One Week New

I still can’t believe it’s been one week since I entered the hospital to get induced to have Ailey! She is ONE WEEK NEW and I’m beyond thrilled (tired too of course).

Sometimes I still think I am pregnant, and when I reach down to rub my belly I find nothing but fluff. No round bump with a baby hiccuping inside – just a little round baby hiccuping in a swing next to me. I’m often in disbelief that she is finally here after what felt like the longest 9 months of my life.

Annabelle’s Life Lately

To say that adjusting to being a family of four is easy would be an understatement. Annabelle has had her moments – she’s been the only child for 32 months after all – now that there is an itty bitty girl taking some of her Mommy and Daddy’s attention. Bedtime is a struggle since she doesn’t want to leave our little party with her sister who doesn’t go down until midnight.

As each day passes, Annabelle becomes more comfortable with her new baby sister. At first, she didn’t understand why she could not hold her and walk around the house. Then she realized she was allowed to hold her as much as she wanted while sitting on the couch. She loves snuggling with Ailey, stroking her soft feet, holding her hand, and giving her kisses. Initially she didn’t grasp the fact that Ailey will sleep for most of the day, and that she can’t crawl or play yet. But, slowly and surely, she is figuring out the habits of a newborn.

Annabelle is taking on the role of “big sister helper” with enthusiasm. She enjoys being my assistant during diaper changes and feedings. I knew she would love to help out since she enjoys taking care of her own baby dolls. Convincing her to clean up her own messes is not as easy, though.

Ailey’s Life Lately

Ailey is a sweet little baby with the screeching abilities of a Raptor. We quickly learned that Ailey likes to eat a lot at night and poop after each feeding. We go through a ton of diapers between the hours of 10-2am. I’ve been giving her a supplemental bottle at night of formula after she nurses because she never can seem to get full off of my night milk. Hopefully, this will change once my milk production regulates.

Ailey loves napping in her swing or in your arms and hanging out on the Newborn Boppy Pillow. We tried out her play mat during some of her awake time, but she always rolls to her side so right now we won’t be using it much.

Four days after she was born, she was not quite back to birth weight, so we go back to the doctor this week for a check-in. She is not as tall as her sister was, but she weighs more. I will be interested to see how she grows as Annabelle was tall and skinny from birth. She has a little bit more hair than Annabelle did and her eyes seem to be a different color already.

Annabelle had dark, almost black, eyes, and Ailey’s are much lighter. We were a bit worried she had jaundice, but the final diagnosis was low-risk. She also has an itty bitty heart murmur we will monitor (just like Annabelle!).

Daddy’s Life Lately

Brandon is doing great adjusting to his one week old girl. He isn’t the one who has to nurse her all night long anyways! Annabelle has been loving on her Daddy extra these days and I know he is happy to have paternity home with us.

Me – MOM’S Life Lately

Whenever anyone asks me how I’m recovering one week postpartum, I try to be as honest as possible (without being too graphic). I’m tired, my lower half feels like I’ve been riding a horse around the state of Georgia, and my upper body is still sore from all the pushing. My milk is coming in great, but my Pamela Lee boobs are out of control. I can’t find a nursing bra that fits right and I’m leaking through everything!

Plus, I have weird breast tissue in my armpit that is swollen and bumpy. I’ve started pumping once a day to relieve the pain/pressure in my breasts, and also to create a little bit of a supply in our freezer. My skin is breaking out in weird places on my face and my cuticles are cracking around my hands (that could be from my non-stop hand washing). 

Annabelle started preschool today and I tried my best not to cry. I know it will be a great escape for her -mentally, emotionally, and physically – and for me as well. I can’t wait to see how her first day went! She only goes until 1… so I’ll find out soon.

Ailey and I aren’t on our own just yet. My Mom is here until Sunday, so next Monday will be interesting. If she keeps up all this day sleeping then I think I’ll be just fine. Along with my helper Annabelle, the three of us will be on a great adventure!