2 Weeks Old!

Time is going by fast. Alexa lost her umbilical cord at 9 days old. There is still little pieces that need to finish drying out, but overall it looks good. On Sunday she had her first trip to church. We had to get up 2 hours early to get everyone showered, dressed & fed. Alexa slept through bible study. Margaret Ann & Marie had a great time loving on her. After bible study we changed her & I fed her. We then made it to 45 minutes of our regular church service. Alexa slept in my arms the entire time (even through the music). After the service we went to lunch with the Dieckmann's. Everyone sat and stared at her while she slept in her carseat. We then spent the afternoon watching our first family football game.

Wednesday was Justin's last day home on paternity leave. He drove us up to Charlotte to pick up Megan & Matthew. Alexa did awesome in the car. I actually had to wake her up to eat once we arrived. I was sooo excited to see Megan after 3 months and meet baby Matthew.

At Alexa's two week appointment we received a bunch of great news. She gained 9oz. since last Tuesday. After all the breastfeeding concerns I had, this was really reassuring that she is getting enough to eat. So we will be able to continue for now. :) We also found out her biliruben level went down to 11.2. The doctor said this is a great thing. We do still need to make sure she is having frequent feedings & give her some time in the sun. The doctor said everything else looks "perfect". I was given the option to bring her back next week for a weight check just to make sure the nursing is still going well.

I cant believe how much she has changed for the last 14 days. She still sleeps most of the day, but her awake time is very different. She seems to have more control of her arms & legs. She also has more of an interest with her eyes. Though she cannot really focus on anyone or anything in particular, she notices when things change.

One of my favorite things that has changed is her ability to distinguish me from anyone else. I am not sure if its through sent or touch yet, but she will instantly calm down when I hold her. I love being that comfort for her. Motherhood is everything & more of what I thought it would be. It still amazes me everyday that Alexa is 1/2 Justin & 1/2 me. I just hope time can slow down just a little bit.

1 Week Old!

Our little princess is 1 week old. I am so in love with my daughter. I cannot get enough of her. As I am typing this, she is curled up on my lap taking a nap. I spend the entire day either feeding her or holding her. At night she sleeps right next to the bed & I wake up periodically just to make sure she is OK. So far Motherhood is amazing. I love being able to know when she needs to be fed & what her face expression means. When she is hungry, she will suck on her palm & keep her mouth wide open. When she is sleepy she kicks her feet like crazy until she is swaddled. When she is awake & content she likes to stare at everything!

On Tuesday we had her first pediatrician appointment. She weighed 5lbs 12oz, which is what she did when she left the hospital. The doctor said this is a good number, since they usually lose weight in the first 4-5 days and then start gaining it back. We also had to get her jaundice level measured. They pricked her foot & then drain the blood into a vial. It takes about 15 minutes & we both hated every minute of it. Her level was 17.7! We were told to bring her back in the morning and get it drawn again.

After going through the traumatic experience of getting blood drawn again on Wednesday we were told her level went down to 15.6. This was such a relief for Justin and I. Since the number is decreasing they do not have to treat her. We will still continue to make sure her feedings are frequent & try to get her a little bit of sunlight. After the doctors visit we took Alexa to get her newborn pictures taken. She was not a happy baby. She dirtied 3 diapers & had to be fed twice. It took us 2 1/2 hours to get all her photos taken, but they turned out great. We were given the unedited photos on a CD & we posted them to facebook. We went a little over board on purchasing photos, but have no regrets. So there will be lots of photos in the mail for Grandparents, Great-Grandparents & Aunts and Uncles.

Alexa's nursing has been getting increasingly better each day. Breastfeeding is something I am really wanting to do & Alexa seems to be on board. She eats about every 3 hours. I let her decide when she wants to eat, but I never let her go more than 4 hours between feedings. She will cluster feed about twice a day (eats once an hour for 3 hours consecutively). But it seems to really be working & I could not be happier. We will work on getting onto a schedule in a few months.

Sleeping has been getting easier each night. I try to go to bed around 10pm right after feeding the baby. She will then wake up around midnight, 3 & 6. I have only fallen asleep feeding her once & she started crying so I quickly woke up. I also try to get at least 1 nap in during the day.

So that about sums up everything that is going on with our little lady. It has taken me over an hour to write todays post. Since I started writing I had to stop for 2 dirty diapers (one of which was was major blow out) and 1 feeding. Everything seems to be taking so much longer these days, but its worth every minute.