If the first three days hadn't been weekend with another adult here, I wouldn't have made it this far. I don't know how I am going to manage today, especially because he only slept for 3 hours. I can't 'sleep when the baby is sleeping' because I have to pump regardless of whether he's awake or asleep and there's only about 90 useful minutes between the end of a session and the beginning of another during the day. (Why am I typing here? Because I'm stuck in this spot for another 8 minutes.)
After we saw evidence of a huge improvement and healing gut (36 hours of exclusively feeding formula) I cheated and let him nurse once. I made it at a time where he wasn't going to get much due to the pumping schedule, but he did still have a reaction. Small, but it was there. I did the same thing about 24 hours later and got an even smaller reaction. We'll see about today. Unfortunately we can't settle for "oh it's just a small reaction" and stay there forever because it would be a long-term problem. But maybe the small reactions now are showing that my body is getting cleaner.
It's so hard to deal with the formula thing, just logistically. Once they start a bottle they have to finish it in a reasonable time (hour-ish) or you have to dump it. Sometimes he takes 4 ounces (that's a meal sized bottle) but sometimes he falls asleep and only eats 1 ounce. You wouldn't want to have to throw 3 out, so we try to anticipate based on when he last ate, time of day, pre/post nap or overnight, etc. Luckily you can mix some and leave it in the fridge for a day. We have been mixing several times a day and then pouring out of the mix into a bottle as we dole it out.
Except then he throws me a curve ball and sleeps for 3 hours instead of 6+. Then I have a screaming baby upstairs, a husband who has to get up for work 40 minutes later that I'm trying to let sleep, and no small bottle ready to give - if it's even hunger that is the problem! In nursing world, you try that, and whether his problem is hunger or something else, it usually worked. This whole bottle thing makes me feel like a beginner all over again!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Yawn
Approximately 8 weeks ago to the minute, we were leaving for the hospital and I couldn't make words that people could understand. So really, even though I'm setting alarms to get up and pump, it could be worse. :)
Can we add another thing to our thankful list? Even though it takes a little longer to GET him to sleep, he has STAYED asleep both nights like he has generally been doing lately when he isn't feeling gross.
I still don't know how I will manage this when Mike isn't home for the weekend, since I can't be in two places at once!
Can we add another thing to our thankful list? Even though it takes a little longer to GET him to sleep, he has STAYED asleep both nights like he has generally been doing lately when he isn't feeling gross.
I still don't know how I will manage this when Mike isn't home for the weekend, since I can't be in two places at once!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
30 hours down...
Well after 30 hours on the "liquid platinum," his tummy is showing signs of healing. For the first time in almost 2 weeks he isn't bleeding. That was our #1 goal and we got there. We are very thankful for the following things:
-his belly is feeling better
-he is happy to gulp the stuff down, showed no signs of even noticing it was a different liquid
-he is happy to take a bottle (I started pumping a stash around 1 month and while it is useless and filled with the mystery allergen now, we used those pumping sessions to also introduce him to a bottle in preparation for work and he has thus far been fine.)
-he is happy to take either brand bottle or nipple we have and offer
-he is happy to take bottles from either of us
-he is happy to take bottles of varying temperatures (at first with the pumped milk a month ago, we would carefully warm it to body temp. Turns out we were wasting our time.)
-I am happy it is weekend so that another adult is here while we figure out all these new schedules
Frustration
-I got pumping advice from different places and kind of created a hybrid of them. Hopefully it works. I did get 32 ounces in 24 hours which I am ok with, so hopefully it doesn't drop too far off from there.
-Baby bodies react so differently to formula...I think some of it has to do with the fact that he is eating in chunks more than a never ending snack, especially in the afternoon/evening. We have to learn about this from him, so we feel like its back to square one.
-he is happy and content in general, but often roots and gets frustrated for awhile that he isn't getting what he wants. Pacifiers and bottles only go so far for his brain. I should be flattered I guess?
-formula is a PITA. Hw much to make? To give? If he doesn't finish a bottle in a reasonable amount of time, we have to toss it so we are making smaller bottles.This is hard to figure out. Maybe that part is less stressful on cheaper generic formula?
-getting him to sleep is hard. He is used to nursing until he conks out. I realize that would have been a problem eventually,but I wasn't ready for it to be one now.
-we are all tired. So tired. And tired of watching clocks and setting alarms. And we are only 1 day in.
And so it continues...
-his belly is feeling better
-he is happy to gulp the stuff down, showed no signs of even noticing it was a different liquid
-he is happy to take a bottle (I started pumping a stash around 1 month and while it is useless and filled with the mystery allergen now, we used those pumping sessions to also introduce him to a bottle in preparation for work and he has thus far been fine.)
-he is happy to take either brand bottle or nipple we have and offer
-he is happy to take bottles from either of us
-he is happy to take bottles of varying temperatures (at first with the pumped milk a month ago, we would carefully warm it to body temp. Turns out we were wasting our time.)
-I am happy it is weekend so that another adult is here while we figure out all these new schedules
Frustration
-I got pumping advice from different places and kind of created a hybrid of them. Hopefully it works. I did get 32 ounces in 24 hours which I am ok with, so hopefully it doesn't drop too far off from there.
-Baby bodies react so differently to formula...I think some of it has to do with the fact that he is eating in chunks more than a never ending snack, especially in the afternoon/evening. We have to learn about this from him, so we feel like its back to square one.
-he is happy and content in general, but often roots and gets frustrated for awhile that he isn't getting what he wants. Pacifiers and bottles only go so far for his brain. I should be flattered I guess?
-formula is a PITA. Hw much to make? To give? If he doesn't finish a bottle in a reasonable amount of time, we have to toss it so we are making smaller bottles.This is hard to figure out. Maybe that part is less stressful on cheaper generic formula?
-getting him to sleep is hard. He is used to nursing until he conks out. I realize that would have been a problem eventually,but I wasn't ready for it to be one now.
-we are all tired. So tired. And tired of watching clocks and setting alarms. And we are only 1 day in.
And so it continues...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Frustration
As has been well chronicled, my body doesn't always decide to do what I want it to do. So when a zillion people asked about my breastfeeding plans while I was pregnant, I always said that we'd like to do it, but that we wouldn't let it ruin our life if something happened to prevent it. To my utter surprise and astonishment, it worked (reasonably) well right from the get go. Yes, it was painful, but I believed that would pass. Yes, we had a week where he didn't gain weight, but I think that was learning curve as opposed to it "not working." I have gone to the breastfeeding support group at our hospital since he was born as both a weight check and a mental health thing to be around others dealing with the same period of life. I wanted to quit many times and there are many things I hate about breastfeeding, but in general it was working. This season of life has included a lot of couch and rocking chair time, but I keep telling myself that someday I'll wish that he was a baby again and wanted to snuggle with me more than anyone else on the planet. Now that he often sleeps for 5 (or even occasionally 6!) hours at a time, it was getting more manageable.
