Based on Wednesday's post about Crosby eating my jeans, I needed to face the music and get something age appropriate that actually fits and was not from a maternity line (the elastic waist bands were so forgiving and so comfortable). I woke up today in a panic knowing we were going shopping and wondering what the size would be (I was always a 10...heck, I even think I was a size 10 when I weighed 117 pounds in 9th grade and then since the wedding slowly crept to a 12 and damn, I'm probably a 16-18 or something now).
Anyways, we were out of the house around 10:30 and swung by Rahal's for their Holiday event. We picked up our free gift and we chose a nice set of Christmas bulbs decorated with Mercedes themes. I also wanted to pick up the hat Erik wanted and was going to give it to him as a gift from Brooklyn. Well, the case was locked and no one had the key because it's kept by the parts department and they were closed on Saturday....um, hello, you have your big event today...you would think people might be stopping in and buying things. Anyway, the girl told us they would just mail the hat. I asked about whether they would also mail the bill and she said that they would just mail it for free. Sweet...score a $35 hat for free!
Before we left, I grabbed some snacks and we headed to the mall. Store after store filled me with disappointment. We ordered an ottoman for the basement. We were going to just have the sleeper sofa, loveseat, chair and 1 ottoman but Erik would sit in the chair with the ottoman and I'd be sprawled on the couch and we realized we'd rather have 2 ottomans than a coffee table so we swung by Penney's first (did I mention I swear everyone was out shopping...it was SO CROWDED!) and ordered the ottoman.
We also ventured out to get our Holiday outfits (and outfits for our 10-year reunion next weekend) since we have B's Christmas dress already. I love the Sweater dress style as it seems to be very forgiving. After trying on the 10 sweater dresses and other dresses I picked out on my own and being highly disappointed, I tried on the one Erik found and of course, it was exactly what I wanted (a little more expensive than what I wanted to pay because we missed the doorbuster by 30 minutes....yet, my husband was able to assuage the female clerk in the men's department to ring up all of his purchases at the doorbuster prices....ugh!). I hate how my husband shops for clothes and has better style than I do. I also found a great new pair of knee high black boots in a more feminine style than the ones I already have (that have also served me well since 2000...holy crap, I had those boots since late 2000, fall of my sophomore year because I took them to England with me and I remember in the Euston metro station, the scary metro guy commenting "damn, girl, you have beautiful legs" in his British accent and watching Erin try to walk in them the night she borrowed them....um, yeah, I think I'm due for a new pair).
I love the pair I got...They are very similar to my old ones just with a nicer heel. They're still like 3-4 inches in height and they're the stretchy fabric that conforms to the calf to give that contoured look. I got them for a great price too (hey, I'm all about the sale and never pay full price and usually don't pay less than 50%).
Then we were on the quest for a thick belt and tights (which to me, is more like nylons but apparently Erik had leggings in mind). After refusing to pay $50 for a belt and $24 for leggings at Express, I found a fabulous pair of leggings at Forever 21 for $5 and a wide belt for $4...sweet!
We also bought the Hallmark Snowman/woman/baby ornament to symbolize 2009 for us and the Crosby ornament this year. I also bought 2 pairs of jeans today that fit.
We then went to Burlington and I bought a great knee length charcoal peacoat (I have a black butt length one but I wanted a longer one) and Erik bought a wool coat for himself. So, our Christmas outfits were officially complete! I can't wait to look like a family at church and over the holidays!
I went across the parking lot to Michaels and bought the wall gallery frames for mom for the living room. I also had my first experience with pumping in the car (twice!), once with batteries and once with the car charger that I bought at Burlington on sale. B slept well in the stroller while we were at the mall and had bottles throughout the day mainly because we were on an agenda to get stuff done. We got home around 9pm so it was a long day out and B got all bottles today. Needless to say, she hated nursing tonight and I fought with her for an hour. Um, I think I made a mistake by giving her bottles all day.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Um, yeah...long night for our FOUR WEEK OLD
So, we put B down to sleep at 11 last night and from midnight to 2, it was definitely a trying time. She was up every 10 minutes...she nursed from both breasts, had about 2 ounces from a bottle, was burped, changed, cleaned, rocked, bounced, swaddled, shushed, etc and yet still continued to scream despite my best attempts. Then, I think she finally fell asleep after I fed her again (she had to have had 6-8+ ounces over the multiple feedings). She was up again at 4 for a quick nurse and then up at 6:30 for another feeding. I brought her into bed with us on the Boppy Lounger where we both woke up at 9:30. My Facebook quote this morning was "Some kid out there who wanted a little sister for Christmas almost got their wish when I was ready to put her in a box and ship her to the North Pole at 2 am after two hours of B's desire to cry and not sleep." That about summarized how I felt this morning!
I was exhausted so I didn't get very far off the couch after nursing. I took a nap from 11:30 to 12:30 and B had a bottle for that feeding. Andrea left during this time...it was nice that she spent yesterday cleaning...actually quite nice b/c it's one less thing to worry about with the needs of a demanding four week old. Did I just say that? FOUR WEEKS! Oh my, what a pleasure it has been.
I finally made it to the shower at 2 and headed to our Homeowner's Association Board Meeting at 2:30 with B. I did catch Oprah at 4 and watched her bid her farewell when she ends her show in 2011. B napped on my chest and I just watched her for what seemed like an hour...I watched her different facial expressions while she slept...she smiles, curls her lip, frowns, furrows her brow, moves her eyes, winks, etc all while sleeping and it's just precious. We all have come so far in the past 28 days, 4 weeks. 4 weeks ago, we had this tiny little fragile being and now we have this still tiny, not quite as fragile baby that has more of a personality. Her eyes will focus on us and she stares intently while studying our faces. Every once in a while, we get a smile when we smile and always, you'll get a yawn from us when she yawns. She's just so precious and we are so fortunate, blessed and happy to have her in our lives!
Erik learned an invaluable lesson today about burp cloths and their purpose as he had a significant amount of spitup on his shirt and B, being the multi-talented infant that she is, was able to burp, spit up, hiccup and poop at the same time. Unfortunately, given Erik's position and B's already full diaper, we had some leakage which was also quite evident on his shirt....he looked like the classic dad and would not let me take a picture!
Tonight, I must share two Crosby stories (no, she's not the red-headed stepchild...she still sleeps with us and gets her fair share of cuddling...she just is over this whole B crying thing so just stays asleep whenever she fusses). The past few days, B's spitup has been more frequent and with increased quantities...Crosby takes it upon herself to clean up our burp cloths by licking up her spitup. I think she might gain a few pounds this year from all of her extra snacking. Then, Erik was doing some work tonight and I hadn't seen Crosby for about an hour...I go upstairs to change into PJs and I see a lump in the bed...yep, sure enough Crosby put herself to bed underneath the covers...oh, she never ceases to make us smile.
I'll close B's FOUR WEEK (can I say that enough!?!?) post by saying how much more I love Erik every time I look at B and see him in her and every time I see Erik holding her, I fall in love with him all over again!
I was exhausted so I didn't get very far off the couch after nursing. I took a nap from 11:30 to 12:30 and B had a bottle for that feeding. Andrea left during this time...it was nice that she spent yesterday cleaning...actually quite nice b/c it's one less thing to worry about with the needs of a demanding four week old. Did I just say that? FOUR WEEKS! Oh my, what a pleasure it has been.
