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.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
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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