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| Pippa G at 8 months |
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| Opening Christmas Presents |
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| Check out those pearly whites! |
Friday, December 30, 2011
...and a Happy New Year!
Pippa turned 8 months earlier in December, we celebrated our first Christmas together and she is crawling faster than I can walk!
Things have been good (and busy) in our family. Dan is still working the day shift and enjoying spending his days off all alone with his little girl. I am still telecommuting on a part time basis. There are some pretty big job cuts coming so for the first time in 12 years I am applying for other jobs. I'm not too concerned about my job getting cut but it's much better to be prepared just in case. Liam is enjoying every minute of his winter break. We have been to G6 Airpark with friends twice and he's done a LOT of sleeping (I'm jealous). Pippa loves having her brother around during the days. We had to put up baby gates because she discovered the stairs a couple weeks ago. She is exploring lots of foods and prefers to feed herself. My favorite is giving her sliced bananas and when she can't pick them up, watching her bend over and suck them off the counter. I should video that!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
It's Almost Christmas
I know it's been a while since I've blogged. SO much has happened in our lives.
Thanksgiving was another fun weekend. Papa Don came over and we had turkey, potatoes, veggies, rolls and lots of assorted sweets. He watched our puppies (again) while we went to the beach to visit the other half of the family for the traditional turkey-stuffing-potatoes dinner.
Around that time, Pippa started crawling. You'll have to trust me because every time I try to get it on video she stops to stare at the camera. I do have a video of her standing (she pulls herself up now) and cruising - albeit slowly. I also have another video of her and Margeaux. I met Maggie's mom, Amber, in my "new mom's" group through Kaiser. We have done some mommy/baby yoga together but we recently met for brunch at one of my favorite places, Laurelwood Brew Pub. In the video you can see that Margeaux and Pippa are having a good time talking to each other.
Dan started day shift last week so I am now working in the office for the first half of the week while he is home with Pippa and then I'm home the last half of the week while he works. I can't say yet whether or not it's better, we have both been very sick this week with colds. Pippa had a bit of a stuffy nose on Monday but has been fine since.
Liam is still doing well in school and scouts. He's been the driving force for us getting our decorations up for Christmas and he is the first one to plug in the tree in the morning. Pippa just loves her big brother and is all smiles whenever he is around. We are reading "39 Clues" right now. I'm interested in the book so he's reading it aloud to me and I'm sure it's slowing him down but I think Pippa likes it when he reads too.
Christmas is coming up and we are hosting the whole family over several days.I need to start cleaning soon. :-) Happy Holidays!
Thanksgiving was another fun weekend. Papa Don came over and we had turkey, potatoes, veggies, rolls and lots of assorted sweets. He watched our puppies (again) while we went to the beach to visit the other half of the family for the traditional turkey-stuffing-potatoes dinner.
Around that time, Pippa started crawling. You'll have to trust me because every time I try to get it on video she stops to stare at the camera. I do have a video of her standing (she pulls herself up now) and cruising - albeit slowly. I also have another video of her and Margeaux. I met Maggie's mom, Amber, in my "new mom's" group through Kaiser. We have done some mommy/baby yoga together but we recently met for brunch at one of my favorite places, Laurelwood Brew Pub. In the video you can see that Margeaux and Pippa are having a good time talking to each other.
Dan started day shift last week so I am now working in the office for the first half of the week while he is home with Pippa and then I'm home the last half of the week while he works. I can't say yet whether or not it's better, we have both been very sick this week with colds. Pippa had a bit of a stuffy nose on Monday but has been fine since.
Liam is still doing well in school and scouts. He's been the driving force for us getting our decorations up for Christmas and he is the first one to plug in the tree in the morning. Pippa just loves her big brother and is all smiles whenever he is around. We are reading "39 Clues" right now. I'm interested in the book so he's reading it aloud to me and I'm sure it's slowing him down but I think Pippa likes it when he reads too.
Christmas is coming up and we are hosting the whole family over several days.I need to start cleaning soon. :-) Happy Holidays!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Weekend in Bend
Thanks to Travelzoo we got a great deal on a weekend at Eagle Crest Resort in Bend. All four of us made the 3+ hour drive on Friday and stayed until Sunday. We went to the Petersen Rock Garden, another quirky garden/nursery place and spent a lot of time walking around Redmond and Bend. We had some good breakfasts and some fun days. The weather was cold and windy but Pippa loved being outside so much she didn't care. Liam had fun swimming in the resort pool and Dan enjoyed some hot tub time. I got a much needed massage. We had a great family time. Thanks to Papa Don for watching our puppies and making it possible for us to leave our home for a few days.
Just wanted to write all that really quick because I have some of the cutest pictures you will ever see...right...here...
Also, for all of you family following along, Pippa is still not crawling. She's very close but she can now get to a sitting position on her own. I went in her room the other day to get her out of bed and she was sitting up and waiting for me. We have lowered her mattress so once she starts standing, she won't be able to get out (yet).
Just wanted to write all that really quick because I have some of the cutest pictures you will ever see...right...here...
Also, for all of you family following along, Pippa is still not crawling. She's very close but she can now get to a sitting position on her own. I went in her room the other day to get her out of bed and she was sitting up and waiting for me. We have lowered her mattress so once she starts standing, she won't be able to get out (yet).
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| Pippa at Kids' Club - waiting for Liam to get done with swimming |
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| Pippa and Liam on Veteran's Day - stars and stripes swimsuit |
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| Pippa and Mom at Petersen's Rock Garden in Bend, OR |
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Check This Out
Thought we would shoot a cute video for you since she didn't notice I had turned on the camera. What you get is her very first "ba" syllable (check out the tongue action) and her trying to crawl. She's getting better but as you can see she's even closer to sitting up from an "all fours" position. Here she is hamming it up for all of you!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Six Months Old
Pippa is now 6 months old!
Our 6-month doctor appointment went well. She is 16 pounds 13 ounces which isn't much bigger than last time but I guess they grow slower at this age so the doctor wasn't concerned. She's also 2' 4" tall. She smiled and flirted with the doctor as much as she could...until she got her shots. This time she got three immunizations and the flu shot. I've never had a flu shot and I guess at this age, they get two. So when I take her back in for her second shot next month I will bring Liam with me and the three of us will have it done. Yuck.
She's eating like a horse! I made some teething biscuits yesterday and she loves them (so do the dogs). We are still able to keep up and make all of her baby food and it appears that "baby food" time is starting to go away now that she can eat pretty much anything, it's all about grinding it up first. I bought her some oatmeal baby cereal - we have only been giving her rice. She had some of that this morning and loved it. I am enjoying all the apples, pears and bananas as much as she is.
Well, she's now sitting up really well on her own so we have pulled out the playpen and we move it around the house. When I'm in the kitchen, I put her in it so she can watch me cook and play. I used to put her into a bouncy seat but she doesn't like that anymore. She's been on her hands and knees a lot and is rocking back and forth but has not mastered the crawl yet. She scoots backward and rotates on her belly to get where she wants to go. A friend at work gave us a walker and she loves it except that every time it moves forward, it scares her. Pretty funny stuff.
