8 weeks old and you are growing and getting stronger every single day miss Natalie Grace. We are still breastfeeding. You and I are getting the hang of it. Some days are tough on me because you seem to want to eat every hour and Brynn gets frustrated because she needs me too. I know you are going through a growth spurt during these periods and it will pass. You are still waking a couple times during the night to feed. You go back to sleep pretty quickly. I have remained dairy free and we believe it is helping you. It is a sacrifice, but I am happy to do it because these are precious moments I am getting with you.
We ended up in the hospital again this month. I must say that I knew something wasn't right with my incision a couple weeks ago. They placed me on oral antibiotics (2 rounds) to do at home and apparently that didn't do the trick. I woke up one day with my stomach feeling funny and it was red and swollen. I ended up the doctor's office the next morning and they quickly sent me on my way to the hospital to receive IV antibiotics. I wasn't going without you though. The doctors and nurses were really supportive about you staying with me so that we could continue breastfeeding. We had worked so hard at it, I wasn't going to let anything mess it up. I was really sick and it was no fun at all being separated from Brynn. Pop pop,Rae Rae, and Nana all came to help us out during this time. Dada stayed some nights and then others Rae Rae stayed. I was in there almost a week so it got to be hard especially with dada having to still go into work. We made it through it and honestly having you there with me is what pulled me through. You kept me going and kept me busy when I could have easily gotten extremely down. Don't get me wrong, there were certainly moments of frustration and being upset. I missed Brynn dearly and just being at home as a family.
While I was in the hospital, Dada received an opportunity to take a promotion in Greenville SC. I remember a couple days after we came home it officially accepted it. Things started to move quickly and we were set to move up to Greenville, SC October 10th. He started October 13th. With the help of family we took what we needed up here and got settled into an apartment provided by the company. Another adjustment. It has been pretty stressful, but God has always provided and proven that He's got this! God is faithful and has shown us that time and time again. We have truly been given a blessing and we are trying to work things out with the sell of our home in Surfside and finding a home here. You and Brynn are troopers! You adjust pretty well to everything thrown at you.
At 11 weeks, you and Brynn stayed a whole weekend at Nana and Papa Lew's. How about that? Dada and I had to go down to Surfside to take care of a few things. We were so sad to leave both of you, but you did really well. Nana and Papa Lew surely enjoyed having you both there. It gave Dada and I a chance to spend some quality time together and get some rest. After all that we have been dealt the past 2 months, it was much needed. We couldn't wait to get back to see you guys on Sunday.
Some disappointing news this month - I had to accept that you just were not tolerating my breast milk no matter how I changed my diet. Nothing was working and you often pulled away from me and cried a lot. With all the stress going on this month, I just couldn't take one more thing wearing on this mama's heart. With a lot of prayer and acceptance, we switched you to a hypoallergenic dairy free formula called Similac Alimentum. Boy is it expensive, but in our eyes it has been worth every penny to watch you be CONTENT and HAPPY. I hope you know that I tried with all my might to make breastfeeding work. We did it for 12 weeks and it was amazing. Every precious and close moment with you has been something special and I will never forget breastfeeding with you. It brings tears to my eyes knowing that we had to stop. The difference it has made in how you act brings me comfort.
Things you love::
You love your bouncer seat. I think the vibrations make your tummy feel better.
You sometimes enjoy your paci
We discovered you did not like your bassinet to sleep in so we quickly switched to the pack in play and that seems to working out great
You love to lay on your play mat - Brynn sits there with you and moves the toys and presses buttons to make music
You enjoy snuggling
You LOVE bath time! You have loved it from the start (another opposite from Brynn). It is certainly soothing to you. I give Brynn and you a bath at the same time now to save time on our bedtime routines. Brynn loves having you in the tub with her. She loves to pat your tummy, rub your head, and place objects on your head.
You LOVE car rides (unless you are hungry). Riding in the car makes you fall asleep almost instantly.
You do not like::
to be swaddled at first but then you get used to it
being gassy
sitting in a wet or poopy diaper
being hungry
to be left alone to long in your bouncer ( you are certainly enjoying more interaction these days)
to be hit in the head (yes this has happened several times by your big sister Brynn. All accidents of course. She accidentally dropped the ipad on your head this month. You were totally fine after the initial shock. She felt bad I promise and gave you a kiss).
You are generally a happy baby. You have even started to smile with your eyes open this month! I've caught a few of them on camera! That is one of my favorites- watching you smile! I think my favorite times are getting in some snuggle time while Brynn naps. You usually fall asleep in my arms and I love to smell your breath! Weird I know, but there is just something about baby breath. Don't worry, I used to do the same thing to Brynn. I could lay there and watch you sleep forever. Then the best part comes when I know you are in a deep sleep...that beautiful smile or grin.
I love you with all my heart.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Natalie Grace
Your birth story.
