So Georgie went back to work this week, which means Meli and I are home alone. I was pretty nervous about it, but Monday went spectacularly! I was able to get some packages ready in the morning for the post office, we drove Daddy to the train, dropped the packages off, came home, nursed, I had a bowl of cereal, Meli had a bath (yes – I bathed her BY MYSELF!), Mommy had a shower and was able to BLOW DRY HER HAIR! and then we made it to a doctor’s appt ON TIME despite rain and traffic. The doctor told us Meli is perfect and she managed to gain a whopping 10 oz in one week and barely cried when she got her shot (I waited until the nurse left to totally break down. Wuss.) Then we did a little shopping. Came home and fell asleep nursing in the awesome new glider we have! PERFECT day!
Yesterday, Daddy left when we were still asleep and didn’t come home until late. So we had a VERY LONG DAY together. I’m trying to set at least one goal for us to accomplish in a day – baby steps – and yesterday’s goal was to go for a walk. It was almost 70 degrees here and even though it was overcast most of the day and rained on and off I didn’t want to miss the nice weather. So finally we got ourselves together and it looked kind of sunny so we headed out for our walk. Miss Meli had been nursing A LOT during the day so it was perfect for us to get out of the house and she generally likes to be moving, so I figured she would sleep while we were out. And her in the stroller = NOT ON THE BOOB so it was a win win as far as I was concerned.
Except when we finally got out of the house and out from under the building it started to POUR. I mean buckets of rain. So we went back inside and headed to the couch where Meli became permanently attached to my boob until the sun came out again and I said FUCK THIS we need to get out of the house. So we went for our walk right as the sun was setting. It was all good until halfway through and then Meli started to cry and I tried to hurry home so we could take up residence on the couch again.
Which we did. For the rest of the night. I checked my breastfeeding book and it said that 3 weeks is a growth spurt and sometimes during a growth spurt the baby will just want to nurse ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. Georgie kept asking if there was something wrong with her, but my sister assured us that sometimes that’s what babies do and then Meli peed all over herself for the second time that day while G was changing her so she had yet another bath and then she seemed to calm down. We sang her songs and she slept on my chest for awhile and we both fell asleep and she didn’t nurse so much at night. I did get to sleep some. Thanks must go to my husband who rubbed my back so sweetly while we nursed together. He doesn’t have to wake up with us, technically, but it’s nice to have company that doesn’t poop while she eats.
Today hasn’t been as bad as yesterday, so far, and we’re meeting up with FAinLI in the big city for some yarn shopping because I’m now obsessed with this bear and must make it in the same color.
Wish us luck on our third day.
you sound so happy and content (your ‘voice’ is definitely different somehow) and Yay for your blog – you’ll have no trouble remembering all those things! Sounds like you’re being very easy with her in your life which is a good thing!
You picked a beautiful day to come into the city – the sun is shining by Grand Central – have a wonderful day with Meli
1) baby steps are good
2) it’s OK to spend the whole day on the couch sometimes
3) gliders fucking rock
Well, I’ll say good luck, though I don’t think you need it. You’ve turned into an amazing mother – kudos to you. Enjoy the city!
Have fun in the city! I remember my son would nurse for hours and hours during his first couple months. I figured, what the hell, I have no clue what to do with him otherwise.
I don’t remember which growth spurt it was (3 week? 3 month?) where my son nursed for THIRTY SIX HOURS STRAIGHT. Somewhere around hour 12 I started to cry, and somewhere around hour 24 I felt myself give in to the experience in a way that I never truly have before. Now, I was able to take breaks for things like the bathroom, but I did so while he hung out in my husband’s arms screaming on the other side of the door.
That’s when I learned to nurse while laying down, so that I could finally get some sleep!
Goals are good. Plus the walking & the sunshine help to keep you sane.
Nothing wrong with spending the day on the couch. Enjoy it while she’s still immobile.
Meli sounds perfect, and you sound very happy. Yesterdays pictures were beautiful, made me miss my babies (they’re 7.5, 4 and 2). Enjoy the sun and shopping today!
I take a little hiatus from the internet and suddenly you’ve had your baby! That went really fast for me. 😉 Congratulations–She is utterly perfect, completely beautiful. You have a gift with the camera. Your pictures are luminous and amazing. I’m gushing today, but I can’t help it.
I was in hell for the first 8 weeks of my daughter’s life. I was having so many problems breast feeding that I had to cart a massive, industrial breast pump with me whereever I went. Let’s just say I have a new found appreciation for dairy cattle. I remember the miraculous time around 4-5 months when the 45 minute feeds suddenly dropped down to 10 minutes and life was so much easier. As messed up as it sounds, enjoy this time. It gets easier and harder all at the same time!
No one told me this until later but apparently newborn fussiness peaks at six weeks. Keep that in mind if it gets tough. That, and, give anything two weeks and it will change. Good and bad.
Enjoy these wonderful days with that babe. Couch sitting has its place and you’ll never get the chance again. However, I can totally relate with the need to get out. It’s priceless. She’s a beautiful lilttle one.
What a beautiful babe.. and kudos to you mom, you’re doing great.
Sounds like you’re doing great! I spent many days TRYING to get out of the house when Noah was a newborn, but never quite making it out the door. It’s great that you’re setting goals and getting outside. I was pretty flummoxed when I was a new mom, and it took me a minute to get the hang of it. I’m glad it’s all going well for you. Good luck on day 3!!
It is good to have goals, I mostly made myself having some these days. And yes I also experienced the lot of nursing days, we were told it is to increase the milk production because of the growing phase the baby is into plus after two weeks the ingredience in the milk change, like they will do some times more.
What really helped me a lot was learning to do things while nursing and nursing while sleeping.
I don`t know what the US is about with nursing in public, I did it a lot, always decent but not with a cloth over my baby. When I have been with my four month old in Iowa nursing in public wasn’t an issue but we spent most of the time with family folks, althoug the one woman there always had a cloth over her baby.
I can not count how often we ended during nursing time in a cafe ordering just some water or alike because the baby had to nurse, better was it when it was warm and we could do it on a playground or barkbench because when my daughter was nursing and was hungry she rarely culd wait for the way home. So I ended up nursing in the bus or one time while walking home.
Not all days will be cozy and there will be days when your husband come home und you just hand im the baby over but all there moments even the worsed one are so unique, thats what I told me from time to time.
We have something here we call Mummy-Mantra:
All becomes good 😉
So enjoy your baby welcoming days and couch days and much more
Sibylle
p.s. I also was always afraid of the first days alone at home even with the second one.
That’s what I did with my baby – getting out of the house everyday for a walk was the goal. Got some exercise, the motion got her to nap, it was wonderful! Unfortunately, I’ve only knit 3 times since she was born. So good luck on that bear!
Sounds like you are doing great! I’m happy to see you back and posting and am really enjoying reliving my daughter’s newborn days through your blog. Your post yesterday brought tears to my eyes and you’re doing great by writing everything down. That’s always my #1 piece of advice to new parents (if they ask for advice, that is, though sometimes I can’t help myself ;).
Congratulations, again 🙂 It’s so exciting to read about your daily joy of being a mom – your post today made me remember the times when my boys were wee (they’re 7 and 11 now) and how every moment was filled with wonder for all of us. Now that they’re older, it’s easy to forget that feeling… thanks for the reminder 🙂
I remember the day when all I wanted to do was get to the store and buy some bread and milk… So, feed the baby, go pee, oh, change the baby, feed the baby, have a wee snack so I don’t collapse at the store, change the baby, finally get out of the house, go buy milk, come home all triumphant, before realising I’d forgotten the bread…. So, you’re doing very well, I’d say!
obsession… if it works run with it, into the sun 🙂
You’re doing great, far better than I remember it being!
It’s great fun reading about your new life.
Congratulations, you are doing fabulously! I had
such a hard time adjusting to the constant feeding in the house. Boobs are so very portable though! Lord help me but I remember crying to the same John Denver song (love him by the way) and another one by Willie Nelson, can’t remember the name! Have fun.
You just made all these memories of my life a year ago come flooding back. The long days parked on the couch with my boobs out, Boppy and baby in lap, nursing allllll day long. Thank goodness for wi-fi, laptops, and DVDs.
Keep up the good work, Cara. You’re already a great mom.
You sound like you’ve got it so much more together than I did. You’re doing wonderfully!
Sounds like you guys are doing great! Growth spurts are part of nursing and once she hits 6 months they don’t happen as often. Nothing wrong with a little extra boobie milk!
Goals are a great idea….I remember with my first, when hubby went back to work I had two goals everyday…..shower and make my bed. If I managed to accomplish both of those it was a good day, no matter what else happened!
What a great idea — having daily plans for keeping yourself and Meli busy. Being mostly housebound myself, I could learn from you. Love the teddy bear. I’m sure Meli will, too. I agree with the person who said your “voice” has changed. You do sound different. Motherhood becomes you.
sydney nursed every hour for the first 4 months of life lol, all babies are different. Some nurse way more and some nurse way less, but yeah its normally attached to a growth spurt, or its natures way of uping your milk suppply!! WAHOO! lol
Oh try to nurse even on each side, I now have a bigger left boob haha!
Growth spurts are sometimes incredibly hard nursing-wise. Sounds to me like you’re doing great and really reading her signals well!! Some people might say you’re holding her too much, but it’s entirely your call. Have no fear!
