Babies and Pets

When I was born my mom had two cats, a dog, and a bird all in the house. Our cats came and went and so did our dog. Later on I let the bird go myself. I wanted to see it fly and I was certain it would come back. But it didn’t.

I’m sure I was sick a few times as a baby and child but nothing major. Nothing that killed me (obviously) and nothing that I had to be hospitalized for. Truth be told I’ve only been in the hospital once besides my pregnancy. When I was 6 months old I swallowed a penny and they had to take it out. Pretty simple. No cutting. They reached down my throat and pulled it out.

And this is the same for my brothers and sister. We were extremely healthy children. And we had animals. We played in the dirt with them, we ate their food with them. And guess what? We lived.

Em’s pediatrician freaked my husband out saying the cat was going to give Em a disease or something. He had no idea what to do. If it wasn’t for my background with animals I probably would have been just as afraid but as it were I had animals and I wasn’t getting rid of penny because we had Em. Penny is mine too.

Right now things may be a little complicated. We shut Ems room while she naps in there. We make sure we don’t lay her down on the carpet without a blanket because of how much hair penny throws. But later on Penny and Em will be friends, I think. Or at least I hope they will. Penny is kind of anti-social. But oh well…

And plus her pediatrician is an idiot.

A doctor, sure. But an idiot. Hasn’t he read any studies? Animals in the house are SO much better!

Here are a couple of links… here and here.

Anyway it looks to me they are getting along already..

Week Five (1 Month)

Age today: 5 weeks or 35 days

Age Being Posted: Weeks 4-5 or Days 28-34

Date: January 20 - 26

Diaper Size: Newborn

Clothing Size: newborn 0-3

Photo of the Week: Lets Nap Together!   

Milestones: Nothing new this week. See milestones page for list of milestones already passed.


Development: We haven't been to the doctor but I know you are growing. You feel bigger everyday. And while they say babies are not developmental ready to smile yet sometimes you look so happy that I can almost swear its a smile. And I still love your little sleep grins!

Concerns: Your "witching hour". Its not colic because its not for 3 hours a day but it is everyday. I have come to dread 5-8pm

Eating Habits: Only breast milk, every 2 hours and twice at night

Sleeping Habits: 9-1, 1-4, 4-6 and about 4-5 naps in the day but they seem to get shorter and shorter

Health: Healthy as far as I can tell!

Special Moments-
Best: Not sure this constitutes as best BUT I really enjoyed going shopping with you. We took you to the grocery store with us because your grandma wasn't home to watch you. You went in dad's carrier and slept peacefully the whole time.
  Worst: We thought by doing that we got rid of your crying hour for one night but nope you just moved it later!

Other Observations/Notes We seem to have fallen into a routine. We hang out during the day. Dadas gets home and you hang out with him until your witching hour appears and then we take turns. I try to feed you. He walls around with you ans basically just wait it out til you actually eat for more than 20 seconds and fall asleep for a short nap then we do your bedtime routine and off to sleep you go.

We were supposed to go to the doctor this week but our doctor cancelled on us. He has two offices and the office we are closest to he is only available on Wednesdays. We made the appointment for 5pm but he (LIE-His secretary) called and said he had an emergency and would be unable to see us so we made the appointment for next Wednesday.

We need a new doctor!

Photos From This Week:

Motherhood Is...

HARD.

Honestly I never imagined it being so difficult. I have 7 nieces and nephews and I watched them all grow up. Some lived with me for some time and watching their parents raise them… well it seemed easy. It seemed like it was a piece of cake.

Yeah, no sleep but I never have slept much anyway so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

No the sleep thing didn’t seem too important. And even now that isn’t what’s so hard.

It’s the no time alone, to do anything, to clean to write to make supper whatever. THERE IS NO TIME.

I’ve stayed at home for almost 3 years without children. Sometimes I work, sometimes I don’t but unlike other people I don’t get bored.  I have things to do. I write, mostly. And I like being alone. I like time to myself.

Apparently that ends COMPLETELY when you have a baby. AND when the baby does sleep and you do have time to yourself you want/need sleep to. So nothing EVER gets done. That’s what’s hard about motherhood.

AND in that off chance when you do have some free time by yourself… when your husband takes her to her grandparents for a afternoon, well all you do is think about her. Watch her smiles, see her discover something new.

Everything else? Not so hard. Feeding her, catching spit up, changing diapers, bad naps. That’s easy in comparison to giving up all of your free time. But it’s worth it because honestly she will only be this small for a little while. And one day (maybe a LONG time from now) I know I’ll miss the days when she only wanted to be with me.

So yeah, motherhood is hard but if it wasn’t hard then it wouldn’t be as rewarding, I think.

Plus, how can you look at this face and not be so completely and totally one hundred percent in LOVE!

So yeah motherhood is HARD but it is also wonderful and amazing and crazy and the best!

 

Week Four

Age today: 4 weeks or 28 days

Age Being Posted: Weeks 3-4 or Days 21-27

Date: January 13 - 19

Diaper Size: Still newborn!

Clothing Size: Newborn, 0-3 they're starting to fit better!

