Oh sweet baby. Your first month was so very much different than your sister's. I feel like the month has flown by and I still barely know you. There are a couple of factors at work here.
- I spent the first week or so of your life recovering from your intense arrival. My recovery has been more painful than it was with CB's, and your daddy has had to pick up a lot more of the work than he did with your sister. I'm pretty sure he's changed about 75% of your diapers so far.
- You seem to me to be much sleepier than CB was, and even if that's just because I've forgotten, I feel like I've made much less of an effort to make sure you start conforming to some kind of schedule than I did with her. (Re: C-section recovery + toddler in the house). You pretty easily drift into your naps and have slept a LOT (probably in part because I was on lots of painkillers at first, but maybe not, since I didn't see a huge decrease after I went off them). In any case, I have been intensely grateful that you have been an easy baby so far, because I needed it.
- Last Monday, the intense stomach pain I had during the last couple of months of my pregnancy with you (you know, the pain that was supposed to be cured when they delivered you because they decided it was HELLP syndrome all along) came back, and your dad and I took you with us to the ER while CB slept at home. They finally did an ultrasound on my gallbladder after absolutely everyone had speculated that it could be a problem, and wonder of wonders, it was full of gallstones. I went on a very strict diet (not fun for your nursing self) and scheduled surgery for Monday the 6th. And then later that day I tried to eat crackers and had another horrendous attack, plus I'd been throwing up Cream of Wheat for two days, so Thursday morning I went in for surgery and you and CB went to Mama and Papa's house. I didn't get to pump for you like I'd hoped, and the outpatient surgery that was supposed to have us home by about noon turned into a two day affair due to a gallstone in my bile duct, so you got to be in formula for a couple of days. Thank goodness you took a bottle willingly and went back to breastfeeding readily when we all got back home (although it wreaked havoc on your digestion for a day or two). So for at least half of your short life I've been recovering from a surgery, and thankfully, you've been a sleepy sweetie about the whole thing.
- Your sister takes up a lot of my attention right now. She's a real force of nature at the moment, and she really loves you but really wants lots of attention as well. It's been interesting trying to figure out the balance, and I'm sure I'll struggle with that in the coming months. She always wants to hold you and is very concerned when you cry, but as soon as you are awake and not crying she says, "BABY HAPPY NOW??" and giggles and kisses on you. Whenever she wants to go and play in another room, she'll tell me to come on, but she also always tells you to come too. I hope you two will be best friends.
One thing I know about you Miss D - as long as you are warm and snuggly, you are pretty easy. You don't like being naked or being bathed, and I think it's just that you don't like being cold and exposed. Put you in a warm sleeper or swaddle you and you are a pretty happy camper. You're a good little sleeper and easily go back to sleep at night while you nurse (plus you usually only wake up about twice, bless your heart). Like your sister, you are starting to lose your hair, but I'm pretty sure it will be coming back by next month, so never fear. (Side note: you have an umbilical hernia, so the one big difference in the way you look at this age verses the way CB looked is that you still have your outie.)
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| See? This is what happens when we first unwrapped you, especially because you weren't wearing pants. |
We've been a little distracted during this first month of your life, but your little spirit in our home is so comforting. When we were in the ER last week and I was feeling upset, your dad asked if I wanted to hold you, because he knows that sitting and snuggling you is so wonderful and calming. We're so glad you're here, and I hope that this month we'll be able to enjoy you without all of this fuss about me getting cut open over and over again! Thanks for being an ideal baby for this crazy month. You sure are loved.
Love,
Mommy