I finally made it to the shower at 2 and headed to our Homeowner's Association Board Meeting at 2:30 with B. I did catch Oprah at 4 and watched her bid her farewell when she ends her show in 2011. B napped on my chest and I just watched her for what seemed like an hour...I watched her different facial expressions while she slept...she smiles, curls her lip, frowns, furrows her brow, moves her eyes, winks, etc all while sleeping and it's just precious. We all have come so far in the past 28 days, 4 weeks. 4 weeks ago, we had this tiny little fragile being and now we have this still tiny, not quite as fragile baby that has more of a personality. Her eyes will focus on us and she stares intently while studying our faces. Every once in a while, we get a smile when we smile and always, you'll get a yawn from us when she yawns. She's just so precious and we are so fortunate, blessed and happy to have her in our lives!
Erik learned an invaluable lesson today about burp cloths and their purpose as he had a significant amount of spitup on his shirt and B, being the multi-talented infant that she is, was able to burp, spit up, hiccup and poop at the same time. Unfortunately, given Erik's position and B's already full diaper, we had some leakage which was also quite evident on his shirt....he looked like the classic dad and would not let me take a picture!
Tonight, I must share two Crosby stories (no, she's not the red-headed stepchild...she still sleeps with us and gets her fair share of cuddling...she just is over this whole B crying thing so just stays asleep whenever she fusses). The past few days, B's spitup has been more frequent and with increased quantities...Crosby takes it upon herself to clean up our burp cloths by licking up her spitup. I think she might gain a few pounds this year from all of her extra snacking. Then, Erik was doing some work tonight and I hadn't seen Crosby for about an hour...I go upstairs to change into PJs and I see a lump in the bed...yep, sure enough Crosby put herself to bed underneath the covers...oh, she never ceases to make us smile.
I'll close B's FOUR WEEK (can I say that enough!?!?) post by saying how much more I love Erik every time I look at B and see him in her and every time I see Erik holding her, I fall in love with him all over again!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Clean House...
A little rough last night...we put her in the crib at 11:30 and we went to bed. She woke up at 12:30pm to eat and I gave her a bottle. She was up at 4 and nursed for a bit and went straight to sleep after I put her down. She woke up again at 6:30 and then she had two reawakenings so I just brought her to our bed with the boppy where we slept in until 9. She ate and was so messy that she got a bath which she enjoyed once I filled her tub up with water. I took a bath and then gave Crosby a bath. By this point, it's 11:30 and I attempt to straighten up the bedroom and put away the huge pile of clothes.
While B has been more alert and interactive, she's also been more fussy. After her 9am feeding, she had a significant spit up. She nursed at 11 and then spit up a ton that I don't know how she had nything left in her. After her 2pm feeding, I swear she spit up half her bottle. I just don't know what a normal spitup level is...is this too much???
Andrea cleaned the house today which was greatly appreciated. She took a little break in the afternoon and did some B holding while I finished up the house stuff.
Then I got ready to head to WPSA tonight. It was nice seeing everyone and having an intellectual interaction. B slept the entire time and as I was walking in the house, she was having a bottle...then, she went into a hissy fit where she was clean, fed, held and yet still continued to scream for 10 minutes. She nursed but didn't eat and just had comfort sucking. She's been asleep since then so hopefully she's down for a bit longer.
While B has been more alert and interactive, she's also been more fussy. After her 9am feeding, she had a significant spit up. She nursed at 11 and then spit up a ton that I don't know how she had nything left in her. After her 2pm feeding, I swear she spit up half her bottle. I just don't know what a normal spitup level is...is this too much???
Andrea cleaned the house today which was greatly appreciated. She took a little break in the afternoon and did some B holding while I finished up the house stuff.
Then I got ready to head to WPSA tonight. It was nice seeing everyone and having an intellectual interaction. B slept the entire time and as I was walking in the house, she was having a bottle...then, she went into a hissy fit where she was clean, fed, held and yet still continued to scream for 10 minutes. She nursed but didn't eat and just had comfort sucking. She's been asleep since then so hopefully she's down for a bit longer.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
It's so good...
to be home...after being in NC since Wednesday, it was great waking up in our own bed and having B in another room! Finally, at least some peace and quiet...even if it came in 2-3 hour blocks. She went down last night around midnight when we went to bed. She was up at 3 and 6 and again at 9 for the day. I nursed her at 6 and 9 but thank goodness Erik gave her the 3am bottle so I could sleep a bit.
I couldn't wait to weigh her (since I had the scare 2 weeks ago with her barely getting back to birth weight by 2 weeks) and she came in at 7lbs, 11oz on the kitchen scale this morning. Yay! 10 oz in 14 days so I feel relieved. I was so worried she wasn't getting enough milk breastfeeding (b/c she nurses for 30-40 minutes at a time and sometimes I swear I don't hear much swallowing).
She was up for about an hour at 9 and went back down to sleep. She's getting so much better with her head control. I'm so excited and sad at the same time. She's getting so big and she's so long and lean. She doesn't have a baby roll on her! Her cheeks are filling out a bit but nothing I would call baby fat. She's also stretching out more. She doesn't like to stay curled in a ball very long and this morning I found her arms hanging out of the swaddle. I would abandon the swaddle but I think the swaddle keeps her controlled and keeps her from waking when she flails about.
This afternoon, I thought I saw a smile on her when she saw me but it very well could have been gas. We just had a relaxing day at home today and enjoyed our own TV.
On a sad, sad, sad, very sad note and it's all my fault but I left my jeans sitting on the floor last night. I was downstairs with B this morning and came upstairs to put on jeans to go to Giant Eagle and found the crotch eaten from them. These were my favorite maternity jeans, the ones that fit the best, the ones I loved, essentially one of the 3 pairs of pants I have been wearing lately. Thus, this has now forced Erik to force me to go shopping on Saturday for jeans and pants that actually fit. I'm quite depressed about this. I am just going to tell Erik to grab things he thinks will fit and hand them to me and I'll try them...not caring what the sizes are and hoping and praying that the number will go down in the next few months (I also weighed myself this morning and well, I still have 20+ pounds to go to get back to pre-baby weight).
Andrea came this evening and she'll be staying until Friday to spend some B time and clean tomorrow. It stinks sometimes having so many people here but at the same time, it gives our family time with her and it gives us some time to do things around the house.
Anyways, it's a Top Chef night today and I'm super stoked!
I couldn't wait to weigh her (since I had the scare 2 weeks ago with her barely getting back to birth weight by 2 weeks) and she came in at 7lbs, 11oz on the kitchen scale this morning. Yay! 10 oz in 14 days so I feel relieved. I was so worried she wasn't getting enough milk breastfeeding (b/c she nurses for 30-40 minutes at a time and sometimes I swear I don't hear much swallowing).
She was up for about an hour at 9 and went back down to sleep. She's getting so much better with her head control. I'm so excited and sad at the same time. She's getting so big and she's so long and lean. She doesn't have a baby roll on her! Her cheeks are filling out a bit but nothing I would call baby fat. She's also stretching out more. She doesn't like to stay curled in a ball very long and this morning I found her arms hanging out of the swaddle. I would abandon the swaddle but I think the swaddle keeps her controlled and keeps her from waking when she flails about.
This afternoon, I thought I saw a smile on her when she saw me but it very well could have been gas. We just had a relaxing day at home today and enjoyed our own TV.
