It's been a little while since my last blog - I've been engrossed in being a mother - but it is time to blog again!
Last week was an interesting week. Emily decided, out of nowhere, to start crying when it was time to breastfeed. On Thursday night we sat down in the glider with the boppy for the last feeding before bedtime. She ate from one side just fine, but then, when I put her to my other boob (I don't know how else to say that...) she started screaming. Not just a little whiny cry, but a full on bawling screamfest. No matter how I positioned her she wouldn't stop. I could tell she was still hungry but nothing would get her to stop crying. At first I thought, maybe she is just gassy, so I burped her for a while. Then I tried baby gas x. She still cried every time the boob got near her. My mom was over so she was trying to help, but nothing she did worked either. Once Emily was crying, there was no stopping it at all. I got frustrated, snapped at Mom, she left to give us some space. Mike came in and after about 45 minutes Emily calmed down, kind of. It took another 2 hours to get her to go to sleep.
The feedings that took place throughout the night were fine, so I thought it was an isolated incident. But no. I couldn't be so lucky. The next day, starting with the 7 a.m. feeding she was all tears again. I ended up ditching the boppy pillow, sitting hunched over on the floor and after about 45 minutes of trying she finally settled down to eat. Then she was all smiles.
Each feeding throughout the day was pretty much the same. They got a little better each time as I relearned what Emily would and wouldn't tolerate. I have no idea what changed. The only thing I can think of is that she is taking a bottle more often now that the nanny is here. Perhaps she was confused? It does happen. But she ate just fine once she latched so who knows...
What I can say is this. As a mom when you are trying to comfort your baby and nothing works it is a very difficult thing. When you are trying to feed her and she is screaming around your nipple, it is even worse. The logical part of me knew that something was wrong on her end, that I should be comforting her. After all, how frustrating it must be when you can't communicate at all other than to scream. But the emotional side of me felt rejected. Horribly rejected. After a full day of this I went over to my sister-in-law's house. She has 2 kiddos. One is almost 2 and the other is about 4 months old. I figured if anyone could understand what I was going through it would be her. And I needed some sympathy.
Lucky for me, the feeding situation worked itself out. As long as I no longer use the boppy pillow, we don't have any problems. Perhaps it was the angle? Who knows...
What I learned at Katie's was life changing. It has only been a few days, but those few days have been amazing. See, lately Emily gets fussy around 8 p.m. And she fusses till she falls asleep at about 11. We try to get her to go to bed at 8, but it just takes forever to get her there. And there is usually a fair amount of crying on the way. Mike is usually the one to handle the baby this time of night since he doesn't get to see her while he is at work. And it is very hard for him that she fusses so much when he has her - even though he knows it is just because she is overtired.
Katie and John gave me a DVD called the Happiest Baby on the Block as a shower gift. I had already read the book so I thought I didn't really need to watch the DVD. Boy was I wrong. Katie suggested I watch it, and when I did i realized that we could improve on how we comforted Emily. Something was totally lost in translation in the text version. The video made it painfully obvious.
Sunday was the first night I used the technique. Emily had been crying on and off for about 3 and a half hours. She would fall asleep, wake herself up, then cry some more. I used the methods in the DVD and she fell deeply asleep within 5 minutes. And she stayed asleep. Granted it was midnight by then, but it was still a victory.
Last night she started to fuss around 8 again. I applied the techniques and whala! She was calm within about 30 seconds and asleep in about 10 minutes. She slept from 8:30 until 1:30, got up to feed, then went right back to sleep. If it was Christmas, I would say it was a Christmas Miracle! But it was only Halloween and I don't think there is a Halloween Miracle.
Anyway, a special thank you to Jon and Katie for giving me that DVD. And a extra special thank you to Katie for encouraging me to watch it. Now Mike and I get some time to ourselves in the evening. Something I am sure every parent cherishes.
For any baby parent or soon to be parent reading this: do not pass go. Go directly to Amazon and buy that DVD. It will make your life so much easier. And you wont have the heartache of trying desperately to calm a baby with no effect.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
ROAD TRIP!
I know, I know. You are thinking "Are you nuts? Going on a road trip with a one month old?" And the answer is "yes I am."
Thursday we packed up the car and headed from Dallas to Galveston to introduce Emily to my grandmother. The night before I sorted through all of the baby stuff, decided what we needed and piled everything so high we could have had an amazing bonfire.
