A Day in our Life

I figured it would be nice to record what a typical day looks like at home with our newborn son. I am documenting things in his baby book as well. So what does a “normal” day in our life look like? 

• Get up with daddy about 6 am so he can spend time with baby before he leaves for work (mom usually sleeps through this feed & diaper change bc daddy is so great!) 
• Get up with mommy about 8 am and get a diaper change. Then nurse as mommy drinks the coffee daddy made for her with the amazing Ninja machine 
• Go in the mamaRoo for a swing as mommy tries to eat breakfast, tend to the dogs, wash bottles, wash & fold laundry, etc. 
• Nurse again! Get on my playmat for awhile & play with mommy, do some bicycle kicks & get tummy rubs
• Naptime (sometimes) while mommy eats lunch, and Nanna visits

• Outside time enjoying the fresh air on our porch, usually with bottle of formula so boobs get a little break lol
• Mommy reads books aloud that play music or talk in the nursery
• Daddy comes home & mommy gets to shower (sometimes even nap since it never happens during the day) and have an adult beverage. Daddy feeds me a bottle. 
• Tummy time & bath take place! Still hating the sponge baths. 
• Bedtime-baby boy loves to be swaddled up and wear mittens to sleep after he nurses. 
• Up every 2 hrs to eat and get changed with mommy 

All of this easily changes depending on baby boys mood. For example, if he is constipated or gassy, add in a few hours of crying as an activity! Even when that happens, I try to do all of the above at some point during our day together. Hoping to add in daily stroller walks now since it has been a month since my c-section and the weather is so nice. What else do you mommies do during the days with your babes?

So blessed to have the opportunity to do all the things I always dreamed of with my miracle!

Rookie Mom Musings

Its hard to imagine my life now without our little IVF miracle in it. I am so grateful everyday that he is finally here. Sometimes I still dont believe it, sometimes I get scared and think about losing him (thanks to our past losses). 

Overall, things are going very well. Baby boy is almost a month old now. Boy, how time flies. Everyday is a learning experience, below are some things that have been happening so far-

• Isaac has gained a pound since he was born! He is now 8 lbs, 11 oz. This is great news. Between the breastfeeding, pumping, & formula, I was not sure if he was gaining enough. Turns out he is right on track. 
• Gripe Water and Mylicon are very helpful for infant gas. They have done wonders for our son in this department. 
• The “witching hours” are a real thing. They happen nightly from about 7pm until midnight or so. 
• I plan to start baby wearing in the next week if possible, probably after my post partum appt. and finding out all looks good with my c-section incision. He is at the stage now where he constantly wants to be held. We have both a Solly and an Ergo 360 to try out. 
• The Moro Reflex that babies do is so cute. I am noticing he does it less and less as he gets older. Can we slow down time just a little bit?
• Isaac likes both car and stroller rides so far, he just sleeps the whole time. Thank God! 
• I have broken some of the after c-section recovery rules…for instance, I have been bathing since week 3 and was told not to until week 6. It is my saving grace after a long day. 
• Baby boy has many nicknames-little burrito, stinkarooskie, and buddy to name a few. 
• Newborn photography is NOT cheap. We met with our photographer and got to see all the photos she took, and I really have no clue how we will choose which package to purchase. We need to decide if we want to buy an album, digital files, or individual prints. As of now, I am pretty sure we are going with an album that includes about 25 photos (shown below) and a 17×26 canvas to hang in our formal dining room. My mom plans to purchase a couple digital files so we can always access them down the road. I really want to buy digital files as well, but financially its not feasible. 

• Baby acne is not cute. Enough said here.
• After getting the OK from our pediatrician, I had my first beer yesterday in about 11 months! It was greaaaaat.
• My Blanqui post partum leggings are a lifesaver. They literally are all I have worn out of the house since giving birth. I also have a pair of Lula Roe’s, which I like for comfort, but the Blanqui’s def hold in the flab better. 
• Just like our dogs have different barks, Isaac has different cries. We are starting to recognize which is which-hunger cry, tired cry, hold me cry, change me cry, etc. 
• Isaac has a obvious tongue tie and lip tie which are affecting our feedings. I will post more about this soon as I am still processing it all myself. 

Surviving the First 3 Weeks

Thought I’d share some things that have helped hubby & I survive the first few weeks home with our rainbow! 