On a sad, sad, sad, very sad note and it's all my fault but I left my jeans sitting on the floor last night. I was downstairs with B this morning and came upstairs to put on jeans to go to Giant Eagle and found the crotch eaten from them. These were my favorite maternity jeans, the ones that fit the best, the ones I loved, essentially one of the 3 pairs of pants I have been wearing lately. Thus, this has now forced Erik to force me to go shopping on Saturday for jeans and pants that actually fit. I'm quite depressed about this. I am just going to tell Erik to grab things he thinks will fit and hand them to me and I'll try them...not caring what the sizes are and hoping and praying that the number will go down in the next few months (I also weighed myself this morning and well, I still have 20+ pounds to go to get back to pre-baby weight).
Andrea came this evening and she'll be staying until Friday to spend some B time and clean tomorrow. It stinks sometimes having so many people here but at the same time, it gives our family time with her and it gives us some time to do things around the house.
Anyways, it's a Top Chef night today and I'm super stoked!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Home Sweet Home...
B had a good night last night...she went to bed at 11:30, up at 2, up at 5:30 then up for the day at 8:30. I didn't mind waking up a little earlier than I had been b/c I got B fed and then we gave her a bath (boy, she's a messy eater...milk dried in her hair, in her little skin folds, EVERYWHERE). I took a shower and got ready and then I went through mom and dad's house packing us up to head back to Mars.
We were ready to leave at 11:30 and we headed to Big Lots, then went to BBB, TJ Maxx, and Ross's (I was on a quest to find some new clothes given the new, um, look to my body after having B...I was also on a quest to find newborn/size 0 patent leather black shoes for B's Christmas outfit). Then we were off to Michaels and then went to the mall. My quest in store after store came up empty for the shoes but I did find some clothes that I'd like to revisit this weekend with Erik to come up with some outfits for our reunion and Christmas.
Mom took me to Erin's for 4:15 and we got settled with her car seat, diaper bag and cameras (after we had loaded everything we needed for the house into his car at work). Kisa got there around 4:30. We had a great Steak Tips dinner and then just spent time enjoying each other's company. Erik came around 6:30 and we got B packed up and started to head out a little before 7. We picked up Crosby in Nicktown and headed back to Mars. B had a little meltdown just outside of Sarver so we had to pull over and feed her. We got back around 9:30 and unloaded the car....really, we're quite pooped right now and heading to bed!
We were in NC since Wednesday afternoon and we were ready to head back to our home.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Not at MiCasa...
Since we've been at my mom and dad's since Wednesday, I don't have photos ready for MiCasa Monday...alas, till next week again.
Last night, I fed B around 10:30-11:15, she slept until 2. We nursed until 2:30 and she was up at 3:30 and Erik gave her a bottle. She woke up again around 7:30 just as Erik was going to work. I brought her into bed with me (don't yell at me, she was swaddled, in a boppy with no chance of suffocation) where she slept next to me and Crosby slept cuddled into my back until 10:30 when we woke up for the day. She got milk everywhere so she got a bath this morning and was all clean and fresh smelling (I'm still trying to remember that unadulterated smell of the newborn as it's been replaced by milk and lotions). After her bath, she was all smiles for about an hour. Then she was all cuddles with grandma while I caught up on more emails.
I spent all afternoon just cuddling with B. She still seems so tiny and her weight gain had been slow early on. I can't wait to get back to the house on Wednesday to weigh her on the kitchen scale. Actually, while I enjoy being home and relaxing and spending time with the parents, I miss our house...I totally miss our king bed and having B in her own room. I love our house so much as it's perfect and we're almost to the point where it's exactly how we want it. We have a king bed and it's about the right size for E, Croz and me; at my parents' house, we sleep in a full bed (I don't know how any couple could sleep in a full bed). We also have been sleeping with B in a PNP in the room and I really can't wait until she goes back to the crib at the house b/c everytime she's up or squeaks or makes any noise or even screams during a diaper change, both of us are up with her. While I think cosleeping may be good for some people, B screams until she's changed for night feedings so I wouldn't be able to just reach over to a co-sleeper to get her and we've both failed at side nursing.
We had our baptismal session with Deacon Bern tonight. Heidi came down with pneumonia so she wasn't coming in tonight for it. Lauren, Erik and I went and it was about an hour. We still have to call to set the date but at least the prep stuff is done. We had to take a test and the three of us and our fierce competitiveness came out with having the loser buy ice cream at DQ (uh hem, Erik) and of course, Crosby got her kid-size vanilla. I started organizing items so that tomorrow morning, I wouldn't have too much to pack.
Last night, I fed B around 10:30-11:15, she slept until 2. We nursed until 2:30 and she was up at 3:30 and Erik gave her a bottle. She woke up again around 7:30 just as Erik was going to work. I brought her into bed with me (don't yell at me, she was swaddled, in a boppy with no chance of suffocation) where she slept next to me and Crosby slept cuddled into my back until 10:30 when we woke up for the day. She got milk everywhere so she got a bath this morning and was all clean and fresh smelling (I'm still trying to remember that unadulterated smell of the newborn as it's been replaced by milk and lotions). After her bath, she was all smiles for about an hour. Then she was all cuddles with grandma while I caught up on more emails.
I spent all afternoon just cuddling with B. She still seems so tiny and her weight gain had been slow early on. I can't wait to get back to the house on Wednesday to weigh her on the kitchen scale. Actually, while I enjoy being home and relaxing and spending time with the parents, I miss our house...I totally miss our king bed and having B in her own room. I love our house so much as it's perfect and we're almost to the point where it's exactly how we want it. We have a king bed and it's about the right size for E, Croz and me; at my parents' house, we sleep in a full bed (I don't know how any couple could sleep in a full bed). We also have been sleeping with B in a PNP in the room and I really can't wait until she goes back to the crib at the house b/c everytime she's up or squeaks or makes any noise or even screams during a diaper change, both of us are up with her. While I think cosleeping may be good for some people, B screams until she's changed for night feedings so I wouldn't be able to just reach over to a co-sleeper to get her and we've both failed at side nursing.
We had our baptismal session with Deacon Bern tonight. Heidi came down with pneumonia so she wasn't coming in tonight for it. Lauren, Erik and I went and it was about an hour. We still have to call to set the date but at least the prep stuff is done. We had to take a test and the three of us and our fierce competitiveness came out with having the loser buy ice cream at DQ (uh hem, Erik) and of course, Crosby got her kid-size vanilla. I started organizing items so that tomorrow morning, I wouldn't have too much to pack.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Three weeks old!
Wow...time is flying by...every day I see B changing so much. She's now spending much more time in this "quiet alertness" stage where she's awake for about an hour or so after feeding. I'm not arguing with this as I love having my conversations with her and watching her explore her surroundings. She loves looking at faces (as she can probably only relatively clearly see 8-12 inches in front of her so that's why she prefers faces since they're in that range). She's also getting much stronger with her head control and when burping, she'll hold her head up 10+ seconds. We're also doing a bit of tummy time and she's doing alright with holding her head up during that time but she definitely enjoys it more and does better when she's on her stomach on the Boppy.
She's still a petite, skinny mini who barely fits into newborn clothes but I think she's starting to fill out a bit more in her face. Her eyelashes are growing as they're now visible (compared to the barely 1mm eyelashes when she was born). We are going through diapers like it's our job and today, we changed 3 times in 15 minutes as she wanted changed before feeding b/c she was wet (again, the child who refuses to eat if she has one drop of pee in her diaper until she's dry...however, she'll sit in poop for an hour before deciding she wants to be changed).
At 3 weeks of age....