I had to have plenty of cute outfits to show off in but Mike made me parse 20 outfits down to 8 (for a 3 day trip mind you...) And no I am not talking about outfits for myself, but outfits for the baby. A weird thing happens when you have a daughter. You don't really care so much what your outfit looks like anymore. You just want to make sure she is the best dressed gal in the room. As long as she looks cute, who cares if you do? I swear, no one looks at me anymore. And I find that somewhat appalling given that I have more cleavage than I have ever dreamed of having. But whatever, Emily is the star, and if that means I can get away with not wearing makeup, I am surprisingly ok with it!
Although we planned to leave around 11 it was well past 1 when we left and we had to pick up lunch on the road. Emily was great. She went to sleep and stayed asleep all the way to Buckees outside of Houston. We parked in the back of the parking lot so I could feed her, which was uneventful. But then I tried to change her diaper. I pulled out a changing pad and laid it on the back seat to change her.
For those of you who have read my previous blogs I would like to reference the Exorcist Incident. Now, lucky for me there was no spit up this time, just explosive poop. And we were in Mike's brand new 4Runner. Now, also lucky for me, I managed to catch it all in the diaper and on the changing pad, bub Baby Emily ended up with a onesy covered in poo. So we cleaned off the changing pad, laid it on the concrete next to the car, pulled off the onesy and got that diaper changed. Outfit changed and smelling like baby wipes, Emily happily went right back to sleep in the car seat while Mike and I hightailed it out of there praying no one took down our license plate and called CPS.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, but the evening gets better. We arrived safely in Galveston at my grandmother's house and took baby inside to meet her. We ate dinner, then got my 88 year old grandmother situated in a chair with a boppy pillow. We handed her the baby and a pacifier, then went out to the car to get all of our luggage. As I pulled the door shut behind me I thought, uh oh! But before I could catch it, the door shut. AND LOCKED. So we were locked outside with no key, and my grandmother was locked inside with a baby in her lap, unable to get up to let us in.
And the moment I realized we were locked out, Emily started bawling at the top of her lungs. I panicked. Mike didn't. By the grace of God, he had left his cell phone in the car. I called my mother. She immediately set to work calling her siblings who live in Galveston. Meanwhile I am yelling through the window at my grandmother. "We locked ourselves out. Can you hear me? Don't try to get up!"
My aunt and uncle arrived about 5 minutes later to let us in. Emily was still crying. Apparently she threw her pacifier on the ground and then flailed about wildly at my poor grandmother. All in all, it was a non incident, but hearing that baby cry and being powerless to reach her was definitely emotionally trying!
The rest of the trip went really well. Emily got to meet one of my cousin's, several aunts and uncles, and of course, my grandmother, who might have been as traumatized as I was by the whole experience. We got a picture with 4 generations - My grandmother, my mom, me, and Emily.
The ride back was pretty easy. Emily slept the whole way again - with only one stop to feed. I had a great time in Galveston, but getting home was definitely a relief. It is just much easier to handle a baby when you are in your own space, in your own routine. And of course, having a nanny sure helps too.
Thursday we packed up the car and headed from Dallas to Galveston to introduce Emily to my grandmother. The night before I sorted through all of the baby stuff, decided what we needed and piled everything so high we could have had an amazing bonfire.
I had to have plenty of cute outfits to show off in but Mike made me parse 20 outfits down to 8 (for a 3 day trip mind you...) And no I am not talking about outfits for myself, but outfits for the baby. A weird thing happens when you have a daughter. You don't really care so much what your outfit looks like anymore. You just want to make sure she is the best dressed gal in the room. As long as she looks cute, who cares if you do? I swear, no one looks at me anymore. And I find that somewhat appalling given that I have more cleavage than I have ever dreamed of having. But whatever, Emily is the star, and if that means I can get away with not wearing makeup, I am surprisingly ok with it!
Although we planned to leave around 11 it was well past 1 when we left and we had to pick up lunch on the road. Emily was great. She went to sleep and stayed asleep all the way to Buckees outside of Houston. We parked in the back of the parking lot so I could feed her, which was uneventful. But then I tried to change her diaper. I pulled out a changing pad and laid it on the back seat to change her.
