I’ve been trying to sit down and write this post a handful of times now, but Adriana has been keeping me busy! Shocker, right? hah. I love hanging with that little monkey. I’d say these past two weeks have been our best yet. I am so happy to be her mom. Even though we’re no where near a set routine, I feel like we’re all getting into a groove. Things continue to feel more comfortable and natural. During the early weeks, I remember typing questions into Google all hours of the day. Everything was new. Even though there are a million opinions about everything parenting, it was often comforting to read about other mom’s experiences and find out what we were experiencing was common. Now that I’m feeling more confident as a mama, I’m finding myself Googling less and trusting my instincts more, at least in this stage. It’s amazing how often that gut feeling is right!
Adriana turned two months old on Friday. The weeks are flying by even quicker now that we’re over the hurdle of the first month. It feels like every day we witness a new developmental or physical change in her. It’s so much fun seeing her personality unfold. My main goal in life is to make her crack a gummy smile. It’s the most rewarding feeling! Her head control has improved a lot and this past week she’s started teetering to one side like she wants to roll over. Our pediatrician couldn’t believe it. This girl is a determined one! She also continues to enjoy making all kinds of silly baby noises – screams of joy, coos, big sighs, grunts, bubbles, etc. I think I forgot to mention this in the early updates, but she makes the strangest noises and facial expressions when she sleeps – grunts, gasps, squeaks, smiles, grimaces, screams, cries, sighs…you name it. Her dreams must be WILD. The first few nights Eric and I were terrified that something was wrong with her! We must have checked on her breathing 10 times the first night. But after speaking with some other moms I guess she’s not the only one!
Breastfeeding continues to go well. The other night I looked at Eric and I said, “Do you realize I haven’t cried over breastfeeding in weeks?” I’m so grateful we stuck it out, through the tears, bleeding, blisters, chomping, everything. I can honestly say I enjoy breastfeeding now and I look forward to our snuggly time throughout the day. The other thing I love is how portable it is. I never have to worry about bringing food with us. Even better if I remember to wear a nursing-friendly shirt and bra! We’re still nursing about 9-10 times per day, but her nursing duration has decreased as I think she’s becoming more efficient at getting the milk out. Long gone are those 60 minute marathon sessions! Now she feeds between 10-25 minutes per session, on average. In the early weeks we were nursing for over 5 hours per day, but now we’re usually between 2.5-3 hours. Progress!
We did have some hard times with breastfeeding around week 7 though. Adriana went through a growth spurt and was feeding non-stop for a few days. I was soooo sore and tired. I barely left my glider chair. She was feeding almost every hour, around the clock. It was rough, but as they say those hard times don’t last forever. And it made me feel good to know she was getting the comfort that she needed. In the end, she rewarded us with a couple days of great sleep, renewing my faith in the balance of the universe. ;)
Another challenge has been trying to get Adriana to take a bottle. We waited until week 6 to introduce the bottle to her (since she struggled with breastfeeding for a while), and she hasn’t really gotten the hang of the bottle yet. We’ve tried maybe 5-6 times so far and only once did she actually latch onto it. Most of the time she just licks it or lets the milk drop into her mouth as she gives us a huge grin! What a stinker. I’m hoping she will get the hang of it eventually because it would be really nice for me to be able to leave the house for longer than 1-2 hours (no big deal!), and for us to be able to leave her with a sitter down the road. I’m trying to pump a few times a week to build up my milk stash in the freezer. I find pumping such a drag though. Major kudos to the mamas who do a lot of pumping. Oh and we’re now using the preemie size Dr. Brown nipples for slower flow. I am surprised at how fast the milk still comes out though.
In the first several weeks, our social life was pretty non-existent (not surprisingly), aside from visitors coming to see Adriana. So in the past few weeks, we’ve been making a point to schedule time with friends each week. What a difference this has made in my mood! I was pretty scared to leave the house with Adriana on my own, so I challenged myself to get out for a couple play dates each week with her alone. Once I did it a couple times I realized it’s not that hard. Of course, she had a total meltdown in the car on my first outing with her alone (I can laugh now, but I was on the verge of tears when it happened), but other than that it hasn’t been as hard as I thought. I find that once I force myself to do things I’m scared of I feel so much more confident. Sometimes it just takes one or two tries to master something and then it’s like, why was I so worried about it? No, Ange, the stroller really isn’t out to get you. So last week we had a playdate at my friend Joanna’s (she has twin girls 6 weeks older than Adriana) and then I had another with a new friend I met in my neighbourhood (her girl is 3 months older). Hanging with other moms has been so refreshing. Eric and I even had our first night out at our friends the other weekend. We brought Adriana and she had three (near) blow outs (of course!), but other than that it was easy bringing her along at this age. We were out late and boy did we pay for it the next day (I recall saying it was my most tired day out of the entire 2 months), but I also think it’s good to try and maintain a social life, even if it’s different than it used to be.
