Who Dat Baby

Who Dat? Lilly Rose was on hand for the Saints victory over the Vikings. It was her first regular season game and she celebrated and watched some of it with Aunt Bitsy and Uncle Adam. She's shown here with her Saints 'Who Dat Nation' black onesie ( it is big on her - someone gave it to us for her to wear during playoffs), gold Mary Jane socks ( don't think you can see them) and Fleur-de-lis skull cap. She didn't catch the end as it ran into her bedtime, but she was pulling for them all the way. She's a Saints fan but will root for the Cowboys as long as it doesn't hurt the Saints. It was fun to get her dressed up for the game. The skull cap is the best - given to us by Mark's cousins. She did well, got fussy at times but could be soothed by her peace pipe or Aunt and Uncle. So one victory down! 18 more to go!

We made it to post-natal yoga!

So yesterday we made it to post-natal yoga, and it was great. Not like the pre-natal classes - which were all about the breath, connecting with the child within, and relaxation. This class, while about relaxation and connecting to the child, felt a bit more like management than the former. Babies crying. Babies eating. Babies sleeping. Felt like my life but just in a yoga studio, which I guess, it was. But it was cool to go, be with a couple of new moms, people I recognized from my pre-natal classes, and now you can put the child with the belly. And in their cases, Lilly met Lulu and Jerome. We did some exercises to get them warmed up, taking their arm and opposite leg and having them meet, and us, lean down and say "you're so big Lilly (but insert name of your baby here). And we did that a few times and then switched arms and legs. We also did a bit of baby massage. Starting with their feet, massaging in a circular motion, then moving to their ankles and then up their legs. There's actually a free class at a local baby store on massaging your little one, it's Saturday morning, so I might try to go. But anyway, they just lie atop a couple blankets, looking as cute as can be. Jerome was in the middle with his mom, and he had a bunch of curly black hair and a great grin, and just seemed to enjoy everything!

Lilly didn't get to it as much as Jerome, but he's 15 weeks and a bit more with it than her. But she did enjoy lying on the blankets, and then looking to her right, and finding the ceiling fan. I guess its the shadows the fan creates, but she enjoys looking at fans! Anyway we were told that crying babies, feeding babies, they are all the norm, even coming to the class late is ok. So good to know for the future.

After focusing on the babies, we turned to ourselves. In theory the babies would lie there, and let us do our poses. Well thats all good for a bit, maybe one or two poses, but didn't stay true for the whole time. It was a new environment for her, so I think she got a little nervous. She was real quiet once the class started, taking it all in, but then she got both a)hungry and b)tired. And wanted her comfortable environment, not two purple yoga blankets as her cushion. Plus she does not like sleeping on her back, so no chance of getting her to nap like that. So for all the standing poses, the lunges, side angle, downward dog, she's crying, she wants to eat, and most of all she wants to sleep.

So for the first time, I breastfed in public. It was a safe environment, as another mom fed earlier, but it was still a bit weird and liberating at the same time. Lilly ate and was fine and then wanted to sleep and I tried to get her to sleep on the blankets but she wanted my arms and wouldn't think of anything else (which is fine, I enjoy cuddling) but it did make doing yoga, until we got to the poses and ab work on our back, where she could just be in my arms and I could be on my back, move my legs and not have to do anything with my arms. And before I knew it we had a final relaxation pose, which we could have done legs up the wall or have two bolsters at an angle and relax on those, with Lilly still sleeping, I opted for the bolsters.

But all in all, a good class. Nice to see the other new moms and babies. And best of all, a nice way to connect with Lilly and get back to some relaxation with myself.

Chins that smell like milk

One thing that I never noticed before about babies is how they smell like sour milk. I've gotten the nice baby smell, how they smell like the lovely scented Johnson and Johnson's baby lotion. How their hair smells so fresh like the sweet Johnson and Johnson No Tears shampoo. And their skin is so soft. Really soft.