I'll keep trying to upload more videos but for now, this is my favorite new picture. She was taking a nap on a "daddy day" and he snapped this picture of her sleeping, yes sleeping. She napped for two hours like this. Before you comment, yes she was put "back to sleep" and yes we know there should not be blankets in the crib. :-)
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| Pippa at six months! |
She's eating like a horse! I made some teething biscuits yesterday and she loves them (so do the dogs). We are still able to keep up and make all of her baby food and it appears that "baby food" time is starting to go away now that she can eat pretty much anything, it's all about grinding it up first. I bought her some oatmeal baby cereal - we have only been giving her rice. She had some of that this morning and loved it. I am enjoying all the apples, pears and bananas as much as she is.
Well, she's now sitting up really well on her own so we have pulled out the playpen and we move it around the house. When I'm in the kitchen, I put her in it so she can watch me cook and play. I used to put her into a bouncy seat but she doesn't like that anymore. She's been on her hands and knees a lot and is rocking back and forth but has not mastered the crawl yet. She scoots backward and rotates on her belly to get where she wants to go. A friend at work gave us a walker and she loves it except that every time it moves forward, it scares her. Pretty funny stuff.
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| More tired than you can imagine |
Monday, October 10, 2011
Teeth Already!
Pippa turns 25 weeks old today! Almost six months has gone by and I cannot believe it.
She has recently cut two teeth. One came in on Saturday October 8th and the other came in today! They are her bottom two front teeth. I simply cannot get a picture quite yet but I promise (swear on my tooth marked finger) they are there. We had very little indication it was coming already, other than the drool there were no "typical" signs of teething. She does have some random outbursts of pain once or twice a day but the binkie helps.
She is sitting without any support and holding much more still within the last few days. We went to Woodburn yesterday to visit my grandparents who are leaving for California on Friday (snowbirds) and she sat up on her own and played a majority of the day. This weekend we are headed to my mom's house in Long Beach. It's a long drive (2.5 hours) but she hasn't seen her in almost two months! We will be celebrating Liam's 11th birthday a week early there with a little party.
The other interesting stuff is that I recently took a temperament test online through our Kaiser doctor. Check with your doctor about this quiz if you have a baby older than four months. It will help you to determine some main points of your baby's temperament and give you strategies for coping or helping your baby with their natural instincts. For example: Pippa is categorized as an "intense" baby. Meaning she is loud, makes a lot of movement, tends to be less patient etc. What I learned is that intense babies tend to eat a bit more than other babies because they are constantly burning calories even when they sleep because they move around so much. I also learned that touching an intense baby actually stimulates them more than other babies and can lead to more intense reactions. Meaning, if you put Pippa down for a nap, leave her there. I have a tendency to pick her up and cuddle her when she's crying but in reality it's just waking her up more and stimulating her in the wrong ways. So instead I stand by her crib for a moment and help with the binkie if needed then leave her alone. My several trials of this helped her go from a 30 minute nap time to a 2 or 3 hour nap! She's also sleeping much better at night. No random wake periods. We have also determined that if she cries when she wakes up, she's not ready. She always gets up in a good mood. It's been working wonders. It's so hard to just leave her alone but it's best for her.
Another part of that is intense babies don't like to be dressed/bathed/diapered because it inhibits their movement for short periods of time. So instead of doing things quick like I'm used to, I slow down the process and she's enjoying it much more. She doesn't cry when I dress her anymore and I think it's because I give her time to flail her limbs after each movement. It takes some time to get ready for the day but it's worth it to have a happier baby. I'll leave you with the latest picture taken today.
She has recently cut two teeth. One came in on Saturday October 8th and the other came in today! They are her bottom two front teeth. I simply cannot get a picture quite yet but I promise (swear on my tooth marked finger) they are there. We had very little indication it was coming already, other than the drool there were no "typical" signs of teething. She does have some random outbursts of pain once or twice a day but the binkie helps.
She is sitting without any support and holding much more still within the last few days. We went to Woodburn yesterday to visit my grandparents who are leaving for California on Friday (snowbirds) and she sat up on her own and played a majority of the day. This weekend we are headed to my mom's house in Long Beach. It's a long drive (2.5 hours) but she hasn't seen her in almost two months! We will be celebrating Liam's 11th birthday a week early there with a little party.
The other interesting stuff is that I recently took a temperament test online through our Kaiser doctor. Check with your doctor about this quiz if you have a baby older than four months. It will help you to determine some main points of your baby's temperament and give you strategies for coping or helping your baby with their natural instincts. For example: Pippa is categorized as an "intense" baby. Meaning she is loud, makes a lot of movement, tends to be less patient etc. What I learned is that intense babies tend to eat a bit more than other babies because they are constantly burning calories even when they sleep because they move around so much. I also learned that touching an intense baby actually stimulates them more than other babies and can lead to more intense reactions. Meaning, if you put Pippa down for a nap, leave her there. I have a tendency to pick her up and cuddle her when she's crying but in reality it's just waking her up more and stimulating her in the wrong ways. So instead I stand by her crib for a moment and help with the binkie if needed then leave her alone. My several trials of this helped her go from a 30 minute nap time to a 2 or 3 hour nap! She's also sleeping much better at night. No random wake periods. We have also determined that if she cries when she wakes up, she's not ready. She always gets up in a good mood. It's been working wonders. It's so hard to just leave her alone but it's best for her.
Another part of that is intense babies don't like to be dressed/bathed/diapered because it inhibits their movement for short periods of time. So instead of doing things quick like I'm used to, I slow down the process and she's enjoying it much more. She doesn't cry when I dress her anymore and I think it's because I give her time to flail her limbs after each movement. It takes some time to get ready for the day but it's worth it to have a happier baby. I'll leave you with the latest picture taken today.
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| Arms are out because she wants to be picked up, not for balance. |
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| 25 weeks old! |
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Random Things
Just a few random things for this Tuesday afternoon:
1. Pippa is doing fabulous. She slept 12 hours straight Sunday night and 9 hours straight last night. She's happier than ever.
2. We are still eating lots of solids: peas, carrots, bananas, apples and pears. Other than the pears (which she doesn't like) everything has been homemade. She really enjoys fresh bananas. Next up? Broccoli!
3. She is almost 6 months old! I simply cannot believe how fast this time has gone.
4. She's sitting fairly well with support but she's a little wiggle worm. It may be a while before she sits without support.
5. She is log-rolling now. This is how she gets around. She can roll to toys (and animals) as she likes. We put down blankets all over the floors to protect her noggin from the laminate.
6. She's been on her hands and knees several times but most of what she does on her tummy looks like a downward dog position.
7. Nobody can make her laugh like her brother Liam - it's too sweet.
So, we traded in my Honda Civic and got a bigger car - a Kia Soul. We love it and the four doors really help in travelling. We now split the driving between our Scion xB and the Soul. I'm still working part time from home and the rest of the time in the office. Every once in a while I think I should put her in daycare and go back full time but then I realize that's just crazy talk. As long as I'm allowed to telecommute, I will.
Liam's 11th birthday is coming up October 21, they grow up way too fast. He's playing the trumpet in the school band and he's in his final year of cub scouts. I'm hoping to get him into track or something as well but I don't want to keep him too busy.
That's about it for us. I'll leave you with a few pictures. I tried to upload another video but it's not working. Maybe soon...
1. Pippa is doing fabulous. She slept 12 hours straight Sunday night and 9 hours straight last night. She's happier than ever.
2. We are still eating lots of solids: peas, carrots, bananas, apples and pears. Other than the pears (which she doesn't like) everything has been homemade. She really enjoys fresh bananas. Next up? Broccoli!
