Nighttime Explosions

The last two nights someone has secretly replaced our calm, sweet, easygoing baby with an extremely fussy, screaming, inconsolable one. Wednesday was the first night this occurred- where around 7pm Iyla was arching & stretching & grunting in distress, and NOTHING we did would calm her cries save her eventually passing out.

Then last night around the same time she started up again- arching & screaming, pausing occasionally as a new position or trick pacified her for a moment before the scream fest continued. I went to bed around 9:30 and BC informed me this went on until he put her to bed around 11:30.

I called our pediatrician's office this morning and talked briefly with a nurse. She asked if Iyla was spitting up during these sessions (which might point more to it being food related)... and I proudly replied that no- she never spits up. Then I heard the dreaded word NO parent of a newborn wants to hear: the nurse said she might be having bouts of COLIC and that it typically sets in around this developmental time. The doctor would call me later to follow up.

Please oh PLEASE don't be colic! There is nothing worse than watching your sweet little one struggle and cry and not being able to do anything to help her. I am hopeful the doctor will have some more recommendations and tricks to try. This has only been happening in the evenings - the rest of the day Iyla is still very peaceful, sleeping & eating well (and yes, I am totally knocking on wood here!).

BC took the night shift again last night with a pumped bottle so I could get a head start on sleep. I went to bed at 9:30, and by 1am my boobs were killing me.  I laid there wondering if I should wake Iyla to feed, but luckily she woke on her own around 1:30. And then woke again at 3am. Then 4:30am. Then at 6:30am- when she was up for the day. So much for getting more sleep and reducing the nighttime feedings!

And you know what else this little one pulled off last night? A trick more sneaky than Houdini himself could concoct. While I was changing her at 3am, I heard a rumble and all of a sudden the most powerful projectile poop came flying out of this tiny thing- shooting straight out and nailing our velvet bedroom curtains before dripping down the length of them. In that moment I really couldn't do anything but laugh... I was frantically trying to wipe everything down with baby wipes in the little light I had. There was poop on the changing table, the wall, & the floor in addition to the curtains.

To further illustrate this impressive feat:

Note baby on changing pad, curtains to the right. If you look closely in the middle of the curtains you will see a light brown mark running down the length of them

Take note of where baby's bottom is in relation to where the curtains are. 

She packs some serious power!

She looks a bit remorseful in this shot... though I suspect she found the events more humorous than anything else

"Sam, guess what I did last night?!"

Don't let this cute little elf fool you- if she doesn't get her way she WILL poop on your curtains

In closing, a guest baby photo (because I know you haven't gotten enough baby pics!). Iyla and I visited a friend of ours who just had twin boys in late October. All of our little ones were actually due around the same time, right after Thanksgiving! They were all ready to make early entrances into the world. Unfortunately we didn't get any shots of all 3 babies together (maybe next time!), but I did manage one cute one of the boys- Grayson and Coleson- snuggling:

Iyla's buddies with their Wannanub pacifiers. A baby explosion!

3.5 Week Updates & Favorite Baby Items

It's hard for me to believe December has already crept upon us! Both because my days/nights are somewhat blurred together and also because the weather here in Austin has been sunny & in the 70's and 80's. I find I have no idea what the date is anymore, and it actually feels nice to not be on a linear schedule.

We had a wonderful visit with my Mother-in-law this past week, who flew in from Kansas to meet her newest granddaughter. We had originally scheduled her visit to coincide with BC's going back to work after my c-section so she could help during my recovery. Happily b/c of the way Iyla decided things should go down, this visit was now more about just spending quality time together- going on walks, helping Iyla sunbathe, & just giving our little one lots of extra loving! My MIL was generous enough to watch Iyla while I had some solo time out each day- to my favorite coffee shop, grocery store, baby store, etc. BC and I also headed out for a date night on Tuesday- such a luxury! We will definitely miss her.

Me, my MIL, and my *ahem* ladies on display. 

They can't really be contained these days.

Iyla is now 3.5 weeks old. She is getting more and more alert, and having longer awake times that aren't entirely focused on needing to eat. I love watching her little eyes take in the world! She is still eating really well, and going between the breast & a pumped bottle like a champ. She also has NEVER once spit up! I had always assumed that all babies spit up, so we have been pleasantly surprised this doesn't seem to be the case (*fingers crossed this continues!*).