Cameron totally went through those phases where I wondered if I’d even get to go to the bathroom without him attached to the boob! So, in my experience, it’s totally normal and a good thing! You’re doing great to set goals for each day…I think I was just trying to survive. 🙂
Good luck on Day 3! We haven’t had an “alone day” yet (and won’t for a few more weeks thanks to the out-of-town family visits). We have done a few outings, too, but I always wait until she’s sleeping (and she sleeps through the entire trip)… There may be some growth-spurt going on here, too, but nursing still makes her super mad, so it’s hard to tell 🙂
Glad you’re hitting your stride!
Hi
Am usually a mere lurker – but just had to respond today! My little angel is now 7 but I do remember a particularly BAD day when he was very young after my hubby had gone back to work. Somehow during the entire day I had managed to have a shower and get my underwear on but that was as far as it went. I never actually made it downstairs for nursing… My hubby rang me at 6pm (when he should have been walking through the door…) to say he was going to be late – at which point I burst into tears.
He came home – I gave him the baby and he said “are you just going to bed?” and I said “NO I’M JUST GETTING UP!!!”
That was our worst day… I can laugh now – just!
Take care, enjoy – it gets better!
They want to eat all the time at that age. They’ve still not got used to breaks between meals!
One suggestion though for helping her nurse more efficiently. It’s better not to have them on their back with their neck turned at an angle, according to our BF gurus. (Think about it…do you eat over your shoulder?) Will she tolerate being turned round so her legs are under your armpit and her belly to you?
I fed while out, everywhere and anywhere. I remember standing in a very long queue at the bank with a baby up my t-shirt. No-one even noticed, I think, and it was better than him screaming. We have laws here in the UK against any sort of harrassment or discrimination against breastfeeding mothers. Is it not the same in the US?
you and meli will find your rhythmn and it sounds like you are well on your way. I thought my girls nursed a lot until the doctor said, they will nurse until they feel full so let them go. Babies are so smart. I tried to let them teach me what they needed. All it took was my being receptive to what they were saying.
Awwww, the tiny baby days. Here is the question that bothered me: is it possible to breastfeed and knit at the same time? 28 months of breastfeeding later, I can say it is possible, but the baby has to be willing to put up with a little bit of jiggling, and I could only really ever do it well on one side.
Yeah, I always wondered, are those growth spurts for the baby, or the boobs? Mine always felt so drained. I guess they sort of were. Hang in there, you’re doing great!
Ahhh, memories of my little ones. Remember to drink enough water and have some good snacks throughout the day. I always thought nursing the baby was a great excuse for why the laundry wasn’t done, dinner wasn’t ready, etc. “Can’t right now, dear. Have to feed the baby!” It is a good idea to try to get outside every day, especially as she gets older and a little fussy–it’s a great way to make the time go by. I used to walk to the market a couple of times a week, just to have some face-to-face contact with adults.
Hang in there, hon. I remember these days well (my Melis are now 13 and 11). I think I like to have killed my husband when the oldest was the age of yours and he comes home from work. I’d been wrestling her all day long, wouldn’t nap, wanted to nurse all the time, fussy, etc. At 5pm I still hadn’t had a shower for the day and looked AWFUL and he had the audacity to ask what I’d done all day long.
Hopefully yours is a little more understanding that mine.
Sounds like you two are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing… It seems like so long ago that I was in your position (my baby is 11 and wears size 11 men’s shoes now) but your descriptions bring back those times quite forcibly. Have fun each day!
Those first days do tend to be awkward, but before you know it, you develop a mutual rhythm and it begins to feel like normal life instead of a huge project. I second the breastfeeding lying down thing – extremely useful and relaxing. Also, once the babe gets just a wee bit of head control, the nursing gets to be much more natural and portable – they nuzzle in and latch on of their own accord instead of all that positioning and checking you have to do in the early days.
Hi Cara, I am a long time lurker on your blog but I am going to post now! I just want to chime in that my baby nursed constantly for the first few months of her life. I spent many days with her latched on for hours at a time. I worried terribly that something was wrong with me or my milk supply. But there was nothing wrong, just each baby is different.
Sometimes people who haven’t nursed a baby don’t understand how exhausting and draining it is. Just wanted to share my experience in case you feel weary or doubts are creeping in. Enjoy this precious time with your little one.
Hang in there with the growth spurts. There were days I felt like all I did was breast feed. (ahem, every 2 freakin hours!)
It sounds like things are going perfectly!! I loved those days and miss them now that life is getting back to hectic normality,if there is such a thing. Enjoy the quiet time together and damn, let me know when you find your how to have a baby the right way handbook, mine must have gotten lost at my son’s birth so I’ve been just kind of winging it ever since.