For those of you who have read my previous blogs I would like to reference the Exorcist Incident. Now, lucky for me there was no spit up this time, just explosive poop. And we were in Mike's brand new 4Runner. Now, also lucky for me, I managed to catch it all in the diaper and on the changing pad, bub Baby Emily ended up with a onesy covered in poo. So we cleaned off the changing pad, laid it on the concrete next to the car, pulled off the onesy and got that diaper changed. Outfit changed and smelling like baby wipes, Emily happily went right back to sleep in the car seat while Mike and I hightailed it out of there praying no one took down our license plate and called CPS.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, but the evening gets better. We arrived safely in Galveston at my grandmother's house and took baby inside to meet her. We ate dinner, then got my 88 year old grandmother situated in a chair with a boppy pillow. We handed her the baby and a pacifier, then went out to the car to get all of our luggage. As I pulled the door shut behind me I thought, uh oh! But before I could catch it, the door shut. AND LOCKED. So we were locked outside with no key, and my grandmother was locked inside with a baby in her lap, unable to get up to let us in.
And the moment I realized we were locked out, Emily started bawling at the top of her lungs. I panicked. Mike didn't. By the grace of God, he had left his cell phone in the car. I called my mother. She immediately set to work calling her siblings who live in Galveston. Meanwhile I am yelling through the window at my grandmother. "We locked ourselves out. Can you hear me? Don't try to get up!"
My aunt and uncle arrived about 5 minutes later to let us in. Emily was still crying. Apparently she threw her pacifier on the ground and then flailed about wildly at my poor grandmother. All in all, it was a non incident, but hearing that baby cry and being powerless to reach her was definitely emotionally trying!
The rest of the trip went really well. Emily got to meet one of my cousin's, several aunts and uncles, and of course, my grandmother, who might have been as traumatized as I was by the whole experience. We got a picture with 4 generations - My grandmother, my mom, me, and Emily.
The ride back was pretty easy. Emily slept the whole way again - with only one stop to feed. I had a great time in Galveston, but getting home was definitely a relief. It is just much easier to handle a baby when you are in your own space, in your own routine. And of course, having a nanny sure helps too.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Most of my posts have been about the funnier/grosser side of being a mom, but this one is gonna be a mushy one.
First things first, though. At our one month pediatrician visit Emily weighed 9lbs. 15 oz. That puts her in the 90th percentile for weight. She is 22 and 1/4 inches long, which keeps her in the 95th percentile. I find it so amazing that she is so big since neither of her parents are very large. Emily is happy and healthy and both Mike and I are grateful for that. The only thing we have to worry about right now is a slightly gunky eye. One of her tear ducts is producing some mucus. The doctor said it was nothing to worry about - apparently it is quite common among newborns. It isn't infected and should flush itself out by the time she is 6 months old if not sooner. In the meantime, I have to massage her tear ducts twice a day and keep the eye clean. All of which is easier said than done since Emily cries every time I take a warm wet wash cloth to the eye. And massaging a baby's tear duct is just plain difficult. It is hard to get her to hold still. I can't complain though. On the scale of things that could go wrong, this is way down the line.
I am feeling very blessed to be experiencing this phase of life. I am really loving being a mom. It is really hard late at night when you have a wakeful baby, but even then, there are moments that just bring joy to your heart. A few nights ago, just after I fed Emily and changed her, we sat down in the rocking chair. Emily was swaddled nice and tight and sucking happily on her pacifier. I was looking down at her talking to her and she spit her pacifier out. I gave her a big smile and she looked right at me and smiled back. This was the first time she smiled and meant it. This smile was totally different than the little gas bubble smiles. This smile was her saying, I see you mom. And it touched my heart like nothing else ever has. It was a moment of pure joy. One of those moments that make the sleepless nights, the c section, the whole nauseated pregnancy worth it. I am so dramatically changed by this tiny creature. I can't remember what life was like without her. And I can't imagine what I would do without her. I feel incredibly protective of her. I find it hard to keep my control freak nature in check, even when it comes to letting someone else change her diaper. And all of this sounds like a giant cliche. But I can't help it. I guess most moms feel this way.
Today, our nanny started. She is great. 24 years old, bilingual, really sweet and soft spoken. I think she will be a wonderful influence for Emily (and totally different from Mike and me!) Mike and I are both home this week. We thought a week of transition would be good for everyone involved. (Well, I'll get a lot more than a week since I will only be working part time for the next month.)
I am finding it almost impossible to let someone else hold my child when I would rather be holding her myself. And that is nothing compared to letting someone else comfort her when she cries. I can barely keep my mouth shut when the nanny changes her diaper because she doesn't do it exactly like me. But I must say, it is lovely to eat my lunch at my leisure. It is wonderful to be able to check my emails and get some work done.
