archives...

pictures...
Ultrasounds
Parents-to-Be
The Nursery

contact...
Email Us!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Turning thirty ain't so bad! I spent a calm day with Kaelyn doing all of our favorite things...playing, sleeping and eating. Kevin came home with a birthday cake, a diamond necklace and a beautiful card and then to top it all off BABYSAT with Kaelyn allowing me three hours of freedom. I went out for dinner at my favorite restaurant with three of my best friends. It was very nice day.

I was proud of myself. I only called home twice during the aforementioned three hours that I was away from my baby. I needn't have worried...they both did great. Although, I did feed Kaelyn right before I walked out the door. She usually eats every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Mind you, I was only gone three hours total so she really did not need to eat during that time. Somehow she had not one, but two, bottles while I was gone!
posted by Heather 9:44 AM

I feel like a new woman! And its not because of the Nice-N-Easy Golden Brown that I just colored my hair with either. No, it's because I got a full night sleep last night. Thats rights! Kaelyn slept for six straight hours. Now, two months ago, six hours wouldn't have been my idea of a full nights sleep but things change. She went to sleep at 11 pm and I quickly followed suit. I woke up in the middle of the night, glanced at the clock and sat straight up when I saw that it was 4 am. I ran over to the crib to make sure everything was okay and she was cuddled up, snoozing away.

I attribute this nightime success to a book I just finished reading entitiled, The Happiest Baby on the Block. This book suggests swaddling a baby tightly for the first several months. When you do this, you make sure that their arms are swaddled at their sides so they don't reflexively hit themselves in the face and thus wake up in the night. It also suggests using a white noise machine to simulate womb sounds. I did both of these and Voila! Maybe it was just a fluke but it makes sense. We'll see what tonight brings.

Actually tonight we will be spending our first night away from home staying at Aunt Tracy and Uncle Greg's home in Lincoln. Their baby is due in September so they will get a preview on what life with a newborn is like. I have been packing for what feels like days. We don't have a car big enought for all this stuff we need to bring. I have the portable crib, with sheet and blankets, the portable bouncy chair, clothes, bottles, diapers, stroller, etc. etc. etc. Need to get the baby dressed and ready for the day. Have a safe holiday.
posted by Heather 9:06 AM

I did it! I got Kaelyn to fall back to sleep "on her own" this morning without being rocked or nursed. We used the mobile and a pacifier and she drifted right off. If I could get her to do this more frequently at night, I could maybe decrease our nightly feeding rendevouzs (how do you spell this crazy word??) from over an hour to half an hour. That's going to become more important when I go back to work, which is in 3 1/2 short weeks. I don't even have day care lined up yet but we interview a potential babysitter tonight.
posted by Heather 7:19 AM

I have been sick all week. Really sick. Like high fever (104.5 one night), chills, aches and pains sick. It is hard being sick and being a mother. When you are sick, you just want your mother. Fortunately for me, my mom lives right across town. Thanks Mom!

All of this sickness caused by a breast infection. I tell ya, if it ain't one thing, it's another around here. Oh well, I should be back to norma after I finish up a weeks worth of antibiotics that the doctor was kind enough to call in for me.

On the flip side, it appears that motherhood has made me a bit of a hypochondriac (for the baby, not me!) Since she has been born, I have been concerned with her eating (or lack there of), her weight, her gas, and constipation. I thought she might have a plugged tear duct and I swore she had thrush. She is actually a very healthy baby despite my paranoia. Kevin assures me that this is all very normal (how would he know??) and even said "welcome to motherhood!" when I mentioned my concerns.

posted by Heather 2:57 PM

I wish I had a pellet gun!

Why, you ask...well, I will tell you. The view from the chair that I nurse and rock Kaelyn from is our bed. All night long I get to stare at Kevin laying in bed, snoring away. I understand that he cannot nurse and therefore there isn't a lot of reason for him to get up in the middle of the night. But tell that to my tired brain at 3 am. A pellet gun aimed at his rear end would sure help cheer me up. Don't tell him that I said that.

Four weeks today! And the little princess is calling for me. I will write more later.
posted by Heather 12:02 AM

Kaelyn took her first real bath tonight. We had to wait until her cord fell off before she could get wet so sponge baths had to suffice until now. Her cord fell off Friday night, exactly two weeks from her birth day. She didn't much care for her bath and even seemed a bit insulted that we felt she needed one. To show her displeasure, she pooped in her cute little hooded towel.

Kevin is catching on to the frustrating little game she has where she dozes off in your arms (and they said that you can't spoil a newborn!), and when you go to lay her down, she wakes up and starts howling again. He has been back and forth from the cradle to the living room three times now.

All in all, things are well here at home. I can't believe that it's been two weeks already. We go to the pediatrician tomorrow to get her two-week well baby check. I am anxious to know her weight and see what she has gained over the past ten days. She has been eating at least twelve times a day so I am hoping to see some significant gain.

Both Kevin and I are constantly amazed at her personality. I had never spent significant time around a newborn before, in all honesty they pretty much scared me and I avoided them at all costs. But she is a lot of fun. I could watch her for hours as she makes all kinds of faces at me. It's been a definite learning experience and one I will treasure always.


posted by Heather 8:34 PM

home