Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Indecent Exposure

Before having Addie, I had always thought that breastfeeding seemed a little, well, awkward.  I remember seeing my sister feed Greyden for the first time and thinking how weird it was.  Then seeing her pump just added to my confusion.  I mean, the only other thing I'd ever seen get milked was a cow.  It was almost comical, disturbing, and awkward all wrapped into one.  Then you see the expressed milk sitting in the fridge next to your food.  More awkwardness.  And finally, seeing her breastfeed during our lunch outing at a Mexican restaurant without a blink of an eye was interesting..  Needless to say the white cheese that you dip your tortilla chips in wasn't quite as appetizing after that.

I did love the idea of breastfeeding and was proud of Leah for choosing to do so, but I was just hoping that by the time I had a baby, I would be more comfortable with it.  And OH have I EVER become more comfortable with it. Maybe even too comfortable.

Let's just say that my boobs have been seen by SO many people in the last 8 weeks, I can't even count them on all of my fingers and toes.  When I was still in the hospital I don't think I even put them away!  The lab lady, the nurse, hell, even the cleaning ladies got a glimpse of my marvelous milkers.  I seriously had NO shame.  My view on whipping my boob out in public is like night and day to how I felt before.  Hence why I  worry about being arrested for indecent exposure sooner rather than later...

Take our first shopping trip when she was just 6 days old.  Now, in the early days, when a baby needs to eat, a BABY NEEDS TO EAT!!!  Trust me, her cries screams would cut right through you.  And it goes from 0-10 in .1 seconds.  So as soon as I heard her start I grabbed her up and raced to the car, throwing money at my mom and grabbing the keys.  Thank goodness we were just at a cute little shop and not at the back of Wal-Mart because I wouldn't have made it out without whipping my boob out right there in the middle of the aisle.  Which I almost did a few weeks later.  Seriously, when she needs to eat, I don't care, I'm going to feed her one way or another.  So I'm really having to work on self-control and remembering that my boob is still a boob to other people and not just my baby's food source.  Trust me, it's harder than you think.

Riding around the house with my Mommy!
Speaking of my baby's food source, to her I have now gone from being a human incubator to a human boob. I honestly think that's all she sees me as.  It's like dealing with an immature boy, "my eyes are up here."  I feel like she just stares them down when she's hungry, and even when she's not.  Like when it's time to shower.  I'll have just fed her but it won't matter.  If I walk by her without my bra on, her eyes follow them like a hawk.  Not gonna lie, I'm feeling a little objectified here.

But all is well.  Watching her root around for my boob has proven comical more than once.  Like the time she tried to latch onto Greg's nipple.  I think it shocked him just as much as it shocked her.  And the expressions she makes while feeding are priceless. (don't worry, there are no X-rated pictures of that getting posted on here)  The objectivity and time spent nursing her rather large appetite are well worth it though to see her growing and thriving on her Mommy's milk.  Makes a girl proud. :)
All tired out after my vaccines...poor baby.

I believe she's glaring at Greg, it certainly wouldn't be at me! ;)
So this is the best 2 month pic we got because
she definitely spit up all over 3 seconds after this pic was shot...


I'm a big girl sitting in my bumbo seat...and I look
like my Daddy!
I love to karate kick ALL the time!


HiiiYAAA!  Karate Girl is at it again!



Addie Check-In
Age: 2 months
Weight: 9lb 11oz
Length: 22 inches (wonder when you start calling it height...)
Milestones: Adelaide is now grabbing onto things!  First thing was the nose of a little zebra toy that I had hanging in front of her.  That same night she grabbed Daddy's hoodie string.  She's also cooing more and now I swear she's saying mama when she's fussing.  Her smiling in response to our smiles is increasing.  She can hold her head up for quite a while when I have her on my hip or in her bumbo seat.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Sorry Addie, You are Our Guinea Pig.

