We took Natalie out for the first time today! In public that is and not for a doctors appointment. I decided that Sama and I needed some time for us and so we fed Natalie and got her almost to sleep and went out to dinner. She slept for most of it! It was great. She woke up towards the end and still did okay for the rest of the time. I was so happy to go out with her and Sama! Sama and I got to talk and have a really good time. It was so nice.
I think it will be easier to take her out now. The hardest part is that she still isn't on a consistent schedule. I think that is okay since we are mostly home, but it does make it hard when trying to plan things. Oh well. I would really like to have a schedule, but I am not sure that I want to force it. So we'll just see how it goes.
Friends
My friend Monique came over the other day with her son Ethan. It was really nice to have company. We had people over right after Natalie was born and that was kind of overwhelming at times because I mostly just wanted to rest! But I have been feeling pretty good the last couple weeks and it was great to see friends.
Cloth Diapers
Well we are doing cloth diapers (again)! Natalie was too small for the ones I had bought before she was born. So then I made some but I can't get the elastic right and they didn't fit right and leaked. Not good. So we kept using disposables but it was driving me crazy! I hated knowing that for a couple dollars more than a package of diapers I could just buy cloth. So I talked to Sama and he said to go ahead and buy some smaller diapers. They are Thirsties and two sizes in one so they aren't huge but will still last quite awhile. I took a picture but I am too lazy to hook up my camera and download it so that will come later. Anyway, my favorite cloth diapers are the GroVia and the Charlie Banana that we bought and they do work, they are just look HUGE on her. It is fine with me, but Sama doesn't like it because she seems uncomfortable. Though I haven't noticed that. But I was still impressed that they fit her! Those are my favorite diapers so far. But anyway, Monique gave me the idea of continuing to use the ones I made and just put the cover over them. So that is what I am doing and it works really well. I love it! Cloth diapers are so easy and are saving us money. I recommend it :) I am glad I found a way to keep using the ones I made. I am making more now since I can use the cover over them.
A Tree in Our Apartment
So there is a tree growing in our apartment. What?! I thought Sama was joking when he told me. This actually happened a few weeks ago. There is a teeny tiny branch breaking through the wall, so we called maintenance and they came out. They just plucked it out of the wall and then went outside and cleared some of the branches thinking that one just pushed through from the outside wall. And then they left. Yeah...that didn't work. The tree is back. I am so glad this is not my house and that we don't have to worry too much about this.
Vacation
Natalie will be taking her first trip next month! We are going to Oregon to visit family and look at apartments. We decided that we will probably get an apartment for 6 months. After that we plan to buy a house. We wanted to buy a house first, but it is too much hassle trying to do that long distance and I just don't want to make a big decision like that without having a better idea of the area. So we will hopefully find some good apartments to choose from while we are there and be all set to move in after Sama's graduation. It is coming up!! Time is going so fast.
Natalie Updates
Breastfeeding is still going well. It keeps getting better :) Natalie is starting to hold her head up for a few seconds at a time! She is doing well at everything except sleeping through the night. Can't wait for that day to come!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Pictures
We have been doing great. Natalie and I took our first walk today. I really wanted to take her out before but it just never happened. Today it was a priority or it wouldn't have happened again. But we went and it was really, really nice! Natalie fell asleep so I don't know if she loved it or not, but maybe next time we will time it for when she is awake.
Honestly I haven't been doing too much besides hanging out with Natalie. I am going to try to get out more and do more things with Natalie. Anyway, I am just going to post some pictures for now from Natalie's first month. Including a video of her rolling over at just under 4 weeks! She's a strong baby. Now that she has learned how to roll over it is almost impossible to get her to stay on her tummy for tummy time. She always just turns over :)
Okay so the pictures are out of order a little. Sorry :)
Getting her nails cut with abuela
First bath
With Limhi
With Limhi and Horte
In the hospital
With Grammy Van
We bought this tiny preemie sleeper and it was too big on her!
First walk
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Doing Well
Okay so breastfeeding did get harder again. I started pumping more and we were doing mostly bottle feedings. I slowly started breastfeeding again and at first Natalie had a hard time because of all the back and forth, but she got it. Now I am breastfeeding her whenever I feed her. But we still use a bottle at night or if I am sleeping for when Sama feeds her. She does great with both. I am now actually enjoying breastfeeding. It is a great bonding experience that I wasn't really feeling before when I was in so much pain.