Your little Meli is so lovely. Three weeks already – time flies! Enjoy you days together with just the two of you. All the best to the family.
I’ve been reading your blog (and lurking) off an on for the last couple years. I took an off period (things got super busy at work) shortly before you announced the pregnancy and came back a few days before you delivered. So now that I’m finding myself pregnant I went back and read the archives leading up to this and it was really great for me. I’m going on 17 weeks now and have been sick since 6 weeks. It was so nice to read an honest account of the reality of the situation (like peeing yourself when you puke!). Thanks for not listening to the detractors and continuing on even if it wasn’t all about knitting. And now seeing your beautiful little one is so encouraging for me that it really is worth it.
Cara, I just finished reading ALL of your archives and I have to say, I love your blog. You seem so honest about everything and I really admire you for not letting anybody stop you from writing about whatever you feel like writing about!
Congratulations for you and G on your perfect little cutie!
It is so nice to hear you are doing well. I am due June 13, and am nervous about the whole breastfeeding thing (I have some physical issues to overcome and my family is not supportive). It is so nice to hear that you are managing all of it.
I agree with all the comments on nursing lying down (the only way to get any sleep) and good days/bad days, and enjoy it as much as you can. It goes by so fast (though you don’t believe this at the time). The growth spurt/milk supply part is so true. It’s usually *somewhat* predictable: at or around 3 weeks and 6 weeks, then 3 months and 6 months. At or around those ages the baby “has to” nurse nonstop to increase the supply! If you know that ahead at least you understand what’s going on, eh?
Love the photos and all that you’re sharing. It’s a special time and reading about your time makes lots of us moms remember when ours were tiny. Meli is a sweetie!
Hi and congrats from Scandinavia (one of those people who take a peek without ever leaving a comment). Would just like to say: keep up the good job! In a few weeks time you’ll be glad that your breast feeding routine (though it’s never really a routine) is working – When my kids were babies I used to feel sorry for all the mums who had to prepare lots and lots of bottles/wash up all the time + sometimes ran out of food if they got stuck in traffic or something.
My “baby” is almost seven (and he would freak out if he knew I called him my baby) reading your blog reminds me of the fun and very challenging begining of his life. He is massive amounts of fun now but I miss those wonderful days of learning too. 🙂 You won’t ever forget this time even if you have five more!
I’m taking notes. Lots and lots of notes. 😉
One: I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing. And for sharing this baby with us.
Two: would you mind bringing her by the booth this fall at Rhinebeck? Sliver Moon.
Thanks. 🙂
PS: you’re doing great.
My baby is 20 now, working for the PD and just bought her first brand new car. The days go by faster than you can imagine!
You all are doing so well! Wonderful. She’s so beautiful. She really looks like Georgie but she’ll look more like you both as days go by. She has a pretty pretty face! Her eyes look wise, even though she is so little.
That growth spurt is SO true. If she’s hungry, she’ll stick to the boob. R did that lots, it seemed like he was always in a growth spurt!
xoxox thinking of you all! HEJ and HEB
Cara,
Gliders are a gift from God. Staying on the couch all day? AOK. Nursing, growing, getting out while you can? You are right on track and “doing fine”. Prayers for your continued contentment and grand love fest – and know that all the moms out here are rooting for you and M.
Love,
Hi! having nursed four children (they are now 17, 14, 12, and 8) your post really evokes past times for me. Glider rockers are definitely the best; so is owning the sofa, nursing lying down, and nursing where ever necessary. I suppose I may have gotten the occasional evil look nursing in public, but I must not have noticed. Best fun was using a sling and getting it set up just right so there could be nursing going on at the same time I was picking up groceries or something like that.
And the walking… We didn’t have a second car until child #3 so there was a lot of walking for those intervening years. I became an expert on good stroller design, especially double strollers!
As for knitting, my friends who had babies around the time of my first got sweaters or afghans, my first two eventually got crocheted afghans, and my later two are still waiting (maybe when they go to college?). I never tried to knit and nurse at the same time, although I did get a lot of reading done – and a lot of late night TV (just me and the baby and Letterman…).
Like it says in the song “you’re gonna miss these days…”
All the best – Meli is beautiful!
Oh that 3 week growth spurt… It’s quite a doozy! Mine is 6 months and just did that to me last weekend. On Sunday I think he nursed 15 times (or possibly more, it has become a blur). But it was essentially every hour on the hour. And while it was a bit of a pain, it’s nice to feel so very needed, especially since they’ll need us like this for so short a time in the overall story of their lives.
Meli looks to me, the totally unbiased observer, like the perfect little girl. I am so very very happy for you and Georgie, Cara.