The Exhaust Fan is Genius

So it's the little things that work. Not the $14.99 mirror with attached teething ring, not the $19.99 Sheep Sleep (with four built in sounds - mother's heartbeat, spring showers, ocean sounds, and whale songs). But when you are in a jam. Lilly Rose screaming, crying, fighting sleep, and she's downstairs, turn the oven on. Turn the exhaust fan oven, and she's a happy, happy camper. And a sleepy, sleepy camper. Mark was cooking the other night, had the exhaust fan on, and we noticed it lulled Lilly to sleep. I guess its the white noise that babies love so much. So yesterday, during the afternoon nap, well one of them, she was fighting sleep, sucking on her pacifier ( another soothing mechanism), and we tried a bunch of things to keep her asleep. And the sheep sleep sounds not working (it's tied to her pack and play), was desperate for something, something to keep her asleep. And remembered that she took to the exhaust fan, the other night, so turned it on, and sure enough, with her peace pipe (pacifier) and the fan in the background, she stayed right asleep. Check out the video. Now I must write a disclaimer, that even though it worked superbly at the afternoon sleep, come the early evening, she was definitely not taking to it. So here's to it working once a day ( I'll take that!) and the Sheep Sleep working the other times (it's working right now!).

Spit Happens

So yesterday Lilly Rose was 2 for 2. She spit up on both Mark and myself. And boy did she get us good. I was feeding her, for her first lunch, and she was at a lull. You could see the rim of milk on her mouth, when she gets like that, I always say she is drunk with milk. But anyway, she was on the lull, needing to be burped, and I put her on my left shoulder. The burp cloth was on. But her mouth was pointed toward my neck. And that's all she needed. All of a sudden I feel a jerk, and this warm liquid, and before I knew it, she had spit up running out of her mouth, and down my chest. I jerked up. Startled her. And then got a new burp cloth. Wiped up her mouth. And dabbed at my chest. She got me good - there wasn't much I could do. She still needed to be burped, though she got the majority of it out!

Then for her first dinner, Mark was burping her, and she was once again on the left shoulder. But her mouth was turned toward his shoulder. And she too was at a lull. And all of a sudden, Mark too feels the liquid, going down his shirt collar on his shoulder. His green Polo shirt was now stained with milk. Though that's a nice thing about breastmilk, it doesn't stain. So she got us good yesterday. But we also saw her smile, ok even if its only for gas, it's still a nice thing to see.

The Cord

So her cord is gone. Shriveled up like a raisin and fell off Thursday. It was a bit sad, I am going to admit. I think because it was one of the last physical things clinging to the pregnancy and now she is fully on her own, well save for the DNA, genes, etc that Mark and I gave her. But it's gone, actually its in a Ziploc baggie, in her baby book. Not entirely sure what we will do with it. Some people said they threw it away. Others buried it in the backyard. I guess, for now, we'll keep it in the Ziploc. If you have had experience with a cord, what did you do with it? Or what did your parents do with yours?

I'm a sucker

So it's official. I'm a sucker - I can't stand the crying. Or better yet - Lilly Rose's crying. She was tired, fighting sleep, after the 4PM feeding. And she had fallen asleep, and we put her in the swing, set it running, and then let her be. And once we let her be, she let loose with her wailing. And I was on the phone with my mom, and she said 'there' nothing wrong with picking her up' But I went through the checklist - was she hungry? No. She had fed and fed. And even burped. Did she have a dirty diaper? No. She was just changed. She was comfortable, she was swinging, she was swaddled, well as best as she could be in the swing. She even had music, the advances of the baby swing these days - it's got something like 6-10 songs and sounds apiece. Pretty nice. But all of a sudden, like I said, the crying started. I remember looking at my computer, it was 5:28. I said, ok, two minutes. And if she's still crying then I will pick her up. Well, it really wasn't 5:28 for a whole minute, because it changed to 5:29 within 10-20 seconds. So I only had to sit through one minute. And it was a long minute. And sure indeed, at 5:30, I picked her up, she quieted down immediately, and was fine. She just wanted to be held (though nothing wrong with that). And within a couple minutes she was asleep in my arms and looking super cute.