Photo of the Week: Napping Together

Milestones: Lift head to a 45 degree angle


Development: You're sleeping great and staying awake longer and playing now. Your little skinny self is filling out A LOT. You however hate evening. You cry for an hour or so at night for seemingly no reason at all. But you now lift your head up a whole lot more. Not quite all the way but there is a lot of muscle behind that neck now!

Concerns: You're still spitting up and crying in the evening. I know the latter isn't a "real" concern because I know it's just your "Witching Hour" but still it IS concerning. Crying for an hour can't be good.

Eating Habits: 1h30 - 2h during the day and twice at night

Sleeping Habits: Naps on and off all day, and sleeps pretty good at night except a few night

Health: No concerns here!

Special Moments-
Best: You got to talk to Grammy and Papa Jim plus your two cousins on skype! They all thought you were ridiculously beautiful!
Worst: The crying at 6-8pm every night

This Weeks Obseravations/Activities: It's our first week in our house and your first week in your room! I'm not sure how much you like it and it is a much longer walk from my bed but I think eventually you will sleep much better. I am a light sleeper and wake up for EVERY little sound you make so even though a couple of nights were not good I still got more sleep like this.

Pictures From The Week:

Week Three

Age Today: 3 weeks or 21 days

Age Being Posted: Weeks 2-3 or Days 14-20

Date: January 6 - 12

Diaper Size: Still newborn!

Clothing Size: newborn, 0-3 still big though!

Photo of the Week: Eating Your Hands Already!

Milestones: Bring both hands together, respond to a bell

Development: You lost your umbilical cord stump this week (Jan 6). And you're just adorable! You do stay awake a little longer in the evenings now but mostly crying. But when you aren't and you're awake I can't believe I made something so precious. You stare at me with those big blue eyes and I can just feel so much love. You have already started to bring your hands together and put them in your mouth as you can see from the picture above! "Respond to a bell" I think you can do. I don't have a bell but you respond to other sounds so I assume a bell would be the same.

Concerns: Still spitting A LOT. We asked the doctor who told us it was because of too much dairy. So I've stopped eating as much.

Eating Habits: Only breast milk, Every 1-2 hours during day, 3-4 at night

Sleeping Habits: In our room still  and quite a bit. You're only really awake in the evening

Health: Perfect!

Special Moments-
Best: Just staring into my eyes while you ate
Worst: One night you stayed awake from 2-4am!

This Weeks Observations/Activities: This week we didn't do very much except for yesterday. We got to go back to our house so you finally got to go "home". You also met your sister Penny! We thought she was gonna freak out but she didn't! She doesn't like it much when you cry though. Now you're in your own room. Its a lot farther to walk at night for me and you did wake up a bit more but I think it will be better in the long run.

Pictures From This Week:

Week Two

Age Today: 2 weeks or 14 days

Age Being Posted: Week 1-2 or Days 7-13

Dates: Dec 30 - Jan 5

Diaper Size: Newborn

Clothing Size: Newborn, 0-3 but they are huge on you!

Photo of the Week: Sleeping Beauty

Size -
Weight: 6 lbs 3 oz                                     Length: 45cm                                        Head C.:34 cm

Milestones: Lift head briefly while on stomach

Development: You've regained your birth weight but I still think you are so tiny. Your little stomach doesn't seem to have any fat on it. Your little diapers seem huge on you and they are newborns. I know you are eating good you have enough wet/dirty diapers but I need you to gain weight faster so you aren't so small. And stop shrinking! When you were born you were 45.5cm long and now just 45. WEIRD! You also lift up your head while doing tummy time. Getting stronger everyday!

Concerns: You've started spitting up A LOT! Usually once a day (past 3 days) you throw up everything you've eaten... then eat again.

Eating Habits: Only breastmilk, every 1-2 hours during day, every 3-4 at night

Sleeping Habits: Still pretty much all day, in our room

Health: No more antibiotics for you! Healthy little girl now!

Special Moments-
Best: During your sun bath you just seemed so content in the heat... adorable
Worst: You screamed your head off during bath time... maybe the water was a little cold or you were just too hungry!

The Doctor Visit: We had your 2 week checkup just to make sure you were gaining weight and to get your first shot. First of all our appointment was at 5:30 but we didn't get in until 6:40! With a less than 2 week old you--AWFUL. Then we told the doctor about your routine, how you eat SO often and he told us to give you formula and your dad and grandma want to but I'm sticking to breastfeeding. If at your one month appointment you haven't gained weight, ok we'll try formula but if it's just a matter of eating too often I can handle it. He checked to make sure you had all your reflexes in tact but he wasn't gentle at all. He ran through the tests like you were just another baby. I didn't like that AT ALL. He weighed you and measured you and all was good then he gave you the shot : ( and you cried. And cried. And it broke my heart! Then he basically rushed us out of there because he had a MILLION other people waiting to get in. And now I want to switch doctors but your dad likes him. UGH.

This Weeks Observations/Activities: What an exciting week! We celebrated New Years.. what a great gift to have you home! And we had our 2 week checkup. You had your first vaccine. All in just one week!

Pictures from this Week: