Three Months

Zachary is three months old.
Stop.
Pause.
THREE MONTHS?!

Yes, my little baby boy was born three months ago on a hot summer day in the middle of the afternoon. Now it's cold and breezy, Fall flying by without a second glance.

Zack has just made the jump into size 6 Months for his clothes. That's our second closet re-organization already!

The Little Man weighs at least 14 pounds, up five pounds since birth. His belly is starting to get rounder after spending several weeks just being all legs.

The mohawk is probably two inches higher at this point, and some days, it's getting so heavy that it's starting to fall down onto one side. He has a bald spot in the center of the back of his head and a mullet-looking 'do in the back. His hair seems to be more of a strawberry blond color at this point, with those red highlights really starting to shine through in the right light.

Zack is starting to lose interest in his bouncy chair and his swing. He prefers laying on the ground, the couch or your lap, kicking his legs and letting his hands explore the world around him. He just started putting his thumb into his mouth and also started holding his nose the other day. Every now and then, he grabs a piece of his hair and yanks, causing this shocked look to come on his face.

Z-Man can roll from his back to his side, usually his right side. He doesn't mind lying on his side and has been practicing lifting his head while on his tummy.

We've started early intervention and are being visited weekly by Kathleen and Sheri, our physical therapist and special instructor. He's progressing on track pretty well so far.

Zack traveled to his fifth state last week, although it was for a funeral. He was able to lift up a lot of hearts on a difficult day in New York state, despite a messed-up schedule and change in location.

He also was visited by several people, including his Great Uncle Joe and his Uncle Shamus, his Aunt Shelby and his cousins Angelina and Dominick.

Our First Halloween came and went, and it wasn't too much of a hit yet, despite two very cool costumes -- a pea in the pod and a dragon.


He sleeps through the night, although a growth spurt and Daylight Savings Time has got him a little confused these past few days. For the most part, he goes to sleep by 8:15 at night and wakes up for a quick "snack" when Daddy gets ready for work around 5:30 a.m. Then it's back to bed for a couple of hours.

His best and most active times are in the mid-morning and late afternoon parts of the day.

My favorite thing about this month? The smiles and giggles. They're happening more and more frequently, and perhaps best of all, sometimes happen just when I walk into his room in the morning singing our "Good Morning" song or when I come into his sight when he's with someone else. That's true love right there.

Two Months

Two months ago I felt my last contraction.
Two months ago today the date on the wall calendar really mattered.
Two months ago came the end of one countdown.
Two months ago I felt the biggest butterflies I ever felt.
Two months ago today I had my first major surgery.
Two months ago I met my son.

Two months ago, my life finally truly mattered.

Today is Zachary's two month "birthday."

He's grown to at least 12 pounds and 23 inches (according to his appointment two weeks ago).
His mohawk has grown too. I swear it gets taller and wider by the day! And no, we don't style it at all. It's all natural. Including the bald strip on the left side of his head, too. :-)

In this past month, Momma has gone back to work and Grandma Zook has begun baby-sitting duties. Zack and Grandma are handling the transition wonderfully. Momma still has difficult moments but is getting better slowly but surely.

Zack drinks about 4 to 6 ounces on average each bottle feeding and hangs out at Momma's chest area for 20 to 30 minutes most breastfeeding times.

He's begun drinking a little bit of water, per the pediatrician's orders, which comes most in handy when he gets the hiccups (about once a day).

Z-Man sleeps from 8:30 p.m. until about 5 a.m. and then back until 8:30 a.m. (I know how lucky we are and I know how soon that could change...)

Zack is currently wearing size 3 months and has been for several weeks now, although some of those shirts are starting to get a little tight. It might be time for another size switch-a-roo soon.

The Zack-Attack loves playing on his Rainforest play mat. He looks at the lights lately but mostly enjoys the music and loves looking at that baby in the hanging mirror to the side. He also really enjoys sitting in his bouncer chair, checking out the sunlight coming in from the windows or watching whatever is on TV.

His favorite spot might be his swing, a present from PopPop in Jersey that was only barely used by his older cousin. When we put him in there, he sometimes just chills and watches everything going on intently. But, eventually, whether it's five minutes later or 45 minutes later, the eyes slowly close and then that boy is OUT.

We've had some fun visitors this month... our friends Amy and Josh, Erin and Nick, Jeannine and Jeff and "Choch" Aunt Alice and Uncle Paul just to name a few.

The dude is increasing his vocabulary little by little, with cool sounds like "Goo" "Gee" "Ah-goo" "Huh" and some more. He's most talkative early in the morning when he first gets up and is in his best mood.

Our greatest accomplishment is the first bits of what could be a very gorgeous smile. We're still waiting for the "real" ones to start and for them to happen all the time, but these little glimpses of a grin make his Momma's heart soar.

We'll keep on smilin' our way through Month Three. You do the same.
(And be sure to check out my other blog here.)

Mommy and Baby get check-ups

The long-awaited check-ups in the Zook family finally came today!

