Life:
Harmony and I are finally getting back into the swing of things. We've slowly built up to doing one activity each day. I still feel really exhausted, and carrying anything heavier than Harmony is sometimes a struggle, but at least I'm able to get out. It's challenging, especially trying to breastfeed "on the fly", but it's helped me keep my sanity. We've been shopping at Wal-mart with Krissie and Sarah, at the Well-Baby clinic at the YMCA (Harmony now weighs 7 lbs 10 oz as of Monday), at the GHS Music Concert, at the Drop-In, and at the GHS Christmas Assembly- about one outing per day.
So far, being a mother has been a real challenge. There have been a lot of sleepless nights, alot of frustrating moments. But it's getting better bit by bit and that's really encouraging. Every day since Harmony's birth I've been able to do more and more. First, more and more was being able to take a five minute shower, or being able to have a scrap of time to clean up the kitchen. But now I'm getting more and more time to do the things I used to do, things beyond the basic necessities- like write this journal for instance! It's taken a few tries, so if it seems fragmented, it's cause I've sat to write it, written a few sentences, tended to Harmony, than returned to it later... She has this annoying habit of sleeping after eating, but only staying asleep for a few minutes!!!
Harmony's Growth:
Even in one week, I can notice a difference in Harmony's size! Her little cheeks
are getting puffier with the extra baby fat she's packing on- it's no wonder-
it seems like she's eating all the time!!! I think she's developing a dimple
in her right cheek- it's adorable. :)
She seems to change every day. I looked at the pictures of her and I in the
hospital and can notice a difference. Her hair doesn't have those
little blond tips anymore, it's just brown all over, and it seems to be getting
darker. I wonder if her hair will start growing in red, or stay brown? Her
eyes on the other hand are getting a lighter shade of blue- I think they
just may stay that way.
She's also becoming
more and more alert. I love it when she's awake, alert, (and fed and clean)
cause then we get to have a bit of play time. Her hands are very flexible,
she can still put them together. Her head support is also way ahead- she's
been lifting it off my shoulder while being burped since birth and still does.
I love it when she smiles- I know at this point it's just reflexive and due
to gas and other stimuli, but it's still so cute! Sometimes she smiles right after
eating, and has this beautiful peaceful look on her face, like "Ah, that sweet
milk really hit the spot, Mom!" :)
At this stage Harmony isn't able to do very much, but she seems quite intelligent.
She can follow a toy around a bit with her eyes, and she loves staring at my
face. She reacts to various noise, and her eyes widen when I stick out my
tongue and make that "pfft" sound with it- I think it's her favorite noise.
When I talk to her, she looks around for my voice, or reacts with her body
by becoming completely still if she was active, or becoming active if she
was still. She loves voices and faces, and I'm glad I have the opportunity
to attend groups like Buns and Drop-In because there are lots of people
there for her to listen to and look at, and they are people who know babies,
so I'm not afraid to have them handle her. I look forward to when Harmony
is a little more reactive to people, but it's fun watching her gradually
become more aware of her world.
Harmony's still a bit of a pain in the butt at nights. I've been supplementing
with a bottle of formula for her last feeding because she just seems to want
to eat more than I have in the evenings! I feed her until my nipples get too
sore, or I'm too tired, which usually somewhere around 11 pm. Then I get out
the bottle. It doesn't seem to have affected my breast milk during the day,
but I'm hoping I wont need to supplement much longer.
"Fourth Trimester"
I'm still adjusting to my ever changing body. I'm so happy I can fit into
my non-maternity overalls- there's something about wearing maternity clothes
that's just so unappealing. I've still got a bit of a tummy, of very loose
skin, but it's gradually diminishing, especially since I walk so much. At
this point, I feel pretty good about my appearance. Even though I'm
not up to what I would like to be a while from now, I look pretty good
for someone who just had a baby!
The nipple soreness that was so terrible last week has definetely decreased-
I still get a bit of pain, especially when Harmony first latches on if she
hasn't eaten in a while, but I'm so glad I stuck with breastfeeding.