Estimated Diapers: 170
Estimated Wipes: 120
Estimated Feeds: 146
Estimated Bottles: 22
1 bout of mastitis
Feeding amount: 2.5 ounces
We've also done our first load of laundry at my mom's....Erik and I used to go every 3 weeks before we had to do laundry (we had enough clothes, underwear, etc and I wear scrubs for work so we didn't really need to do laundry that often) and now we're doing laundry like twice a week since she's been home from the hospital because she spits up, pees while I'm changing a diaper, etc. Her hair is filling in a bit on top...she's my little peachfuzz!
I still continue to find amazement with how much gas this little girl can pass....5-10 times during any given feeding with about 2-4 different bouts of poop while she's eating. She's definitely a 5+ dirty diaper and 8+ wet diaper girl per day.
I remember her first bottle at 5 days of age was 1.5 ounces and she spit up a good bit of it and we both think her stomach was still expanding to hold that amount. Right now, she's up to 2-2.5 ounces when she takes a bottle. She is starting to have a bit more spit up during breastfeeding than she's had in the past but I'm also producing more milk than I have in the past (in 1 pump session, I usually get around 4 ounces or 2 ounces after nursing). We just love her. I spent a good 30 minutes or so today just looking at her hands, feet, back, hair, fingers, toes, butt...just all of her parts as she's going to be getting so big so quickly and I want to make sure I remember these days as best as I can. She's also starting to become more of a messy feeder and we have to wipe her down practically after every feed since there's milk in her hair, ear, arm, chin (I love when there's a little bit of dried milk in the little triple chin she has going on), chest, etc...and this is despite a bib!.
I think Erik and I both agree that we just love being parents...we love seeing B develop and go through her stages. I think it's safe to assume we're out of the newborn stage and working toward the infant stage.
On another note, this morning I finished catching up on school stuff and benefits info and finishing up everything that I needed to for leave. Around 2, I went over to Cambrian Hills to meet up with family at Aunt Nancy's funeral dinner. After that, I was able to get the 4-generation photos with Baba/Pop-pop, mom, me and B. We then went over to Aunt Louise and Aunt Helen's to visit. After dinner, we visited with Ed and Joann and came home and were ready for bed.
On a happy note...two of my friends announced their pregnancies today...I'm so happy for both of them and so excited to hear of their good news!
She's still a petite, skinny mini who barely fits into newborn clothes but I think she's starting to fill out a bit more in her face. Her eyelashes are growing as they're now visible (compared to the barely 1mm eyelashes when she was born). We are going through diapers like it's our job and today, we changed 3 times in 15 minutes as she wanted changed before feeding b/c she was wet (again, the child who refuses to eat if she has one drop of pee in her diaper until she's dry...however, she'll sit in poop for an hour before deciding she wants to be changed).
At 3 weeks of age....
Estimated Diapers: 170
Estimated Wipes: 120
Estimated Feeds: 146
Estimated Bottles: 22
1 bout of mastitis
Feeding amount: 2.5 ounces
We've also done our first load of laundry at my mom's....Erik and I used to go every 3 weeks before we had to do laundry (we had enough clothes, underwear, etc and I wear scrubs for work so we didn't really need to do laundry that often) and now we're doing laundry like twice a week since she's been home from the hospital because she spits up, pees while I'm changing a diaper, etc. Her hair is filling in a bit on top...she's my little peachfuzz!
I still continue to find amazement with how much gas this little girl can pass....5-10 times during any given feeding with about 2-4 different bouts of poop while she's eating. She's definitely a 5+ dirty diaper and 8+ wet diaper girl per day.
I remember her first bottle at 5 days of age was 1.5 ounces and she spit up a good bit of it and we both think her stomach was still expanding to hold that amount. Right now, she's up to 2-2.5 ounces when she takes a bottle. She is starting to have a bit more spit up during breastfeeding than she's had in the past but I'm also producing more milk than I have in the past (in 1 pump session, I usually get around 4 ounces or 2 ounces after nursing). We just love her. I spent a good 30 minutes or so today just looking at her hands, feet, back, hair, fingers, toes, butt...just all of her parts as she's going to be getting so big so quickly and I want to make sure I remember these days as best as I can. She's also starting to become more of a messy feeder and we have to wipe her down practically after every feed since there's milk in her hair, ear, arm, chin (I love when there's a little bit of dried milk in the little triple chin she has going on), chest, etc...and this is despite a bib!.
I think Erik and I both agree that we just love being parents...we love seeing B develop and go through her stages. I think it's safe to assume we're out of the newborn stage and working toward the infant stage.
On another note, this morning I finished catching up on school stuff and benefits info and finishing up everything that I needed to for leave. Around 2, I went over to Cambrian Hills to meet up with family at Aunt Nancy's funeral dinner. After that, I was able to get the 4-generation photos with Baba/Pop-pop, mom, me and B. We then went over to Aunt Louise and Aunt Helen's to visit. After dinner, we visited with Ed and Joann and came home and were ready for bed.
On a happy note...two of my friends announced their pregnancies today...I'm so happy for both of them and so excited to hear of their good news!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Meet the Great-Grandparents...
This morning, B had a rougher night....nursed at 11 to 12, then took a bit to get down, then slept until 4, then 6, then 8:30. We were up and going by 10:30 (hey, that's early for us...considering by the time B wakes up, nurses for 30 minutes, gets a wipe down with warm water to get all the milk stickies off, gets dressed and I have breakfast, get showered and ready...it ends up being a 2-hr process give or take).
I took B to Baba and Pop-pops so B could meet them. Pop-pop was so cute holding B like she was this fragile thing and Baba also very gingerly held B. I wanted to get the 4 generation pic but we'll have to delay until tomorrow when mom's here. Grandma wasn't feeling well after her trip to Rivers so we didn't venture down there so I used the afternoon to catch up on school work and take care of benefits and other leave items. While B was down for the count, I also swung by the funeral home for Aunt Nancy...at 95, she looked the same as I always remembered her over the past 25+ years...
Erik made homemade pumpkin pies (yummy!) and we headed over to Lauren and Nate's for dinner (pizza and wings!!) and to watch the Pens game. It's a late night but B's ready to party (or at least nurse a while)...
I took B to Baba and Pop-pops so B could meet them. Pop-pop was so cute holding B like she was this fragile thing and Baba also very gingerly held B. I wanted to get the 4 generation pic but we'll have to delay until tomorrow when mom's here. Grandma wasn't feeling well after her trip to Rivers so we didn't venture down there so I used the afternoon to catch up on school work and take care of benefits and other leave items. While B was down for the count, I also swung by the funeral home for Aunt Nancy...at 95, she looked the same as I always remembered her over the past 25+ years...
Erik made homemade pumpkin pies (yummy!) and we headed over to Lauren and Nate's for dinner (pizza and wings!!) and to watch the Pens game. It's a late night but B's ready to party (or at least nurse a while)...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Happy Veterans' Day! Welcome to the NC!
Happy Veterans' Day! More importantly, thank you to all the veterans to have served in our armed forces for the sacrifices they have made for our country.
This day started off with a lazy sleep-in morning (and a decent night last night...B slept from 12-3, then 4-7 and 7-9 when we woke her up to eat). Dad and E waved off the outdoors today in favor of house projects (like finishing our workbenches for the garage). B & I were a little slow getting going and I spent most of the morning trying to figure out what we would need for the next 6 days...diapers, clothes, pump parts, burp cloths, etc and trying to figure out what we wanted to take home to keep there (wash cloths, ducky towels and robe, shampoo, receiving blankets, blankets, baby wash, desitin, wipes, etc) since we'll be back and forth for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
She was a bit sticky after eating this morning so B got her second bath today and it went much better than her first bath. First off, I filled up her tub with about 6 inches of water (there were 2 of us there...don't yell at me for being a bad mom...there was no possible way of her drowning in that tub) which kept her covered and warm. We kept a wash cloth on her at all times and she was actually all smiles and enjoyed her bath. She was a clean, fresh smelling baby after her bath!