I won't bore you with all details of my pregnancy, but you were supposed to be born August 28th. That day is Papa Lew's birthday. He was pretty ecstatic to hear you might be coming that day! However, August 7th, I started to feel some pressure in my abdomen. Not enough to really concern me. I had a doctor's appointment the next day anyway. The next morning I awoke early to the pain feeling more severe and it felt as if my stomach was going to burst open. I went to my doctor's appointment in tears and explained all that I was feeling. Dr. Nelson immediately stated that my uterus could rupture based on my symptoms. She asked that I head over to the hospital immediately. Daddy was at home with your big sister Brynn, so instead of going to the hospital I drove back home. I didn't want your daddy to be without the car. I ran in and grabbed my bag that I had mostly packed thank goodness. Daddy drove us all to the hospital and dropped me off. The plan was for me to be watched through the night and placed on a monitor. Those plans changed quickly when I went into full blown labor with contractions coming quickly. It was very intense and I was hurting. Daddy waited for Nana to arrive at the house then he left so he could be with me. We were both so nervous, but he is the BEST at being there and supporting me. At 5:03 you were delivered via c-section. You were perfect in every single way. We thought everything went very smoothly and they kept telling us everything was fine. They took you away while they stitched me back up then I headed down to recovery where I would have to wait 2 more hours before I could see you. Oh, that was just terrible. The waiting is the worst part. Your pediatrician came in and sat down beside me in recovery and I just burst into tears. I knew something wasn't right. I was sort of out of it, so all I remember is him telling me that you needed to be monitored because of your oxygen level and your sugar level being too low. He said I wouldn't be able to hold you yet and that you would have to stay in the nursery. There are no words to describe what an awful feeling it was to hear all of that. My heart sank. You did come early, so I was prepared that there could be some issues, but it was still very scary. Your dad and I were both very scared and felt helpless. One of the nurses that I know was kind enough to bring you to me for a brief moment right when I arrived to floor just so I could hold you and kiss you for second. Then she took you away again. If we wanted to hold you then we had to go to the nursery. You had to be hooked up to IV fluids to get your sugar levels back up. They were pricking your foot every 3 hours to check your level. It was really low starting in the 20's. Sometimes it would be getting higher and then it would plummet again. You were such a fighter through it all. A couple days in they let you stay in my room during the day, but then at night I'd have to take you back to be monitored. You had plenty of visitors! Family and friends came to visit you and support us. Your big sister Brynn met you in the hospital, but she didn't really understand what was going on. Then finally they let you stay in my room and I would just have to wake up every three hours in the night to pump and then get your sugar checked. We stayed in the hospital until the following Tuesday. The doctor finally let us go home after you passed three glucose (sugar) checks in a row. I've never seen your daddy move so quickly in his life to get all of our things down to the car and ready to go. We were both so ready to get home! Brynn, nana, and nonni were waiting on us there.
We placed you down on the floor in your car seat so Brynn could see you. She was fine while you were in the car seat, but the minute I took you out, she got VERY upset. She was so upset she wouldn't let anyone touch her. It took daddy and I a little bit to calm her down. It broke my heart, but I knew this would be an adjustment for everyone. The next day Brynn was fine and we all started to get settled into life as a little family of four. I want you to know that she needed a few days to get settled to you staying and pulling attention away from her, but after that...she could not love you more. She pets your head like a dog. She kisses you. She brings you a paci when you cry. She knows you are something special and it makes our hearts so happy. Because that you are...so special.
A couple days after we brought you home we took you to your check up at the pediatricians office. You seemed to gain a few ounces and everything was looking great. I continued breastfeeding and pumping. However, over the next two weeks I noticed that you had diarrhea and would pull away from me when I tried to feed you. You also became very fussy. It was such a struggle and my heart was breaking. I cannot tell you how hard I was working to get this breastfeeding thing down. I wanted nothing more than to give you the best. At your 2 week check up- we were told you had a dairy allergy and you had lost weight. I was instructed to remove all dairy from my diet. Wow that was really difficult too. Your daddy was right there to help me and took me to the grocery store to pick out dairy free foods. I couldn't really tell a difference for a couple of weeks because it takes that long to get dairy out of my system.
During this time you slept a couple times all the way through the night. I would think you were on a roll and then the next night you would wake up several times. So way to trick me:)
This first month was busy and exciting. You started to keep your eyes open a good bit towards the end of the month. You are so tiny in my arms. You have a soft cry compared to your sisters at this age. Of course we had many visitors at home to see you. Just like with Brynn- Nonni stayed for a few days then Nana came. Then we had a week in between and then Rae Rae and pop pop came to stay for a little while. Rae Rae ended up staying for ten days. Everyone is always there to lend a hand and give us lots of help. It's hard for me to accept help because I am so used to doing everything on my own. I'm getting better though.
Learning to handle two babies has been going well. Sometimes are hard because you need me at the same time Brynn does. She is learning to be patient if we are breastfeeding though. Some days are easier than others, but I certainly would not have it any other way. This momma is surely blessed beyond measure. It feels like our family is complete.
