Finley // Week 2

Finley, you did NOT like this picture taking moment. I mean got super fussy and it took us a hot minute to get it right. I'm sorry if this was uncomfortable.. it felt uncomfortable to me to be holding you like this. Which is probably why you didn't like it.

July 30th

 You have still been the best knock on wood just getting fussy when you need a diaper change, need to burp, or you are ready for some milk. I think you did have a tummy ache a couple of times this week and made you a little fussy then but you calmed right down soon after we gave you some Little Remedies gas drops.

Mimi and Big Pop came by to visit you and so did Krista, Ella, Trey, and La La this week. Also, Aunt Tracie, Aunt Tammy and Gigi and of course your Grandparents stop by too. I've had several messages and phone calls saying other friends are going to stop by.. I think they are just waiting for us to get settled which is so sweet but I do love the company.

Your Daddy and I feel like your hair is getting a little lighter and it's even getting longer in the back. Bless you if the top doesn't catch up you will definitely be sporting a mullet.

It looks like your hair is going to part from the left to the right.. it already naturally looks like its going to comb that way.

Your cord fell off on August 3rd but I have still been giving you sponge baths because there was one little piece of scab left on a small section of your belly button.

We moved you up to size 1 diapers because you had 2 blowout diapers. They seem a little big to me but I'm certain we would still be having huge messes to clean up if we didn't put you in the bigger size. I even had to clean up the Mamaroo.

 I started noticing a red place on your forehead that will show up when you get REALLY mad and scream.

Your eyebrows are darkening up.

You also HATE being swaddled. For some reason this makes me really sad because I feel like you should still be cozy down in these wonderful soft swaddle blankets. You want your arms free and you will grunt and squirm until they are free.

I love love this picture of you.. My great Aunt Beth sent this to you and you just grinned when I laid you down on it. It's super soft!!

You always have your hand up by your face like this when you sleep, especially while I am holding you. A lot of your ultra sound pictures are like this too.

I love watching you while you sleep after I feed you.

You had your newborn pictures taken on Thursday July 30th. 

You did SO good! I fed you right when Lizzie arrived and you were PERFECT the whole entire time. You didn't fuss until we finished when you needed a clean diaper.

 We got a sneak peek SO fast and I am in love with all of them!! I cannot WAIT to get the rest! We'll also get the rest from the hospital stay.

Your Daddy was so proud of these baseball pictures. I wish I had a picture of his face!

HEALTH:

Your color looks so much better since your bilirubin has come down.

There were a couple of mornings when you woke up with sleep in your left eye so I've just been trying to massage your tear ducts... My Mom told me to do this because they can get stopped up??

We can definitley tell that you have gained some weight and I could just kiss on your cheeks ALL day long!!

SLEEP:

 Cracks. Me. Up.

You are just straight chillin' in your Mamaroo.

Still smiling!!

I could stare at you all day long too..

I love the way you put your hands up around your face.

No more Mamarazzi please!!

OOTD.. 
The hairbands don't last long for several reasons.

You love your time with your Daddy!

EATING:

It was really hard for me but we stopped nursing/pumping this week. I did it as long as I could but I just couldn't take the pain anymore. Pumping was a tad bit more relief than you nursing but not like I thought it would be by the end of week two.. and from what everyone was telling me too. As soon as the pump would start, I would just rock back and forth to try and take my mind off the pain. TMI, but my nipples had already cracked a little, peeled, and scabbed over and still weren't any toughter. I even kept breast milk on them as well for healing. Sometimes I would have enough milk for you and sometimes I would barely get anything. Such and emotional roller coaster!! Towards the end, I hardly had any. I don't know if this was a combination of lack of sleep, stress, and any other factors? I do know I kept shoving the food and water into my mouth so I at least feel like I did something right as far as that was concerned.

I even tried nursing you again a couple times again, but it could NOT be comfortable for you.. I would tense up, rock, and find myself having your head in death grip because I was so no relaxed at all!

