The Truth about Breastfeeding

I have discovered the truth about breastfeeding - the one thing that they don't tell you in class. It's hard! They emphasize how good it is for your baby, it's natural, that it can help you lose weight and that you can save money over using formula. All of those things may be true - although for me, the weight loss thing hasn't really taken effect yet - but they don't tell you that it's hard. It requires a lot of time and a lot of patience. It also puts Mom on a short leash because she has the equipment (i.e. boobs) and unless she's pumping (which on a 3 hour feeding schedule and Mr. Eli not taking many naps right now, I don't know how in the world I'd pump), she's the only one that can feed the baby. In my case, I'm not able to feed Eli from breastmilk alone so I nurse and then have to supplement with formula. There were a few times last week when he was super fussy and not wanting to take a nap that I pondered just switching to formula. Why not, since I already have to do part formula anyway? Well, I'll tell you why I decided not. This is not about me; it's about what is best for the Little Guy and I know that breastmilk is what is best for him. So, I'll keep nursing as much as I can, even if it means every three hours. I know it won't be that way forever and as we all know, decisions must be made based upon what is best for our children.

My new diaper bag

I'm so excited. My new diaper bag arrived in the mail today. Ok, so it may seem silly to some of you to get excited over something like a diaper bag but I've got to look like a fairly fashionable mom when I'm out and about. I searched and searched for something I would like and that fit my personality. Believe me, it was hard! There are so many cute options if you're having a little girl but for a boy, I wanted to be careful. I purchased a solid red one then decided I didn't really want that. Then I decided I wanted a Vera Bradley but they're close to $100 so changed my mind on that. Then.....I found this one. It's quilted so it has that aspect of Vera Bradley but has a pattern that I absolutely love. Now I just have to get out and about with Little Man to use it!

Eli's first real bath

Since Eli's umbilical cord stump fell off Sunday, we were looking forward to his first real bath. Prior to this, we have sponged him off and that's just not as much fun. =) So on Monday night, we gave him a good bath.Eli cooperated pretty well and smelled all clean and cuddly when done. Here are some pictures from our fun.

Sweet Baby Designs

I found this really cool website for Baby Announcements and Christmas Cards. They actually did Eli's birth announcement for me - I won't post it just yet until I send them out. =) The people there were really nice and responded very quickly. I used their "Design only" feature and they emailed me a high resolution jpeg file to print out. If you need announcements or cards of any kind, take a look at their website.

http://www.sweetbabydesigns.com/index.html

Innie or Outie?

Tonight was a very exciting night. During one of Eli's naps, his umbilical cord stump fell off. Now he has a belly button!! We're looking forward to real bath time tomorrow night. He's down for the night now and hopefully will sleep for a few hours as he hasn't slept much today. He's been eating like a machine - guess he's at that 3 week growth spurt. I never ever imagined I would get so excited about a belly button!

Happy Grandparents Day!!

Just thought we'd wish all the grandparents out there a Happy Grandparents' Day. It's the first one for Evia's parents so it's a special day for them. Little Elijah has finally made them Grandparents!!

Sea creatures quilt

Yesterday Tim's parents came for a visit to see us - ok mainly to see Eli but we were here so they had to see us as well! They ended up doing only a day trip due to the weather expected on the NC coast. It was very nice of them to drive up for the afternoon.

They brought along some gifts for Eli. A few things from friends in Morehead City but also, the wonderfully beautiful quilt that Tim's mom has been working on for Eli. It's called "Sea Creatures" - she has such an amazing gift for putting together fabrics into a work of art. Her visions are way beyond me and are very inspiring. We're thankful that she took so much time and care to make Eli a special quilt.

Comfy on the quilt already!

Two weeks already

I can't believe Eli was 2 weeks old yesterday. I guess when you spend the first week of your life in the hospital, the second one is a joy. We did an "unofficial" weigh in on our bathroom scale yesterday and the little guy weighs about 8-1/2 pounds right now. He's not quite up to his birth weight but he's moving in the right direction.

We've been trying to play some these days and did our first tummy time yesterday. I try to let him take a few good naps during the day but also take some shorter ones so he'll sleep at night. So far that is working out well. Today we did our first errand together. I had to ship a package so we ran down to the UPS store to do that. Granted it only involved going two miles down the road, five minutes in the store and then two miles back but we did well with it! Pretty soon, I'll be hitting the road with him going all over the place.

Not too much else to report. We're figuring out his routine and the sequence of events that make him happy. He's pretty predictable.....for now. Overall we've been blessed with a very happy baby who only cries when he's wet or hungry. He doesn't even get upset when he gets the hiccups. I personally get mad when I get them but he just hiccups and bounces around. Tim is back to work so it's just me & little man now. I've been very fortunate that several of my neighbors take turns coming over to watch him so I can take a shower and eat if I haven't done that by the time they arrive. My recovery is going pretty well but I have to remind myself daily to take it easy and that it won't keep doing well if I overdo it.

Some pictures to enjoy:

Mommy & Me

It's so hard to be me!

Tummy time fun

Daddy's Diploma

Today was a very good day. First, Elijah and I are figuring each other out and our days are pretty good. We play some in the morning and he sleeps most of the afternoon. We play again in the early evening so he'll sleep at night time. So far, he's doing real well with nights and days. On average, he's up about 2 hours in a 10 hour span at night. Can't complain at all about that!

Now, the even better news. Tim's diploma from Wake Tech arrived today. He has spent the last two years in school to get a degree in something he would enjoy. We called it his first retirement. He has been working as a CAD detailer for an industrial company for about 3 months now and loves it. I'm very proud of him for going back to school and learning something new. He's much happier in his current job and that makes for us all to be happier!

Just had to brag on Daddy a bit about his diploma!

One week check-up

Today Eli had his one week check up at the pediatrician's office. They wanted him to come in to make sure he's gaining weight and that his jaundice is on the downswing. Good news to report, he has gained almost 3 ounces since Saturday and his color is getting better. The doctor said we don't have to come in for a 2-week check if all is still going well. He still has a pretty bad cephlahematoma on the right side of his head. Doc said that could take months to go down completely. It's a bruise / swelling between his scalp and the skull due to shearing of the skull during birth. Apparently he came so fast, the shearing caused some blood vessels to break, thus the hematoma and swelling. The good news, as you can see from his stats, is that his head is rounding out and is not so much like a cone-head.

Some stats:

Birth
8 pounds, 15.2 ounces - 85th percentile
21-3/4" - 97th percentile
Head circumference - 33cm (13") - 9th percentile

1 week
8 pounds, 3.8 ounces - 66th percentile
20-1/2" - 78th percentile
Head circumference - 36 cm (14.2") - 55th percentile

Everything is going well at home. Tim was home with me today and is such a great Daddy. Elijah is keeping us moving, that's for sure, but he's so sweet and such a happy baby. We're so lucky!