I really wasn't sure that I had this post in me. And as I sit here at the end of what seemed like a very long day I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the idea of getting it all written by tomorrow mid day so that I can link up. But I suppose if you are reading this then I was able to get her done. :)
I will be so happy that I have this to read later on, you know, when I don't have a 13 day old baby.
DITL - Summer 2014
Sunday August 3rd
I am 33
Matt - 31
Lily - 4 years 4 months
Ben - 2 years 3 months
Hugh - 13 days
2:35am - First wake up of the day. We went to bed a little after 11 so this was a pretty decent stretch. I get up and unwrap Hugh from his swaddle. I change his diaper to wake him up which of course makes him super angry. Matt shifts around in the bed and I feel a little bad that I am letting Hugh scream but at the same time I NEED this kid to be awake when he starts nursing otherwise he will be asleep before he even latches.
Hugh nurses on the left side for about 20 minutes. He has a good latch and I am relieved to finally be coming to the end of the "OMG nursing crazy painful" stage. Hugh doesn't always get right down to business and a few nights ago Matt woke up to me crying and pleading with my baby "to please just latch". This is a dramatic improvement!
3:01am - I swaddle Hugh and put him back in the pack and play. I hold my breath for a minute never knowing whether or not Hugh's little eyes will fly back open the minute I try to step away from the crib. It looks like he is out so I sneak back to bed and before I have time to even think about it I am also sound asleep.
4:26am - SCREAMING. Ugh that was not a great stretch. I am really tired and it takes me a few minutes to full wake up. I go through our little unwrapping and diapering routine and settle in to bed to nurse. This time Hugh is feeling finicky and takes a very long time to latch. Clearly he is not really that interested in nursing or sleeping. At this point I am leaking milk all over the place and can't find the burp cloth anywhere. I get up to get a new cloth and decide to sit in the glider and rock Hugh.
4:55am - Not sleeping or nursing. I am struggling to keep my eyes open so I try to swaddle Hugh and put him back to bed. This does not go over well, at all.
5:01am - Back to bed with the baby in my arms. Try for a few more minutes to get him to latch but he is just not interested. He is fussy and squirmy which leads me to think he has a tummy ache. I lay him flat on my chest to try and force a burp and almost immediately he fills his diaper. Whew! That must be better. I get up and change his diaper and he seems much more content.
5:15am - Finally a good latch! Hugh nurses for about 15 minutes before falling back to sleep. As soon as I set him down in the pack and play he starts to squirm and fuss. I go out to the living room and grab the travel swing. We haven't been using the swing very much but I am willing to try anything at this point. I get him all strapped in but after just a few minutes of swinging he is escalating to full blown screaming again.
The swing is next to the glider so I just sit down with him again and resume rocking.
6:00am - After almost 30 minutes of rocking Hugh is still not asleep and I am getting a headache from the motion. I set Hugh down in the pack and play (again) and he starts to cry (again). Back to the bed we go.
6:30am. - I am sitting up in bed, Hugh is asleep in my arms but I just can't muster the energy to get up and put him back in the pack. I slouch in the bed a little and set up a pillow buffer between Matt and the baby. I know it is not recommended to put your newborn in bed with you, but seriously sometimes it is the only way to get any rest. At this point I have been up since 4:30.
6:45am - The pitter patter of "big kid" feet wakes me from my light snoozing. I am a little confused when I look at the clock because their tot clock won't be green for another 45 minutes. Turns out it is Ben upstairs in the playroom. Lily is soon to follow. I get out of bed and encourage them to get a few toys and go back to Ben's room. I go back to bed, again.
7:30am - Lily and Ben stampede down the stairs chanting, "Daddy our clock is green!" They burst through the door to our bedroom and both clamber to get up on the bed to say good morning to Daddy, Hugh, and me. There is a few minutes of snuggling and Lily asks if she can play on my phone. I oblige her mostly because I am so overtired but also because she remembers her manners and asks me very politely.
7:45am - Matt can sense that the kids are getting restless and I really need to go back to sleep for a bit. He attempts to take the baby and Lily out to the kitchen to make breakfast but Ben insists on staying for a few more minutes of back rubbing and snuggling with Hugh.
