Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week Seven

This is a summary of the seventh week of Pineapple's life. She was 6 weeks old.

Nursing

Nursing is the same, using a nipple shield. I'm having more problems getting her to latch w/o it on both sides. I'm going to try having her nurse w/o the shield at night when she's sleepy. She might not realize what I'm doing.

I asked a friend (who is a SuperMOM) about nursing in public and she told me she found it easier to nurse using a regular slightly padded underwire bra. She said pushing the padding under the boo.b (with the straps still over your shoulders) helped to support it better than wearing a nursing bra while nursing.

Tonight we went out for NYE. We were in a park and I was wearing Pineapple in a Moby. I knew I wasn't going to be able to get back to the car for nursing so I watched some videos on nursing in a Moby. I managed to get it done relatively discreetly while watching the fireworks (they had a 9pm display for the young kiddos -- or those who can't make it to midnight). These are the videos I found to be the most helpful.

Waketime

We were doing a lot of prep for the in-laws visit at the end of the week so Pineapple had to spend some awake time each day in the swing. It should have been nap time but she just wouldn't sleep. She wasn't fussy, she was just not interested in sleeping.

Naps

Naps are mostly in the swing and between 1-2 hours. 

Night Sleep

Things are going fine here. She's sleeps in the swing after the 8pm feed and then her cradle after the 10pm dreamfeed. Sometimes after the 6am feed she'll be a little fussy and Kevin will have to walk around with her. 

Swaddle

The swaddleme blanket needed a wash so we're on to a single blanket swaddle but she can break out of them. We have to make sure to do it tight and our form has to be perfect or her arms will break free.

Baby Acne

Still here and seems to flare when she's feeding (and agitated). I'm not sure if it's a reaction to the silicone in the nipple shield or if it's just because she's agitated.

Spit

It seems to be getting worse. I know it's not all of what she just ate but it can be a lot. And it happens a couple of times. But always after a feed. There doesn't seem to be a trigger for it. She can be upright, reclined or completely flat. She can be being held or being changed. It catches us off guard mostly because GV never spat up. I'm hoping it's just that she overfed and it's just excess.

Outings

Tuesday we were at myParents house for xmas lunch until about 7pm. Thursday we went over to SuperMOM's house for a playdate. SuperMOM's daughters were fascinated with Pineapple even though elder daughter wasn't interested when younger daughter was born.

Friday morning the whole fam when to the mall and stores for some after xmas shopping.  

Sunday after mass we went out to lunch with (almost) the whole family. myParents, Wiki, us four and Mum & Dad. Monday we walked around the park and then went out to lunch. Monday night we went to a city event at a park to celebrate NYE. 

Big Brother

GV is having issues with frustration. He tells me he's sad and that he wants to bite or kick someone (usually the source of his frustration). He's been put in time out a few times. But he is such a great big brother. He loves Pineapple and loves giving her kisses and hugging her.

Schedule

She seems to be forming her own schedule. Sometimes I'll need to tweak it a bit because of outings but for the most part it's starting to come together. 

Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week Six

This is a summary of the sixth week of Pineapple's life. She was 5 weeks old.

Nursing

She started out the week by nursing on the right w/o the nipple shield. An entire nursing session - so about 30-35 minutes. I'm gonna keep trying to get her to nurse w/o it but I'm not pushing it just yet. I told myself I was going to wait until she reached GV's birth weight but she's there and I don't think we're ready.

I'm using a MBF to nurse Pineapple at home. Now that we have the big car (a Trav.erse) I can feed her in the back seat with more privacy than the previous car (a Se.ntra). I been using the MBF because Pineapple can't seem to nurse w/o getting milk everywhere. This week I took the MBF to some playdates because I didn't want to hassle with trying to nurse her while holding her, my bo.ob, keeping her latched, keeping my boo.b covered up and wiping up all the spilled milk. The MBF is really the 3rd hand I need when BFing.

Friday we went to the park between two outings where I needed to feed Pineapple. I took a bottle and the Calma nipple. Pineapple hated it! It took a while to get going and she leaked a lot. Eventually she took the bottle but it took about 45 minutes. Sunday I took it again for her feeding that fell during mass and it wasn't any better. This time I took a regular nipple and just switched before she got really agitated. After all we were in mass and she needed to eat (quietly).

Waketime

She's so much more alert now. Her eyes watch everything. She usually makes it about 10-15 minutes after a feed before she starts yawning.

Naps

Naps are anywhere between 1-2 hours. But unfortunately she wants to be held most of the time. It seems to be the only way she can sleep. So I've been trying to transition her to the bouncer or swing. She doesn't really like either but she started out doing about 5 minutes in the beginning and at the end of the week we got some naps in it (as opposed to me holding her the entire time. I did get to take a shower one day when she napped for a bit in the bouncer (in the shower room).

Night Sleep

This is going so much better. She stretched to four hours just fine. Now I'm waiting for her to reach 11lbs which is when I feel okay with letting her sleep as long as she wants at night. I should mention that at night she sleeps in the cradle just fine. I can place her in a bit drowsy but still awake and she'll nod off on her own.

Swaddle

Still using the swaddleme blanket. We received two but for some reason I can only find one. I'm going to need to wash it soon so I might have to go back to a regular blanket swaddle.

Baby Acne

It's a little worse this week. GVs came on so suddenly it just seemed to appear one day. With Pineapple it seems to be building up a bit more each day. Can't wait till it goes away!

Spit

Pineapple has started spitting up. It's annoying because I'm never prepared for it. Of course it started up the week after her one month appt and we don't have another appt until next month.

Outings

Tuesday we had a playdate. I was only half an hour late. I don't think we'll ever make it to anything on time with the three of us. Wednesday was my OB appt. Everything is all healed up. Strangely I'm looking forward to returning to my exercise classes. We also went to the mall in the afternoon. And I had a MNI with my moms group on Wednesday night. I did take Pineapple but she wasn't the only newborn there! Thursday we went to a cookie decorating playdate and Friday we went to a preschool concert for Chicklet. After she was done with school we went out to eat. It was surprisingly easy considering Chicken and I were technically outnumbered. 

Sunday just Kevin and I went out! We went to IH.OP. Our favorite restaurant. We had an hour before Pineapple's next feed, GV was asleep and both myMom and Wiki were around so we quickly took off. We made it back in time.