Iyla has outgrown her first baby outfit- one of the preemie sized onsies I'd express ordered after she was born. Now it looks like she is officially in the 'newborn' sizes- ha. She is a growing little bean, and seems to just get longer by the day. She is definitely all limbs!

We also got our first small 'social smiles' this past week. They don't happen super often, but every now and again when she is happy, content, & alert she will gaze at us and give us the sweetest little hint of a smile.  Melts us every.single.time.

Our sweet observant girl

One new routine we started this week was for me to feed Iyla in the early evening, then pump a bottle before heading to bed (and I've been hitting the sack way early these days- usually between 8-9). When Iyla wakes and is hungry, BC gives her the bottle and keeps her until she is hungry again later that night, at that point bringing her to me. This small shift in routine gives me anywhere from a 4-5 hour block of uninterrupted sleep and goes a LONG way toward my feeling a bit more rested during the day. On her own Iyla is still waking me every 2-3 hours during the night, which usually amounts to 3 night feedings. With this new pumped bottle routine night feedings go down to only 2 sessions, equalling one happy Mama!

Last night the cutest thing happened. One of the ladies on my November Mamas board had mentioned that if you put an item of your clothing in the crib with your little one, they often sleep longer b/c of the familiar smell. So after our middle of the night feeding last night, I draped one of my favorite cardigans over the side of the Pack n Play where Iyla sleeps. When she awoke for her next feeding, she had literally scooted herself across the PnP and was RIGHT next to the cardigan! The instincts of these little creatures are absolutely amazing.

Now that we are almost a month into having a newborn, I thought it might be fun to do a review of the baby products we are finding most useful vs the ones that are not getting much milage. So without further adieu...

FAVORITE BABY ITEMS:

AKA: Iyla approved!

1. Moses Basket
This one came as a total surprise to me- my mom had given this to me for my shower, and I thought it was adorable but most likely going to be used to store toys/etc. This is now Iyla's go-to napping spot during the day, and is SO easy to pick up and move around! I love that she is sleeping flat on her back in it (vs scrunched/reclined in a swing)... and let's face it, she looks adorable in it as well.

This is from the very early days at home, before Iyla decided she prefers to sleep with her arms free

2. Long sleeve onsies paired with baby leg warmers and socks
I stocked up on a ton of footed sleepers before Iyla was born (many of which are still too big!) A good mix of zip ups and snap ups. I found that I actually prefer to just dress her in a warm long sleeve onsie & cover her legs with leg warmers & socks. This makes diaper changes SO much easier! No having to undress her and her pull feet out with every diaper change. As far as the footed sleepers themselves, no real preference on zip vs snap- the zip ups are obviously quickly to get on and off but require you to unzip all the way to the neck, while with the snaps you can just snap the bottom half to pull the legs out.

Iyla takes it easy after her Jane Fonda inspired workout

3. Chicco Keyfit car seat
Obviously a car sear is a necessity, and we LOVE the Chicco one we chose. Super easy to get in and out of the car & stroller, and Iyla doesn't seem to mind it too much (she doesn't love transitions getting into it, but once in she rests comfortably).

4. Bob Revolution Stroller
We LOVE our stroller! Really easy to maneuver, lots of storage (with thanks to the additional console we purchased), and with the car seat adapter it can be used from birth on.

5. Medela Pump in Style double electric pump
One of the silver linings to our stay in the hospital during Iyla's jaundice adventure was that they taught me how to pump. It really is quite simple, and a wonderful option to have for the occasional date night or night feeding! It was also very helpful when my milk first came in and I was having some 'fun' with engorgement.

6. Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets
Love love LOVE these! Adorable, light, & cozy, perfect for swaddling & wrapping. Note that the A&A blankets carried in chain baby stores & places like Target are NOT the same quality as the ones you order direct online- there is a definite difference and to me it is worth the small extra expense to have the higher quality version.