3. She is almost 6 months old! I simply cannot believe how fast this time has gone.
4. She's sitting fairly well with support but she's a little wiggle worm. It may be a while before she sits without support.
5. She is log-rolling now. This is how she gets around. She can roll to toys (and animals) as she likes. We put down blankets all over the floors to protect her noggin from the laminate.
6. She's been on her hands and knees several times but most of what she does on her tummy looks like a downward dog position.
7. Nobody can make her laugh like her brother Liam - it's too sweet.
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| From yellow Civic to Silver Soul - we moved up in the world |
So, we traded in my Honda Civic and got a bigger car - a Kia Soul. We love it and the four doors really help in travelling. We now split the driving between our Scion xB and the Soul. I'm still working part time from home and the rest of the time in the office. Every once in a while I think I should put her in daycare and go back full time but then I realize that's just crazy talk. As long as I'm allowed to telecommute, I will.
Liam's 11th birthday is coming up October 21, they grow up way too fast. He's playing the trumpet in the school band and he's in his final year of cub scouts. I'm hoping to get him into track or something as well but I don't want to keep him too busy.
That's about it for us. I'll leave you with a few pictures. I tried to upload another video but it's not working. Maybe soon...
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| 20 weeks old and a drooler |
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| 20 weeks - looks like she got caught doing something. |
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| 23 weeks - raisin butt |
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Pippa Update
For some reason, I wrote this last week and forgot to post it. Here you go:
First off, a big THANK YOU to all those who took the time to vote for Pippa in the Portland’s Cutest Baby contest. We certainly felt your love. Pippa did not make it to the top 10 babies but we had a blast getting her picture out there and being one of the top 100 out of over 700 babies.
I took her into the doctor today for a weight checkup. Since our appt. less than two weeks ago she has been eating like a horse. We are now on rice cereal and peas. She LOVES to sit in her high chair and eat. She gets so excited; kicking her legs and opening her mouth super wide. Two weeks ago we took her to the doctor where she weighed 14 pounds 7 ounces – a mere ¾ of a pound more than her 2 month appt. Today, 13 days later, she weighed exactly 16 pounds! She gained more in the last 13 days than in the 2 months prior! Poor baby must have been so hungry! Well, we are moving up in the world now. I plan to continue peas and cereal for at least another week then I’m looking to introduce some more veggies.
This last weekend, Pippa has been working on multiple skills. She has mastered grabbing her feet as well as blowing raspberries. Her favorite is to blow them when she is eating. Food time is okay, babies should be messy but when she is nursing, it makes feeding a bit difficult. She has also perfected rolling over from back to front. Rather than doing this once or twice a week, she’s now rolling several times per day (sometimes per hour) and it’s getting hard to keep track of her. She still does not like to be on her tummy too much and she still gets frustrated when she rolls to her tummy. It’s quite funny – although she doesn’t think so.
So, now that her weight gain is headed in a positive direction, she has been sleeping better as well. She still has a 2:30am detour for about 30 minutes but otherwise she generally sleeps about 10 hours or so.
Last night we had some fun. She has discovered squealing and other sounds. She amused herself (and me) for hours last night. Here's a video - pardon the dark part where I realized I should turn on the light.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Update and MORE Voting!
Pippa is still thriving! She's doing so great. Last night she went to bed about 8:30 and woke up briefly for a "binkie check" around 9:30 then slept until 3:30 for food. She woke up to eat again at 6:30 and was down an hour later for her first nap. Things are good.
Liam starts the 5th grade tomorrow! We are prepping around the house and getting ready for "meet your teacher" night at school tonight. It's been a whirlwind couple of days but once school starts everyone can get back into their routine.
On another note, Pippa made it one more round in the Portland's Cutest Baby contest. This is the final round of voting before they reveal the top 10! I'm not sure of her chances for winning but if she could make the top 10, we would be so overjoyed! Here is her personal voting link. If you've already signed up you just need to enter your e-mail and cast your vote. Every single vote counts and you can vote once per day. Thanks in advance to all who are voting/or have voted on her behalf.
Sorry to make this so short. It's going to be a crazy day with work, PTA obligations, school meetings and getting ready for tomorrow...all with a four month old in tow. Have a great week everyone!
Liam starts the 5th grade tomorrow! We are prepping around the house and getting ready for "meet your teacher" night at school tonight. It's been a whirlwind couple of days but once school starts everyone can get back into their routine.
On another note, Pippa made it one more round in the Portland's Cutest Baby contest. This is the final round of voting before they reveal the top 10! I'm not sure of her chances for winning but if she could make the top 10, we would be so overjoyed! Here is her personal voting link. If you've already signed up you just need to enter your e-mail and cast your vote. Every single vote counts and you can vote once per day. Thanks in advance to all who are voting/or have voted on her behalf.
Sorry to make this so short. It's going to be a crazy day with work, PTA obligations, school meetings and getting ready for tomorrow...all with a four month old in tow. Have a great week everyone!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Much Better
I don't know how she eats so much!!
The food has worked. On top of nursing, she gets another two ounces (or more) of formula to top her off. She is LOVING this. We also gave her a bit of rice cereal the other day but not since. I only wanted to start one thing at a time. She slept from 9pm - 6am last night. I fed her at 6 and she still sleeping (7am). I know she was probably just as exhausted as we were but it's been a really fun couple of days.
She is definitely thriving on the additional food. She's playing more, laughing a lot more and has more patience when things are quiet. Looking back, she's been kind of whiney for a few weeks but I just chalked it up to growth or changes but now I wonder if it was a sign that she wasn't getting enough food even back then. She is definitely a different baby...but she eats a lot. Sometimes we are feeding her every 1.5 hours and sometimes it's every 4 hours. I think it will start to even out once she has enough and her hunger is more in control.
Thank you all for thinking of us. It was a rough few days but I'm confident that's the issue and now we can move forward. Pictures to come soon...
The food has worked. On top of nursing, she gets another two ounces (or more) of formula to top her off. She is LOVING this. We also gave her a bit of rice cereal the other day but not since. I only wanted to start one thing at a time. She slept from 9pm - 6am last night. I fed her at 6 and she still sleeping (7am). I know she was probably just as exhausted as we were but it's been a really fun couple of days.
She is definitely thriving on the additional food. She's playing more, laughing a lot more and has more patience when things are quiet. Looking back, she's been kind of whiney for a few weeks but I just chalked it up to growth or changes but now I wonder if it was a sign that she wasn't getting enough food even back then. She is definitely a different baby...but she eats a lot. Sometimes we are feeding her every 1.5 hours and sometimes it's every 4 hours. I think it will start to even out once she has enough and her hunger is more in control.
Thank you all for thinking of us. It was a rough few days but I'm confident that's the issue and now we can move forward. Pictures to come soon...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Four Month Appointment
Today we had Pippa's four month appointment. I was anxious to meet with the doctor today because the last couple of weeks have been pretty rough. The last few days have been worse. Pippa has been crying (colic-like screaming) and inconsolable. Last night she went to bed at 8pm and woke up screaming at 10pm. She was up until 1am then down for about an hour and up about an hour over and over. I am exhausted. It's even worse when Dan is gone working because we can't trade off. Anyway, she has been nursing more at night so my first instinct is that she may be ready for solids.