Big Brother

GV is really acting so much older now. He's feeding himself and behaving in public. I was a bit worried at our playdates because a couple of times he was picked on by his friends and I don't think he realized it. But maybe it's good that he didn't retaliate and thought it was just part of playtime. Today at the Christmas Eve children's mass he walked up to join the other children at the altar and listen to the priest and then came back when dismissed with no issues. He's not a baby anymore :(.

Schedule

During the day I'm letting her decide her next feeding time as long as it's not over 3 hours. At night we're going 4-5 hours between feeds. Usually we'll do a feeding in the 8pm hour and then again in the 10pm hour. She'll nurse once or twice in the night but most times she'll nurse at 6am and then at 8:30am to start the day.

Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week Five {One Month}

This is a summary of the fifth week of Pineapple's life. She was 4 weeks old. She turned one month old during this week.

Nursing

Going great with the nipple shield. Sometimes on the right (and once on the left) we can go w/o the shield for 5-10 minutes.

Waketime

We do a lot of holding her, some tummy time. Some sitting by herself. Last week for my bday Kevin got me a neck pillow and I've been using it to prop her up during waketime. She is mostly held though.

Naps

Naps are anywhere between 1-2 hours. 

Night Sleep

At her ped appt they said we could go 4-5 hours at night! Yeah! Maybe I love my night sleep too much??

Swaddle

We started using the swaddleme blanket because it started getting too warm to double swaddle her.

Weight Gain

At her 1 month appt she was 8lbs 13oz!! Dr. M was soooo impressed. 

Baby Acne
Wednesday at the ped appt, Dr. M noticed that some baby acne was developing on Pineapple's face. I had noticed it around her mouth and thought it might be irritation with the nipple shield but I don't think it is anymore. Rhys had baby acne so I know it'll go away on it's own but it's just irritating to have it there.

Outings

Wednesday we had family photos done in the morning and then Chloe's ped appt in the afternoon. Monday we had a board meeting at a friend's house. Three toddler boys and 4 newborn girls. It was fun!

Dad is Back

Kevin has to be available for support for 12 hour shifts so he's been working from home. It's nice to have him home all day because GV hangs out in his office most of the day. And he can help when GV decides he wants water/milk/juice right when I start nursing Pineapple.

Big Brother

myFamily went out of town this weekend so we decided to try potty training GV. It didn't work. He peed twice on the floor. He tells us when he's done it but doesn't tell us when he needs to do it. So we've shelved it and will try again in a couple of months.

Fast Friends

GV has two friends that are 6 months and 2 months older than him. They now have sisters that are 2.5 months and 1 week older than Pineapple. Since I get along really well with the moms it's the perfect set up. Plus another one of our friends whose son is 11 months older than GV has a new sister that is a month younger than Pineapple. Today was the first time all four girls were together. It's so crazy to see the size differences between the girls.

Schedule

2.5-3 hours during the day and 4 hours at night. I tried doing a set schedule with wakeup/nap times and it didn't really work. Because every day looks so different from the day before it's hard to set up a structure right now.

Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week Four

This is a summary of the fourth week of Pineapple's life. She was 3 weeks old.

Nursing

Other than having to use the nipple shield nursing has been going great. We went to the New Mom Group again and she weighed in naked at 8 lbs! That's a weight gain of 11 oz in one week! Maybe she is going to rival her brother in weight gain.

I called the ped. to let them know about the weight gain and I think Dr. C didn't believe me. But we don't have to go back in for a weight check this week so we'll see for sure next week at her 1mo appt.

Waketime

Keeping her awake is much easier. We've tried some tummy time - most times she is lying on her tummy on us though. Whenever she does use her tummy time mat GV wants to be in it with her. 

Naps

Her naps are anywhere between 1-2 hours. I've decided to start her on a schedule this week because I need some structure and I'm sure she does too.

Night Sleep

She's suppose to be on a 2.5 hour schedule but truthfully I've been pushing it out to 3-3.5 hours. We always have to wake her up and I don't want her to "learn" to wake up every 2.5 hours.

Swaddle

We still double swaddle her at night. I've started swaddling her during the day.

Weight Gain

11 ounces to bring her up to a nice even 8 lbs!

Outings

This week we were brave. On Wednesday we went to a library story time (with my sister). Thursday we went to a moms group playdate (cookie exchange!) and Friday night we went to a xmas party (family friendly). I managed to time the first two outings between her feeds but at the party I had to nurse her. I didn't take the MBF but we did okay w/o it. Sunday I had a product premiere in a movie theater to attend and I tried to feed her in the moby but no such luck. I ended up in the disabled bathroom for 10 minutes just so I could get something in her. And I ended up with breastmilk all over me.

Big Brother

GV still loves his sister but he starting to show his frustration with Kevin or I being tied up and not doing things for/with him because of her. 

These Eyes
I know that newborn eye color is not set it stone. They can change colors all the way up to 6 months. Also that they'll never get lighter just darker. Pineapple has brown eyes (so do Kevin and I) but they've got some grey in them. Most times they look grey rather than brown. Idon't know if it's just because they're really dark, darker than GV's or maybe a effect of MIL having blue eyes but it's neat and I hope they stay greyee-brown.

Conclusion

Things are so much better now! What a difference a properly feeding baby makes.

Schedule

Still at 2.5 hours between feedings during the day and 3 hours at night.

Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week Three

This is a summary of the third week of Pineapple's life. She was 2 weeks old.

Nursing

This week has been so much better. It helped that we went to the new mom group at the hospital Pineapple was born at. They weighed her and she was 7lbs 10 oz. When she started showing signs of being hungry they did a feeding weight check. They weigh her, had me feed her and then weighed her again. Based on her weight change they can figure out how much breastmilk she's drinking. The LC said her weight gain corresponded with a feeding of about 3oz. She told me that was a good amount for a baby her age and weight. At the end of the meeting we weighed her naked and she was 7lbs 5oz. This gave me a boost.

We haven't done any more supplementing since last week but we did give her a bottle twice when she got really finicky during a feeding. Even with the nipple shield. We've even been able to do a couple of feedings without the nipple shield. Mainly on the right. On the left she really needs to have it in place the whole time.