Moses basket + Aden & Anais blanket = sound sleep

7. Nursing tanks, sleeping bras, & hands free pumping bra
If you plan to nurse, investing in a few nursing tank tops is SO helpful. These allow you to lower the straps without having to flash your belly at everyone. One of my favorites is from Target & under $20. Having a comfortable sleep bra (which looks like a sports bra) is also very helpful, as it can hold nursing pads so you don't end up soaking your bed, yourself, & your little one during night feeds. The hands free pumping bra is one of the goofiest things I've ever seen- but SO helpful, as you can pump both breasts while getting other things done.

8. Wannanub Pacifiers
These are pacifiers with stuffed animals attached to them- the "Soothies" brand. I originally thought they seemed like a silly design, but I tell you having the ability to fold that little animal & use it as a prop to hold the pacifier in a little one's mouth is a lifesaver! And Iyla loves them. She doesn't use them a whole lot- mostly right when falling asleep (it pops out the minute she is in a deep sleep) and when fussing during transitions.

Cruisin' in the Bob stroller with her Wannanub buddy

9. Pack n Play
This is what we opted to have in our bedroom for Iyla to sleep in. One note: I had BC take out the fancy newborn napper option, as I really wanted Iyla to be sleeping flat on her back in the main PnP- so I would say paying for that option is not needed. We LOVE that there is a built in changing station & also built in storage- it comes in super handy during the middle of the night. Right now the PnP functions as our upstairs changing station, and we have another station set up in our downstairs bathroom.

10. Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment
I had a tube of Bordeaux's Butt Paste, Desitin, & Burt's Bee's diaper ointment stocked in our house. I haven't used the Desitin at all, wanting to stick to more natural products. At first I didn't prefer the Burt's Bees due to its more medicinal smell- but I tell you, it coats & stays on WAY longer & better than the Bordeaux brand. I am hopeful when I finally bite the bullet and start using our cloth diaper stash (which I haven't taken the time to do yet)- Iyla's bottom responds well, as you aren't supposed to use any diaper cremes with cloth diapers! That is one adventure we'll be starting on soon....

BABY ITEMS I HAVEN'T USED OR FOUND USEFUL:

To these I give the stink eye!

1. Baby Wearing Equipment
This is largely b/c I haven't taken the time to actually learn & utilize our baby wearing items- which include a ring sling, an Ergo, and a Moby Wrap. The Moby intimidates the heck out of me (it is like 20 feet of fabric!), the Ergo is for when she is a bit older (unless we purchase an infant insert), and the couple brief attempts I made at the ring sling didn't meet with Ms. Iyla's approval.

2. Baby Jackets/Cardigans
I have several adorable jackets & baby cardigans, but to me they seem like a bulky extra layer that is hard to get on and off and pretty unnecessary. When it is colder out we just wrap Iyla in a warm blanket & hat and that seems to do the trick (it helps that we live in such a warm climate).

3. Nursing Pillows
I have both the Boppy and the My Brest Friend pillow, and haven't used either of them! I gave them each a shot very early on and got quickly annoyed with them. My nursing go-to right now is just a thick, cozy, fleece Gap baby blanket that I fold & squish in different formations to support Iyla during feeds. It is comfy for her & easy for me, and has been working great so far.

4. Baby Swing
We have the Fisher Price Snug-a-bunny swing, and have used it maybe 2x since Iyla has joined us. She did have one night where she slept peacefully in it, but other than that she seems to get ticked off when we put her there and doesn't appear to dig the swinging action. I blame myself for this- while she was in utero I was a pretty sedentary pregnant lady, so she wouldn't have gotten used to much movement or action. Guess it makes soothing her a bit easier?

****************

In closing, a couple more cute shots from this week because obviously, I can't get enough pictures of our daughter:

 Papa's girl- so sweet!

I love cuddling this little squish

Iyla's endless hand poses: "VOGUE!"

Migraines, Cluster Feedings, & Baby Blues

Several friends had warned me during my pregnancy about the Baby Blues. That they often hit women as hormones go crazy re-regulating in the 10-14 day postpartum period. It isn't postpartum depression, per se, but more a strange predictable purging of hormones.

Now I know what they were talking about.