Mom and dad went to Springfield for lunch while E & I had some leftovers. We got on the road around 1:30pm. We had a good drive home and it was the first time all 4 of us were in the car...Crosby got shotgun with her car seat and I was in the backseat with B. B made it the whole way home and started fussing in Nicktown. Needless to say, as soon as we got home, I fed B to keep from total meltdown and Erik went out to the woods. Also, I think it's safe to say that we are looking forward to a few years from now when I buy a GL with the 3 rows of seating...we had room in the Benz for the essentials but I hope we have small-in-size Christmas gifts as we didn't have a ton of room leftover.
Crosby showed B all the sights of NC and grandmamma J and Pap's house...Crosby just cracks me up as as soon as we got home, she was all excited and went running through the house looking for them (even though they were just pulling in behind us in the driveway). Cracks.me.up! She'll go from room to room with her tail wagging and full of excitement looking for mom and dad and has a look of pure disappointment if they aren't home.
We got Chinese for dinner and just relaxed a bit and set up the pack and play, put out the play mat, nd trying to semi-organize since we'll be here until Tuesday. Mary Lou, Melissa and Steve stopped up to visit with B for a bit this evening. It's time for Top Chef (I keep hoping this is Robin's week to pack her knives)...
This day started off with a lazy sleep-in morning (and a decent night last night...B slept from 12-3, then 4-7 and 7-9 when we woke her up to eat). Dad and E waved off the outdoors today in favor of house projects (like finishing our workbenches for the garage). B & I were a little slow getting going and I spent most of the morning trying to figure out what we would need for the next 6 days...diapers, clothes, pump parts, burp cloths, etc and trying to figure out what we wanted to take home to keep there (wash cloths, ducky towels and robe, shampoo, receiving blankets, blankets, baby wash, desitin, wipes, etc) since we'll be back and forth for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
She was a bit sticky after eating this morning so B got her second bath today and it went much better than her first bath. First off, I filled up her tub with about 6 inches of water (there were 2 of us there...don't yell at me for being a bad mom...there was no possible way of her drowning in that tub) which kept her covered and warm. We kept a wash cloth on her at all times and she was actually all smiles and enjoyed her bath. She was a clean, fresh smelling baby after her bath!
Mom and dad went to Springfield for lunch while E & I had some leftovers. We got on the road around 1:30pm. We had a good drive home and it was the first time all 4 of us were in the car...Crosby got shotgun with her car seat and I was in the backseat with B. B made it the whole way home and started fussing in Nicktown. Needless to say, as soon as we got home, I fed B to keep from total meltdown and Erik went out to the woods. Also, I think it's safe to say that we are looking forward to a few years from now when I buy a GL with the 3 rows of seating...we had room in the Benz for the essentials but I hope we have small-in-size Christmas gifts as we didn't have a ton of room leftover.
Crosby showed B all the sights of NC and grandmamma J and Pap's house...Crosby just cracks me up as as soon as we got home, she was all excited and went running through the house looking for them (even though they were just pulling in behind us in the driveway). Cracks.me.up! She'll go from room to room with her tail wagging and full of excitement looking for mom and dad and has a look of pure disappointment if they aren't home.
We got Chinese for dinner and just relaxed a bit and set up the pack and play, put out the play mat, nd trying to semi-organize since we'll be here until Tuesday. Mary Lou, Melissa and Steve stopped up to visit with B for a bit this evening. It's time for Top Chef (I keep hoping this is Robin's week to pack her knives)...
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Relaxing Day...
Erik and I took the opportunity to sleep in...B slept from 12 to 4 then again at 7 and 10 (though Erik had to get up a few times to do some work for a person who's on travel and had to help him out)...needless to say, we were thrilled with sleeping in until 10 and the 2 times she got up in that time period. We had hamburgers for lunch and took a nice walk through the neighborhood. I ran into Julie and Sebi so we walked through Columbia Court and also met up with Sara and Roxy...it was a nice stroll on a beautiful day (and I ditched my long sleeve shirt right after that). B seemed to enjoy the fresh air as she slept for 3 hours after we got home.
While I was strolling with the girls, Erik and Crosby went down into the woods chasing and scouting out some deer. When we got home, we took a short nap and then watched some football. Dad came out around 4pm and we just relaxed. Dad is so funny with B in his arms...it's like he's carrying a fragile glass and always holds her with 2 hands and is so dainty with her I just have to smile.
For dinner, we had Italian sausages and just settled in for the night and watched football.
While I was strolling with the girls, Erik and Crosby went down into the woods chasing and scouting out some deer. When we got home, we took a short nap and then watched some football. Dad came out around 4pm and we just relaxed. Dad is so funny with B in his arms...it's like he's carrying a fragile glass and always holds her with 2 hands and is so dainty with her I just have to smile.
For dinner, we had Italian sausages and just settled in for the night and watched football.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Busy day...
So, lots of action in HC last night....as I was feeding B around 11:30, we heard this thumping followed immediately by police sirens. Then a minute later, the Mars Fire Sirens were going off and then lots more police sirens. We found out today from Bob since Brandon is a fireman that there was a high speed chase last night and the car blew out its tire on 228 and turned into our plan to take Crider toward Myoma. The cops coming from the other direction turned down Myoma and cut off Crider at the top of the zigzag hill by our house. When the car apparently saw that he was blocked in, he wrecked on the zigzag. Even though I couldn't see anything from the glider, Erik saw the flashing lights from our bedroom. So we saw at least a dozen police cars, a few fire trucks, and ambulance. Then around midnight, there was just a few police cars and the fire trucks with their crash lighting out. Good thing the car didn't keep going down HC drive...it could've caused a major accident.
B had a good night last night....B slept from 12:00 until 3 and then was up at 5 and 6:30 to eat (then I got about a 30 minutes nap before I woke up at 7:45). As I may have mentioned before, I was supposed to go to Houston this weekend for the AMA meeting...however, given our bilirubin and poor nursing issues in the few days after B was born (and my feeling way more sore than I imagined), I decided to do what's best and just call in to the meeting. I was up at 7:45 this morning and on the conference call to Houston from 8 until 10am. In the interim, Erik so kindly brought me breakfast and drinks and I nursed B when she woke up. Then, I started some more laundry and put away clothes in between the sessions. I picked the call back up at noon until 2:15ish and then woke B up to eat.
We all headed out to Ross Park Mall and went to JC Penney to order the ottoman and get a few things for B. We had a few gift cards to use, including one very generous one from the Erik's group. We walked the mall but didn't really find anything. We then swung by the store to pick up a matt to put under Crosby's food and water bowls, something we should've gotten a year ago but kept delaying. B started to have a meltdown in the store so we tried to keep her calm as we headed home and I fed her as soon as we got in the door.
We settled into the theater room and watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (but I fell asleep before it was over...go figure!). I'm just writing a quick post after putting B down for the night.