Waketime

She is spending more time awake these days. There are some times between feedings that she'll be awake most of the time and then only nap for about an hour. I always feel guilty waking her up but she needs to eat every 2.5 hours! 

Naps

I guess I don't consider what she's doing now to be real naps. Since her schedule isn't really structured right now she's only sleeping about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The times she chooses not to sleep between feedings are arbitrary so she hasn't even set her schedule yet.

Night Sleep

This is getting better. This week Kevin was back to work so some nights I had to deal with her on my own. Since I'm impossible to wake up it's probably been harder on me. But Kevin still helps when she just won't go back to sleep.

Swaddle

We still double swaddle her at night. No swaddle during the day but she does sleep better when I have her in the Moby.

Weight Gain

At the NMG she was 7lbs 5oz. At her ped appt two days later she was 7lbs 6oz. So up 3oz since last week. Still not in the 5-7oz a week range but at least it's gaining! 

Just the Three of Us

This week marked the first time GV, Pineapple and I were all on our own. Kevin's last day off was Monday. Wiki came over Monday night and stayed with us until Wednesday at lunch time. Wednesday afternoon a friend and her son came over to visit. Thursday morning we were on our own until myMom came over to watch GV during Pineapple's ped appt. She left before he got up from nap though so it was just us again. Friday was really the first day that it was just us for the whole day. Although Kevin has been coming home during his lunch hour to help with GV's lunch and putting him down for his nap.

Big Brother

GV is still in love with Pineapple. He asks to hold her everyday at least once. If she's not feeding or trying to fall asleep I try to let him. She doesn't always like it but I think it's good for them. We did pull out his old tummy-time mat for her to start using and he's taken over it. I tried to do tummy-time once and she was not impressed. It might have been because GV kept getting in and dumping toys in. 

Conclusion

Things are getting better and I think I can manage the two of them. I'm starting to realize I'm going to have to let go of "our" schedule. Sometimes GV is going to nap late because Pineapple needs feeding. And sometimes Pineapple's going to have to wait to be fed because GV needs a diaper change. Everything will happen when it needs to.

Schedule

Still at 2.5 hours between feedings during the day and 3 hours at night.

Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week Two

This is a summary of the second week of Pineapple's life. She was 1 week old.

Nursing

Pineapple has been on a 2.5 hour schedule during the day and a 3 hour schedule at night. At her weight check appt on Wednesday she only gained an ounce. The doctor (a different one than last Saturday) was concerned that she was just snacking when she was nursing. She asked us to supplement 15-30ml after every feeding for a couple of days. Which meant a lot of pumping and cleaning. Anyways, her idea was that the extra milk would cause Pineapple's stomach to expand and when she nursed she would be hungrier because her stomach would be bigger.  

Well overnight Thursday/Friday Pineapple started refusing to nurse. She would latch even worse than usual and spit out the nipple. I ended up pumping most of that night and Kevin was giving her bottles for most of her feeds. Friday she did better with nursing but in the evening she started refusing the boob again. So my aim Saturday was not to give anymore bottles. I called every place I could think of to track down a Supplemental Nursing System and couldn't find one locally. I checked Am.azon and thanks to my prime membership it only cost $3 to overnight ship it (which meant we would get it Monday).  Then when Wiki was visiting that afternoon she suggested using a nipple shield. OMG what a difference! Pineapple would finally latch well, the pain was minimal (and disappeared within a day of me using it) and she never had a fussy nursing session the rest of the weekend. On Sunday we went to visit my parents and forgot the shield. I went out after one feed without it to pick one up.

I've read that using a nipple shield can cause issues like reduced supply because the stimulation is lessened when using one but I'm not that worried. I have an oversupply/fast letdown issue so it's not going to be a big deal.

Waketime

We still do a diaper change before feeding her to wake her up and then usually she still falls asleep about 10 minutes into the feeding. I'm not stressing about her being awake during feeds right now because she's so young and was two weeks early. 

Naps

She usually sleeps between feeds while being held by someone. We did have issues on Thanksgiving Day trying to get her to nap. It was obvious she's already using the boob as a sleep crutch. Plus she wouldn't let us lie her down in the pack-n-play or her bassinet. She would wake up right away and then want to nurse back to sleep.

Night Sleep

She started the week so well! Monday night we would wake her, feed her, double swaddle her and then put her back down until the next 3-hour shift started. She went to sleep quickly and stayed asleep. The rest of the week? It didn't go so smoothly. There are some times when she won't go back to sleep between feedings. There are other nights when she sleeps on me (while I'm sleeping on the couch) between feedings. I know I'm not suppose to do this but it's a bad habit I've formed.

Swaddle

We still double swaddle her at night. Sometimes during the day but usually she's sleeping on me with a blanket over her. I tried using the Summer Infant SwaddleMe. It worked once. The other nights she's gotten very upset at being put in it.

Weight Gain

We had a weight check on Wednesday. She gained an ounce - 7lbs 4 oz - in a week. Not optimal. Tomorrow I'm going to a New Moms Group at the hospital she was born at  that is run by a Lactation Consultant so that we can do a weight check & a feeding weight check. Then we have her 2 week appt on Thursday.

Jaundice

This seems to have resolved itself. When we saw the doctor on Wednesday she said it wasn't an issue anymore. I still see a yellow tinge in her eyes but it doesn't seem to be as bad as before.

Big Brother

GV is an awesome big brother. He likes to hold her and will ask at least once a day. Then when holding her he'll tell us "GV loves Pineapple!" He likes to tickle Pineapple as well. Usually when she's asleep. So we've had to implement a "no tickling while Pineapple is asleep" rule. Doesn't always work but it stops him before he gets too involved.

Conclusion

This week was a super emotional week for me. myMom and I had a bit of a tiff at the end of week 1 which got me emotional (it doesn't take much these days) at the beginning of the week. She didn't call me all week (when she usually calls daily). Then we went to the doctor and Pineapple had only gained 1 oz. Even though I knew they would want to do supplementation it still hit me hard. When she started refusing the breast  on Friday I was a wreck. I would start crying at every feeding and I probably would have slipped into PPD if not for the nipple shield. Once we had that on Saturday my attitude/emotional state was so much better. A complete 180. So the week ended very well.