We got to the doctor and the normal measurements were done. Head is still 97th percentile (17.24"). Height is down a bit only 91st percentile (25.75") but the shocker was her weight. She was only 14#7oz. that is the 64th percentile! Normally I could care less about that stuff but she has gained less than a pound in two months. Needless to say, we were concerned and wondering what the doctor has to say.
His thoughts are two-fold. The crying could be caused by a bladder infection or extreme hunger. To rule out a bladder infection, we would have to catheterize her. Ouch. So he wants us to practice the "Freedom to Eat Act" for the next couple of days. He believes that her hunger has outgrown my milk supply. I cried. I was devastated. We have done so well (I thought) in feeding and still having milk to store that I never realized I could be underfeeding my baby. So here's the plan: for the next couple of days I will nurse her on both sides until she is done then offer a bottle (we are choosing formula for the time being) of extra milk to see if she takes it. He believes this will solve all the problems. He thinks that she was getting just enough through nursing to satisfy her at that moment then she was hungry within an hour or so and by three hours she was starving. This would prevent her from sleeping through the night and also proper growth. If this is the issue, she will be fine tonight and from now on. He also said that we could start some rice cereal if we want, this would allow us to minimize the amount of formula calories she receives. However, if by Friday, she still has hour+ bouts of inconsolable crying, he wants her back in his office for the catheter. She doesn't have any other signs of a bladder infection (fever, refusing to eat etc.) so we think this might just do it.
After we got home, I hunted down a formula coupon and bought a canister along with some brown rice cereal. Her first feeding she nursed both sides then took one additional ounce of bottle breas tmilk. She slept for an hour after her playtime and woke up happy for the first time in weeks. Our last feeding I tried some formula after nursing and she was NOT having it. So we did more expressed breast milk (2 ounces)...good thing I have a stock pile. I will try to do some formula/expressed milk mix for our next feeding. Since we've been home she's been in a great mood; she's talkative and playful and is sleeping well. I hope it continues into the night.
Interesting enough, with Liam, I dried up at four months and now with Pippa we are having issues as well. Although my supply is good, she just wants more than I have. I wonder too if maybe I'm just not eating enough calories. If I've been so concerned about getting back into shape that I denied my body what it needed to make enough milk. I know that I can go around and around on this but it doesn't matter. We are going to do what it takes to feed and nourish our little girl; formula, breast milk, cereal...whatever it takes.
We would appreciate some positive thoughts our way as well all try and rest a little better this week and hope this helps our little girl get on the growing track again. This is a very tough thing for me to actually talk about so writing it out has really helped. Thanks everyone for your support and well wishes. We will keep you posted by Friday.
Also...gotta get my plug in there, VOTE for Pippa as Portland's Cutest Baby, the link is in the below post.
We got to the doctor and the normal measurements were done. Head is still 97th percentile (17.24"). Height is down a bit only 91st percentile (25.75") but the shocker was her weight. She was only 14#7oz. that is the 64th percentile! Normally I could care less about that stuff but she has gained less than a pound in two months. Needless to say, we were concerned and wondering what the doctor has to say.
His thoughts are two-fold. The crying could be caused by a bladder infection or extreme hunger. To rule out a bladder infection, we would have to catheterize her. Ouch. So he wants us to practice the "Freedom to Eat Act" for the next couple of days. He believes that her hunger has outgrown my milk supply. I cried. I was devastated. We have done so well (I thought) in feeding and still having milk to store that I never realized I could be underfeeding my baby. So here's the plan: for the next couple of days I will nurse her on both sides until she is done then offer a bottle (we are choosing formula for the time being) of extra milk to see if she takes it. He believes this will solve all the problems. He thinks that she was getting just enough through nursing to satisfy her at that moment then she was hungry within an hour or so and by three hours she was starving. This would prevent her from sleeping through the night and also proper growth. If this is the issue, she will be fine tonight and from now on. He also said that we could start some rice cereal if we want, this would allow us to minimize the amount of formula calories she receives. However, if by Friday, she still has hour+ bouts of inconsolable crying, he wants her back in his office for the catheter. She doesn't have any other signs of a bladder infection (fever, refusing to eat etc.) so we think this might just do it.
After we got home, I hunted down a formula coupon and bought a canister along with some brown rice cereal. Her first feeding she nursed both sides then took one additional ounce of bottle breas tmilk. She slept for an hour after her playtime and woke up happy for the first time in weeks. Our last feeding I tried some formula after nursing and she was NOT having it. So we did more expressed breast milk (2 ounces)...good thing I have a stock pile. I will try to do some formula/expressed milk mix for our next feeding. Since we've been home she's been in a great mood; she's talkative and playful and is sleeping well. I hope it continues into the night.
Interesting enough, with Liam, I dried up at four months and now with Pippa we are having issues as well. Although my supply is good, she just wants more than I have. I wonder too if maybe I'm just not eating enough calories. If I've been so concerned about getting back into shape that I denied my body what it needed to make enough milk. I know that I can go around and around on this but it doesn't matter. We are going to do what it takes to feed and nourish our little girl; formula, breast milk, cereal...whatever it takes.
We would appreciate some positive thoughts our way as well all try and rest a little better this week and hope this helps our little girl get on the growing track again. This is a very tough thing for me to actually talk about so writing it out has really helped. Thanks everyone for your support and well wishes. We will keep you posted by Friday.
Also...gotta get my plug in there, VOTE for Pippa as Portland's Cutest Baby, the link is in the below post.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Round Two!
Thanks to everyone for the votes! Pippa made it to Round 2 of voting. There will be a total of 3 rounds then the finals. They cut the field in half each time. So she was one of the top 250 babies! Let's get her in the top 125, okay? The process has changed a bit. The link is HERE but you have to scroll through the pages. Pippa Grace is on page 12 about half way in the pack. It's easiest to go to the end (page 16) and work backward from there. We really appreciate your votes.
Pippa has her four month appointment tomorrow so we will update with more information then.
Pippa has her four month appointment tomorrow so we will update with more information then.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Vote for Pippa!
I have a fun opportunity for everyone! Pippa is in the “Portland
Right now there are over 500 babies that people are voting on. The first round of voting ends on Sunday August 21 and I’m not sure how they will proceed from there but until Sunday, we need to get Pippa as many votes as possible. Here’s how it works:
You will go to the website and you will need to register, it doesn’t matter if you live locally or not and you can opt out of all e-mails.
The website is here: Pippa’s photo is at the bottom of the page in the middle (Pippa Grace)
Voting PageOnce you register, they will send you a confirmation e-mail.
When your e-mail is confirmed, simply click on Pippa’s picture, type in your e-mail then vote! You can vote once per day! So if you sign up today, you can get four votes for Pippa in before the deadline.
If she makes it to the next round, I will definitely let you know. Pippa thanks you for the jump start on her college savings.
On a side note, things are going well. Pippa has her 4 month doctor appointment next Wednesday. I can’t wait to see how much she has grown. Here’s a picture from Monday.
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| Holding up the noggin! |
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Growing Up So Fast
Pippa is growing so fast! Other than the random fussy times, we are loving every minute of it. Yesterday we went to the fair and she did fabulous. We entered her in the "prettiest baby contest" but she didn't place. That's okay because we met a lot of really great people and babies. We did a lot of walking around, rides, food and all other fair things. Pippa did very little sleeping. She ended up sleeping for 14 hours last night and she was pretty fussy today except for a special laughing moment we caught on camera. The video should be in the post below.
