Helen Grace has been sleeping in her crib in her room this week, and while we aren't getting more than three hours of sleep at a time, the sleep that we are getting is a little better quality. She has either been sleeping in a cradle in our room, or she and I have been sleeping on the couch in the den with the swing or Boppy chair close by. I didn't realize how much I missed my bed- although the kitties are mad that I'm back and using my pillows again! We have set up the AngelCare Movement Sensor monitor in her room, which will set off an alarm if she stops breathing, so we feel much more comfortable with her being upstairs by herself. Also, we are learning her noises, so we can tell through the monitor if she's just making her normal grunting noises or if it's a 'hungry' shriek.
Helen Grace is eating like crazy, and she's now up to 7 pounds, 10 ounces. So exciting! I have about reached my wit's end with breastfeeding, but I'm determined to make it to the 6-week mark before I make a decision about whether to continue. I would like to feel like a woman again and not just a cow (heehee!), although it really is a neat connection with her.
We've noticed that after she finishes a bottle, her breathing is very raspy and sounds liquid-y, and sometimes she'll gag or cough. Also, she has started spitting up a good bit, and her nose gets stuffy at times. After talking to a nurse at a new mom's group yesterday, I took her to the pediatrician today, who has scheduled a 'modified barium swallow' for next week. He wants to first make sure that everything is making its way to her tummy correctly and then determine if it's just acid reflux causing problems. Luckily, the procedure doesn't sound as scary as I first thought. We bring a bottle of formula to the appointment, the speech therapist adds the stuff to her bottle, she drinks it, and then they take some x-rays/scans to see where the food went. Keep your fingers crossed that she doesn't throw a fit!
Several people have asked how Rebel and Mocha are doing with HG's arrival. They are completely different cats! They used to run and hide when someone knocked on the door, but now they run to the door to try to get any possible attention. Bless their hearts, they need lovin'! We've tried to still give them plenty of quality time, but apparently our hands- and laps- have been a little full lately.
Big progress for me in the last week or two...I am so relieved to have finally been able to stand up without being reminded that I have had a c-section. Yay! It has taken a solid three to four weeks to get to this point, and man, I'm happy that part of this experience is behind me! I am hoping that as time passes, I will continue to 'forget' certain parts of her arrival so that we can look forward to adding more children to our family in the future! It was definitely all worth it though. Helen Grace and I were cuddling on the couch one day, and just as I had drifted off to sleep, I felt the lightest touch on my cheek. I realized it was her precious little hand. My baby girl's little hand. What a breathtaking moment. I am in love with this child with which we have been blessed!
One month old- holy cow! June 25, 2009
Their favorite time of day
She loves her car seat- conks out every time...after she screams like crazy getting into it. Mama love it too since it allows me to take a quick shower or eat a meal some days. :)
Isn't this the cutest?! HG loves napping on her granddaddy. This is the other way Mama gets to take a shower! Thank heavens for ALL of Helen Grace's grandparents that keep us sane!!
3 comments:
Each c-section gets easier...my first was horrible and I didn't feel like I was walking well for a month or so too. The second was a lot better and the third was a breeze...See, you have something to look forward to!
Hey Sha! I'm glad to see everything is going well for you and HG! Don't worry about the reflux symptoms. That is exactly what Ann Maxwell went through, and although she still has it a little bit, it gets better. They gave her Mylanta, and it worked like a charm. She was a little baby, too, so she just had to grow out of it a bit. Also, hang in there on the breastfeeding. I'm not going to give advice because I know that is abundant, but stick with it if you want to because it DOES get easier. I would sit up at night and just cry because it was so hard. Then I had a CT scan and had to stop for a few days and start all over again from square one. It was so frustrating! Then I had gall bladder surgery and had to stop and start all over again! It is pure torture. No one can prepare you for the hell that it is, but if you want to stick with it, believe that it gets better. I'm still supplementing with bottles at times, which is a blessing! Hopefully we can get together when the girls are a little older and have lunch or something!
Hey Sha! Love the blog- we have one too (graeberfamily.blogspot.com) and it is really the best way to show everyone all the pictures of your precious baby! Just wanted you to know i can totally relate to 2 things- the breastfeeding and the spitting up! The breastfeeding gets better- trust me- and you can always pump if you want to (that is all I do now and Grafton is almost 6 months old). Also, Grafton had the barium test too and it all came back okay- so don't be nervous or anything about it. If you want to talk- shoot me an email! HG is precious- congratulations!!!
Shea
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