Bath Time!

I'm not quite sure where to start today. I know I had a few things that I wanted to specifically mention, but now they have somehow slipped my mind. That's been happening a lot lately. I'll chalk it up to "mommy brain."

Madeline wasn't as fussy today. I'm trying a new nap time routine, and so far it's worked. Don't get me wrong, she's going to be fussy, but the 24 hour fussiness has to stop sometime! We also started implementing her nightly bath time routine. She had her first official bath last night. We had been washing her under the sink, but I finally decided to pull out her tub. She got in and didn't know what to think at first, but ended up liking it. We didn't get any great photos, but there are a couple below. We'll try again tonight. I tried to put on her pajamas last night, but the newborn size is still way too big! Hopefully she'll fit in them in a couple of weeks. I'm also thinking that I might have to go buy some more newborn long sleeved clothing for the next couple of weeks now that it's cooling down. She's not even close to fitting into the 0-3 month as I mentioned, and I've found that the Carter's Made With Love runs smaller and fits her better right now than the Carter's Just One You, which runs big. Also, the Circo clothing runs large. So I'm thinking I need to get newborn sized Circo and Just One You from Carter's for the next month until she can actually fit into the 0-3 month sizing.

 Poor Madeline was up all last night with the worst gas and her reflux was bothering her. She tried to sleep through it, but she was up the majority of the night fighting it. I've tried gas drops and they occasionally work, but I've also found that sometimes they make it worse. I'm going to try Colic Calm, which people rave about. It's just really hard to find - I tried Walgreens today, and they didn't have it. I'll try CVS tomorrow.

In other news, I've lost yet another pound. I'm only one pound away from my goal weight. I was surprised when I jumped on the scale this morning, because I didn't eat particularly well this weekend. I indulged in a few cupcakes I baked for my friend Shelby's birthday, and had a few other treats. I had my 6 week post partum check up yesterday, and I've been put on an antibiotic to help speed up the healing process, since I should have been fine by now. If this doesn't help within a week, they'll put me on something else. I'm really hoping this medication works....this is horrible!

I didn't wear my Squeem for a couple of days because I found it to be a little uncomfortable after wearing it awhile, but I started back today. I'm not sure if it's really doing anything permanent just yet, but while I'm wearing it, I am definitely much smaller. Unfortunately, you can't wear it out in public under clothing because it's noticeable. Additionally, it bulges out while you're sitting.

I finally was able to get my hair done by Wayne on Saturday. It was great to see him and feel like my old self again. However, this isn't going to be a monthly ritual as it was before pregnancy. I'll go every few months and get retouched. I ended up basically being away all day on Saturday from Madeline, and it was so hard. I actually started to cry at Shelby's because I felt so guilty and I missed her. I know it's good for me to be away....but I'd rather it be a few hours...not 10 hours.

Sophie has been taking an interest in Madeline's playmat and toys. It's funny, but I feel a little bad for her. She thinks Madeline's toys are her toys, and she gets scolded when she tries to play with them. It's odd though, because she's never played with toys. She has doggie toys, but she'll play with them for 5 minutes when I buy it, then she won't touch ever them again. And, she tries to get in the middle of the playmat after we are done with our playtime, or she'll try to get in with Madeline. Oh well.

Catching Up

The past week has been extremely busy. Madeline's been so fussy, that it's been difficult to get anything done, but luckily this morning I had some time to catch up on a few things while Tommy watched her. She's sleeping now.

This week she's been more interested in objects. She'll watch different items now, smile at them, and gaze. It's really cute. Her head is getting my stronger as well, and her tummy time is going much better now. She loves her playmat, mirror, and light up toy. I need to find more light up toys, actually.

