From the moment of his birth, Finn has reminded me so much of Colt – now maybe you can see why!!
Can you tell who is who? Answers at the bottom!
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Answers:
1. Finn, Colt.
2. Colt, Finn.
3. Colt, Finn.
4. Colt, Finn.
5. Finn, Colt.
6. Colt, Finn (both at 1 month!).
You turned 1 month old on Friday, Finn! Parabéns!
Happy 1 Month, Finn!
Finn Developments: Sweet Finn, you have grown so much and so beautifully in this first month. Here are some of your stats.
Weight: 9lbs 11oz (up 2lbs)
Height: 55cm (up 4cm)
Clothes: Basically out of Newborn and into 0-3 months.
Diapers: This week we moved you from Newborn to Size 1.
This month we have really gotten to watch you start to “wake-up.” 
The faces of Finn.
You are having more awake time and I am just in love with your beautiful blue eyes. They are so bright and clear. Stop-you-in-your-tracks.
The baby acne on your face came and went pretty quickly, although it seems to be coming back again. Your skin went through a bit of a flakey stage but that has passed with the exception of your forehead still being a little dry. Your complexion seems so light and fair – your eyelashes are almost impossible to see they are so blonde. And although your baby hair is pretty light already, I have a feeling that when it falls out and grows back in your hair will be super blonde as well. One funny development is that the little “nibble” spot on your ear has evened out a ton and it’s hardly even noticeable now! Your dad and I are not thrilled about this — we totally adored it!
Day 1 and Day 28.
You are tracking objects and people and turning to sounds. Your neck is also getting a lot stronger and you love to practice holding it up and moving it around during tummy time. You’re feeling much sturdier, stronger and chunkier! 
I am thankful that you are a pretty calm, easy baby, but I have to say, you’re not quite as easy as your brother was. You generally cry only when you’re hungry, tired or are struggling to go to the bathroom but every few days you’re a little tougher and it seems like you struggle a bit with digestion. Thankfully you love the paci and between that and a good swaddle, you are normally pretty easy to soothe. I wouldn’t say that you love bath-time or diaper changes just yet but after a couple weeks you stopped crying through it which is an improvement. 
Otherwise, you enjoy being snuggled, strolling and riding in the car. You still have the amazing new-baby smell and I am praying it stays with you for a long while.
Schedule: We have gotten on a pretty consistent feeding schedule with you. I haven’t tracked naps yet but after each feed we play with you and then put you down for a nap whenever you seem sleepy (sticking to feed, wake, sleep cycles). We have you eating every 3.5 hrs during the day then feed once at night on-demand.
8:00 am First morning feed.
11:30 am Lunch feed.
3:00 pm Snack feed.
6:30 pm Dinner feed.
9:30 pm Last feed of the night.
10:30 pm Bedtime for all!
4:00 am Night-time feed (although lately more like 4:30 or 5:00 am!).
The hardest part about being on a “schedule” vs. a routine are the mornings. As you push your night feed out later you naturally want to sleep later as well but I try to at least get us up before 9am so that we can stay on/around schedule each day.
Eating: As seen above, you are feeding 6 times each day and are pretty good about it. My body has regulated my milk supply more so it’s less messy than it was at the start, but if the let-down is really strong then you will struggle to latch at first and we’ll both get all wet. This is usually just once or twice a day though so we’re improving! You spit up after almost every feed but somehow you’re not quite as messy as Colt was so I’ll take it!
We have given you a bottle a couple of times with no problem. Personally I don’t love the bottle but we are trying to keep it in the rotation so that we don’t have to struggle with it later. I have only pumped once and it was to dump (after a big, fun night out with friends…!) but we still have over 40oz frozen and some in the fridge because I use these guys on the opposite side during the night and morning feeds. Although I realize that the milk is not balanced (probably all foremilk?), for the number of times that you take milk from a bottle I think it’s fine. Plus it gives us a little back-up emergency supply without me having to pump!
