Mom and baby update

I had my 6-week check-up at the doctor this week.  Everything looks great. I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I still have a ways to go as far as my poor tummy goes.   He said the incision site looks good and that my "pooch" will unfortunately stick around for a bit longer.  All part of the recovery process from the surgery.  


In the doctor's words: "Time for you to get on with life as you normally would."  What does this mean?  I can go about my daily routine, which now includes getting out of the house, strolling Madeline and lifting her while she's in her car seat.  He did give the warning, however, that I needed to go slowly, using the analogy "if you've never exercised before, you're not going to go out and take a long jog."  I discovered after our family outing last weekend that I was in some pain and have been sore ever since.  I pushed too hard, too soon.  Baby steps.  At least all is well and I can leave the couch!  Wahoo!


On a more fun note, Miss M is still growing like a weed!  She is visibly longer and I can feel that she's heavier.  She changes every single day!  We're working on 4-5 hours at night (so technically, we're up only once in the middle of the night now), and Madeline has asked, or demanded, 3 oz. in her bottles.  She may look like her daddy, but she is definitely my child...she lets everyone know when its time for her to eat ;)  


She's still holding that head up strong and we almost had a full roll over during tummy time this week.  I almost hit the floor.  She's not a huge fan of tummy time so she tries really, really hard to get onto her side or her back.  So proud of my smart girl!  She is greeting us with smiles all the time these days - and these smiles have started to come out for about anyone that talks sweet to her.  Such a charmer!


And, this is my last week of pumping.  I have been giving Madeline breast milk with her formula for a few weeks now, since she prefers the bottle.  My goal was to get 6-weeks of breast milk in, so we're coming to the end of the road.  It's been an interesting feeding road, but I am feeling so much more confident about it all (and pumping is really starting to get a little taxing).  So, my goal has been met, my baby is growing and eating like a champion - Mom is a happy camper!

Our first family outing

So, mommy the germaphobe decided that it was "okay" for us to leave the house with baby today and venture into the wilderness that is the town of Apex.  Oh the horror. 


We decided we'd start with a breakfast trip to Brueggers.  Breakfast turned into lunch, however.  This is a typical morning in our house with baby...we got her dressed and then realized that she'd need to eat in an hour so we waited to feed her before we left.  In the meantime, we practiced snapping the car seat into the stroller, and got oh so jazzed about our new-found ability to figure out a baby something.  It's the little things!  Then we loaded up the car, made our Target list, got ready, strapped the baby in her car seat and were headed out the door when we heard.."the grunt..."  followed by "the red face..."  followed by "the smell."  SO, we turn around, change Madeline's diaper and strap her back in for a ride.  Needless to say, by the time all of this was accomplished, it was time for lunch.  No wonder my days run together!  We had a successful lunch at Brueggers.  Madeline was intrigued by the noise and her new surroundings.


After lunch, we headed to Target.  Madeline slept the entire time (I think she really liked the  stroller - I know I did!).  And of course, Mom and Dad enjoyed the little comments from passers-by about her hair and how pretty she is. :)  I was worn out by the time we left. It is, after all, the first "exercise" I have gotten in 5 weeks.  But man it felt great to get out!


So, we survived.  On to the next adventure!  

Happy Father's Day

"Any man can be a father.  It takes someone special to be a daddy."



Happy first Father's Day to my sweet husband.  Your love for our daughter is inspiring.  Seeing you with her makes me fall in love with you all over again...every single day.  What a gift!  God enriched my life by bringing us together and blessing us with Madeline.  I love you. 

Happy Father's Day to my sweet Daddy. I am who I am today because of your love, guidance, support and advice. You're my soft shoulder, listening ear and warm hug.  You're not just my Dad, you're my friend.  I'm so grateful for you.

Dad and his girls

Papa, Derek & Madeline

Happy Father's Day to my sweet father-in-law, Wayne. You welcomed me with open arms and have been the epitome of kindness from the moment I first met you. Your glass is always half full and I feel blessed to know you and to be a part of your awesome family. 