This week marked my first official return to exercise and I’m loving it! Wait, correction: I am loving how I feel when it’s over! Up until week 7, I had zero desire to workout, but all of a sudden it just hit me one day and I started to get that urge again. That’s when I knew it was time. Recovery wise I’ve felt great since week 6ish, but my mind wasn’t “in the workout game” until week 8. So I started this past week doing spinning classes. I’ve missed spinning so much and I love the social aspect of group exercise classes. I reunited with a couple friends in this week’s classes too. I will admit those first classes whipped my butt…hard. I joked with one instructor that the first class was “slightly less painful than labour” haha. But I was on cloud 9 the rest of the day so it was all good. It probably sounds corny, but when I’m in the middle of a tough spin class I like to visualize myself getting through labour. That experience has shown me that I can get through anything and it helps me keep going.
I’m still doing these ab exercises to help heal the minor ab separation I have (I skip the first exercise in that video, but do the rest) once a day. Once I build up my cardio, I want to start doing the kettlebell bootcamp classes at my gym. If only there were more hours in the day! At any rate, it feels awesome to be moving my body again.
Weight/length: At two months old Adriana has gained 3 pounds 11 ounces and grown 3 inches in length since birth! You grow girlfriend. [Sorry, couldn’t help myself.] She’s getting the sweetest chubby cheeks and legs and I just want to gobble them up!!
Looking forward to: Adriana’s first Christmas! Also, Adriana meeting her Aunt Kristi, cousins, and Uncle Pete for the first time.
Nothing beats a…hot tea and warming bowl of my 5-Minute Oatmeal Power Bowl first thing in the morning. Can’t get enough!
Worrying about…flying with Adriana for the first time in December, but I hear it’s not so bad at this age?
Sketchie has…taken over Adriana’s Boppy Lounger Pillow. He sleeps in it approximately 8 hours a day. Ok, Sketchie it’s yours now…
Last time I cried: I could not stop crying reading about the heartbreaking story of a man, Chris Picco, who lost his pregnant wife, Ashley, and baby, Lennon, unexpectedly. There’s a video of him playing the song Blackbird to his baby just before passing. My heart absolutely breaks for him and his family. I’ve been squeezing Adriana a bit tighter ever since. It’s one more reminder of what’s truly important and how much we have to be thankful for.
Sleep Status: Adriana still wakes up 2 or 3 times per night to feed. Our pediatrician reassured us this is totally normal for breastfed babies during the first several months. Girl likes to eat just like her mama. ;) I continue to be surprised by how little sleep I can function on…and by “function”, I mean I can almost create coherent sentences before noon. Me like oatmeal…tea warm belly.
PS – I found this article pretty interesting about the timeline of baby sleep!
Blog I’m loving: Pregnant Chicken. Amy is freakin’ hilarious! I love her sense of humour. Girl cracks me up. Try starting with her 10 Great Things About Being Pregnant post → “You can blame forgetfulness on the pregnancy. There have been many studies that have discounted pregnancy brain but I think those people are just confused and need a tall cool glass of shut-the-hell-up.” whahaha.
Until next time.
“I feel wonderful because I see
The love light in your eyes.
And the wonder of it all
Is that you just don’t realize how much I love you.” ~Wonderful Tonight
I’m so glad to hear you’re starting to fall into a comfortable routine! And that breastfeeding has become much easier. I didn’t read through the comments, so I might be repeating advice, but when you fly with Adriana, nurse her during takeoff and when you land. That will help relieve the pressure in her ears from the altitude changes. I’m sure it’ll all go wonderfully!
I have a nearly 6 month old (whoa it goes by fast) and he will only accept one nipple. Not one brand, one style, just the one. I am so grateful that I get to feed him most of the time, and secretly kind of like that he is so fussy about his bottles. But I do feel bad when “The One” gets mixed up and MeeMaw or Daddy has a hard time.
If I were you, I would try a bunch of different bottles, perhaps you haven’t found the right match yet.
