What a fun week it has been. The last of our out of town visitors left this week. Tuesday was our first day of "normal." Justin went back to work & grad school. Alexa went back to Galaxy (pre-school) and Addison and I had our first day home together. Justin has been very busy catching up on the work he missed for two weeks. He is hitting the end of his first quarter of grad school. He has been doing LOTS of homework and study for finals. Only 7 more quarters to go.
Alexa had a tough time getting back into her routine. She has really enjoyed being home more than normal and all the extra Grandparent spoiling. This week she went to Galaxy everyday and it seemed to help. I take her in after breakfast and pick her up right after her afternoon snack. She is there a total of 5 hours a day. It has been a nice break for me too. She will continue to go next week until we head to Cincinnati. Oh and a side note. Alexa is no longer having accidents. I guess our short regression ended. :) She is only wearing pull ups at night. They are usually dry and I am sure she can learn to not wear them. I am just not ready for that yet. One accident is too many for me right now. We will address it again at another time.
Addison and I are working on nursing, napping (her) and housework (me). We are getting lots of cuddle time in too. I just love the newborn/infant bonding stage. I cannot get enough of her little hands, uncontrollable facial expressions and our starring contests. Nursing is still going OK. We both seem to be more comfortable with it. I am concerned about my supply not being enough for her. Hopefully we will be able to continue nursing but only time will tell.
This week we will get the house cleaned up, pack our bags and head to Ohio. I CANNOT wait for my family to meet Addison and spend time with Alexa. We have not been there since Christmas but we have seen most of my family at least once since then. Alexa's 3 year old birthday party will be next weekend. She is very excited about it. I am sad my baby will be 3 next month. I am very proud of the sweet, smart & adorable child she is becoming. I hope the next 3 years go a bit slower than the last 3. I am not ready for my newest baby to grow up quite so fast.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
First 2 Weeks
Bringing Addison home was a very different experience than with Alexa. From the moment we walked in the door I became a mother of two. Alexa was pulling me one way and Addison was needing to be fed. Fortunately I had some help with the transition.
Addison started out sleeping a lot and has since become alert for hours at a time. She is very happy when she is awake. I enjoy talking to her and watching her eyes respond. We are working on keeping her up more during the evening in hopes that the nights will be longer sleep stretches. I am used to getting 8-9 hours of sleep at night. A newborn baby certainly changes that. I am hopefully once we are alone and in our normal routine I will be able to get to bed earlier and sleep in later until Addison sleeps longer stretches.
Addison had her first bath at just an hour old. I waited a week before giving her another one. She really was not dirty so I didn't find a need to earlier. She had a sponge bath & of course had to wash her hair. I think she actually enjoyed getting her head rubbed and hair cleaned. Her hair usually has an oily look to it. After I was her hair it fluffs out & I LOVE it. At 12 days old Addison had her second bath. It went well & I am now looking forward to her first real bath.
I was determined to give nursing a good attempt. Once we got home from the hospital I was so afraid of how much Addison was eating & rather I was nursing correctly. I REALLY do not want to pump exclusively this time. I am trying to make sure everything I do encourages successful nursing and not leading me back to pumping. I had a rough few days once my milk came in. So far we made it through & it seems to be going well. I plan on attending the breast feeding support group on post starting next week. They will weigh the baby before, watch and give suggestions with the nursing & then weigh her after. It should be very helpful. Fingers crossed that we are making strides in the right direction. I am taking it one day at a time, but really hoping we can make it a year. :)
The pediatrician that saw Addison in the hospital suggested she go to her primary doctor in 2-3 days. Addison went at 6 days old. She weighed 5 lbs 14 ounces. Up three ounces in 3 days. Everything checked out great. Addison went back to the doctor at 13 days old for her 2 week well baby visit. She was 6 lbs 7 ounces. I was pleasantly surprised at how much she gained in a week. It was a huge victory for breast feeding. She will go back in early September for her 1 month well baby check.
