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!

Five weeks old

It took some effort...

but her fist was able to fit into her mouth!

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...

Pippa and Bella (sticking her tongue out!)

05/09/11 - three weeks old

05/16/2011 - four weeks old!

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.

Looking a bit unhappy

My favorite

Daddy and his little girl

Almost an Easter baby

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.

Baby Pippa at two weeks

Photo Card

Initially Girl Baby Announcements

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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.

One week old - LOVING her bath

Liam loves his baby sister

Smushy sleeping baby face

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. 

04/17/11 - night before the surgery

04/18/11 - Happy Birthday Pippa!

NOT happy about being naked

10 Pounds 4 Ounces

Baby burrito

Proud Daddy