TVT

I'm joining in on TVT and it's not going to be pretty, but that's the point, right?  I need it today!

Here it is... I'm feeling a little lot resentful of the differences in mommy and daddy duties.  Hormones?  Lack of sleep?  Could there be a little Lupron left in my system? 

Disclaimer:  I am loving every single minute of this sweet time with our precious miracle!  
But when PC gets home, I'm asking "can I get a bath" "can I have a minute to eat" "can I go to the bathroom." DH does all of those things and can get a haircut too!  Y'all should see my hair...both colors:[  Over the weekend, I ventured to the grocery store for 1 hour and made sure it was a time when baby would be satisfied and food was ready if not.  PC said "I'll call our niece if I need help."  I'm not sure if he was joking or not but my expression was you must be joking!  PC is a champ when it comes to diaper changes and laundry and all of my requests of "can you get this or that."  He gets up for the 5:30 diaper change and makes sure that I can get a shower in the morning before he leaves for work.  He goes to every appointment and is very much in love with this baby.  He was my hero in the hospital and through the NICU experience and I still want to post about that when I can let my mind go there again.  I shouldn't even be thought-vomiting about this, but my vision of more 50-50 baby care in the evenings just doesn't seem possible with breastfeeding.  I adore this baby, I adore my sweet PC... but I just want to be able to use the bathroom without yelling "give me one more minute" because baby is crying in the next room and I feel bad for baby and dad. 

There, TVT out.       

Funny Firsts

I can start a post while breast feeding too, loving the iPhone! Any suggestions of apps you can't live without? 

Pictures- The photographer who did the newborn pictures came to our home when Hampton was nine days old.  We just weren't ready to get him out of the house yet so she was super sweet to accommodate us!  From this point on, we will just rely on mom's picture-taking skills since we can't afford frequent professional pictures (that money is still going on the IVF loan!)  I love the naked newborn pics but PC thinks they make our little man look a little too pretty (he doesn't share my awwhhh so sweet thoughts) so I need to add some "little man" pics for daddy!

How about this one?  This makes me laugh every time!  Anytime our little guy sees something or does something new, his eyes get huge... then he decides if he likes it or not... then whether to cry or not. 

Something else that makes me laugh.  (Background- One of the nurses in the NICU gave our baby a pacifier during the night.  I wasn't sure that we were even going with the pacifier but when I saw him hooked up to those IV's and getting comfort from the paci, I was fine with it.)  So, H only likes one kind of pacifier and it's as big as his face.  It goes almost out, then he quickly sucks it back in.  You can see his little mouth from the other side, warms my heart!   

Today we celebrated with our one month old by eating out at the W.affle H.ouse... maybe we'll go somewhere a little fancier for his one year old birthday but (again) we're still paying for IVF! 
To baby- This might be a clue that we are new parents... we didn't know where to put you!  I'm a little embarrassed to admit I asked the cook "where do people put the car seats" and he proceeded to say that he thought it would fit on an upside down high chair.  That didn't work so we kind've wedged you between the table and back seat of the booth... there weren't many people eating there or we would have made someone laugh for sure!  We are learning!  Love you oh so much and can't wait to see what the next month brings!!!    

One Month Randomness

 First, best way to start a post is to send some blog baby love out there with a newborn pic:]  

It's amazing how he's changed so much already as tomorrow we will have a ONE MONTH old, wow!

  

Update on breastfeeding:  Thanks for the comments and suggestions... you all are such a great source of support and information!  I started pumping about 1.5 ounces yesterday, once in the morning, but so far it's been used within the next 4-6 hours to allow mommy to run to the grocery store and to get through our first church service.  It has been so hard to figure out how to get out of the house with or without baby!  I also think that our little guy's thrush has now moved to my breasts:[  Tomorrow I will be getting some gentian violet and vinegar to try and stop it before it really starts.  This will be in addition to the Nystatin that goes into his mouth after each feeding and the probiotic that I'm taking.  Good news is that he is up to 8 lbs 5 oz from his birth weight of 7 lbs 9 oz so we know he is eating well!   

New adventures since the last post:  

A tub bath- and he absolutely loves it... he hates to get out!  

Lost the umbilical cord... actually, the doctor took it off which kind of freaked me out but it's healed fine since then.

First trip to a restaurant... he slept in his car seat while we ate fast!

First trip to church...slept right through!

Announcement cards are being shipped right now- if they turn out cute, I'll pass along the website.  I typed directly on one of our newborn pics and ordered a large quantity for a fraction of the price compared to other sites. 