However, then the tummy issues began. (TMI alert - don't read if you are squeamish about bodily fluids!) Between dinner and bedtime one night, baby went from healthy diapers to bloody gross diapers. He was in obvious discomfort everytime he made us one of those gross diapers. It was late, so I checked Google, got 2 ideas, and then the next day talked to the lactation consultant at the support group. There are 2 ladies. I feel like one is very black & white and the other takes mental health into account a little more. I wasn't thrilled to get the one who is more black/white, but oh well. She agreed that maybe it was an oversupply hindmilk/foremilk thing and taught me about block feeding. We tried that, but then the next day I decided that after 24 hours of bloody diapers, it wasn't a fluke thing and that it should at least be on his chart at the pediatrician. They called me back and said to stick with the block feeding thing but to call with an update later in the week. I mentioned it the next day at group when the LC checked on me and she then started talking dairy intolerance/allergy. It's common, lots of kids get it, I know 3 off hand that had it for a year and then were ok. I decided to start it myself (see previous blogs) and then called the doc on Friday just to ask if they had any advice since the diapers were getting worse. (Without mentioning what the LC had suggested, because I hate to play medical providers against each other - nobody wins. Especially when one of them is so aggressive in their viewpoint. Might I add that we have a very laid back doc.) The nurse called back and said the doc suggested dairy free. So with all in agreement, we did that. The doc wanted to see us Monday to make sure he didn't see any other reason for the issue and told us to update him on Friday. That's today.
The last couple days have been the worst of all. The LC said to eliminate soy too, and perhaps wheat on top of it because my sister in law does have Celiacs. The hardest part is that even though I'm eliminating things, it takes weeks for them to clear my system and in that time while we try to figure out the offending food item, his gut is getting hurt more and more. So the doc said that while he knows I didn't want him to suggest formula, he wanted to try him out on the dairy/soy free formula until his 2 month well visit in 10 days and see if we can heal his gut. Meanwhile, if I am interested in going back to nursing, I should pump and continue on the diet so that I'm 10 days "cleaner" when we try again.
I called the LC to get help on how to successfully do that. BOY WAS THAT A MISTAKE. I was told that she didn't recommend it, wanted to know who the doc was, that my pump wasn't good enough, that the hypoallergenic formula doesn't work, and that I should really eliminate the wheat/soy on top of the milk if I want clean milk, and that it's not possible that the formula is best for his gut because breastfeeding is always the best. So not only in a 5 minute time period am I dealing with the medical decision to put him on (the most expensive) formula, but being judged by someone who I am calling in order to get help SO THAT I DON'T GIVE UP. It wasn't like I called to say "forget you and your beliefs." I called for help! To make sure I did all I could to keep a supply going! And I got judged. Talk about a knife to the heart. This is why breastfeeding people and LC's get a bad rap. She made me want to not even try to sustain my supply. I am sad to not have the emotional support from the girls at the support group because I don't think many of THEM would judge me, as we have chatted over the last several weeks, but I don't feel welcome there even to take him to check his weight after the conversation I had on the phone today. That's the worst part. :(
Formula isn't poison. And I know 3 kids who are thriving after switching to this formula when nothing else worked to help them. Life isn't black and white. I want to try to clean myself and be able to feed him. But if it doesn't work and we have to give him this formula for the next 10 months or more, then so be it.
The hardest part of this afternoon has been adjusting my parenting style. Previously, the first thing I tried when he cried was to let him see if he wanted to eat. Sometimes he was really just using me as a pacifier, but about 90% of the time, that solved the problem and he was happy again. Sometimes it had nothing to do with hunger. So to not even be able to let him do that was frustrating and resulted in tears on both sides, but now it's a couple hours later and he's happily doing tummy time after happily enjoying a bottle of formula.
However, then the tummy issues began. (TMI alert - don't read if you are squeamish about bodily fluids!) Between dinner and bedtime one night, baby went from healthy diapers to bloody gross diapers. He was in obvious discomfort everytime he made us one of those gross diapers. It was late, so I checked Google, got 2 ideas, and then the next day talked to the lactation consultant at the support group. There are 2 ladies. I feel like one is very black & white and the other takes mental health into account a little more. I wasn't thrilled to get the one who is more black/white, but oh well. She agreed that maybe it was an oversupply hindmilk/foremilk thing and taught me about block feeding. We tried that, but then the next day I decided that after 24 hours of bloody diapers, it wasn't a fluke thing and that it should at least be on his chart at the pediatrician. They called me back and said to stick with the block feeding thing but to call with an update later in the week. I mentioned it the next day at group when the LC checked on me and she then started talking dairy intolerance/allergy. It's common, lots of kids get it, I know 3 off hand that had it for a year and then were ok. I decided to start it myself (see previous blogs) and then called the doc on Friday just to ask if they had any advice since the diapers were getting worse. (Without mentioning what the LC had suggested, because I hate to play medical providers against each other - nobody wins. Especially when one of them is so aggressive in their viewpoint. Might I add that we have a very laid back doc.) The nurse called back and said the doc suggested dairy free. So with all in agreement, we did that. The doc wanted to see us Monday to make sure he didn't see any other reason for the issue and told us to update him on Friday. That's today.
The last couple days have been the worst of all. The LC said to eliminate soy too, and perhaps wheat on top of it because my sister in law does have Celiacs. The hardest part is that even though I'm eliminating things, it takes weeks for them to clear my system and in that time while we try to figure out the offending food item, his gut is getting hurt more and more. So the doc said that while he knows I didn't want him to suggest formula, he wanted to try him out on the dairy/soy free formula until his 2 month well visit in 10 days and see if we can heal his gut. Meanwhile, if I am interested in going back to nursing, I should pump and continue on the diet so that I'm 10 days "cleaner" when we try again.
I called the LC to get help on how to successfully do that. BOY WAS THAT A MISTAKE. I was told that she didn't recommend it, wanted to know who the doc was, that my pump wasn't good enough, that the hypoallergenic formula doesn't work, and that I should really eliminate the wheat/soy on top of the milk if I want clean milk, and that it's not possible that the formula is best for his gut because breastfeeding is always the best. So not only in a 5 minute time period am I dealing with the medical decision to put him on (the most expensive) formula, but being judged by someone who I am calling in order to get help SO THAT I DON'T GIVE UP. It wasn't like I called to say "forget you and your beliefs." I called for help! To make sure I did all I could to keep a supply going! And I got judged. Talk about a knife to the heart. This is why breastfeeding people and LC's get a bad rap. She made me want to not even try to sustain my supply. I am sad to not have the emotional support from the girls at the support group because I don't think many of THEM would judge me, as we have chatted over the last several weeks, but I don't feel welcome there even to take him to check his weight after the conversation I had on the phone today. That's the worst part. :(
Formula isn't poison. And I know 3 kids who are thriving after switching to this formula when nothing else worked to help them. Life isn't black and white. I want to try to clean myself and be able to feed him. But if it doesn't work and we have to give him this formula for the next 10 months or more, then so be it.
