5 days left ... and counting
It's our last week as a family at home ... *sniff*
Made a big batch of pasta sauce last night from fresh tomatoes - the whole house smells delicious! I know this is the type of thing you're supposed to do BEFORE the baby comes, not after, but since we (i.e. Chris) had the time, we figured we'd take advantage of the seasonal produce and stock the freezer.
(By the way, am I the only one who remembers the music video that showed an old Italian woman cooking spaghetti sauce from scratch? I was thinking of it today (Chris wasn't going to skin the tomatoes!) but for the life of me, can't remember the band and google isn't giving me any answers. Let me know if you remember this video, too!)
In other news, breastfeeding is a roller coaster ride that I don't enjoy.
It's just so emotionally charge for me. One day, I'm bursting with pride that (so far) things are going well and that my baby is living off the sustenance provided by my body. How great is that?!
The next day, some little thing will happen to set me off. For example, tried to pump yesterday to help build supply but only got scant drops, even after a letdown. Became worried that this is all Good Baby Nathan gets during a feeding and he is in fact, starving. Did the math and realized he only actually gained 4 oz in the last week, which is technically below the WHO's recommended 5-7 oz per week. Worked myself into a lather of panic and am now convinced he will eventually reject the breast like Amelia did and will be a breastfeeding failure AGAIN. Spent 2-3 am crying instead of sleeping.
I'm better today, since I've read some reassuring stuff (e.g. pumping is not indicative of how much baby actually gets from a feeding) but really, need to get a grip.
It's funny: you talk to new moms who obsessively worried about their baby and you're all wise (now that you've been through it) and you smile knowingly to yourself and think, "Ah, those new mothers worry so much over nothing."
And then you become a new mom (again) and remember that the need to protect and provide for this helpless, squirmy, heartbreakingly adorable little creature is so strong that it overwhelms all power of reason and logic. And you spend an hour of your precious free time not sleeping (ah, sleep) but reading articles like "Babies who suck their tongues," "My baby is gassy," "Nursing when well-endowed," and "The Color of the Day: Solving Bowel Movement Mysteries."
Seriously, I have like 10 browser tabs open right now to the kellymom site.
No thrilling pics to share ... but here are some of Nathan sleeping and crying, and of Amelia in a t-shirt. Boring to anyone but a grandmother, but really, that's who they're for.
The many faces of Nathan: Sleeping:
The many faces of Nathan: Crying:
Nathan: happy again:
Mela models her zoo shirt!
Made a big batch of pasta sauce last night from fresh tomatoes - the whole house smells delicious! I know this is the type of thing you're supposed to do BEFORE the baby comes, not after, but since we (i.e. Chris) had the time, we figured we'd take advantage of the seasonal produce and stock the freezer.
(By the way, am I the only one who remembers the music video that showed an old Italian woman cooking spaghetti sauce from scratch? I was thinking of it today (Chris wasn't going to skin the tomatoes!) but for the life of me, can't remember the band and google isn't giving me any answers. Let me know if you remember this video, too!)
In other news, breastfeeding is a roller coaster ride that I don't enjoy.
It's just so emotionally charge for me. One day, I'm bursting with pride that (so far) things are going well and that my baby is living off the sustenance provided by my body. How great is that?!
The next day, some little thing will happen to set me off. For example, tried to pump yesterday to help build supply but only got scant drops, even after a letdown. Became worried that this is all Good Baby Nathan gets during a feeding and he is in fact, starving. Did the math and realized he only actually gained 4 oz in the last week, which is technically below the WHO's recommended 5-7 oz per week. Worked myself into a lather of panic and am now convinced he will eventually reject the breast like Amelia did and will be a breastfeeding failure AGAIN. Spent 2-3 am crying instead of sleeping.
I'm better today, since I've read some reassuring stuff (e.g. pumping is not indicative of how much baby actually gets from a feeding) but really, need to get a grip.
It's funny: you talk to new moms who obsessively worried about their baby and you're all wise (now that you've been through it) and you smile knowingly to yourself and think, "Ah, those new mothers worry so much over nothing."
And then you become a new mom (again) and remember that the need to protect and provide for this helpless, squirmy, heartbreakingly adorable little creature is so strong that it overwhelms all power of reason and logic. And you spend an hour of your precious free time not sleeping (ah, sleep) but reading articles like "Babies who suck their tongues," "My baby is gassy," "Nursing when well-endowed," and "The Color of the Day: Solving Bowel Movement Mysteries."
Seriously, I have like 10 browser tabs open right now to the kellymom site.
No thrilling pics to share ... but here are some of Nathan sleeping and crying, and of Amelia in a t-shirt. Boring to anyone but a grandmother, but really, that's who they're for.
The many faces of Nathan: Sleeping:
The many faces of Nathan: Crying:
Nathan: happy again:
Mela models her zoo shirt!
Comments
I am beside myself over Mimi's hair. She looks like such a big kid. Hopefully she is still being an awesome big sister.
Yes, elusive sleep, how I miss thee. I got 2-hour sleep appetizers last night, such a tease.