Schedule

We are now on a 2.5 hour schedule during the day and 3 hour schedule at night. We don't have a set schedule because sometimes she'll want to cluster feed or if she doesn't nap well then her next nursing session will start before the 2.5 hour mark. But we don't go over 2.5 hours between feeds during the day. 

Pineapple Newborn Summary: Week One

With GV I did weekly updates during the pregnancy. But with Pineapple I thought I missed quite a bit of her early pregnancy and then when I found out I hadn't I wasn't really into doing the updates again. I would go back and read the GVs and compare them that way. I've seen newborn summaries on this website so I thought it would be a unique way of chronicling her first year.

This is a summary of the first week of Pineapple's life.

The Beginning

I'm going to write a birth story post for Pineapple but here I'll just mention that it was quick (labor pains started at 1:30am and she was here by 10:49am) and other than not getting the epidural till _way_ late pretty routine. After about an hour of kangaroo care she started rooting and showing some pep so they finally did her vitals, moved us to a Mom & Baby room and she got to try out this nursing thing. She did well although she only did the right side for about 15 minutes because her pediatrician showed up and needed to check her out. Once that was over we switched sides for an additional 10 minutes. In total it was about 25 minutes. 

Hospital Stay

We had a new experience with this hospital in that Pineapple was in the room with us almost the whole time we were there. They took her away once to do her vitals and then again when they did the blood/dna collection thing the state does. Paranoid me immediately picked her up and checked to make sure they brought me back the right baby. She looked like the baby they took away. 

I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to sleep because no one would be watching Pineapple to make sure she kept breathing. Also this time Kevin stayed overnight with us both nights. After two days we got clean bills of health and were discharged. The did one last weight check (she was down to 7 lbs 3 oz - 6% weight loss) and checked her bilirubin levels and then told us we could go. We waited to complete one last feed and left around 3:30pm.

Fluid

Apparently newborns often have amniotic fluid in their tummy that upsets it so they spit up a lot in the first 48 hours. This was one of the reasons why GV didn't really like nursing in those first couple of days. With Pineapple, she would often spit up before I would even nurse her. Plus she started snorting on her second evening and just sounded clogged up when breathing. The lactation consultant wanted us to have the pediatrician give her a saline nasal spray but our pediatrician didn't want to because she thought it would pass pretty quickly and it did. It was gone by the time we left the hospital.

Big Brother

GV is so sweet with Pineapple. When he came to see us in the hospital later that day he was so excited. Okay mainly he was excited about being in a hospital but he did check her out and give her kisses (first the blanket and then eventually her cheek). Every time she fretted or cried he would want to give her a kiss to make her feel better. And the second night when the nurse came to take her away to do her blood sampling thing he was very concerned that they were taking her away. He almost chased down the nurse to get her back. When we got home on Wednesday he wanted to help carry her into the house. Since being home he has wanted to hold her, kiss her, pet her, point out her eyes/mouth/ears, hold her hand, tickle her, sit right next to her and feed her a bottle. Also at her newborn appt he was concerned that the doctor was poking and prodding her and making her mad and then he was anxious that she was going to fall off the table and pushed her blankets further back onto the table. 

Nursing

Oh how I wish this was going better. She doesn't latch that well. It's very shallow I think mainly due to my size (one of my brea.stshields for pumping is 30mm). I've had cracking, soreness, rawness and blood blisters. I had the cracking and soreness with GV but he was a champion nurser (and weight gainer). Pineapple was a fully pound smaller than him at birth and she just doesn't have the same deep pull. Hence the soreness and rawness. It's starting to go away as I adjust to a different nursing style but sometimes the pain makes me want to rip her away. I've been scouring the web to try to find ways to help her and it's been a little better.

I also think I have an oversupply problem as well. I did with GV (his poos went from yellow to dark green when my milk really came in) and so would have to nurse from the same side 2-3 times in a row (offering the one side minimizes foremilk). So I started doing this with Pineapple and by the next morning her poos were closer to the mustard yellow color they were suppose to be. But then when I told Dr. C about doing this she looked at me like a crazy person so I went back doing each side for 15-20 minutes. Her poos went back to dark green. So I've gone back to one side for 2-3 feedings and they're back to normal.

Weight Gain

Pineapple was 7lbs 11oz on Monday (her birth day). By the time we left the hospital on Wednesday she was 7lbs 3 oz. At her newborn appt on Saturday she was still 7lbs 3 oz. So they wanted her to go back for a weight check on Wednesday. Today I measured her using my food scale and she was 7lbs 2oz. I might have had a breakdown. I'm sure this is tied in with her bad latch and the foremilk/hindmilk/oversupply issue. So the other night I checked after her feed and I pumped about 45 ml from the brea.st she had just been nursing on for the past half hour. So today I've decided to pump after her feeding and then give her the bottle. I know I run the risk of nippl.e confusion, nursing strikes and her preferring a bottle but I'm more concerned about her lack of weight gain and I really don't want Dr. C to tell me to supplement with formula. 

Jaundice

On our last day at the hospital the nurse came in to check Pineapple's bilirubin levels. I wasn't that concerned because Kevin and I have the same blood type and I had read somewhere before GV that jaundice was caused by different blood types between mother and child. Her readings were okay. Then on Saturday when we went to the pediatrician Dr. C was concerned about Pineapple appearing yellowish. She noted it in her head and chest but her lower half was still normal. I couldn't see the difference but Kevin said he could. She recommended that we put her somewhere near a window so she could get some indirect sunlight. Of course I read all about it and realized that lack of breastmilk (that shallow latch is haunting us again) can cause jaundice. The whites of her eyes are a bit yellow (the only place I can see the yellow) but I'm not sure what else we're suppose to be doing. We're scheduled to go in for a weight check on Wednesday and I'm sure Dr. C is going to want to check her "yellowishness." 

Waketime

In the hospital Pineapple was really hard to wake up. A couple of times she would go over the 3 hour mark for her next feeding because I couldn't get her to wake up. But since we've been home she's better at it. We usually change her diaper before her feed and she'll be awake for about the first 10 minutes or so. She does fall asleep most times (it's rare that she doesn't) and I'm starting to notice that she needs the bre.ast in order to fall asleep. In a few weeks I'll be more stringent about her staying awake for her whole feed and falling asleep on her own

Naps

As long as Pineapple falls asleep on the bre.ast she naps great! If not she will want to feed again for a few minutes to help her fall asleep. Those naps are usually more restless and she'll wake earlier for her next feeding. She's really flexible about location of her naps and also the amount of noise GV makes when she's sleeping. 