The hardest part of this afternoon has been adjusting my parenting style. Previously, the first thing I tried when he cried was to let him see if he wanted to eat. Sometimes he was really just using me as a pacifier, but about 90% of the time, that solved the problem and he was happy again. Sometimes it had nothing to do with hunger. So to not even be able to let him do that was frustrating and resulted in tears on both sides, but now it's a couple hours later and he's happily doing tummy time after happily enjoying a bottle of formula.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Tuesday/Wednesday
Tuesday High: At dinner time we had a normal(ish) diaper for the first time in more than a week. We were so excited and it made the diet worth it!
Tuesday Low: A couple hours later, we had a bad one, as bad as last week before the diet started.
Then we had a re-do on the no sleep thing, the kind of no sleep that comes with an increase in tummy troubles.
Frustration doesn't begin to cover it.
I was so completely frustrated and drained and tired in the middle of the night that when the baby was crying (at a weird time, since it had only been an hour since we went to bed) that it didn't wake me up at all. It took Mike gently poking and then shaking me awake and then talking to me to get me to wake up to make me coherent.
Meanwhile, I was just having a dream with a baby crying in a crowd and getting bumped around, which I guess was Mike poking me. Now THAT is tired. :)
Wednesday High: A really good nap for the baby, which was so necessary!
Wednesday Low: We had friends drive 90 minutes to meet us for dinner. But the restaurant, one of our favorites, was less than responsive/helpful with being able to help with allergen free ordering even though I emailed them last weekend trying to avoid the waitress having to know the answers. So I had to eat at home at 9pm. On top of that, the diapers are not good again which makes it harder mentally, knowing that I am giving my poor kid something he can't tolerate, and we can't figure it out.
Tuesday Low: A couple hours later, we had a bad one, as bad as last week before the diet started.
Then we had a re-do on the no sleep thing, the kind of no sleep that comes with an increase in tummy troubles.
Frustration doesn't begin to cover it.
I was so completely frustrated and drained and tired in the middle of the night that when the baby was crying (at a weird time, since it had only been an hour since we went to bed) that it didn't wake me up at all. It took Mike gently poking and then shaking me awake and then talking to me to get me to wake up to make me coherent.
Meanwhile, I was just having a dream with a baby crying in a crowd and getting bumped around, which I guess was Mike poking me. Now THAT is tired. :)
Wednesday High: A really good nap for the baby, which was so necessary!
Wednesday Low: We had friends drive 90 minutes to meet us for dinner. But the restaurant, one of our favorites, was less than responsive/helpful with being able to help with allergen free ordering even though I emailed them last weekend trying to avoid the waitress having to know the answers. So I had to eat at home at 9pm. On top of that, the diapers are not good again which makes it harder mentally, knowing that I am giving my poor kid something he can't tolerate, and we can't figure it out.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Monday
Today was like a bonus weekend day! 99% of the time, my hubby has Monday off. A couple weeks ago he found out he was going to work today because his boss was going out of town. But then it turned out the boss was staying, so there was no Monday work necessary! Woot! We went to Costco which is 100000000000 times easier on a weekday!
High: I now have an arsenal of food at my disposal.
Dinners - any type of real meat is ok, and that's pretty much where I start with dinner anyway. Pasta, rice, potatoes as long as I use EVOO instead of butter are all ok, and one flavor of the couscous in the pantry is safe, too. I bought a salad dressing that I think I can live with even though it won't be as good as my favorite. My V8 Fusion is safe and so is fruit.
Lunch - leftovers from dinner so that I don't have to think about it, Lots of bread & rolls have dairy but I found a brand of rolls that are ok and my turkey pepperoni is safe as well as peanut butter, so I can have a sandwich if I want to.
Breakfast - I have a flavor of oatmeal that is ok (which I ate most of my mornings when I was pregnant anyway, so that's no big change) and applesauce is ok. I even found a pop tart flavor that is ok for fun. ;)
Snacks - fruit snacks, peanut butter pretzels, Oreos (They are dairy free! Can you believe it?!), Tostidos, and teddy grahams
Thank goodness for Kosher labeling - it makes it easy to see at a glance if dairy is included!
Low: We did have to go to the doctor's office today to get checked out. Nothing new really, they just wanted to see him in person to double check that nothing else funky was going on beyond the suspected allergy/intolerance. I guess it isn't really a low, since they didn't think anything terrible is happening and they're glad to see that he's gaining weight! :) According to their scale, he's gained 2+ pounds since birth in just 7 weeks. Woot!
High: I now have an arsenal of food at my disposal.
Dinners - any type of real meat is ok, and that's pretty much where I start with dinner anyway. Pasta, rice, potatoes as long as I use EVOO instead of butter are all ok, and one flavor of the couscous in the pantry is safe, too. I bought a salad dressing that I think I can live with even though it won't be as good as my favorite. My V8 Fusion is safe and so is fruit.
Lunch - leftovers from dinner so that I don't have to think about it, Lots of bread & rolls have dairy but I found a brand of rolls that are ok and my turkey pepperoni is safe as well as peanut butter, so I can have a sandwich if I want to.
Breakfast - I have a flavor of oatmeal that is ok (which I ate most of my mornings when I was pregnant anyway, so that's no big change) and applesauce is ok. I even found a pop tart flavor that is ok for fun. ;)
Snacks - fruit snacks, peanut butter pretzels, Oreos (They are dairy free! Can you believe it?!), Tostidos, and teddy grahams
Thank goodness for Kosher labeling - it makes it easy to see at a glance if dairy is included!
Low: We did have to go to the doctor's office today to get checked out. Nothing new really, they just wanted to see him in person to double check that nothing else funky was going on beyond the suspected allergy/intolerance. I guess it isn't really a low, since they didn't think anything terrible is happening and they're glad to see that he's gaining weight! :) According to their scale, he's gained 2+ pounds since birth in just 7 weeks. Woot!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Lazy Sunday
High - I actually got to give the baby a bath tonight. I've been the assistant in that department the whole time because of my inability to sit on the side of the tub, but we found a stool that works!
Low - Tummy issues still aren't resolved (but we do believe we're at least headed in the right direction. Fingers crossed!)
Low - Tummy issues still aren't resolved (but we do believe we're at least headed in the right direction. Fingers crossed!)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Friday/Saturday
Friday -
High - A friend came to visit and hang out for the morning. Since she has a baby in the family, she bounced and walked and swayed and did all those make-baby-happy type things while we chatted.
Low - After more inconsolable crying and bellyache pain, we called the doctor again to get another plan. Poor guy was up for several hours crying and screaming overnight and even with our best efforts, Mike wasn't getting much sleep upstairs. The new plan is to test the milk protein hypothesis by me going dairy free. Since I had a feeling that was the next step, I didn't have any dairy products after Thursday's dinner. (Since I had dairy at dinner followed by a terrible night, I woke up on Friday determined to try to solve the problem!) There is dairy in EVERYTHING. I thought of the obvious things like cheese and butter, but there is whey and casein in lots and lots of stuff you wouldn't think about. Meats are ok, rice, pasta, potatoes with olive oil instead of butter, fruits (veggies of course but lets not get too crazy) and I did some googling to find other things. Frustrating, but after 24 hours of dairy free there was a noticeable difference in his demeanor. We hope it keeps up.