B had a good night last night....B slept from 12:00 until 3 and then was up at 5 and 6:30 to eat (then I got about a 30 minutes nap before I woke up at 7:45). As I may have mentioned before, I was supposed to go to Houston this weekend for the AMA meeting...however, given our bilirubin and poor nursing issues in the few days after B was born (and my feeling way more sore than I imagined), I decided to do what's best and just call in to the meeting. I was up at 7:45 this morning and on the conference call to Houston from 8 until 10am. In the interim, Erik so kindly brought me breakfast and drinks and I nursed B when she woke up. Then, I started some more laundry and put away clothes in between the sessions. I picked the call back up at noon until 2:15ish and then woke B up to eat.
We all headed out to Ross Park Mall and went to JC Penney to order the ottoman and get a few things for B. We had a few gift cards to use, including one very generous one from the Erik's group. We walked the mall but didn't really find anything. We then swung by the store to pick up a matt to put under Crosby's food and water bowls, something we should've gotten a year ago but kept delaying. B started to have a meltdown in the store so we tried to keep her calm as we headed home and I fed her as soon as we got in the door.
We settled into the theater room and watched Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (but I fell asleep before it was over...go figure!). I'm just writing a quick post after putting B down for the night.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Two Weeks Old!!!
We have a 2 week old....Yikes! Time is flying by and we can see her changing already. She definitely has more periods of quiet alertness or quiet wondering where she's just looking around and taking everything in. Fortunately, she's still that squishy little newborn that fits all folded up into our forearms.
Last night, we had some good sleep from around 11pm to 3am to nurse then we had some difficulty in getting her to go back to sleep. Mom helped out in getting her to lay down and finally around 5, she had to get a BM bottle. She fussed a bit more after and I guess mom took her to the couch to sleep a bit. I got up at 8 and she ate then. I didn't know where time went b/c I'm finally getting around to a shower around 10. The one thing I've realized is how hard it is to get everyone up, fed, changed, clothed and ready in the morning.
We did a photo shoot this morning/afternoon in the foyer and got some adorable photos in her tutu and laying on the lounger. However, it didn't come without a problem as of course, B decided to poop while diaperless on my white fuzzy photo prop blanket (however, a little oxyclean, dreft stain remover, and slight addition of bleach to the soak removed all traces of the stain). We interupted a bit for some feedings and cuddle time. Mom did leave around 1:30 to head home but we'll see her soon! It is getting dark so early anymore that it makes our photo shoots fairly limited to the morning as by 4pm the sun is already setting! I promise pix to shutterfly will be posted soon....
As for weight (see next paragraph), I'm about 22lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight but I see it slowly coming off...I gained about 40 pounds during the pregnancy...oh, about an ounce for each milkshake, cupcake, moment of weakness I had during the 279 days I was pregnant...now that I'm feeling better and not quite so sore, I'm eager to ease my way back into walking. Today, I put her all bundled up into the sling and we went for a walk with Crosby through the neighborhood to blowoff some stink. Erik mentioned "walk" to Crosby and she was like crazy, mad dog whining and running back and forth between the front window and the door to the garage wanting to go on her walk so we had to cave and go for a walk a bit earlier than I wanted (that was our first disruption to the photo shoot).
We ventured to Target in the evening to pick up some totes as one of those 4 loads of laundry was my summer and dress maternity clothes that I want to put away so I can regain some of my closet back (I'm still keeping my stretchy type fabric long sleeve shirts and pants b/c well, the shirts are easy with nice stretch for nursing so I don't stretch out my non-maternity long-sleeve shirts and my pants, well, let's just say have a nice elastic waist band as I'm not ready yet to face my pre-pregnancy pants).
We also picked up groceries at Giant Eagle and came home and made mushroom swiss burgers...they were so juicy and so yummy! 85% lean is the key to good hamburgers...less fat and too dry, more fat and not as healthy and way more grease. We then settled into the theater room for the night and watched Pirates 1 on BluRay while I finished prepping for my conference call tomorrow morning.
I had to make my decision last week about going to Houston b/c I had to book my airfare and after the bilirubin and nursing issues and the fact that I was sore, really sore, I decided it was in our best interest not to go....however, since Wednesday, I probably could have gone but I did what was best for our new family. So, tomorrow I have a conf call from 8-10 and 12-2 with my WPC cronies at the AMA meeting.
We have gotten a ton of cards and well wishes this week....everyone has been so kind and generous to us. We appreciate everything that has been done to welcome B into the world!
Last night, we had some good sleep from around 11pm to 3am to nurse then we had some difficulty in getting her to go back to sleep. Mom helped out in getting her to lay down and finally around 5, she had to get a BM bottle. She fussed a bit more after and I guess mom took her to the couch to sleep a bit. I got up at 8 and she ate then. I didn't know where time went b/c I'm finally getting around to a shower around 10. The one thing I've realized is how hard it is to get everyone up, fed, changed, clothed and ready in the morning.
We did a photo shoot this morning/afternoon in the foyer and got some adorable photos in her tutu and laying on the lounger. However, it didn't come without a problem as of course, B decided to poop while diaperless on my white fuzzy photo prop blanket (however, a little oxyclean, dreft stain remover, and slight addition of bleach to the soak removed all traces of the stain). We interupted a bit for some feedings and cuddle time. Mom did leave around 1:30 to head home but we'll see her soon! It is getting dark so early anymore that it makes our photo shoots fairly limited to the morning as by 4pm the sun is already setting! I promise pix to shutterfly will be posted soon....
As for weight (see next paragraph), I'm about 22lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight but I see it slowly coming off...I gained about 40 pounds during the pregnancy...oh, about an ounce for each milkshake, cupcake, moment of weakness I had during the 279 days I was pregnant...now that I'm feeling better and not quite so sore, I'm eager to ease my way back into walking. Today, I put her all bundled up into the sling and we went for a walk with Crosby through the neighborhood to blowoff some stink. Erik mentioned "walk" to Crosby and she was like crazy, mad dog whining and running back and forth between the front window and the door to the garage wanting to go on her walk so we had to cave and go for a walk a bit earlier than I wanted (that was our first disruption to the photo shoot).
We ventured to Target in the evening to pick up some totes as one of those 4 loads of laundry was my summer and dress maternity clothes that I want to put away so I can regain some of my closet back (I'm still keeping my stretchy type fabric long sleeve shirts and pants b/c well, the shirts are easy with nice stretch for nursing so I don't stretch out my non-maternity long-sleeve shirts and my pants, well, let's just say have a nice elastic waist band as I'm not ready yet to face my pre-pregnancy pants).
We also picked up groceries at Giant Eagle and came home and made mushroom swiss burgers...they were so juicy and so yummy! 85% lean is the key to good hamburgers...less fat and too dry, more fat and not as healthy and way more grease. We then settled into the theater room for the night and watched Pirates 1 on BluRay while I finished prepping for my conference call tomorrow morning.
I had to make my decision last week about going to Houston b/c I had to book my airfare and after the bilirubin and nursing issues and the fact that I was sore, really sore, I decided it was in our best interest not to go....however, since Wednesday, I probably could have gone but I did what was best for our new family. So, tomorrow I have a conf call from 8-10 and 12-2 with my WPC cronies at the AMA meeting.
We have gotten a ton of cards and well wishes this week....everyone has been so kind and generous to us. We appreciate everything that has been done to welcome B into the world!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Lots of Firsts today...
We had a good night last night...B slept from 11 to 3 then woke at 5 and 8:00 so we were up an fed for the day around 9. After a relaxing bath, we were ready around 11:30 (yes, you heard that...even though B was up and fed by 9, we weren't ready until 11:30...considering that 2 weeks ago, 11:30 was nearing the end of lunch and the almost end of my workday, it is disconcerting that we don't load up into the car until that time.)