I can tell she's gaining weight consistently and I think she's coming off of her growth spurt. It's been a little difficult with feedings, judging how much food she wants to eat. I'm making sure she's getting the required amount, and then she's wanting a little more during this spurt. I can distinguish a hungry cry versus a sleepy cry...well for the most part. She's been gassier the past couple of days, which has her waking up super early - between 4-6am. I try to get her back to sleep, but it doesn't really work. Although, she is sleeping more through the night. The most she's gone is about 5 hours, but that's 6 hours between feedings. (Feedings take around 30 minutes, and the quickest I can get her down for bed is 30 minutes, but it's usually more like an hour or so...sometimes longer). Which means, we are both getting more sleep. Here's her night sleep schedule so you can get an idea:

8pm Feeding - usually asleep between 9pm-10pm
2am: Feeding - usually asleep by 3:15am 
6am: Feeding - not always falling back to sleep due to the insane gas
9am: Feeding - up for the day (with the exception of naps)

She's been on that schedule for about 5 days now, so I think she'll stick to it. She's been smiling a lot more, too. I can't wait until she starts laughing. She's still in her newborn clothes and diapers. I'm estimating that she'll still be in those for another 3-4 weeks, then move up to Size 1 diapers and clothing sized from 0-3 months. She's well stocked on 0-3 months clothing, but I do think she'll be in them for awhile. She's very lean and narrow.

She has been insanely fussy and a ravenous eater until my Mom watched her yesterday evening. She was a little angel. Maybe my Mom's the baby whisperer? I don't know, but she wasn't very fussy when we got home, either. We'll see how tonight goes. This was the first night in a couple of weeks that we didn't have massive meltdowns for hours.

I have my "official" post partum check up tomorrow morning that I'm dreading. I'm still not fully recovered, so I'm nervous. I've lost another pound and I've been great about my workouts. I'm actually about to go do my DVD, then Madeline and I will go for a walk this afternoon.

Below are a few photos. She's been a little wiggle worm lately so it's been difficult to get decent photos!

WAHHHH!

I've been meaning to post, but I've been dealing with a screaming baby since Friday..lol. I'm pretty positive Miss Madeline is having her first growth spurt. She's been fussy, screaming, eating, and fighting sleep 90% of the day and night. Today, she actually did take naps, which is a good sign. She's actually screaming at Tommy right now and he's trying to figure out what she wants. I know it's one of two things...she's fighting the sleep and wants to nap or she's hungry again since she's been cluster feeding in the evenings. But, he doesn't want to take my word for it...yet.

We went on our first walk today. It was more difficult than I thought it would be, but I managed to go for 45 minutes, and I did my pilates workout as well. I probably won't be able to move tomorrow. I've lost half a pound since Friday. I'm sure I'll only lose 1 lb per week going forward.

I found a great deal on the Squeem over the weekend on Amazon ($30), and decided to give it a try and compare it to the Bellefit. I received it yesterday, and I started wearing it today. It's made of a rubber material. I kinda feel like I'm being sucked in by a tire. Oddly enough, it's quite comfortable. It also is more durable than the Bellefit. I guess I'll find out if I see any results. While I liked the Bellefit, the Squeem is 75% less expensive and so far is better quality. I started with it on the outer notch this morning, but moved it inward this afternoon to the smallest notch. It's very tight at the moment.

This past weekend was busy again, and this coming weekend is going to be nonstop. I'm finally going to see Wayne and have my hair colored! I'm so excited. I think I'm going to add in some low lights this time around.

And here are some random photos for your viewing pleasure:

Fighting Sleep

Finally Asleep

 Interested in her light up toy

Miss Sophie

1 Month

Wow. I cannot believe how incredibly fast this first month has gone by! It's so hard to believe. It feels like we've only been home from the hospital for a week or so. I suspect that the upcoming days, months, and years are just going to start flying right by before my eyes. Even though the past month has been difficult, it has been the best time of my life. I am so thankful to have such a beautiful, healthy baby girl. It's unbelievable how much life has changed...for the better.

