Catching Up

My little baby turned 2 weeks old yesterday, time flies so fast! I've been meaning to get caught up with my blogging but I've been so sick. Just like with my pregnancy, labor, and delivery (which I will blog about soon); my recovery has been completely opposite this time around too. Last time I had an easier recovery, never really any issues that didn't resolve shortly after coming home, just a fussy, gassy baby. This time around....I don't even know where to begin. I started out with cracked, bleeding nipples right away. From there the engorgement began, and then last Wednesday I got mastitis which is an infection in the breast, and I had a huge mass like area, and flu like symptoms. My fever reached 103.2 and I had chills, body aches, and I can't remember ever feeling so sick. The torture was that in order to get rid of the mastitis you have to nurse frequently. However, it absolutely killed to nurse, but I was given some pain killers which helped. I finally started to feel better Sunday just to wake up today with another huge mass on the same breast. Enough is enough!!!!!!! I'm still on antibiotics so I'm hoping it will kick all infection and that it will stay away. Natalee is such a wonderful little nurser that I really hate to stop breast feeding, but I've been to hell and back these last 2 weeks.

Natalee is a very sweet little girl. She usually only cries when she is hungry and I love when she's content and just looks all around with her beautiful blue eyes. Lately, I've had to supplement with formula (only a couple times) and when I do, she'll sleep 6 hour stretches at night. I'll put her down around 9pm, she'll wake around 3am to nurse, then back to sleep till around 7:30-8:00am. It's been very nice. However, that’s only been the schedule like 2 nights. The other nights, she'll wake up twice, usually around 1-2am and again 5am or so, still not too bad. I'm getting more sleep than I thought I would. She's sleeping in her bassinet next to my bed (which Haylee never liked to sleep in) and even though she's sleeping good at night, she's still sleeping a lot during the day too. The first week it was impossible to wake her during the day. Josh even tried ice cubes once and it didn't work. She'd sleep all day long. I tired not to complain because she was still sleeping at night. With Haylee it seemed like some nights she just wouldn't go back to sleep after eating, she wanted to be up all night. This week I've noticed she has been awake more during the day which should help her sleep even better at night. Josh took her in last Thursday for a weight check and she weighs 6lbs. 12 oz. so only 5 oz. off her delivery weight. She's doing really well. She went on her first trip to Walmart (which she slept through) and her first family walk last week too. Other than that, she's been staying at home with me while I get my strength and energy back. Oh, and she even lost her umbilical cord this past Saturday which I thought was fast. (Sorry this was all kinda jumbled together. I'm just trying to get everything down for me to remember).

Haylee girl is doing awesome with her sister. She is always kissing her and touching her head telling her "it's okay" when she is crying and is always watching out for her. There is a little bit of jealousy as far as wanting to be held by the person holding sister, but when it's just me with them, she does better. She has been a huge help getting me things when I need them too. I started a "Big Sister Reward Chart" that she's been filling up with stickers and earning prizes and that makes her very excited. She has lost some of her independence lately. She's always asking for me to turn her light on, or me to go upstairs and get her toy, but I just remind her she's a big girl and can do it and then she usually does. She's had a little attitude problem also, but we're working on that too. She's been very caring since I've been sick, and she bought me flowers and a card to help me feel better. I have the 2 sweetest girls ever!

(This was one of my favorite 2 pictures taken at the hospital)

Josh is loving life right now with his girls. He has been a tremendous help to me these last 2 weeks. Always asking what I need, cleaning the house, just taking care of whatever needs done. I was so sad to see him go back to work. I wish he could stay home with me every day.


Jackson is worse than Haylee. He is always begging for attention. Poor little guy, we have not forgotten him, life has just been a little hectic.


So everything has seemed to work itself out so far....except my "issues" and Haylee's attitude. I know after a few weeks (or even months) we'll have more of a routine down and things will be a lot smoother. I think I'm caught up now....time to go give these girls a bath!