Nursing hasn’t been too hard this time around and at this point most of the discomfort has passed so I am able to enjoy it more and more quickly than I did with your big brother. I also enjoy it because it is our designated time together. With Colt, I was totally focused on him all the time but now, with my attention divided, I appreciate having set time that is just for you. That being said, I do sometimes have to nurse you while playing with or feeding your brother but we do what we can!
Feeding and playing legos!
Sleep: I am very grateful to have a good sleeper on my hands – I can’t believe we have been blessed in this way twice in a row! 
You nap in between each feed for some varied amount of time but are more consistent with your sleep at night. After my parents left we decided to kick your dad out to the guest room (only for week nights – so that he can get some uninterrupted sleep!) and you have been upgraded into bed with me! You are well barricaded from me and the edge but it makes it so much easier for me to get you for the night-feed and help you get back to sleep afterwards. But don’t get too used to it! This is VERY temporary!!
Morning snuggles in bed.
Mom: Sweet Finn, I am absolutely loving being your mom. The reality of being a mom to 2 is certainly a new challenge, but man, what a blessing. You bring so much joy into our lives and I fall more in love with you every day. 
Physically I am feeling basically fully recovered, although I still have a little sensitivity involved with recovering from the delivery. I feel like my body took a couple of weeks to get back to normal and while it’s definitely not exactly how it was before, I am totally comfortable with where I am.
Family Life: In the past couple weeks (since the last post) we have enjoyed so much special family time. My dad joined my mom for the final few days of her visit and they absolutely loved getting to spend time with you and your brother. 
Fun and chaos at home!
Outing to Shopping Cidade Jardim.
Colt talked Dad into taking him for a ride on the pink pig.
Strolling to the park before dinner out!
Lunch with friends & family at Praça São Lorenço.
A full-family affair, getting Colt his second haircut. 
We were also excited to celebrate your dad’s 33rd birthday! His birthday was the day AFTER my parents left so it was our first day as a family of 4 and per our tradition, we started the morning with special birthday breakfast. 
Then you and I met up with him for a wonderful birthday lunch at Manioca.
That afternoon I started baking your dad a birthday cake. Half-way through I realized that I needed eggs so I took you and your brother out for our first solo-mission grocery run. It’s much easier to walk to the grocery store (less than a block away) but we don’t have a double stroller so I strapped you on and put Colt in the stroller and, success!
That night we stayed in and ordered sushi and savored being a family of 4!! (And we celebrated your dad big that Saturday with a night out with friends!)
The rest of the month was just full of the everyday highlights – not the least of which is watching you and your brother interact. Colt has been so INCREDIBLE with you we can hardly believe it. He is so sweet and so very gentle with you. He loves to hold you, look at you (“See Finn! See Finn!”) and help comfort you with a paci when you’re crying. He gives you sweet pats on the head or back, plays with your feet, points to your eyes and nose and always gives you kisses. He helps with your diaper changes and your bath and is always quick to bring you his favorite toys! 
Going downstairs to play together!
I was worried that your brother might get jealous of our time and attention being split, and he was a little tough on us the first couple weeks but I think that was due more to all of the changes in his world and less about you. But, your dad and I do still try to get some time with each of you alone. While my parents were here I tried to go downstairs and play with Colt just like I used to and the first time we did it felt really special. We rode the scooter all over the complex, picked flowers and had a great time.
First time getting to go down just Colt & Mom.
Colt picking me flowers.
Sweet Fincher. You are a light and a joy in our lives. You are a blessing from our God in heaven. I thank God for you every day and am praying that He will draw you to Himself, that you may have true, full life in Him. What fun this first month has been. I love you!
Weeks 1-2: August 18-31, 2015
Hospital Stay: So great!
View from the room.
We arrived at the hospital at 4:30am on Tuesday, August 18. Finn was born that morning at 8:10am and we checked out at 10:30am on Friday, August 21. We probably could have left that Thursday but while we were at the hospital I was able to focus on resting and since Finn had just gotten circumcised on Wednesday, we were also happy to have the extra help caring for him. Michael and I have said that it’s probably going to be a rude awakening for us to have kids in the US because the level of care and the quality of everything at the hospital here is so high.