Saturday -
High - Happy baby slept from 12:30am until 6, ate, ate again at 7, and then slept til 10! Such a difference! Hopefully his belly is healing which is leading to him being more comfortable! Then we went to a family party and he was totally happy to be passed around to everyone. Thank goodness!
Low - I attempted to grocery shop quickly this evening. While there are plenty of fresh foods to eat for dinner with minimal changes, I wanted to have some quick "go to" foods for snacks or fussy baby time when I just can't take time to cook a whole meal. It is so hard and frustrating to have to read labels for code words that mean dairy. It makes me more motivated to know it is helping him but it's still not easy.
High - A friend came to visit and hang out for the morning. Since she has a baby in the family, she bounced and walked and swayed and did all those make-baby-happy type things while we chatted.
Low - After more inconsolable crying and bellyache pain, we called the doctor again to get another plan. Poor guy was up for several hours crying and screaming overnight and even with our best efforts, Mike wasn't getting much sleep upstairs. The new plan is to test the milk protein hypothesis by me going dairy free. Since I had a feeling that was the next step, I didn't have any dairy products after Thursday's dinner. (Since I had dairy at dinner followed by a terrible night, I woke up on Friday determined to try to solve the problem!) There is dairy in EVERYTHING. I thought of the obvious things like cheese and butter, but there is whey and casein in lots and lots of stuff you wouldn't think about. Meats are ok, rice, pasta, potatoes with olive oil instead of butter, fruits (veggies of course but lets not get too crazy) and I did some googling to find other things. Frustrating, but after 24 hours of dairy free there was a noticeable difference in his demeanor. We hope it keeps up.
Saturday -
High - Happy baby slept from 12:30am until 6, ate, ate again at 7, and then slept til 10! Such a difference! Hopefully his belly is healing which is leading to him being more comfortable! Then we went to a family party and he was totally happy to be passed around to everyone. Thank goodness!
Low - I attempted to grocery shop quickly this evening. While there are plenty of fresh foods to eat for dinner with minimal changes, I wanted to have some quick "go to" foods for snacks or fussy baby time when I just can't take time to cook a whole meal. It is so hard and frustrating to have to read labels for code words that mean dairy. It makes me more motivated to know it is helping him but it's still not easy.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Thursday
Low: where to start? We are still dealing with baby tummy issues. It's starting to border on stressful. In the next couple days if it doesn't clear up, we may be looking at some elimination diet stuff. Just thinking about adding reading ingredients and working around rules on top of everything else makes me frustrated. Plus we haven't gotten to really discuss it because we were only in the same room for 20 minutes today and that involved dinner at 8:30 and a fussy baby.
High: I got to take a 2 hour nap because he slept for 2 1/2 hours!
High: I got to take a 2 hour nap because he slept for 2 1/2 hours!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Wednesday
High: I was busy all day today with one thing or another. After a long early pre dawn breakfast, we slept til after 9:30! We got ready for the day, talked to a friend on the phone for a long time since neither of us had anywhere to be, and then tried to catch up with the DVR. But the we got a call from a grandma to see if she could come visit. While the baby napped, I threw in some laundry thinking oh if grandma is here to play with baby then I can actually fold this laundry later! Then I opened the fridge because we had a big pack of ground beef that needed to be split into small bags for freezing.
That's where the low starts.
The bag had leaked EVERYWHERE. I cleaned off the tray and then noticed it was dripping down the side of the fridge into the produce drawers (empty luckily since it is time to shop) and under the glass shelves. I figured how to take the glass out since they are stationary shelves, not pull out. Then finally when I thought it was all done, juice seeped out from behind the brackets that hold the shelves up! So I had to unscrew those and pull everything apart. Thank goodness the baby kept sleeping through all of that. Then grandma was here when the baby woke up and then Mike came home and we could finish and get it all put back together.
Plus we got take out from Applebee's as a gift. So that brought the day back out to a high.
But hey at least I wasn't bored!
That's where the low starts.
The bag had leaked EVERYWHERE. I cleaned off the tray and then noticed it was dripping down the side of the fridge into the produce drawers (empty luckily since it is time to shop) and under the glass shelves. I figured how to take the glass out since they are stationary shelves, not pull out. Then finally when I thought it was all done, juice seeped out from behind the brackets that hold the shelves up! So I had to unscrew those and pull everything apart. Thank goodness the baby kept sleeping through all of that. Then grandma was here when the baby woke up and then Mike came home and we could finish and get it all put back together.
Plus we got take out from Applebee's as a gift. So that brought the day back out to a high.
But hey at least I wasn't bored!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Tuesday
High- We took a field trip to school. If I only worked with adults, I may have done it sooner. But too many germs exist at school so I didn't chance it earlier. We went today because there was an outdoor event so fresh air was involved. It was nice to see my people. The kids were excited to see me and were unhappy that the baby stayed in his car seat, hidden from the breeze. (& them) ;)
Low- while I have a plan to solve the problem, his tummy isn't all the way better yet. Frustrating.
Old news- I survived my 6 week checkup yesterday. It hurt les than I was anticipating, so that was good. I'm still not 100 percent though and he said the pain can last for months in the few places I'm still feeling it. (joy!) He did discover that the polyp was still there and that the baby did't dislodge it as they assumed happened, so he removed it. I finally got to meet that which bugged me since July. So thankful that it's gone now.
Low- while I have a plan to solve the problem, his tummy isn't all the way better yet. Frustrating.
Old news- I survived my 6 week checkup yesterday. It hurt les than I was anticipating, so that was good. I'm still not 100 percent though and he said the pain can last for months in the few places I'm still feeling it. (joy!) He did discover that the polyp was still there and that the baby did't dislodge it as they assumed happened, so he removed it. I finally got to meet that which bugged me since July. So thankful that it's gone now.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sunday and Monday
Sunday's High - Low key, peaceful day. I did a little scrapbooking, Mike watched the Masters. Baby took a nap.
Monday's High - We successfully went out to lunch in a restaurant as a family of 3! (Pure luck, but we will take it!)
Low of the two days combined - Something is up with the little guy's belly. He's not very happy about it. This led to being awake until 4:45am. Mike stayed up from 12 to 2:30 while I slept and then I came back down and we switched. The silver lining is that it happened on a non-work night for Mike so I wasn't on my own. Thank goodness!
Monday's High - We successfully went out to lunch in a restaurant as a family of 3! (Pure luck, but we will take it!)