Addison's newborn photos turned out great. She slept through most of the shoot and cooperated to the best of a 12 day old ability. Justin brought a heating pad and we made it our goal to keep her warm. I think that was the biggest help in having a successful session. Alexa
Alexa has been doing great as a big sister. At first she was struggling with the attention but I think we are finding a balance. She has asked to hold her sister and even walks up and rubs her head. I am glad she feels comfortable being around her. So far we have not had any major issues. Hopefully this continues for awhile. I am guessing the big test will be when all the visitors leave & Daddy goes back to work. I will be on my own with my two girls (which I am REALLY excited about). Alexa will go to preschool a few hours a day. I am hoping this will give her the play time she needs and also allow Addison and I to have some bonding time.
Addison's cord was originally cut about three inches long. On her second day the nurse cut it down to a near stub. Around day 9 it feel off. We had some minor bleeding after that. I kept it dry until her 2 week birthday an then she got her first dip in a real bath. Her skin is VERY dry after the bath. I think we will be limiting her soaking to once a week at the most. Her face on the other hand has some baby acne. I am not sure if its from nursing, being touched too much on the face or a combination of both. I am going to work on keeping it oil free and dry.
I am so in love with my little Addison. I am really struggling with the thought of her going to daycare or even an in home daycare in just 10 weeks. I am trying not to count down but I feel the impending deadline quickly approaching. Even 3 days a week feels like too much for me. I guess we will have to work on that over the next two months. For now I am going to cuddle with my littlest peanut as much as I can. They really do grow up too quickly.
Addison started out sleeping a lot and has since become alert for hours at a time. She is very happy when she is awake. I enjoy talking to her and watching her eyes respond. We are working on keeping her up more during the evening in hopes that the nights will be longer sleep stretches. I am used to getting 8-9 hours of sleep at night. A newborn baby certainly changes that. I am hopefully once we are alone and in our normal routine I will be able to get to bed earlier and sleep in later until Addison sleeps longer stretches.
Addison had her first bath at just an hour old. I waited a week before giving her another one. She really was not dirty so I didn't find a need to earlier. She had a sponge bath & of course had to wash her hair. I think she actually enjoyed getting her head rubbed and hair cleaned. Her hair usually has an oily look to it. After I was her hair it fluffs out & I LOVE it. At 12 days old Addison had her second bath. It went well & I am now looking forward to her first real bath.
I was determined to give nursing a good attempt. Once we got home from the hospital I was so afraid of how much Addison was eating & rather I was nursing correctly. I REALLY do not want to pump exclusively this time. I am trying to make sure everything I do encourages successful nursing and not leading me back to pumping. I had a rough few days once my milk came in. So far we made it through & it seems to be going well. I plan on attending the breast feeding support group on post starting next week. They will weigh the baby before, watch and give suggestions with the nursing & then weigh her after. It should be very helpful. Fingers crossed that we are making strides in the right direction. I am taking it one day at a time, but really hoping we can make it a year. :)
The pediatrician that saw Addison in the hospital suggested she go to her primary doctor in 2-3 days. Addison went at 6 days old. She weighed 5 lbs 14 ounces. Up three ounces in 3 days. Everything checked out great. Addison went back to the doctor at 13 days old for her 2 week well baby visit. She was 6 lbs 7 ounces. I was pleasantly surprised at how much she gained in a week. It was a huge victory for breast feeding. She will go back in early September for her 1 month well baby check.
Addison's newborn photos turned out great. She slept through most of the shoot and cooperated to the best of a 12 day old ability. Justin brought a heating pad and we made it our goal to keep her warm. I think that was the biggest help in having a successful session. Alexa
Alexa has been doing great as a big sister. At first she was struggling with the attention but I think we are finding a balance. She has asked to hold her sister and even walks up and rubs her head. I am glad she feels comfortable being around her. So far we have not had any major issues. Hopefully this continues for awhile. I am guessing the big test will be when all the visitors leave & Daddy goes back to work. I will be on my own with my two girls (which I am REALLY excited about). Alexa will go to preschool a few hours a day. I am hoping this will give her the play time she needs and also allow Addison and I to have some bonding time.
Addison's cord was originally cut about three inches long. On her second day the nurse cut it down to a near stub. Around day 9 it feel off. We had some minor bleeding after that. I kept it dry until her 2 week birthday an then she got her first dip in a real bath. Her skin is VERY dry after the bath. I think we will be limiting her soaking to once a week at the most. Her face on the other hand has some baby acne. I am not sure if its from nursing, being touched too much on the face or a combination of both. I am going to work on keeping it oil free and dry.