I have been feeling really tired & tearful the last few days. It has nothing to do with sweet Iyla herself- I am loving being her mama and still appreciating being able to be home with her. It is more to do with the overall lifestyle shift & feeling a bit shackled to the house. I am someone who is always out and about, running errands, hitting up my local coffee shop, meeting friends out, etc. With a newborn, however, it is MUCH harder to freely get out- I am lucky if we make it on one small outing a day, and that one outing takes a lot of preparation!

It was surprising to me to feel my reaction to BC's golf day Sunday & then his night out last night. This morning I asked if he might consider golfing every other Sunday, such that we could have a few weekends all together or - on that other Sunday- maybe I could get a little break and have some "me" time? To which he replied "I thought we talked about this before we were even pregnant." Meaning, we'd talked about making sure we didn't change our lives/schedules based on having a baby.

Well, the baby's here and these feelings are here too. Sure, it might be due to Baby Blues, but how can one really predict how a little one will change your lives and schedules? I definitely want BC to feel nurtured and to have his boy time, but it is hard to have him gone 6 days out of the week where those 6 days all bleed into one another for me- same routine with baby, etc.

This morning's exchange led me into serious tears, leading to further talks. BC communicated- and I know he is genuine in it- that he does want me to get the 'me' time to stay balanced. The tricky part is I prefer that time to happen during the daytime hours (vs. the night- I've been going to bed so early these days!), which pretty much only leaves Saturdays right now. Since that is the only day the three of us have all together I also don't want to give up that time. *Sigh* I have to trust we'll figure this all out- if we are loving & respectful of one another's needs & keep continuously checking in with each other, hopefully we will find a harmonious balance.

My ocular migraines have also returned with a vengeance, which does not help matters in the Baby Blues department. I have had 4 migraines in the last 4 days- including TWO on Monday. If I take my flushing niacin in time once I get the flashing lights I usually don't feel much pain; however, if I have to take that niacin close to a feeding time with Iyla I don't want to risk her getting the flushing effects. So last night at 3am saw me awakening to a migraine, taking a niacin pill, Iyla waking to feed, me feeding her for 10 minutes before feeling the 'flush' come on, then taking Iyla with me down to the kitchen to proceed to warm up a bottle of breast milk while simultaneously pumping & dumping what was left in my boobs.

Iyla also started a round of cluster feeding yesterday- where she was wanting to eat about every two hours vs the typical three. Newborns do this to help up breastfeeding moms' milk supply as they enter a growth spurt, and it is common to see happen around the two week old mark. Couple this with the migraines & lack of sleep and it is no wonder I am feeling the blues!

My Mother-in-law arrives Sunday for a 4 day visit, and it couldn't come at a better time. I am looking forward to seeing her and for her to meet Iyla, and am thinking that maybe, just maybe I will see if she is up for some one on one time with the little one as I head out for some solo errands!

In closing, I bring you a few more photos of Iyla. She is such a sweet, gentle, independent spirit and looking into that little face definitely helps me through these blues. : )

Post bath relaxation

She definitely has her Papa's feet! We call those "Lambert Toes"- long & slender

Snuggle time

Two Weeks Old

Two weeks ago today I was in active labor, comfortably watching contractions go by on the monitor as I luxuriated in my epidural. We were just hours away from meeting our daughter!

At two weeks old Iyla is a great baby. She still sleeps a lot, and soothes pretty easily when fussy. She nurses well (sometimes it takes a few tries to latch, and she definitely prefers to start on the right side!) She has started a lot of grunting while sleeping the last couple of nights- where we will hear what sounds like the beginnings of a cry followed by grunts, then she is right back to sleep. This happens about 2-3x/hour. Hopefully I will get better at trusting she will actually REALLY let me know when she wants to wake, so I am not stirring with every little grunt!

This week Iyla also let me know she much prefers to NOT have her arms swaddled, thank you very much. Once I listened to that she has been peacefully sleeping with her little hands near her face.

One of the cutest things ever is that right after she feeds, she passes out hard and gets "milk smiles" that light up her face. Here I bring you the anatomy of a milk smile, followed by a brief video:

Another discovery this week was the "WannaNub" pacifier. These are pacifiers literally attached to a small stuffed animal. Admittedly I thought they were a bit silly and wouldn't be very helpful with a newborn. However, several moms on my November Mamas Board were raving about their little ones loving these, so I gave it a shot. And lo and behold, Iyla LOVES them!! She sucks on this pacifier WAY more than the other one we were giving her, and the little stuffed animal gives it more weight so it stays in her mouth longer. *LOVE!*

Iyla's heaven: arms free, passed out next to her beloved WannaNub lamb

Don't you try taking this away!

