My First Week

Maya had a squeak of a rough start. She has a very "give me what I want now" attitude about breast feeding, coupled with the fact that she has a very, very hard time waking up. She started out on her birthday at 7 pounds 15 onces, and by the time we left the hospital she was 7 pounds 5 ounces. She was close to the hospitals "can't lose more than 10 percent of birth weight" rule.



It would be time for her to eat, and she wouldn't wake up. I mean, this child can not be woken from her sleep (could it be from the IV drugs they gave me before the epidural guy came? I don't even remember it happening). So we would wake her just enough to latch on, and she'd fall asleep within five minutes. Or, she'd get really frustrated because not enough would come out and she'd say, "What's the point?" shut down, and fall back asleep. One nurse gave me a breast shield, said it would help her. Another gave us a SNS or finger feeder (a little tube hooked up to some boob milk which you attach to your finger and she sucks on it) which we've had to keep using because now she associates the boobies with frusration and sleepiness.



The finger feeder is nice, but I feel like I should be having her at the breast. I have shed tears over it- she's frustrated, mommy is frustrated. So we keep trying, and she keeps gaining weight! The lactation consultant/home visit nurse is wonderful and came back a second time to give me replacement tubes for the breast pump. She told us that some babies will magically latch on a month or two later because it was offered to them everyday. So, we'll see. She also said that Maya now weighs 7 pounds and 11 onces. What a difference a finger feeding makes!!



And mommy is a milk machine. I could sell this stuff they way it comes out. Milk gold.



Now that you know the skinny on that situation, the fun stuff.



Maya loves the sound of birds. She'll be in daddy's lap getting fed and hear them and perk up.

Maya also loves tummy time when her daddy plays the guitar for her. Especially Led Zeppelin...of course. Maya has started to wake up and tell mommy and daddy when she is hungry- this is helpful since all she used to do was sleep and sleep. Maya has elf ears, we think she came from Rivendale. Maya was awake for almost two hours when Allan and Woo came over to visit and ooh and ahh over her. Two whole hours awake! This made for very good sleeping for mommy and daddy. Maya's nicknames so far are: Monkey, Babyboo, Pumpkin, Sweetpea, MayaMy (this are the names mommy calls her). Daddy calls her Babe.



Grandpa Greg and Grandma Peggy came on Saturday and brought a beautiful changing table that Grandpa made. They also bought us a porch swing which the neighbor kids keep trying to climb on. We had a nice visit with them, and took Maya out on her first outing..to Zio Johno's for lunch. She slept, we ate. Shauna and Max came over too. Max seems to really like his baby cousin ("where's my baby cousin, where's my cousin?").



Thanks to everyone who helped out with shopping and visiting at the hospital (thanks for the clothes momma, they have been wonderful). It helped a lot and we're super appreciative of our wonderful families and friends. Just having people come visit keeps us sane. And thanks to all who brought flowers or sent them, I actually had a nurse say, "I'll give you your meds if you give me those roses." Thank you, thank you, thank you.



Hmm, I guess that's it for now. Banana bread in the oven calls to me.