In other news, PC got an i.Phone right before Christmas and didn't like it (wouldn't you know it) so I took it.  Yes, I'm a Mac girl, but I was anti-iPhone for a long time just because I didn't want to be so connected to work e-mail and texting in my "down" time.  But with a newborn, I am SO glad to have that connection... I can accomplish reading your blogs and a feeding at the same time, woo hoo!  Don't worry, I'm all about the bonding, but our little guy is busy and happy while eating so he doesn't mind if I keep up with my blog friends!  Besides, I usually learn something to add to the new mom tool kit so it's good for both of us.  Now, if a smart phone could just do housework lol:]   

Breastfeeding

I'm going to jump in with a post about breastfeeding because 1. I've found the other posts/comments helpful and 2.  it seems fitting to start the new year with a post about something that pretty much rules my life right now!

Here is what this amateur has learned but there is still much I'm learning each day!
GET A LACTATION CONSULTANT TO COME TO YOUR HOME, better yet skip the bonding time at the hospital and get the breastfeeding help instead--- just kidding!  I must say that the lady at the hospital only wanted to rent me a pump and answer any questions... at that point I didn't know what questions to ask... not helpful.  The consultant from our hometown that came to our house and watched everything I did... I could have spent hours with Dr. G.oogle and not learn what I learned in that thirty minutes!!!

Most important thing I learned in that amount of time...

• Latching on:  Support the baby's neck, hold your breast with the other hand and bring the baby to the breast.  Rub their lips with the nipple and wait for a big wide open mouth before you fill it with boob... and get all that you can in there!  Make sure their tongue is down and the lower lip flanges out.  If you feel instant pain, put your finger in the corner of their mouth to de-latch and try again.  If this part doesn't go well, breastfeeding may not even be an option because the nipples can become cracked (this happened to me in the hospital) or lead to lots of pain. 

So, we master the latch even if it takes multiple tries.  But then we ran into two issues.  I have a strong let-down and (I think) an oversupply.  Those sound like good problems to have, but instead it's caused issues for my little guy like gagging, gulping, major gassiness and (sorry tmi) greenish frothy poop... ugh, ugh, ugh and major ugh!  The oversupply means that our baby is getting too much of the milk that comes out first, which is higher in calories but not enough of the milk that comes out last, which is higher in fat.  So, he is not getting a balance and it leads to stomach irritation.  To work on these issues, we're staying on one side for a long time, expressing a little bit of the milk in the case of a too strong let down and I'm making sure his head his elevated above the breast.

Next I want to figure out a time for pumping and how to store breastmilk for future feedings.  But will that only make my oversupply problem worse?  The tummy issues aren't completely resolved either so I'm not sure what else to do if those problems continue.  Whew!  No one could have told me how much work breastfeeding is!  But I know it's good for our little man and "nothing good comes easy!"  Back to the boob baby :] 

Happy New Year!

First Two Weeks

Wow, life with a newborn.  There is not much time around here to be on a Mac or PC!  We have been trying to settle into a new normal the past two weeks.  We're working through two issues right now... a case of thrush and some slightly bloody stools.  We've been to the doctor and have medicine for the thrush (and I'm taking a probiotic and not drinking any milk) and, because our little guy is otherwise very healthy and not running a fever, we just have to monitor his poopy diapers right now.  Life changes when you have poopy diaper pictures on your phone... and send them to people for second opinions!  Both issues are possibly connected to the strong antibiotics that our baby had in the NICU.  Although I do want to remember the details of this precious time and everyone says "it goes by too fast" it's also very scary.  Your mommy and daddy love you very much sweet Hampton and wouldn't hurt you for the world!  We're trying to make every decision with your best interests at heart! 

Question:  Does anyone have any advice for thrush or have you had the experience of blood in the stools?  

Things I want to remember...

How you sleep with both hands in tight fists by your face, one by your chin and the other under your chin

All of your funny faces and stretches when waking up

When taking a bottle, you make these cute little noises... eh, eh, ehhhhhh

After breastfeeding, you smack your lips

You are so happy with a full tummy

You start out in the pack-n-play at night but end up next to mommy, we both get our best sleep that way

Your "little" cry sounds like a car idling

Your "big" cry sounds like a laugh

The sweetest dimple on your right cheek

The way you open your mouth in a crooked way and stretch your neck when hungry... like a baby bird

How strong you are!  I think you're going to follow your daddy on the mountain bike trails as soon as those strong little legs will reach the pedals!

The wide open, curious blue eyes that love to look in a mirror and stare at the fish on the swing and the Baby Einstein aquarium.  

The laughs & shouts from mommy & daddy getting pee'd and poop'ed on, you'll think that's funny too one day but now you just stare at us like "get on with it and change my diaper!"  (By the way, we are getting better!)  Dad has been the laundry King!  He is extremely anal about using Shout and getting everything to the wash ASAP.  

You are a little guy with some major gas... I feel so bad when you're straining but the doctor said that he would be very rich if he could solve baby gas issues... so mommy will just have to be careful about what I eat!  

I just keep thinking, is this for real?  This is our baby... a baby that very much has stolen our hearts and changed our lives in a way we never thought possible.  

 Special Moments