The 8 Pound Baby

The main reason for my recent visit to San Francisco was to visit my new nephew.  If you remember, he was born a month early, weighed only six pounds and had problems eating.  Well, now he’s gained a few more pounds and is eating quite heartily.

I spent Friday evening and all of Saturday with him and his parents.  He’s already eating about 5 ounces every feeding, six times a day.  I gave him about five feedings and by the end of Saturday, I was getting pretty good at it. 

I wasn’t so great with maneuvering him onto my shoulder.  His head was still hella floppy, but I got my technique down, which must have looked really weird.  But I would lift him towards me and prop his head up with my face so that it wouldn’t flop forward when I laid him on my shoulder.  Not the best way, but it kept his head from flopping!

Jayden mostly slept.  He slept as he ate, his eyes half closed.  No matter how I held him, he would fall asleep by the second bottle.  Talk to him, not talk to him.  He’d fall asleep.  I was doomed either way. 

 
He looks like a balding man here.

He’s at the age where he doesn’t really see anything and his expressions are somewhat random.  But he did smile a few times.  Mostly after he’s laid a big old fart.  And they stunk!  Not only did they stink, but they lingered.  I couldn’t tell if he needed a diaper change or if fart was trapped in his diaper!

But you could always tell when he was about to fart.  His face would scrunch up and his whole body was tense.  He seemed to be straining quite a bit once, so I handed him to my brother.  He laid the baby down on his back and lifted the baby’s chubby legs towards his chest like he was doing leg lifts.  It’s his technique for Fart Central.  That baby was much happier after that bit of exercise.

His cheeks are so chubby, the pacifier leaves dents in his face after he’s used it. 

It’s too bad that I don’t live closer to see him more often.  The next time I’ll see him, he’ll probably be walking.  But his parents have promised to send more photos until then.

Originally published at Samantha Ling. You can comment here or there.