I am so in love with my little Addison. I am really struggling with the thought of her going to daycare or even an in home daycare in just 10 weeks. I am trying not to count down but I feel the impending deadline quickly approaching. Even 3 days a week feels like too much for me. I guess we will have to work on that over the next two months. For now I am going to cuddle with my littlest peanut as much as I can. They really do grow up too quickly.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Addison's Announcement
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Monday, August 5, 2013
Addison Alena
We had our weekly OB appointment on Monday. Addison's heart rate was good and in her normal range. We did find out I was group B strep positive. This meant I would need 4 hours of antibiotics before I delivered or Addison would need antibiotics after birth. My blood pressure was the highest it has ever been. My doctor had me lay on my side and we continued on with the appointment. After everything was measured and questions were answered my blood pressure was taken again. It was only 1 point above the safe zone. We discussed rather it was concerning or not. Basically it was decided that it was something to watch but nothing more at that time. The doctor told me if I had any headaches to call right away & we were on our way.
The rest of the work week was normal. On Wednesday I was given a gift card from my co-workers. Thursday I left work with every intention of return for 1 more week. My boss joked with me on the way out saying I was not to have the baby while he was on vacation. Haha, if only we would have known in less than 24 hours I would be on my way to the hospital.
Friday morning started out normal. I got up before Alexa and Justin. I ate breakfast and searched for new beds on my computer. Around 7 am I went upstairs to check on Alexa. She was still asleep so I laid down with her. At 8 am we woke up and I did not feel good. I wrote it off to just normal pregnancy aches and pains. Alexa had her breakfast and then we sat and watched Mickey Mouse. Around 11 am I was nauseous and started having blurry vision. I tried to get a hold of Justin and then decided I would take a bath. I got a hold of Justin around noon & told him to come home. When he arrived I got out of the bath (which Alexa joined me in) and laid on the bed. We decided to call the doctor. The nurse told me to come in. I decided to pack our hospital bags, Alexa's weekend bag and all the extras I wanted to have with me. We got to the doctor's around 1 pm and my blood pressure was 129/ 101. I normally have very low blood pressure so this was concerning. I laid on my left side and my blood pressure was taken again about 30 minutes later (121/80). I was still feeling sick so the doctor decided her options were either bed rest until I went into labor or deliver. She decided it was not worth risking mine or the babies health to continue the pregnancy, so she sent us the hospital.
I immediately attempted to get a hold of Rebecca (Alexa's babysitter) and was unsuccessful. I panicked and called a few other friends. Fortunately Rebecca called me back and we were able to drop Alexa off at her house. She was really excited about being there. It made it easier on Justin and I to go.
We stopped at Wendy's on our way to the hospital because I knew I would not be allowed to eat. The doctor told me not to eat, but I did not want to be miserable all evening. We arrived at the hospital at 330 with 2 duffle bags in tow. We got to our super awesome labor room (handicap room). It took the next hour to get everything checked in and set up. At 515 pm my antibiotics was started. At 530 a very low dose of pitocin was started. My OB checked me and I was still 4 centimeters. At 730 I was still 4 centimeters and the contractions were coming more regular.
850pm the delivering doctor arrived and checked me. I was 5-6 centimeters dilated and she decided it was time to break my water. As soon as she did the contractions picked up instantly. The pain was one of the worst in my life. Justin ran out of the room and asked the nurse to turn off the pitocin until I could get an epidural. They turned it off and the contractions became a bit more controllable. At 950 my epidural was put in and the pitocin was moved until to 3 ML/ hour. At 1010 I was 8-9 centimeters dilated. Around 1040 Addison's heart rate started dropping. Two nurses helped me get on my knees and hands. Addison's heart rate picked up a little and the doctor decided it was time to push. The nurses helped me back on my back and the room was set up for delivery. I pushed holding my own legs back 3 counts of ten with each contractions. 5-6 contractions later Addison was born with the cord around her neck. She came out with a full of head of hair.
