Friday, June 24, 2011

You know ...

You know you have a newborn when your 4-year old asks, "Mom! Why are you dressed?"

I think I've gotten "dressed" three times since Laney has been born. One of those was on Wednesday when my hubby and I went on a dinner date for his birthday. On the drive to dinner, we realized that instead of going out to eat together, when Luke was exactly Laney's age, we were sitting together in the waiting room of Seattle Children's Hospital as Luke underwent his first open heart surgery.

It still stuns me that Laney is healthy and we are given a chance to experience the "normal" newborn experience. Laney's birth doesn't lessen my gratitude for what we've learned through Luke's life, but I sure am thankful to be going on dates with my husband instead of doctor's appointments!

I am thankful that Laney can spit up like a madwoman and we don't have to panic about the loss of calories.

I am thankful that I can let Laney sleep for as long as she wants without worrying she's sleeping too much.

I am thankful we don't have another appointment for her until mid-July and if that one is like her others, it will short and sweet.

I am thankful that her little nostril is free from an NG tube.

Most of all, I'm thankful for her thigh rolls!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Big Brother and Binky Boot Camp

For you heart mamas, his blue tongue is due to a blue Airhead!

As you can see, Luke seems to be adjusting pretty well to this new little person living in our house! Yes, he gets frustrated some moments, gets impatient others, gives me some seriously sassy looks, and cannot for the life of him stay quiet for very long, but then ... then I catch him this morning by Laney's bassinet, patting her back and turning on her music because she was crying. He got to her first. He loves to give her baths and thinks it's ridiculously funny when she toots (however, NOT funny when she spits up — and a spitter she is — this actually gets his gag reflex going).

One blessed mama

I couldn't be prouder of him, how he's handled this transition. Where I feared regression, he has become more independent. Where I feared jealously, he has grown to really care about his sister. To be honest, he has handled the splitting of my time better than I have! I had several days I couldn't hold back the tears because I missed some of our Mom-and-Luke "routines". Rog had to remind me (gently!) that Luke was doing okay, that he wasn't thinking about the shift nearly as much as I was. That it is natural, good even, for Luke to separate from me a bit.

As for little miss, we have enrolled her in binky boot camp. She has not shown any interest in the binky, but we have seen much improvement the last two days after beginning this intensive program. In fact, I would venture to say that she's beginning to like that little plastic thing! This has made car rides so much better and it is nice to have another soothing tool in the toolbox. She still has some work to do, as it falls out a lot, but we have been assured of positive results if we stick to the program =)

Now we just need to find a program that teaches babies to stay asleep when transferred from arms to bassinet!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Charting our last three weeks

I have charts to show you what this girl ...


... has been up to the last 3 weeks.



The first growth chart is Laney's weight and the second is her height. Our pediatrician, with a big smile on his face, declares that to be "above average growth".

At her one month appointment today, Laney weighed 8 pounds 15 ounces and measured 21 inches. That is nearly 2 1/2 pounds and 3 inches gained in one month! So now you know what Laney and her mama have been doing. This girl can eat! Even when I feel overwhelmed with nursing, I feel more overwhelmed with gratitude that we are not struggling with weight gain. Seriously? 50th percentile?? Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers! How many times did we pray that this new baby would be a strong eater? That she would grow and thrive just on breast milk? God is faithful.

Now I just need to pray that he would keep that gratitude forefront at 2 a.m.