The Eleanor Update: Week 23

Breastfeeding:
She is still causing me some pain on my left side when she's nursing, and I am back to using an ointment on the nipple after nursing to help.

Rob tried a few times this to give her a bottle this week and she won't take a bottle.  Luckily it only had an ounce or so at a time so I didn't waste lots of milk (I suspected she wouldn't take it).  It's really my fault because I stopped having her take bottles because of my clogged duct issues.

Sleeping
Sleeping was much better this week, during the week anyway.  The weekend was pretty rough.  Both Saturday and Sunday she was up by 6 am, and on Sunday she honestly didn't sleep until almost 4 pm (with the exception of maybe 15 minutes while nursing).  At 4 pm I bundled her up really well in the carseat, snapped it into the stroller and we took a 20 minute walk (she was out in less than 5).  It was only 9 degrees and I was cold, but I knew the fresh air and the walk would put her to sleep and she wound up sleeping for about 30 minutes.

I was in tears when Rob came home Sunday afternoon from exhaustion (he had been gone the night before) and had actually fallen asleep earlier that morning in bed with Eleanor while I was nursing her in the side lie position.  I've never done that before (funny thing is I was dreaming I was nursing her).  I did kind of nod off once in the glider when she was first born, but woke up as soon as my head bobbled. I'm sure I didn't sleep long, more than 10 minutes based on the time, but I still don't want that to be a habit.

 I have been putting her on her belly just for naps.  It's something I'm not totally comfortable with, but if she is sleeping, then I'll let it go.  Whatever works! I do check on her every few minutes and use the monitor, as well as the Snuza .

I really wish I could use that thing until she goes to college.  I'd feel so much better.  Haha.

Misc:

I'm down to my lowest weight yet!  I stepped on the scale this morning and it said 116 lbs!

We took a walk in the big stroller (city mini) last week since it was warmer out and she loved it. On colder days I use the keyfit caddy since I can bundle her up better in the car seat.

She loves to be able to look around though.  We were in a store over the weekend and I took off the cover for the car seat and she just stared (pictures of both below).

Still no teeth, but I keep checking.

The Eleanor Update: Week 22

Breastfeeding:  She has been getting really distracted lately.  She's constantly latching and unlatching herself.  Her feeding times have also gotten shorter.  She was never really a long nurser (more than 15 minutes was unusual), but now it's like 7-8 minutes.  I usually stop her then, because of the latching and unlatching.

She'll nurse a 'normal' 10-12 minutes in the middle of the night though.

Sleep:  I know I posted this on facebook (more than once), but seriously this last week has been horrid.  She won't nap.  I am losing my sanity.  I need some me time.  I need some sleep.  I spend an hour plus listening to her cry and trying to calm her just for her to nap 15 minutes.  It's exhausting.

I've resorted to car rides on more than one occasion to get to her to sleep.  Actually she does nap.  But only when she's in the car seat.

Yesterday, despite it being 20*, we took a short (like 5 minutes) walk in the k'tan.  I knew the fresh air would help both of us, and honestly, before I had even walked past then neighbors house she was snoring. Then she slept an hour and half in that thing on me.  I couldn't do much, but I didn't care.  She was sleeping!

She did start sleeping in the crib over the weekend.  Once she finally settles down for the night she does alright.  She still wakes up once or twice in the middle of the night, but she has done okay with it.  I just need her to nap in it.

Misc:
She's been sticking out her tongue for a while, but the last few days have been super charged.

We were out to eat on Saturday with my sister, brother in law and nephew.  When the waitress came over she set the bill in front of me.  I was smiling at my nephew and didn't see Ellie grab the pen and color on her face.  I should have gotten a picture (she had a line down her cheek and by her nose), but I felt horrible because she could have poked her eye.

Shortly before that happened, I was nursing her covered and when the couple (late 60's/early 70's) sitting next to us left the lady stopped by our table and said she thought it was really cool that I was nursing her.  It was the first time someone has said something to me, and thankfully it was positive.  It made me feel really good. 

Yeah for fresh air!

Eleanor is 2 days older, but she looks huge!

Trying out a new k'tan hold.

Baby Girl's Nursery

(Some of these pictures are going to show how messy the room used to be; don't judge please! lol)

Last summer I won all the themed stuff (Nojo jungle babies).  Had I not won it, I wouldn't have gone with a theme, and even as it is we didn't use everything that came with the set.

I won a lot of what is in the theme (2 crib sheets, comforter, mesh and plush bumper, stuffed animal, border, wooden plaques, wall decals, fleece blanket, crib pad, lovey blanket, diaper stacker, window valance, mobile)

The fabric bumper was out for safety reasons & the valance was to big so that was also out.  The comforter is in the crib, but will be removed when she sleeps in it. 

When we went to babies r us to register Rob saw the butterfly and the flower wall plaques and decided baby girl needed some pink so he bought her them.

Then we got the pink changing pad cover (We also have a brown one as well).

The dressers actually is part of a set that matches the bed and chest in our room.

The changing table is a Graco lauren

The crib was given to us so I don't know what brand it is.

Bonus: This is what the room liked like 4 years ago when Rob bought the house.

Putting up the border

Assembling the crib

In progress pictures

Pre-organization

View from the door

The changing table sits right next to the crib

Middle shelf. The small green basket has a few toys and mini books for distractions during diaper changes.Behind it is a sound machine (located there for proximity to the crib).  The 2 brown baskets have cloth diapers and disposable wipes and the extra changing pad cover.
Bottom shelf:  The white and pink basket has receiving blankets (to be used as burp cloths), then the small brown basket has diaper cream, and baby lotion etc..., The other brown basket has pacifiers (several different brands).
The green case on the far right has medicine, thermometer, and the baby comfy nose that I reviewed earlier this summer. 

The 2 pictures below are the corner opposite the crib.

Top row: All newborn sized clothes, 0-3 month pajamas (I went through and weeded out some.  I had 25 pairs in there!), and then headbands, hats and scratch

All 0-3 month bottoms, 0-3 month onesies/tops, and socks/booties

Sleep sacks/swaddles, blankets & then shoes

Standing by the crib (you can see the changing table in the bottom corner)

The closet has the matching lamp (if we use it), a baby k'tan and ergo, 2 bathtubs (we have to figure out which one we want to use) on the top 2 shelfs.

On the right side of the closet are more diapers.  Newborn size and some size 1.  The breast pump; nursing supplies (cover, milk storage, breast pads etc..) are in the middle tote.  The tote with the pink lid has stuffed animals. 

To the left are postpartum cold packs/pads, a nursing pillow and a cloud b twilight turtle.

The keyfit caddy, and a portable swing are on the bottom, and the car seat is on the bottom

This is not nearly all the clothes she has.  These are just the 0-3 month hoodies/sweaters/dresses and new with tag items. 

The space in between the closet and the door has the glider (and the storage ottoman that doesn't match, but holds the books on the right; which after a sale, discounts, using the money I got after returning a duplicate item, plus a gift card, was free)

 Decals behind the glider

Lot's of books!  This ottoman is never going to move.  It would be so heavy

with all of the books in there. 

While she will be sleeping in the rock n play next to our bed at the beginning her room is all ready for her when she does start using it.  

I would have liked things to match a little better, but really it doesn't matter enough to me so I'm okay with how it turned out.