Well, Addie turned 8 weeks old last Sunday and to say that these last 8 weeks have been a huge learning curve for Greg and I is the understatement of the year.  I'm not sure how it is legal to hand over a newborn baby to two people who have zero, and I mean ZERO experience taking care of a baby.  And I don't care how many books you read or how many times you practice using your new baby stuff, it does not come close to preparing you, even if you do have your mother living with you for the first 2 weeks.

Take the first night alone with her.  We decide it's time to go to bed and take Addie into our room to swaddle her.  My mom was standing in our doorway and I was like, "Wait!  I don't know what to do!"  Her response?  "Good luck!  Good night!"  And with a smile she darted up to our guest bedroom.  Talk about the feeling of helplessness creeping over.  But I knew she had to let us go it alone.  So I took a deep breath and grabbed Addie's swaddle.  I mean, how hard could it be?  We'd read the instructions and even practiced on a stuffed animal.  (FYI, a real human baby is WAY different than a stuffed animal...)  After several attempts by both Greg and I, I went racing to grab the instructions that had came with it.  Finally!  We, sort of, had her in her "swaddle me" wrap. Next up, getting her to sleep in her crib...

You'd think that this would be an easy prospect.  I mean, where else do babies sleep but a crib?  So it just seemed natural that I'd put her in it and she'd "sleep like a baby" just like I had pictured it.  WRONG!  Apparently the term "sleep like a baby" means to wake up every half hour screaming.  By 3:30am I was calling the hospital nursery asking what to do with her.  They said it sounds like she has gas and to give her gas drops if we have any.  Let me say thank you Katie for the gas drops.  Life saver.   After a few nights of more futile attempts to get her to sleep in her big girl crib, we put her in her "rock-n-play" and set her right next to our bed. (and thank you sister-in-law Jen for that tip)  ...And that is where she still sleeps.  I know we'll have to try the crib again someday, but the prospect of another sleepless night is just too much to bare.

I'm still learning every day from Addie and from my other mommy friends and family.  I understand her cues and cries better every day.  She's actually put herself on a pretty good routine.  She eats about every 2-3 hours (let me just say she takes after her mother when it comes to "grazing" because she will "snack" every 1-1.5 hours quite often as well) during the day and sleeps a good 4-6 hour stretch at night, and then another 2-3 hour stretch, with little naps right before bed and after she wakes up.  With all of this sleeping you'd think that I'd have time to catch my breath, or write a blog, but I still don't.  Not sure when this is all going to calm down but we're making it through just fine.

I was worried about getting bored with all of the goo goo gagas but I've been entertained just by staring at her when she sleeps and talking with her and making goofy faces at her when she's awake.  Her Daddy thinks I'm loco but Addie LOVES my silly faces and smiles and coos back at me!  I'll also pretend to eat her feet while I'm changing her which she gets a total kick out of.

She is still changing and growing every day.  She loves to follow her little jingle bell butterfly with her eyes and she loves to play on her activity mat.  Her legs are ALWAYS going so I know when she starts to crawl, there will be NO stopping her.  She's also growing bigger too!  She's about 9 lbs now, which I'm so excited about because she is fitting into her next size of clothes.  Yay!  Needless to say poor Addie has an unnecessary costume change some days just so I can put her in a new outfit that I haven't seen her in yet.  :)

Though I haven't been able to keep up on my blog as much as I'd like, I totally intend on writing in it more as her naps get longer, not unless I'm napping too, then the blog goes to the wayside again.  C'mon, I gotta sleep when I can!  Otherwise I screw up my words, forget what I have and haven't done, and am a cranky cranky girl.  (My husband would comment here about how that is no different from my normal state, but trust me, it's a WHOLE new level when I'm overtired...)

This is what happens when I leave Addie
alone with Greg for 5 minutes.  Yes, that is a
diaper on her head...
This is my attempt at catching a smile.  Every time I hold my
camera up, her smile disappears and she stares at the camera. Squirrel!
I may keep a tutu by her changing station and 
throw it on her occasionally... so sue me.
She already looks like trouble.  I see mischievousness
in those eyes. ;)  She's 8 weeks old in this picture.
BIG YAWN!
Mama loves a sleeping baby :) 
Really lady? Another picture?  Really?!