Finn meeting his Godparents, Trent & Paige Hudson! Trent made Finn a sign to match his big brother’s!
Michael and Finn at the hospital.
The other thing that was good about our hospital stay is that I feel like it allowed me to bond with Finn a little more before bringing him home. It’s hard to put into words but until Finn joined our family, Colt held 100% of my maternal love and I almost felt protective over that – over the space that he had in my heart. Of course my love for Finn doesn’t take anything away from my love for Colt, but the reality is that Finn’s presence does force me to split my time, energy, and even just who I’m looking at from moment to moment, so in that sense Finn does compete with Colt. Therefore, it was good for me to have a few days just with Finn in order to bond with him and let him find his own unique space in my heart as well.
Sweet snuggle time with my new little guy.
On the flip side of that, the hardest thing about our hospital stay for me was missing Colt. We only had him come to the hospital to visit for an hour or so on Tuesday night so I was away from him most of Tuesday and then all of Wednesday and Thursday before we came home on Friday. Michael came home and spent a couple hours with Colt each day and I knew he was doing great, but it was definitely tough to spend that much time away from him.
Michael and Colt on one of his visits home during our hospital stay.
Leaving the hospital and heading home!
Finn Medical: Praise God – healthy boy!
Looking ready to box!
Weight: 7lbs 15oz. At birth on Tuesday morning, Finn weighed 7lbs 11oz. By Thursday he had gotten down to 7lbs 4oz but by that following Monday he was up to 7lbs 8oz. We just went to the doctor again yesterday and he had gotten up to 7lbs 15oz.
Height: 51.5cm or a little over 20 inches tall.
Clothes: Newborn
Diapers: Newborn
Other: The baby acne is in full-swing and his skin is super flakey. Yesterday (day 13) Finn lost his umbilical cord (always so gross). Also, Finn has a hemangioma located in his lower left abdomen. It’s below the skin but above the muscles so it looks like a hernia sticking out. It’s benign so for now we are just watching it and time will tell if it needs to be removed or if it will work itself out.
Kind of has the balding-old-man hairstyle. And adorable ears!
Feeding: I’m very thankful it’s going great!
Giving me classic Colt-brows.
Nursing is going really well – very similar to how it went with Colt. We have been feeding around every 3.5 hours during the day (normally we have to wake Finn up to keep this schedule) and then we feed on-demand at night, generally every 5-6 hours. He eats about 10-20 minutes total (5-10 minutes per side).
There was definitely some pain/discomfort in the first week but I do think it has been easier this time around than with Colt. I’m not sure if it’s just because I knew what to expect so I haven’t been freaked out by anything or if the engorgement truly hasn’t been as bad but either way it’s been fine. Also, similarly to last time, I have been over-producing again which is a problem that I’m thankful to have. I have withheld from pumping and my body is definitely regulating itself but sometimes (especially before bed when it’s going to be a longer stretch before I feed again) I’ll manually express a couple ounces after feeding just to get more relief and to help myself last longer since Finn will normally give us pretty good stretches at night. Finn is a little bit of a sleepy eater and sometimes struggles to latch in the beginning when the flow is really strong so feeding him is usually a pretty wet and messy affair (getting better though!). Plus, he always spits up during and after. Colt was just the same way so I realize it just means that I’ll have another baby who is permanently in a bib.
Sleep: Praise the Lord, so far, Finn is a great sleeper! He is still in the sleepy baby phase so we have to work to keep him up during the day but at night he’s sleeping really well – we are only getting up once each night to feed. Plus, since my mom is here and getting up with Colt each morning at 7:30, I am sleeping in and feeling quite well-rested! (Thanks Gigi!)
Angel face.
Sleeping babies are the sweetest babies!
Finn!
“Mother Finn”
Schedule: We are starting to move from a routine to a schedule. Of course each day/night is a little different but we are more or less on the following schedule:
8:00 am First morning feed followed by long awake time to establish “day” time.
12:00 pm Lunch feed.