Night Sleep

The hospital room was always comfortably warm during the day and then got pretty cool in the evening. However since she was wearing a hat and was double wrapped in receiving blankets I wasn't concerned about her getting too cold. And then when we got home I tried to mimic the cool room at night (also because I LOVE sleeping in cool/cold rooms) and she was having problems staying asleep while in our room. The first night home we thought it was an issue with the cradle vs. playpen. GV had the same issue. He'd sleep wonderfully in the playpen but then when we would put him in the cradle he would get upset in an instant. As soon as we brought the playpen upstairs and put it in our room (and him in it) he would be fine (and sleep!). So I thought it was something similar with Pineapple. We decided to incline the cradle hoping that would solve it but after another non-sleeping-in-the-cradle night we knew that wasn't it. So then we tried giving up the swaddle (GV rebelled against the swaddle almost as soon as we got home) but that made things worse. Then the night before last I finally gave up around 3 am and after feeding her put her in the playpen in the living room and she slept till her next feed, fell asleep again right away and then slept till 8am. Something clicked that it must be the warm room. So the next night we closed the windows and turned off the ceiling fan. We double swaddled her and sure enough she slept in the cradle in the room waking only when we woke her to change her diaper and feed her.

Conclusion

The shallow latch (due to my size) seems to be causing most of the problems (in my opinion). I'm pretty sure it's what is causing my BFing pain, her lack of weight gain, her thin poops (sometimes green), and jaundice. I've been warned that babies born early can take longer to start gaining weight though.

Schedule

The schedule this week hasn't really been a set schedule. We were feeding her on a 3 hour schedule but then after her naught weight gain, Dr. C wanted us to get closer to 2.5 during the day - she was fine with us going 2 hours if Pineapple was ready. At night we are usually going 3 hours at the latest. I wake up 15 minutes before we hit the 3 hour mark so she's usually on when we hit it.  

Ugh...

So there are a few websites I stalk. Of course FB is one of them, then there's slate [dot] com and also nb.cnew.s [dot] com. As an avid reader of almost everything - I've been known to read EVERYTHING on a cereal box while eating said cereal in the mornings - I love websites that are constantly updated and where new things show up throughout the day rather than just once. Also the Dear Pr.udenc.e columns on slate [dot] com just crack me up!

Anyways today I was reading n.bcne.ws [dot] com and I came across a headline titled Ic.e-T 'could make a baby through a brick wall'. The other day I was flipping through channels during GV's nap and something happened and the TV landed on the show Ic.e Loves C.oco. After watching a bit of it I saw a preview about the next episode in which they discuss her wanting to freeze her eggs. I was curious so I read up on the people in the reality show and Coco is actually near my age. So I watched a bit more and fertility/infertility was never discussed on that episode. So then this morning I saw that headline and was more than a little curious so I clicked on it. And by the time I had finished reading it I was soooo sad and angry.

Because here's a woman who has genuine fears and doubts about her fertility and her husband is dismissing them and not only that but being so "macho" about it that it was just frustrating. I didn't watch the segment (or clip) but I think if I would have I prolly would have thrown something at the TV. I can sympathise with her because I know what it's like to fear infertility before you even start trying to be fertile. There shouldn't have been a reason for me to worry about it because I come from a VERY fertile family. My mom got pregnant the first two times she tried (four years apart). But there was this fear. Before I knew what PCOS, Clomid or anything was I was pretty certain Kevin and I would have a rough go of it trying to get pregnant. And to see a husband being so callous and dismissive about something that is a very real possibility just set my teeth on edge. Anyways here's the article in case you want to read it: http://tinyurl.com/cysx58n. Maybe you won't be as upset/offended by him/it as I was...

One Month

Till I turn 35. Advanced maternal age. Because Pineapple is due two weeks before that I'm not high-risk. Which apparently means I'm missing out on some u/s and other tests that would be covered if she was due even one day after. Oh well.

How the heck am I already almost 35? I still think of myself as in my 20s. Maybe it's because I didn't get married till 29. Or have my first kid till 32. Or that most of my (new) friends are just hitting their 30th b-day. At the end of this month I will have known Kevin for 17 years. I met him when I was 17!! Maybe because my parents are still in their 50s (albeit only a 1-2 years away from 60). Whatever it is I don't feel 35 most days. Some days I do though. Usually on those days I want to take a nap.

Go Vote!

Only because I can't! :(  Apparently when I moved here my voter registration was never turned in. I signed up at the DMV when I was getting my license but my card never made it to the supervisor of elections. It wasn't until Saturday when I realized that I didn't know where I was suppose to go to vote that I called and found out that I couldn't vote. It really bums me out! This is the second time I'm missing a presidential vote! The first was while I was in college and in my sophomore haze realized I had over-scheduled myself on that fateful November day. But the guy I wanted to win did so I didn't really worry about it. This time I was looking forward to taking GV since next time around he'll be in school.

Anyways, go vote!!

Time Change Sleepover

So somehow I've managed to finagle it so that GV spends the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house on the weekends where there's a time change. Which is good because apparently he was up at 6am this morning. And Kevin and I? Well we didn't wake up until almost 9am.

I saw all the FB comments from other friends who are parents complaining about their children not realizing that they were suppose to sleep an extra hour. And I sat there with a secret smile on my face...

Showers All-Around

When I moved down here shortly after GV was born, my college roommate recommended a moms group to me. I decided to join when I met a mom with a son 2 months older than GV and another mom with a daughter 3 weeks younger. I figured it would be a good resource to have them around. Then more moms joined and soon enough there were about 5-6 moms with babies who would all be in the same "school year" as GV. GV is probably going to Catholic school so I don't think he'll go to school with these kids but they might be in the same sports or activities.

Anyways for a bunch of us our kids were the first ones and we all have sons. As our kids approached 18 months we started talking about trying for that second kid.  I was nervous about all the talk because even though Kevin and I wanted to try for another one we had no idea if it would actually work. Well it did. And I'm actually the second one in line. There are currently 6 of us pregnant (with a 7th mom (who is no longer in the group) pregnant too) so it's a baby boom. Who thought I would ever be in the middle of a baby boom.