Her four month appointment is coming up in a couple of weeks, I'm anxious to see how she's grown. I stepped on the scale with her the other day and she was about 16 pounds now.
This week, Liam is in day camp for cub scouts. It's his last year as a Webelos before he crosses over to boy scouts. He left this morning and I'm sure he's having a great time. We have been laying pretty low the last few weeks, Pippa's schedule has been odd and both of us are pretty tired. I'm back to work full time now. While my request for reduced hours was denied, my telecommute application was approved. So now I telecommute on Mondays, Tuesdays and the 2nd half of Wednesdays. I go to the office the 1st half of Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It's working out well and I'm a much happier and more productive employee. I get more done at home with a baby in an hour than I get done at my job all day sometimes. There are few interruptions here but as soon as Pippa becomes more mobile I know that she will demand more attention. At that point we may switch to daycare but for now this is working well.
I'll leave you with a few recent pictures. Love you all!
Her four month appointment is coming up in a couple of weeks, I'm anxious to see how she's grown. I stepped on the scale with her the other day and she was about 16 pounds now.
This week, Liam is in day camp for cub scouts. It's his last year as a Webelos before he crosses over to boy scouts. He left this morning and I'm sure he's having a great time. We have been laying pretty low the last few weeks, Pippa's schedule has been odd and both of us are pretty tired. I'm back to work full time now. While my request for reduced hours was denied, my telecommute application was approved. So now I telecommute on Mondays, Tuesdays and the 2nd half of Wednesdays. I go to the office the 1st half of Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. It's working out well and I'm a much happier and more productive employee. I get more done at home with a baby in an hour than I get done at my job all day sometimes. There are few interruptions here but as soon as Pippa becomes more mobile I know that she will demand more attention. At that point we may switch to daycare but for now this is working well.
I'll leave you with a few recent pictures. Love you all!
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| Pippa at 15 weeks 08/01/11 |
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| "participant" in the Prettiest Baby Contest |
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| All dressed up for the beach |
Friday, July 29, 2011
Photo Book
We created a photo book on Shutterfly using our FREE code and 40% off for additional books. We ordered SIX and will be giving them to our family. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
She's Growing!!
Pippa is growing more and more every day. I think I finally figured out this video upload thing and I have one of her in her Bumbo chair talking away. She's still a bit wobbly in the chair but she loves it!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
2 1/2 Months!
Wow - I can't believe our baby girl is 2 1/2 months old now. Time is flying!
For the 4th of July we started by watching big brother Liam march in the 4th of July parade in Ridgefield. He is a cub scout in his last year as a Webelos. He carried the WA state flag in the parade. Pippa loved the parade and only fell asleep at the very end. Speaking of sleeping...
Someone lent me the book "Healthy Sleep Habits..." and after reading it, decided to go against my better judgment and try a night of "cry it out." Lately, Pippa has been waking in the wee hours and becoming fussy until you give her back her pacifier. Normally this would be fine but it's happening somewhere in the vicinity of 15+ times per night. I want her to be able to sleep without it (which I know she can do). On Sunday, I put her down to sleep and she started fussing. I left the room for five minutes and returned to soothe her and repeated the process until she fell asleep. I have never heard her cry that hard in my entire life! I was aching just to soothe her and quickly realized that I should be taking care of her. The next day (July 4th) she would not leave me at all. If someone else wanted to hold her, she would start screaming...and I mean screaming. I don't think she realized how hard she could cry until that night, now she has been doing it for two days! She has been very clingy and quick to cry since then. I know she probably cannot rationalize what happened but I think she feels like I might leave her again. On a positive note, she slept through the night last night but it wasn't without struggle. Now when she's falling asleep, even at a nap, she fights it. It's only been two days so maybe I'm overreacting but I for sure will NOT do that again.
Anyway...after the parade, we went down to Woodburn to see family again. We had a good time at the senior estates BBQ, all the ladies loved her. We laid her in the grass again and she kicked and cooed for everyone. Then she screamed the entire hour drive home.
Work is going well. I am completing my telecommute application this week and we should know soon what my new work schedule will be. Our department is moving into the new building on Friday so I get to telecommute an extra day this week. They don't want anyone around when they are moving computers etc.
July will be a slow month for us but August is just around the corner. Liam has a resident Webelos camp on August 7th and then he will visit Grandma for a week starting August 22nd. School starts on August 31st for everyone. PTA kicks into high gear in mid-August and I am the treasurer again this year. I'm excited to have a 5th grader and to watch Liam's relationship with Pippa develop even more. He still gets frustrated when she cries but he understands he needs to keep his emotions in check because she will react based on his feelings. He loves her so much and it's so sweet to see them together. I could not have asked for a better big brother for Pippa.
For the 4th of July we started by watching big brother Liam march in the 4th of July parade in Ridgefield. He is a cub scout in his last year as a Webelos. He carried the WA state flag in the parade. Pippa loved the parade and only fell asleep at the very end. Speaking of sleeping...
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| Pippa's new mobile - she LOVES to talk to it! |
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| 10 weeks old and talking to her mobile |
Anyway...after the parade, we went down to Woodburn to see family again. We had a good time at the senior estates BBQ, all the ladies loved her. We laid her in the grass again and she kicked and cooed for everyone. Then she screamed the entire hour drive home.
Work is going well. I am completing my telecommute application this week and we should know soon what my new work schedule will be. Our department is moving into the new building on Friday so I get to telecommute an extra day this week. They don't want anyone around when they are moving computers etc.
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| Look who found her thumb! |
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| 9 weeks old - she loves her daddy |
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Eight Weeks and Back to Work
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Looking cool in her new shades |
I went back to work on Monday. I am currently allowed to telecommute Mondays and Tuesdays, then I am in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays. My boss allows me to arrange my schedule how I want on Fridays. Since this Friday is a field day at Liam's school, I will work from home then help out at field day. His last day of school is next Monday and he is excited about it!
Yesterday I went into the office around 8am. Dan stayed home all day with her. He did a fantastic job. She napped until noon! I left work at noon and headed to the gym for an hour of cardio and weights. I'm surprisingly not sore today. We will see how I feel tomorrow. I picked up some lunch for both of us and was home around 1:30 to daddy and Pippa playing on the couch. Today I have an afternoon meeting at work so I am staying home a bit longer and allowing Dan to sleep in. I'm only working 20 hours/week for a little while so I can get back into the rhythm of going to work.
Tomorrow is Dan and my dad's birthday. Yes they have the same birthday, close to Father's Day and 25 years apart. I believe the plan is to go out to dinner but we are not sure yet. I have a baby shower on Saturday for a friend who is pregnant with her first children - twin boys! Then on Monday Liam and Pippa both have doctor appointments for normal check-ups. I can't wait to see how much Pippa weighs now and how long she is. The outfit she wore yesterday was "6-9 months" but she's mostly in the "3-6 month" range now.
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| 06/13/11 - 8 weeks old |
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| Talking to Great-grandma |
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| Cuddling with Aunt Glenda |
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Victory...with a Smile
At last! Tuesday night, Pippa became a bit drowsy at 9pm. I rocked her for a bit then took her to her crib for the swaddle around 9:30pm. She was down and out for the count. I did not have to go back in to check on her or anything! What time did she wake up this morning? 6:00am! That's a full 8.5 hours of sleep for baby (about 7.5 for me)! Woot!!!
