A short note

Today we didn't go anywhere.  I was soooo tired.  I will say last night she slept better than she has for a few nights - when I say better, I mean she "only" nursed every 3 hours.  This really means that she nurses/falls back asleep for an hour (or more) and I get about 2 hours of sleep.  I slept some this morning when she fell back asleep, and I was knocked out again for another hour this afternoon.  There simply was no energy for a big outing.  We did go on a walk yesterday to enjoy the sunshine that peeked out.  Here is a picture of her bundled up in her reindeer suit for the cold weather:

My parents visited this past Saturday, as I had mentioned.  I thought I would post a picture of my dad with Madison.  I like this picture... Please note her cute pants with ballerina shoes - pants with shoes on them are awesome!

Tonight we have supper coming our way from friends in our small group.  Tomorrow, I will probably try to cook, and Saturday we will have leftovers.  It is a pretty good rotation now - someone brings food, I cook, leftovers, repeat.  (Thanks to everyone willing to cook for us!)  I hope everyone has had a great week.  Only one day left til Friday!!!  (Yes, I still get excited for the weekend.  It means visitors, sometimes.  It also means that Jeremy is home with me and I really appreciate his help and his company.)  This weekend, my friend Laura is coming to visit Saturday.  (Also, Happy Birthday to my niece, Sophie.  Your birthday celebration on Saturday sounds like fun, but way to crazy for me to come.  I hope you have a lot of fun!) 

Disclaimer: I feel like my blogs are fairly random/pointless - and maybe they always have been, but they feel a little more disjointed than normal.  My brain just isn't working like it used to.  So, to all those following this blog, I apologize if it is random and very narrowly focused right now.  I will not be offended if all you do is look at pictures...

Getting Out

Today was Wednesday, so Madison and I have our scheduled outing to the Breastfeeding Support Group.  I try to get out once a day - a walk, an errand, etc - with Madison.  Yesterday, we had two outings: we went to visit our neighbors, Jim and Ruth.  Ruth held her until she fell asleep all the way until she was ready to eat again!  And we went to small group - with Jeremy, of course!  Small group was nice to see people, but was kinda a zoo... plus, it is hard to go out around that time because it is often time to nurse.  So, we spent most of our time in a different room taking care of business.  Today, we went to the support group.  There were two of the same people there from last time.  It is good to go and talk to people, hear how hard it is for them too.  Talking to people who have "been there" is helpful, but not the same as talking to people that "are there" now.  One of the ladies (Jill) and I are going to get together next week to go out together.  I hope that goes well :)  Her little boy was born the day before Madison; they were just down the hall from us at the hospital, but we didn't know each other then. 

Jeremy has been going to work, going to the gym, watching basketball (close Cavs game the other night), watching football (good Saints game Sunday), and having daddy time after supper and before bed when I am needing a break before the night starts for me. 

Weekend

My parents came to visit on Saturday for the afternoon through supper.  It was nice to have them here.  My dad hadn't seen Madison since we were in the hospital.  She has definitely grown/changed since then.  Mom also brought supper, which was delicious.  I appreciate the nights supper is provided - a whole month of suppers (3x per week) is being delivered by various people from our church.  What a blessing!  Sandy also stopped by to visit.  She spent more time talking to my dad than me... mostly because my brain was not working to foster much conversation.  About 30 minutes before she came I felt extremely tired, but knew I didn't have time to nap.  It made me a boring host - sorry, Sandy! 

It is also nice when the weekend arrives and Jeremy gets to be home with us.  He makes a great set of extra hands when my back hurts from carrying her around, or I just can't go to her room one more time at night.  He is always a willing helper.  We watched the big football games on Sunday and are gearing up for the Super Bowl.  (Let me qualify that last statement: I watched the games until 9pm, and then I went to bed... Sleep is too valuable right now to lose it to a football game, no matter how intense!)  Jeremy was able to go to church on Sunday.  One day, I will also go... that will be a big day for us. 

Well, I am signing off - going to rest on the couch for a bit.  I managed to get ribs in the slow cooker today for supper.  Jeremy picked a pretty easy recipe for me to do.  Have a great Monday!

Bits and Pieces

It has been a few days since I last blogged.  I didn't want to be one of those people who do nothing but blog about their baby as though it is their whole life, but I have come to realize that when you stay at home with your baby, it pretty much is your whole world.  I count on Jeremy to keep me updated on how the real work world works with his stories from work.  It is usually enough to keep me sane :)  Here are just a few random things from the last few days.

• We had new windows installed on Tuesday.  So, they worked upstairs installing the windows while Madison and I hung out downstairs.  Then, we flipped, and they came downstairs to install the last two windows, while we hung out upstairs.  The installers were really nice.  I know that sounds strange to say, but they were just were normal guys who were congenial, did their job, and didn't make me feel uncomfortable.  Now, we no longer have a draft flowing from the window onto our couch.  It is fantastic.
• On Wednesday, Madison and I had our first venture out of the house on our own.  We managed to get up and shower (well, I showered) and out the door by 10am to go to the Breastfeeding Support Group at the hospital.  It was good for me to get out and socialize and to hear that Madison is normal - and maybe even has less issues than others!  She has a lot of gas or some kind of stomach pain.  I talked the peditrician and she is now getting Mylicon (sp?) with most feedings.  I hate to rely on medicine of any kind, but if it helps her not hurt, I'll do it.  Here she is, ready to go in her car seat!