And so all the baby showers are happening now. At first I didn't want a baby shower but since Pineapple was a girl I was coerced encouraged to have one. And it was a good experience. A good second shower. This morning was the shower for the 4th mom. It was a book shower which was a neat idea. The other three will probably be in the new year which will be good break since three of the babies are due before the end of the year.

Full Term

As of today I'm 37 weeks. Full term. 21 days to go. I'm excited but it still seems so far away.

Yesterday was my OB appt. There are four doctors in this practice. Unlike GV's doctor, this time I don't have an assigned doctor. I have to have my appts with all the doctors and then whoever is on call when I happen to go into labor is my delivering doctor. I don't like this system but as this is likely my last pregnancy and I'm almost done there's no point in switching. Before I got pregnant I saw Dr. G every time I went in. I wasn't too fond of her but she seemed competent so I stayed. Then when I got pregnant I actually didn't see her again until yesterday. I've been seeing the other three (and the NP) my entire pregnancy.

So yesterday Dr. G came in and did the cervical check. One centimeter dilated. This time last go around I wasn't anything at all by this point so that's good. But I'm still not effaced at all. Then she did the doppler check and finally measured my uterus. Everything looking good. Then she wanted to do a u/s to make sure that Pineapple was head down. After about 15 minutes I got called back into the u/s suite and got to see her again! She is head down and facing my spine which is good for delivery but bad for ultrasound pics. But she's got tons for hair! And apparently it's long, already flowing past her ears. GV had a lot of hair too but it all fell out between 3-6 months.

So it looks like we're good to go just waiting for her to decide to be born. If I'm honest I wouldn't mind if she came 2 days early or 6 days late. See the earliest date that Thanksgiving falls on is the 22nd (this year) and the latest is the 28th (next year). So if they want to induce I think I'm going to ask for the 29th. We'll see if it works.

Hallow'een

Last night was so much fun. GV had decided that he wanted to be a ghost. Because I didn't think he would wear a costume over his head the whole night I decided I was going to make him a costume. Mind, my sewing machine hasn't seen the light of day since before we moved here (over 2 years go!) this was a little crazy for me. But I found a pattern that I liked, bought the fabric and did the needful. I finished the day before Halloween.

And I got GV to wear it for about 30 seconds when I bribed him with TV. Then yesterday when he was napping I decided to make white pants to match.

Fully prepared to have him look like a newbie painter, I was pleasantly surprised when he not only put the cape on but wore it the whole time we went trick or treating.

He loved shouting "Boo!" and he had practiced his "Trick or Treat"s and "Thank you!"s but it took a few houses before he was brave enough to use them.

We did the shortest loop through the neighborhood but he got so much candy that his bucket was full half way through. I had brought a back-up bag but he refused to move his candy. We tried once and almost had a melt-down and then when we had no choice we made him. Cue meltdown two houses before we were back on our block. It took a while to get him to calm down (Kevin didn't really help because sometimes he forgets that GV is TWO!) but then he carried both bags around. So next year we take a bigger bucket.

It was also Kevin's first real trick-or-treating experience. It was kind of weird having to explain all the "rules" to him. Things we take for granted. No, I haven't raided GV's candy yet but only because we have pass-out candy left over.

Painting Labor Day Weekend

Back before we knew Pineapple's gender Kevin and I planned on choosing a scheme and painting her room as soon as possible. I wanted to the room to air out and get the funky smells out way before she arrived. And then we found out she was a girl and the options were just so numerous that I wasn't quite sure what to do. I knew I didn't want pink (or a lot of it) and so was looking at purple/cream bedding sets. But I couldn't see anything I liked. Also I think GV's room has an expiration date (it will need to be changed by kindergarten probably) and so I didn't want Pineapple's too as well.

So now we're at 28 weeks and this 3-day weekend was coming up and myDad had the whole weekend off. I spent the week looking online for inspiration. Kevin nixed my wallpaper idea before it could even take shape and so that left me with doing some kind of paint treatment. And I love stripes so I knew it would be some kind of stripe. At first I was thinking a thick horizontal stripe but then while at Low.es I saw a vertical purple striped room with a green ceiling and I knew it was what I wanted. So today was painting day #1.

We've got some kind of water leak in Pineapple's room, I'm not sure where it's coming from but because the house is so old it's causing the ceiling to dissolve. So in the middle of painting the room, myDad is also having to do ceiling repairs. Plus all the ceilings and walls have this "knockdown" texture all over them so we've got to replace that in the damaged areas. But today we did most of the ceiling painting and the first coat of wall paint (minus where the green paint and purple paint meet up). Tomorrow we'll hopefully finish off the ceiling repairs and paint and then we've got to move the g/p tape and finish up the first coat of purple paint. I didn't realize it was going to get so complicated. Maybe a 3-day weekend isn't long enough.

Isaac That Never Was...

Last week we were directly in line to get hit full force by Isaac. There was panic all around and talks of closing bridges, conventions, businesses and schools. Well the businesses and schools closed down but so far it's just been a windy kind of day. We get more rain on a sunny day than we've had today.

Around where I live people assume we're never gonna get hit by a hurricane. It has been 90+ years since the last one came through and even when all the weathermen claim that THIS one is coming right for us at the last minute it straightens out or takes a 90° turn and misses us. We were at a party Saturday night and all the natives weren't worried. I wasn't really worried but I figured since this time I'm a mom and not a singleton looking forward to a great hurricane party that I should at least be a little prepared. So I bought a lot of water, crackers and canned fruit. Yeah, I'm mostly a non-believer too.

Things here are going great. Kevin is in line for a promotion at work so we're praying that happens. It's the perfect position for him because he gets more responsibility but doesn't have to be in charge of people. GV is talking more and more each day. He's putting words together and we can have a conversation now. Pineapple is growing and is good so far. My next appt is in 9 days. I have to do the GD test again which is annoying. But after this I'll be at biweekly appts which means less stress and anxiety for me between appts. I can't believe I'm already 27 weeks along.

So while we enjoy a nice Monday off (even Kevin is working from home because of Isaac) hope you all are staying safe and sound.

GV is Two!