Addison was on my chest right after birth while they were cleaning her up. She had some trouble maintaining her body weight and had to spend some time in the warmer. We tried some skin on skin but she still had a low temp (96*). After an hour of warming she was doing better. Around 2 AM we were moved to our Mother/Baby unit room. The next several hours were filled with constant vital checks, nursing and skin to skin.
The two days at the hospital were spent getting all of Addison's newborn tests done, talking with lactation consultants, and visiting with my parents. Addison lost 6% of her body weight (normal weight loss is 6-10%) and regained 3/10th of an ounce before we left the hospital. It was a busy few days and really enjoyable. Alexa did fantastic meeting her new sister. We were released from the hospital on Monday morning.
The rest of the work week was normal. On Wednesday I was given a gift card from my co-workers. Thursday I left work with every intention of return for 1 more week. My boss joked with me on the way out saying I was not to have the baby while he was on vacation. Haha, if only we would have known in less than 24 hours I would be on my way to the hospital.
Friday morning started out normal. I got up before Alexa and Justin. I ate breakfast and searched for new beds on my computer. Around 7 am I went upstairs to check on Alexa. She was still asleep so I laid down with her. At 8 am we woke up and I did not feel good. I wrote it off to just normal pregnancy aches and pains. Alexa had her breakfast and then we sat and watched Mickey Mouse. Around 11 am I was nauseous and started having blurry vision. I tried to get a hold of Justin and then decided I would take a bath. I got a hold of Justin around noon & told him to come home. When he arrived I got out of the bath (which Alexa joined me in) and laid on the bed. We decided to call the doctor. The nurse told me to come in. I decided to pack our hospital bags, Alexa's weekend bag and all the extras I wanted to have with me. We got to the doctor's around 1 pm and my blood pressure was 129/ 101. I normally have very low blood pressure so this was concerning. I laid on my left side and my blood pressure was taken again about 30 minutes later (121/80). I was still feeling sick so the doctor decided her options were either bed rest until I went into labor or deliver. She decided it was not worth risking mine or the babies health to continue the pregnancy, so she sent us the hospital.
I immediately attempted to get a hold of Rebecca (Alexa's babysitter) and was unsuccessful. I panicked and called a few other friends. Fortunately Rebecca called me back and we were able to drop Alexa off at her house. She was really excited about being there. It made it easier on Justin and I to go.
We stopped at Wendy's on our way to the hospital because I knew I would not be allowed to eat. The doctor told me not to eat, but I did not want to be miserable all evening. We arrived at the hospital at 330 with 2 duffle bags in tow. We got to our super awesome labor room (handicap room). It took the next hour to get everything checked in and set up. At 515 pm my antibiotics was started. At 530 a very low dose of pitocin was started. My OB checked me and I was still 4 centimeters. At 730 I was still 4 centimeters and the contractions were coming more regular.
850pm the delivering doctor arrived and checked me. I was 5-6 centimeters dilated and she decided it was time to break my water. As soon as she did the contractions picked up instantly. The pain was one of the worst in my life. Justin ran out of the room and asked the nurse to turn off the pitocin until I could get an epidural. They turned it off and the contractions became a bit more controllable. At 950 my epidural was put in and the pitocin was moved until to 3 ML/ hour. At 1010 I was 8-9 centimeters dilated. Around 1040 Addison's heart rate started dropping. Two nurses helped me get on my knees and hands. Addison's heart rate picked up a little and the doctor decided it was time to push. The nurses helped me back on my back and the room was set up for delivery. I pushed holding my own legs back 3 counts of ten with each contractions. 5-6 contractions later Addison was born with the cord around her neck. She came out with a full of head of hair.
Addison was on my chest right after birth while they were cleaning her up. She had some trouble maintaining her body weight and had to spend some time in the warmer. We tried some skin on skin but she still had a low temp (96*). After an hour of warming she was doing better. Around 2 AM we were moved to our Mother/Baby unit room. The next several hours were filled with constant vital checks, nursing and skin to skin.
The two days at the hospital were spent getting all of Addison's newborn tests done, talking with lactation consultants, and visiting with my parents. Addison lost 6% of her body weight (normal weight loss is 6-10%) and regained 3/10th of an ounce before we left the hospital. It was a busy few days and really enjoyable. Alexa did fantastic meeting her new sister. We were released from the hospital on Monday morning.
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