Less than one minute later Ben decides he has had enough and runs out to the kitchen. Matt comes in to take the baby and before he even closes the bedroom door I am back to sleep.
9:24am - Ahhh, sleep. Why are you SO wonderful. I feel instantly guilty that Matt has had all three kids for the past hour and a half. The house is eerily quiet. I get up and pee and then poke my head out the bedroom door to check for signs of life. Nothing. Silence. I go back to bed to check my phone and text Matt when I hear the garage door. Matt had taken all three kids to Dunkin Donuts...what an amazing guy! He officially wins the medal for "first solo outing with all three kids!"
9:30am - Matt brings Hugh into the bedroom to nurse and returns a few minutes later with coffee and donuts. This man is a keeper. For.real.
I drink a bit of my coffee and have a few bites of donut as I nurse Hugh. (Yes we always break up our donuts like that and share them family style...even when we have company)
When Hugh is finished nursing and is out cold on the bed, I decide I need to pump in order to carry on with the next part of my day. While I pump I notice that the pump keeps losing suction, which is crazy annoying. I start to google the problem on my phone and quickly discover that there is a chance my pump was recalled over a year ago. I follow the instructions on the Medela website to determine if I am eligible for a replacement. Ten minutes in...I am not. Bummer.
10:00am - Without really noticing I pump almost five ounces. A little more than I was planning on but given that Hugh was also up for the better part of the night I have a feeling his current nap will be a long one. Plenty of time to replenish the supply.
I can hear the big kids and Daddy playing nintendo in the living room and decide to continue to soak in the quiet time for a few more minutes. I text with my girl friends and my sister. Kate texts to say that she is on her way (she spent a couple of days with friends in NH after arriving from DC on Friday night). Best of all she offers to pick up lunch!
I venture out to the living room to relay to Matt that my sister will be here in a couple of hours with lunch and discuss his plans for the day. He and the kids are getting ready to head outside. No one is interested in waiting a few minutes for me to brush my teeth and get dressed so for the second time already today I have the house to myself (being with a sleeping newborn is like being alone right?!).
10:30am - I gather all of the dirty laundry and start a load in the washer. A dog hair dust bunny rolls by as I walk through the house and I just can't leave it be. I grab the broom and do a quick pass around the downstairs. I move the baby to the bouncy seat, make our bed, and change all of the bedding in Hugh's pack and play. Since I am on a roll now I head upstairs, pick up the stray toys, make the kids' beds, clean the upstairs bathroom, and make sure that my sister's bed has clean sheets.
10:50am - I make myself slightly more presentable, emphasis on slightly. I am neither thrilled nor disappointed by my 2 week postpartum body. I honestly think that I have dropped a lot of the weight more quickly this time around than ever before...but because so much of my weight this time around was in my belly, I still have a belly. Honestly, I am confident that once I get back to running the belly will melt away (leaving god only knows what saggy sad skin behind!). Until then I am rocking it, no shame. I made a freaking baby. My body is amazing.
11:00am - I check on Hugh who is stirring a little so I pick him up and rock him for a minute or so before putting him back to bed in the pack and play, I decide to skip the swaddle...too risky!
I head outside to find the kids reading a book on the hammock. Ben is super excited to show me the new lilies that have opened up in the front garden. As we walk around the yard and admire the flowers I can't help but pick the blueberries that grow all around the perimeter of the yard. What an amazing place to live. We are so blessed to have all of this space, the berries are just icing on the cake!
12:00pm - Lunch! The kids have their usual trays filled with five foods...just like every day. Today they are "treated" to graham crackers with peanut butter instead of bread, because we are out of bread, oops.
12:45 - The kids are such slow eaters, especially Lily. Just as I am about to lose my patience Aunt Kate arrives! Fifteen minutes of total chaos ensues as the kids, the cat, and the dog all lose their minds to greet Kate and her friend. Hugh sleeps through it all.
1:00pm - Hugh continues to nap in the bouncy seat despite all of the excitement. Ben is completely ready for his nap so he and I sneak upstairs while Kate puts out the lunch that she brought for the grownups.
While the adults eat lunch Lily asks if she can play a little nintendo (Mario Cart) and Matt gets her set up on the couch. She is surprisingly good...if only she wouldn't stop in the middle of a race to fix her hair.