Where were we going? Nope, not to a doctor's appointment or hospital. Well, first off, B had her first outing to a non-hospital or doctor's office today. We went to Target (B got her First Christmas bib), Bed Bath and Beyond, Michaels, and Joanns. At Michaels, I got some Delight modeling clay so this weekend, we can have arts and crafts time and make some handprint and footprint ornaments and frames before these feet go from 2.5 inches to size 9s.
We got Chick Fil A for lunch, including a peppermint chocolate chip milkshake....so good!! The weather was beautiful so we went for a long walk when we got home. We straightened up the house a bit and then for dinner, we had leftovers and then just relaxed with some TV and Top Chef All-Stars before bed.
Quite a relaxing day...
Where were we going? Nope, not to a doctor's appointment or hospital. Well, first off, B had her first outing to a non-hospital or doctor's office today. We went to Target (B got her First Christmas bib), Bed Bath and Beyond, Michaels, and Joanns. At Michaels, I got some Delight modeling clay so this weekend, we can have arts and crafts time and make some handprint and footprint ornaments and frames before these feet go from 2.5 inches to size 9s.
We got Chick Fil A for lunch, including a peppermint chocolate chip milkshake....so good!! The weather was beautiful so we went for a long walk when we got home. We straightened up the house a bit and then for dinner, we had leftovers and then just relaxed with some TV and Top Chef All-Stars before bed.
Quite a relaxing day...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
10 on Tuesday...Week 2 of Being a Family
1. I never imagined that something so little and so dainty and so fragile could fart so loud and poop so viciously that you can feel the rumble sitting a foot away on the couch and hear it 30 feet away in the kitchen...yep, she'll hate me one day when she's older and I share this story.
2. Breastfeeding is definitely a great experience when it's done the right way and after "healing." I went back to BFing today after realizing that pumping wasn't a long term solution.
3. Baby wearing...yep, we enjoyed doing housework with B in the sling today and hopefully this will be a way of both Erik and I having 2 hands free to get work done.
4. B survived her first shopping trip today...she kept asking me with her puppy pleading eyes for some new bibs and of course, grandma and I couldn't resist and bought a few for her.
5. Even though we have 10 pacifiers floating around the house, when there is a screaming baby, there's not one to be found except in Crosby's mouth (and yes, I took it out of her mouth and washed it off with soap and water before giving it to B).
6. Then, 10 minutes later, you count 5 pacifiers sitting around in the living room (pack n play, end table, coffee table-2 of them, ottoman). They are bright green/aqua Soothies...they're not that hard to miss...the shrill must distract the eye from processing what it sees.
7. B has 3 different level of cries: this sad, pathetic whimper that's like "please give me a paci or milk or fill in some blank." The pathetic whimpers then escalate into the crying that's like "I want it now...you're not listening to me so I have to be louder than my whimpy sniffles." Then, there's the run-around-and-find-whatever-screaming-child-wants-to-stop-the-ear-piercing-shrill screams. Oh dear...this child will turn beet red and you know it's coming because you have the crying then there's the silence for 5 seconds while she takes 3 deep breaths then, wham, the screaming shrill is let out of that tiny little being. Usually for us, this occurs during a diaper change when screaming infant wants to eat but refuses (see #8) to eat b/c she has 1 drop of pee in her diaper.
8. Yes, our child will refuse to touch a nipple until her diaper is changed if there is 1 single, solitary drop of pee. However, given her avid gastrocolic reflex (pretty much, upon the first drops of milk getting into the stomach that the reflex signals her colon to empty so that it can make room for the new meal), she will poop, usually in bursts of 3, thigh rumbling, Boppy rumbling, heard across the room poops. When she poops, she relaxes her whole body and this look of peace comes across her face like she just solved the world's problems. Then, she continues eating...sometimes for 30 minutes with poop in her pants. Yet, pee, one drop sends her in a tizzy.
9. Since nursing has taken a turn for the positive, I've been feeling the best today that I've felt since she came home. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I am so so so so happy! Erik loves being a daddy and I just love being a mommy. Crosby loves the opportunity for extra calories (see #10). Life is great for us right now. We couldn't be happier and more blessed to have such a healthy daughter and wonderful life at home.
10. Crosby loves to sniff B and lick her toes (and maybe some milk drippings off her face or fingers). She just lays on the couch with B and won't move if B is even touching her...it's so precious and I just hope that B and Crosby have that loving, playful relationship with each other.
2. Breastfeeding is definitely a great experience when it's done the right way and after "healing." I went back to BFing today after realizing that pumping wasn't a long term solution.
3. Baby wearing...yep, we enjoyed doing housework with B in the sling today and hopefully this will be a way of both Erik and I having 2 hands free to get work done.
4. B survived her first shopping trip today...she kept asking me with her puppy pleading eyes for some new bibs and of course, grandma and I couldn't resist and bought a few for her.
5. Even though we have 10 pacifiers floating around the house, when there is a screaming baby, there's not one to be found except in Crosby's mouth (and yes, I took it out of her mouth and washed it off with soap and water before giving it to B).
6. Then, 10 minutes later, you count 5 pacifiers sitting around in the living room (pack n play, end table, coffee table-2 of them, ottoman). They are bright green/aqua Soothies...they're not that hard to miss...the shrill must distract the eye from processing what it sees.
7. B has 3 different level of cries: this sad, pathetic whimper that's like "please give me a paci or milk or fill in some blank." The pathetic whimpers then escalate into the crying that's like "I want it now...you're not listening to me so I have to be louder than my whimpy sniffles." Then, there's the run-around-and-find-whatever-screaming-child-wants-to-stop-the-ear-piercing-shrill screams. Oh dear...this child will turn beet red and you know it's coming because you have the crying then there's the silence for 5 seconds while she takes 3 deep breaths then, wham, the screaming shrill is let out of that tiny little being. Usually for us, this occurs during a diaper change when screaming infant wants to eat but refuses (see #8) to eat b/c she has 1 drop of pee in her diaper.
8. Yes, our child will refuse to touch a nipple until her diaper is changed if there is 1 single, solitary drop of pee. However, given her avid gastrocolic reflex (pretty much, upon the first drops of milk getting into the stomach that the reflex signals her colon to empty so that it can make room for the new meal), she will poop, usually in bursts of 3, thigh rumbling, Boppy rumbling, heard across the room poops. When she poops, she relaxes her whole body and this look of peace comes across her face like she just solved the world's problems. Then, she continues eating...sometimes for 30 minutes with poop in her pants. Yet, pee, one drop sends her in a tizzy.
9. Since nursing has taken a turn for the positive, I've been feeling the best today that I've felt since she came home. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I am so so so so happy! Erik loves being a daddy and I just love being a mommy. Crosby loves the opportunity for extra calories (see #10). Life is great for us right now. We couldn't be happier and more blessed to have such a healthy daughter and wonderful life at home.
10. Crosby loves to sniff B and lick her toes (and maybe some milk drippings off her face or fingers). She just lays on the couch with B and won't move if B is even touching her...it's so precious and I just hope that B and Crosby have that loving, playful relationship with each other.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Such a refreshing day and MiCasa deferred again
Given my lackluster, general feeling of crapiness yesterday, I barely had enough energy to get off the couch to go to the bathroom so no MiCasa post today...
