Peanut Tracker: 1 Week Update- Growing Up Too Fast

Mommy cuddle time POV

Charlee may only be turning 2 weeks old tomorrow, but time is already going by way too fast! She doesn't even look like a newborn anymore and she has been through several changes this week. And there has been quite a bit of excitement going on in this house all week long.

My little ducky

Kirk drove down from Florida over the weekend to pick up my mom. On Monday my mom worked on last minute errands around the house until Kirk came down stairs looking ill. He was really pale and had been sleeping most of the day (very unusual). I suggested he stop to get his blood pressure checked when he went out to pick up a few things. He came home saying it was a little high and then started getting sick. I finally talked him into going to the ER because he could be having a serious issue. Thankfully it was just a stomach bug and my mom and I sent him to bed once they came back home. They left Tuesday morning and it was just Eric, me, and Charlee for the first time.

Pirate onesie for Halloween

Wednesday was Halloween and my one week follow up. Our appointment was at 2:45, so I woke up a sleepy fiance and we loaded up the car. I asked Eric to keep Charlee in the truck because it was supposed to be a short appointment and I didn't want her in the waiting room during cold and flu season. I waited over an hour to be seen and made friends with another new mom in the waiting room. We waited so long that I had to request a room to nurse the peanut and had Eric bring her in. My appointment was extremely short because Dr. Molly checked my incision and removed the stitches. I waited over 2 hours for a 5 minute appointment! I was only down 11 lbs because I was still extremely swollen and retaining fluids. The doctor said I was healing perfectly but she was worried about my swelling and ordered me to keep off my feet until the swelling went down. We didn't give out candy to the trick or treaters this year, but we did dress Charlee up in her pirate onesie and watched Hocus Pocus.

Wednesday night and Thursday night were tough nights. Charlee decided she didn't want to latch for nursing anymore and therefore wasn't eating. She would cry and cry and was extremely fussy. I felt like a failure as a mother and was extremely frustrated and tired. Poor Eric kept trying to calm me down and get me to stop crying, but I was so upset that I wasn't hearing what he had to say. Worry led Eric to call a lactation consultant and we scheduled an appointment for Friday evening. We ended up calling the pediatrician because she wasn't eating and were told to use a medicine syringe to feed her pumped milk until the consultant can work with us. By Friday morning she hadn't given us any wet or dirty diapers and I called the pediatrician again in a panic worried that she might be getting dehydrated. So, I cancelled the newborn photo session and we brought her back to the doctor. She was up to 9 lbs 4 oz, but the doctor said he did wish it was a little more. She wasn't sick or dehydrated, so we were encouraged to continue with the syringe until the consultant could help us and we scheduled a follow up for Monday morning.

Because we were both beyond exhausted from working as a team to feed the baby (Eric fed her and I had to pump every 2 hours Thursday afternoon through Friday evening), Eric's mom offered to come help us for the weekend. Since we don't have any family in the area to help, it was a god send! The lactation consultant helped us get Charlee nursing again, Ann helped with food and watching Charlee, and Eric and I got to catch up on sleeping and showering. It was amazing! I don't know how we would've survived the weekend without her. And because she has been here helping, I have been able to stay off my feet and most of my swelling has resided!

First time on play mat

First tummy time

Charlee also had a couple of milestones this week. We placed her on her play mat for the first time and she loved the mirror. She kept staring at it and hitting it with her hand, making the light reflect. Last night she lost her umbilical cord stump. We still aren't sure if it's an innie or an outie, but we're mostly thankful that it didn't smell. This morning we put her down on the play mat for her first tummy time and, even though she slept through most of it, she didn't mind being on her tummy! Charlee completed her first FaceTime with Grammy (my mom), and she was fed by daddy for the first (and several consecutive times) by the medicine syringe. She also met Gene and Jill because they were in town for their 25th anniversary cruise and stopped by for coffee and a short meet and greet with the peanut.

Swaddled by daddy

Cuddle time with daddy

Eric returns to work tonight and Ann will be going home. So, tonight will be the real test. It will be the first time I have ever really been alone with the baby and, as much as I am looking forward to it, I am also nervous. I hope she takes it easy on my first night!