Emma: 2 Weeks Old



Nursing: Emma has been a great nurser since day 1, latching on without any problem. This week she started being less sleepy while nursing but also started eating less at each feeding. I have been working hard to get her to take full feedings throughout the day (20+ minutes per feeding) but it's been nearly impossible to get her to nurse for that long. She usually does great on the first side, nursing for 10 minutes without a problem. However, the second side is a different story. She will rarely nurse for longer than 4 minutes on the second side before refusing to continue. It's so hard because when she then starts acting hungry just an hour later, I start to doubt myself and wonder if I should feed her again or wait until the 2.5 or 3 hour mark for the next feeding. But then if I do feed her she often gets more fussy, making me think that it is upsetting her tummy to eat that frequently. So many questions in the early days...if only she could just tell me what she wants/needs! This week we stuck to a 2.5-3 hour routine around the clock and one night she actually slept an extra hour between two feedings, which was wonderful. I am hoping that she will soon begin stretching out the middle of the night feedings so I can get a little more quality sleep.

Sleeping: This week we still didn't start implementing a strict schedule, as we were focusing on full feedings instead. However, I did start to try to get Emma to nap more often in her crib. It was definitely hit or miss this week. There were more naps where she didn't sleep in her bed than did. She spent the majority of her naps asleep in someone's arms or in her swing. But the first goal is just to get her to sleep for her naps and then we will work on getting her to sleep in her bed. As far as nap times go that was also very hit or miss. While everything I have read in Babywise says to keep wake times very short in the early days, that didn't always work for Emma. There were several times where she ended up staying awake for the majority of the time between two feedings, refusing to fall asleep. I'm a little worried that I have another sleep fighter on my hands! Emma also seems to have her fussiest period around 5am. She usually wakes for a feeding around 4am but for the last few days she has not fallen back to sleep after that feeding without a lot of work for mommy and/or daddy. It's definitely not fun to try to soothe a fussy baby when you are so exhausted yourself! We are looking forward to this phase ending soon!


Firsts: This week was filled with milestones.  Emma celebrated her first Fourth of July and went to her first parade (right in our neighborhood).  Emma's umbilical cord stump fell off, which meant she could have her first real bath. She hated it! However, it was right before her next feeding and bedtime, so she was tired and hungry...a bad combo! This week also marked her first outing. We ventured out to Lenox mall as a family of 4, which proved to be a mistake. We only managed to get into one store before we had to head home for Emma's next feeding. But we were just glad to get out of the house. That night we also had our first date since Emma was born. My parents stayed home with the girls and we went out to dinner. We were only gone for about an hour but it was nice to get away for a little bit. Another first for Emma this week was her first dinner out. We went to Joey D's for dinner with Brian's parents. We fed Emma a bottle while we were out, which she ate well. She was content and sleepy for the rest of the meal. :). This week she also had her first full feedings from a bottle (filled with my milk). She had 3 or 4 different feedings from a bottle this week, which is more than Hannah probably ever had in her life. I have realized how much easier it is to pump and feed a bottle while out and about instead of nursing. I also realized how much faster Emma eats from a bottle, while nursing takes her so much longer! I'm definitely tempted to pump and feed her bottles full time, but I won't. I also really enjoy the closeness and convenience of nursing exclusively.

Mommy: This week I started to feel much more like myself. My recovery has truly been amazing! My emotions have been much more even this week, with only minor meltdowns happening in the middle of the night when I am so exhausted. My postpartum bleeding has mostly stopped at this point and my stomach pains are virtually gone. Things are still a little sore down there, but nothing too bad. I did not lose any more weight this week, so I still have about 14 pounds left to lose to get back to my prepregnancy weight. I did manage to fit into some of my prepregnancy shorts and shirts this week, which was so nice! I am slowly starting to weed out the maternity clothes from my closet! The weirdest thing is that I will never wear those clothes again. Definitely bittersweet!

Hannah: I am happy to say that Hannah had a much better week this week! She has adjusted so well to being a big sister (except for a few rough days in the first week) and truly adores Emma! She holds her hand every time we are in the car and loves to sing to her. Her favorite songs to sing to to Emma are both from Barney (her favorite show!) - "You can count on me, I'll always be around. I will cheer you up, when you're feeling down." and "I love you, you love me. We're a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me too.". She loves to hug and kiss her little sister and wants to hold her every time she sees her. She really is a great big sister!

My parents left on Tuesday morning and Brian's parents came on Tuesday afternoon. It was hard to say goodbye to my parents but having another set of family coming in to take their place was wonderful! Today Brian's parents left, so we are officially on our own for the first time as a family of four. Scary, but it's time. Thankfully Brian stayed home from work today and then we have the weekend to get adjusted as well. But on Monday I will be on my own for the first time with both girls. Ahhh!

Tonight will be Emma's first night in her own room. It has been nice having her right next to the bed for the middle of the night feedings, but it's time for us to move her into her room so we all get better sleep. We will see how it goes.

Clothing Size: Newborn
Diaper Size: Newborn