However, on the bright side, my fever broke overnight and was 99.1 this morning...I was going to call the OB but fevers, headache, chills, malaise and "other" issues appeared to resolve so I don't think that I needed antibiotics and to run in for an appointment today. I actually felt the best I had in a few days and at least the most rested than I had over the past few days.
Thanks to my mom being here, I was able to get a great night's sleep and sleep in until 9:15 this morning. Cross our fingers, but we may have also found a solution to B's more frequent awakenings at night...yesterday, after adopting the exclusive pumping until we cross the hurdles, we fed her at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 last night. So our feeding B every 2 hours yesterday worked like a charm overnight because after her 10pm feeding, she didn't wake up to eat until 1:15am, then 4am, then 6:30am and when we woke up somewhere around 9:15am. Since we were giving the bottle, it was a quick feed, change, and back to sleep until the hour + marathons of nursing that I had gone through last week (but mom took all the feedings which was awesome and so helpful for me).
It felt great to be refreshed but I was truly grateful to have my mom out here as she let me just sleep, recover, eat, drink and pump yesterday, all from the couch and took care of everything else in the house and everything with B so I could focus on myself.
After lunch today, Mom, B, Croz and I went for a walk to Columbia Court b/c it was a beautiful day and the rest of the week looked pretty crappy. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit.
Our neighbor, Sarah, brought over dinner for us tonight. This is one of the reasons I love our neighborhood...our neighbors have been awesome since we moved in. We love the diversity of the neighborhood: younger/older couples with or without children, single folks, etc. In the single family homes, Erik and I are one of the youngest couples at 28 and 29 (we were both 27 when we moved in) but it allows us to see different families at different stages of their lives (and so we can see what we have to look forward to: playdates, MOMS groups, school pickups/dropoffs, etc).
Then, this evening, we just veged on the couch. We missed Erik today...he went back to work today but we'll see him soon.
However, on the bright side, my fever broke overnight and was 99.1 this morning...I was going to call the OB but fevers, headache, chills, malaise and "other" issues appeared to resolve so I don't think that I needed antibiotics and to run in for an appointment today. I actually felt the best I had in a few days and at least the most rested than I had over the past few days.
Thanks to my mom being here, I was able to get a great night's sleep and sleep in until 9:15 this morning. Cross our fingers, but we may have also found a solution to B's more frequent awakenings at night...yesterday, after adopting the exclusive pumping until we cross the hurdles, we fed her at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 last night. So our feeding B every 2 hours yesterday worked like a charm overnight because after her 10pm feeding, she didn't wake up to eat until 1:15am, then 4am, then 6:30am and when we woke up somewhere around 9:15am. Since we were giving the bottle, it was a quick feed, change, and back to sleep until the hour + marathons of nursing that I had gone through last week (but mom took all the feedings which was awesome and so helpful for me).
It felt great to be refreshed but I was truly grateful to have my mom out here as she let me just sleep, recover, eat, drink and pump yesterday, all from the couch and took care of everything else in the house and everything with B so I could focus on myself.
After lunch today, Mom, B, Croz and I went for a walk to Columbia Court b/c it was a beautiful day and the rest of the week looked pretty crappy. It was nice to get out of the house for a bit.
Our neighbor, Sarah, brought over dinner for us tonight. This is one of the reasons I love our neighborhood...our neighbors have been awesome since we moved in. We love the diversity of the neighborhood: younger/older couples with or without children, single folks, etc. In the single family homes, Erik and I are one of the youngest couples at 28 and 29 (we were both 27 when we moved in) but it allows us to see different families at different stages of their lives (and so we can see what we have to look forward to: playdates, MOMS groups, school pickups/dropoffs, etc).
Then, this evening, we just veged on the couch. We missed Erik today...he went back to work today but we'll see him soon.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Day 9 and already setbacks...
After a generally good night where B got a bottle at 1 and 3 (but with the fall back time change, I don't know whether that was pre or post time change) and then slept until 6:30 when we were getting up to get ready.
We had our appointment with the lactation consultant (LC) at 8:30 and had definitely made progress by the end of the appointment. Our solution came with using shields which made everything go more smoothly and painfree. Pretty much, both B & I are doing everything right except the damage had been done by her chomping early on that thus propagated pain and more pain and her petite size made it hard for her to get everything in her mouth that she needed. At the appointment, I also had a lot of redness and firmness but I had not fever or other symptoms so there wasn't a concern for mastitis at that time.
Then, we get home...Heidi was still here so she got a bit of B time while I took a nap. Of course, as irony would have it (as irony seems to be the theme of our lives), I wake up from the nap with a fever to 101.4, chills, malaise, headache...all the classic "flu-like" symptoms of mastitis. After calling the LC, I just pumped every 30 minutes. Through this, we were to continue to nurse; however, breastfeeding has been causing me so much stress, pain, lack of sleep, frustration, etc that I decided to take a hiatus until everything has healed and will be exclusively pumping in the interim.
We're hoping this is a good decision...of course, I feel horrible about it as I feel like I've failed at it but at this point, it's something I need to do (and hopefully with my mom here, it will allow me to just rest and recooperate a bit).
We also wanted to try to feed her every 2 hours during the day to try to fill her up on calories so she would sleep maybe the 3 hour stretches at night (previously, she had been sleeping 3+ hours straight during the day but waking every 2-ish at night). She ate at 2, 4, 6, 8 (we put on her sleeping gown and began swaddling), and 10 (we put her in the crib and now we're heading to bed). So, hopefully things work out
With mom here, Erik headed back home today. He and dad set up the TV and dad was basking in HD and digital cable glory with all of its 50 inches of plasmaness....I think he just found Earth's equivalent of heaven.
We had our appointment with the lactation consultant (LC) at 8:30 and had definitely made progress by the end of the appointment. Our solution came with using shields which made everything go more smoothly and painfree. Pretty much, both B & I are doing everything right except the damage had been done by her chomping early on that thus propagated pain and more pain and her petite size made it hard for her to get everything in her mouth that she needed. At the appointment, I also had a lot of redness and firmness but I had not fever or other symptoms so there wasn't a concern for mastitis at that time.
Then, we get home...Heidi was still here so she got a bit of B time while I took a nap. Of course, as irony would have it (as irony seems to be the theme of our lives), I wake up from the nap with a fever to 101.4, chills, malaise, headache...all the classic "flu-like" symptoms of mastitis. After calling the LC, I just pumped every 30 minutes. Through this, we were to continue to nurse; however, breastfeeding has been causing me so much stress, pain, lack of sleep, frustration, etc that I decided to take a hiatus until everything has healed and will be exclusively pumping in the interim.
We're hoping this is a good decision...of course, I feel horrible about it as I feel like I've failed at it but at this point, it's something I need to do (and hopefully with my mom here, it will allow me to just rest and recooperate a bit).
We also wanted to try to feed her every 2 hours during the day to try to fill her up on calories so she would sleep maybe the 3 hour stretches at night (previously, she had been sleeping 3+ hours straight during the day but waking every 2-ish at night). She ate at 2, 4, 6, 8 (we put on her sleeping gown and began swaddling), and 10 (we put her in the crib and now we're heading to bed). So, hopefully things work out
With mom here, Erik headed back home today. He and dad set up the TV and dad was basking in HD and digital cable glory with all of its 50 inches of plasmaness....I think he just found Earth's equivalent of heaven.
Someone has an innie...
And it's the cutest thing ever! But since Erik is getting ready to leave, we're still going to continue the wipe downs until B gets her first bath Tuesday night! Ugh, my baby is growing up too quickly! Can she stay 9 days old forever?
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