Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Night Time

Night time is typically very quiet. Libby likes to sleep about as much as she likes to eat...but now she doesn't seem to want to do either during the late hours. Well, let me rephrase that, she'll do both but in very small amounts. Last night we played a little game where she would get me up every 2 hours to eat. This was a surprise because the night before, she went 4 hours. There is no method for this madness. I know she was getting me up every 2 hours last night because she would not eat much at all. There was nothing I could do to keep her eating. I mean I tried everything from turning on the lights on the fan to singing to her (bad idea - put her to sleep very fast!) to rubbing lotion on her (she hates that) to tickling her feet. Nothing worked. Each time we got up, she would maybe eat 2 oz and then fall asleep. She did not use to do this. Her night time feedings maybe took 15-20 minutes of her quickly eating as fast as she can up to 5 oz at a time so she could doze back to sleep. She almost seems annoyed with her stomach now and that it makes her get up to eat. It is like she just wants to feel full enough to go back to sleep. Luckily, she does fall back to sleep on her own very quickly so she doesn't want to be held (that is reserved for during the day which is why my arm is so sore!). There just has to be a trick to getting her to eat more so she can get longer times at sleeping.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Boredom

We've encountered a new cry/situation in the last few days. She now cries when she is bored. Bored! I remember when she would be content to just sleep for hours at a time and only wake to eat and have her diaper changed. Now she is awake the majority of the day and sleeps during the night (not consistently - she still gets up every 3-4 hours to eat). It is hard to find something to do with a baby that cannot hold her head up or sit up. We have the swing and bouncy seat to put her in with dangling toys above her head...that doesn't seem to cut it with her though. She does seem to enjoy the activity center where she can lay on her back and look up at the toys floating above her. Although, she mostly just looks at the bar. It is just crazy that she wants to take in so much stuff already. Gotta keep her entertained! If you have any suggestions for toys at this age, I am all ears! We have to figure out something! The doctor suggested getting something with mirrors on it so she could look at herself but I can't seem to find anything that doesn't require her to sit up. I think I will be doing 'toy research' later today (when the sun is up =))!

Monday, October 29, 2007

First Tub Bath

We gave Libby her first tub bath tonight. I couldn't tell if she liked it or was just really cold (i'm banking on cold). I definitely think she got cleaner than with the sponge bath but I am still not good at this. I'm hoping I get better and faster! She's just too wiggly!

Zoe's Baptism

My niece, Zoe, was baptized on Sunday. Here is a picture of the kiddo of the day with her proud parents! The outfit is very special and was handmade for her Mommy when she was baptized many moons ago.

Congrats Zoe!!!

Sleeping Angel

New picture of our little one =)

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Cross Eyes

I'll admit that I am a nervous/worry wart of a Mom but when I gazed down to my beautiful daughter's eyes and noticed one of them was crossed eyed I freaked. This is apparently completely normal at this age. They can't control their eye movement. It is strange to me that she can go cross eyed without meaning to but can find me in a room. Yeah, that is right. She can already doing that even though I don't think she should be yet. She is also able to hold her head up for 30-60 seconds. Craziness! This article helped to ease my fears about the senses and development rate.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Bumbo Recall

Well everyone the Bumbo has been recalled. I don't understand this...who would put a bumbo on a table or elevated surface?



Sleeping like a Baby

All I can say to the expression, "Sleeping like a baby" is 'ha! I guess you have never had a newborn!' One thing I never knew is how incredibly loud babies are when they sleep. This is apparently normal and we shouldn't check on them with every sound. However, in the beginning I think every new parent does. I know I did! However, after a month, I have learned what sounds are the ones I need to check on her with and which ones are just her stirring. Well, I haven't perfected it but it is definitely getting better. There are several articles suggesting that you listen for the sounds and then wait to see what happens. Sleeping is very important to babies and I have tried to do a little bit of investigation - cause, you know, I want her to sleep through the night soon. =) According to BabyCenter.com

Baby sleep cycles are far shorter than those of adults, and babies spend more time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is thought to be necessary for the extraordinary development happening in their brain. REM sleep is lighter than non-REM sleep, and more easily disrupted.
The Mayo Clinic basically suggests having a routine...to which I also say ha! I have been trying to get into a routine for awhile now and that isn't happening. I am not forcing it because there is just no point. I will start trying to get her into one after 6-9 weeks. In any case, I did find this article that gave some useful sleeping info on it...while I am up at 2am. =)

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Visual Development

Libby is somehow able to see further away than she should at this age. While it is adorable that she looks for me when she hears my voice, it also causes some problems with I go to check on her when she is fussy. Any time she sees me she will instantly wake up and want me to hold her. She is definitely turning into a Momma's Girl. I love it - don't get me wrong. I just need a nap sometime in the afternoon and am amazed she doesn't. We don't really have a feeding routine but we do have a (loose) sleeping routine. Normally she will sleep really well at night (whew!) but during the day she is awake pretty much from 10am on...and want to be held. Well, honestly I don't think it is so much she wants to be held as much as she just wants to look at everything in the house - fans especially. I usually feed her on the couch and I will constantly see her scoping out the rear speaker next to us as if it would somehow interact with her. I love watching her look at things and try to figure out what is going on in her head. Today the pediatrician was asking me if Libby was focusing on things yet and when I told her about the fans and doing a daily walk of the house, she recommended having some toys that Libby could stare at. So, I pulled out the Ocean Wonders toy we got and she loved it. She stared at it for 30 minutes!!! Yay!