I guess all of this really becomes about balance. I am enjoying having a little freedom again. But I guess that means letting go of a little control. Wish me luck.
First things first, though. At our one month pediatrician visit Emily weighed 9lbs. 15 oz. That puts her in the 90th percentile for weight. She is 22 and 1/4 inches long, which keeps her in the 95th percentile. I find it so amazing that she is so big since neither of her parents are very large. Emily is happy and healthy and both Mike and I are grateful for that. The only thing we have to worry about right now is a slightly gunky eye. One of her tear ducts is producing some mucus. The doctor said it was nothing to worry about - apparently it is quite common among newborns. It isn't infected and should flush itself out by the time she is 6 months old if not sooner. In the meantime, I have to massage her tear ducts twice a day and keep the eye clean. All of which is easier said than done since Emily cries every time I take a warm wet wash cloth to the eye. And massaging a baby's tear duct is just plain difficult. It is hard to get her to hold still. I can't complain though. On the scale of things that could go wrong, this is way down the line.
I am feeling very blessed to be experiencing this phase of life. I am really loving being a mom. It is really hard late at night when you have a wakeful baby, but even then, there are moments that just bring joy to your heart. A few nights ago, just after I fed Emily and changed her, we sat down in the rocking chair. Emily was swaddled nice and tight and sucking happily on her pacifier. I was looking down at her talking to her and she spit her pacifier out. I gave her a big smile and she looked right at me and smiled back. This was the first time she smiled and meant it. This smile was totally different than the little gas bubble smiles. This smile was her saying, I see you mom. And it touched my heart like nothing else ever has. It was a moment of pure joy. One of those moments that make the sleepless nights, the c section, the whole nauseated pregnancy worth it. I am so dramatically changed by this tiny creature. I can't remember what life was like without her. And I can't imagine what I would do without her. I feel incredibly protective of her. I find it hard to keep my control freak nature in check, even when it comes to letting someone else change her diaper. And all of this sounds like a giant cliche. But I can't help it. I guess most moms feel this way.
Today, our nanny started. She is great. 24 years old, bilingual, really sweet and soft spoken. I think she will be a wonderful influence for Emily (and totally different from Mike and me!) Mike and I are both home this week. We thought a week of transition would be good for everyone involved. (Well, I'll get a lot more than a week since I will only be working part time for the next month.)
I am finding it almost impossible to let someone else hold my child when I would rather be holding her myself. And that is nothing compared to letting someone else comfort her when she cries. I can barely keep my mouth shut when the nanny changes her diaper because she doesn't do it exactly like me. But I must say, it is lovely to eat my lunch at my leisure. It is wonderful to be able to check my emails and get some work done.
I guess all of this really becomes about balance. I am enjoying having a little freedom again. But I guess that means letting go of a little control. Wish me luck.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Exorcist Episode
Last night was a challenge for sure. Emily slept for 4 hours at a time, but the 2 a.m. feeding was a mess. She was a little fussy while eating, but nothing too out of control. It wasn't until the diaper change began that things weent downhill.
First I took off her diaper and she squirted poop all over the changing table cover. I cleaned that up and put a new diaper under her and she squirted poop all over that. New diaper, which she peed all over before I could even get it all the way on her. New diaper and poop came squirting out again, this time all over my hand. Now, I say squirt, but it was really kind of a cross between bubbling out and spraying, combined with the occasional squirt. I'm not even sure how there was any poop left at this point. After cleaning up the mess AGAIN I finally got a diaper on her and this time it got to stay on. I baby wiped my hand, then used some purelle to sanitize it and reached down to pick Emily up.
At this point she spit up. Are you kidding me? I just changed that changing table cover. It is almost 3 a.m. I am half asleep and already totally grossed out. I'm irritated and I feel bad for her all at the same time. "Oh honey!" I say and pull her into an upright position. I am looking for a burp cloth, but the closest one is across the room in the rocking chair. Luckily I keep more in the drawer of the changing table. I reached down when all of the sudden she goes projectile. Spit up is pouring out of her mouth exorcist style. I start to freak out, but I've seen this before. And all I can really think is "At least it's not pea soup."
Amazingly, even with spit up all down her front, all over her arms and face, all over my arms, and all over the table, Emily didn't shed a tear. Instead she gave a little giggle. Like the whole thing was funny. Haha, Mom. I pooped on you. Haha, Mom. I just puked all over you. This girl is definitely my child. I know this is payback for everything I did to my parents as a kid.