Low of the two days combined - Something is up with the little guy's belly. He's not very happy about it. This led to being awake until 4:45am. Mike stayed up from 12 to 2:30 while I slept and then I came back down and we switched. The silver lining is that it happened on a non-work night for Mike so I wasn't on my own. Thank goodness!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Highs and Lows of a Regular Day
At dinner tonight we talked about how today was the first day that really just felt like a "regular" day in many ways. We woke up at (a new life) reasonable time (AFTER I SLEPT FOR ALMOST 6 CONSECUTIVE HOURS WHICH I HAVE NOT DONE SINCE EARLY PREGNANCY!), went to the farmer's market, ran a couple errands, came home, I scrapbooked while the baby napped and Mike ran, we cooked and ate dinner, and watched the Orioles game. It felt like for a tiny little bit of time, we were in a groove and just living life. We even ALMOST got a smile on film today. Even though he doesn't quite get the whole smile going, he totally says "hi".
Heh...you heard it, right? ;) I remember when I took linguistics in college they taught us about how babies are all hard wired to make every possible sound for every language that exists. Eventually we lose the ability to make the sounds from other languages which is why we can't easily mimic the clicking languages of sub-Saharan Africa at this point in our lives. But it made me laugh that the random noise he made today sounds like hi.
But the real HIGH of today is that my best friend had her baby! How fun that our kids are just 6 weeks apart!
Low: I dunno. But that's ok. Who wouldn't want to have a day with no lows?! Better than a day with no highs. :)
But the real HIGH of today is that my best friend had her baby! How fun that our kids are just 6 weeks apart!
Low: I dunno. But that's ok. Who wouldn't want to have a day with no lows?! Better than a day with no highs. :)
Friday, April 12, 2013
Two More Days
In so many ways, life seems like "Groundhog Day" right now. However, I am disappointed that I wasn't at least jotting down something from the early days because the whole first couple weeks blend together so I am trying to look for anything that's different.
Thursday:
High: we got out and about! After group, we returned something to Kohls, perused a local consignment shop, and stopped for Sweet Frog on the way home. There was also an afternoon nap that lasted long enough in one (unheld!) place that I got some stuff done around the house.
Low: the evening was hard. Mike grilled dinner after his run but he was racing the impending rain and I didn't time baby dinner right so we ate in shifts, one handed, and tried to appease the screaming baby. Rough.
Friday:
High: we got out and about again! It was thunder storming terribly when I woke up and was wondering how to finagle a car seat, stroller, and kid in a downpour when it finally lightened up. We went to Panara with a couple other local mommies. He had a full belly and slept in the car seat the whole time. So nice to get out and socialize!
Low: a terrible night. (it wound up leading to a nice morning though I guess) He ate at 11 pm last night and then 1:30-2 and woke up again at 3! After the 3am meal he made it to morning though. Silver lining? :) Oh and double low- today was payday, and my check was gone. Not looking forward to making it work on one salary for the foreseeable future, that's for sure.
Thursday:
High: we got out and about! After group, we returned something to Kohls, perused a local consignment shop, and stopped for Sweet Frog on the way home. There was also an afternoon nap that lasted long enough in one (unheld!) place that I got some stuff done around the house.
Low: the evening was hard. Mike grilled dinner after his run but he was racing the impending rain and I didn't time baby dinner right so we ate in shifts, one handed, and tried to appease the screaming baby. Rough.
Friday:
High: we got out and about again! It was thunder storming terribly when I woke up and was wondering how to finagle a car seat, stroller, and kid in a downpour when it finally lightened up. We went to Panara with a couple other local mommies. He had a full belly and slept in the car seat the whole time. So nice to get out and socialize!
Low: a terrible night. (it wound up leading to a nice morning though I guess) He ate at 11 pm last night and then 1:30-2 and woke up again at 3! After the 3am meal he made it to morning though. Silver lining? :) Oh and double low- today was payday, and my check was gone. Not looking forward to making it work on one salary for the foreseeable future, that's for sure.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
April 9 and 10
Yesterday:
Low: what had been a 5 hour night time stretch was only 3 and a half. Bummer.
High: The lack of night time sleep meant a good mid day nap!
Today:
Low: He was so tired today, but he couldn't take a nap. Such a weird phenomenon...to be so tired that you can't sleep! Once 4pm hit, he finally caved and got a pre dinner snooze in.
High: I got to eat a hot dinner with two hands! (which is good, because it was taco night and that's a hard one handed meal) ;)
Low: what had been a 5 hour night time stretch was only 3 and a half. Bummer.
High: The lack of night time sleep meant a good mid day nap!
Today:
Low: He was so tired today, but he couldn't take a nap. Such a weird phenomenon...to be so tired that you can't sleep! Once 4pm hit, he finally caved and got a pre dinner snooze in.
High: I got to eat a hot dinner with two hands! (which is good, because it was taco night and that's a hard one handed meal) ;)
Monday, April 8, 2013
April 8 Highs and Lows
High - We took advantage of Mike's Monday off and went for a walk on the Ma & Pa trail today. We went from the parking lot to just before the one mile mark. I started off like gangbusters, but had to go slower and slower as we continued. The walk back was very slow. But that's almost 2 miles and that is almost 2 miles more than I have walked since last spring. So yay for me. Then we came home and sat on the deck and looked at the tree.
Low - I AM SO READY TO BE HEALED. It's so frustrating to be in pain from nothing other than walking. I didn't even have to lift the car seat or push the stroller! Argh. Next Monday is my 6 week checkup and I can't even fathom...
Low - I AM SO READY TO BE HEALED. It's so frustrating to be in pain from nothing other than walking. I didn't even have to lift the car seat or push the stroller! Argh. Next Monday is my 6 week checkup and I can't even fathom...
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Sunday Highs and Lows
High: We ran 2 errands with the munchkin and he was really well behaved. Woohoo for getting out of the house!
Low: One of the errands we ran was to get a little camcorder (like a "Flip" style even though they don't make those anymore) but apparently NOBODY makes that style anymore. Now we have to do research and decide what we want. It's times like this when I miss the iPhone because my GS3 doesn't talk to my Mac as nicely. It'll transfer pictures but not videos.
Low: One of the errands we ran was to get a little camcorder (like a "Flip" style even though they don't make those anymore) but apparently NOBODY makes that style anymore. Now we have to do research and decide what we want. It's times like this when I miss the iPhone because my GS3 doesn't talk to my Mac as nicely. It'll transfer pictures but not videos.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
April 6 - Highs and Lows
High - We got real smiles today! It happened for both of us separately at different times under different circumstances, so we're pretty sure we're right about them being real. Super fun to have him react to us in this way after a month of crossed eyes, blank stares, and smiles that were gas or reflexes. Another high was going to a baby shower on my own. I really hemmed and hawed about how to handle it - go, not go, take him, take the pump, wing it without the pump, etc. I went with the pump and had a good time!
Low - Being away from my baby for 5 whole hours ... How can that be a high AND a low? I don't know, but it is!
Low - Being away from my baby for 5 whole hours ... How can that be a high AND a low? I don't know, but it is!
Friday, April 5, 2013
One month (2 days late)
Things to remember at this one month point...