• 
  
  On Thursday, we went out again.  This time we suited up and went on a short walk around the neighborhood.  It took about 20 minutes, but it was probably only about 3/4 of a mile or so.  Here are some pics of Madison all dressed to go out.  (I love when she wears this little outfit because it is what the money from her Great-Grandpa J helped to buy.  It makes me feel like he is here with us sometimes.  Thanks, Grandpa!)   I love our stroller so far, too.  It is just a stroller frame, so it folds up tiny, is lightweight, and easy to open and close.
  
• On Thursday night, we hung out on the couch briefly after nursing.  I looked down and thought that she just looked like queen of the world the way she was sitting.  Jeremy took some pics.  I included the one of me with her.  I am a bit frazzled looking as a shower just didn't happen on Thursday, but who cares... her cuteness will outshine my frumpy-ness! :)
  

Jeremy is adjusting to his new job.. lots of computer stuff going on their.  His first computer kept shutting down; the second computer was really slow.  Finally, the tech people came and replaced a graphics card in his first computer and it was back working again today.  So, he has had technical difficulties.  It is nice at this job because he has flex time.  So, as long as he puts in 8 hours a day, he can go in anytime between 7-9am.  He has been going in earlier, so that he can come home earlier.  I am so thankful for that.  By the time he gets home at 5pm, I am ready for some relief... or just another human being :)  He, unfortunately, usually gets home about the time Madison is eating, so he gets stuck working on supper (if it isn't being brought to us).  I guess we are learning that our work days don't really end like they used to.  Keep him in your prayers as he adjusts to a new job and a new life at home. 

for Grandma Yoh

I thought I would let Madison wear her little reindeer outfit that Grandma Yoh bought her for Christmas.  It is a newborn size, so I thought that we only have so much time.  I figured it wouldn't be that much different than wearing a sleeper all day, it just had a hood.  As soon as I put it on, I realized this was not really true... see for yourself :)

Then, Grandma and Grandpa Yoh came on Sunday and Monday for some spoiling of their little granddaughter.  She brought a knit bonnet and jacket similar to the one Jeremy had at one time worn.  He thought it looked awfully girly... and it does; however, his was blue, so it would have been more manly!  We managed the bonnet for awhile, but soon the ties were not so comfortable.

Pee and Poop

Pee and poop ... only parents of infants talk about and blog about pee and poop.  I am not going to bore you with how many and what kind it looks like, but I will post a funny story. I gave her her first bath without Grandma Ediger on Friday.  She screamed pretty much the entire time, but did a little better once submerged in the sink water.  I think it just must be cold - I wouldn't want to take a bath on a sponge either.  At the end, she was crying, so I thought I would comfort her a bit.  So, I wrapped her up in a lightweight towel and held her close to "shhhh" in her ear.  All of a sudden, I felt warmth on my belly.  I quickly set her back down and unwrapped the towel.  Not only had I been peed on, there was a good dose of poo in there too!  I cleaned us both up, sprayed the clothes with Dreft spray, and let them soak.  I think all of it came out, but what a way to end a bathing experience.  She also pretty much sets off a little fountain every time she gets her diaper changed.  Jeremy and I have both been wet on and tooted/pooped on during changing time.  Oh, the joys of parenting! :) 

Day Alone

Thursday was my first day home alone.  When I say alone, I mean with Madison, without extra help.  A nurse had come by the house on Wednesday for a free check-in with us to see how things were going.  Madison is still growing; she now weighs in at 6 lbs, 15 oz.  The nurse said she looked good and like she was getting the nourishment she needed.  She also told me that at 2 weeks babies have growth spurts and eat a lot more.  I am glad she had told me that or I would have wondered what was going on with Madison on Thursday.  She literally ate at 9am, 10am, and 11am, and would have eaten again at noon, but I managed to get her to sleep on my chest for awhile.  I am glad she is eating and growing, but it is exhausting to feed her that much without a break.  I think that is what I miss about about having my mom here - no one is here to entertain her when she is awake except me, which means that there is little sleep unless she is sleeping.  Unfortunately, she was not too into sleeping during the day yesterday.  I am sure that is partly the adjustment of not having Grandma around to hold her all the time, and she is growing.  It was good to see Jeremy at 5:30pm and good to have someone from church bring us supper.  She managed to find her thumb, and we took a picture.  I don't hope she becomes a thumb sucker, but I thought it was pretty good she managed to maneuver her fingers to get just her thumb.  Jeremy took over from about 7pm - 9pm when she ate again and headed to bed.  Last night was a good night - to bed around 9pm, up at 12:45, up at 4:45am, and up at 7:45.  We woke up and came downstairs to bring in the morning.  She actually fell back asleep and so I snagged some more zzz's for another hour.  We'll see what today brings with our little peanut. 

