I know this is said all the time with new babies, but I just can't believe how fast it goes. What do we do in all this time? Oh wait, now I remember...
-Feed the baby
-Try to get the baby to go to sleep
-Pacify the baby
-Do quick pick-up of house in case of unexpected visitor
-Feed the baby
-Pump and clean pump supplies
-Stuff face with food while standing over the kitchen counter
-Let baby cry 2 min. while sending a quick email
-Lie awake at night listening to baby squeak and grunt, and then cry
-Watch baby peacefully sleep
-Quick take shower before baby wakes up
-Feed the baby
-Change diaper
-Rock the baby
-Take a few pictures or video
-Quick throw laundry in dryer before MiMi come so MiMi will fold it. (Kidding!)
-Pump while feeding the baby a bottle
-Clean out pump supplies
-Bathe the baby
-Do a few lunges around the house
-Eat banana
-Send quick text
Oh, and these are just the things when it is me and Mikayla alone...not to mention when the boys are in the picture too! :=)
I know, you get it. And my time has been more stressful then some, not to downplay any mother's experience. But, the bottom line is that breast feeding has turned into quite a chore for me...or rather, pumping has. My milk supply seems to have reduced again last week, so I spent another 4-5 days doing everything I could to boost it up again. Acupuncture twice, and pumping every 3 hours around the clock, etc.
I had a meltdown then yesterday, to put it mildly, thinking that I just can't be tied to the pump like this. But, life goes on. My parents and my sister saved the day, and here is the new plan:
-Stop the physical therapy, which was an attempt to improve Mikayla's suck. While this may seem like the wrong thing to do, on a day to day basis, it is the best way right now to remove stress from my life. The exercises that we were needing to do 3x per day may her scream bloody murder. I really felt like I was violating her trust in me when I was the one causing her this anguish. I am the parent, and I am supposed to be the one she can trust above anyone. So, done with that for now, and we will be overly cautious with potential speech and food issues in the coming months.
-Pump when it makes sense, and don't be tied to the clock. This means, don't do it when baby is not sleeping, or when I'm home alone with three kids, or when we are at a friend's house, etc. Only stress out about milk supply if I continuously get less then 1 oz at a time. Otherwise, forget about it! Sorry, TMI...
-Continue to nurse as Mikayla wishes, for bonding and pacifying. Not relying on nursing for full nourishment is okay. Mikayla loves to nurse and cuddle, thankfully. Maybe someday she'll be strong enough to extract a full meal, but for now, this will do. In case it doesn't work out, I have a few prize nursing photos that I will cherish. Here is one of them:
Development wise:
-At 6 weeks, she weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz. Still trending nicely, and for that we are so thankful.
-Mikayla rolled over! I'm sure it was probably a fluke, but she was in the middle of the floor on her blanket doing some tummy time, and I was in the kitchen. All of a sudden she started screaming. When I went back in, she was on her back. Clearly, there is no other explanation.
-She is really starting to respond to voices and faces. We are consistently getting smiles, and I actually managed to get this one camera!
-At 6 weeks, Mikayla had her first "sick" visit to the doctor, with cough and stuffy nose. I immediately had a flash back to Luka at 6 weeks in the hospital with RSV for a week. Sigh. However, the doctor confirmed that it was just a cold, thank goodness!
-She doesn't typically like walks in the stroller.
-She loves to nap while being held, and especially in the baby carrier. I love to nap while holding her as well.
-She does not like baths. Not one time while bathing has she ever stopped screaming. Too bad- I'm finding that babies with hair need bathing much more often. Otherwise, they really do start to smell!
-She sleeps at least 7 hours per night, with her pacifier tucked into her blankets since it falls out frequently due to weak sucking. She currently sleeps in the bouncer with the vibration ON. Maybe daddy will try to come back to bed now instead of sleeping in the guest room.
As for the boys, they are their usual fun loving selves, when they are not picking on each other. Here is the latest in creativity...astronaut helmets!
And a cute photo:
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