How is it that it was two years ago that I gave birth to the most amazing sweet little boy? Somedays it seems like it was just yesterday and other days I'm worried that I don't remember EVERYTHING anymore.  But then I look back at the blog and I'm reminded.

• GV is doing so well. He's tall (36 1/2") but still skinny (27 lbs).
• He's talking all the time now. Mostly at home. He's still a shy thing when we're out with other people he doesn't completely know. He doesn't combine words to make sentences yet. When he talks to me he say "Daddy" and then say "car" but he doesn't say "Daddy is in the car" and he'll always wait till I acknowledge the first word. I don't know if it's because of the way I respond to him or if it's just the stage he's at right now.
• He and Dave get along really well now. He likes to give her hugs and brush her. And he's gotten really good about stepping around her when she's in his way (she's the type of dog that lies down at your feet). Occasionally she gets annoyed at him and will snap at him. For which she gets put in her cage. But I'm also really careful that I don't leave them in the same room together. Which isn't that hard because if I leave a room Dave will follow me.
• Les is another story. She spends most of her time in the bedroom (which isn't that much of a change from pre-GV). However when she comes out he will chase her around the house. She usually ends up under the coffee table. Then he tries to reach below to touch her and she gets annoyed (growls). I try to keep him from chasing her but it's hard sometimes because they are both so fast. Occasionally she'll be nice and will stand near (3 ft away) him but most times Les avoids GV at all costs (even a missed dinner or treat).
• GV got a set of pots and pans for his birthday and they are by far his favorite. Before he got them he would take paper plates and cutlery from where we kept them stored and create a picnic with everyone having a specific setting. It's so cute. Sometimes he'll even dish out his blueberries or grapes so that everyone has some. If he becomes a cook I'll have it made then! Kevin cleans and GV cooks.
• GV knows there's a baby inside Mommy's tummy.  He'll often see a baby and say "Baby!" and then point to my belly. I'm not showing that much of course but we've let him know that someone is coming.
• GV is obsessed with two things right now. Bandaids and money. Both words he learned in a flash and he always remembers. If he hasn't got a bandaid on he'll run into my bathroom and pull out the box and then bring it to wherever Kevin and I are and ask us to open one. He will even volunteer to say please. He also likes having quarters.  He will carry them in his pocket and walk around and invent new ways to play with them (today he put them in our Bos.ton Marke.t take out bowls and then put the covers on to make noisemakers). I can usually get him to put them on his dresser before bed but I never leave them in the room overnight with him. He always remembers the next morning about them.
• For the past three weeks I've been watching Chicklet (Chicken's daughter) three mornings a week. Since Chicken works from home Chicklet usually spends a few days a week with her Grandpa. But Grandpa went on vacation for a month so that left Chicken w/o child care. I was a bit worried about GV not liking having to share me but he's been fine. I think he's enjoyed having Chicklet around. Hopefully it's a good lead in to the arrival of Pineapple.

Black Friday

is my official due date. So I must have caught this pregnancy very very early. Like in the 3rd week.  We went to the doctor on March 23rd and they confirmed that there was something in the uterus but it was only measuring about 4 weeks so no heartbeat yet.

Then we went on vacation, well sort of.  We went to visit Kevin's parents. SIL came up the whole time we were there and her boyfriend even came for a couple of days.  Everytime a new person was introduced to the mix GV would get shy but he ended up being friends with all by the end of our time there.

After two weeks we were back but my computer went on the fritz (I finally got it back today!!). Our 8 week appt was this past Wednesday and Pineapple was measuring 8w5d so that puts my due date as November 23rd. Black Friday.

Kevin's family already knows about Pineapple. We had a hard time explaining away my constant peeing, drinking tea only when Kevin made it (so he could sneak in a decaf tea), not taking medicine even though I had a cough and then microwaving sandwich meat.  So we told them but said that we didn't have a heartbeat yet. But now we do! Now we have to figure out how to tell my parents (and sister).

I'm excited for this new baby. Also the symptoms are in full force.  I'm hungry all the time but can't eat too much in one sitting. Also the nausea. It was too much to hope for another morning-sickness free pregnancy. Although it's just been nausea not puking. It's still not nice. Also the fatigue has really hit me. I remember going to bed early some nights with GV but it's every night with Pineapple and most days I need a nap. Maybe it's because I was working last time and couldn't nap.

I've been telling GV about the baby. He knows how to sign baby but I don't think he gets it yet.  Probably when I'm showing more he'll sense something. He'll be almost 2 1/2 when Pineapple comes so I think he'll be old enough to get it.

It's not secondary...

Apparently I don't know my body or my cycles or anything at all.

Monday the 5th
After waiting for two additional weeks past when AF was suppose to happen I finally had my Provera & Clomid prescriptions filled. I woke up and POAS'd and it was negative. So I finally gave in and decided to take the Provera.

Wednesday the 7th
I take the first provera pill.

Sunday the 11th
I take the last provera pill. And then when dicussing with Kevin the time line I realize that I'm suppose to be ovulating on the 29th which is right when we'll be traveling to Kev's parents house. Not great timing and Kevin is a bit upset. So we decide that we're not going to use the clomid and just skip this round. It messes up our plans at Christmas (this is an English year) but what else can we do?

Tuesday the 13th
AF was suppose to show up today but hasn't. I'm not that concerned because I know it can take up to 10 days but it never has before. It's always shown up two days after the last provera.

Wednesday the 14th
GV is actually sleeping in this morning so when I woke up I had the sudden urge to test. I see the yogurt cup that I used for last week's test still next to the sink so I grab it and move to the toilet. Kevin walks in and gives me a look for testing again. I do the needful and then test it. I see the control line quickly but nothing on the test line so I dump the pee and start cleaning up. I'm reaching for the test to throw it away when I realize that I'm looking at two lines!

I call to Kevin and make him come back into the room to confirm that I am seeing two lines and not one. Kevin and I are both amazed and kind of in shock. We talk about this one in abstract. I call new-Dr.-G's office and set up an appointment with the NP on the 20th. They won't do a blood check till then. It's not till I hang up that I realize that it's right during GV's nap. That means Kevin wouldn't be able to go with me. So I call back and all they have is Friday at 10:30. I check Kevin's calendar and he's free. Kevin decides that we need to take one more test tomorrow just to be sure. You never know...