One Month - The Incredible Growing Baby!

Libby is one month old! It is hard for me to believe that it has been a month. We just had our pediatrician appointment this morning and found out that she is definitely growing! She is now 10 lbs, 9 oz and 22 and 2/3 inches long! I couldn't believe it. Just for the record, this is how we have stood:

Birth (9.26) - 7 lbs, 1 oz @ 20 inches
1 week appointment (10.7) - 8 lbs, 1 oz @ 20 3/4 inches
4 week appointment (10.24) - 10 lbs, 9 oz @ 22 2/3 inches

Watch her go/grow!!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Spitup River

Libby has perfected something we have lovingly nicknamed "Spitup River". It is basically exactly what you think...take a tiny bit of spit up oozing from your precious baby's mouth and quadruple it and have it pouring out - not only on your baby but also on you. I had this happen to me twice yesterday at the 3am and 6am feedings. This morning I just had it happen again. It is the worst smelling and saddest thing. I could take the dirty, explosive diapers over this! I just feel so bad watching her lose all of this precious food.

So, for those of you wanting to feed our little precious angel. A little advice - wear a rain coat! You might need it!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Baby Massage

Friends of mine gave their babies massages. I'm going to try to do that and found an article on how to do it. I am very excited to try it!!

Sleeping, Eating, and Hormones

One of my biggest fears while pregnant is that I wouldn't have enough patience for a baby. I like things to happen quickly and easily. I feared that if we had a baby that he or she wouldn't eat or cry continuously with me not having a clue what was wrong. My other fear was how I would react on very little sleep - especially with crazy hormones working against me. Most of you know that I am naturally a very emotional person. Mix in postpartum hormones and you have the ingredients for a disaster. I did great (or at least I think I did) of keeping my emotions in check during the pregnancy. Of course I had my slip ups...but this postpartum stuff is a whole new ballgame. People may tell you or you will read that you will be emotional...but good grief. They aren't saying enough about it. I don't want to give the wrong impression...I am not depressed or anything like that. I just cry - a lot. I cry when I'm happy, sad, mad, annoyed, confused...oh I'll cry for just about anything. They don't warn you of that in the hospital. They warn you to look out for depression but not the emotion roller coaster - for me it just solely involves crying. It is just strange. I don't know if others go through this crying thing but it is just strange. For example, I tried to make a hair appointment on Sunday and when I couldn't, I started to cry. I couldn't stop and then I was super annoyed that I couldn't stop. Ugh!

My patience level is being kept in check. I am really happy about that. I'm just so surprised that I don't get annoyed with Libby for not eating or having her unusual lets every every hour schedule or when she spits up on me twice before 6am (like she did today!). It doesn't phase me...except apparently when I get sleep. Jim gives me a present every weekend. He will stay up super late with her so I can get some sleep. This Sunday, he stayed up so late in fact that I slept for 7 hours straight before having to get up to feed Libby. I thought I would feel recharged but apparently it just makes me even more hormonal. I guess keeping my sleeping to a minimum helps! Who knew!

A Sunday of Good-byes

I love seeing Miss Libby grow and develop but this weekend we had two things happen that showed just how much she has grown.
  1. Her umbilical cord is 100% gone. Last Monday the major part fell off but there was a tiny part still attached. It finally fell off yesterday. I'm both happy and sad about this...I love the idea of giving her a tub bath so that is what I'm focusing on.
  2. The other thing we had to say good-bye to was the newborn diapers. They are just too small now. Luckily we used almost all of them and had quite a few of the next size diapers already here. Still, it was sad!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

First Trip!

Yesterday, Jim, Libby and I made our first trip to Jackson. I didn't know what to expect...when we would love, would Libby eat, how much stuff should we bring...just everything was up in the air. That is hard for me because I am such a planner. I planned as much as I could. I made sure we brought waaay more food, diapers, and bottles than we needed and had several outfits just in case of problems with spit up or diapers. Everything else, I figured, would fall into place and it did. Saturday was a big day. One of my best friends from High School was getting married and my family was having a big reunion. I wanted to go to both but the pediatrician told us we shouldn't bring Libby. That was almost the reason we didn't do either until my parent's volunteered to watch Libby for a few hours so we could go to the wedding. It was so strange to be just with Jim and not have Libby with us. It is just so natural to have her with us now. Sadly, we decided not to go the reunion. I thought about going just myself and having Jim stay with Libby at my parent's house. The 'problem' was that my sister and cousin would have their new baby girls with them (each ranging from 2-4 weeks older than mine) and it would make me miss her too much. Plus, the idea of people asking me where she was just made my heart hurt!

All in all the day went off without a hitch. Libby decided to get me up extra early for her feeding in the morning so we left even earlier than we had originally intended. (of course everything revolves around Elizabeth =)) We managed to get the trip (which takes about 1 hour, 45 minutes) in without interrupting her normal feeding schedules - that was really nice! So it was a great day!!

