'd doze off and then wake up again hungry. But he couldn't eat very much. On Thursday he stays until after 8:30 and during that whole time he slowly took two bottles. When he's fussy, it's so clear that his little tummy is in distress: his fists ball up, his hands go over his head and his tummy is tight. He was asleep when Maris got here.

A Trip to Ashland

Today was a beautiful day and Donovan was much more mellow--yesterday his Dad had forgotten to give him his Zantac! So after having part of his bottle, we decided to go into Ashland and take a walk in the stroller. We went for a long walk around town and even ran into Bob and Mary Lou Brown and had a nice chat with them. Donovan stayed awake the whole time and even smiled on cue. He loved seeing everything around him. When we got home he finished eating and then fell asleep. He was still sleeping when Maris got home and was still asleep at 7:00, so Maris had a chance to get dinner for Avery and herself. He's still trying to get his fist or thumb in his mouth without a lot of success. One of these days he'll do it.

Discomfort

Today Donovan was mighty uncomfortable and, while he was hungry, he really couldn't eat. I held him most of the time and he finally fell asleep while I was holding him upright against my shoulder. You could see how uncomfortable he was, because his arms were up and his belly very tight. Once he fell asleep, he did sleep for about an hour and seemed peaceful, but when he woke up, he still had trouble eating (Steve had come home by then and was able to get him to finish his bottle). Poor little guy has such a difficult digestive system! How different it is to be a grandmother--all I plan to do when he is here is hold him and feed him. . .and I'm already reading Winnie the Pooh poems to him. I think I want him to get used to the rhythms of the poems.

Rain and Curls

Yesterday morning was rainy and humid, so when Donovan arrived his hair was very curly! It's been straight up until now most of the time. He is trying so hard to get his whole fist into his mouth, but without much success. He will be a happy boy once he can get whatever it is he wants to on his hand into his mouth. I remember Adam trying to get his thumb into his mouth at about this age; it took him a week or more to be able to coordinate all that. He is also really smiling, though most of the time I have to work at it. However, the minute Maris walked in and Donovan heard her voice, his eyes lit up and he got a big smile on his face. Yesterday after my piano lesson I really needed one thing at the grocery store, so for the first time I took him with me. I was a little leery of carrying the car seat into the store and then getting it situated in the basket--but no problem! When I was a young mother I managed three all the time, but I find I don't have the energy or the dexterity that I did. That isn't easy to admit!

Weekend at "the Rivah"

Donovan and I had a good day on Friday. Greg said he had been awake all morning, so we both thought he'd sleep. . .but no, he was awake most of the time. Not fussy, but awake. Still a long time spent eating. Debbie, Terrie and Carolyn came for dinner and our trip to the river for the weekend and Donovan was appropriately good--he even smiled a little. Can't be sure those are real smiles yet and you really have to work for them, but he is cute and he loves the attention. Avery is also getting much more skilled on the trampoline, since he has a chance to jump every day when he's here. After a beautiful weekend, today is cloudy and rainy, but still warm.

A Lovely Day

Donovan was particularly mellow today. We both fell asleep in sitting in the chair after his bottle, but then he napped for a good while after that. Then we walked outside for a while and more eating. It does take him a long time, and it seems to make him tired. So lots of eating and napping and I got some reading done. I hope he sleeps tonight for Maris! I can't seem to really get a handle on his schedule--it's different every day. When my kids were little I felt like I always had to be doing something; if I didn't get something done today, I'd never get anything done in my life! I am much more patient as a grandmother and I enjoy just watching him get stronger and bigger each day. Perhaps that's one advantage of age.

A Beautiful Day

It's 70 degrees and sunny out and both Donovan and I enjoyed the weather. He is really getting bigger. When I arrived home today, Greg was here already, giving him 4 oz. of milk. When he left, Donovan was still hungry and immediately took four more ounces. Then he had a little tummy time, which he doesn't like a lot. I think it feels like work to him, which it is, of course, because he needs to get his neck muscles nice and strong. But then, we went outside in the stroller and took a very long walk, across the field into the neighborhood next door and all around (the appeal of that is a paved road once we get there--much easier than gravel!) Then we sat outside for a little and when we came in he ate 4 more oz. of milk! This is the most so far. He fell asleep and was sleeping when Maris arrived. He really perks up when he hears her voice, though a little less when he's sleeping. I found a picture of Avery at just a little older than Donovan and am amazed at how much they look alike. When Avery came in he took Donovan and handled him like a pro. He really knows how to hold and carry him and he is the best at entertaining him. All in all a very nice day.