Natalie is pretty amazing. She is really strong. She rolled over for the first time yesterday! It was amazing. She was really upset at the time because she hates being on her tummy for tummy time, but she did it! She did it twice and once again today. My baby is awesome :)
We are finally starting to get into a schedule. I guess it would have happened sooner, but my mom was here and then my mother-in-law was here so we were getting a lot of help and the routine would change. And then after we were alone again we finally started to get into a rhythm of our own. It feels nice.
Sama is an amazing dad. He is so sweet with Natalie and he helps out with everything. Well, he hasn't helped with her baths but mostly because he is gone when I give them to her. I thought he was afraid too (because I was!) but he says he isn't so maybe next time :) Oh and the great thing is that Natalie LOVES baths. Yay! I kept hearing that almost all babies hate baths, but I guess we are lucky.
I am glad things are starting to feel normal and not quite so overwhelming. Because I really wondered how anyone did this more than once. But now I am feeling a lot better about it! I am sure I will forget how hard it is the next time. But I think it will be much more bearable the second time because I know what to expect. Not that I didn't prepare for Natalie and learn a lot from reading and classes and friends, but that just doesn't even scratch the surface in my opinion :) I am glad I did those things for sure, but I just don't think anything could have completely prepared me.
Sama is back in school now and doing well so far. He has a much easier semester, which is awesome because he gets to spend more time at home. I love it. Sometimes I am jealous of him doing more than staying at home with Natalie. But I don't think I would switch places. I was focusing completely on Natalie and on recovering and that is still pretty much the case, but I feel like I have time for other things now as well. Not a lot of time. Actually just a teeny bit of time, but I can read or work at my job or whatever for a little bit each day.
Well, Natalie needs me so I will try to write again soon.
Natalie is pretty amazing. She is really strong. She rolled over for the first time yesterday! It was amazing. She was really upset at the time because she hates being on her tummy for tummy time, but she did it! She did it twice and once again today. My baby is awesome :)
We are finally starting to get into a schedule. I guess it would have happened sooner, but my mom was here and then my mother-in-law was here so we were getting a lot of help and the routine would change. And then after we were alone again we finally started to get into a rhythm of our own. It feels nice.
Sama is an amazing dad. He is so sweet with Natalie and he helps out with everything. Well, he hasn't helped with her baths but mostly because he is gone when I give them to her. I thought he was afraid too (because I was!) but he says he isn't so maybe next time :) Oh and the great thing is that Natalie LOVES baths. Yay! I kept hearing that almost all babies hate baths, but I guess we are lucky.
I am glad things are starting to feel normal and not quite so overwhelming. Because I really wondered how anyone did this more than once. But now I am feeling a lot better about it! I am sure I will forget how hard it is the next time. But I think it will be much more bearable the second time because I know what to expect. Not that I didn't prepare for Natalie and learn a lot from reading and classes and friends, but that just doesn't even scratch the surface in my opinion :) I am glad I did those things for sure, but I just don't think anything could have completely prepared me.
Sama is back in school now and doing well so far. He has a much easier semester, which is awesome because he gets to spend more time at home. I love it. Sometimes I am jealous of him doing more than staying at home with Natalie. But I don't think I would switch places. I was focusing completely on Natalie and on recovering and that is still pretty much the case, but I feel like I have time for other things now as well. Not a lot of time. Actually just a teeny bit of time, but I can read or work at my job or whatever for a little bit each day.
Well, Natalie needs me so I will try to write again soon.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Natalie
Pictures!
The Birth Story
I think I wrote that I was on bed rest. Well, it didn't really last because on Saturday, December 18th, I was just not feeling well. My blood pressure was really high as well, so I called the doctor. He didn't sound very concerned but he told me I could go to the hospital if I wanted just to make sure everything was okay. Well, Sama was at work, but I really didn't feel right so I called my friend and she came to pick me up and take me to the hospital. And she stayed with me too! I was really grateful for that because I didn't want to be alone. So it turns out that I was right to be worried because my blood pressure was even higher than the readings I had gotten at home. The highest it got was 198 over something (I never really remember the bottom number...) and that was after they had decided I was staying and started giving me medicine to bring my blood pressure down. In case you don't know, normal blood pressure is about 120/80 and they start to get worried in pregnancy if it gets to about 140/90. That's around where I was when I got put on bed rest.
