After being cleared of the jaundice and heart murmur I felt like we could actually begin to settle in as a family of four. I think I had prepared myself for the worst since Sawyer is 2 and I knew how time is not your own with a newborn. Now this is crazy for me to say but I was also anxious because Sawyer was a really good baby that didn't have colic and started sleeping through the night around 6 weeks. I thought that there was no way we could have two babies like that! Well I was proved wrong. She is such a good baby. She would eat every three hours which was actually better than Sawyer who ate every two in the beginning. I'm already comparing, I need to stop but you just can't help it! She took to nursing really well and was doing great because she was gaining well and was satisfied. I must say too that things have been different the second time around with me as far as bf goes. With Sawyer I would religiously watch the clock so he ate 20 minutes on each side and i would keep a log of how many wet an dirty diapers. That vicious cycle done every two hours sent me over the edge and honestly took away some of the enjoyment of just feeding a sweet baby. With Savannah, I haven't written down the first thing or looked at a clock. I feed her on demand and let her finish one side and offer the other until she's full. I feed her lying down at night which makes it easier for me to relax and when she's done I gently place her back in the bassinet. She is a loud sleeper when she first falls asleep so the sound machine helps to drown the noise. She was back to her birth weight by two weeks and then gained another 17 oz in two weeks which impressed the lactation nurse since the average is 12. Praise God nursing is going better the second time! About once a day she has to cry really hard to wear herself out but after that she will sleep a good stretch. It seems like the longest 3 minutes of your life! Nothing soothes her when she gets this worked up so we had to learn to just let her fuss for a few minutes.
At her two week check up we had to get her treated for a clogged tear duct. Her eye looked terrible and she could barely open her eye. Some prescription eye drops cleared it up in a few days.
My recovery had its ups and downs. The pain and soreness was bearable because I stayed on top of it with Motrin. The Percocets they gave me made me so nauseous so I quit taking them once I got home from the hospital. Scary that they send a baby home from the hospital with a mom taking narcotics! I guess they assume you have help. I was able to handle the feedings and diaper changes by myself at night. It never failed that I would go downstairs and forget something upstairs. After a few days home I really wasn't in any pain. This may seem like a good thing but I was acting like I didn't have major abdominal surgery the week before. At my two week check up I told the doctor that I was still passing large clots. This concerned her so she did an US of my uterus and she saw several large clots. She told me that I had to be better at getting off my feet and taking care of myself. My Mom and Keith were very concerned and stepped it up even more with helping out. When you have two small kids its hard to take care of yourself!
We took Savannah to the lake for the first time at almost three weeks which happened to be July 4th. Mama needed a change of scenery!! It was a nightmare packing for two kids and myself. It took us four hours to leave the house! My Mom was the biggest help and I couldn't have done it without her since Keith was out of town for work. The Scott's have a crib and a bed in the same room so it was nice for us to stay there. That week Sawyer started swimming so good, in a life jacket of course!! Honey taught him to blow bubbles with his mouth and kick his feet. He would swim to the steps all by himself!
Keith and I got to celebrate his 31st Birthday with just the two of us. Honey and Papa D babysat both kids while we had a delicious dinner at Five. It was a much needed date night! I was sad to dump the 5 ounces I pumped but I thoroughly enjoyed some rose champagne!
I can honestly say that I would not have been able to get through the first month without our "village". Keith was the biggest help with Sawyer because I couldn't pick him up and I was feeding Sissy most of the time. I could put my Mom on payroll since she has done so much for us. She cooked so many delicious meals and cleaned our house from top to bottom. Sometimes just knowing she was there gave me such comfort. There is nothing like your Mama! Cindy was also a tremendous help. She would take Sawyer to do special things and they even took him to the lake the weekend we came home so we could transition with Savannah. We had meals brought to us by friends and family as well. We were so grateful for a good meal those first few hectic weeks!
So, at one month:
~ Savannah weighed 9 lbs 7 oz
~ Wears a size 1 diaper and 0/3 month
clothes.
~ Eats every 3 hours during the day and 4-5 hr stretches at night.
~ Started to social smile
~ Is swaddled while she sleeps to help with the startle reflex.
~ Enjoys bath time.
~ Will turn her head if she hears my voice.
~ Loves to cuddle after a feeding. This is my favorite too!
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