I pulled out an emergency onsie - the plain white ones that I keep in the changing table for just such an occasion - and wiped her down with a wet wash rag. It wasn't until she had to get dressed again that she actually got upset. And then it was another 30 minutes or so before she calmed down enough to go to sleep. When she finally did, I was ecstatic. I put her into the bassinet and crawedl into my own bed, which has never felt so good.
And you think that is the end of the story, but your wrong. It seems like that would be the end of it, but wait, there's more.
I woke up with her several more times before it is light enough and I am coherent enough to notice, but she has left me a present that can only be discovered in daylight. The wall behind the changing table is streaked with runny poo. It has dripped down the wall behind the table.
Now wait just a minute, I think. This is totally unfair. The next words out of my mouth are "Mike, can you come help me?" After all, he got to sleep through the rest of it. And lucky for me, Emily's Daddy is a team player. He Clorox wiped that wall like a pro.
With that I think to myself, "Not a bad way to start the day." And that, my friends, is how I know I am really a mom.
First I took off her diaper and she squirted poop all over the changing table cover. I cleaned that up and put a new diaper under her and she squirted poop all over that. New diaper, which she peed all over before I could even get it all the way on her. New diaper and poop came squirting out again, this time all over my hand. Now, I say squirt, but it was really kind of a cross between bubbling out and spraying, combined with the occasional squirt. I'm not even sure how there was any poop left at this point. After cleaning up the mess AGAIN I finally got a diaper on her and this time it got to stay on. I baby wiped my hand, then used some purelle to sanitize it and reached down to pick Emily up.
At this point she spit up. Are you kidding me? I just changed that changing table cover. It is almost 3 a.m. I am half asleep and already totally grossed out. I'm irritated and I feel bad for her all at the same time. "Oh honey!" I say and pull her into an upright position. I am looking for a burp cloth, but the closest one is across the room in the rocking chair. Luckily I keep more in the drawer of the changing table. I reached down when all of the sudden she goes projectile. Spit up is pouring out of her mouth exorcist style. I start to freak out, but I've seen this before. And all I can really think is "At least it's not pea soup."
Amazingly, even with spit up all down her front, all over her arms and face, all over my arms, and all over the table, Emily didn't shed a tear. Instead she gave a little giggle. Like the whole thing was funny. Haha, Mom. I pooped on you. Haha, Mom. I just puked all over you. This girl is definitely my child. I know this is payback for everything I did to my parents as a kid.
I pulled out an emergency onsie - the plain white ones that I keep in the changing table for just such an occasion - and wiped her down with a wet wash rag. It wasn't until she had to get dressed again that she actually got upset. And then it was another 30 minutes or so before she calmed down enough to go to sleep. When she finally did, I was ecstatic. I put her into the bassinet and crawedl into my own bed, which has never felt so good.
And you think that is the end of the story, but your wrong. It seems like that would be the end of it, but wait, there's more.
I woke up with her several more times before it is light enough and I am coherent enough to notice, but she has left me a present that can only be discovered in daylight. The wall behind the changing table is streaked with runny poo. It has dripped down the wall behind the table.
Now wait just a minute, I think. This is totally unfair. The next words out of my mouth are "Mike, can you come help me?" After all, he got to sleep through the rest of it. And lucky for me, Emily's Daddy is a team player. He Clorox wiped that wall like a pro.
With that I think to myself, "Not a bad way to start the day." And that, my friends, is how I know I am really a mom.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Well the initial adrenaline that comes with having a new baby wore off and it has taken me a few days to get myself together enough for a new blog post. We have had all kinds of company and yesterday was actually the first day Mike and I had alone with Emily since she was born. We had over 3 weeks of help. (Which I am VERY grateful for!) First my mom came and stayed with us, then Mike's mom did. Then my mom returned for a few days. And in the meantime we have had a steady stream of visitors: both daytime guests and over nighters. It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many of our family and friends, but it sure is nice to have things quiet down a little too. Although it will be a short lived quiet. We are visiting Grandmomma soon and then some aunties and uncles will be coming to visit us.
Mike starts work on the 24th so I am gearing up to take care of Emily mostly by myself. Well, I say that, but we have a nanny starting next week. She is 24 and has been a nanny for 5 years for the same family. She is only leaving them because their kids are all in school now. She is bilingual and will speak only Spanish with Emily so that Emily will be bilingual as well. She will be coming from 8:30 to 6:30 Monday through Thursday. On Fridays I will be home with Emily. (I actually wont be back at work full time until after Thanksgiving. I am taking one or two client meetings a day starting in November, but a full return won't happen until after the holiday.)