Derek, Grandbuddy & Madeline

What a big weekend!

Madeline got to meet her Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Kristen for the first time this weekend. She also got to meet her great grandmother, Esther.  Such special introductions for us and for her.

This weekend also marked Madeline's first road trip - we went to Greensboro to celebrate Papa's 80th birthday with a mexican-themed party!  Madeline was such a trooper and received lots of love from the family and close friends.  She enjoyed her first sleepover at Papa and Vie's house and handled the trip like a pro.  I think Derek and I were more exhausted than Miss M. ;) 


Such a fun time celebrating 80 years of sweet Papa.  We're so lucky to have him in our lives. Love, love, love him!

Papa ready to celebrate!  Ole!

Four generations

Aunt Sara and Mom loving on M

Uncle Ben had to steal some sugar, too.

Debbie, Aunt Sara & Madeline

1 month old

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
"

-- Anonymous

As you can see in the lack of blogging lately, I'm a little bit busier than usual these days :)  Miss M keeps mommy running around, and I love every second of it. 


It's hard to believe that our baby girl is already a month old.  Where does the time go!?  Kinda makes me teary thinking about how fast they grow.  I can see her change and develop every single day - and she has changed so much!  And, in the past two weeks, it has really sunken in that she's ours.  Don't misunderstand, we knew it from day one, but now...this unbelievable feeling of love, adoration and protection has gone to a new level.  Being a mom to this sweet child is the best thing in the world. 

Little bitty is constantly holding her head up.  She's very alert and likes to see what's going on around her. She entertains herself in her vibrating seat or Pack and Play in the morning while I eat a quick breakfast and wash her bottles, without a peep and snuggles like nothing I have ever known.  We also have smiles from our little nugget.  Mom and Dad have figured out what makes her smile...so we do it all. the. time.  She has also laughed in her sleep twice now. PRECIOUS little laugh.  I can't wait to hear it when she's awake :)


We have discovered that she likes to be outside.  If she's fussy, a little time on the back porch fixes everything.  She loves to listen to the birds and closes her little eyes when the wind hits her face.  I can't wait to get the "okay" from my doctor at the end of the month to take her out for a stroll on these cool mornings.  I certainly don't want to wish my maternity leave away (it's going by waaaay too fast as it is), but I'm ready to not be house bound all the time. I still have some tenderness at the incision site, but every day gets better.  I'm down to 2 ibuprofen a day instead of jazzing it up with 4 every 8 hours.  One day at a time.


She has been a real trooper in the sleep department, too.  She has gone from a 4 hour stretch at night to 6 straight hours!  Bless it.  Makes the days so much easier!


We had our first official bath in the tub now that the umbilical cord and scab have fallen off.  She looooves the water and does really well...until you wash that head full of hair and the cold sets in.  She HATES to be cold.  But otherwise, she is a true spa baby.

Mommy loves a monogram (and playing "dress up")

First official bath without umbilical cord!  I'm a water baby!

The weight is on!

Madeline is up to 8 lbs., 4 3/4 oz.!  Way to go little girl!  The nurse was very pleased with her weight gain over the past few days, and so were her mom and dad!  We're still working on breastfeeding...Madeline has discovered the beauty of the bottle, so she prefers it.  She still humors her mom and will breastfeed for a little while, but the smart little booger already knows what comes afterwards and looks for it.  One day at a time.


We discovered last night during a diaper change that Madeline finally lost her umbilical cord!! Now, where said cord is located is a mystery, but it's gone nonetheless.  It makes diaper changes a lot easier :)


I tearfully said goodbye to VieVie and Papa today after a wonderful 2 week stay. It's bittersweet.  I will miss their help and having them around, but I know we're ready to take on parenthood and give this a whirl on our own.  So, I thank you, Vie and Papa, for your support, for being on-call all day and night incase we needed you, for answering our questions and providing advice, for your positive affirmations, for helping us to feel like the best parents in the world, even when we doubted ourselves, for the good cooking, the cleaning, the laundry-doing, the ironing, for allowing us the chance to nap and shower, the laughter, the learning, for singing to Madeline, for being such attentive grandparents and for being amazing parents to Madeline's mom.  I'm grateful for you and appreciate you more than words can explain.   Come play again soon!  xoxo 

Another week down. Week 2!