Today was our first "official" day alone at home without BC. Though technically that was yesterday, since BC took the entire day to golf & have a boys' day. This is something he has always done on Sundays, and I encouraged him to head out yesterday and enjoy. I am noticing, however, that I am teetering on a bit of envy with his days/nights out, and really have to watch that. He let me know he is going out with a guy friend tomorrow night as well, and again, I don't want to be that girl putting restrictions out there, but it is hard b/c I can't really head out in the same way, given I am breastfeeding. If given a preference, I'd obviously rather he was here hanging out with us, or we were all going out together. I have to trust this will even out as Iyla gets older- that I too can have 'me' days & times while genuinely staying happy for BC to have his.

Iyla and I did get out together today on our first maiden voyage. We had another pediatrician visit to test her bili levels. If you recall on Friday she was at a 16, and the doctor strongly encouraged us to do a formula cleanse over the weekend. BC and I followed our hearts and decided to spend the weekend with lots of feeding, sunning, and praying and see what today's test brought. I have to give Iyla huge props for her bravery with all these heel sticks- she will shriek/cry when the stick occurs then within seconds calms to a little whimper. Breaks my heart but she really does get over things quickly. If Iyla had a quote for her first couple weeks of life, it would be "I got this."

Lots more of this over the weekend

The doctor said that if the levels stayed the same, went up, or even came in around 15 she would still want us to do the formula cleanse to make SURE it was a breast milk related jaundice.

And Ms. Iyla's levels today?

13.2!!!!  Hallelujah!! The doctor told me she hasn't ever seen a baby go to such a high as Iyla (at 23 when we were admitted to the hospital) and eventually come down this far on her own. Well world, get used to the miracle that is this little girl- seems her mission here is to prove people wrong!

Iyla weighed in at 5 pounds, 15 ounces today- officially surpassing her birth weight. This means we have now graduated to being allowed to let HER wake ME during the night- no more 3 hour alarms need to be set! I will still feed her every 3 hours during the day, but we can go 4-5 hour stretches at night if that is what Iyla prefers (please, oh PLEASE prefer this little one!)

After the doctor I took a risk and decided to try hitting the grocery store. Our grocery list has been growing exponentially, and I had to get over my fear of taking her out sooner or later. I stashed a small bottle of pumped milk in my purse just.in.case, but happily she stayed sound asleep the entire time! Success.

Happily snoozing in the produce aisle

Tomorrow I think we will try an outing to my chiropractor's office. I've been getting migraines again and can tell my body is a bit tweaked from birth & carrying around/nursing a baby. My chiropractor also specializes in infant adjustments, so maybe just maybe I'll have Iyla get her first adjustment as well.

Oh the adventures we'll have, baby girl!

Thanksgiving 2012

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating with all of our extended family here in town. I am so thankful Iyla decided to make an early appearance, so she could fully indulge in her first holiday- which she pretty much slept through.

She got a lot of cuddles!

 Uncle Andy (my brother)

 Cousin Alec

 Aunt Jeannine

 Cousin Heather & her boyfriend Patrick

 Chillin' in her Thanksgiving dress

I love the way she poses her little arms! Deep thoughts here.

Sweet moment my aunt captured- the look on my mom's face is priceless.

BC and I snuggling

The Thanksgiving feast is my favorite meal of the year- and my Aunt Sheri & Uncle Vince did an awesome job hosting in her beautiful new home in Cedar Park.

The next morning as I changed Iyla I realized her cord stump had fallen off, at 11 days old! She is now sporting an actual belly button. So cute.

