Day 28: Going Strolling

We got Marian's stroller yesterday, and I decided we'd take it out for a spin today. Marian was not sure what to make of it at first, but I think she liked it. She was just looking around at everything. Very curious. And cute! I so wish I'd caught the expression on her face when a dog barked nearby. Her eyes got sooo big! Imagine hearing you first dog bark... Amazing!

It was great for me to get back out walking again. Four weeks post-surgery, and I'm walking well, though I'm certainly no where near running again.

Day 26: The Thinker

Day 25: Gas.

First of all: holy cow, Marian is 25 days old!  We have had so much family visiting, I kind of lost track of how old she is getting.  Also, I can't believe that I have been nursing her every 3 hours for 25 days. There have been a few instances where she went 4 hours, but many more times when she only went 1-2 hours.

Anyhow, she had a rough night last night. She wanted to eat every 2 hours, and in between was whining and grunting a LOT. (And every little sound wakes me up...)  Poor thing had bad gas. It continues thru most of the day.

It actually got to the point where I decided to try simethicone... I can't tell you haw many times I have rolled my metaphysical eyes when parents request gas drops for their little ones. There is no evidence that the drops work, so I tend to think it is the equivalent of 'snake oil' or some such other 'miracle' cure that is really just sugar water or watered down whiskey.  I have heard lots of parents claim the drops work, though, and I felt bad seeing Marian so uncomfortable, so we went to Target to try it out.  (And to get her vitamin D and a cute outfit... I'm a sucker for cute baby clothes!)

I gave her like half a dose of the simethicone, because I got nervous about giving her medicine! And... did it work? Maybe... After her half dose, I changed her diaper, fed her, and she slept comfortably for 3 hours. But then she woke up gassy again.  So, maybe it was coincidence, but maybe it worked? Certainly my sleep deprived self is willing to try again. And my pediatrician self will stop rolling my eyes - metaphysical or otherwise - when parents request 'snake oil.'

Day 20: Grumpy

Marian has been fussy this evening. It may have started this morning when we were playing with her hair. She didn't like that one bit!  But all that hair is so much fun to play with post-bath!

Day 19: Pseudo Smile

I cannot wait until she starts smiling for real. Until then, I try to convince myself that her brief smiles are on purpose and directed towards me!

Day 18: Daddy Time

Marc went back to work today, after 2 weeks home with us. Both Marian and Marc were happy to see each other again at the end of the day!

Day 17: Nothing Better

I love cuddling with Marian! I sort of wish she'd stay this little forever, but I'm also really excited to get to know her as a person and watch her grow. So I stay up late cuddling while I can!

Day 16: Out Visiting

I planned on staying at home for at least a month after Marian was born. My pediatrician eyes can't help but see everything "out there" awash with germs and putrescence.

But, all best laid plans occasionally need adjustment (see: the pacifier). And two weeks mostly at home does cause a little cabin fever. So, when invited to a friend's house for dinner, I found myself accepting.

Marian was fussy and gassy allllll day today, but slept the entire time away from home. Whether from exhaustion or a sense of self-preservation, I don't know.

Here's to hoping no germs found their way into her tiny body. Or that if they did the COPIOUS amounts of breast milk she has been imbibing will help keep her healthy!

Day 15: Eyelashes!

Marian's lashes were all skewed to the side before, but they suddenly sprouted out! 

Day 14: Tummy Time

Marian isn't so sure about her tummy time yet! 

Day 13: Baby Manicure

One worry I always harbored prior to having a baby was how to take care of their tiny little fingernails. I have always been intimidated by animal nails, too - my poor cat has never had her nails trimmed by me... probably why she scratches the carpet...

I'm just so nervous that I will cut too far and hurt the cat with the clippers (and, let's be honest, I'm scared she'll claw me to death with those nails I'm trying to trim!)

Well, Marian was born with a few talons of her own. And, as babies are wont to do, she kept scratching her face with them. I chose to ignore it at first - the scratches healed so quickly, I felt like it wasn't too bad. I tried the baby nail clipper once, but I pinched her, so I stopped. Besides, her nails are tiny and flimsy, and I figured it couldn't hurt her too badly.

Then she started scratching me while she was eating. And, man those tiny little nails hurt! Ouch! (Enter guilty mom feelings)

I thought about encouraging her to scratch the carpet, but her comprehension skills are not that sophisticated yet. So, I filed her nails! So much better than the nail clipper.

I wonder if the cat would sit still for the nail file...

Day 12: Enter the Pacifier

We were attempting to forgo the ubiquitous pacifier for Marian. A bit of the "we are better parents than that" or "our baby is to good for that" feeling, I think.

But then my milk really came in. With a vengence. Which is not surprising given the alphabetic range my bosom has traversed since I got pregnant...

Anyway, little Marilu really likes to suck. And suck. And she fills herself up, and above and beyond. And while it may be fashionable in Panem's Capital to empty the stomach to make room for more food, we don't encourage that in Sacramento. 

Thus, last night found us bringing out the pacifier.  We are still working on how much is appropriate to eat, but at least I have a way to 'stopper' her, at least temporarily.

And thus go the ideals of "perfect" parenting - one suck at a time!

Day 11: Daddy is Tired, Too

New babies take it out of everyone! Marc was cuddling with Marian. I thought it would be a cute picture, but I caught him mid-yawn. (Or in a state of shocked confusion, but I think it is a yawn!) Still cute, of course.  Marian actually looks kind of like this when she yawns, too.

Day 10: "Sibling" Rivalry

After 8 days at home, Natty Gann (our cat) will finally consent to being in the same room as Marian, but she refuses to acknowledge that the baby exists.  Poor kitty didn't know what was going to happen!

Day 9: Spring Forward, Indeed

I know that people with children dread daylight savings days because it throws routines off by an entire hour. I can only imagine the chaos this inspires in a house with babies or young children. I figured I'd get this first daylight savings for free, since Marian is on no discernible routine at the ripe old age of 9 days.

And, in fact, she blessed me with the longest uninterrupted period of sleep in her short life last night: over 3 hours! Four, if you count the "spring forward" hour (which you shouldn't, because it is obviously not there, silly you!) But then, somehow, she must have heard that we were supposed to lose an hour of sleep last night, and thus decided to pay me back for those three hours in spades. From 4:30 to 8 am, she would not let me stop feeding her for more than 10 minutes. And every 1-2 hours since then, she is ready to eat again.

Today, my friends, I know what tired is. Definitely beats some (not all) PICU calls. And unfortunately, unlike a PICU call, I can't take a 36 hour nap afterwards! I am so tired, I can barely form full sentences. My eyeballs hurt, I am so tired. And I still can't move because my c-section incision hurts, and I have a headache from stupid allergies, and on and on... (imagine all this in an incredibly whiny voice)

But, seriously, who could be upset with this face:


And, in other, once in a lifetime news: Her umbilical cord fell off today!


I have to go feed the baby now...

And, honestly, so far Marian is the most amazing baby I've ever had the pleasure to meet, and that isn't just flat out exhaustion speaking.

Day 8

I cannot believe that I have been a mother for 8 days already. Granted, my sense of time is completely skewed, and for all I know, it is June by now...  Amazing how important sleep is to keeping one's general time-space orientation. Not that I feel any worse off than I did during rough months in residency. I am very thankful that I am not being asked to do any higher level brain work than to keep myself and Marian fed, clothed and poop-free!

Speaking of Marian (as I imagine I will be doing a lot... for the rest of my life):
Today, we are harnassing the power of pink!