I don't have much else to write about right now other than baby and recovery, so if you're looking for something other than that, you can sadly move on to another blog...The first night home was not very restful to say the least. We tried having him sleep in the pack n' play bassinet, but he just didn't like it much. Plus he was just trying to get used to this crazy world still. My sister gave me advice that has seemed to prove invaluable. CAR SEAT SLEEPING! He's been sleeping much better at night snuggled in his car seat. I can even catch a moment here and there to write a little blog update because of it. Maybe I'll be able to shower sometime too!
My parents have been here and helping. It's so nice to have help. While I feel I'm recovering quickly and feeling quite good considering I underwent a major surgery last week, I get tired and overwhelmed still. Yesterday I didn't cry at the overwhelmingness of it all though. That's a good sign. It's really easy to underestimate the time and energy required to take care of a newborn. I think the most overwhelming thing to think about it teach piano again. I'm going to have to rearrange my schedule so I teach for shorter times Monday - Friday. Right now it's just Monday - Wednesday for longer stretches. I don't think that will work any more. I hope I can still teach and figure it out with a baby, but I may just have to take maternity leave from it if it gets to be too much.
We took Dean in for his 1 week weigh-in and jaundice check. I'd been a little worried because he only eats about 10 min. max before falling asleep. I can sometimes wake him to get two sides in for 10 min. He is eating every two hours or fewer though (even at night since I'm going according to his schedule). My fears were abated when he hit the scales. They tried to preface the weigh in with "Now, don't worry, it's very common for babies (especially breast fed babies) to lose weight in the first week." Then they weighed him. 8 lbs. 12 oz.! He has gained 6 oz. since birth. I don't know what his weight was when we left the hospital, but I must be producing ice cream or something for him to gain off of 10 min. feedings. =)
Also, the doctor said he was the least jaundiced looking breast-fed baby she'd ever seen! AWESOME. I mean, we definitely produced a pooper (we've already gone through a whole package of newborn diapers!), so that helps him out in that dept.
I am not very good at "taking it easy". I picked him up in his car seat to move him from the kitchen to the living room (while my parents were out running) and while it's under the 20 lb. limit, I can feel it in my gut (literally!) I shouldn't have done that. Oops. Mom and dad are leaving tomorrow morning, so I'm going to have to figure out how to do what I need to without doing too much. I think my list of "need to" will need to shrink a bit.
So here are a few more pictures from last night. The picture up top was from this morning.
Hey, where's my food???
12 comments:
So cute and so alert!
My advice is to not worry about your piano schedule right now. You will probably want to take a month or two off to get everything sorted out. But, don't worry...it gets so much better! I remember those "crying everyday" times and now I can't imagine that.
yup, its true. I totally understand how frustrating it is to have to take it easy and let the normal "must dos" slide. I just consider my day a success right now if I can keep both girls fed, rested, and most importantly loved. After they're six weeks old "usually" their schedules and temperament get easier and a bit calmer, so I would wait until he's past the 6 week mark to really try and plan piano lessons around him. He's a cutie! Congrats again!
He's a doll...you guys did well. :) Also, it's good to hear he's thriving...hearing those words from the doctor are music to a mother's ear.
I know it's not easy to take it easy. I myself have a hard time sitting around, and I got really antsy after Garrett was born. But trust me -- take it easy. Give yourself a break. That doesn't mean you don't have to do nothing, but you also shouldn't be doing anything. Just be aware of your limits and don't push them...you need all the energy you can muster up to take care of you baby and adjust to your new life with him.
I'm glad letting him sleep in the car seat helps, but please please please be careful. The risk of SIDS increases dramatically in babies who sleep in their car seats, and I've personally known one too many tragedies to result from that. So, on the one hand, do what you have so you both can get a bit of necessary sleep, but please be careful.
Yeah! I've been wanting to see more pictures. He does look really alert! He's a cutie! Isn't it crazy that he's only been here for a week and you can't remember life before him? That's how it was for me. It took Elliott a while..he'd sometimes "forget" we had a baby and want to up and go do something without thinking it through.
SOOO CUTE!!! I AM SO GLAD THINGS ARE GOING WELL FOR YOU AND HE IS HEALTHY...JADA WAS A POOPER TOO! :) AT HER 1 WEEK APPT...WE OPENED HER DIAPER AND SHE POOPED ALL OVER ME AND THE MED ASSISTANT...YUCK! GOTTA LOVE THEM THOUGH! SEEING ALL THE CUTE PICTURES MAKES ME ANXIOUS! HAVE YOU TRIED SWADDLING HIM REALLY TIGHT IN A BLANKET WITH THE ARMS IN THEIR TIGHT SO HE CAN'T WIGGLE OUT WITHOUT SOME SERIOUS EFFORT?..THAT WAS THE MIRACLE WORKER FOR JADA!!
Hey there, Ok 1st off he is beautiful! (I know boys you shouldn't say that to in front of their dad's but I have 2 and boys can be beautiful!) Are baby Matt we had sleep swadled like a burrito in his car seat for almost 6 months! The Dr. suggested it because he has really bad acid reflux problems, but the car seat was a life saver to us, every time we layed him down any where else he would vomit and if we weren't right there it was really scarry. I think the key is that however you have your babies sleeping you just have to keep close eyes on them. Which is really hard not to when they are so cute. Well I hope you are feeling better, make sure to take it easy, laundry and dishes will always be there later. Melinda
Oh p.s. He looks just like a Waterman, I looked at the pics today and totally can see you and your dad there. Very cute, who do you think he looks like.
Congrats Celia! I found your blog through Erin Ross's blog. I'm so excited for you and your new baby!
Celia, he is beautiful! Congratulations. I am so happy for you guys. I have to tell you that I had to do the same thing with Nate because his heart rate plummeted but they had me on all fours! I had no dignity there. Anyway, I am so glad things worked out well for you. He looks so good and I know you'll be an excellent mother.
Matt and I look a lot alike, so it's a little harder to farm out features. However, if I have to farm them out, I think right now his eyes, nose and face shape look more Waterman.
His mouth, chin and feet look more Brasfield. But he changes a little every day, so who knows?
Plus, I was a bit surprised to see a baby picture of my father-in-law. The eyes and nose look more like him than I expected.
What a doll!!! It is funny how quickly our priorities change when we have these precious little ones in our lives but it doesn't make it any easier to just sit and take care of them. Vance didn't like his bassinet either but when we moved him into his crib and swaddled him up tight he slept for 8 hours at a time. He just needed more space. That is what worked for me. I know that swaddling has worked for me and my sisters so I might try that. Make sure it is nice and tight. Another trick that I learned is the side sooshing (I don't know if that is how you spell it)but you swaddle him up good, hold him on his side or if he likes it better even a little more on his stomach and make the sssssshhhhhhh sound in his ear as loud as he is crying and boy it is a miracle worker. GOOD LUCK!! And don't forget to enjoy!!!
Ooh, I missed the baby being born while I was at Disneyland! Congratulations a million times--he is an adorable little man! Yikes as far as your delivery goes...sounds eerily familiar to me but it's soi scary to go through. It sounds like you handled things well though.
Anyway, hang in there through the newborn days....the hard stuff comes to an end eventually! And you'll never get these days with him back so push off as much to-do stuff as you can. Good luck recovering and have fun loving that cute boy!
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