Feeding Frenzy

Michael Jr. was born weighing a hefty 8lbs 11oz. However, all babies go through a weight-loss period where their weight drops dramatically after birth. This has to do with a loss of fluid from birth and their getting sustenance from their reserves while their mother's milk comes in.

However, not long after, their weight should start to increase steadily until they reach, once again, their birth weight, and ultimately surpass it.

Michael was weighed 3 days after birth and weighed only 8lbs, and the nurses were hinting at needing to keep a close eye on it, because while babies are suposed to lose weight, any more than losing 10% is cause for concern, and Michael was heading in the direction of losing that 10%

...Until Tuesday....

On Tuesday, Michael went to the doctor to check his weight and he weighed 8 lb 4oz...the doctor furrowed his brow a little and thought maybe there was some discrepancies between scales because 4 oz is a lot to gain in a 24 period of time...there must be some issues with the equipment (it was at this point I informed Dr. Delgado about my sister's and my long-standing theory about fat scales and thin scales in his office.)

So we made our appointment, somewhat skeptical that he was doing as well the scales indicated.

....Until Wednesday....

On the next day, we dutifully came in for our next appointment to weigh him again on the same scale. As we took off his clothes and diaper and put him on the scale, we were pretty surprised at the nurse's response.

"8 lbs, 9 ounces" she announced.

So he gained five ounces in less than 24 hours?! Yes...this is not a matter of "fat scales" or any equipment problem. This kid is just growing. I was proud of our growing little boy, who seemed to be able to eat a healthy, but normal amount and yet put on a surprising amount of weight quickly. Yes, he was eating a normal amount...

...Until Thursday...

At which point Michael Jr. went on a feeding frenzy. Feeding frenzy, I tell you, where, aside from a period of time after his Daddy got home when he was on his lap for a few hours, Michael Jr. was eating, and eating and eating and eating and eating.

He would feed for about 25-30 minutes, then get burped. Then get changed, then go back to eat. Then get burped, then get changed out of his outfit which he moistened with one type of substance or another..then eat more. Repeat cycle until the wee hours of the morning.

No. Seriously. The longest sretch of time he went without feeding was about 30 minutes.

Otherwise from 7:30 pm to 3 am, he just ate and burped and needed diaper changes.

So when he got on the scale today he weighed 8 lbs 14 oz...our little butterbal keeps growing big and healthy!

In honor of this, I decided to construct a little storyboard of the past 24 hours.

________________________________________________

"Hey you!"

"Yeah...I'm talking to you!"
"Listen! I'm starving here!"

"I need you to do sumthin' about it! I'm hungry!"

"I'm not talking about a baby-size hunger."

"Or a medium-size hunger"

"Or even a large-size hunger"

"But a HUGE hunger."

"So what are you going to do about it, eh?"

"Wait...now here comes Daddy. Can he help me?"

"See, Daddy, I need to eat...you know...the stuff that goes in your mouth? Yeah, that's right...in your mouth."

"I need it to grow up big. So I can flex my muscles like this...."

"....and like that."

"You gettin' all this?"

"Now, can you please go get mommy? She's over there."

"Thank you!!"