So Monique, my amazing friend, stayed with me for about 4 hours until Sama got to the hospital. I was induced at 6:20 PM and started feeling contractions about 9:00 PM. I thought I was doing really good with all my breathing and relaxation techniques. It started getting pretty painful though at which point I requested the pain medication. About midnight I thought I was going to die. Really. I hadn't wanted an epidural though and so the thought never really crossed my mind. I kept thinking I was still going to be in labor for a long time and that it would just get worse, so I really shouldn't consider any of that yet anyway. Well, it got worse. I can't believe how painful contractions were. I started to push a little after 1:00 AM and that was actually a relief because I couldn't feel the contractions when I was pushing. I only had to push for a few minutes and Natalie was born at 1:28 AM on December 19th.
I decided that if I am induced the next time, I am definitely getting an epidural. If I am not induced I think I will do it naturally again since they say that induced labor contractions are much more painful.
Natalie is such a calm, sweet baby. She cries only when she gets a tummy ache. She didn't even cry for more than a second or two right after she was born. Which was a little worrisome to us, but they said she was healthy. Even when they were drawing blood she didn't cry. So the next day when the NICU nurse was taking out IVs and getting her ready to come back downstairs with us, she started to really cry. And Sama's response? He was grinning and so happy! Not because she was in pain but because she was finally crying and that was a sign that things were normal.
Natalie is so patient with us. We are trying to do the best we can for her, but are making mistakes for sure. We are really thankful to our moms who have been here helping us with her so much. My mom was here the end of December and then Sama's mom came and is still here. I think we will be kind of lost without all this help. But it will be okay.
Breastfeeding (possibly TMI...)
So I have always loved kids and been pretty good with them. I figured that being a mom would be tiring but easy. I am so naive. Yes, I know everyone says it's hard, but I really thought I was the exception. Oh well. It is still wonderful and I LOVE this little girl!
The hardest thing is breastfeeding. I read about it, took classes about it, but it is NOT as easy as just following a few simple steps. Well, not for us. We had to supplement with formula in the hospital because Natalie had low blood sugar. When we got home we still had to supplement for a couple days, but FINALLY I had enough milk and so we started exclusively breastfeeding. At first. Because even though I learned about getting a proper latch I guess I still didn't do it right because I was in agonizing pain every time I tried to feed her. I really hated feeding time. Which was of course every two hours. Gahh! So we went to see a lactation specialist. Twice. Things were still painful but getting (slightly) better. And then....no milk. What?! I was producing a lot of milk. Really. A lot. And then nothing? So my husband pointed out that I really hadn't stayed very hydrated that day. I drank tons of water. My mother-in-law made me atole with oatmeal and then I started to get milk again the next day. But still painful. Still agonizing. Because besides being painful, Natalie didn't really eat when she was at my breast. She was just there. So it was taking at least an hour to feed her. Then she was still hungry because of course she hardly ate. I cried. This was really hard. And then...a miracle! I asked Sama to give me a blessing because I was just going crazy. I wanted to give up but I didn't want to feed Natalie any other way either. So I had the blessing, I read the scriptures, and I prayed. I really didn't know what to do but Heavenly Father always does, so that is where I turned. I am so grateful for the gospel. I felt more calm. When Natalie woke up that night for her next feeding I dreaded it as usual. But like I said. A miracle. She latched on and she was eating! Like the whole entire time. I think we finished in about 30 minutes. My breasts were sore after but not in that "I really might die" kind of way. We have now had 3 successful, no tears (mine) feedings in a row! I am really hoping that this trend continues. I just don't know how to handle it any other way. They say it gets better. It has, but I am hoping that it gets still better because there is still some pain. Anyway, it is so much better to enjoy all the time I have with Natalie including when she is eating! Feel free to pray for us. I never knew it was this hard.
I really have no news other than what is going on with my daughter. What else is there right now? She is the best thing in our lives right now and we couldn't be happier to have her.
Christmas!
The smallest dress we could find for her (even some preemie clothes are too big!)