But I guess the more time spent around the newborn, the 'lovely' smell wears off and the true aroma comes through. Milk. Now it might just be my child. But there is the overwhelming aroma of sour milk. And this is with a daily bath (and pediatricians only recommend bathing infants 2-3 times a week, imagine!). But she's got some chins. The number depends on how you look at her, but we love them chins. And these chins, well, they are a welcome mat for excess milk. And this milk, if not cleaned up (or even if cleaned up) is somehow just there. It doesn't turn into crusties, just some weird skin coated with milk. It's like if you rounded the skin up, into a little ball, and added the aroma of milk that had been left out for 24 hours. That's why you get. And with the chins, well, it just seems as if its a drain for this milk. And in essence, the milk smell.

But we had a good day today. She's been playing up on her overhead jungle gym. She's been hitting two of the hanging toys - a purple octopus and a green crocodile. She's also grabbing at her peace pipe, tonight she took it out of Mark's hand and held onto it for a bit. Of course when we tried to get her to do it again, it failed for the video camera. And we are only on our second outfit of the day. Explosive diaper. It's amazing how so much can come out of something so small. And we went for two walks today - one to the hardware store but they were closed, so we went to Langenstein's for toothpaste, turkey, diet cokes, and bread. And then tonight we went to the Creole Creamery - while she didn't get ice cream, she did enjoy and sleep on the walk there. She woke up with three blocks left on the way home. Hope everyone had a good Labor Day.

The Clipping of the Nails

First of all, mad props to Mark. He cut her nails.

I had been complaining for about a week, ok a little more, that we needed to cut her nails, as they are getting to be long ( it's been about 2-3 weeks since they were last cut by Uncle Tony) and she had scratched herself a little below her left eye. It's healing nicely, but there were 2 little scabs. That's when I knew we needed to cut.

But have you ever seen baby nails? Their fingers are so tiny and the nails to tender. My mom and Regina cut her nails during the first 3 weeks. And then Uncle Tony and Aunt Sally gave me a lesson on how to cut her nails. But the prospect of me doing it, well I find it to be intimidating. The room for error, the room to snip her finger, cut her skin, well it felt high. It's recommended the nails be cut when the baby is asleep, as there is less jerking and moving of the hands. Which means the cutter can have more room for accuracy.

Even with Aunt Sally's instructions (hold back the skin behind the nail so you can get a better hold of the fingernail and then snip), I was still incredibly nervous. What if I missed and clipped off a part of her skin? What if I made her bleed? I hate squirting the saline nasal spray in her nose, seeing her jerk, react, and then scream and wail. And this is just saline. What if I actually made her bleed? I saw how she (and let's face it, I ) reacted to when she had her blood drawn, it would not be good on either part. So I kept putting it off. And off. And off. I said to myself, well, my mom is coming on the 12th, I can just wait until then.

But she woke up this morning, with two scratches on her right check, just little welts, no scabs this time, so we knew it was time. I pulled out the white nail clippers, with the 'Safety 1st' logo on it, and just left it on the island. I did my part - I pulled them out! But I couldn't bring myself to clip her nails.

Well, Mark could. He was brave! We read that some parents bite their child's nails, as a way to cut. We knew we weren't going to opt for that one. And I couldn't put mittens on her hands, it's September in New Orleans. So he went in.

Started with the ring finger on the right hand. Got the nail, snipped it right off. But then she woke up. And wanted to feed again. So she latched on, ate for a minute or two, and then dozed off. So went in, well she jerked again and awoke. He managed to clip another nail. And she was awake, But she was cooperating so he continued. He went to clip her right pointer finger, but she moved, and he moved the clipper, and nipped her skin. She cried. She bled. And we both freaked a little bit. Luckily we had a burp cloth, so we put it over the bleeding finger. I told Mark to get the Neosporin. But problem was we couldn't remember where we last put it. I thought it might be in the downstairs diaper/clothes basket. Nope. Then I told him to look for it upstairs, in her bathroom closet, to see if it was with the Mylicon Gas Drops and Children's Tylenol ( a logical place). Nope. Then he checked the diaper bag. Nope. So he checked our bathroom, and then came back with the tube.

We smeared it over the wound (which in the beginning looked a lot worse, she, by now, had forgotten about it). And I had moved onto the next worry. What if she ate the Neosporin? She has been putting her fingers into her mouth more and more.