And finally, with much dedication (and continued hovering) I was able to capture a smile on film. Behold!!
And finally, with much dedication (and continued hovering) I was able to capture a smile on film. Behold!!
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| Pippa at seven weeks - smiling!!! |
Monday, June 6, 2011
Seven Weeks
Pippa is seven weeks old today! I still need to post six week pictures. We have been very busy.
Our weekend at the beach went great! She is really becoming more alert and pays attention to everything. She ate good and traveled well.
This week has been a bit, um, rough. While we have been practicing our eat, activity, sleep method, there are times where she just wants to eat then sleep. Is that okay? Right now for example; she was pretty fussy this morning before I fed her then she passed out. I tried to wake her but she was having none of that so I swaddled her and put her in her crib. She's been sleeping for almost two hours now. That means when she gets up it will be time to eat again. It seems to me that if she's that tired, it's okay to skip the "activity" portion however at night, she wants to skip the "sleep" cycle. Around 7 or 8pm, she becomes wide awake and wants to not sleep. Usually we have been taking a stroll outside and that seems to at least keep her calm. Since she stays up during that cycle, I usually put her down right after her 9 or 9:30 feeding, she will fuss a bit (until around 10) then she's out for the night.
Pippa has been a lot more fussy during the day and in the evening as well. For the first 5 weeks she hardly cried, now it seems like some days I can't make her happy no matter what. Or she will sit in her chair, give a chuckle, smile, then start crying. I keep telling myself that everything is a phase. The younger they are, the faster they grow out of whatever the phase is. Things typically don't last more than a couple weeks. If I can tough it out, it will get better.
This morning we had to wake up early to drive my hubby to the airport. He is in Pennsylvania for training until Saturday afternoon. It's going to be an interesting week. Today is my last PTA meeting for the school year, Liam starts a cooking class tonight and is still finishing up his Tuesday pottery classes. I have my final (I hope) doctor check up on Wednesday and Liam has early release that day too! Thursday and Friday are surprisingly open...so far. If my appointment goes well, I should be headed back to work part-time. I'm actually looking forward to a little time away from baby and the ability to workout again. I'll be super close to the gym so I can pop over after work. I'm alternating between my maternity clothes and my "fat" clothes. It's frustrating just wearing sweats most of the time. I know that by losing just a couple of pounds I will be able to fit into some of my regular clothes soon. I lost 30-ish pounds right away but have been holding steady since then. I still have around 20 more to lose.
That's about it for us. Although a little fussy, Pippa has been smiling more and laughing a bit. She is finally enjoying the vibrating bouncy chair (we still don't own a swing) and again, she's become very alert and likes to be where the action is (in the kitchen during dinner, outside in nice weather etc.). I'm looking forward to what the next couple of weeks holds for us.
Our weekend at the beach went great! She is really becoming more alert and pays attention to everything. She ate good and traveled well.
This week has been a bit, um, rough. While we have been practicing our eat, activity, sleep method, there are times where she just wants to eat then sleep. Is that okay? Right now for example; she was pretty fussy this morning before I fed her then she passed out. I tried to wake her but she was having none of that so I swaddled her and put her in her crib. She's been sleeping for almost two hours now. That means when she gets up it will be time to eat again. It seems to me that if she's that tired, it's okay to skip the "activity" portion however at night, she wants to skip the "sleep" cycle. Around 7 or 8pm, she becomes wide awake and wants to not sleep. Usually we have been taking a stroll outside and that seems to at least keep her calm. Since she stays up during that cycle, I usually put her down right after her 9 or 9:30 feeding, she will fuss a bit (until around 10) then she's out for the night.
Pippa has been a lot more fussy during the day and in the evening as well. For the first 5 weeks she hardly cried, now it seems like some days I can't make her happy no matter what. Or she will sit in her chair, give a chuckle, smile, then start crying. I keep telling myself that everything is a phase. The younger they are, the faster they grow out of whatever the phase is. Things typically don't last more than a couple weeks. If I can tough it out, it will get better.
This morning we had to wake up early to drive my hubby to the airport. He is in Pennsylvania for training until Saturday afternoon. It's going to be an interesting week. Today is my last PTA meeting for the school year, Liam starts a cooking class tonight and is still finishing up his Tuesday pottery classes. I have my final (I hope) doctor check up on Wednesday and Liam has early release that day too! Thursday and Friday are surprisingly open...so far. If my appointment goes well, I should be headed back to work part-time. I'm actually looking forward to a little time away from baby and the ability to workout again. I'll be super close to the gym so I can pop over after work. I'm alternating between my maternity clothes and my "fat" clothes. It's frustrating just wearing sweats most of the time. I know that by losing just a couple of pounds I will be able to fit into some of my regular clothes soon. I lost 30-ish pounds right away but have been holding steady since then. I still have around 20 more to lose.
That's about it for us. Although a little fussy, Pippa has been smiling more and laughing a bit. She is finally enjoying the vibrating bouncy chair (we still don't own a swing) and again, she's become very alert and likes to be where the action is (in the kitchen during dinner, outside in nice weather etc.). I'm looking forward to what the next couple of weeks holds for us.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Two More Weeks
My post-partum check-up didn't go as well as planned. That's a good and a bad thing. The doctor has given me two more weeks off from work (sick leave) because my c-section scar has not completely healed. Although it looks closed, there's still a bit of pain and some fluid. The good news is that it's two more weeks with Pippa, bad news is that I still cannot workout other than walking.
This week, Pippa is cooing and talking more than ever! She has started smiling at people and is content to just lay on the floor doing arm circles and leg kicks. I began reading a book called "The Baby Whisperer" to help get her more into a routine. Lately, she will eat, then stay up to play for a while before sleeping. This is different than when she would fall asleep eating and nap for hours. While this is the order the book recommends (E.A.S.Y. = eat, activity, sleep, you time), it's difficult for tired mom and dad to feed her at 10pm only to have her stay up until 2am playing before drifting off to sleep. My hope is that we can get her schedule adjusted a little more so she goes down around 11pm. We will see what the week brings, I need to finish the book first.
This will be Pippa's first Memorial Day Weekend! We plan to drive to Puyallup today for a friend's son's first birthday party. On Sunday I am taking Liam and Pippa to the beach for some Grandma time. Dan will stay at home since he is working Sunday and Monday night. I hope that he is able to get lots of sleep as well. Today will be our first long road trip with Pippa and tomorrow will be our first over-nighter. I'm sure she will do well and adapt like she always does, we just need to make sure her routine is not disturbed too much.
We hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend!
This week, Pippa is cooing and talking more than ever! She has started smiling at people and is content to just lay on the floor doing arm circles and leg kicks. I began reading a book called "The Baby Whisperer" to help get her more into a routine. Lately, she will eat, then stay up to play for a while before sleeping. This is different than when she would fall asleep eating and nap for hours. While this is the order the book recommends (E.A.S.Y. = eat, activity, sleep, you time), it's difficult for tired mom and dad to feed her at 10pm only to have her stay up until 2am playing before drifting off to sleep. My hope is that we can get her schedule adjusted a little more so she goes down around 11pm. We will see what the week brings, I need to finish the book first.