• As I said in a previous post, the mamaRoo. Our boy loves his swing, especially when he is fussy! Splurge and get it. 
• Aiden & Anais blankets-these muslin blankets are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Since they are soooo lightweight, there is great peace of mind when using them. Excellent for swaddling. 
• Wipe warmer-some people told me this would be a waste of money. Not. I actually went out and bought one after week 1 because of the bloody murder screams when that cold wipe hit the butt in the middle of the night. Well worth the $ for us. 
• Pacifiers-dont judge. Isaac doesnt discriminate against nipples, and I am good with that. He loves a paci to self soothe. Avent brand is his fav.
• Medela Double Electric Breast Pump-need I say more???
• Portable Myla the Monkey Sound Machine-oh how our boy loves nature and white noise sounds! Really helpful in the middle of the night when trying to get him back to sleep. 
• Bamboobies Organic Nipple Balm-I started out with Lanisoh Lanolin and it was so sticky. I switched over and fell in love right away. The balm immediately soothes the nipps and its not sticky.
• Babyganics Foaming Bottle & Dish soap-even though we bought a sterilizer, I find myself handwashing all bottles and such. This soap is totally plant based and safe. Lifesaver. 
• Dr. Browns bottles-Isaac spits up and has gas and hiccups. These vented bottles work way better for us than Tippee, Playtex, or Avent. 
• Pampers Swaddlers-LOVE the yellow line that turns blue once little one goes potty. Its all about the line. How do these other brands not have it?!? Got to be a patent issue. We tried Babyganics, Seventh Gen, Huggies, and Honest Co. as well.
• Huggies Wipes-thickest wipe around. Beats Pampers, Water wipes, Parents Choice, etc. You can get these at Sam’s Club in bulk! Win.
• Ubbi Diaper Pail-not a waste, dont listen to what they tell you. This pail is steel coated (you cannot smell the poop) and takes regular kitchen 13 gal bags. It holds a GOOD amount of diapers. If the pail wasnt so expensive, we would get another one for our bedroom.
• Snuggle Nest-baby boy loves to lounge in this when we sit on the couch or lay in bed and chill with him. It gives him his own safe space, is portable, foldable, light, and easy to clean. A must. Note-if you have a small dog, they might mistake it for a dog bed! Lol.
• Nursing nightgown-I live in this thing. So comfy and easy to feed baby in. Buy a few, I need more. 
• Ninja Coffee Bar-totally not a baby product! But a treat for the new parent for sure. We drink DD iced coffee on the regular and the cost adds up. Also, I knew with a newborn there would be no more easy morning runs to get it. This machine makes DD iced coffee in less than 5 min and I kid you not, it tastes exactly the same as the drive thru. Thanks, Mom!

Okay, I think that just about does it, but before I go, here are a few sneak peeks of our newborn photo session. So adorable, So blessed. 

The 4th Trimester

Some observations and things to note as Isaac turns 2 weeks old tomorrow-

• The site where my c-section incision was is still numb…I am wondering if I have permanent nerve damage or if this is normal? 
• No one tells you how constipated you will be after a c-section. Sorry if TMI, but I mean seriously. I have had other surgeries and been behind, but this is like no other. Awful! 
• I gained 40 lbs total while pregnant, dropped 20 lbs within the first week of delivering him, and am sure the remaining 20 will be much harder. 
• Our baby boy sleeps for about 2-3 hours at a time between feedings and throughout the night. This is not bad from what I hear from other newborn parents. 
• Although he sleeps “good” for a newborn, I am still feeling sleep deprived. I have decided that sleep deprivation is probably a form of torture somewhere in the world. 
• Baby boy has been doing tummy time everyday and can already lift his head and turn it side to side. I cant believe how strong he is. 
• I am still breastfeeding, pumping, and supplementing with formula. During our hospital stay, Isaac had low blood sugar and needed formula. I have continued to give him some each night, but I hope to wean him off it soon. 
• I am pumping about 3-4 ounces total each session. I am hoping this increases with time??? 
• Isaac hiccups a lot, and doesnt tend to burp much, the doctor said this is normal, but I am hoping it eases up and we can get some belches out of him soon. I purchased some Gripe Water and will give it to him soon if not. 
• Dr. Brown’s bottles seem to be the best fit for our boy. So far we have also tried Avent, Tommee Tippee, & Playtex.
• Baby boy has visited his pediatrician twice so far and is almost back to his birth weight. All else looks good. 
• I do not want hubby to leave us this week and go back to work! It has been amazing having him home. Can we hit the lotto please?!?
• Time is flying by. Part of me wants Isaac to grow because he is so fragile and I worry about things like SIDs. The other part of me cries even thinking about him growing so fast.
• I have no clue if I could handle being pregnant again (we have 1 frostie left), and I am talking mentally, not physically.  Or maybe I mean both. It was extremely tough on me both ways. 
• Isaac currently sleeps in his mamaRoo in our bedroom. They should call this thing a lifesaver! He did not like the Halo bassinest much. Thank God we got it second hand at a thrift store and didnt pay full price, as it has been converted to an additional changing table in our room. 
• The dogs are adjusting well overall to baby’s arrival. If anything they are just curious and protective already. We included them both in our newborn photos we had taken. 
• Isaac loves to pee (and poop occasionally) all over us as soon as we take off his diaper. He has ruined many outfits already.
• The future of this blog is unknown. I will always be an infertile, but a new chapter of our lives has now begun, and it may be time to rest Surviving Infertility.