4:00 pm Snack feed.
7:30 pm Dinner feed followed by bath and long awake time to start getting him ready for a good night’s sleep.
9:30 pm Final feed – if possible awake for 1 hour after.
10:30 pm Bedtime for Mom, Dad and Finn.
3:30 am Night feed then right back to sleep.
Finn: Finn’s looks and his personality/demeanor reminds us so much of Colt as a baby. He is a super sweet, calm and chill little guy.
Hey there!
He rarely cries except when he is cold getting his diaper changed or in the bath – not his favorite!
Just trying to get through bath-time.
I was going to wait to introduce the pacifier to him just in case it affected his ability to nurse well but I caved on our first night home from the hospital and just like his brother, Finn instantly liked the paci. That being said, he definitely goes for his hands (whenever they aren’t covered by gloves) and has already amazed me with his success at getting his thumb – something Colt never really figured out.
Thumb sucker?
Mama Postpartum: Whew-wee!
Although the healing/recovery process has been light years easier than the c-section recovery, the first few days still felt rough. There were just so many things that I wasn’t expecting or that were different this time around. My back felt bruised from the epidural, the cramps I would get while nursing during the first couple days were brutal (I’ve heard that they get worse with each child?!), I was s-o-r-e from the delivery and even worse than the pain, I was mentally super freaked out by it all. I had never gone through anything like this so I was constantly texting girlfriends or googling things to see if what I was feeling/experiencing was normal.
The other side of postpartum recovery is the hormones and mine were absolutely all over the place – definitely worse than they had been with Colt. I think I cried every day for the first week and bonus, they also caused my skin to break out. Oh, and days 3-5 I was randomly really swollen (apparently the uterus is trying to get rid of it’s extra fluids and sometimes that can cause you to swell) and I was super hot all the time – especially at night. Add to all of that a post-baby tummy and week 1 was not a pretty picture.
Of course a sweet baby makes it all worth it and by this point, 2 weeks in, I’d say I feel almost totally back to normal.
Day 11: Family outing to the Kids’ Food-Truck Festival!
Other notes on the week: The first week was full of special moments including meeting our sweet new baby Finn, introducing Colt to his new little brother, having my mom arrive and spending time with friends.
My mom, Susan FINCHER Zais, holding Fincher in the gorgeous blanket that Aunt Sheryl FINCHER knit for him.
Out and about with this tiny person!
Day 10: Family fun at the mall bookstore.
Gigi with her grand-boys.
Denim on denim on denim – so in right now.
Strolling.
Fincher “meeting” his great-grandparents, Tom and Clare FINCHER!
Uncle Joe stopping by for some snuggles.
Colt has been awesome with Finn and is very sweet to him. He is so gentle whenever he touches him and loves to hold him, pat him and give him kisses. I think Colt realizes that Finn is here to stay and he doesn’t seem to mind. Colt knows that he is a big boy and Finn is a little boy or a little baby and he loves to remind us of that all the time.
Colt seeing Finn at home for the first time.
Just the boys.
Colt loves holding his little brother.
Colt examining Finn’s passport photo, convinced it is a picture of himself.
Colt forcing some snuggle time on Finn.
Sometimes Finn is not so excited about it.
Colt really is sweet and gentle with him though.
Although he is an awesome big bro, we have seen Colt act out in other ways. I think it was partially due to all of the changes and chaos (us being gone at the hospital for a few days, then coming home with a new baby, then my mom arriving) but he has been giving us a tougher time – more tantrums, more easily frustrated, slower to obey, more “Mine! My toy!” attitude… but we are working on it and it already seems to be improving. We are trying to still set aside special time with him each day and Michael even took him to São Paulo’s “drive-through-zoo” last week which he loved.
Colt & Dad at the zoo!
Hippo spotting.
Feeding the deer.
Pool fun with Dad!
Playing with his buddy Jack.
My heart.
Cool dude scooting around the complex.
More pool time with Gigi!
So handsome – even when he’s a little scraped up.
Jeans & A T-Shirt 