I'd just like to say a few words to some of the people from Saturday:

Mom & Dad - Thanks for watching Libby!! She had a blast!
Caroline & Robert - Congrats again and we wish you a ton of happiness!
The Mirlys - So sorry we weren't able to make the reunion. We will be there next year. I miss you guys!!!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Food Coma

Ignore my commentary but I just have to share this video I took the other day. It is Miss Libby in her food coma form.


TGIF!

Boy am I glad that it is Friday. Today has been rough. Baby girl is making it pretty rough to make it through the day. I went to sleep around 8:30 last night. Thankfully I was able to sleep solidly until 1am when I heard Jim putting Elizabeth down in her crib due to the supersonic monitor. She fussed for a bit but then went to sleep until about 1:45 am when she woke me up screaming. I've been up ever since pretty much holding her the entire time. It seems we are going through this every other day. What's strange (and I think the cause of it) is that she is eating anywhere between every hour to every 2. This gives me about a 30 minute to 1 hour break between feedings and is just making me a little bonkers. I just can't get her to eat more than 2-2.5 ounces at a time...which is just so frustrating. I can get her to stay awake so it isn't that she falls asleep during the feedings. It is more that she just doesn't eat - she just stops! I'm not sure what is going on but I'm hoping if I can just get her to sleep for more than 10-20 minutes at a time she can actually wait a few hours in between feedings. The swing worked for about 15 minutes but then she woke up. I've looked up online how to get babies on feedings schedules but she is just too young. I really think she is just going through a growth spurt and we have to wait this out. I just hate to hear her cry all of the time cause she is hungry. Poor baby girl!

Behold the power of the swing!


10.19.07 Swing
Originally uploaded by Holly Mroczkowski.
After a crazy day of non-stop feedings and only sleeping in my arms, Libby finally took to the swing. She passed out in seconds! I love it!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Day #3

routine - commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity: the routine of an office.

And here I didn't think this word existed anymore...I thought I lost it in 2007. I think that is one thing I am looking forward for 2008 - to get some consistency back in my life. We basically started trying to get pregnant after the 1st of the year and successfully did so the first month. So, since January, my life has definitely not been consistent. It wasn't just the pregnancy though, it was also my job. I was put on a team that basically works every day from 7am-3am. That was interesting enough to get used to much less all of the pregnancy stuff and never knowing what to expect. It would be nice to have a routine established by or during the early part of January so I can have some normalcy back.

But alas, I am not there yet. Day #3, Wednesday, really wasn't that bad. It started off fantastic where I got enough sleep so that I didn't feel like a zombie and I was showered, ready for the day, and had cleaned/straightened up the house by 7:30 am! I had high hopes until I had to call the doctor because my incision from the c-section looked a little red. This was a sign of infection so I didn't want to risk it. I also had plans to go see a friend during the day and had to take a rain check due to the rain (ha, you see what I did there =)...see, the baby hasn't killed all of my sense of humor yet!). Anyways, I called the doctor at 8:00 am hoping to get squeezed in at some point during the day...I was really wanting to avoid going during the rush hour traffic because I am still a little nervous driving my precious baby around - especially after only driving twice in about a month. They eventually called me back around 2 or 3 and wanted me to come in at 5:00. I wasn't thrilled but knew I needed to do that just in case. Of course this messed up the whole 'routine' (for lack of better words!). Libby did her rare thing where she has to be held during the day and won't sleep on her own. I usually chalk this up to digestive issues but I am sure it is because she loves Mommy so much. =) I finally got her to go to sleep on her own at 2:30 just in time for me to have to wake her up around 3:45 to drag her to the doctor with me. Boy, there is nothing like a screaming baby to get you to move faster! Jim graciously agreed to come with me to the doctor because the appointment fell smack dab in the middle of Libby's feeding time and I wasn't sure how I was going to handle that. It all ended up ok because the doctor was late - as usual - and we didn't get to see her until almost 6:00. Thankfully it isn't infected so all is good and Libby was happy. All was right in the world...the only problem was that I didn't get to bed as early as I would like so I am dragging a bit today. It will be a lot easier once we have a routine and set feeding times. As it is, we seem to always get on a certain schedule (even with the weird every 2 hour feedings). I just look forward to the day when I can anticipate it a little bit more so it is easier on Libby and everyone else within a mile radius of her screams. =)

Tales of a Piglet

I have very lovingly nicknamed my daughter Piglet during feeding times. She is an absolutely fantastic eater. After only being 3 weeks old, she can now drain 4 ounces in 20 minutes flat with being burped every ounce. It is amazing. I have heard horror stories of babies that won't eat or fall asleep during feedings...usually she will fall asleep during the end, but the burping wakes her up and she turns into my little piglet again. Feedings are some of my favorite times with her because she is so animated and, well, loud. My favorite thing she does is suck on her hands because it makes this absolutely adorable sound. A favorite thing she does that I can't tell if I am amused about is burp in my face. I almost have figured out when she is going to do it now so I can brace myself (well, my nose) and look away. It is almost like she is saying, "So there! You wanted me to burp!". I'm thinking I think it is funny...even at 3am. =) The only things we are struggling with feeding her are getting her not to choke (because she is a little too excited by food) and figuring out how much she actually wants to eat. I usually find out (a bit too late) that we haven't fed her enough when she is hungry 2 hours after the feedings. It is a careful balancing act. Yesterday, she was consistently downing 4 ounces and seemed to want more...so there go my cute newborn 4 ounce bottles and here we go to the massive, lets whack Mom and Dad in the face, 8 ounce bottles. Ah, what an adventure! =)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Sleeping

