OK, so our baby is growing, which is good, but she’s really just a little peanut. Well, more like a little grapefruit…
Oh, wait a minute…
there she is!
So hopefully that puts things into perspective. That is not an abnormally large grapefruit or anything. Her head is just that tiny!
So, using the term relatively, our little girl is getting big! Our babies tend to have weight-gain issues, partly due to my body’s apparent reluctance to lactate, and partly due to Conan’s incredibly fast metabolism being passed on down. While Evangeline initially lost the average 6% in body weight at 1 day old, after 5 days she was still losing rather than gaining, weighing in at 5lbs 11oz. Our pediatrician recommended that we start tube feeding to supplement, and prescribed a hospital grade pump so insurance could help with the rental cost, hoping we could supplement with breast milk rather than formula. Nursing, then tube feeding was taking at least an hour, then I was supposed to pump afterwards, repeated every two to three hours (from the beginning of the routine). Umm… I have three boys at home. I’m lucky if I can make time to pump once a day, and all I get are a few drops. Not much worth the effort, in my opinion!
However, we stuck to it, and just two days later, she’d gained 3 ounces! We then switched to a bottle, as getting the tube perfectly lined up to use simultaneously with breast-feeding was a huge frustration, yet finger-feeding was NOT developing good latch-on habits. We’re still struggling with correcting that. I’m working on locating a lactation consultant we can afford at the moment. The only one who has returned my calls charges $125 for one 2-hour visit! I went ahead and started taking herbal supplements to augment my milk supply, even though my La Leche League contact recommended not doing that for at least 6 weeks– um sorry, but if my baby is obviously still hungry after nursing every single time, there’s something wrong! Anyway, at her two week visit she was a whopping 6lbs 10oz! She gained nearly a pound in a week! Way to go Cheerio!
Conan, tube-feeding our little peanut:
So, this is terribly belated, but I’m posting it anyway. Conan is awesome. We pretty much missed Halloween altogether due to our baby arriving the 29th at nearly midnight, and our traditional "last cookout of the year" fiesta at our friend’s home was a no-go since all the families attending had been/still had strep throat or severe colds which we were not willing to expose our kids to, knowing they would ultimately bring something unpleasant home to share with their newborn sister. Conan, however, recognized that it was a big deal to our kids to celebrate in some way. They had plenty of candy thanks to the Ward Trunk or Treat and the TechSmith party after that, but some kind of excuse to don their costumes one last time was called for, so Conan prepared our own family party! He made cute little sandwiches, cut up some lovely apples and carrots, broke out the apple cider, and let the kids eat their candy (after eating some of the more healthy fare). Evangeline and I even joined the party. He turned out all the lights and lit candles, which the boys just loved. We had some little flashlights and glow bracelets we’d gotten for the traditional walk in the woods we were anticipating at our friends’ house, so Conan decided to put them to good use with a fun glow-in-the-dark treasure hunt! We then turned on some music from Conan’s computer and had a little dance party. We had such a great time! We ended the evening playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark with our glow sticks and flashlights. The boys went to bed in their costumes, happy and exhausted! Conan, you’re the greatest dad ever.
I know, I know, theoretically babies don’t smile until they’re bigger, but I swear Evangeline smiles. I haven’t been lucky enough to get her "sleep smiles," like Jodie caught of Peter, but those are definitely the most genuine. When Conan tickles her, she totally open-mouth smiles! Again, we are working on capturing that gorgeous moment on film. If we get it, we will certainly post it! This is as close as I’ve gotten so far:
And some other random fashion shots:
Her, um, interesting hat was made by yours truly… the pattern was actually for a beanie-style cap, theoretically newborn sized, but it made a smashing yarmulke for Conan… so I decided to try the Stawberry Shortcake approach, which kind of works. But it still doesn’t really stay on her head. Ah well. Eventually I’ll figure this knitting thing out.
So, here’s the brief synopsis for the faint of heart… the full details follow under "Continue Reading." The short answer is that everything went well. My 5 hour labor was "easy…" at least for everyone watching. I had no pain medication, and minimal bodily damage. I cannot imagine doing that for twice as long, though I know many women do! There were things we LOVED about having a home birth, and things I think I prefer about a hospital birth… namely the convenience for newborn exams and recovery time. All in all I’m grateful for that experience and I’m glad our little Evangeline is here!
This post is dedicated to all the amazing people who were here to help me bring this little amazing person into the world.
First: My Amazing husband and labor coach, Conan
This wonderful man has been taking care of us all since ground zero. He was an amazing labor coach, and has been a superhero Dad for taking care of all of us since I’ve been on bed rest. Conan, you are the Love of my Life. I am so eternally grateful for you.
Next: My Amazing Mother-in-Law
She arrived just as my labor began Wednesday, and jumped right in taking care of the boys, washing laundry, even scrubbing the bathroom floor! Then she went ahead and canned all those bushels of apples I had on hand, took the boys to the park, and cleaned house… we are SO grateful for her help. Thanks Mom!
The Amazing Becky:
My wonderful friend hasn’t been feeling so great herself, yet she made us two large dinners, stayed and played with the boys for hours one day, and helped in the immense applesaucing event! Becky, I don’t know how God made such amazing people! Thank You!
The Amazing Big Brothers:
These guys ADORE their little sister, and they’ve been so very good with her. She is certainly surrounded by Love.
There will be more details to follow, I promise!
Per Grandparental Request, here are more pictures of our newest little love… with eyes open.