We had a major break through last night. Madeline slept in 4-5 hour intervals and was easy to get back to sleep last night! That also means that I *finally* was able to sleep. I was so excited that she went down so fast at her 2am feeding, that I actually woke myself up from all the excitement. But, I was able to fall back to sleep. I bet I got 6 hours last night! I'm really hoping this is a new sleep pattern for her, and not just a growth spurt.

Today was extremely busy. I cleaned the house top to bottom, managed to fit in my workout, play with Madeline, cook, etc. I'm just now getting a moment to sit down and catch up for a moment. I have to admit that I kinda hate my new workout. I'm not exactly a fan because it's actually challenging. But, I know in the next couple of weeks it will become much easier. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to try to get in a run around the neighborhood. I actually haven't been outside since Wednesday. I need to get outdoors more often.

I'm not exactly sure what's in store yet for this weekend. We are trying to coordinate plans with our friends and I know I need to run a few errands (shoe shopping - one of my favorite types of errands).

As far as my weight loss goes, I've lost another 2lbs. Only 3 more to go until I meet my goal, however, I'm completely okay with losing more. My Bellefit also no longer doing anything. I really wish they made an XXS so I could size down. I might try the Squeem, but I don't know yet. It's amazing that just changing my diet has caused the extra weight loss the past two weeks. I'm eating like I did a few years back. I'm almost at my procheerleading weight! I'm basically cutting carbs, eating smaller portions, and eating healthier in general. I used to calorie count, but I don't really need to do that anymore, since I used to eat like this anyway. I do allow myself "cheat" meals and snacks. For instance, tonight I made fried pork chops with gravy, mac n cheese, and fried okra. At least I got a vegetable in there, right?

Okay, since I've obviously been lacking in the photo department, here are a few:

Her first binky!

She loves her mirror. Look at her smile!

I'm pooped.

Hmm. Do I want food? Or do I want to scream?

Update

It's hard to believe that Madeline will be 1 month tomorrow! This past month has flown by so quickly. We had her 1 month check up yesterday (I got my dates mixed up), and she now weighs 6 lbs, 14 oz and is 20 inches long. She's getting so big!

She's been much fussier this week. I suspect her reflux is the culprit. She's also started fighting sleep. Meaning, she'll start screaming when she is sleepy, but won't allow herself to actually go to sleep. It's kind of funny because she'll be wailing, and then completely out the next second. This has also made it harder to put her down in between feedings during the night. I've had to cuddle with her for about an hour, then move her to the Nap Nanny.

She started smiling more often this week...it's so cute. And, she loves holding onto my hair, which might be an issue once she starts pulling, but for now, it's okay. She's getting much better at holding her neck up. I started "tummy time" last week on my chest. I attempted it on the floor, but she's terrified. For now, I'll just actually do tummy time on me. I'm trying to get her interested in objects, but she still doesn't really care.

As far as sleep goes, last night she actually went 4 hour periods between feedings. I was going ahead and getting her up after she started making her baby noises around 2.5-3 hours, but last night, I decided to wait to get her up until she's fully awake. It actually worked. Since she's gaining consistently, I don't have to wake her to feed, although, I don't need to let her go more than 4 hours without eating for now.

It looks like I might just get in 3 workouts this week. I was so sore on Tuesday/Wednesday. I just got done with another workout, but I have a feeling I'll have to skip tomorrow. I'd like to start walking with Madeline, but I really need to wait until it cools off a little more and the mosquitoes die down.

I know I need to post more photos of her, but she's asleep in her swing right now, and it's difficult to get a decent photo. I'll post some tomorrow.

Jello

I just did my first Tracy Anderson Post Pregnancy workout, and first workout in about 4 months. I am not going to be able to move tomorrow, and I'm basically like a Jello pudding cup at the moment. It definitely kicked my butt and worked muscles I never knew I had. I would rate this workout as intermediate - advanced...but more on the advanced side. Of course, it was super challenging for me because I haven't worked my muscles in so long. The DVD mainly focuses on abs and a short, but effective, workout for legs and arms. I'm going to try to do this video 4x per week, then once I get my Cardio Dance workout, I'll alternate each.