Has anyone noticed how noisy a baby is? I have nicknamed the baby Piglet because she eats so much, often, and loudly...however, sleeping is quiet time to me but not for Libby. =) First of all, she hates blankets. Swaddling is totally out of the picture now. Heavens forbid something is over her legs! She will just grunt, groan, and strain until that blanket is off of her legs. Even now I hear her grunting and I know what she is doing.

How can a baby make this much noise and get any sleep? I've read that it is totally normal for babies to make noise and they don't develop normal sleep patterns for a few months. Oy! It is craziness. The super ultrasonic baby monitor doesn't help either. It picks up on everything. We live near Forest Park and they are still having live bands play near the History Museum on Tuesday nights. Ask me how I know. I dare ya. Yup - the monitor picked it up. So I fell asleep while listening to what I think what R&B music miles away. One good thing is I don't need my white noise machine on anymore. There is enough 'natural' noise to lull me to sleep anytime!

Going Solo - Day #2 and Night #3

Day 2 was a bit of a blur for me because I was so exhausted. I only got a total of 4 hours of sleep when it was all said and done. I've found napping in the afternoon is very hard. If I want to get caught up on sleep, I must sleep in the morning between her 6ish and 9ish feedings. I do remember that her umbilical cord fell off so I was very happy about that! I noticed it at the early mornings feedings yesterday it was hanging on by a thread. Before Jim left for work I told him the great news. He was sad that he couldn't be here when it fell off so I told him to say good-bye to it and we opened up her onsie to discover it was gone! Now we just have to make sure it is fully healed and wait a bit and we can give her a tub bath. Yay! I honestly can't remember anything else from yesterday...she did stick to a every 3 hour feeding schedule yesterday so that was wonderful. The only problem was she was having problems in the digestive area and had several very bad (explosive!) diapers. There is nothing like hearing your baby cry and discovering that mess. I know I wouldn't want to sit/lay in that!

Last night I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes opened. I ended up going to sleep around 8:30/8:45 because I honestly couldn't function anymore. I slept until about 3:00 am when Libby woke me up hungry. That was a fabulous sleep! I fed her and then fell asleep on the couch for a few more hours. I got up at 6:00 to feed her and then quickly showered and actually made myself human again. It was wonderful. I looked at the clock and it was only 7:30 am! I had already done more today than I did all day yesterday. Today should be a much better day!

Libby Sleeping

All newborns sleep a lot...well, at least our does and I have been told 'all newborns sleep a lot'. Libby is so adorable when she sleeps that I wanted to post a few pictures up here (just in case you hadn't seen them on flickr). You will also notice her cute chubby cheeks. =)



Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Jim vs the Baby - Baby 1; Jim 0

As you know, Jim returned back to work yesterday. What you might not have known is he wasn't 100%. Saturday we noticed that Jim's eye was really red. I looked at it and noticed it looked like there was either something in there or it was scratched. So, being a nerd, I looked up what to do for a scratched eye online. Everything pretty much said he needed to go to the eye doctor. Yesterday, Jim went to the doctor and found out that the baby had scratched his eye. Now, I was at first kind of upset at this and then I thought about it. What on earth are these two doing at night when I am asleep? I am now convinced they are wrestling. So, for now the baby is winning the fight.

P.S. Jim's eye will be fine. It is already mostly healed and he got prescription eye drops last night (after waiting for HOURS at walgreens). He is going back today to get it checked again but it looks great.

Going Solo - Night #2

Last night was either better than the 1st night or I am quickly getting used to get up so often. Jim fed her at 11pm and then she got up at 1am hungry again. That's when I took over. She gobbled down her food and then I put her back in her crib where she stayed for about an hour before getting hungry again. So at around 3:30 I admitted to myself that I was not going to be able to sleep in my bed again and went downstairs. Since I am not really supposed to be going up and down the stairs, I thought this would be the healthiest option for me. I fed Miss Libby again and she finally fell asleep around 5am again. I was trying to let her sleep in my arms with a boppy supporting us and was hoping to take a quick snooze myself...but I didn't trust myself not to drop her. I was just too tired. I finally got her asleep in her pack 'n play around 5:20 and I was zonked on the couch 5 seconds later until she woke me up at 6:30. I was so proud of her for making it 3 hours between feedings again. So, I think I got about 4 or 5 hours total last night of sleep...only 3 being in an actual bed. There will be naps today. =) The good news is that her umbilical cord has almost fallen off! Of course I have nothing to do with that whole process really - it just falls off when it wants to...but once it does, we can give her a bath in her baby tub. I am so excited about that!

But going back to night #2 - I think it was much better than the first night cause at least I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep. =)

Monday, October 15, 2007

I survived!

Well today was the first day I went solo while Jim was at work. It wasn't too bad...not like I thought it would be. I was tired from last night but I just took it easy and took a quick power nap (assuming you can call a 10-20 minute sleep a nap). Being the only one here takes a lot out of a person...but I was pretty pleased overall. I even got to take a quick shower! Libby was great...she started out with her weird feeding schedule of every 2 hours and eventually we got back into every 3 to 3.5 hours between feedings. Tonight I even made a full dinner consisting of chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. It was the first time I have cooked since being home. Thankfully Jim came home on time because Miss Libby only made it 2 hours between feedings and then ate more than her usually 3-3.5 ounces by downing 6.5 ounces. Yeah, I am not kidding! She's a piglet! She's asleep now and rightfully so because eating all of that had to be exhausting!

My plan is to end my day in a few hours and have Jim take over so I can go to bed early. I would categorize today as a success. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

No Luck

So it is 2:15 am and I am sadly awake and in between cries. Jim brought Libby into the crib around 1 am this morning and she turned into a fussy mess instantly. I swooped in and took over so Jim could get some sleep. The problem is mostly that she didn't eat enough at 2 consecutive feedings and now our 'schedule' (ha!!) is off and I have no idea how much she could even want. So every time she gives me the 'I'm hungry signal' (which has been 3 times in less than an hour), I just feed her more and more. Wowzers - what a first night going solo. Glad I went to bed around 9:15! I don't think I'll be going back to my bed tonight - guess it is the couch for me! Glad it is comfy =)

Sunday, October 14, 2007

A Public Thank You

Some of you may not know but Jim has been home for the last 2 weeks. This has been a huge help while I continue to heal from the surgery and adjust to having a baby. We've been doing shift work so that we both can get some sleep but all of that ends today. Jim, sadly, officially returns to work tomorrow. I'm not only sad because I know I'll be sleeping less but mostly because I'll miss him and his help. So, I'd like to tell everyone that Jim is a wonderful Daddy. And to Jim...

Thank you for all you have done for us! I know I would not have healed this quickly nor adjusted to this whole 'baby thing' nearly as fast. =) --- Holly

Thank you for taking care of me at night! I hope Mommy can do half as good as you! --- Libby

We love you!!!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Sleeping and Eating

I still say we have the best baby in the planet...very calm, a great eater, and a great sleeper. Well...she sleeps great in our arms and she eats constantly. =) It is very strange (to me)...but maybe it is normal...you'll have to tell me. During the day Libby likes to be held and at night (after midnight or so), she is usually ok to sleep on her own. So it doesn't affect us too much when sleeping but during the day it is crazy. Eating is similar. At night she eats and makes it a good 3-4 hours (usually closers to 4 hours) but during the day, it can range between 2-4 hours...usually closer to 2 hours. I'm not entirely sure why the schedule changes during the day. Craziness!

Tales of a Laptop

Wednesday night I noticed my laptop was funnier than normal. Late afternoon I closed it so I could spend time with Libby and then it never came back on. I was hopeful it would just be a quick fix and so I took it to Best Buy on Thursday. After two hours after waiting in line and talking with people from the 'Geek Squad' that knew even less than I did about hard drives in laptops, they told me it looks like my hard drive went bad. The guy put the hard drive in some magic machine to see how bad and how hard it would be to recover the data and it couldn't even read the thing. It was a bit more than I could take. You see it was my first time out solo since having Libby and I had only planned on being gone for maybe an hour (maximum). Then for them to tell me that my computer with 3-4 years worth of data is dead? I just thought of the 2000+ pictures, tax information, budget information...I could go on and on....that I just 'lost'. So I just stood there with the bad news and the prospect of spending $600-1500 to recover this precious information and cried. It didn't help there was a woman next to me with a newborn baby girl which made me miss Libby. So I called Jim to see what he wanted me to do. Best case scenario was that they could put in a new hard drive in my old laptop for $400, ship the hard drive off and recover the data for $600, and they tell me my computer would be 'as good as new'. Well, uh, yeah? For $1000 it better be new....and that was the cheapest it would have been to recover my data. He thought it would be the highest level to recover it - $1500 - which I kid you not, he said it would require them to be in a clean room with biohazard suits to get it out. He said that to me to justify how much it cost. I don't think he expected me to laugh and then just say I want my laptop back so I can kick it in the parking lot. So, I called Jim and we decided that we would have them run a diagnostic test for $65 and I got a new computer (since I would have spent more to get my old one 'returned to normal'). I had no idea how hard it would be to try to recreate what I had with my old computer while taking care of a newborn. Each of them have their own challenges but you can't focus on one at a time...so needless to say, 2 full days later, I am still no where close to having this computer being fully functional. Really I am just missing mailing addresses from people (I lost my entire wedding list and updated addresses for the past 2 years) and my 2000+ songs. Loading hundreds of CDs into iTunes just makes me shudder...but I am slowly getting there. The first thing I need to fix is the address list so I can get the birth announcements out. So, for those of you reading this, and have recently moved (in the last 2 years), if you don't get an announcement or if I email you asking you for your address and you think i'm flaky, sorry! I'm trying to start over from scratch!

Oy! Computers!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

I can drive!

I just had my 2 week appointment to check how I am healing from the c-section and everything looks great. The Doctor has given me the green light to drive again. That helps me feel more human again! I still can only go up and down the stairs 1 time a day (shh, I usually go up 2-3 times) and I can only lift anything as heavy as Miss Libby. Given the rate she is gaining, that could be anything soon! =)

I have to keep these restrictions for the next 4 weeks. Oh to be back to normal again. I guess that will happen in 4 more weeks for me and 6 for Libby. Until then, I am going to volunteer to drive everywhere - except I can't really go anywhere cause I can't bring Libby.

Monday, October 8, 2007

1st Doctor's Appointment

We had our first doctor's appointment this morning. I was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect. Last night Libby and I read - ok, I read it to her - What To Expect The First Year to see if I could think of any questions on what to expect in the up coming month and also jotted down a few questions of my own. We found that Libby has not only regained the weight she lost after birth but has surpassed that amount and gaining a whole pound on top of her birth weight - bringing her up to 8 lbs, 1 oz. She also grew 3/4 inch! We were very proud. =) Her umbilical chord is almost falling off too and we're hoping it is gone soon (mostly because I don't like giving her sponge baths!). All in all it was a great experience and was the first time we had been outside since bringing her home. Boy! It sure is pretty! Our doctor recommended not really exposing her to lots of people until she is 2 months old so she can get her 1st shots...so this should be tricky. Thank goodness Thanksgiving is after she is 8 weeks old!! (Yeah, I know I am insane but whatcha gonna do!)

First Week Home

Well, we survived the first week. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Of course, we have been blessed with a very easy baby (so far!). Jim has really stepped up too (thank you!!). I just wanted to jot down a few of my thoughts and things that have happened over the last week.

  • Smiling - This kid is so incredibly happy. I know it is gas but she smiles constantly when she hears Jim or my voice. It is just adorable.
  • Diaper Changes - I was so nervous to do these. I really wasn't able to do much of them while in the hospital since I was confined to a bed a lot of the time and really had to rely on Jim. Well, I have it down now! We've had a few explosions and some just nasty diapers, and I've become relatively fast at changing them.
  • Screaming - Oh boy, I thought I could handle her screaming because I know it is really the only way she can communicate with me. Jim can vouch that at first I freaked out every time she would scream. I am getting better at not over reacting but I am still not as calm as I would like to be. It just hurts to hear her scream - even though I know she really isn't in pain! She is just hungry!
  • Baby Belly - I knew I wouldn't instantly lose my belly after giving birth. I wasn't that naive about it. What I didn't know is it would look like a deflated balloon! I also didn't realize how much I had truly been swelling either. I've already dropped 25 pounds and I know most of it is water weight! Now I just gotta get rid of this weird shaped belly. =)
  • Sleeping - Everyone tells you that you won't get sleep with a newborn. Well, Jim and I found a way to each get sleep. We're bottle feeding and doing shift work. The only draw back is we don't get to sleep in the same bed together but for maybe 2 hours maximum. Last night I took over the late night feedings so we can try out a normal routine for when Jim goes back to work next week. The rule is he should not feed her past 1am. My plan is to go to sleep early (which, lets face it, I love to do anyways =)) and then I can try to get at least 3 or 4 hours of sleep prior to getting up the first time with her. That is my bare minimum necessary for me not to go absolutely crazy. It worked out pretty well last night. I did a 2:30 am and 5:30 am feeding and actually got to be in bed with Jim for a few hours too! I think I got about 6 restless hours of sleep and plan on taking a nap today. =)
  • Feedings - These are actually my favorite times with her because I can hold her and not feel guilty. =) She is usually a great eater and it gives me an opportunity to talk with her. I'm sure I will eventually be able to do other things while feeding her but right now I just like to look at her while she eats and do nothing else.
This week has just flown by and the Ski family is having a blast!!

Friday, October 5, 2007

Eruptions and Explosions

I had always heard about diaper explosions and had witnessed first had spit ups...but to see them first hand and to watch your own daughter spit up a ton of her food she was so happy to get...well, it is just rough. Yesterday was a bad day in the food/stomach department. We had our 2nd exploding diaper since bringing Libby home and she also spit up a ton after her mid afternoon feeding. It just was so sad to watch that happen. I figured out the key is to not let the baby wipes to run out...when that happens, everything goes crazy! Since I can't go up and down the stairs much, I am pretty much confined to the main level. When the explosions happen, we seem to be out of baby wipes. So, simply put, I am never going to let that happen..cause you know - they are connected somehow. =)

Thursday, October 4, 2007

One Week Birthday!

It is hard for me to believe that Miss Libby is 1 week old. I had expected her to be this massive chunk of a baby and well, she just isn't. She is just this little petite thing. When I reflect what happened last week, I am just amazed. It honestly makes me tear up just thinking about the whole experience...

