Her stats: As of this past Thursday Lydia Grace broke 10 pounds. Whoo hoo!! It was a lot of work (see the eating category), but we got there. She's 23 1/2 inches long now, which puts her at the 80th percentile in height and her 10 lbs. and 1 ounce puts her in the 20th for weight. She is getting close to growing out of her 0-3 month clothes and this past weekend we had to move out of newborn diapers into size 1! Also, her thyroid test finally came back normal. She is perfectly healthy.
Eating: Eating has been going through all kinds of changes! I was just reading her 8 week update and I cracked up when I said she was eating so much more at that point. Now she is eating so much more than that. She has gone from 6 feedings a day to about 8 because when we went to her 2 month pediatrician appointment she didn't weigh "enough". However, after increasing her feedings as well as pumping 2-4 times each day my milk supply has gone back up and she is at a good weight. It was a lot of work last week to stay dedicated to solely breastfeeding, but I am really glad that I put the time and effort in. My body really continues to amaze me with how it responds to her needs and how it can sustain another life. Amazing!
Another update on the eating front is that she is kind of starting to reject bottles. The picture above was one of the last days that she took it. She gets bottle fed about once a day Monday-Thursday while I am at school, so if she really starts to reject them it could be an issue. Also, I like the idea of having bottles as a back-up if David and I ever want to go on a date or something. However, I am sure that she will figure it out and if she is every really hungry, she will probably take the bottle. I think that now that I nurse her so much she is used to that and very much prefers it.
Sleeping: Again, it is amazing how things change in 2ish weeks for a baby! She is still sleeping like a pro at night. She sleeps in our bed and so she goes to bed with us, usually around 9:30 or 10, wakes up around 3 or 4 for a quick feeding, then sleeps until 6 or 7. I am starting to have a little more trouble sleeping soundly with her laying next to me, but she still will not stay asleep if laid down alone, so co-sleeping is still for us for now.
During the day we found the miracle of an infant swing. She takes all of her naps in it and will sometimes sleep up to 2 hours straight! Although it isn't ideal for her to nap in her swing since we can't easily transport it up to NKY or other places,for now it works. It is great to have a little bit of time each day to get some things done like house work and home work and it makes it gives me a lot more energy to be with her when she is awake. I still have very little "me" time, but it is alright because I love being a mommy so much.
Like I said, her current sleep habits are not ideal (since at some point we would like her sleep in a crib), right now it is really working for us and we aren't going to mess up a good thing. A few weeks ago I was so stressed out about spoiling Lydia or creating bad habits now which will last way too long, but as I have thought about things and talked to other people I feel a lot better about just doing what works for us right now. We are kind of in survival mode until May when we are both finished with school, and once things get more settled after school I can worry about creating good, sustainable habits for all of us.
What she loves: Mommy, eating, her baby swing, diaper changes and baths! She finally likes to be naked and doesn't completely freak out after getting a bath. I took her for a walk a few times this past week in her stroller (with the car seat attached) and she seemed to like that too. She also loves TV! This girl watches the TV anytime it is on - she is so intrigued by the lights and sound. I guess we should be careful about this...
What she hates: Lydia still does not like her car seat one bit and she doesn't like to be held by anyone but me when she is sleepy. In general, Lydia is must more agreeable and predictable these days which is nice.
Her personality: I decided to replace cute things with this section because our little one is getting a personality these days! She is so smiley and sweet when she is awake, and my favorite thing is when she gets all shy and embarrassed while she smiles.
However, Lydia isn't all smiles. She still has her temper, and it mostly comes out because she is picky! She knows what she wants, and doesn't stop fussing until she gets it. Of course David and I think this is because she is really smart, but maybe that is because we are her biased parents :)
Postpartum Me: I am feeling great! I think that this will be the last week for any updates on me because really I am feeling myself again. Nursing still presents its challenges to my body; I have to remember to eat a lot more and get some "good fats" in my diet everyday. I try to eat yogurt, cheese, almonds and drink a glass of milk each day and this seems to help me to keep my milk supply up and helps me to feel less empty after I feed Lydia. I am 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight and I am fitting into a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes which is exciting! I am going to go out this weekend and try to find one more pair of jeans that feels comfortable, and once I get one more pair I think I will be set.
Nursing definitely presents challenges to finding convenient clothes also. Spring is right around the corner and the other day I got so excited about wearing some of my dresses, only to realize that a dress is almost impossible to feed Lydia in. I am sure I will figure it out and adjust... and in the meantime I am reading a blog that focuses on styles for new mommies, which is great.
I feel really great about my body and where I am as far as recovery goes. I would love to be working out more and now that it is getting warmer I really do have an itch to go break a sweat by doing Zumba, Kickboxing, or lifting some weights. However, I have no free time in my life right now, so it is looking like a good personal goal would be to start working out more seriously come May, when school is finished. Even though this makes me a little anxious I know that I am getting plenty of exercise by walking each day and bouncing my little one around all the time.
I hope to post some about getting back into shape after having a baby, and about an eating plan that has been working for me. I have found it helpful to read about what other new moms have tried, so I thought you might like to hear about my experience.
Heaven-sent baby items: I only have one this week-Toys that make noise and light up. It has surprised me how quickly Lydia has become interested and entertained by toys. she loves rattles, her play mat, the mobile on her swing and her sleep sheep (a little lamb that makes white noise). I remember packing away the toys we received at showers thinking that we wouldn't need them until she was 5ish months old, but I was wrong! Rattles and toys are a great way to entertain her while she is awake and to distract her when she is upset. Also, don't worry about having too many of them at first because you will lose them... and most likely you will lose your favorite ones :(
Words from Daddy: My favorite part of these past few weeks has been watching Lydia try to grab at the toys that hang down from her play mat. It is awesome to see her interact with her environment. I feel like she is coming out of her shell more. This makes me feel like I am seeing more and more of her.
Well that is all for now. I will post some extra pictures this Sunday since I missed last week's snapshots so be looking out for those. Have a great weekend!
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