Good luck!
Hi Angela!
I had my baby just coupe of weeks before you :-), So he’s almost the same age as Adriana. Just wanted to make a comment about the bottle, my baby won’t take it if it’s just slightly warm, he outright refuses it, try making it very warm…
Good luck!
Svetlana
I am sure you’re getting a ton of bottle recommendations; however, I wanted to throw in my own. I have a 6 month old who, when we started on the bottle, had a very difficult time because all the bottles were too fast flowing — even the ones that were made for 0-3 month olds. He would choke and sputter and become frustrated and was not able to latch. Needless to say, it was extremely stressful and frustrating, as I was going to go back to work when he was 3 months. We tried multiple bottles and nipples and they all flowed too fast and he rejected every one of them. And then we got the Comotomo and, I kid you not, he took to it the first time, was able to latch immediately and has had no issues ever since. It’s a lifesaver of a bottle and has caused no nipple confusion at all. Just my two cents :)
What a lovely little girl. I’m going to share my bottle story with my two kids below, in the hope that I can extend some empathy for the frustration.
Neither my son (baby 1) nor daughter (baby 2) liked the bottle. It took weeks for him to make the transition, and my daughter never did. Since I was back to work at 8 weeks full time (out of the house for 9+ days, along with business trips) with both of them, this was quite stressful. My son finally took the bottle, and used it for about 8 months – I nursed him until 17 months, and then we eased out of it. My daughter, has a strong sense of self, and refused to take the bottle – she knew how, it was obvious – but just detested it. By 4 months, she had dropped from the 80th to 14th percentile in weight. I can still recall the sick feeling in my stomach at her 4 month check up when they told me. The pediatrician knew what was up, and had watched both our kids, and simply stated, “she’s acting like a 6 month old in all other ways, try a few solids and the sippy cup.” And that was it – she happily took breast milk in a sippy cup to 8 months, started solids early, bounced back to a happy weight – and self-weaned (to my sorrow) at 7 months.
What I learned from this is that babies are fairly sturdy, and they won’t die from hunger. But the emotional toll, for me, was pretty strong. I think I struggled more with it than either of them. Yet here we are, a happy family of 4, with another joining us in a week. It is possible to emerge on the other side – sometimes it is just very hard when you are dealing with the situation at hand.
Oh – as for traveling with little ones – I’ve done this a lot with my kids. My husband even flew solo with a 3 year old and 1 year old from the US to Italy, to join me at the end of a business trip. It’s totally doable, and I wouldn’t stress about it – just prepare. The way we handle things is as follows:
1. We have 1 suitcase that we all use (yes, even with all 4 of us, if the trip is a week or less, we just fit it in – I hand wash thing in the sink at a hotel, as needed)., and that is checked.
2. We assume baby will sleep most places, so we just use a towel to line the car seat, and have him/her sleep in that, or make a nest on the floor with pillow around it. No pac-n-play.
3. For what we bring with us: (1) diaper bag with change of clothes, diapers, some distractions, teething items, etc. (2) my husband’s laptop/camera – won’t travel without them (3) my purse, (4) breast pump and supplies, if I’m pumping – I literally pumped constantly/everywhere with both kids. (5) stroller+carseat (we had a graco combo unit), and the baby carrier. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not that big of a deal.
4. For security, we have an SOP – I put my purse, pump, diaper bag, baby carrier, shoes, etc. through first, and walk through with baby. Husband handles the rest, including our son – stroller going last.
5. If I know I’ll be transporting breastmilk, I always have a print-out of the TSA policy in the bag with the pump, on the off chance someone doesn’t know the policy. NOTE – a breast pump is a medical device, and so does not count with your other carry-ons. I just tell the security guard what I’m putting through – sometimes they’ll inspect the breast milk.
6. Give yourself lots of extra time. We budget 45-60 minutes extra traveling with kids.
7. Prepare to walk up and down with baby. Both our kids loved being in the baby carrier and walking up and down the plane aisles, so we just take turns – whether it be a 2 or 10 hour plane ride.
8. Double check that baby is listed as traveling with you the day before/day-of. EVERY time we have traveled with our kids, there has been a mix-up about the lap-child (despite my double checks). Whether it’s Washington, DC, Houston, or Brussels, we’ve had to redo the plane tickets plenty of times. As long as you give a big time barrier, this is not a problem, and has always worked out.