She recovered from her finger. But we stopped cutting her nails. Will have to work our way back to it. But mad props, like I said, he cut her nails and he's the brave one!

Dr. Seuss writes tongue twisters!

So last night we read Lilly Dr. Seuss' "If I Ran the Circus". What a book full on tongue twisters! She pretty much fell asleep about 1/4 of the way through the book, but Mark and I were enjoying it so we kept reading. I know I talk fast, but try reading a Dr. Seuss book, man, I had forgotten about his crazy rhymes and rhythm. He writes goofy material. Check out some of the text and then speak it aloud!

"And while THAT goes on THERE, look at THIS go on HERE!

Have you heard of my herd of "Through-Horns-Jumpping-Deer"...?

Every deer jumps through horns of another pell-mell

While his horns are jumped through at the same time as well

By a deer whose horns ALSO are being jumped through

By another who's having HIS horns jumped through, too

Which I'm sure Trainer Sneelock can train them to do."

or

"The Show of All Shows!

There's no other Showman

Who shows you a show with a Blindfolded Bowman!

The Blindfolded Bowman from Birgger-ba-Root,

The world's sharpest sharpshooter. Look at him shoot!

Through the holes in four doughnuts!

Two hairs on a worms!

And the knees of three birds

Without making them squirm!

And, then, on through a crab apple up on the head

Of Sneelock, who likes to help out, as I've said."

What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book? Or passage?

Lilly's First Tea Party

We dressed up Thursday and went to Safta Margot's house for Lilly's first tea party. Tea was had by Margot and myself, as well as delicious raisin scones with Meyer Lemon butter. A couple strawberries were also eaten. Lilly dressed up in an outfit given to her by my friend Sara. And she looked super cute. There's a beige ribbon around waist, with a bow in the back. She looked great in it, that is until she exploded (yes, again) in her diaper after we got back from Margot's. But she was great at Margot's - she ate when we got there. Margot fed her, then I changed her, and then she wanted a little more to eat, so she got it. And then she just wanted to be held. So Margot held her while I had my tea, and then she fell asleep in Margot's arms. So we put her in the car seat. But it was great to be with Margot, she's Mark's grandmother's cousin, and we just adore her. And I even braved the elevator both up and down in her building!

Wednesday

Lilly hasn't been feeling too good. She threw up on Mark Tuesday night - got him real good. All down his gray t-shirt and onto the floor. Mark saw it coming and in an act of bravery and practicality, spared the rug and threw himself into the spray. Easier to clean himself than the rug. I concur.

Anyway, we called the pediatrician yesterday, and Dr. Gorman said that it could be the stomach virus that's apparently being passed around New Orleans. She said to look out for diarrhea. If Lilly had that, then we knew it was the virus. Dr. G also said to call her immediately if Lilly threw up again, or had a projectile, forceful spit up, as that could indicate a problem with the stomach and colon. Apparently they might be fusing together. And the last thing it could be, and appears to be, is that Lilly has had a build up of mucus (really, my child have lot's of mucus? Who would have thought?) and that it's hindering her breathing after she eats, which is making it hard for her to eat and digest, so she could be overeating or just taking it in wrong. After she eats she tends to have a labored, almost wheezing like breathing, and Dr. G thinks its a build of mucus. So she said to put saline nasal spray in her nose and that should start clearing it out.

So on his way home last night, Mark picked up Little Noses Saline Spray and we then squirted it up her noise. Boy was not happy. It definitely took her by surprise, she gave a little jerk, opened her eyes, real wide, and then started to scream and cry. It definitely took us by surprise and we almost wanted to stop - as this was making her uncomfortable, but we could hear the mucus clearing and then Mark used the bulb (the best - from the hospital) to clear out what remained - and that made her even angrier. But we did it a couple of times - the dosage said use it 2-6 times, we did twice each time, I can't imagine, or maybe I am just a wimp, using it on her 6 times. She gets so sad and angry with just 2 times! I don't know if my ear drums and let's face it, my heart, could take it for an additional 4 times.

But she was exhausted last night. She went down at 9 and awoke at 2. I fed her and she went back down at 3 and slept until a little before 7. She was definitely better this morning, more alert. Well, happier that is until we started in with the saline nasal spray!