11 days
Little Miss Sophia is 11 days old today. Wow. Half of me thinks, ONLY 11 days?! And the other half thinking - It's been 11 days, how time flies! She is sleeping next to me now (I may have spoken too soon, I just saw the whites of her eyes) all bundled in a swaddling blanket. This is the first she's really slept this afternoon and it is 4 pm. So far today the little monkey has: eaten, pooped, eaten, sucked on Daddy's finger, snuggled with Mama during her nap, cried, screamed, had her diaper changed...rinse, repeat. A more thrilling day could not be had.
We went back to the Pediatrician for her weight check last Friday - her week birthday. As of that day she had gained back her birth weight plus an ounce...weighing in at 6 lbs 2 oz. She had also already lost her cord. The pediatrician put her through the works - tested all of her responses and check her hips and all her little body parts. He said she looks great and is, of course, perfect. But we already knew that.
All of that weight gain - 1/2 lbs in 3 days - had quite a bit of a toll on me. I called a lactation consultant over the weekend and she came out to the house on Monday. It seems that Sophia is feeding correctly, she is latching on as she should. However, the lactation consultant was shocked at what a good feeder she is! Apparently a 37 week old baby gaining that weight so quickly is rare and the consultant wasn't surprised I was feeling sore and having pain issues. For now I have been instructed to keep it up and, if needed, to use the breat pump we purchased to give myself a break.
At this point she is eating about every 3 hours. At night she sleeps pretty well in between feedings and wakes me with her little grunts and groans. They are really quite cute even for a late night wake up call. Most nights I can get her to settle into a feeding relatively quickly. She sleeps next to our bed in a bassinet which has made everything a whole lot easier. Rob and I set up a little diaper changing station next to the bed which means all I have to do is reach over to get her in the middle of the night, feed her and we're off to the races. My feet don't even touch the floor.
Our daytime has been different each day. My family left yesterday (Monday) and Sophia and I have been working out our schedule and pattern. Today she is fond of sleeping on Mama and isn't too into resting on her own. She's also been quite alert and gazing around the room, lifts her head, and generally takes stock of the world from her perch. Watching her turn into a little person is pretty amazing. She loves to suck on Rob's finger and smiles more often than not. I know that this is mostly an involuntary muscle reaction. However, I do believe it is good practice for the lifetime of giggles that she will make!
Rob is, unfortunately, back at work after having the week off. He wasn't too pleased about this transition but has been handling it like a super star. He's been home for lunch both Monday and today and I hope he can continue that pattern for the next few weeks. It's nice to see another face during the day!
It's still bitterly cold here, leaving us stuck indoors quite a bit. We have taken the dogs to the park the past few days (today was too cold - 17 degrees!). Sophia gets to ride in her sling under a big winter coat. We look pretty funny, We'll have to get a picture of it.
Here is our first family picture. Taken on Sophia's 1 week birthday. The yellow jumpsuits are worn in homage to one of Rob's favorite films - Bottle Rocket. I'll let him give you the full story on them during one of his next posts.
Thank you all for the phone calls, emails, gifts, prayers, and good thoughts. This is a huge adjustment for us all. Especially me - having to stay home all the time without access to a car. I am learning to slow down and before you know it I will be a pro and won't want to return to work. I can already see how hard it is going to be to leave the little pumpkin for any length of time and am cognizant of the important lesson she is about to teach me about living life one day at a time. I can't wait to see where she takes us!
We went back to the Pediatrician for her weight check last Friday - her week birthday. As of that day she had gained back her birth weight plus an ounce...weighing in at 6 lbs 2 oz. She had also already lost her cord. The pediatrician put her through the works - tested all of her responses and check her hips and all her little body parts. He said she looks great and is, of course, perfect. But we already knew that.
All of that weight gain - 1/2 lbs in 3 days - had quite a bit of a toll on me. I called a lactation consultant over the weekend and she came out to the house on Monday. It seems that Sophia is feeding correctly, she is latching on as she should. However, the lactation consultant was shocked at what a good feeder she is! Apparently a 37 week old baby gaining that weight so quickly is rare and the consultant wasn't surprised I was feeling sore and having pain issues. For now I have been instructed to keep it up and, if needed, to use the breat pump we purchased to give myself a break.
At this point she is eating about every 3 hours. At night she sleeps pretty well in between feedings and wakes me with her little grunts and groans. They are really quite cute even for a late night wake up call. Most nights I can get her to settle into a feeding relatively quickly. She sleeps next to our bed in a bassinet which has made everything a whole lot easier. Rob and I set up a little diaper changing station next to the bed which means all I have to do is reach over to get her in the middle of the night, feed her and we're off to the races. My feet don't even touch the floor.
Our daytime has been different each day. My family left yesterday (Monday) and Sophia and I have been working out our schedule and pattern. Today she is fond of sleeping on Mama and isn't too into resting on her own. She's also been quite alert and gazing around the room, lifts her head, and generally takes stock of the world from her perch. Watching her turn into a little person is pretty amazing. She loves to suck on Rob's finger and smiles more often than not. I know that this is mostly an involuntary muscle reaction. However, I do believe it is good practice for the lifetime of giggles that she will make!
Rob is, unfortunately, back at work after having the week off. He wasn't too pleased about this transition but has been handling it like a super star. He's been home for lunch both Monday and today and I hope he can continue that pattern for the next few weeks. It's nice to see another face during the day!
It's still bitterly cold here, leaving us stuck indoors quite a bit. We have taken the dogs to the park the past few days (today was too cold - 17 degrees!). Sophia gets to ride in her sling under a big winter coat. We look pretty funny, We'll have to get a picture of it.
Here is our first family picture. Taken on Sophia's 1 week birthday. The yellow jumpsuits are worn in homage to one of Rob's favorite films - Bottle Rocket. I'll let him give you the full story on them during one of his next posts.
Thank you all for the phone calls, emails, gifts, prayers, and good thoughts. This is a huge adjustment for us all. Especially me - having to stay home all the time without access to a car. I am learning to slow down and before you know it I will be a pro and won't want to return to work. I can already see how hard it is going to be to leave the little pumpkin for any length of time and am cognizant of the important lesson she is about to teach me about living life one day at a time. I can't wait to see where she takes us!
posted by Bookish Wendy at 4:01 PM
6 Comments:
Slow down and enjoy this time is the best advice I can offer you. It really does go by so fast. Glad the lactation consultant was helpful, I really depended on mine for a while, too.
I adore that picture. My husband still looks at me that way sometimes, still somewhat befuddled by the wonder of it all (after 20-some years) and full of pride, I think, a bit in awe of my role in it all, and he says, "We did this."
Sending love...
hey girlie, can i come and visit on saturday after working at the store?
omg, you're so much better than Allie was! She STILL doesn't send pictures! I wouldn't believe Daisy even existed if I hadn't met her. I was SO excited to look for a new picture this morning and find a whole post! You're the best mom ever - though you did have a lot of practice taking care of us . . .
Enjoy this. Totally.
And maybe it feels like more than 11 days because it's really been like 9 months and 11 days. :)
Good to hear how you, baby and family are doing!
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