9. A small thing – I always have a big comfy wrap with me when I travel. This is for my comfort, but also doubles as a baby blanket and nursing cover.
10. You obviously need a passport for international travel for baby. And I liked to bring a copy of birth certificate for domestic, even though not required. I have a separate zip compartment in my purse that I keep all the travel documents in. I also keep an extra diaper in this compartment at all times – termed the “emergency diaper”.
11. It is helpful to assume you will get no sleep on the flight/when traveling. I’m always amazed at the number of parents that try to read or do something else with their kids in tow. Invariably, baby starts to fuss, then cry, and the kids get out of hand. If you go in assuming you’ll be on 100% of the time, you’ll most likely be pleasantly surprised when suddenly baby nods off, and you’re able to get some shut-eye yourself.
We’ve done this so many times, that the entire time it take to pack for a domestic plane trip with two kids, from soup to nuts, is <60 minutes for me. And, I actually LOVE traveling with them now they can watch things and get excited about the airport/plane/etc.
I just adore how much she looks like her daddy!!!
Hi Angela!
Out of curiosity, are you still wearing your belly bandit? I’m 2.5 weeks post partum and I am only wearing it for an hour or two a day at this point. How long did you wear it for and how many hours a day?
Love the blog and baby updates. Wondered where you got the pod for Adriana”s car seat?? Looks really warm and cozy. Thanks!
thanks! Its from babies R Us
I totally feel you on the bottle situation!!! Our little rascal didn’t take one until 7 months, when she started really liking solid foods. It was like she finally agreed to accept something that didn’t come directly from a boob! She knew how to drink from the bottle, she was just very stubborn and did not want it that way. Good luck with it all! I hope Adriana catches on faster!
PS: Flying really isn’t so bad at that age. I think the most helpful thing to do is pretend like it’s just you and your family on that plane and not care about what anyone else thinks! I also tuck one end of a swaddle cloth into my bra strap, and one end behind the tray table for nursing. That way, people know what I’m doing and if they want to look away they can. ANd you don’t have to fumble with the cover, which I never got the hang of :)
Could you please write another post on how to follow your baby posts as well as your OSG recipe posts? I can’t seem to find the correct RSS address. Thanks!
Thanks for the shout out Ange! Mia and Everly love their bestie. I can see a little twinkle of mischief in Everly and Adriana’s eyes! Like I keep saying, cut from the same cloth. Great blog post! You are rocking this new mama role. This mommy of four is in awe of how you do it! With OSG, a new baby and gulp… Spinning! That reminds me I need to dust off my treadmill. I will have to do a blog post on Nesting Story soon about the three amigos. Maybe I will have an ongoing one as the girls get older called “The Adventures of Everly and Adriana, While Mia Nervously Watches” haha! Love ya lady! xoxo
What you can do in a pinch is use a small spoon to get some breast milk into her…will take longer but worth a try when she refuses the bottle!
These teas look great! I cant wait yo try some. How about a green tea with orange soon?
Angela, I love reading about your baby updates – even though I’m a little late to the party on these. It reminds me of the times that my little one was still nursing and needed me so much. I miss those times, so cherish them. Even though our little Dagny is only 28 months she has become so independent from when we first brought her home.
On a slightly different note we are trying your lemon dill tofu for dinner tonight, which I am sure will impress like your other recipes.
Enjoy your little Adriana. They don’t stay little for long.
Wow, I can’t believe how you do it all! Your recipes are amazing, as is your photography, I really love your blog and tell so many people about it. I’m so very impressed with your fortitude in breast feeding and your natural approach to everything baby, you are amazing! Yay for you!
My babe wouldn’t take a container at all for a very long time, and after that didn’t need them with me around for much more. It seems like she isn’t agitated with them, and that is extraordinary! The best guidance we got was for mother to go out however remain nearby for the initial few times (in the event that angel gets upset and won’t take the container) and let daddy, grandmother, or even a decent companion attempt the jug a little before a normal bolstering time, so she’s somewhat ravenous, yet not by any stretch of the imagination expecting to eat just yet. That is the thing that at last worked for us! Good fortunes!
I didn’t read through the comments, so I might be repeating advice, but when you fly with Adriana, nurse her during takeoff and when you land. That will help relieve the pressure in her ears from the altitude changes. I’m sure it’ll all go wonderfully!
Thanks for sharing
Hello everyone, I’m a new parent and I am trying to get my four month son to sleep longer during night. Right now I am fortunate to get three hours rest each night. Best wishes