2 and 1/2 Weeks In....

And Stella is amazing! She sleeping like a champ and eating like there's no tomorrow.  I'm fully aware that she's only 2 weeks and this could all change but for now she is very laid back and a fabulous baby. 

What I've learned in 2 weeks

1. When it's night time do not wake up the baby because you are worried she is starving. She isn't, she just wants to sleep like you do! Once Darren and I figured this out we all slept better. In fact a few nights ago she slept 6 hours! I thought she was dead! Nope.  She's averaging about 3 to 4.5 hours at night between feedings which is amazing!
2. Pampers are waaaay better than Huggies. I have a pack of Huggies that I got as a gift that we are currently using just to get through them and go back to Pampers. I love Pampers and love their rewards program (Gifts to Grow).
3. When you buy a sound machine for your child get one with an IPod connection. Before Stella was born I had these grandious ideas of playing Bach or Mozart during her feedings. After her birth I now realize that I too have to listen to it while I'm feeding her so we listen to my IPod instead. I'm sure because of this Stella will always get a hankering for milk when she hears Miranda Lambert and Adele but oh well, it keeps me sane.
4. Breastfeeding is hard. Not only do you not know what you're doing but neither does your baby. After some tears (from both of us) we finally have the hang of it and I now think I could climb Mount Everest with her attached to my boob. I'm not going to try it though. I also concerned about not having enough milk....I have now sprayed Stella in the face no less than 5 times. Let's just say if you have a kid who you feel needs some breast milk, please call me. I have enough to share. My body is definitely not my own but it's really crazy to see this tiny person grow and know it's coming completely from me. It kind of makes me feel like super woman (with huge boobs and a pooch of course). Check out her chubby cheeks.

1. The bouncy/vibrating baby seat is amazing! Stella loves to sit in this seat and watch the room, especially our ceiling fans. Darren or I have to sit near the on/off switch to keep the fan turned on but only for a second so she can still follow it. The picture above is Stella watching the fan in a cute onesie from her Godmother Nicole.

2. The swaddle. I read that it may look like babies hate it, and it does look like that until she falls asleep right away AND stays asleep! Thank you swaddle blanket makers everywhere. Below is a picture of me waking her up and unswaddling her. She's in love with it (and sort of still has an alien head from her birth but I digress).
3. Parents are the most incredible people on the planet. No, not me, I'm still a work in progress. I mean my own parents.  They stayed with us for 2 weeks and gave me a whole new respect for them. My Dad cooked and my Mom did laundry. It was amazing to come downstairs after a marathon breastfeeding session to find dinner on the table and laundry on my bed ready to put away. I have NO idea what I would have done without my parents the first 12 days of Stella's life.  They also filled our garage freezer with tons of food and in Emily OCD style they made a list of each meal and posted on the freezer so I could mark off food when I used it so I would know what was left. Did I tell you they are amazing?
4. My Mom- I do realize I just mentioned my parents but my mom really out did herself. It's so nice to have someone to look to and say "how did you do this?" and then she tells you calmly and cooly. My mother's patience and advice over the 12 days they were here was truly invaluable. Some of my favorite quotes from my Mom during her visit:
1. You aren't nearly as crazy as I was when I had your brother. You are holding up so well.
2. Every day you look thinner, the weight is really coming off (this isn't entirely true but it always made me feel good when she said it).
3. We will stay for a year if you need us. (This was during a breastfeeding session where Stella and I were both crying, mine was mainly hormones, Stella's was frustration)
4. Thank you for letting me spend the first 12 days of Stella's life with you. It's all I ever wanted to do, now I feel complete. (How do you not cry when your mom says this? And you happen to be weepy and hormonal)
5. And my favorite reaction from my mom.....I had to go to the doctor a week after being released from the hospital as I was diagnosed with Preeclampsia (can't spell) and they wanted to check my blood pressure one more time to make sure it was coming down.  I got home and told my mom they asked me if I had resumed having a sex yet (keep in mind this appointment was literally 10 days after I had Stella). She nearly fell on the floor from laughing. She had tears in her eyes.  I told them I hadn't been having sex but I had been horseback riding....NOT!

Just wait until week 4. I'll probably have a novel to publish.  Just kidding.