First, I had my six-week follow-up appointment at the OB-GYN. After nearly six weeks of not being allowed to drive, do much stairs, carry things, push a stroller, etc, I was itching for the OK to get back out into civilization and feel like a human being again.

To show how desperate I am, I've already volunteered to scoop litter boxes today! (I doubt that will last long).

First, the only time I've ever been so excited for a scale. From my 9-week appointment in January to Delivery Day, I gained 40 pounds. From Delivery Day to today, I lost 31 pounds! Now, don't get concerned -- I'm not looking to lose the nine pounds I'm still carrying or some of my extra curves. I'm totally happy where I am now. AND, I haven't done ANYTHING to lose the weight -- the C-section took care of probably 20 or more pounds, plus I'm breastfeeding.

My incision has healed and a small patch on my stomach that's been sort of pins and needles recently is probably where a nerve was hit during the surgery and will likely remain numb and "paralyzed" forever. It's not a big deal. It doesn't hurt, it's not really that annoying and I'm not too concerned whatsoever.

Other than that, the doctor and I just talked about some things, had a nice discussion and that was that! I'm all done with that office for a little bit!

Now, we move onto Zack. He had a follow-up "well" visit with his pediatrician this afternoon. We love, love LOVE our pediatrician, by the way. He's got great energy, he explains things so well and is patient for all of our questions and concerns.

Anyway, back to the Z-man.
Remember, the dude was 9 lbs, 1 oz; 22 inches long at birth. At his first appointment at the pediatrician, he weighed 8 lbs, 14 oz. Today, he was 11 lbs, 9 oz and 23 inches long! Wowser! Must be all that good Mommy's Milk!

We talked a while with the pediatrician about Zack's Down Syndrome, what we can do, what we should do and feel so in control of all of this. We seem to be on the right track already, too. (More on our plans/support/contacts later!)

The pediatrician's office is getting a copy of Z's chromosome test (karyotype) from the hospital and is then going to send it to us. Apparently, and this was a surprise to us, the test results can tell us which type of DS Zack has (Trisomy-21, which 95 percent of people with Down Syndrome have; translocation, found in about 3 to 4 percent of DS cases and mosaicism, the rarest type with the most mild of symptoms and most positive of outcomes.) We are so excited to learn that piece of information -- it won't actually change anything, not how he will treated, not how we will approach this, not his therapies or outlooks. It's just a simple filling-in-of-the-blanks that we have.



Z-man also got a few shots, which was rough to watch, but he was such a trooper -- a few cries and then quiet. He soon fell asleep.

One of my favorite parts was when the doctor commended us for the poise with which we are handling Z's diagnosis and being new parents in general. That means a lot to us. We certainly can't hear that enough. It made my heart soar.

Truly is our Super Baby!

We'll update again soon!

One Month

I can't believe it, but our Zachary is one month old.



The big guy is changing every day and constantly amazes me with his new talents -- longer time lifting his head, grabbing onto things, making little smiles and new noises, kicking his legs with incredible strength and much, much more.






Z-Man eats between 8 and 10 times a day, for longer periods and in greater quantities.

He sleeps soundly during the night and we have to wake him up for feedings at 12 and 4 a.m. We're going to gradually increase that gap, but for now, we tickle his way into being alert and manage to guzzle a few ounces of milk.

We just started a two-hour nap during the afternoon. After one day, it's a success. Mommy hates leaving the little guy up in his crib and not snuggled up on her chest, but we have to start thinking about a schedule for when I go back to work.

Zack is so much more alert during the day now, too. He loves peering around and lifting his head up to see better. Bright lights and windows are a big hit. We've just started making minimal eye contact with Mommy, too.

From a Mommy point-of-view, it just doesn't get much better than this.
I love the quiet, simple moments...
... listening to the baby chirp away during a nap...
... hearing Scott wish him good night over the monitor...
... little babbling at 8 a.m., saying "hello" and being our most chipper, watching the world outside after the blinds are lifted and our day official begins.

We are so, so blessed.

Happy One-Month-Birthday, Baby Z!

Rub-a-dub-Zack

Videos, videos, videos... we have so many videos already!

Let me preface this one by saying that the losing of the umbilical cord stump was the happiest moment for Mommy. Until Mommy realized she had to touch it to get rid of it. The first part of it came off on the inside of one of Zack's shirts and was discovered prior to a 4 a.m. diaper change.
First, being the good Momma that I am, I tried to use Zack's hand to relocate it. Didn't work, plus I felt a bit quilty about that one. So a baby wipe solved our problems.

Once the black goo was off, we could give Zack a "real" bath in his little baby bathtub. He's not quite a fan of the bath, but he doesn't hate it either. It's just sort of "eh." But you be the judge for yourself...

What's better than photos of a new baby?

VIDEOS!!!

Thanks to Scott, I finally have videos from our camcorder onto my computer and am testing my ability to use them with the blog... with this post!

Here are some of our first moments with the little man. The first is taken the day after he was born, when we were trying to get him all excited (probably to wake him up for feeding). The second is Scott versus the swaddle on Day Two of Zack's life.

