The Frankenbaby Chronicles
Two girls, three cats, some frozen sperm, a doctor's office, and a big dream.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
A welcoming back from the ocean
Yesterday morning, I hadn't nursed the baby in a really long time, maybe eight hours, and I had some milk stocked up. So when she woke up and was a hungry hungry hippo, I got to just pull her onto the bed and do a little lay-down nursing. It was kind of nice to feel like a real nursing mama for a little while, especially when she drifted off to sleep and I was able to do the same thing.
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Little baby, big bed
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Hey there!
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A little tummy time
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Fun on her play mat
"You don't know how lucky you are. You don't know how much I adore you. You are a welcoming back from the ocean."
Monday, August 20, 2007
Oh, the irony!
1. We spent weeks avoiding pacifiers and things so we wouldn't give the baby "nipple confusion." And now that we WANT the baby to take a bobo, because the sucking and swallowing is supposed to help with reflux, she wants nothing to do with them. We have tried three completely different kinds, and she spits them all out. She will suck out of any different kind of bottle/nipple, but won't TOUCH the bobo. Heh. Nipple confusion, my butt.
2. Punk has a wicked diaper rash that looks almost like a big, open scrape. Because of this, we wanted to give her a bunch of naked time to air out. So of course the last three days have been so cold that it's in the 60s in the house, and I don't feel comfortable leaving her exposed when it's so chilly! Where is the warm, summer weather so I can lay my baby's nakie bum in the sun so it can get better?
Friday, August 17, 2007
Pictures and Puffy Eyes
Earlier this week, my little punk got to take a nap with my brother. Here is some Uncle love:
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And she also wore her cute denim overalls for the first time. Kids in overalls are the cutest:
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~//~
Wow, having a baby changes everything. Punk and I were watching reruns of ER like we usually do in the mornings, and there was an episode where some teenagers get in a car accident on the way to the prom, and the car catches on fire. One of the teens gets third degree burns over like 80% of his body and isn't expected to live, and he's talking on the phone to his parents (who are out of town) before he gets a ventilator. He is telling them he loves them and holy carp, I'd seen that episode before but this time I totally lost it.
When we had the baby, my old boss e-mailed me and said, "Congratulations! Welcome to a lifetime of having your heart walk around outside your body." I totally get it. Totally.
~//~
Congratulations to Bri and Wes on the birth of beautiful Beckett Ace!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Poor baby!
In the past week,
1. We switched the baby to cloth diapers (yay!) at the same time that she seemed to decide that squirting out a little bit of poop every hour was a good idea. So not only did we go through a whole boatload of cloth diapers, she also completely and totally blew her little butt out. It is SO red and painful and puffy, and trying to change/wipe her is torture for our little peanut! So for the time being, we went back to the disposables so we can load her up with butt cream. Once we get some butt cream that is safe for cloth diapers, or some paper liners, it's back on. But her poor little butt! It is awful.
2. We found out the baby has reflux and is regurgitating stomach acid. She had been spitting up a lot but also was getting really agitated and uncomfortable, arching her back and stuff, and the pedi says this is all from heartburn. So now we have to give her Tagamet four times a day. FOUR TIMES! More torture for the peanut. :( She hates it and I can't say I blame her - it smells. Hopefully it will do the trick though and she will feel better.
3. Our punk seems to be a night owl. She's taken to wanting to sleep all day and be up all night. "Up all night" translates to screaming because when she is more awake and agitated (like when we are trying to get her to sleep and she doesn't want to) she is more likely to have more reflux/coughing/choking/upset. I'm not really into "scheduling" kids but we need to figure out a way to switch that around a little bit. Poor punk!
That's about it over here. Pain and sadness for the punk. Exhaustion, stress, and worry for the moms. (But she's cute!)
Monday, August 13, 2007
New pictures
Yesterday was 6 weeks.
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And this one, cause I like it:
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Add me to your flickr and I will add you back to see the other new pictures.
I love me some baybee!
Try going here.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Umbilical hernia
Our little baby girl has an umbilical hernia. Poor little peanut! I just want her to be perfect.
Why oh why does parenthood equal worrying about everything??!?!
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
One month old
Today:
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Dear August,
You are one month old today, baby girl! I cannot believe that it has been an entire month since you came from my body and joined our little family. It seems like it was mere days ago, and yet it also seems like you have always been with us. We have had a busy month!
You have gotten to experience so many things, like your cosleeper and your crib, your pack and play and your car seat, your bouncy seat and your borrowed swing, your changing table and your little bath tub. You have been to restaurants and to the mall, in your stroller and in a number of slings and carriers. Currently you hate all of the slings, wraps, and carriers.
We have struggled with breastfeeding and there is not a day that goes by that I don't wish that I could provide all of your nourishment (or even some more), but I am honored and touched that you continue to want to nurse from me, even for comfort and the little bit of milk you can manage. You have gone from taking one ounce to two ounces to three ounces of formula per feeding. What a big girl you are!
We have watched you grow and get stronger every day. You are getting better head control and you can turn your head to both sides while on your little tummy. You make such great eye contact when you are feeding and you make the cutest gassy smiles in your sleep when you are done. You only cry and fuss when you are very hungry or when you have gas. You are such a good baby.
You have met your Great Aunt Sandie, your great-grandparents, your Nana and your Papa John. In a few days you will meet your Grandma and Grandpa, and then Uncle Rick and Aunt Gretchen. At the end of this month your great-grandmother will turn 85 and you will go to a big family dinner and meet your Great Uncle Joe and your cousin Tony. You got to meet little Ruby who is one week old, and you are destined to be best friends if your mamas have anything to say about it. Everyone loves you and talks about how cute you are. You are already very popular on the internet.
You had your first big fall and scared your moms half to death. It was so scary to see you connected to all of those monitors and to have you get so angry at the doctors that you cried real tears. It broke my heart to see you in that CT Scan machine but I am glad that you slept through it. I hope we don't have a repeat of that sort of episode EVER.
You have changed my life in so many ways, baby girl. Everyone talks about sleep deprivation and while I do get less sleep, that's not what I will remember about this time, our first month together. I will remember how you came from my body and turned me into a mama, and how you made us a family instead of a couple. I live for you, this month and always, and I am so thankful that you chose me.
Happy first month of life, August. May God bless us and make this the start of a very long time together.
Love,
Mama
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