One of the things I really wanted to be sure to do is spend lots of time with my kids. (There is only one right now, but don't worry Dad, there will be more!) By packing my work week into 4 days I can keep doing what I love and get plenty of time in with Emily. Eventually, when she is in school, I will work 5 days and just adjust my schedule around her school schedule. I have the best job in the world - I get to do something I love and build it exactly the way I want to. I get to structure my life exactly the way I want it. I feel very blessed to be able to do that. Hopefully my kids will feel blessed too!
I am loving being a mom. It is a totally different type of challenge than I have ever faced. For the most part Emily is pretty easy to deal with. She gets a little fussy after feedings, but I am learning to figure out the difference between the "I'm gassy and it hurts" cry and the "I'm bored and you are not very entertaining right now" cry. The only time I get really annoyed (and yes I have lost my temper once or twice) is when I get the "I'm bored" cry at 2 a.m. and Emily won't stop crying and go to sleep. I don't want to be entertaining at 2 a.m. I just want to go to bed. Still, after plenty of prayer I find I am actually really patient and Emily will usually go to sleep after I talk to her for about 30 minutes. (Yes I am that boring. You can put just about anyone to sleep talking about insurance if you work at it...even babies.)
At her last doctor visit (which was about a week and a half ago - I am so behind!) Emily weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. That was her 2 week visit. From the time she left the hospital (at 7 lbs. 10 oz.) she gained 25 oz. That little oinker can eat! 25 oz. in 2 weeks is really good. She was in the 95th percentile for length and the 80th percentile for weight. Her next visit is this Friday. If I can get my act together I'll give you a prompt update.
Kisses from Emily!
Until next time. Whenever that may be...
Mike starts work on the 24th so I am gearing up to take care of Emily mostly by myself. Well, I say that, but we have a nanny starting next week. She is 24 and has been a nanny for 5 years for the same family. She is only leaving them because their kids are all in school now. She is bilingual and will speak only Spanish with Emily so that Emily will be bilingual as well. She will be coming from 8:30 to 6:30 Monday through Thursday. On Fridays I will be home with Emily. (I actually wont be back at work full time until after Thanksgiving. I am taking one or two client meetings a day starting in November, but a full return won't happen until after the holiday.)
One of the things I really wanted to be sure to do is spend lots of time with my kids. (There is only one right now, but don't worry Dad, there will be more!) By packing my work week into 4 days I can keep doing what I love and get plenty of time in with Emily. Eventually, when she is in school, I will work 5 days and just adjust my schedule around her school schedule. I have the best job in the world - I get to do something I love and build it exactly the way I want to. I get to structure my life exactly the way I want it. I feel very blessed to be able to do that. Hopefully my kids will feel blessed too!
I am loving being a mom. It is a totally different type of challenge than I have ever faced. For the most part Emily is pretty easy to deal with. She gets a little fussy after feedings, but I am learning to figure out the difference between the "I'm gassy and it hurts" cry and the "I'm bored and you are not very entertaining right now" cry. The only time I get really annoyed (and yes I have lost my temper once or twice) is when I get the "I'm bored" cry at 2 a.m. and Emily won't stop crying and go to sleep. I don't want to be entertaining at 2 a.m. I just want to go to bed. Still, after plenty of prayer I find I am actually really patient and Emily will usually go to sleep after I talk to her for about 30 minutes. (Yes I am that boring. You can put just about anyone to sleep talking about insurance if you work at it...even babies.)
At her last doctor visit (which was about a week and a half ago - I am so behind!) Emily weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. That was her 2 week visit. From the time she left the hospital (at 7 lbs. 10 oz.) she gained 25 oz. That little oinker can eat! 25 oz. in 2 weeks is really good. She was in the 95th percentile for length and the 80th percentile for weight. Her next visit is this Friday. If I can get my act together I'll give you a prompt update.
Kisses from Emily!
Until next time. Whenever that may be...
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Adventures in the Night!
Back so soon? Why yes I am! I am getting used to Emily's schedule and I know when I have a few minutes to spare.
Oh what a night!
Being a parent is a complete life changer. I used to be able to do whatever I wanted. Now all I get to do is feed Emily. Not that I mind. But it is different. Last night she was out at 7:30 and I thought, "How fabulous! I can set her in the bassinet and read for an hour before I go to bed." (And yes, I would gladly go to bed at 8:30 at this point. I'll take my sleep where I can get it!)
So... I set her in the bassinet, brushed my teeth, grabbed my kindle, and got into bed. I got to read one paragraph before Emily decided she missed being held in my arms and the squawking began. Seriously? Part of me was delighted that she noticed I was gone, but most of me just wished she would conk out for the night.
Two hours and a feeding later Emily finally decided to go back to sleep. So much for my plan to relax for a bit. By the time she passed out I was exhausted. So I just went to sleep too. The good news is that she slept until 1:30. Which means I got a full four hours of sleep. Before I was a parent four hours of sleep would have been atrocious. Now it sounds like heaven. And it felt like it too. How quickly things change!
Mike and I got up with Emily, who was howling with hunger. She latched immediately and went to town with the feeding. All good. Until she decided she was done. At that point, still clamped firmly on my nipple, she pushed her little body back as hard as she could and threw her head back. Now, I was kinda prepared for this (because she has done it before), but not totally.
The pain was excruciating! It felt like she was going to pull my nipple off while biting it! I screamed. Yes, I actually screamed. Then I burst into tears. Meanwhile, content little Emily was giggling up at me, totally unaware of what she had done. I have to admit, there was a small part of me that instinctively wanted to slap her at the moment it was occurring. It reminded me of a story my mom always tells. A story where I was actually slapped for doing the same thing. Granted, I was much older and had teeth, but still... I guess turn about is fair play.
After I finally pulled myself together and stopped crying - at which point Emily had started to cry since she could not figure out why her meal was interrupted - I had to start the feeding all over again and brave another bite. Luckily for me (and Emily) there were no further episodes.
Except... that when she was done she was pretty fussy and daddy had to rock her to sleep. Because I don't have much ab strength due to the C section, my rocking chair skills are somewhat limited. Mike, on the other hand, rocks "con fuerte". His words, not mine. It's pretty funny to watch.
Daddy and baby both relaxed. Baby fell asleep. And then, baby spit up all over daddy and just kept spitting up. I think she lost about half of what she ate all over Mike. I had to rush in with a burp cloth. I bent over to wipe up the spit up and just fell over. Having no ab muscles just hinders coordination. I was sprawled out on the floor, stunned. Mike was half concerned, half laughing. And Emily just kept spitting up.
It took about 45 minutes to get Emily cleaned and relaxed again. After a total of two hours awake in the middle of the night we could finally go back to sleep.
The good news is that she then slept from 3:30 to 6:45. And after her early morning feeding she slept till 9:00. I got about 7 hour and 45 minutes of sleep in all. I feel pretty good about that. And this morning Emily and I are both doing just fine. And Mike bears no lasting scars from being used as a human burp cloth.
Oh what a night!
Being a parent is a complete life changer. I used to be able to do whatever I wanted. Now all I get to do is feed Emily. Not that I mind. But it is different. Last night she was out at 7:30 and I thought, "How fabulous! I can set her in the bassinet and read for an hour before I go to bed." (And yes, I would gladly go to bed at 8:30 at this point. I'll take my sleep where I can get it!)
So... I set her in the bassinet, brushed my teeth, grabbed my kindle, and got into bed. I got to read one paragraph before Emily decided she missed being held in my arms and the squawking began. Seriously? Part of me was delighted that she noticed I was gone, but most of me just wished she would conk out for the night.
Two hours and a feeding later Emily finally decided to go back to sleep. So much for my plan to relax for a bit. By the time she passed out I was exhausted. So I just went to sleep too. The good news is that she slept until 1:30. Which means I got a full four hours of sleep. Before I was a parent four hours of sleep would have been atrocious. Now it sounds like heaven. And it felt like it too. How quickly things change!
Mike and I got up with Emily, who was howling with hunger. She latched immediately and went to town with the feeding. All good. Until she decided she was done. At that point, still clamped firmly on my nipple, she pushed her little body back as hard as she could and threw her head back. Now, I was kinda prepared for this (because she has done it before), but not totally.
The pain was excruciating! It felt like she was going to pull my nipple off while biting it! I screamed. Yes, I actually screamed. Then I burst into tears. Meanwhile, content little Emily was giggling up at me, totally unaware of what she had done. I have to admit, there was a small part of me that instinctively wanted to slap her at the moment it was occurring. It reminded me of a story my mom always tells. A story where I was actually slapped for doing the same thing. Granted, I was much older and had teeth, but still... I guess turn about is fair play.