Last Wednesday started like any day. I was excited because Wednesdays are doctor appointment days, and I love to hear the baby's heartbeat. It is such a comfort to hear her all of the time. I had been having pretty regular contractions every 30 minutes or so but then they would stop by the end of the day. Needless to say I was hoping for some good news at the doctor's office. My Wednesday ritual was always to make sure I had my labor bag packed as well as wrapping anything up at home that may need to be done prior to me giving birth. This Wednesday was the same but this time I spent the afternoon with my sister and her little one, Zoe. After having a lot of fun with the girls I went to go pick up Jim for our appointment at 4:00. We met with the midwife and didn't even have to wait very long! The appointment was pretty routine - checked my blood pressure (very high like usual), listened to the heartbeat, checked my progress (still none), checked my blood pressure again (even higher)..then came the new part - go to the hospital for blood pressure monitoring. I had a feeling this day would come given that for the week prior to that my blood pressure kept going up and up. We talked with Cindy about what they would do and how long the process would take. She explained they would monitor my blood pressure for at least 2 hours (probably no more) and then take my blood to test my kidneys and other organs. The baby was completely healthy but I wasn't doing so hot. So, off to the hospital we went. We arrived around 5:00 pm and went to a room for monitoring. They took my blood pressure constantly every 10 minutes and it just kept going up and up. After the 1st time of taking it, the nurse was very concerned and warned us we might be there for awhile. I was still expecting only an overnight experience even though I joked with Jim that maybe we'll get lucky and have a baby that night. I had always joked that Libby would be born on 9.27 because I liked that they were divisible by 3 (yes, I realize that is completely stupid and weird but I love numbers - hopefully, Libby won't take after me =)). So after about 30 or 40 minutes we got the labs back and they were not horrible but were not normal either. The nurse explained that we would be going to 'Labor and Delivery' and they need to talk with the Doctor about what the next steps would be. I was nervous at that time so I asked what that meant and she said they will be either inducing me or doing a c-section. Then I got really nervous but very excited. I looked over at Jim and I honestly couldn't tell if he was excited or scared. We called my and Jim's parents to give them an update while we waited to hear what the doctor wanted to do. They continued to monitor me during this time and I was trying with all my might to will my blood pressure down...but it wasn't working. =) I just kept focusing on the baby's heart beat and this weird machine that monitored my contractions - which were 3 or 4 minutes a part. I was hoping this meant I was actually getting scared into labor (yeah, I know that cannot be possible)...but I still was not progressing and this baby was not wanting to come out. The Doctor arrived around 7:00 or 7:30 pm and said we either needed to induce or have a c-section. She recommended the c-section. I was very scared and talked it over with Jim. We both agreed the c-section was best for me and then I called my Mom to get her love and support...yeah, I am 27 and really needed her Mom (thanks Mom, I love you!). So, at around 8:00 or 8:30 pm we opted for a c-section and away we went. At that time it was a flurry of activity. Nurses went immediately into prepping me for surgery. I had never been in a hospital (except for when I was born of course=)) and had never had surgery so I was nervous about the whole process. The nurses were wonderful at walking me through everything so I didn't completely freak out. It honestly wasn't that bad and wasn't as embarrassing as I thought it would be. The hardest part was getting the IV in my arm. I have rolling veins and they just couldn't find one. It took almost an hour and 3 giant bruises later for them to find one they could use. Knowing what I know now, I was really thankful for having that big, very late lunch with my sister. I didn't know I was not going to get to eat real food for another 2 days. So, thanks Erin and Cracker Barrel! =) The epidural experience wasn't even as bad as I thought it would be. It helped that the lady that put it in had a sense of humor. She kept joking around with me and they were horrible jokes - which really helped! They gave Jim scrubs to put on (he looked hilarious) and off we went. They had us take this picture before I was rolled off into the operating room...I was thrilled with it but now I am thankful to have it. If, for nothing else, to remind me of what Jim looked like. =)



So off we went...I have to admit I was terrified. I don't know if I was more terrified of the surgery or the fact I was just about to find out whether my baby was ok or not. I chose to fixate on the baby versus the surgery. Thankfully they put a blanket over my view so I couldn't see anything. I felt nothing but I kept losing feeling in my hands/arms. It wasn't a problem then but after we were done I couldn't hold my daughter for several hours. That made me very sad. Jim got to watch parts of the surgery and got to see the baby being born. When she started screaming it was the best feeling in the world. They confirmed it was a girl and she was healthy. It was wonderful. After that they got me all sewed up and rolled me to recovery. My blood pressure magically dropped...and dropped...and dropped. They actually had to give me medicine to bring it back up. Jim, his parents, and Marsha (Jim's sister) came into the room with me and it was such a comfort. (Thanks guys!) They left a little after midnight and after a few more hours in that room I got rolled to another room. They were going to monitor me there because my blood pressure was still a little wacky. They also gave me magnesium to prevent any seizures. At around 2am I got to see Libby and actually hold her. It was absolutely wonderful. At around 3am, I was exhausted and fell asleep. The only glitches came the next day around 8am. They took my epidural out after mixing me up with the previous occupant of the room. Well, lets just say the pain meds stuff got a little mixed up after that but it was ok. I got moved to my permanent room by 6pm that next night after being promised I would be moved about 8 hours earlier. My parents came up to see me and the baby as well as my brother and sister (with Zoe) came by too. It was great to see them all and watch them see Libby for the first time. The next 3 days were a completely blur. I continued to heal and Libby was thriving. She continued to eat more and more and seemed to be very happy. We were thrilled.