Thursday the 15th
Yesterday Kevin brought me home a new collection cup just in case the cup somehow is what caused the BFP. Test #2 is positive. The line is even darker this time.

--
Now this baby is real. So going off the fact that I got a BFN last week and a BFP this week does that mean I'm only 4 weeks along? Or do I still go from my LMP start date which means that I'm 9 weeks? Also what should I expect with having taken Provera? I'm not sure what to think but I'm happy. I haven't had morning sickness. I've been hungrier but chalked that up to my new exercise workout routine once I got that first BFN. My boops were sore earlier this week but thought it was because I slept wrong (yes I still sleep on my stomach). No nausea or food aversions.

I have so many questions for my doctor and it's killing me that I have to wait till next Friday to get them answered. I need Dr. Grrrr back!

It might be secondary...

We ended up having to turn GV's crib into a toddler bed because he was getting worse and started to climb on top of the rail. That opened up a whole 'nother can of worms because then we had to start locking him in his room. It's so hard to go from a kid who went down for naps and bedtime so easily to having to lock him in his room. But he's getting better.
The past three days if I leave his door open for nap he'll go to sleep with minimal fuss (if any). Tonight at bedtime he protested at us closing the door but didn't start screaming. We heard him test the door knob a couple of times about 10 minutes later but he didn't start crying when he learned he was still locked in.
I don't know if he's sleeping on the bed though. One time when I went in to turn off his fan he was asleep on the floor next to his books. I'm okay if he wants to play/read a bit as long as he stays in his room.
GV has also started being able to turn regular door knobs. He's been able to open most of the doors in the house because they're the French style door knobs but the front door and the garage door are normal ones. I went to Ta.rget today to get the plastic caps for those and some more plug covers. For an old house we sure do have a lot of outlets!
I also got an air freshener for his room because his room stinks. If I walk into his room after the door's been closed for a while it really hits me. It's like it's a teenage boy's room not a baby boy. Kevin says he can't smell it but I can!
This weekend the first of GV's friends turns two! I can't believe it! That means it will be GV's second birthday before I know it. He won't be a baby anymore. Truthfully I'm looking forward to it because I love kids between the ages of 3-11.
GV is still not talking much. I've been working on the letters A-H, colors and shapes with him and if I ask him to pick it out he almost always gets it right but he won't say the words.

--

After three cycles of actually working my body has quit on the fourth. My current cycle started on Jan 12th and it seems I never ovulated. I thought I had because of an ovulation test (on Feb 1st) but I read it wrong. Of course I didn't realize this till after AF never showed up. It was so exciting when that 2ww was 1 day over and then 2 and then 3. I tested on the 3rd day (feb 18th) and was so shocked when it was a BFN. So I waited a couple of days and AF didn't show up. I retested on the 21st and it was still a BFN. So I called New-Dr.-G and got a prescription for Provera. And it sat at the pharmacy because I kept convincing myself that I had just ovulated and so I couldn't ethically take it. But then I tested again this past Monday (CD54) and after yet another BFN I made myself call and fill the prescription. Today is day 2 of 5. The good news is that I'll have Clomid this time around.

Sleeping Phase

I'm going to try posting with my phone but usually it just turns into a hot mess and I abandon before I post. Right now I'm lying down on my guest bed with a sleeping GV next to me. This is the only way lately that we can get him to sleep. One of us has to be sleeping next to him. And usually I can move him to his own bed but tonight I have tried twice and failed. Third time's the charm right? It started last week when I noticed that GV was eating pretty much everything that I was putting in front of him. I was so excited about that that I didn't notice that he was pushing his bed time to later and later asking for more books or one more hug or turning off the light one more time. Instead of being out of his room by 8 it was more like 9 and he was still fussing. Well one night it just didn't end. For an entire hour he was alternating between crying, shouting and calling us. We tried CIO but it just wasn't working. Finally Kevin just went in and slept on the floor next to him and he fell back asleep. Now he doesn't want to nap either. But he falls asleep later in the day so I know he still needs that nap. I'm not sure if this is a phase or a growth spurt or what brought it on. Kevin and I are running out of ideas as to how to fix it.

eating

I've mentioned this before but I didn't really expand on it. We are REALLY struggling to get GV to eat. Anything. It's not like we can't get him to eat his vegetables, it's that we can't get him to eat. At 6 months GV was in the 90th percentile for weight. At his 9 month he was 75%, 1 year was somewhere around 50%, 15 month was 20% and this past appt he was 17%. To put it another way at 6 months he weighed 19lbs and today he weighs 23lbs. He's still getting taller and is still in the 90th percentile for height so it's just weight. We have to go back to the doctor next month for a weight check.

GV is smart, he's active and he's social. We filled out a development survey for his age at his 18 month appt and the only two places he scored low were talking and stacking toys. But I'm not worried because he scored near perfect in fine motor, problem solving and gross motor.

He just doesn't eat.

And I've tried those high calorie foods but he's not fan of peanut butter and he won't eat meat so most things he eats are only about 35-60 calories per serving. I've googled recipes and I throw out so much food because he won't even try them.

I looked up on the internets how much he should be eating. One site said toddlers should eat around 40 calories per inch of height. GV is 33.75" tall so thats 1350 calories. Per day. Then you add in the fact that we're also trying to get him to gain weight so he should be eating over 1350. I've been tracking what he's been eating for the past week and if I can get him to eat more than 1000 calories, that's a good day. And usually I only hit that number because he's drank a pediasu.re before bed. 

I don't know what to do and what's more is that I think Kevin blames me for his poor eating habits. And part of me blames me too. I'm lucky enough to be at home with him and I can't even do this mom duty. I'm constantly offering him snacks and so when meals come around he'll eat some of his food but not all.

I guess I'll just keep trying, keep keeping track of everything he eats. Who knows maybe I'll start keeping track of my calories and I can lose some weight. Seriously.

New Blog

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 just flew by for me. Since having GV I've never really thought that time was flying but I was completely taken aback by the fact that it was the end of the year. Wow.

I've started a new blog with my cousin RR. It's at romyandthewife.blogspot.com. I didn't tell her about this blog and I took it off of my profile. I'm not sure what I'll do with this blog. That blog might just be a TTC blog and this will be a parenting/living after infertility. Maybe. I'm not sure yet.