Size:
The day before one month, he was 8 pounds 11 ounces. The day after one month, he was 8 pounds 12 ounces. (So I guess we could say he was 8 pounds 11.5 ounces?) ;) Unofficially, he's just over 21 inches. I feel like I didn't do a good job with that though because his pants have a bigger difference than just an inch, and he was almost 21 inches three weeks ago.
Clothes:
None of the newborn sized sleepers fit anymore. First the Faded Glory brand stopped fitting, then the Gerbers. He still fits in most of the newborn onesies but a couple are too small. The brands are SO different. Size 0-3 months is still a little big, especially the brands that are wider because he's so long and skinny. The "one size fits all" pajama bags and sleep sacks fit him more reasonably now and don't get up in his face when he wiggles around. That makes me feel better. His fleece pajama bags still have the sleeves rolled up a little so his hands can stick out though. For some reason, baby clothes makers think that once they're out of newborn size, parents prefer snaps to zippers. I much preferred the zippers that went from neck to toe. SO MUCH EASIER! Ones with snaps that just go neck to toe down one leg are ok, but the ones that snap up both legs and then the chest are a pain in the butt.
Eating:
During the day, he eats every 1 to 3 hours for a total of approximately 10 times a day. In the last week to 10 days, there have been times were the 40 minute feeding has turned into just 10, and it appears he is getting the same amount of food. Other times it's still long and he is lazy. He ate 3.2 ounces in a sitting at baby breakfast the day after he turned 1 month old. Our previous high was 2.6 ounces. He makes a distinct "ah ah ah" sound while bobbing his head against our arm/chest/shoulder/neck/face while making fish faces or chomping motions to tell us he wants to eat. So far, he has done great with bottles. We have been successful with 2 different brands of bottles and nipples, all with pumped milk. He has been fine eating after the bottle as well. It appears that he enjoys the instant gratification of the bottle but luckily it hasn't messed up his regular eating habits.
Sleeping:
He will sleep for about 5 hours after his midnight feeding many times now. Then after an early breakfast at 530 or so, he will sleep or at least chill in the crib for a while longer to let me sleep. I did pop him in the buzzy chair next to the bed to increase my morning sleep a couple times too. There is no pattern to daytime naps really, but he does tend to have awake times in the mid morning and in the evening. After his midnight feeding when his eyes are droopy, I put him in the crib. Just a couple weeks ago it took forever for him to lay down and chill out. Now it might take a couple more tries, but he seems to be starting to understand what the crib is for. He doesn't get quiet right away, but he doesn't cry. More just babbling to himself while he conducts the invisible orchestra, waving his hands around to some mysterious music he hears in his head.
Physical:
His tummy time head control is constantly improving. He can keep it up for lots of seconds now and flips from cheek to cheek while he is down there. He also moves his knees back and forth a ton resulting in random movement and turns. In the crib, he moves himself to the edge of the crib so that he's touching the rails and sometimes his arm is sticking out. If we hold him up, he'll look around especially if he recognizes the voice of the non holding parent nearby. He still has his startle reflex and the one that makes him hold our finger.
Facial:
He makes many silly faces now. He will hold our gaze on a regular basis. He smiles a ton, but it's just a reflex for now. He laughs and smiles in his sleep all the time. We have yet to catch it on video though. He appears to recognize the two of us, but this gazing stage got more pronounced this week since it's just been the two of us so who knows. He saw and heard 3 people for the first 4 weeks and now he's down to 2 on a daily basis.
Crying:
He doesn't scream bloody murder during every single diaper change anymore. Sometimes, if he's sleepy or in an exceptionally good mood, he can ignore it altogether. Often there is still some crying and sometimes it is full meltdown, but an improvement upon a couple weeks ago, that's for sure. So far we have a 100% success rate with crying stopping as soon as the car starts moving which helps because often getting locked into the car seat starts a little crying. We are lucky in that the wailing, screeching crying for extended times hasn't been a regular occurrence yet. Now that he lost his belly button stump and can have more water in his little bathtub, the crying ends there quicker as well. He will sit contentedly for a little while while getting washed. He really hated the sponge bath portion of his life, but I don't blame him for that. If it's been a little while since he ate and he goes from peaceful to unhappy cry in 0.1 seconds, it's often followed by the need for a diaper change. ;)
Vocal:
It's hard to put in writing, but he makes a lot of different noises now. We don't know what they all mean, but it changes all the time. It's funny when his random noises make words. We get uh-huh (like the grunting version of yes), uh-uh (grunting version of no), and ut-oh!
Activities:
We put him in the rainforest gym on his back and stomach at least twice a day. Once in the morning while that corner of the room is nice and toasty which also happens to coincide with a time he's usually alert and happy. He will kick his legs and conduct the invisible orchestra. If he's sad to be put down, the calipso music usually quiets and calms him down. He swings in the swing about once a day, usually around dinner time in an attempt for both of us to eat a hot meal. He sits on our laps and we try to get him to mimic facial expressions like opening and closing our mouths, or sticking out our tongue. We can't tell if he can really do it or if we just get randomly lucky sometimes because those are things he does do on his own. He also likes to lay propped up in the boppy pillow and stare around the room. It's possible that he noticed the cat earlier this week, because the cat walked by him while he was on the boppy and his eyes definitely tracked the cat's walking path. We've taken several walks around the neighborhood as the weather has started being more cooperative.
Me:
In many ways, I feel back to normal. But if I do too much (or sit too much, interestingly enough) I am still sore. I don't know what exactly is sore because Advil doesn't help much. You don't realize how much you use those muscles for lifting until you're waiting for them to heal. I keep telling myself that there's a reason the first appointment isn't until 6 weeks. Even though it feels like another lifetime that was before March 3rd, a month isn't that long in the healing stitched muscles department. On our first outing I carried the car seat too much and I think I'm still paying for that. Even if it takes more time, I really need to pull the snap 'n go up to the car and pop the stroller on there. (I was carrying it to the store and putting it in the big part of the cart - my arms are strong enough, but the rest of me isn't.) On top of it, I haven't used my muscles since the end of May last year before I started my meds, so that probably doesn't help. I'm really ready to be able to move again! Walking is good, but I have to take that slowly as well. I'm trying to be very aware of my mental state. I had a terrible mental day on Wednesday - our second day alone, nowhere to be, and I only saw Mike for 6 hours in 2 days combined. There's not always something I can do about the circumstances, but I'm going to have to find a way to cope and get used to it for the next 4.5 months...then I'll have a whole different circumstance to deal with as a (10 months at a time) working mom!
Size:
The day before one month, he was 8 pounds 11 ounces. The day after one month, he was 8 pounds 12 ounces. (So I guess we could say he was 8 pounds 11.5 ounces?) ;) Unofficially, he's just over 21 inches. I feel like I didn't do a good job with that though because his pants have a bigger difference than just an inch, and he was almost 21 inches three weeks ago.