Looking back on my time in the hospital, it was great. I highly recommend St. Johns Hospital as a place to have your baby.

The previous week has been absolutely wonderful. I am still in completely awe she is here after such a crazy flurry of activity. But Jim and I are parents now! Wahoo!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Homefront Update: Day 3

I've decided I have the best 1 week old in the world. She sleeps constantly and is allowing Mommy and Daddy to get at least 6 hours each night. Libby is also a fantastic eater. You can't ask for more than that!! Overall day 3 was a breeze. I'm hoping this trend continues but I am not holding my breath. =) To show how awesome she is, last night she had a little accident where her diaper came off. Instead of screaming her head off, she just whimpered for a bit until I came to check on her around 4:30 am and discovered the 'mess'. At that point it was a simple fix and she was the perfect baby again. I just changed and fed her and off to sleep she went again. I think she is spoiling us. =)

(I'm making a mental note of this post so if this trend discontinues I can remember it =))

Max vs Elizabeth

Well, you all know I have a cat. He may just be something you hear me talk about but have never seen due to the fact he hates people. Well, he loves me and tolerates Jim but everyone else he hates. So, needless to say one of my biggest concerns was how Max would react to the baby. When we brought Libby home we immediately put the infant carrier right in front of Max. Of course, once he saw me he went straight for me after not seeing me for over 4 days. I, of course, tried to act completely natural and that we didn't just bring something home that could later on make his life miserable by pulling his tail or chasing him around. Max was very good and just circles the 'object' and then made a slight growling noise. Jim and I petted him and then rubbed on the baby to show we love them both. It seemed to work and everything was ok. Well, Max and Libby haven't butted heads yet. The only problem we seem to keep having is the issue of the nursery. You see - the nursery has a chair and a half that I got as a graduation present from college. Max loves this chair and it is in the nursery...where the baby sleeps...in a comfy crib...that Max could claim as his own if he could just grid of the squirmy, sometimes odd smelling toy in it. So we have to keep the door closed. That seems like an easy fix except when it comes to sleeping. The baby monitor in the nursery picks up everything. By everything, I mean every single sound within 1 mile. I could hear the rain hitting the window in stereo last night and even the fan jiggling a bit. In any case, this allows Max's meows to be listened to in stereo in our bedroom. We can hear him in the hallway crying to get into the room and also through the monitor. That has taken some getting used to but we're getting there. The other issue is the pack 'n play we have in the middle of our main level. Max thinks it is a scratching post but has recently discovered the 'toy' sleeps there. I can't tell if he is being protective, curious, or just rotten but he keeps circling it. We're watching him closely but I'm very nervous about it. What would you think if you saw this?



All in all it hasn't been too bad (yet) so I'm hoping this trend continues. I figure if I can just act like the baby isn't there when Max is around there is hope yet!!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Elizabeth at home: Days 1 and 2

Well, we have been home since Sunday afternoon and things are going really well. Of course I still haven't unpacked everything from the hospital yet but we're getting there! Miss Elizabeth is doing fantastic.

Not much happened on Day 1. We just put together some last minute items like the pack 'n play so that we can change her downstairs since I cannot go up and down the stairs. We weren't expecting that =). Mostly Elizabeth slepted and I watched her. We expected the first night to be rough given the horror stories we heard from other folks but it wasn't too bad. Jim and I decided to team up and I went to be 'early', he would stay up late with her, and then I would tag him out and take over when he needed to go to sleep. The hope was to put her in her crib for a bit upstairs and then we would both get some sleep at some point together - that didn't happen. It still wasn't too bad. I got slept from about 10-3 and then got up to tag Jim out when we realized Libby wasn't going to go to bed. Jim then went to sleep and slept until he naturally got up so he could be able to do the late shift for that night. Libby and I stayed wide awake until about 9:15. I didn't know a newborn could cry for 6 hours straight. Granted - it wasn't her fault. We found out through process of elimination that she needed more food than we were giving her. The nurses at the hospital told us not to give her more than 2 ounces or she will get sick. So, of course not having a clue, we stuck with that. Well, lets just say once we upped it to 3 ounces she was content and then went right to sleep which provided some necessary relief to me. =) The rest of the Day 2 consisted of lots and lots of sleeping from Libby to make up for her 6 hours of being awake. We had high hopes that upping her food would allow her to sleep through longer periods of time, allowing Jim and I both to get some sleep - maybe even at the same time! Well, as of 5am this morning when I am writing this (just because I frankly got enough sleep and was ready to start my day), it worked. Jim stayed up until the 2am feeding and then put her down in her crib and she is still sleeping! I love this child. She is a GREAT eater and a terrific sleeper. So, please say lots and lots of prayers that she stays this way. Not many new parents can say they are getting 6-8 hours of sleep each.

All in all I would mark Day 1 and Day 2 as successes. She seems to be thriving and be very, very happy. Jim and I are both learning a lot about her and her signs for things. She is just a dream come true!