First one to wake up and feed, usually goes to the 2 1/2 hour side of things and feeds like it's his last supper, just about every time. Fabulous nurser from the get-go, we have never had a problem with latching on and now that he is a little bit older he can nurse in under 10 minutes and man it is awesome. He is efficient and I rarely have to deal with any spillage (tmi?). It is no surprise that he has turned into my little chunky monkey and goodness gracious I could (and sometimes do!) kiss on those squishy cheeks all day long. He has pretty much refused to keep his arms in the swaddler from the get-go, which would not be so bad if he didn't scratch himself so much! So we keep his little nails trimmed and under wraps of socks or mittens as often as possible, for when he gets upset. Which can be often, but has certainly calmed down since taking his medication. He definitely had a feisty personality like his older siblings, and is always making some sort of noise or grunt whether he is happy or sad. The last week or two we have seen a lot more of the chill side of our sweet baby boy and seeing him just sit there and look around and smile (!!!) is such a treat. I absolutely is so incredibly grateful for the medication he is on and how much has changed in him since we have started him on it... for the most part the crying is limited to being hungry or dirty (he HATES being in a dirty diaper) and gets fussy when I eat dairy (or so goes my theory...?) so after a bit of experimenting I am back to being dairy-free which makes me feel better (and less bloated) as well.
After a rocky start, Lan has turned out to be quite an exceptional little boy. He is strong, mastering lifting his head and you can tell he has a striking personality all his own. He is certainly not going to be a wallflower and will make sure we don't ever forget about him even if he does fall into the middle of our family with little a. He has the most beautiful face, even with the scratches on them he is so incredibly gorgeous, and the scratches do go away pretty quickly (maybe he's a superhero at the rate he regenerates good skin?). He has started to really look at me, especially when he is nursing, and was the first of the twins to start looking at his brother when I tandem nurse, which is fascinating to me and I am terribly curious as to what he is thinking. He still spits up occasionally (usually at least does a little gurgling if I lay him flat right after a feeding) but nothing like it was before we started him on the reflux medicine.
He reminds me so much of my two big littles at this age... thick and sturdy and chunky and everything you would ever want in a new baby. His smiles are shy and don't come quite as easily as his brother's but they are absolutely heartbreaker worthy. He fits snugly into his size one diapers (big buddha belly could be to blame there!), a medium/large swaddler, and into 3-6 month clothes at this point. One of my favorite things to do with him is get him when he wakes up around 5-6 am before any of his siblings are awake, and nurse him while I lay next to him in my bed and he snuggles against me. I don't get a lot of one on one time with the babies, but this time with him in the wee hours of the morning is so special to me and makes the early morning wake up completely worth it. He still has his five-alarm cry, but we (thankfully) rarely get to that point much anymore.
I love my middle little to pieces!!! Lan is so perfectly perfect and I love seeing him interact more with us each day... I know he was chosen specifically for our family and I feel so blessed to have him with us!
And as a side note... He finally takes a binky!!!! Hooray!
Speaking of blessings...
Notes from the blessing from his dad this past Sunday (June 7, 2015): Daddy blessed him to...
Be an individual of strong character and spirit
Be a leader and light to those around you.
Be able to influence those around you with your example and words.
There will be many who will come to gospel because of your example, love and spirit
Have a desire to do service (missionary service) keep the temple in forefront of your mind and priority in life
Always feel love of family and heavenly father
Be Blessed with spirit of determination and hard work, be able to accomplish goals you set your mind to and be persistent.