I can't believe we're down another week. It's hard to explain this kind of love and adoration that keeps multiplying as the days go by.  Madeline has brought us so much joy (and lots of emotion from her hormonal and already over-protective mommy) in such a short amount of time. 


This past week, Madeline has started taking notice of things throughout the house.  She likes to look at the ceiling fan in the den, the mobile over her swing, the waterfall toy in her crib...she loves soothing music...and she responds happily to seeing and hearing her mommy and daddy, which of course, is my favorite :)  She's very alert and can fully entertain herself in her Pack and Play after a good feeding. She is still latching well and I can't even count how many diapers we go through every day.  Wow.  At least we know she's healthy!  Another new thing this week, Madeline has discovered the pacifier.  She loves it and is self-soothing already.  She's such a champ. I'm wondering if she's 2 weeks, or 2 months?!


We had our 2 week doctor's appointment today and saw Dr. Simpson. Madeline passed all of the initial newborn testing with flying colors and she got a clean bill of heath. She now weighs 7 lbs., 15.5 oz. and is measuring 20.5" long. She's in the 75th percentile for her length and head circumference!  However, though she has gained weight, she hasn't gained quite enough.  She should technically be at birth weight by this point.  She is breast feeding like a maniac, and I have given her pumped milk in a bottle.  The doctor said that she's obviously getting milk since she's so hydrated (see diaper comment above), but it's probably not caloric enough to make her gain weight the way she needs to.  SO, we're supplementing with formula for now and will go back next Tuesday for another weigh-in.  I was given a heads-up from a few friends that breast feeding is the most taxing thing I would do...and they were right. I love breast feeding and the bonding that comes with it.  But it literally sucks the life out of you when you feel like you're not giving your child what she needs. I have shed many a tear thinking about it.  But, I'm not giving up!  Dr. Simpson said that breast milk isn't fully mature and rich in calories until 1 month and that I should continue to breast feed and then give M a bottle of formula and let her eat what she needs to satisfy.  I assume that the worry that comes along with being a new mom and the lack of sleep is not helping my milk production.  But, we will prevail.  And if not, we have a back-up plan.  As long as Madeline is happy and healthy, I'm good to go.  Just pray we're at 8 lbs., 6 oz. next Tuesday!


Little M also has a clogged tear duct in her right eye that causes it to water and appear like pink eye without the pink, so the doctor taught us a little massage we can do daily to clear this up pronto.  She did not love this demonstration, nor did she like her examination and let us hear just how clear and strong those little lungs are!  


As for old Mom and Dad, we're hanging in there!  Madeline is waking up twice during the night (every 3-4 hours) for a quick feeding and then heading back to sleep.  And, she is doing well in her bassinet, so the nights are getting better and better.  I'm still having some pain at my incision site, but only on the left side.  I'm continuing to take my pain medication, hoping that the next week will bring more relief.  The nurse at my doctor's office said that this is typical for a c-section to have pain on just one side.  My adrenaline is starting to taper off and the hormones are setting in.  So I can get weepy at the drop of a hat, and I'll be fine the next minute.  It's like being pregnant all over again, minus the belly!  Speaking of the belly...I always thought I'd miss being pregnant a little bit.  So far, I really don't.  I'm so enthralled with this precious child, that I don't give it a second thought.  Now, I can get kicked and see the kicker as she's in the act - those blue eyes a smiling!


So to sum up the week: exhausting, rewarding, emotional, beautiful, inspirational and oh so sweet.