S, Chris and I had quite the lengthy outing today! We attended a New Mother Support clinic back at Grand River which was SUPER helpful - not only did we get additional reassurance that S was well nourished via breastfeeding (she was up to 8 lbs 2 oz prior to a feeding and then 8 lbs 4 oz following a 15 minute feeding - the Lact-Aid was taking us 4 times that long to get the same amount into her) but we also got some tips to make latching even easier ("hamburger" the boob when offering it to her) and nursing more comfortable (bring the other arm around to complete the cradle with intermittent rather than more regular compressions).
Following the clinic, S had her first shopping trip. We hit up the Baby Boutique to spend the $60 gift certificate we received when we purchased her UPPAbaby Vista stroller. There were some good specials so we ended up with a sizely bag o' loot - an additional HALO SleepSack for when she's a bit older (6 to 12 months), another change pad cover with a pretty flower pattern (which S picked out - she went "Ahhh!" when we showed her this one!), an extra hooded bath towel which matched the change pad cover, a monkey bath mitt and a "Buncha Farmers" stain remover wetstick.
Finally, we popped into Chris' grandparents place where S got to see Gramma and Grampa Campbell AND Great Gramma and Great Grampa MacDonald! Lots of photo opportunities ensued.
Gramma and Grampa Campbell:
Great Gramma and Great Grampa MacDonald:
When we came home, a huge box was waiting for us on the front porch. Our work had sent us an adorable toy cradle with a doll, a sleeper and a rattle. So sweet! :)
That night, we hooked S up with her first cloth diaper - a Bummis prefold with a "super whisper wrap" froggie cover. She's on the low end of the weight range at this point so they're pretty huge on her, but adorable nonetheless (if we do say so ourselves!)
Day 8: Wednesday, December 1st
Happy 1st week birthday, S! :)
In the early afternoon, we took her to Dr. Irvine (here in New Hamburg) for her first check-up. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 5 oz (just 3 ounces back from her birth weight already!) and in the doctor's words, there were "checkmarks in all the right places"! Of course we had our fair share of new parent concerns (Her tongue looks white - is that thrush? What about that rashy looking area on her chest?) but the doctor reassured us that all was A-OK!
Aunt Becky and Uncle Paul came by for a visit later that afternoon. S got pretty fussy and hungry so they didn't stay too long, though Beck did get in some good cuddle time!
That night, Chris and I got to enjoy some relaxation with an episode of Ally McBeal (we're currently working our way through Season 2), and then he found the finale of America's Next Top Model (Cycle 15) for me. It was nice to have a bit of a break from 24/7 baby-related activities. :)
Day 9: Thursday, December 2nd
In the morning, we registered for S's birth certificate and then in the early afternoon we had a home visit from a friendly & gregarious public health nurse named Kathy. She asked us a bunch of questions and provided us with numerous baby & parenting resources (booklets, checklists, etc.). And finally, she gave us two thumbs up that S is thriving nicely and we're doing well as new parents (and that no, our home was not yet in a state meriting its own episode of Hoarders, despite our mild concerns :)
Papa Charlie and Nana Linda brought over an early dinner (delicious crockpot beef stew) and stayed for a game of Settlers of Catan. S learned the ropes quickly and helped Chris win!
"Build a settlement on the wheat port, Daddy!"
Of course, there was lots of time for snuggles too! S and Papa had fun making faces at each other. :)
We ended the day with our first load of cloth diaper laundry. The prefolds appeared to launder nicely as per the instructions in the Bummis manual, but we'll see how things go after a few washes. Effective long-term CD laundering can evidently be quite tricky with a front load washer!
We also noticed before bedtime that S had developed little "breast buds". A quick Google revealed that this was in all likelihood due to Baby getting hormones from Mom through breast milk, which is quite common. Something to watch, in any case!
0 comments:
Post a Comment