I won't bore you with all details of my pregnancy, but you were supposed to be born August 28th. That day is Papa Lew's birthday. He was pretty ecstatic to hear you might be coming that day! However, August 7th, I started to feel some pressure in my abdomen. Not enough to really concern me. I had a doctor's appointment the next day anyway. The next morning I awoke early to the pain feeling more severe and it felt as if my stomach was going to burst open. I went to my doctor's appointment in tears and explained all that I was feeling. Dr. Nelson immediately stated that my uterus could rupture based on my symptoms. She asked that I head over to the hospital immediately. Daddy was at home with your big sister Brynn, so instead of going to the hospital I drove back home. I didn't want your daddy to be without the car. I ran in and grabbed my bag that I had mostly packed thank goodness. Daddy drove us all to the hospital and dropped me off. The plan was for me to be watched through the night and placed on a monitor. Those plans changed quickly when I went into full blown labor with contractions coming quickly. It was very intense and I was hurting. Daddy waited for Nana to arrive at the house then he left so he could be with me. We were both so nervous, but he is the BEST at being there and supporting me. At 5:03 you were delivered via c-section. You were perfect in every single way. We thought everything went very smoothly and they kept telling us everything was fine. They took you away while they stitched me back up then I headed down to recovery where I would have to wait 2 more hours before I could see you. Oh, that was just terrible. The waiting is the worst part. Your pediatrician came in and sat down beside me in recovery and I just burst into tears. I knew something wasn't right. I was sort of out of it, so all I remember is him telling me that you needed to be monitored because of your oxygen level and your sugar level being too low. He said I wouldn't be able to hold you yet and that you would have to stay in the nursery. There are no words to describe what an awful feeling it was to hear all of that. My heart sank. You did come early, so I was prepared that there could be some issues, but it was still very scary. Your dad and I were both very scared and felt helpless. One of the nurses that I know was kind enough to bring you to me for a brief moment right when I arrived to floor just so I could hold you and kiss you for second. Then she took you away again. If we wanted to hold you then we had to go to the nursery. You had to be hooked up to IV fluids to get your sugar levels back up. They were pricking your foot every 3 hours to check your level. It was really low starting in the 20's. Sometimes it would be getting higher and then it would plummet again. You were such a fighter through it all. A couple days in they let you stay in my room during the day, but then at night I'd have to take you back to be monitored. You had plenty of visitors! Family and friends came to visit you and support us. Your big sister Brynn met you in the hospital, but she didn't really understand what was going on. Then finally they let you stay in my room and I would just have to wake up every three hours in the night to pump and then get your sugar checked. We stayed in the hospital until the following Tuesday. The doctor finally let us go home after you passed three glucose (sugar) checks in a row. I've never seen your daddy move so quickly in his life to get all of our things down to the car and ready to go. We were both so ready to get home! Brynn, nana, and nonni were waiting on us there.
We placed you down on the floor in your car seat so Brynn could see you. She was fine while you were in the car seat, but the minute I took you out, she got VERY upset. She was so upset she wouldn't let anyone touch her. It took daddy and I a little bit to calm her down. It broke my heart, but I knew this would be an adjustment for everyone. The next day Brynn was fine and we all started to get settled into life as a little family of four. I want you to know that she needed a few days to get settled to you staying and pulling attention away from her, but after that...she could not love you more. She pets your head like a dog. She kisses you. She brings you a paci when you cry. She knows you are something special and it makes our hearts so happy. Because that you are...so special.
A couple days after we brought you home we took you to your check up at the pediatricians office. You seemed to gain a few ounces and everything was looking great. I continued breastfeeding and pumping. However, over the next two weeks I noticed that you had diarrhea and would pull away from me when I tried to feed you. You also became very fussy. It was such a struggle and my heart was breaking. I cannot tell you how hard I was working to get this breastfeeding thing down. I wanted nothing more than to give you the best. At your 2 week check up- we were told you had a dairy allergy and you had lost weight. I was instructed to remove all dairy from my diet. Wow that was really difficult too. Your daddy was right there to help me and took me to the grocery store to pick out dairy free foods. I couldn't really tell a difference for a couple of weeks because it takes that long to get dairy out of my system.
During this time you slept a couple times all the way through the night. I would think you were on a roll and then the next night you would wake up several times. So way to trick me:)
This first month was busy and exciting. You started to keep your eyes open a good bit towards the end of the month. You are so tiny in my arms. You have a soft cry compared to your sisters at this age. Of course we had many visitors at home to see you. Just like with Brynn- Nonni stayed for a few days then Nana came. Then we had a week in between and then Rae Rae and pop pop came to stay for a little while. Rae Rae ended up staying for ten days. Everyone is always there to lend a hand and give us lots of help. It's hard for me to accept help because I am so used to doing everything on my own. I'm getting better though.
Learning to handle two babies has been going well. Sometimes are hard because you need me at the same time Brynn does. She is learning to be patient if we are breastfeeding though. Some days are easier than others, but I certainly would not have it any other way. This momma is surely blessed beyond measure. It feels like our family is complete.
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