Life:
Well, the first part of the week was spent getting over Christmas! Since I'd
pushed myself Christmas day, even while sick, I was feeling pretty rotten
the few days after but Harmony and I hung around home and rested up.
Harmony's dad was here to see her for the first time on Tuesday. It was funny
to see him hold her- all guys look very uncomfortable holding babies, and
Chris was no exception. I think they're all afraid of dropping the baby or
something. We left a lot unresolved about how much he will be involved in
our life and I still have some decisions to make about how much I actually
want him to be involved in our life, especially considering his not signing
the birth certificate, but I think things went ok for the few days he was
here. Despite everything, I'm glad they got to meet each other.
Harmony and I spent some of New Year's Eve at a friend's party, but we
got our ride home for about 11. She had her last meal of the night (and the year)
while I watched the specials on TV and finished eating in time to sit up
and watch the ball drop- she paid close attention to the flashing lights
with eyes wide open. I gave her a big New Year's kiss and wished her a Happy
New Year. So she wasn't very aware of her first New Year's, but at least
we participated in some of the classic stuff. :)
Harmony's Growth:
Well, that smile on Christmas day turned out not to be an isolated incident
so I'll count it as her first "real" smile. :) Since then, she's smiled
many more times, usually when I surprise her with my voice. One time
she smiled right after I'd finished saying to someone "She's so perfect!"
Such a modest little girl! :P
Physically, she's growing in leaps and bounds. I walked over to the clinic on
Monday, but they ended up being closed for the holidays, so I still have no
idea how much Harmony weighs! I'm guessing somewhere in the ballpark of eight
or nine pounds, maybe a little more. She's grown out of the newborn size
diapers already, much to my surprise. Her head support is good- she holds it up pretty
well when being held over my shoulder or on my lap as long as I'm supporting
the rest of her.
I don't lie her on her stomach very often, but when I have, she's made a few
attempts to lift her head, although she can't get it up very high yet.
She spends more and more time alert now, and enjoys looking at the world
around her very much. Her favorite thing to look at though is still the
black and white checkerboard design that's taped to the crib next to where
I change her- she gets very wide-eyed and quiet when she's able to see it.
"Fourth Trimester"
I'm still feeling a little worn down, especially with the holiday rush, and
especially being sick! I'm still trying to solve the problem of not enough
breast milk, and am still having to supplement a bottle ever so often- I'd
estimate probably 3 or 4 nights of the week. I have never had to supplement
more than one bottle a day though, and usually Harmony only takes an ounce
or two. Usually by evening, my nipples are very sore, which is also one of
the reasons I supplement. I probably could just feed her, but it would
take her longer to get what she needs from almost empty breasts, and that
would just make me tired and very sore. I'm using lanolin ointment
on my nipples and it does seem to help out.
My incision continues to heal (and itch!) but it isn't sore unless I do
a lot of lifting and such. Going out with Harmony usually leaves me sore,
unless I'm getting a ride somewhere and only have to carry the car seat to the
car. So far, the car seat is my worst choice for going out on my own, and I've
only taken her out in it once when not getting a ride. The stroller's ok
for shopping at the mall near here, but if I'm going on a bus it's a pain
to lift it on and off. The Snuggli is gradually becoming a favorite. I tried
it out for the first time on Monday and both Harmony and I like it. Because
she's so small she doesn't quite fit into her snowsuit and sinks into it
with the arm holes around her ears! This keeps her nice and tucked in and
she's definetely never cold when I take her out.
My figure is slowly getting back into shape, but I'm still not even close
to fitting back into my normal pants. I don't want to wear maternity pants
and my overalls aren't that great for breastfeeding, so I think getting a new
pair of pants with a loose waist would be a good idea.