Five Weeks Old

With every update I write I just can't believe that she's another week older.  I feel like it was the same way with the pregnancy.  Every week that I wrote another update was another week that flew.

Eleanor:

We've been working on tummy time.  She's not a huge fan, but she does okay for a few minutes.

She's decided that she no longer likes her arms swaddled in her sleep sack.  She doesn't sleep as well (thank you startle reflex), but she is happier.

She also been spitting up more lately.  She doesn't burp despite all my best efforts, and winds up fussier and then spits up.  She may or may not have spit up down my shirt right between my boobs this week.  That was fun. Or not.  That might not have been so fun since Rob wasn't home and she was fussy and wouldn't let me shower.

She's not a good day time sleeper.  She will take little 10-20 minute naps here and there but that it's.  So I'm learning that sometimes if she wakes up to give her a minute before I get her.  I usually get her as soon as she whimpers or makes noise, but I gave her a minute a few times and while she fussed she fell back asleep.  I'm not letting her cry it out; she's way to young for that; If she was really crying or screaming I'd obviously get her.  This is more just little fussing noises.

She also falls asleep to music, from 90's pop music to Christmas music.

I'm trying to get her used to the crib because I worry that transitioning her will be tough, but other than a few minutes a day when I do laundry or wash my hands after changing her she isn't in it.  She fell asleep in the rock n play yesterday and I tried to put her in the crib, but she woke up and then cried.

She's outgrown her newborn size pants (she's getting to long for them) and most of her newborn onesies are getting snug.  I went through her clothes and I realize she has a lot, but she doesn't have very many outfits that actually coordinate and match.  So she's probably going to be in some crazy outfits.

Rob gave her a 5 oz bottle on Friday. And she drank the whole thing.  This was after a 2 oz bottle and nursing for most of the few hours before.  I thought there was no way she would.  That's a lot for a little baby. As a result she slept almost 10 hours. Which would be great except that I couldn't get her to nurse more than 10-15 minutes that whole time so my boobs were so full and pumping didn't help.  I spent most of Saturday trying to help the situation.  When I told Rob no more 5 oz bottles for a while he got almost offended because he was just trying to help.  I wasn't mad; I didn't know she would drink it, and then sleep so long either.

When I started pumping I was getting that much out, and froze it in 5 oz increments, but since it's harder to get much out (which is normal apparently), I usually freeze in 2 oz portions so it doesn't get wasted.  I had to dump a few ounces the other day and I was sad.  That took me 30 minutes to an hour to get.  Breast milk really is liquid gold.

Also she is getting really good about focusing on something.  She watched the fan for several minutes yesterday.

One of her favorite books to look at and read.  I love this book too!

Milk Coma

Me:

Still in sweatpants/yoga pants and maternity bottoms.  I'm mostly okay with that.  I have my follow up appointment next week and I might start doing some more light exercising after that.

I wasn't happy about Rob going away for 3 nights/4 days to hunt this weekend but I accepted it.  He got permission to hunt property right by where he sometimes hunts, and he's going to do that Friday evening since he sees deer there at that time.  That means he won't go up north until Friday night/Saturday if he does go.  That makes me feel a lot better.

I went to the grocery store this last week and while I'd been away from her for a few times (max 30 minutes) I was gone for an hour and a half, which was the longest ever. It was nice, but at the same time I just couldn't wait to get back to her.

This is kind of a weird thing and I'm not sure there is a connection, but whenever I nurse her (or more often than not) my armpits itch.

I started using the nipple shield again.  I hadn't used it for almost a week but I had to because the pain was getting really bad again.

And speaking of pain, my stomach has been hurting me a lot this week.  It's not painful really, just more discomfort.  Sometimes it's a dull throbbing feeling. I haven't used pain meds though.

I'm still a hormonal mess sometimes.  I was nursing Eleanor this morning and watching Good Morning America and there was a marriage proposal and I got all emotional thinking about Eleanor getting married someday.  Yeah. I'm pathetic.

4 week update

(Now that she's almost a month, should I switch to monthly updates or keep up with the weekly ones?)

We got out and walked as often as we could this last week and it made a huge difference.  I felt so much better afterwards.  Eleanor liked it enough to sleep the whole time.

I put the newborn sized cloth diapers on her this week.  They are snug.  It was the first time she'd worn them.  I shouldn't have waited so long to put them on her, so it's a good thing the only ones I bought were the two grovia all in ones.  I think I can maybe get one more use out of them.  So they were a little expensive per use.

Speaking of newborn size, some of her newborn sized clothes are starting to get a little snug on her.

I'm pretty sure she's been giving more social smiles lately.  As in she's awake and we are talking to her and she smiles. She's also starting to make some little cooing noises.  They are super cute sounding.