After we finish up lunch I take Hugh in the bedroom to nurse and Lily cons Kate and her friend into playing nintendo. Hugh is super fussy and takes a really long time to latch. Matt comes in to check on us and to let me know that he is going outside to work in the yard. Shortly after Kate comes in and says that she and her friend are going to head over to my mom and dad's for a short visit and offers to take Lily with them . THIRD time today I am in a quiet house 'alone'. I have Matt snap a pic before he heads outside.
2:00pm - Hugh makes absolutely sure that I do not enjoy the peace and quiet for long. Even after nursing on both sides he is still rooting around and grunting in my arms. I just can't let him nurse any longer so I attempt to put him in the swing with the pacifier. For about 20 minutes he alternates between sleeping and screaming. I have a love/hate relationship with the paci at this early age. I love the I can use it to soothe Hugh as long as I am willing to hold it in his mouth. I can't stand the paci when Hugh desperately wants it but can't keep it in his own mouth for more than a few seconds.
2:40pm - Matt is still outside, the girls are still at my parents, and the boys are both sleeping. It is too late in the afternoon for me to get much of a nap so I decide to switch over the laundry, fold and put away the clothes from the dryer, clean our bathroom, and spend a few minutes deleting pictures and making notes for this post.
3:00pm - Like clockwork Ben gets up from his nap. He is super cranky until he realizes he has me all to himself. I change his diaper and we spend a few minutes playing trains on the floor in his room. I feel a little guilty because I realize I really haven't spent very much time today with the big kids. I ask him what he would like to do and he suggests "ride bikes". Sure buddy, let's go out.
I check to make sure that Hugh is still sleeping contently in the swing while Ben puts his own sneakers on. He manages to get them on the right feet which only happens about 20% of the time.
3:30 - We play outside in the driveway for about a half hour. I totally overdo it pushing Ben around on the trike. I get super crampy and just know I need to go in and sit down for a few minutes, maybe even take a few Advil. Poor Ben seems really disappointed that I can't keep pushing him. This is one of those times when recovery really sucks.
I go inside and check Hugh. Just as I sit down in the glider next to him he starts to stir. The kid has impeccable timing. I pick him up, change his diaper, and sit back down on the bed to nurse. He only nurses for about 14 minutes on one side before falling back to sleep.
I remember that I really need breast milk storage bags and get out my computer to see if Target is still offering 10 dollars off your order when you pick up your items same day...after updating itunes AND adobe I finally get to the Target website to find out that the answer is no. Perfect.
4:10pm - Kate is home with Lily, and the girls and Ben all head upstairs for a dance party. Everyone dons a tutu but I somehow fail to take a picture, ugh!
4:30pm - Matt comes in from outside asking if anyone wants to go with him to the hardware store. The kids are having entirely too much fun dancing and he doesn't get any takers. I decide that I will go with him and that we can pick up dinner while we are out. I change Hugh's diaper for what seems like the 50th time today and load him into the car seat. I ask Kate to make the kids' dinner which she happily agrees to do in exchange for the promise of take out.
4:30-5:30pm - Matt, Hugh, and I hit up Ace hardware, Rite Aid, and the Chinese take out place. Hugh sleeps the entire time we are out. Errands with a newborn...you never know what you are going to get. This particular outing was a total success. I am thrilled when the drugstore has the milk storage bags I need and now I don't have to go to Target after the kids go to bed. Wine is also purchased :)
5:30 - Matt's parents call just as we are getting home to ask if they can stop by with their cousins who are visiting Maine from Kentucky. We have been trying to find a time to meet up with them all weekend so Matt invites them over for a quick visit. Just as Matt and Kate are unpacking the food Hugh decides he HAS TO NURSE THIS SECOND so I sit down in the living room while they start eating. About two minutes after Hugh and I get settled in our guests arrive. Hugh and I quickly excuse ourselves to the bedroom to avoid any awkward "oh hey your boob is out of your shirt" moments.
5:50 - Hugh is finally finished and I return to the living room to properly meet the Kentucky cousins. We all make small talk and Matt leads everyone around on a house tour. The kids are very proud to show our guests their bedrooms, which of course makes my heart happy because I put so much work into their rooms in the past few months.