Later on Friday we had a follow up Pediatrician visit to test her bili levels again. Iyla gained 2 more ounces, and clocked in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces! She is growing more and more every day. The good news is her bili levels didn't rise again, but remained the same at 16. The Pediatrician said that the only way to know for SURE if this is breast milk jaundice (which isn't really dangerous unless levels jump up, and clears in a couple weeks) is to do a 48 hour formula diet cleanse, which also tends to bring levels down. After getting a 2nd opinion from another Pediatrician friend, BC and I decided to hold off for now on the cleanse, as I would hate to have it jeopardize my milk supply & Iyla's awesome nursing. I will take her in again Monday to test her levels, and pray they are ideally lower or at LEAST remaining stable. If they have gone up I will likely bite the bullet and start the cleanse.

On the way to the Pediatrician- she is such a little squish in her car seat!

My brother is a photographer, so we took the opportunity to have a little photo shoot with Iyla. She only had one mid-shoot meltdown (didn't appear to approve of the tutu I tried to put on her)- but after a little snack was back in supermodel mode. I snapped a couple pictures with my IPhone of her in her Thanksgiving dress, working her poses:

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful, dahlings

Friday night we took Iyla on her first outing, grabbing dinner out at one of our favorite East Austin tex-mex spots-  Takoba. She did great and slept the entire time! This little one is definitely a sleeper- I have to wake her up for pretty much every meal. I am looking forward to getting the OK from the Pediatrician to just let her sleep during the night and wake ME when she wants to eat!

Iyla's first night out at 11 days old

As far as my continued postpartum recovery goes, things are getting better and better. Yesterday my hemorrhoids seemed to calm down a bit, which is a godsend. I can finally sit normally again! I am now down 14 pounds from my total pregnancy gain and my belly is starting to look more and more normal. Even the squish factor is starting to go down slowly but surely. Still have a lot of toning that could be done, and I plan to start taking daily walks with our little one to help that along.

The 12 day postpartum belly (don't mind the fresh from the shower hair!)

Today BC and I are going to put up all of our Christmas decorations- I love this time of year! He will hang the outdoor lights & put up the tree while I set up my Christmas Village & other festive decorations. I love that Iyla came right in time to celebrate all these holidays as a family. They will definitely be extra special this year!

Boo Bilirubin! And More Firsts.....

We had our follow up appointment at the Pediatrician today. Poor Iyla's little heels are starting to look like a battle ground from all the heel pricks. : (  The good news? Our little bean is almost back to birth weight! She weighed 5 lbs, 14 oz at birth, dropped down to 5 lb 5 oz at the hospital, was 5 lb 8 oz Monday and today is already 5 lb 11oz! The Pedi said I got a gold star for the weight gain- my boobs seem to be doing their jobs well. They like to see little ones' reach their birth weights by 14 days, and at 9 days old our Iyla is already an overachiever. She also grew 1/2 an inch already!

The bad news? Her bilibubin levels went up again. BOO. She got down to 12 at Dell Hospital before we were discharged, was up to 14 Monday, and came in at 16 today. So we have to go back again on Friday morning to re-check her. The Pedi said if the levels come up further we will likely do a formula diet "cleanse" over the weekend, as sometimes at this point in the game this can be breast milk jaundice (never heard of that). If that is all it takes to get her in shape- a weekend of bottle feeds (hmmm... maybe BC can take some night shifts) then I am totally game!

Iyla had a few more "firsts" in the last several days:

She had her first bath at home Monday night at one week old. BC held her while I used a washcloth to squeeze warm water over her. She was a trooper- no tears! The hooded bunny robe I purchased is huge on her, like almost everything else right now. Here she is getting dried off:

We also took our first stroller ride through the neighborhood yesterday at 8 days old. We LOVE our Bob stroller- super easy to maneuver. Iyla took the opportunity to get a good nap in.

I feel SO lucky to live just steps from Austin's Lady Bird Lake & Hike and Bike trails. The trees here are just starting to turn fall colors and we are having gorgeous weather.

And here are a few more cute shots from the last several days- I can't seem to get enough photos of this sweet little one:

We get the comment over and over again that Iyla looks like a little doll. She is such a little peanut- barely fitting into her car seat!

Melt my heart

Rockin' the sunbaths much as she did her moon baths. This kid has style!

Looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with our family tomorrow! I am grateful Iyla chose to come early so could fully partake in the Holiday. Can't wait to introduce her to the last of her local relatives- she is going to be getting LOTS of lovin' on tomorrow. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!