This Week

Posted Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:27 PM

Hi All. I've been getting on and reading at least every couple of days, but I'm pretty boring and don't have much to report. Here is my mundane news.

Sam is growing. I measured him on my cutting mat yesterday, and he was about 19.5" long. I also weighed myself and then him and me, and I think he is getting close to 6lbs. He's into NB stuff now. They have all these cute Christmas outfits out, but I am resisting until closer to Christmas so I can get the right size. I have new pics that I need to put up. I really want to get infant portraits done. I'd do them myself, but I don't have the backdrops or good lighting for it, and I really hate to pay for a big chain to do them (I'd rather use a small independent photog, but I'm so cheap). Sometime this year we are going to our wedding photographer and getting family portraits done! He is totally worth the money. I never got any maternity shots like I wanted, so I am not giving upon the family portrait.

BFing is still going well. Some days he seems to be getting on a schedule, others he wants to eat all day long (or all night long). My boobs have deflated after their super-engorged stage, but they still seem to be producing milk. I just need to find some good nursing bras. I should really schedule an appointment with the lactation consultants to do a test-weigh feeding and I could get some there. I've been catching up on Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy while I've been home. 4 weeks of my maternity leave already gone. *Sigh* Next week we start being a big girl and getting things done like a responsible adult.

I like the sling okay, but he's just not big enough yet for it to really work well. I'm constantly worried about his head-chest angle and that he's going to quit breathing. I'll be excited when he can get into the bouncer. Maybe I should set up the playpen in the kitchen like we do the dog crate, and he can hang out in there while I'm cooking/cleaning. That's a thought.

Speaking of the dogs, our golden has been bad lately. She's been neglected quite a bit this month, although we have tried to do some special things with her, but I think she's reacting to the lack of regular schedule and boredom. She ate the cover off the dryer vent. And when DH bought a new one and fixed it, she ate the new one off this morning. We've got to be better about exercising and playing with her. She's been in the house a couple of nights and was really not bad at all, so we need to get back to doing that in the evenings so she can be a part of the family.

I am aching to get back to sewing, but the time I do have during his naps, I tend to spend doing dishes or relaxing without a fussy baby or trying some other cleaning. I did cut out a shirt day before yesterday, maybe I can start on that today sometime. All of a sudden, I really want to get back on the master bedroom quilt, so that will be my next project after the shirt and finishing quilting Sam's baby quilt. At least that's halfway done.

Dressing this new body is frustrating - supposedly I'm a size 16 jean? WTF? I was a size 10 before I got pregnant, and I've lost over half the weight. And it's not like I am an excessively big girl. It makes me pine to get on the treadmill and bang it out, but I know that's a bad idea right now.

Sam just had a massive spitup episode - I do believe he's got reflux. It doesn't happen all the time,but the painful ones happen every once in a while. It's all over his face and head - someone is definitely getting his first full on bath tonight. And he's conked out again.

Okay, I need to get off here so I can chill out for a few minutes and then take a walk with Sam. I'm going farther today - I need to look up distance on mapmyrun.com so I know exactly how far.

TTFN

Posted by Mrs. Rachel A.

Comments

re: This Week

Oh, something I forgot.  My hubby thinks my leaking boobs are sexy.  And he thinks I'm sexy right now, which I assure you I am not.  At least he's not turned off.

Posted by Mrs. Rachel A.    Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:05 PM


re: This Week

This post was long so I have lots of comments!

1. For the sling, when they are smaller, switch the way you lay him in, so that his feet are under your arm and his head is across your belly.  He'll still be supported but his neck angle won't be an issue.  That's what we did until Boston was a little bigger.  Or you can take a swaddle blanket and roll it inward from both directions, so it looks like two rolling pins right up against each other, and slide that underneath him in the sling to keep him laying flat.

2. The best nursing bras I got were ordered online.  I loved Majamas.  Diapers.com has a great selection.  I ordered some from Walmart.com too and had them shipped to store so it was free shipping.  The ones at Motherhood weren't so great - underwire was my enemy for a long time and most of theirs have underwire.

3. Your hips are wider - that's the main reason your pants seem to be such a large size.  I went from 8 to 14, then finally to a 12 where I mostly stayed until right before I got pregnant again.  It was all hips.  They will slowly go down though.

4. Babies will have days when they will cluster feed and it feels like they are hungry all day.  Then other days they won't be as hungry.  Just the way they are.  On the cluster feeding days, you'll want to pull your hair out!  Thankfully they aren't every day.

5. A tip for taking pictures of your baby, the best lighting isn't studio lighting.  The best lighting is natural light.  So put Sam in front of a window and snap away without the flash.  You'll get some great ones.

Posted by edmo    Thursday, October 29, 2009 1:14 PM


re: This Week

I'm glad the little man is doing so well! How long is your leave? It's hard to believe that 4 weeks have already passed!

Posted by Kim B.    Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:53 PM


re: This Week

Good to hear from you! The photographer at the wedding I was in last month does a package where you only pay one sitting fee for four sessions (normally NB, 3, 6, and 12 months), and then you buy by the picture, rather than a package, which we thought was cool. Her 3 month pictures are in two weeks and we are doing family pictures then as well. I can't wait!! I also agree on the natural light. We have gotten some really good pictures of Lily by just winging it, and I love having great "candid" pictures framed around the house as well as professional ones.

Wyatt went through a naughty phase also, and we just started letting him play in the floor with us while we were on the floor with Lily. He knows he isn't allowed on her play mats so he stays off them, but he still feels like a part of the action. And he started taking to coming into Lily's room with me to feed her, and he would sit either in front of my feet or beside the chair, so I could pet him while she was eating. He is finally over his jealousy. :D

I also agree with Edmo on the new body. I was so frustrated because I had lost all but like 10-15 pounds and my hips were HUGE. They still haven't gone down, but I'm fitting into some bigger pre-pregnancy jeans. I think once I get my thighs toned a little more my old ones will fit fine. I was a 6-8 before pregnancy and now I'm fitting comfortably in a 10. We shall see.

Posted by LoveInCowboyBoots    Thursday, October 29, 2009 6:28 PM


re: This Week

What kind of sling do you have?  I ordered the Sleepy Wrap and Kara gets wrapped up so her body is snuggled up and down against my body and her head is in between my boobs.  It always seems like they're suffocating themselves but they aren't.  Or else a lot of them allow for the hammock hold which is nice but Kara never seems excited about that one....

I ordered a nursing bra from Zodee.com and it's fabulous!  It's a Womama bra and I love how it has a thicker lining so if you do spring a leak it doesn't immediately go through and onto your clothes; also the clasp is great and I don't have to struggle with it.  Only problem is that they ship from Australia so it takes 2-3 weeks to arrive but the price isn't bad.

Yep, I tried on jeans the other day and even though I fit into some of my pre-pregnancy clothes it's mostly because they've already stretched out to my shape.  when I went to the store I couldn't get size 7 jeans over my butt and hips.

Do you have a bouncy/swing chair?  Kara adores her swing and will (sometimes depending on her mood) sit in it and just stare at the fish toys.  Or during lunch she sits in her bouncy chair that vibrates.

Posted by lildahls    Friday, October 30, 2009 11:22 AM


Anonymous comments are disabled
About Mrs. Rachel A.

I am a detail-oriented, creative person who can't wait to start a family. I'm loving my job as a credit analyst and trying to make our little house as organized and nice as possible.


Want the latest in baby news?  Subscribe to the poop.