After I finally pulled myself together and stopped crying - at which point Emily had started to cry since she could not figure out why her meal was interrupted - I had to start the feeding all over again and brave another bite. Luckily for me (and Emily) there were no further episodes.
Except... that when she was done she was pretty fussy and daddy had to rock her to sleep. Because I don't have much ab strength due to the C section, my rocking chair skills are somewhat limited. Mike, on the other hand, rocks "con fuerte". His words, not mine. It's pretty funny to watch.
Daddy and baby both relaxed. Baby fell asleep. And then, baby spit up all over daddy and just kept spitting up. I think she lost about half of what she ate all over Mike. I had to rush in with a burp cloth. I bent over to wipe up the spit up and just fell over. Having no ab muscles just hinders coordination. I was sprawled out on the floor, stunned. Mike was half concerned, half laughing. And Emily just kept spitting up.
It took about 45 minutes to get Emily cleaned and relaxed again. After a total of two hours awake in the middle of the night we could finally go back to sleep.
The good news is that she then slept from 3:30 to 6:45. And after her early morning feeding she slept till 9:00. I got about 7 hour and 45 minutes of sleep in all. I feel pretty good about that. And this morning Emily and I are both doing just fine. And Mike bears no lasting scars from being used as a human burp cloth.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
My Guest Blogger has Failed Me!
I tried. I really tried. I begged and pleaded and almost threatened but to no avail. Mike refuses to blog about Emily's explosive poop incident. He said he would only do it if I could come up with a good nom de plume and I got nothing. So readers, we have 2 options. I can blog about it, or you can come up with a good pen name for my hubby. We'll see if we get any good responses. If not, I'll just write the story myself.
In the meantime, we have plenty else to talk about.
Recovery from a C section.
Since I had it in my head that I was just going to have a normal birthing experience I never really prepared myself for the possibility of a C section. It's not something I would have chosen if there were any other options. I'm grateful it was an option, don't get me wrong. I feel very blessed to be recovering without complications. And I am even more grateful to have a beautiful healthy baby.
The hardest part is not so much the pain as it is not being able to move around. I can't drive for 2 weeks. Riding in a car isn't too pleasant anyway - it requires too much ab work for stabilization. All I can really do is lie around the house and feed the baby. And really , I think that is a good thing since she hasn't had any of her vaccinations yet, so she shouldn't really be going anywhere.
Today Mike and I are going to get vaccinations for whooping cough and the flu so we can't pass that on to her. I believe all the grandparents are getting the same vaccines as well.
The dogs
The dogs have been adjusting to Emily's presence quite well. We have taught them to maintain about a 2-3 foot distance from her unless invited closer. Neither dog seems particularly interested in getting to close to her. They are both more interested in her stuffed animals. When Emily starts crying during a diaper change both dogs get really uncomfortable. When Emily and I are sitting in the rocker, the dogs lie at my feet facing the door - classic guard dogs. I am really quite proud of them. We are keeping watchful eyes on both dogs, but so far we are pretty pleased. They are very calm and careful around her, and as long as that keeps up, they can both stay!
Emily
Oh, where to begin. This baby is a pretty easy baby. (My blessings are being counted every time I think that!) She is pretty low maintenance. She sleeps a lot right now. At night she goes down about 8 or 8:30, sleeps until 12:30 or 1, gets up for a meal, then sleeps till 5 or so. After that she will go back down for a few hours and I get up with her around 7:30 or 8. So far she has been fairly predictable. During the day her feeding schedule is pretty high maintenance, but the only reason she cries is if she is hungry or we have to change a poopy diaper and we don't use heated wipes.
Somehow Emily manages to sleep through just about everything from barking dogs to slamming cabinet doors, to husbands hollering from the other room. The only thing that seems to startle her is silverware clinking on a plate.
I am amazed by how much I already love this little creature. A lot of mom's don't bond with their babies right away. I really assumed I would be one of those moms. I have a tendency to dissociate from events when I know I am supposed to feel a strong emotion. Emily has pushed her little self right through that. She is absolutely my world in a way I couldn't begin to imagine before I had her. Who else would I get up with at 4 in the morning (with no coffee) just to stare at her adoringly while changing a poopy diaper. If that's not love, I don't know what is.
Here are some new pictures of her for your enjoyment.
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