We ended up having a pretty busy weekend. Ray and Sandra stopped by Friday evening to drop off a few goodies for Madeline. Sandra bought Madeline the sweetest Feltman Brothers dress and shoes, a monogrammed elephant that matches her room perfectly, and a cute outfit for winter. Isn't the dress and shoes adorable? I can't wait to get her pictures in it!

On Saturday evening, my parents came over and babysat Madeline while we ate a Local Taco and I indulged in my first margaritas of 2012. They make exceptional margaritas, however, pretty sweet. I stopped at two.

On Sunday, Zach and Leia came over to watch the football games and we had a shrimp boil.

Madeline has done very well the past few days. No vomit at all and minimal gas. She was pretty fussy, but she was constipated after the switch from breastmilk to formula, but I think she's better now. I still haven't caught up on sleep, even though she's been easier since using the Nap Nanny. I keep getting hot flashes and night sweats that keep me awake. I end up drenched. My engorgement is also 90% better, thank goodness. I bet today is my last day of dealing with it.

Tomorrow we have Madeline's 4 week check up (She'll be one month on Friday). I'm curious to see how much weight she's gained. My estimate is that she'll weigh 6.5 lbs.

I'm hoping to get in a nap this afternoon, but it's highly unlikely. She's always fussy when I try to nap! Oh well. I even attempted sleep at 8pm last night, and still no luck. I'm getting used to it. It's just extremely difficult for me to get up in the mornings.

And now off to feed!

Relief

Last night ended up being significantly better. I attempt sleep each night anytime between 8pm-Midnight. It all depends on Madeline of course. Last night, we didn't get Madeline down until 11pm, but I found a temporary solution to her gas - at least I think so. When she's placed in her bassinet or pack n play, the exploding gas happens almost immediately, then follows the grunting and moaning. Last night, I pulled out her Nap Nanny Chill and decided to give it a try. It's elevated and reclined at a 30 degree angle, and it is supposedly supposed to help with colic, gas, reflux, etc.  I placed her in it, and within 30 minutes, the viscous gas subsided. So, after each feeding last night she'd only have about 30 minutes of the gas, then she would fall asleep. I must thank Shellie who recommended this product for our registry! I'm so glad we have it. Of course, I'll try again tonight hoping and praying that it works again.

I'm going to try placing towels under her bassinet mattress to elevate it as well. I prefer her to sleep in the bassinet, but for right now, as long as she sleeps wherever, it's fine. She is really adorable when she's sleeping, too. See below:

I also discovered an easy method to get poop stains out of clothing. I tried Oxyclean and Resolve before washing in baby detergent, but no luck. Someone suggested putting the clothing in the sun for a few hours and it would remove the stain. I was extremely skeptical. Sure enough, it worked. Crazy.

It seems like her soy formula is working. She hasn't had one spit up today, and her gas has been minimal. She's going to have some spit up because 1 she's a baby and 2 she does have reflux. She was a little confused at first with getting a bottle of formula, but I think she's starting to get the hang of it. Oh, and the engorgement is awful. I'm a little better today, but yesterday it felt as though my boobs were going to explode. I actually stopped pumping completely, because it became too painful. Hopefully, this will only last a couple more days. You can try cabbage leaves, which can dry up your milk. I might do that as a last resort. I'm also limiting my water intake and my allergies are horrible, so I started Zyrtec D yesterday. The antihistamine is also supposed to help dry up the milk.

I must admit that giving Madeline formula has been so much easier on both of us. I'm less stressed, and quite frankly, it's just easier. I hate that so many people are judgmental about formula feeding vs. breastfeeding. In my case, I wasn't giving up on breastfeeding because it's so damn challenging, but because it was heart breaking to watch my baby be in pain 90% of the day and night. It was awful. Making the decision to go to formula was difficult. I just couldn't bear the thought of giving her my milk knowing that it's going to make her ill. I just couldn't handle that any longer. And, I'm content with my decision. She's happier, and I'm happier. If you want to judge me, go right ahead. That's your problem and not mine.