Jeremy is finding his way at work.  It has been a little boring for him because they are in between things.  This means there is a lot of down time.  The nice thing is has given him a chance to talk with and get to know some of his co-workers.  They joked with him about bringing rice krispie squares on Wednesday, so he whipped up a batch to take in on Thursday.  They were impressed.  :) 

A few more pics from when Grandma E was here.  The first is from her first sudsy bath followed by a dip in the sink.  (Jeremy and I had given her a bath with much less soap and it was all a sponge bath a few days before.)  I think her little body is so cute curled up like that.  The other picture is her playing dress up - or rather Grandma and I playing dress up with her.  The outfit she has on is what I came home from the hospital from.  It apparently was a bit too small for me, and it was almost too small - short, really - for her.  That will probably be the last time that little outfit gets worn.  It is not a very practical outfit.  There are snaps on the legs and buttons that run down the back - yikes!

Madison and more

Thanks for all the supportive comments both on Facebook and here on the blog.  I realize, after the fact, that sometimes my blog postings don't include all the information.  Motherhood has had some tough moments of learning, but we have been learning.  I talked to the lactation consultants at the hospital a lot while we were there; I took advantage of the fourth day in the hospital; I have called the breastfeeding hotline; and of course, I read your comments.  Madison has been extremely patient :)

We have been trying to get her up every 2-1/2 hours during the day to eat, otherwise, I think she could sleep for 4 hour stretches at a time during the day.  At night, she does a pretty good job of getting up every 2 or 2-1/2 hours all on her own.  Although last night she managed some 3 hour stretches.  I have been imagining that she is in my bed and will carefully manuever an extra pillow, bunched up blankets, etc thinking that it is her in our bed.  This is strange to me since we have never brought her to bed with us.  It is strange what lack of sleep will do to you.


My mom has been here with us from Friday night thru today.  It has been nice having an experienced hand here.  She has been the ultimate baby rocker, diaper changer, and bath giver.  She has also cooked, cleaned, and done laundry.  Jeremy went to work yesterday to his new job, so starting on Thursday, it will just be Madison and me hanging out here.  We'll see how it goes.

A note on Jeremy's work... He hasn't had a lot to do in these first days of training as they are between jobs there.  He did say it is a whole new language that he will have to learn, but his co-workers have all been there and seem to be understanding.  This job gives him much more flexibility than his last one - come into work anytime between 7-9 and work 8 hours with whatever length of lunch he would like to take.  It will be nice if he goes early and comes home earlier.  Keep him in your prayers as he transitions to yet another job.

Madison and Motherhood

Well, it has taken more than a week for me to publish a post, but that is not entirely atypical.  This week I haven't had the energy or the time to do it.  I once said (Jeremy continually reminds me) that having a dog with 5 puppies had to be more work than having a baby.  I will disagree with myself, although the puppies were a lot of work and stress.  What is nice about a baby is that (eventually) we will be able to go out with her, but the puppies are not as socially acceptable.  And I am on a tangent .... This has been a week of learning.  Jeremy has been able to be a part of the good times and extremely emotional times with me.  Let me just say that all of this mothering stuff does not come a naturally as people would claim.  The "I love my child and think she is the most beautiful thing in the world".. that part comes pretty naturally.  The knowing what to do when you breastfeed, when the baby cries, how to give a bath, how to survive on little sleep .. that part does not  come naturally.  I am so thankful that Jeremy was here to just listen and support me.  (He doesn't really think that is "doing" anything, but for all you dads/soon-to-be dads, that is a lot of help! 

So, pictures...  I have a lot, but am only going to take time to post a few here.  The top left is of Jeremy holding her in her going home outfit on Monday (1/4/10). She actually traveled very well in her car seat on that a snowy day.  The top right is her going to the doctor out fit on Wednesday (1/6/10).  She didn't cry at all that day, not even on the cold scale.  She left the hospital weighing 6 lbs, 8 oz, and at the doctor, she was up to 6 lbs, 10 oz - two ounces shy of her birth weight.... really packing on the ounces our little Madison.  The bottom left is just an incredibly good close up of her face.  Madison has stolen our hearts.  We could sit and watch her squirm and make noises for hours (if I could stay awake to do it!).  Our neighbor boy who is a fourth grader came over to peer at her.  He told Jeremy, "Man, you are so lucky, you can just sit and stare at her all day."  What a great observation!  The bottom right is the outfit her daddy bought for her when I sent him shopping for the newborn size pjs.  I think he did a great job :)

Madison Noelle

Madison Noelle Yoh

6 lbs 12 oz 18 inches

December 31, 2009, 1:36 P.M.

Wanted to let everybody know about our little New Years Eve arrival!!!  Both Mom and Baby are a still a little tired but doing great!!!  We are truly blessed!