A Better Day

Today it was a beautiful spring day and Donovan's mood fit the day better. Of course, it didn't hurt that Maris went back to the formula she mixes with breast milk (Nutramigen) instead of the Similac product that she thought was the same thing. The formula is very expensive, but often necessary for preemies, and my wonderful sister Amy, who works for a pediatrician, got her two cases--one of the Nutramigen (an Enfamil product) nd one of the Similac. They are basically the same, but apparently they are different enough that Donovan has trouble with it. At 6 weeks old, he hasn't been taught to only like one thing, and clearly yesterday he was in distress when he was trying to eat. He really does have trouble with his digestive system, poor little guy! But today, he was much happier. He ate and then we went out for a walk--65 degrees and sunny! Then after our walk, we just sat on the patio and enjoyed the sun. Steve came home to relieve me so I could go to my Tuesday afternoon meeting and Donovan was happy for a while, but he was really getting tired. So Steve held him until he went to sleep. The quilt in the pictures has a story itself. 36 years ago when we adopted Adam, I was teaching at Melrose High School in Massachusetts. One of my classes was a junior honors English class, which coincidentally had about 13 girls in it. They made me a small quilt and used fabric from clothes that they had worn themselves. It's nice now to be able to use it for Donovan.

Rainy Monday

Donovan's mood fit the day--he seemed to be very uncomfortable, with a lot of gas and a hard time eating. I had just about decided to bag the piano lesson, but since nothing was making him very happy, I left about 20 minutes early, hoping the car would soothe him. And of course it did. He didn't go to sleep, but he seemed quite happy for the half hour lesson (it certainly wasn't my playing!). Once we got home, he was fine for a while and then worked on eating, but it was difficult and caused him clear discomfort. Poor little guy. Finally the swing made him feel a little better, but the best was when his mom arrived. He actually perks up when he hears Maris's voice. I hope he has a better night tonight.

A Short Day

Donovan arrived very mellow. I had to take him to meet Maris at the doctor's at 3:30, so he wasn't there long. Most of the time was spent taking a bottle. He eats very slowly and then takes a long time to burp! I joked with Avery that while we get really excited whenever Donovan burps, We tell Avery to say "excuse me" if he does the same thing! I never realized how much work it actually is to get born until I watched this little guy, more than 5 weeks early, struggle to learn the most basic things like how to suck and digest his food. He is now the age both Maris and Adam were when we got them--8 weeks--and I'm trying to remember details of them at that age. It's not easy; and at the time I thought I would never forget!

The first four days

I agreed to keep Donovan, 9 weeks old, from 1:30-6:00 every afternoon until the end of the school year. I thought it would be helpful to describe his days so his mom and dad would have a record of it. On Monday, he arrived awake and ready to eat. I needed to take him to my piano lesson with me at 3:00, hoping he'd just listen to my beautiful playing ecstatically! Well, not quite. He did for a while, but then decided he wanted in on the action. So Debbie, my teacher held him while I plodded on. We'll see how that works! Day two he was uncomfortable and fussy all afternoon. He had a stuffy nose and just couldn't get himself settled, except for a very brief nap. The day was beautiful, so we sat in the sun parlor and enjoyed the nice weather. Steve came home at 4:00, thinking he could get some work done--but no! Oh well, it was only for an hour. On Wednesday, Greg had to bring him to me at Randolph-Macon. Everyone was waiting for his arrival, and he came sleeping and placid. It was a good day. Very warm and we took at long walk outside, which he loved. He got to stop and visit with the folks in Ashland Vineyard al0ng the way. On Thursday, he did very well. He stays late on Thursday, so we had a longer time. I raised three kids, but am finding I really have to start over figuring out what to do! His neck is getting stronger every day, and when I put him in the Snugli, I loosened the straps so he could look around. He seemed to enjoy that. He really likes the swing. . .and so do I!