The Millers' Oak Park Baby: Jude hangs out at home

The past few days have been spent with Jude getting used by being alive, and us getting used to keeping him that way. It has included all the usual (so I am told) turmoils about feeding and sleeping. But, before you offer advice note that we've read many of the usual books: Weissbluth, Happiest Baby on the Block, Baby Wise, the NAPS plan, etc. In fact, Kara made a big comparison chart of the different approaches from each of these authors. The contradictions were striking, if expected.

I have to say, though, that I would be completely lost without the advice from Happiest Baby on the Block. I was a complete infant novice (infant-averse, really) and had no idea what to do with a baby in my arms. While I can't agree with a number of the author's philosophical reasonings for his calming techniques, though, I have been able to use them like a magic potion for getting little Jude to settle down!

For sleep it looks like we're going to be working with some hybrid of Weissbluth and NAPS, but we're trying to keep an open mind as we figure out our own parenting predilections and Jude's temperament.

Speaking of Weissbluth, we had a little bit of fun at the hospital. To be checked out of the hospital, you need a pediatrician's approval. Our pediatrician, Dr. Claus of Pedios in Oak Park, does not have medical privileges at Prentice downtown so we had to choose a hospital-only pediatrician who has Prentice privileges (this is apparently very common?). We received a page of recommendations from our OB, and the first name on the list was.... Dr. Marc Weissbluth! His practice is based in Chicago, in the same building as our OB. We did as any starstruck book reader would do, and we signed up to have Dr. Weissbluth as our hospital pediatrician. We ended up seeing two of his partners, no the famous doc himself, but it was fun in a silly sort of way to have his charts and bassinet label (which we kept) show that his doctor was Marc Weissbluth.

Well, since we've been home we've been to see our actual pediatrician, and the report is that he is a very healthy (and chunky) baby. Here are a few pictures from the past few days at home:

Mother and son napping