Ellie is still having latching issues and I flinch every time she latches on my left side.   I don't feel my letdown either but I can hear her gulping so there must be some milk flowing.

Pumping took a dive and I am having a hard time getting milk out.  I know that what I pump doesn't really mean that's what I produce, but Rob likes giving her bottles (and she's doing pretty well with them), and I want to have a stash (I probably have 30-40 oz).  It's really frustrating to sit there holding the thing for half an hour and not get a single drop.

I actually gave her a bottle last night for the first time.  I've been having Rob do it because I heard having someone else do it was the best, but he was tired and wanted to go to bed, and it was milk I had thawed out from the freezer so it had to be used up. It was a little strange for me to feed her that way.  We've tried a lot of different bottles to see what works best for her. I've used medela (regular and calma), mam (these didn't work so well; I think the flow was to fast), tommee tippe (she liked these), avent, and a gerber nuk.  Washing bottle parts and matching them up and assembling them is kind of a pain, but I want to have variety right now in what she will take.

Rob is going hunting next weekend and I'm not happy about it.  He's gone out every weekend (I think; I don't know if he went out the first weekend we were home), but he's only gone five or so hours.  Not that I'm happy about that either because it's on weekends (usually he goes out Saturday and Sunday nights) when I want to be able to have a break.

Next Friday is opening day of rifle season (currently is bow), and because of the way it falls Rob wants to go up Thursday (to my parents cabin an hour and a half away), after work which means he will be gone from the time he leaves Thursday to Sunday afternoon.

I know I can have help, my sister offered to let me stay at her house (my brother in law will also be gone hunting), but I feel like Rob should be here because he's the dad, and why would he want to be away from her for that long anyway?

So that's my little vent.

I'm still having some food aversions.  Rob got sweet and sour chicken yesterday and I couldn't eat it, or at least much of it.

My restless leg issues pretty much went away after she was born, but I notice it start to come back a little bit after I've been sitting nursing her for a while.  It hasn't gotten horrible though.

I think I've got about 10 lbs to go to get back to pre baby weight, but I'm not rushing it.  I gained about 35  and I've lost about 25.  For some people breastfeeding helps the drop the weight, but it hasn't yet for me.  Although that could also be from all the Halloween candy I've been eating.  Oops.

Weekly Wrap Up 9/28

1)  Last weekend was early doe season for hunting.  Rob went out Saturday morning and evening and saw nothing.  He wound up really frustrated and was ready to give up.  He went back out Sunday evening to a different spot and got his deer.  He sent me a text and I was so surprised because it took no time at all.

We don't eat venison, but it works well for us because Rob can donate the meat to the outreach my brother in laws mother runs.  It's a win because the outreach gets meat, I'm sure the processor gets a tax write off, our little freezer space isn't used up, and Rob can hunt and not worry about what to do with the deer. 

2) I started (and I mean that; the email came in at 12:02 on Sunday am) the week off by winning some bath time stuff for baby girl.  Then later in the week I won a copy of the Lorax on dvd (which will probably be used as a Christmas gift) & a coupon for a Farm Rich frozen food product. My favorite win was a $50 babies r us gift card. I also won a Veggie Tales dvd.  I've been trying to win a convertible car seat, but haven't had luck with it.  I have time though before she would even grow out of her seat so I'll just keep trying. 

3) I had my 39 week check up this week.  I am maybe at 2 cm diliated, which doesn't really mean much because things can change quickly.  I did find it nice to know that I did make some progress from my appointment at 35 weeks where I hadn't made any progress.

I also got the flu shot which made my arm hurt for a day or so, but it's nice to have that out of the way.

4)  We went to the casino last night to celebrate the birthday of Rob's friend.  Obviously a crowded smoky casino isn't appealing to a 9 month pregnant lady, plus the 45 minute car ride each way. We had dinner there, but after we finished we didn't stay long actually gambling
(an hour and a half) and since it is still my birthday month I used my players club card and got a free dessert so that was fun.  I only lost $5 so not to bad. 

5) This morning we met up with friends (who also happen to be someone Rob works with and my sister's in-law) at my parents and we got pumpkins and squash and gourds etc... We also had dinner with them on Thursday (A home cooked meal I didn't have to make.  Yes!).   My parents garden was a little overgrown so it was a workout walking through there.  And they brought over donuts and apple cider. :)

6) Then this afternoon we are going to art prize. I hope anyway, I've been trying to get Rob to take me for the last week and a half.  He doesn't really want to go, but didn't want me to go by myself.  If you don't know what it is, it's the biggest art competition in the world (The official website is here).  I don't know how you would ever see all there is to look at.  I want to check out some of the work, and maybe get this baby moving on out.