Sleeping
According to everyone we've talked to we need to be very thankful for Sarah's sleeping abilities. The first week that we were home we slept in the same room with Sarah. We let my mom and then Robert's mom stay in our room, and we stayed in the nursery which also has a Queen size bed in it. We had originally thought that we would want to be in the same room as Sarah so we could attend to her more quickly and not go back and forth between the two rooms, and also, we really didn't want to make our moms stay in the same room as a screaming newborn. I slept horribly these nights for two main reasons: I heard every little noise Sarah made (and newborns make a ton of weird noises!) and we were still attempting to breastfeed at every feeding session which resulted in Sarah getting so angry that she was snorting and farting (funny and stressful). This made feeding sessions longer because after the failed attempt we would end up pumping and bottle feeding.
The day Serina left we decided to go back to our own room, and it's been a game changer! I know plenty of people who really enjoy co-sleeping or having their baby in their room in something (bassinet, pack n play, etc.), but I just couldn't handle it. Our rooms are still super close so it's not like it takes any longer to get up and attend to Sarah, and with the monitor we can see her without having to hear every little noise she makes. We actually turn off the sound because if she actually needs us we can hear her just fine from our room. We have an AngelCare monitor, so it also monitors her breathing which gives me such peace of mind. If she were ever to stop breathing for 20 seconds an alarm would go off. This has never happened yet (Thank you, God), but just knowing it's there is very relieving for me.
Eating
From birth to two weeks the pediatrician had us feeding her every 3 hours around the clock. It seriously stunk so much to have to wake her up from peaceful sleep to feed her. I think the reason we had to do this was because her little baby tummy was small like all babies' tummies so she couldn't fit in much food and digested it quickly so she needed more food very often. Also, waking her this often ensures that she won't get into such a deep sleep that she can't be awakened (SIDS). It was the worst. It was the first night in the hospital and Robert was already asking the nurses if we really had to do this. Thankfully, at Sarah's 2 week appointment she had gotten back up to birth weight and beyond so the doctor said that we could weight 4 hours at night. Woohoo! We decided that 3 hours during the day was actually too long for her, so we got 2.5 hours during the day and 4 hours at night which allow us to get in the recommended 8 feedings a day. Each feeding is 3 ounces which adds up to 24 ounces a day. Obviously, breast milk bottles allow us to know exactly how much she's getting which is kind of nice, but it's also frustrating because some times she doesn't want it all, and other times I think she could probably eat more. We'll figure out the best method eventually, I guess. Here's her approximate schedule:
7:00 - Wake for the day and eat. Awake time (Jesus Storybook Bible and a picture book, 30 minute walk outside).
9:30 - Diaper, eat, awake, sleep
12:00 - Diaper, eat, awake, sleep
2:30 - Diaper, eat, awake, sleep
5:00 - Diaper, eat, awake (tummy time), sleep
8:00 - Diaper, eat, tuck in for the night (we do this feeding in her room in the dark)
12:00 (or earlier if she needs it) - Diaper, eat, rock to sleep in the dark
4:00 (or earlier if she needs it) - Diaper, eat, rock to sleep in the dark
Obviously, if it's 11:55 and she's screaming her head off to eat we don't make her wait another 5 minutes. I don't need to be that structured, but it really seems like her little tummy is emptied and ready to be filled again every 2.5 hours.
She takes 10-20 minutes to finish the bottle depending on how hungry or distracted she is. We love Dr. Brown's bottles! We tried Tommee Tippee and she hated them. The nipple was too flimsy, and we didn't like the shape of the bottles. We're sold on Dr. Brown's! We burp her after every ounce.
As I've mentioned, Sarah had to be on formula in the hospital because my milk supply hadn't come in due to my blood loss. When we got home we discovered that Sarah's favorite meal combination is 2 ounces of breast milk with 1 ounce of formula. She hates a pure bottle of either one. Who knows, but we're just glad that we found something that works.
Personality
She is a content baby who also has the ability to get our attention when she needs it. Thankfully, once we figure out what she wants she usually relents and goes back to just hanging out.
She loves music! She sleeps through the music at church and enjoys it when Robert plays the guitar and we sing.
Health and Physical Abilities
Sarah had a clogged tear duct when she was three weeks old, and it was seriously the most pitiful thing ever. She didn't complain, but she just looked so lovable and weak with her little gunky eye.
Her umbilical cord fell off when she was 2.5 weeks old, and there's just a tiny bit left. We're excited for that to go away she we can give her regular baths!
Sarah has awesome head control and neck strength! We do a few minutes of tummy time a day, and she's really making some good progress. It's crazy to think about how much sturdier she is already.
She loves holding her hands up near her face. Basically, she just loves her hands. When resting on Robert's or my chest she rests her head on her hands. She clasps her hands together while in her car seat. She grips on to our fingers or the burp cloth while eating. It totally makes sense because the last two months that I was pregnant she always had her hands up near her face and was punching me.
Sarah responds to noises by looking in the correct location. She also likes to look out windows. She's been gracing us with spontaneous smiles her whole life. She also likes farting like nobody's business. That's a popular trick among the youth group guys.
Superficial
She has the longest, most beautiful eyelashes. She has such kissable lips. Her skin and hair are so stinking soft. She's very tall and hides her weight well. ;) People always say she's very small, and then they're shocked when I say she weight 9.2 when she was born and is in the 99 percentile for height. She only lasted in newborn clothes for about a week and only wears 0-3 month clothes now. She makes very cute vocalizations.
How Mommy and Daddy are doing
Robert is doing a really good job of taking care of Sarah and me and working full-time. I seriously don't know how he does it. Thankfully, he doesn't require as much sleep as I do, but I know he's still very tired. He's watched her on his own twice now and has done an awesome job! We've taken Sarah up to his office a few times as well as to Wednesday night and Sunday morning twice each. Sarah is a big hit with the youth!
I'm continuing to heal. I need so much sleep to be my normal self. We're getting about 8 hours of (broken up) sleep a night, and I know most new parents would kill for that, but I still feel like a zombie. God is giving us the supernatural ability to survive though, and I have to continually remind myself that it won't be like this forever. I still feel like I'm not my normal self, but then I remember how I felt 4 weeks ago and it's incredible how much God has healed me. 4 weeks ago it took 3 minutes to walk upstairs to Sarah's room. 4 weeks ago a walk was going from our front door to the mailbox. 4 weeks ago I couldn't bathe myself or go to the bathroom on my own. 4 weeks ago I lived in my pajamas. 4 weeks ago I wasn't allowed to drive or carry Sarah's car seat. God has made the human body to do great things, and He is our Healer. When I think about how far I've come in 4 weeks, I know that I'll continue to feel better (even if it's not until Sarah is 18 and in college).
Dear Sarah,
We love you so much, and we look forward to watching you grow. I hope you always remember that God made you to be you, and has the ultimate best ever plan for your life. He will enable you to be bold, brave, and courageous no matter what you face in life. Mommy and Daddy love you, and you have so many people in your life who love you, but God loves you more than anyone on earth, and he will never let you down, never leave your side, never give up on you, and never stop loving you. He wants to be your best friend. You are smart, beautiful, and fun to be around. We hope we haven't messed you up too much yet. We're kind of learning on the job, but we promise to never stop loving you either. God created your life and believes that we are the best mommy and daddy for you, and we don't take that job lightly. We're here for you, babe! We're you're number one fans.
Love,
Mom and Dad
PS I'm a mom. What the heck?
"Amen" to your prayer. It is saturated in love. xoxo
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