(If you make it to the end of the second video, where Scott shows off his swaddling skills, you'll see a super-cute moment!)

Little friends and lots of love

Zack has several friends already -- not bad for being less than a month old!


Our friends Reva and Bret had their son, Owen, two days after Zack was born.
Mutual friends Kendra and Jason have a 3-year-old boy and a three-month-old boy, too, and live nearby. The three families got together last week for a little Baby Party.

Then, a fellow reporter (for the local TV station) and her husband (also named Scott) has their baby less than 30 minutes before Zack on the very same day. She and I (and our babies!) got together the other day to exchange war stories and have plans to have dinner together next week.

And that's just the baby's friends... never mind all of the awesome loved ones and relatives that Zack is meeting... like his Jersey grandparents, who came out to visit Zack for the first time this past weekend and couldn't take their eyes off of him.



We're totally feeling the love... and look forward to more love, like when Aunt Alice and Uncle Paul visit Zack Attack in two weeks! :-)

More deep thoughts on a little guy

It was four weeks ago today that I felt my first contractions and was on my way to officially being a Mommy. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by.

I have a lot of quiet, reflective time, with our little man's favorite place to fall asleep during the day being on his Momma's chest or stomach. He could stay that way for hours and I usually endure having body parts fall asleep and the occasional kick to my C-section incision.

I'm cutting my quiet time off after these next couple of days. Next week is my last full week of maternity leave before I gradually start back up at work the following week. I have several things I want to get done-- calling organizations that offer parents of children with Down Syndrome support and advice and some other last-minute items.

So for now, I think, ponder and reflect.
I love being a Momma.
I am happy to report that I've had little to no moments of impatience or frustration. Even at 4 a.m. feedings and even after 30 minutes of whimpering in the afternoon.

Scott has started helping me out with our midnight/1 a.m. feeding as well as the bedtime feeding, which gives me a little Me Time and also gives Scott some alone time with the baby. We recently started introducing some of the bottles of Mommy Milk to Zack and he's doing great with it. He still eats so much,especially in the morning and at night before bedtime, so all the (bottled) help we can get putting those pounds on him, the better.

The big guy is fast asleep right now -- on me, of course. He's letting out little sighs and squeaks every couple of minutes and in those seconds, I honestly don't think there's a place in the world I'd rather be.

For now, I must go -- yet another Little House on the Prairie is on! :-)

A day in the life of Zachary (and his Mommy)

After 18 days snuggling with our little (big) man, I'm getting used to Zack's schedule, funny faces, likes and dislikes and am definitely starting to notice changes already.

We've gone from nursing about every three hours to no more than two hours most of the day the last couple of days. At night, we are able to extend to about four hours, and we have to set an alarm to wake me up so that I can go wake him up in order to feed him. Call me a mean mommy, but my chest is grateful for the p.m. feedings.

While he eats, the little guy either clasps his two hands together or puts one up near my face, almost in a petting motion.

We have a 1:15 a.m. feeding and diaper change followed by a 4:45 a.m. nursing session, when Scott wakes up to get ready for work. Most days, we just finish up in time for Daddy to give Zack a kiss goodbye.

Mommy and Zack go back to sleep, until somewhere around 8 a.m. Zack is usually the one to wake Mommy up, not the 8:30 a.m. alarm I have set, but that's OK, because this time is one of our best times of the day... Zachary is awake and alert and loves when Mommy opens up the windows in his room. We pick out his outfit for the day and have one of our longest feedings of the day.

Then, Zack hangs out in his crib (usually looking out the window) while Mommy gets a super-quick shower and gets dressed. Then we head downstairs for the day (I still can't do a lot of stairs because of the C-section). Zack hits the Pack 'n' Play bassinet (usually still awake!) while Mommy has breakfast. By the time I'm done eating, he's wearing his Cranky Pants and it's time to eat again.

After that, it's cuddle time for a while. (Like right now, he's belly-down on my chest, arms near my left shoulder, top of his head tucked just under my chin).
At some point, I get up enough nerve to put him down to finish his nap while I eat lunch... before his turn to eat lunch! :-) (See a pattern here?)

We do more cuddling and are usually all snuggled up (watching Little House on the Prairie) when Daddy comes home around 3 or 3:30 p.m. He gets showered and changed and gets us a dinner ready before taking over snuggling duty for part of the evening. (He's a great snuggler, too)

We have bathtime every other day or so, which Scott handles in its entirety while I get ready for bed. Then we do our last feeding at about 9 or 9:30 p.m. and hit the hay, exhausted but blissfully happy.

Zack's likes: Sunshine, Mommy's boobs, snuggling on anyone's chest, looking around at his surroundings, trying to lift his head.
Dislikes: Socks, having feedings delayed, hiccups (which he gets every day, just like in the belly), pants, dirty diapers (he has some OCD tendencies).

New/improved talents: Lifting up his head, anytime there is belly time or snuggling time on a chest or belly; grabbing things with his hands, including his own other hands, your fingers or items on his clothes (like his shirt's starfish today).

That's it for now -- we'll update again soon!