This will be Pippa's first Memorial Day Weekend! We plan to drive to Puyallup today for a friend's son's first birthday party. On Sunday I am taking Liam and Pippa to the beach for some Grandma time. Dan will stay at home since he is working Sunday and Monday night. I hope that he is able to get lots of sleep as well. Today will be our first long road trip with Pippa and tomorrow will be our first over-nighter. I'm sure she will do well and adapt like she always does, we just need to make sure her routine is not disturbed too much.
We hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend!
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| Five weeks old |
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| It took some effort... |
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| but her fist was able to fit into her mouth! |
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Better Late Than Never
Yes, I've been insanely busy. About the time I heat up some food, Pippa is awake and ready to eat. It took me over an hour to get to my quickie microwave meal at lunch today. Most days I can't even check my e-mail. It took all day to sweep the floor yesterday. I told Dan that "if I slept when the baby sleeps, nothing would get done around here."
Anyway, last night was our first night totally alone. Dan is back to work full-time and Liam is with his father this weekend. It seemed to go okay. Pippa was in bed by 10:30. She woke up around 2am to feed and again at 5:30am. I got about 6 hours of sleep. That's not enough for me but I usually do take a nap during the day. Housework tends to happen late at night when baby is sleeping. I plan to go for another walk today.
My follow up doctor appointment is coming up this Wednesday so hopefully I will be cleared to do more exercise.
So, within the last couple of weeks, we have seen some more rollovers. She smiled while awake for the first time on 05/20/11 and I've only seen one or two since then, but they are coming. She has started to coo a lot! It's funny to watch her flail her arms and legs and put so much effort into one little noise. My grandmother/grandfather Stram gave her this little lion that plays a very short (5 second) tune when you press it's paw. Pippa is fascinated by this toy and will spend up to an hour at a time staring at it and talking/cooing to it. Of course, you have to keep pressing the paw for it to "talk" back but she LOVES it!
That's about all that's been happening, she turns 5 weeks old tomorrow! It's ironic how slow the last month of pregnancy goes but how fast the first month of mommyhood is...
Anyway, last night was our first night totally alone. Dan is back to work full-time and Liam is with his father this weekend. It seemed to go okay. Pippa was in bed by 10:30. She woke up around 2am to feed and again at 5:30am. I got about 6 hours of sleep. That's not enough for me but I usually do take a nap during the day. Housework tends to happen late at night when baby is sleeping. I plan to go for another walk today.
My follow up doctor appointment is coming up this Wednesday so hopefully I will be cleared to do more exercise.
So, within the last couple of weeks, we have seen some more rollovers. She smiled while awake for the first time on 05/20/11 and I've only seen one or two since then, but they are coming. She has started to coo a lot! It's funny to watch her flail her arms and legs and put so much effort into one little noise. My grandmother/grandfather Stram gave her this little lion that plays a very short (5 second) tune when you press it's paw. Pippa is fascinated by this toy and will spend up to an hour at a time staring at it and talking/cooing to it. Of course, you have to keep pressing the paw for it to "talk" back but she LOVES it!
That's about all that's been happening, she turns 5 weeks old tomorrow! It's ironic how slow the last month of pregnancy goes but how fast the first month of mommyhood is...
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| Pippa and Bella (sticking her tongue out!) |
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| 05/09/11 - three weeks old |
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| 05/16/2011 - four weeks old! |
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!
My husband was generous enough to stay up with Pippa all night and bottle feed her so that I slept a glorious and full eight hours! Unfortunately I woke up a bit, um, full...but I was able to pump enough for storage and another bottle tonight. Pippa doesn't eat a lot but I produce a lot so in the mornings she nurses one side and I pump the other side, this gives Dan enough milk to feed her at night. We have not had to use any formula at all!
Anyway, I took my extra morning time to make myself breakfast and take a long shower, it was fantastic! Pippa is sleeping now (again) and I'm almost done with laundry and getting ready to make some lunch. Yum!
Coming up this week:
Pippa turns 3 weeks old tomorrow
Liam starts his first pottery class on Tuesday
I have a doctor check up for my incision
Grandma Margaret comes to visit from Florida
PTA activities galore at school (book fair and spring BBQ)
I cannot believe how fast these last three weeks have gone. I have three more weeks then I head back to work part time for another six weeks. I'm enjoying my time at home so much I don't want to go back!
I started back on my nutrition plan yesterday and I should be cleared for exercise in several more weeks. I have been walking as much as I can but the weather has been horrible. Hopefully it will get better soon. I also received the baby announcements yesterday so I need to get those addressed and in the mail. It will be a busy week! Have a great one all!
Below are some pictures from our photo shoot in the hospital room. She was one day old in these photos.
My husband was generous enough to stay up with Pippa all night and bottle feed her so that I slept a glorious and full eight hours! Unfortunately I woke up a bit, um, full...but I was able to pump enough for storage and another bottle tonight. Pippa doesn't eat a lot but I produce a lot so in the mornings she nurses one side and I pump the other side, this gives Dan enough milk to feed her at night. We have not had to use any formula at all!
Anyway, I took my extra morning time to make myself breakfast and take a long shower, it was fantastic! Pippa is sleeping now (again) and I'm almost done with laundry and getting ready to make some lunch. Yum!
Coming up this week:
Pippa turns 3 weeks old tomorrow
Liam starts his first pottery class on Tuesday
I have a doctor check up for my incision
Grandma Margaret comes to visit from Florida
PTA activities galore at school (book fair and spring BBQ)
I cannot believe how fast these last three weeks have gone. I have three more weeks then I head back to work part time for another six weeks. I'm enjoying my time at home so much I don't want to go back!
I started back on my nutrition plan yesterday and I should be cleared for exercise in several more weeks. I have been walking as much as I can but the weather has been horrible. Hopefully it will get better soon. I also received the baby announcements yesterday so I need to get those addressed and in the mail. It will be a busy week! Have a great one all!
Below are some pictures from our photo shoot in the hospital room. She was one day old in these photos.
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| Looking a bit unhappy |
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| My favorite |
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| Daddy and his little girl |
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| Almost an Easter baby |
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Two Weeks and First Doctor Visit
Pippa turned two weeks old on Monday. Our week has been filled with late nights, visits from friends and family, lots of poopie diapers and many loads of spit-up or poop stained laundry. She is smiling with some effort now and has rolled over from front to back several times already. On Monday, she also began crying tears; this makes it harder to put her down.
We had our first doctor appointment with our pediatrician, Dr. Black, today. He is also Liam's pediatrician and I think he is amazing. He said all the crazy things she is experiencing (green poop, lots of explosions in the diaper, spit up by the gallons etc.) are all normal.
We are looking forward to some "alone" time. We have one more family visit then we can start getting into a schedule and hopefully sleeping more. Our birth announcements have been ordered and will be on their way to some lucky people shortly! Thanks everyone for your continued thoughts and well wishes.
We had our first doctor appointment with our pediatrician, Dr. Black, today. He is also Liam's pediatrician and I think he is amazing. He said all the crazy things she is experiencing (green poop, lots of explosions in the diaper, spit up by the gallons etc.) are all normal.
We are looking forward to some "alone" time. We have one more family visit then we can start getting into a schedule and hopefully sleeping more. Our birth announcements have been ordered and will be on their way to some lucky people shortly! Thanks everyone for your continued thoughts and well wishes.