As far as my weight goes - I haven't weighed myself in a few days. I did lose another pound the last time I did weigh...I don't remember when that was. Only 5 more to go. I received my workout DVD yesterday, and as soon as my engorgement stops, I'll start doing it. Although, I have a feeling that I'm only going to make it halfway through...lol. But that's okay..I can rebuild my stamina after being on bed rest for a couple of months.

Our weather is bonkers right now. The high today is 95, but the high on Sunday is 73, with lows in the 40s. I'm excited about the change, but my allergies are not going to be appreciative. Next week we'll bump right back into the high 80s. At least we get a taste of Fall.

2012 has proven to be an excellent year for not only us, but our friends and family as well. One of my best friends is pregnant, and the other just got engaged. Plus, Bran and Michelle purchased a new home and my mother started a new job that she loves. There have been so many life changing positive outcomes thus far this year. I'm so grateful!

I spoke too soon...

The past 48 hours have been heart wrenching watching Madeline. She was up basically 90% of the day/night with horrible, horrible gas, groaning and moaning pains, and awful spit up again (2-4 tablespoons, which would be considered vomit). Gas drops, gripe water, tummy massages, bicycle legs, etc. did not help, either. I didn't try the Windi again because she has been pooping regularly, so I know it's not because she's backed up. I called the pediatrician first thing this morning, and as I suspected...something in my milk is most likely the culprit for the extreme gas and reflux. However, since she's not projectile vomiting any longer, the Zantac is actually helping.

What does this mean? I've switched her to a soy based formula for now. I'm still pumping just in case, but we are thinking that she most likely has a dairy intolerance (most common). I can try process of elimination beginning with dairy for a week, then if that doesn't work grains for a week, acidity foods, fruits and veggies, and so on one at a time...but honestly, I can't take her being in so much discomfort and it could take weeks to figure out what exactly is the cause of the gas/reflux. Of course, all babies have gas and spit up, but this is an extreme case. If the soy based formula doesn't help, there is a sensitive version for reflux/gas that we will try next. Thankfully, my pediatrician gave us plenty of samples before we have to go out and buy any. We do have other formula that we bought, but we'll have to exchange it for the appropriate kind (it's unopened). I'm crossing my fingers that this first trial formula does the trick. We will still continue the Zantac.

She seems to be doing okay on the formula thus far. No spit up, minimal crying, no moaning and/or groaning sounds. Reflux is typically worse during the nighttime, so we'll see how tonight goes. Also, it will take a couple of days for the breast milk to get completely out of her system.

Like I said, I am still pumping just as a precaution, but now I get to look forward to engorgement. I'm so not excited! I'm just going to start pumping less each day...and hopefully within a week it'll do the trick.

I'd really like some sleep tonight. I've had 0 in the past 48 hours. Poor Madeline, I feel awful for her. But, she is doing better already.

 *Fingers Crossed*

Labor Day!

It's hard to believe that Fall is actually right around the corner. I'm excited for Fall. It's my favorite season for clothing..lol. You have so many options from blazers, jackets, pumps, boots, leggings, skinny jeans vs. bootcut, sweater dresses...I could go on and on. Although, I don't know how dressed up I'll be getting nowadays.

It appears that the Zantac has finally kicked in and is actually working. Madeline's spit up has been minimal during the past 24 hours (although I had a scare yesterday morning with massive spit up, but it wasn't projectile), plus the past two nights, she's been going to bed so much easier! I usually have to feed, then hold her 30 minutes to 1 hour before putting her in her bassinet. Otherwise, I get a massive meltdown. However, the past two nights have only been around 15 minutes each time...progress!