We had to supplement at times with Similac Advance the hospital sent this home with us but I think this was too harsh on your tummy so we went to Enfamil Gentlease. You seem to be doing much better on this and it makes me happier. I do wish that I could find something natural to give you and that didn't contain soy so if anyone reading this that has found something like this please let me know.

After you eat, you make all kinds of faces, especially this one. It's the cutest thing ever.

When I pick you up to burp you, you wrinkle your forehead, stick out your lips, and do your stretch move. It is THE sweetest thing ever and always makes me smile. 

3 AMIGAS:

Sox will whine when you really get to screaming and they are all starting to sniff around you more, but they are still gentle and don't stay around you long.

WHAT FINLEY IS UP TO:

You are opening your eyes more.

We took a walk outside and the first time that you were in the Boba wrap. After it taking me about 20 minutes to figure out the wrap and walk outside long enough to let the chickens out, we were back inside because it was WAY too hot! I loved you all snuggled down in the wrap.

You have a little section of alfalfa hairs on the crown of your head. They are SO long and keep getting longer.

POSTPARTUM:

My feet and ankles were still pretty swollen by the end of week two. I never thought they would go back down to normal! I even called the doctor because it was getting super annoying and they said that I just needed to stay off of them.. so back to the couch I went to sitting on my rump and keeping them elevated. A couple days after I woke up and I had my feet and ankles back! Whoo hoo!! Made it so much easier to walk.

Here is a funny for you... while I was pregnant I noticed that my underarms were really dark no matter how much I shaved. Amber googled it and turns out it goes away after birth! And it has completely gotten better thank goodness!!

On Tuesday August 4th, I woke up feeling so much better so I did laundry, straightened up the bathroom, walked a lot, and moved one of our dining room chairs out of the bathroom I had been using to sit on during pregnancy. This was SO SO stupid of me moving this chair because they are so heavy. And although all I did was slide it across the floor, I felt like my insides were going to fall out and I was so scared I did something to really hurt myself. I took it really easy over the next couple days and felt much better, but after Shane got mad at me and told me I better not be doing anything else like that, I have left the moving and lifting things to him.

I have noticed my bottom molars hurting at times. I'm praying this is just due to me clenching my teeth and not anything serious like cavities or anything from losing nutrients. I'm pretty sure I had a couple nightmares about me losing teeth. Don't want that happening!

I do have stretch marks on my lower belly. There is more on my left side than my right and one tiny one above my belly button that you can hardly see. I'm pretty sure there is more on my left because that's where Finley laid the most. I'm still applying my Young Living oils though.

I finally stepped on the scale and if my final number was 164 at my last doctor's appointment, I have lost 19 lbs as of today. This was taken August 5th.
Now that I'm not pumping, I'm really watching what I eat now. Coach grilled us some chicken the other day and it's nice to have that.. almost like food prep. I'm ready for some Shaun T in my life but know that I've still got to take it easy for a few more weeks. I'm just ready for the rest of the gut to be gone and my thighs to be slimmer and everything toned back up.

Hopefully it won't take me too long to get back here!!

THOUGHTS:

I really beat myself and considered myself a failure the next couple days after not pumping anymore. There were more tears and I almost considered getting the pump back out but didn't do it. Feedings are so much more enjoyable and that makes for one happy Mama. I feel like I'm able to enjoy motherhood more in general, I'm functioning better, and I don't feel so much like a zombie!
I also thought this week how thankful I am of having an easy pregnancy and delivery and I made sure to thank Him for that. I'm also thankful for Doctor Elder and his staff for making something that I said I would never do into a wonderful experience for me. I really don't think I can thank them enough and I'm so thankful that their office was referred to me by several people.  God is good!
Today, I'm headed out on the road just me and Finley for my brother's going away party.. he leaves the 12th for training camp for the National Guard. He's been at the beach so I can't wait to see him and I hope he stops by the house one more time before he has to leave.  Please be praying for Kolton and wish us luck on our first official outing today!  Up next, Finley's nursery! Can't wait to share this one... I'm in love with how all her bedding and room turned out to be!