6:15pm - Both Lily and Ben beg for a small bowl of lo mein noodles and again I oblige because they each ask so politely.
6:30pm - Matt's family says goodbye and we all start the kids bedtime routine. Lily has already had her poop which she normally does every night around this time. While she does her business whoever goes with her is expected to play 'i-spy' or 'would you rather'. Tonight that privilege went to Mimi. Ben has a total and complete meltdown that I cannot carry him up the stairs. He tantrums on the floor for several minutes before latching on to my leg at the bottom of the stairs. The kids finally settle on Kate carrying Lily, Daddy carrying Ben, and Mommy carrying Hugh.
7:00pm - Lily and Ben are changed into jammies, Ben has a new diaper, and both kids brush their teeth with Matt's supervision. Normally we have them help us clean up the the toys for a few minutes but I am too hungry and tired to go there tonight.
Matt reads Lily's choice book (the kids take turns each night choosing the story) and Lily cuddles up next to him on the floor. For some reason Matt has decided to wage war against Ben and his pacifier for the past few days. The new rule states that Ben can only have his beloved paci when he is physically in his bed. As a result Ben chooses paci over snuggles and listens to the story from the top bunk. I believe this is called, parenting fail. Hugh is out cold on the changing table.
7:16pm - Kids are 'down'...but will probably get out of bed a least a few times. The punishment will be loss of a stuffy for each infraction. Smart money is on Ben getting out of bed at least once.
7:20pm - I FINALLY sit down to eat some dinner and have a beer. My first beer since giving birth...it is everything I dreamed it would be. About half way through my meal Hugh wants to nurse but Kate picks him up and walks around the house to give me time to eat. Ben gets out of bed and Matt takes away his new airplane stuffed animal.
7:45pm - I nurse Hugh and we all settle in to watch a little TV and hang out. We all talk, and laugh, and tell stories for the rest of the evening. Matt cleans up dinner and he and Kate enjoy a few more beers.
10:00pm - After hanging out for a couple of hours I decide that Hugh and I had better get ready for bed. I brush my teeth while Matt changes the baby's diaper. I remember that his swaddle and whale blankie are in the dryer so I go get them. I toy with the idea of folding the rest of the clothes for about 3 seconds.
It takes about 45 more minutes to settle in completely, nurse Hugh one last time and get him swaddled and in to the pack and play.
I take one last picture and close my eyes just before 11pm
We are all settling in and trying to find our groove as a family of five. Establishing any sort of routine has been pretty much impossible on account of the fact that we have had company for the last three weeks. First my sister came, next amazing family friends and my high school bestie were in town, and this past week another of my best friends and her husband were here. I am so ridiculously blessed to have spent this time with four of my favorite women on the planet (not to mention their families). This hormonal hot mess could cry just thinking about it, who are we kidding I'm balling like a baby. I know I told each of you in person how grateful I was for the help, the love, and the laughs, but it never hurts to say it again. Thank you and I love you with my whole heart.
Likes: Nursing, napping on someone's chest, being swaddled, baths, getting up for the day at 4:30am, paci, being held, clutching a burp cloth to his chest as though his life depended on it, getting head pats and kisses from Lily and Ben, the front pack, squirming, the Mamaroo, riding in the car.
Sleeping: Hugh is a good sleeper. He is only a month old and I know that SO MANY THINGS can change BUT so far I am digging his sleeping routine. We go to bed around 10:30 and Hugh sleeps until as late as 3:30...that is a FIVE hour stretch. Ben didn't sleep for five hours until...well...does last night count?? (I'm kidding he does finally sleep through the night, most of the time). The problem is that Hugh goes right back to bed after nursing on both sides at 3:30 for an hour. ONE HOUR, then he is up. As in UP for the day. No matter what I try I cannot get him to settle in and sleep after 5am. He isn't interested in nursing. He just wants to be held and to look longing into my eyes...which I am desperate to close. I entertain him until 7:30 when Matt gets up at which time I practically throw the baby to him as he leaves the room to get up with the big kids. My husband is a saint. I am not an early riser and am so grateful that he will get up with all three kids so that I can get some extra sleep.