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| Baby Pippa at two weeks |
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Monday, April 25, 2011
One Week
Our dearest Pippa is one week old today. What a week it has been. I have witnessed the miracle of life (again) and got the privilege of watching my husband witness the same miracle (and sob like a baby). We spent three nights in the hospital being poked and prodded beyond belief and receiving a clean bill of health.
Now that we are home, Pippa is eating more than ever! About every 2 hours when she is awake however, some of her naps extend to about 4 hours so she wakes up a bit frantic. Breastfeeding is going so well and I love knowing that I can take care of her needs wherever we are. She's a very content and laid back baby, rarely fussy (hungry or trying to poop) and she has the cutest smushy baby face when she's sleeping on you.
She got another bath today and fully enjoyed every moment...until it ended. She was very sad to get out of the warm water. Our days consist of a morning feeding, then diaper change and nap. She does a bit of tummy time in the early afternoon followed my more feeding and another nap. Between myself, my mom and Liam, Pippa is rarely ever put down, and that's good because she LOVES to be held.
I will be cleared to drive next week - yay! In the meantime, we are home and always accepting visitors. Just let us know when you are coming.
Now that we are home, Pippa is eating more than ever! About every 2 hours when she is awake however, some of her naps extend to about 4 hours so she wakes up a bit frantic. Breastfeeding is going so well and I love knowing that I can take care of her needs wherever we are. She's a very content and laid back baby, rarely fussy (hungry or trying to poop) and she has the cutest smushy baby face when she's sleeping on you.
She got another bath today and fully enjoyed every moment...until it ended. She was very sad to get out of the warm water. Our days consist of a morning feeding, then diaper change and nap. She does a bit of tummy time in the early afternoon followed my more feeding and another nap. Between myself, my mom and Liam, Pippa is rarely ever put down, and that's good because she LOVES to be held.
I will be cleared to drive next week - yay! In the meantime, we are home and always accepting visitors. Just let us know when you are coming.
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| One week old - LOVING her bath |
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| Liam loves his baby sister |
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| Smushy sleeping baby face |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Pippa's Birth Story
Now that we are home I can finally sit down and write this. Our computer died so we are working on a little netbook that's been hooked up to a keyboard and monitor.
On the morning of Monday April 18th at 7:30, my hubby and I checked into the hospital. They promptly got me in the gown and hooked me up to an IV.
They monitored baby for about 30 minutes and took my vital signs. My surgeon arrived and checked out my previous incision site. She told me she would cut out the old scars so that the incision would heal better. Then the anesthesiologists came in and explained what a spinal block was and why they used it for scheduled c-sections. We were ready!
At 9:15am, they walked me into the OR and had my hubby wait outside. He was told it would be about 10 minutes for them to set the spinal block and get everything else ready. They would have him come in as soon as it was all done.
First, I got a shot to numb the site the block would go in. It hurt like a mother but I kept focusing on baby. Then the medicine was administered. At times I felt a strong electric jolt down my right leg but it was otherwise not too bad. They laid me down and started doing testing to determine if I could feel anything. They told me the first thing to go would be temperature so they put something cold on my arm and then again on my belly. I could still feel the cold. "Can you wiggle your toes?" 'yes' - okay...so we waited and waited and nothing happened. I started to get really nervous because I don't want to feel the pain of the scalpel slicing open my abdomen. At that point they decided I needed more medication and they sat me up and administered another spinal (more medicine). I was warned that I may have additional "non-sensation" probably up to my collar bone so I would feel like I couldn't breathe. I was starting to think that maybe I made the wrong decision.
After spinal block #2 did NOT take, not much was said but I know they administered an epidural. I ended up with the catheter in my back and so numb I felt nothing and could move nothing. My hubby was brought in and I glanced at the clock. It was after 10am! Poor guy had been sitting out there for 45 minutes. You could tell he was having a hard time.
The incision was cut before he even sat down and my surgeon spent lots of time going through the layers properly. Pippa Grace Larson was born at 10:27am on Monday April 18, 2011 (21 inches long; 10lb, 4 oz). The first comments from the nurses were "she's all cheeks," then I hear "she has to be at least 10 pounds" then I hear my doctor/surgeon tell me that I made a wise decision and that we would have ended up here anyway, the insides of my pelvis would not have supported delivering a baby as large as her.
As soon as I heard her cry, I started crying. My husband was sobbing. He grabbed the camera and went around the blue sheet and took picture after picture. All of these were taken either in the OR or in the recovery room.
As far as who she looks like - I gave birth to myself. You can compare my baby pics to hers and cannot tell the difference. Fortunately, she has a much calmer temperament than I did.
We stayed in the hospital from Monday through Thursday and we are now at home getting back into the swing of things.
On the morning of Monday April 18th at 7:30, my hubby and I checked into the hospital. They promptly got me in the gown and hooked me up to an IV.
They monitored baby for about 30 minutes and took my vital signs. My surgeon arrived and checked out my previous incision site. She told me she would cut out the old scars so that the incision would heal better. Then the anesthesiologists came in and explained what a spinal block was and why they used it for scheduled c-sections. We were ready!
At 9:15am, they walked me into the OR and had my hubby wait outside. He was told it would be about 10 minutes for them to set the spinal block and get everything else ready. They would have him come in as soon as it was all done.
First, I got a shot to numb the site the block would go in. It hurt like a mother but I kept focusing on baby. Then the medicine was administered. At times I felt a strong electric jolt down my right leg but it was otherwise not too bad. They laid me down and started doing testing to determine if I could feel anything. They told me the first thing to go would be temperature so they put something cold on my arm and then again on my belly. I could still feel the cold. "Can you wiggle your toes?" 'yes' - okay...so we waited and waited and nothing happened. I started to get really nervous because I don't want to feel the pain of the scalpel slicing open my abdomen. At that point they decided I needed more medication and they sat me up and administered another spinal (more medicine). I was warned that I may have additional "non-sensation" probably up to my collar bone so I would feel like I couldn't breathe. I was starting to think that maybe I made the wrong decision.
After spinal block #2 did NOT take, not much was said but I know they administered an epidural. I ended up with the catheter in my back and so numb I felt nothing and could move nothing. My hubby was brought in and I glanced at the clock. It was after 10am! Poor guy had been sitting out there for 45 minutes. You could tell he was having a hard time.
The incision was cut before he even sat down and my surgeon spent lots of time going through the layers properly. Pippa Grace Larson was born at 10:27am on Monday April 18, 2011 (21 inches long; 10lb, 4 oz). The first comments from the nurses were "she's all cheeks," then I hear "she has to be at least 10 pounds" then I hear my doctor/surgeon tell me that I made a wise decision and that we would have ended up here anyway, the insides of my pelvis would not have supported delivering a baby as large as her.
As soon as I heard her cry, I started crying. My husband was sobbing. He grabbed the camera and went around the blue sheet and took picture after picture. All of these were taken either in the OR or in the recovery room.
As far as who she looks like - I gave birth to myself. You can compare my baby pics to hers and cannot tell the difference. Fortunately, she has a much calmer temperament than I did.
We stayed in the hospital from Monday through Thursday and we are now at home getting back into the swing of things.
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| 04/17/11 - night before the surgery |
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| 04/18/11 - Happy Birthday Pippa! |
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| NOT happy about being naked |
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| 10 Pounds 4 Ounces |
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| Baby burrito |
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| Proud Daddy |
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