Week 2 with Ellie

I know people say it all the time, but - I can't believe how fast babies grow! Ellie visited the doctor this past monday and has now hit 6lbs!  It may not sound like much, but she is gaining over an ounce a day which is great.  She is now out of her preemie clothes and fits into some of the smaller newborn ones.  And when you hold her she just seems more substantial (at least to Brian and I, everyone else thinks she is still itty bitty). 

So I figured I would update you on some things:

Breastfeeding
Oh lawdy breastfeeding is not easy.  I am luckily past the hurting phase (first few days my nipples were all cracked and then my breasts were engorged), but now I am on to the exhaustion phase! Ellie feeds anytime between every hour up to close to a 3.5 hour stretch.  So I never really know when she will want to eat again.  It is a tough because I will go walk the dog and I will come home to Brian holding a screaming baby because she got hungry while I was out.  It stresses Brian out a bit too, because he can't do anything to calm her when she is hungry.  

Luckily they recommend starting to pump at 3 weeks and introduce a bottle.  So in a week we can try to have Brian take over one of the nightly feedings and I may get to sleep more than 2.5 hours in a row! I have been trying to take a nap during the day while she naps, but it never seems to work out - either I can't go to sleep or somebody calls right after I fall asleep or whatever.  I have never been a good napper so I am not too surprised.  

My body
I have been feeling a lot more "me" lately, not as sore.  Sadly I am dealing with some hemorrhoids now, so I am trying to stay on top of that by drinking lots of water and trying to eat as much fiber as possible.  

I am still bleeding, but it isn't very heavy.  I am hoping it goes away soon though, wearing a pad day after day is not very much fun.  

As tough as breastfeeding is, one of the main benefits I have seen is the weight loss.  I didn't gain much from my pregnancy - only 18 lbs even though I tried to gain a bit more towards the end, my stomach would never let me fit much in there.  Between the baby weight, placenta, extra fluids, etc I was down about 12 lbs a few days after the birth and today at 2 weeks after the birth I am actually 3 lbs under my starting pregnancy weight.  

The weight loss is probably due to breastfeeding and I think also due to the fact that I may have lost weight in some areas of my body while pregnant as my belly got bigger - my mom said the same thing happened to her. Another thing is that I haven't exercised in a while now - so all my muscles have gone to mush - which means less weight as muscle weighs more than fat.  I have a feeling when I start to work out again I will put on some pounds due to muscle gain.  

It is a bit nice to be able to fit into some of my non maternity clothes.  I haven't tried on all that much yet, since I have been living in yoga pants and sweats, but it will be interesting seeing what I can and can't fit into now.  

At Home
Brian went back to work this Monday.  It is a lot harder not having the extra set of hands around, everything seems to take so long!  I usually don't end up showering until noon because the morning is filled with feedings (both baby and dog) changing clothes, changing diapers, etc and then by the time I get to shower it is noon!  

Since I am currently the only one who can feed Ellie, it didn't make sense for Brian to have to get up every time I needed to feed her, especially when he has to wake up so early to go to work.  So he has been sleeping in the guest room and I wake him up whenever I need a "diaper or swaddle assist" or when I just feel like crying because she won't go to sleep.  I am definitely looking forward to the time when he can take one of the nightly feedings.  

Mushy stuff
Brian and I got our Christmas tree this past weekend and we decorated it on Saturday night.  As tired and worn out as we are, it was still a very special evening for our little family.  I look back on what we were going through this time last year - more failed cycles and feeling like everyone in our family either had a baby or was pregnant.  It was a tough time for us.  I couldn't help but cry as we put ornaments on the tree - thinking about how thankful I am to have Ellie with us this year and how I think about all the others out there that are hoping for a similar miracle. The holidays are an especially tough time to deal with IF and my thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are still dealing with it.