Clothes:
None of the newborn sized sleepers fit anymore. First the Faded Glory brand stopped fitting, then the Gerbers. He still fits in most of the newborn onesies but a couple are too small. The brands are SO different. Size 0-3 months is still a little big, especially the brands that are wider because he's so long and skinny. The "one size fits all" pajama bags and sleep sacks fit him more reasonably now and don't get up in his face when he wiggles around. That makes me feel better. His fleece pajama bags still have the sleeves rolled up a little so his hands can stick out though. For some reason, baby clothes makers think that once they're out of newborn size, parents prefer snaps to zippers. I much preferred the zippers that went from neck to toe. SO MUCH EASIER! Ones with snaps that just go neck to toe down one leg are ok, but the ones that snap up both legs and then the chest are a pain in the butt.
Eating:
During the day, he eats every 1 to 3 hours for a total of approximately 10 times a day. In the last week to 10 days, there have been times were the 40 minute feeding has turned into just 10, and it appears he is getting the same amount of food. Other times it's still long and he is lazy. He ate 3.2 ounces in a sitting at baby breakfast the day after he turned 1 month old. Our previous high was 2.6 ounces. He makes a distinct "ah ah ah" sound while bobbing his head against our arm/chest/shoulder/neck/face while making fish faces or chomping motions to tell us he wants to eat. So far, he has done great with bottles. We have been successful with 2 different brands of bottles and nipples, all with pumped milk. He has been fine eating after the bottle as well. It appears that he enjoys the instant gratification of the bottle but luckily it hasn't messed up his regular eating habits.
Sleeping:
He will sleep for about 5 hours after his midnight feeding many times now. Then after an early breakfast at 530 or so, he will sleep or at least chill in the crib for a while longer to let me sleep. I did pop him in the buzzy chair next to the bed to increase my morning sleep a couple times too. There is no pattern to daytime naps really, but he does tend to have awake times in the mid morning and in the evening. After his midnight feeding when his eyes are droopy, I put him in the crib. Just a couple weeks ago it took forever for him to lay down and chill out. Now it might take a couple more tries, but he seems to be starting to understand what the crib is for. He doesn't get quiet right away, but he doesn't cry. More just babbling to himself while he conducts the invisible orchestra, waving his hands around to some mysterious music he hears in his head.
Physical:
His tummy time head control is constantly improving. He can keep it up for lots of seconds now and flips from cheek to cheek while he is down there. He also moves his knees back and forth a ton resulting in random movement and turns. In the crib, he moves himself to the edge of the crib so that he's touching the rails and sometimes his arm is sticking out. If we hold him up, he'll look around especially if he recognizes the voice of the non holding parent nearby. He still has his startle reflex and the one that makes him hold our finger.
Facial:
He makes many silly faces now. He will hold our gaze on a regular basis. He smiles a ton, but it's just a reflex for now. He laughs and smiles in his sleep all the time. We have yet to catch it on video though. He appears to recognize the two of us, but this gazing stage got more pronounced this week since it's just been the two of us so who knows. He saw and heard 3 people for the first 4 weeks and now he's down to 2 on a daily basis.
Crying:
He doesn't scream bloody murder during every single diaper change anymore. Sometimes, if he's sleepy or in an exceptionally good mood, he can ignore it altogether. Often there is still some crying and sometimes it is full meltdown, but an improvement upon a couple weeks ago, that's for sure. So far we have a 100% success rate with crying stopping as soon as the car starts moving which helps because often getting locked into the car seat starts a little crying. We are lucky in that the wailing, screeching crying for extended times hasn't been a regular occurrence yet. Now that he lost his belly button stump and can have more water in his little bathtub, the crying ends there quicker as well. He will sit contentedly for a little while while getting washed. He really hated the sponge bath portion of his life, but I don't blame him for that. If it's been a little while since he ate and he goes from peaceful to unhappy cry in 0.1 seconds, it's often followed by the need for a diaper change. ;)
Vocal:
It's hard to put in writing, but he makes a lot of different noises now. We don't know what they all mean, but it changes all the time. It's funny when his random noises make words. We get uh-huh (like the grunting version of yes), uh-uh (grunting version of no), and ut-oh!
Activities:
We put him in the rainforest gym on his back and stomach at least twice a day. Once in the morning while that corner of the room is nice and toasty which also happens to coincide with a time he's usually alert and happy. He will kick his legs and conduct the invisible orchestra. If he's sad to be put down, the calipso music usually quiets and calms him down. He swings in the swing about once a day, usually around dinner time in an attempt for both of us to eat a hot meal. He sits on our laps and we try to get him to mimic facial expressions like opening and closing our mouths, or sticking out our tongue. We can't tell if he can really do it or if we just get randomly lucky sometimes because those are things he does do on his own. He also likes to lay propped up in the boppy pillow and stare around the room. It's possible that he noticed the cat earlier this week, because the cat walked by him while he was on the boppy and his eyes definitely tracked the cat's walking path. We've taken several walks around the neighborhood as the weather has started being more cooperative.
Me:
In many ways, I feel back to normal. But if I do too much (or sit too much, interestingly enough) I am still sore. I don't know what exactly is sore because Advil doesn't help much. You don't realize how much you use those muscles for lifting until you're waiting for them to heal. I keep telling myself that there's a reason the first appointment isn't until 6 weeks. Even though it feels like another lifetime that was before March 3rd, a month isn't that long in the healing stitched muscles department. On our first outing I carried the car seat too much and I think I'm still paying for that. Even if it takes more time, I really need to pull the snap 'n go up to the car and pop the stroller on there. (I was carrying it to the store and putting it in the big part of the cart - my arms are strong enough, but the rest of me isn't.) On top of it, I haven't used my muscles since the end of May last year before I started my meds, so that probably doesn't help. I'm really ready to be able to move again! Walking is good, but I have to take that slowly as well. I'm trying to be very aware of my mental state. I had a terrible mental day on Wednesday - our second day alone, nowhere to be, and I only saw Mike for 6 hours in 2 days combined. There's not always something I can do about the circumstances, but I'm going to have to find a way to cope and get used to it for the next 4.5 months...then I'll have a whole different circumstance to deal with as a (10 months at a time) working mom!
April 5
We have been home from the hospital for a whole month now. Individually, many of those days felt like a year. It's already hard to remember details from those early days because it seems like eons ago. But at the same time, I can't believe it's been a month!
Highs for today: Tons of human adult interaction! We have a seasonal plan with an exterminator to deal with ants and a couple other things we just couldn't get under control when we moved in. Since we always have the same tech, we do have conversations with him when he's here. Plus, he's a very chatty guy in our age range. He was happy to see our new addition today and we chatted for a bit after he finished the treatment since he has a couple little kids. Then, mike surprised us by coming home in the early afternoon to watch opening day. (and because I think he was worried about me on Wednesday when I lost my marbles after seeing him for a combined 6 hours in 3 days...he called to check on me Thursday too;) He even brought Taco Bell home. Finally, my carpool friend and her daughter came to visit this evening. All good things for a healthy me!