She has been incredibly gassy the past 3 days. Saturday night and early Sunday morning were the worst. I tried gas drops, gripe water, then finally the Windi , which helped significantly. I'm not exactly sure how it works...but it certainly does the trick. Although, a pack of 5 is $15 and they are only single use...so pretty expensive to use frequently. I found this gem after searching Amazon for random baby products and researching reviews. I also went ahead and bought the Nosefrida (same company) for stuffy noses.

We ended up having a pretty busy weekend with our outings to my parent's house and Lance and Shellie's. Unfortunately, I had to leave Tyler and Katie's birthday party early to feed Madeline, but they have certainly grown since I've seen them in the past couple of months. They're so cute. See this photo below I stole from Shellie:

Katie, Tyler, So-So, Me, Ray-Ray

Another product that I recently started using is Crest's 3D Glamorous Whitening Toothpaste. I did have whitening trays, but they somehow got ruined in our move. I'm also using a prescription toothpaste that I love (Ray is dentist, so we get the good stuff). The Glamorous White has already whitened my teeth in just under a week. You can taste the peroxide in it, so it doesn't really have an edge on flavor.

Also, I thought I'd post a photo of my hair after I used Coppola's Intense RX. It did better this time, so I'm wondering if it actually is reconstructing my hair with each use. Or maybe my occasional night sweats are releasing the hormones out of my body. I'm not quite sure. I will say recovery has not been easy at all. I can't believe how naive I was about it. I thought by practically 3 weeks I'd be feeling pretty good. Although, I'm really hoping that this week will improve greatly. Or at least I'll be able to workout a bit. I should be getting one of my DVDs by Friday.

And last but not least, here's Miss Madeline Kate:

Off and On

The screaming fits have continued. Sometimes more during the day, or vice versa. Oh well. I'm getting used to it, and hopefully it'll end in the next few weeks. I'm also hoping that Madeline can go more than 2.5 hours without eating in the upcoming weeks. Since I feed "on demand," she determines her schedule...which could last months or a few weeks. She makes sure she wakes up and lets us know that it has indeed been 2.5 hours and she's hungry...like clockwork. It's actually kinda crazy how on the dot she is with her feeding schedule.

She's been very gassy the past 24 hours. I haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary, so I'm not sure if it's a reaction to the Zantac. She has stopped violently throwing up, so that's great. She's still spitting up, but nothing like before, so it must be working.

We have a very busy weekend. I'm having the opportunity to blog, because I'm waiting on my hair color to process (thanks, Mom). This evening we are having a cookout at my parent's house with my Aunt and Uncle who have yet to meet Madeline. Then tomorrow, we have the twins' 4th birthday party at Lance and Shellie's. We won't be able to stay long at either location, since evenings always prove to be difficult. Nonetheless, we are going to attempt both outings.

I posted awhile back about Coppola's Intense RX Keratin treatment. Well, I caved and decided to buy it for my nasty hair. It's helping, but it's still not 100% normal. I know this sounds totally vain, but seriously...now my hair has to be disgusting after carrying a baby the past 10 months? Sigh. I've been warned by several mommies that it might start falling out in clumps in the next couple of months. I've spent the past year growing my hair out...and now that it looks like death...I should probably cut it off. I'm going to keep it for awhile, unless it starts looking even worse. At least the Coppola treatment is working somewhat. Without it, it's awful. I also pile on all my other products, but they don't really do much.

I know I said I was going to post belly progression photos, however, my stomach actually looks like it did before, so I don't have a "progression" to post. I just need to tone it back up. I'm surprised I haven't really lost any weight - only half a pound - since Sunday. So, now I have 6lbs to go. I'm still wearing my Bellefit, but I'm not sure if it's doing much anymore. It's starting to loosen up. I think I'm going to give it 2 more weeks just in case. I'm excited to get my Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy DVD late next week. I just hope I'm able to do it physically and/or have the time to do it.

It's hard to believe that Madeline is almost 3 weeks (on Sept. 4). It feels like we just got home from the hospital. Everyday flies by. I'm also kinda sad that she won't be this little for much longer, but I know things will eventually get easier as time goes by.