The Birth Story
I think I wrote that I was on bed rest. Well, it didn't really last because on Saturday, December 18th, I was just not feeling well. My blood pressure was really high as well, so I called the doctor. He didn't sound very concerned but he told me I could go to the hospital if I wanted just to make sure everything was okay. Well, Sama was at work, but I really didn't feel right so I called my friend and she came to pick me up and take me to the hospital. And she stayed with me too! I was really grateful for that because I didn't want to be alone. So it turns out that I was right to be worried because my blood pressure was even higher than the readings I had gotten at home. The highest it got was 198 over something (I never really remember the bottom number...) and that was after they had decided I was staying and started giving me medicine to bring my blood pressure down. In case you don't know, normal blood pressure is about 120/80 and they start to get worried in pregnancy if it gets to about 140/90. That's around where I was when I got put on bed rest.
So Monique, my amazing friend, stayed with me for about 4 hours until Sama got to the hospital. I was induced at 6:20 PM and started feeling contractions about 9:00 PM. I thought I was doing really good with all my breathing and relaxation techniques. It started getting pretty painful though at which point I requested the pain medication. About midnight I thought I was going to die. Really. I hadn't wanted an epidural though and so the thought never really crossed my mind. I kept thinking I was still going to be in labor for a long time and that it would just get worse, so I really shouldn't consider any of that yet anyway. Well, it got worse. I can't believe how painful contractions were. I started to push a little after 1:00 AM and that was actually a relief because I couldn't feel the contractions when I was pushing. I only had to push for a few minutes and Natalie was born at 1:28 AM on December 19th.
I decided that if I am induced the next time, I am definitely getting an epidural. If I am not induced I think I will do it naturally again since they say that induced labor contractions are much more painful.
Natalie is such a calm, sweet baby. She cries only when she gets a tummy ache. She didn't even cry for more than a second or two right after she was born. Which was a little worrisome to us, but they said she was healthy. Even when they were drawing blood she didn't cry. So the next day when the NICU nurse was taking out IVs and getting her ready to come back downstairs with us, she started to really cry. And Sama's response? He was grinning and so happy! Not because she was in pain but because she was finally crying and that was a sign that things were normal.
Natalie is so patient with us. We are trying to do the best we can for her, but are making mistakes for sure. We are really thankful to our moms who have been here helping us with her so much. My mom was here the end of December and then Sama's mom came and is still here. I think we will be kind of lost without all this help. But it will be okay.
Breastfeeding (possibly TMI...)
So I have always loved kids and been pretty good with them. I figured that being a mom would be tiring but easy. I am so naive. Yes, I know everyone says it's hard, but I really thought I was the exception. Oh well. It is still wonderful and I LOVE this little girl!
The hardest thing is breastfeeding. I read about it, took classes about it, but it is NOT as easy as just following a few simple steps. Well, not for us. We had to supplement with formula in the hospital because Natalie had low blood sugar. When we got home we still had to supplement for a couple days, but FINALLY I had enough milk and so we started exclusively breastfeeding. At first. Because even though I learned about getting a proper latch I guess I still didn't do it right because I was in agonizing pain every time I tried to feed her. I really hated feeding time. Which was of course every two hours. Gahh! So we went to see a lactation specialist. Twice. Things were still painful but getting (slightly) better. And then....no milk. What?! I was producing a lot of milk. Really. A lot. And then nothing? So my husband pointed out that I really hadn't stayed very hydrated that day. I drank tons of water. My mother-in-law made me atole with oatmeal and then I started to get milk again the next day. But still painful. Still agonizing. Because besides being painful, Natalie didn't really eat when she was at my breast. She was just there. So it was taking at least an hour to feed her. Then she was still hungry because of course she hardly ate. I cried. This was really hard. And then...a miracle! I asked Sama to give me a blessing because I was just going crazy. I wanted to give up but I didn't want to feed Natalie any other way either. So I had the blessing, I read the scriptures, and I prayed. I really didn't know what to do but Heavenly Father always does, so that is where I turned. I am so grateful for the gospel. I felt more calm. When Natalie woke up that night for her next feeding I dreaded it as usual. But like I said. A miracle. She latched on and she was eating! Like the whole entire time. I think we finished in about 30 minutes. My breasts were sore after but not in that "I really might die" kind of way. We have now had 3 successful, no tears (mine) feedings in a row! I am really hoping that this trend continues. I just don't know how to handle it any other way. They say it gets better. It has, but I am hoping that it gets still better because there is still some pain. Anyway, it is so much better to enjoy all the time I have with Natalie including when she is eating! Feel free to pray for us. I never knew it was this hard.
I really have no news other than what is going on with my daughter. What else is there right now? She is the best thing in our lives right now and we couldn't be happier to have her.
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