We've been busy...
So Nathan’s been home for almost three weeks now – can you tell? (Note the date of our last blog post…) We can certainly tell! The living room and dining room are amazingly more orderly than they’ve been in a long time but they share a traveling pile of baby blankets and burp cloths, Nathan’s room continues to be the laundry room but now it’s full of baby laundry and our room has – count them – four different places for a baby to sleep depending on how independent / acid reflux-y he’s feeling. Every room has at least one pacifier lost in it and bottles & formula have taken over the kitchen.
Wait, did you just read the F word? Yup. Remember all those references to breastfeeding and pumping over the past three months? Well four days after we came home from the hospital, the FDA came out with a report that Nathan’s thickener is not safe for babies born before 37 weeks. UGH. And the new thickener can’t thicken my milk because the milk is just so powerful and amazing that it breaks the thickener down in three minutes (we timed it…). So, until he can swallow thin liquids, Nathan is on thickened formula. Do not even ask us about the state of our freezers, unless it is to offer space in yours – we just moved into a third East Arlington freezer this week and have plans to expand out to Bedford soon. The New England Mother’s Milk Bank says they’re really excited to help me empty our freezers, but they’ve been really excited for three weeks now with no real action. UGH.
In spite of the massive amounts of feeding frustration, it’s been a good three weeks. We’re learning how to get out of the house with a baby and Nathan’s learning how to smile. We’ve mastered the art of getting a car seat in and out of a two door Yaris and have managed to be on time to all of our doctor’s appointments (we’re still working on it with family and friends…). And we no longer feel the need to constantly check that Nathan’s breathing, although that might have as much to do with the fact that he’s developed a bit of a snore as our confidence as parents. Nathan also seems to be getting louder, which is a great sign for his vocal chord healing and a bad sign for the neighbors. Are we sleeping? Yes, I think. If he’s awake to eat at 11pm, Nathan then lets us sleep until around 4am and then again till 6am or 7am, so we really can’t complain. And we’re not against changing his diaper at 11pm as a polite way of asking if he’s like a bottle. Not much other than baby watching and bottle feeding and diapering changing is getting done around the house, but I’ve decided that’s okay. We have wonderful friends and family who have been feeding us (we are so in trouble when we have to learn to cook again…) and no one seems to judge us when we wear the same outfit all week (why is it that only Nathan’s laundry gets done?).
So that’s what we’ve been up to – wandering through the days, taking care of our little guy and letting the rest take care of itself. One of these days we might get into something like a routine, just in time for Nathan to change it. Until then, we may just try to fit in a bit more laundry and blogging.
(New pics to come in the gallery the next time Nathan agrees to sleep next to me on the couch – for now he says it’s time to eat.)
comments
Haha, no laundry, no sleep schedule... I remember those days! Letting the rest take care of itself is right; somehow it all comes together. As tough as it is with the first baby, it's a lot of fun too!
I'm glad you're getting a little sleep at least!
I live literally within walking distance of the Austin Milk Bank. I should get them to bug the New England Milk Bank to get them to be more attentive to you!! Seriously, so many babies could be helped by your extra milk. What an incredibly generous thing to do on your part. Glad you three are settling in well!
We're so glad you're home! And thank you for the continued updates.
Best to you all!
~M