Low: In reading some emails today, it appears I'm going to be missing some important stuff at work. Things that will impact me far into the future. I'm disappointed about that, but I'm not going to work even for a meeting during the unpaid leave time. I just can't. That is frustrating. It's hard to have such sweeping educational change happening right now! Just at the moment where our kids' performance starts counting in our evaluations, I'm at home learning how to be a mom. Already a hard balance.
Highs for today: Tons of human adult interaction! We have a seasonal plan with an exterminator to deal with ants and a couple other things we just couldn't get under control when we moved in. Since we always have the same tech, we do have conversations with him when he's here. Plus, he's a very chatty guy in our age range. He was happy to see our new addition today and we chatted for a bit after he finished the treatment since he has a couple little kids. Then, mike surprised us by coming home in the early afternoon to watch opening day. (and because I think he was worried about me on Wednesday when I lost my marbles after seeing him for a combined 6 hours in 3 days...he called to check on me Thursday too;) He even brought Taco Bell home. Finally, my carpool friend and her daughter came to visit this evening. All good things for a healthy me!
Low: In reading some emails today, it appears I'm going to be missing some important stuff at work. Things that will impact me far into the future. I'm disappointed about that, but I'm not going to work even for a meeting during the unpaid leave time. I just can't. That is frustrating. It's hard to have such sweeping educational change happening right now! Just at the moment where our kids' performance starts counting in our evaluations, I'm at home learning how to be a mom. Already a hard balance.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
April 4's Highs and Lows
One the of the blogs I read does highs and lows of the day to remember a slice of life. I'm taking a lot of pictures these days but honestly they're all pretty similar so I don't know what to do about reviving the blog in that department. Maybe I'll use the fact that I have my camera out on a regular basis to take pictures of other things, too. I have both NO time and TONS of time on my hand, so I'll have to figure it out.
So for now, it's highs and lows because they can be done quickly.
Low - Two diaper blowouts - One at "baby breakfast" after he was dressed and ready to go in the car seat (I guess it's good that it didn't happen a minute later!) I don't even know how it happened that time. Two hours later it happened in the pack n play during a diaper change. I seriously need to get better and quicker at that. Luckily I have lots of chances to practice. ;)
High - Had some really nice conversation with other new moms who are feeling bewildered and lonely at home too while I was at "baby breakfast." It's nice to have access to nurses who are lactation specialists as we get this eating thing under control - that's the real purpose for going, but it's nice to chit chat for an hour or so with other people, too. It made today a much better day than yesterday mentally!
So for now, it's highs and lows because they can be done quickly.
Low - Two diaper blowouts - One at "baby breakfast" after he was dressed and ready to go in the car seat (I guess it's good that it didn't happen a minute later!) I don't even know how it happened that time. Two hours later it happened in the pack n play during a diaper change. I seriously need to get better and quicker at that. Luckily I have lots of chances to practice. ;)
High - Had some really nice conversation with other new moms who are feeling bewildered and lonely at home too while I was at "baby breakfast." It's nice to have access to nurses who are lactation specialists as we get this eating thing under control - that's the real purpose for going, but it's nice to chit chat for an hour or so with other people, too. It made today a much better day than yesterday mentally!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Our First Solo Day
I know it may seem pathetic to some, but today, one day short of the little guy being a month old, was our first solo day together. At first we had 3 adults (the two of us and my mom) to get through the days and nights. Then Mike went back to work and my mom stayed for a week to help over night and keep me company during the day. Then she left, but Mike was home for his (perpetually) 3 day weekend through yesterday. So today was it!
I was glad it was a Tuesday, because we had "baby breakfast." (Name coined by Tracie!) It's the breastfeeding support group at our hospital. In addition to having them help me figure out the ins and outs of bf, it's nice to visit with other new, overtired, bewildered, getting-used-to-being-a-milk-machine-instead-of-a-commuting-professional-for-awhile moms.
Our morning started before 5 with our first meal. About 4.5 hours of sleep in a row. Woohoo! While the little guy ate, Mike left for work. Afterwards, I put him back in the crib and went back to bed. I'm not sure if he ever fell all the way back asleep because I heard a little squeaking, but he wasn't looking for me so I napped for awhile. By 7 we were downstairs killing time. After we played in the rainforest gym for awhile, it was time to eat again and then get ready to go. Thankfully, he was willing to take a quick nap in his chair outside the bathroom door while I showered. He was upset for a minute or two but the hairdryer coming on made him happy again. I got him ready and out the door and we were even on time! After group, we ran to Babies R Us and Staples to grab a couple things and then came home and collapsed.
The hardest thing is still lifting him in the seat. I did sucessfully get him into the car, onto the stroller to wheel him from the parking lot to hospital, and then from car to store's shopping cart twice. But I'm paying the price now. I think my stitches are mostly dissolved but I still have some pain and at times it's pretty bad. Lifting is harder on that area of the body than you'd think. Just him is ok, but him and the seat is hard. I'm ready for that to be easier!
So then we spent the afternoon rotating between nap time and awake time while watching Opening Day and GH's 50th anniversary. Finally Mike got home around 7, just in time to hold the baby while I stirred the pasta. By the time we ate dinner and did bath time, it was almost time for Mike to go to bed again!
Tomorrow we do it all over again, minus the errands. Less social interaction, but more napping. ;)
I was glad it was a Tuesday, because we had "baby breakfast." (Name coined by Tracie!) It's the breastfeeding support group at our hospital. In addition to having them help me figure out the ins and outs of bf, it's nice to visit with other new, overtired, bewildered, getting-used-to-being-a-milk-machine-instead-of-a-commuting-professional-for-awhile moms.
Our morning started before 5 with our first meal. About 4.5 hours of sleep in a row. Woohoo! While the little guy ate, Mike left for work. Afterwards, I put him back in the crib and went back to bed. I'm not sure if he ever fell all the way back asleep because I heard a little squeaking, but he wasn't looking for me so I napped for awhile. By 7 we were downstairs killing time. After we played in the rainforest gym for awhile, it was time to eat again and then get ready to go. Thankfully, he was willing to take a quick nap in his chair outside the bathroom door while I showered. He was upset for a minute or two but the hairdryer coming on made him happy again. I got him ready and out the door and we were even on time! After group, we ran to Babies R Us and Staples to grab a couple things and then came home and collapsed.
The hardest thing is still lifting him in the seat. I did sucessfully get him into the car, onto the stroller to wheel him from the parking lot to hospital, and then from car to store's shopping cart twice. But I'm paying the price now. I think my stitches are mostly dissolved but I still have some pain and at times it's pretty bad. Lifting is harder on that area of the body than you'd think. Just him is ok, but him and the seat is hard. I'm ready for that to be easier!
So then we spent the afternoon rotating between nap time and awake time while watching Opening Day and GH's 50th anniversary. Finally Mike got home around 7, just in time to hold the baby while I stirred the pasta. By the time we ate dinner and did bath time, it was almost time for Mike to go to bed again!
Tomorrow we do it all over again, minus the errands. Less social interaction, but more napping. ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