So just a few minutes ago, at 8:50PM, she was asleep, started crying. Mark and I looked at each other, said five minutes, and went about watching Last Comic Standing (we're three episodes behind - don't tell us what's going on). And sure enough, she had a loud cry. And it got louder. But by 8:53, three minutes later, she was done. So I've learned my lesson. Well for today, anyway.

A little nap goes a long way

So resting when the little one rests really does work. I'd been fighting it, trying to get things done around the house, watch tv, etc, but the exhaustion really does catch up with you. And once the exhaustion is there, the anxiety (think: monkey chatter) creeps in. So finally I rested. Pumped last night, was able to get some decent sleep, slept solid 4 hours, pumped again, slept another 3-4 hours and then rested this afternoon. We had a LONG feeding, well she didn't want to get up for the 1PM feeding. And then once she did, she didn't want to eat. And then by 2:30 she was ready to eat but not sleep. So we put together her new overhead jungle gym. To keep her entertained. She looked like, at times, that she would do some push ups. But she's not a gym rat yet. She liked her new gym for a bit but then by 3:30 got real tired, so we put her down. I slept for 30 minutes. Pumped. And then slept for a bit until Mark got home. And boy does sleep do the body wonders. So now, it's 9PM, uploading some video, pump ( can you sense the theme here?) and try for two nights of good sleep in a row!

Drove today for the first time since the birth. Went in the morning before the heat became too bad. Found out that Radio Shack does not have a cord to hook up the digital camera to the computer. Looks like online shopping for me. On another note, polished off the graham crackers, so no more left. Think I finally have gotten over the obsession from the hospital.

The Sound of the Dishwasher

It's quiet in the house. Mark's at work. And the baby is asleep. I'm in the den, and the sound of the dishwasher is my company. I've paid a bill, submitted news to the college magazine, recycled some papers, showered, ate breakfast, and watched Project Runway, The View and now completing a House Hunters Episode, since the 7AM feeding. The sun is out, so it looks like a nice, cheerful day. But a bit too hot to take Lilly Rose out in it. Weatherman this morning, when I was flipping channels after Project Runway, and after the segment on Chelsea Clinton's wedding, said it was a Heat Advisory day, so definitely staying indoors. Might take a trip to Radio Shack, my first time driving since giving birth, to get a cord for the computer and camera hook up.

Also trying not to let the monkey chatter that is in the head come out, and I know that's all that it is - Monkey Chatter. Words that aren't true, ideas that are false, just trying to keep me off balance and worried. Found that there is a class at the Parenting Center at Children's Hospital called Snuggles and Struggles, meets every Tuesday morning, so I don't make it tomorrow will definitely shoot for next week. Mark's mom gave good advice last night, she said to practice with the car seat, getting it in and out of the base, practice taking her out, etc because I am not homebound (which I was during bedrest) and she and I can go out. It's just finding the nerve to do it. Fear Nothing. Or at this moment, a lot of things. But learn to let go. As Mark said, babies cry, they get upset, and they move on. People understand. And also saw that there is a post-natal yoga class at the studio where I took pre-natal yoga. Need to ask the doctor if I am cleared for exercise.

On another note, we celebrated LRM's 2nd week-bration last night. Ended up putting two candles in a brownie my mom had baked before leaving. Can't remember who ate the brownie ( I ended up eating several during Mad Men later) but Aunt Sarah blew out the candles. Video of the event can be found below. Hope you have a good day!

Saturday - day of outfits and tears

So yesterday was the day of outfits - Lilly Rose went through four. Two were done for by end of second feeding, which is a little after 10 AM, one was done for by the end of the third, which is a little after 1PM, and then she was in her last outfit for the rest of the day. Lot's of poop and split up. I'm on an anti-biotic, so we're wondering if the medicine is wrecking a little havoc on her little tummy. It's doing a little number on mine. But the doctor said we could continue to breastfeed, so just a few more days. Hopefully everything will clear up, and her stomach will go back to normal.

On another front it was JJ's last day in NOLA, as her trip came to an end. And she went back to Dallas. Lot's of tears flowed on my end. She had been here a little over a month, and was a great comfort, source of advice, companionship. But she'll be back in September, when Mark goes out of town for a friend's wedding. So sadness still lingers but we had a good time together, so that outweighs anything. And there's more to come.

And today is Lilly Rose's 2 week-bration, so we've got a pie (thanks to Donna and Bob) will put some candles in it and celebrate tonight with Mark's parents and siblings.