Happy 4 Months, Nellie!

4 Month Stats

Weight: 12 pounds,  8 ounces....but 13 pounds,  2 ounces as of this morning!

Length: 24.25 inches  

Eating: you are still only drinking breastmilk for now, and will change to eating every four hours now.  Your bottles are now 4oz each time and you power through them.  Now that I am back at work you are taking bottles during the day and I am still nursing you in the morning, evenings and on the weekend.

Bedtime: you are now in the Rock N Play in our room and usually wake up once at night.  I thought we may be entering the 4 month sleep regression because, for a couple of nights you were waking up every two hours but you're back to just one time again, so that's nice. You consistently wake every morning on your own around 545am or 6am, which is right on schedule.  

Awake:  you love your activity mat and have gotten much better at grabbing, and holding on to, the items that hang from it.  Like your sister, you love to get a sneak peek at the TV.  You're still a tad too short for your Exersaucer but you do like to sit in it and look around. You smile so much, love to "talk" and love to watch what people are doing.  It might be a coincidence but since you started going to the nanny this week you are so much more vocal, it's too cute!

Naps: great news! you've been doing great at napping and staying asleep!  You rub your eyes when you are tired and we put you down awake and you fuss and moan for about five minutes and then put yourself right to sleep.

Diapers: you are wearing size 1-2 diapers from Costco and they fit just perfectly 

Clothes: you have started filling out your 3 month clothes and I love having an excuse (actually leaving the house!) to get you all dressed up in the morning.

Favorites: you have figured how to click your tongue and smack your lips and you love to laugh when someone goes "Boo!" and slightly scares you.  

Development: you started rolling from your back to your side this month and it looks like it may only be a week or so until you are on your stomach because you've already made it over to your side.  We no longer have to put items in your hand, you can reach out and grab them and then hold on to them for quite some time.    Just this week you have started kicking things with your feet and I bet you will be grabbing your toes soon.

Dear Nell Bell,

You had your 4 month doctor appointment already and are a growing girl! You did great with your shots and the doctor commented on how strong you are.  The doctor had recommended giving you a bottle of formula every day but we're not doing that yet...now that I am back at work I can monitor how much you are eating in bottles and you are doing great and have gained a half a pound in a week (previously you only gained about a pound in two months!)

Speaking of, I made it through my first week back at work from maternity leave and everything is great.  Monday was a little stressful because you wouldn't take a bottle from the nanny (Tori) so you didn't drink one ounce all day; Tuesday you only had two ounces and by Wednesday you had finished all three bottles, good girl!  Tori watches you and mommy's friend Tiffany's baby, Andi, who is two weeks older than you.  You girls are going to be great friends!

Easter came and went and we celebrated in Palmdale with Grandma, Grandpa and Tio.  The Easter Bunny visited and you were nice enough to share all of your loot with Mila.

You think your sister is the most entertaining one in the family and you love all of the attention she pays to you.  She loves to be the one to wake you up in the morning and after naptime, although each time she runs in and yells, "Boo!" Not exactly how I would like to be woken up but so far you haven't complained.

We are still nursing and I love those special moments.  You have started grabbing and pulling your hair whenever you nurse on the right side.  It's so funny because that's the only time that you do it and you do it the entire time!

You are such a happy little baby, definitely not as serious as you used to be, and you love to coo and talk.  Your octaves have got much higher and you love to make it know that you are around and have a voice too.  

You've also started laughing, which is such a wonderful little sound!

We love you oh so much little one and are excited to see what comes next.

Love, Mommy

4 Month Dr. Appt - Nellie

Nellie's 4 month doctor's appointment was this morning.  She had two shot vaccinations (DTAP/IPV/Hib and PCV) and one oral vaccination (rotavirus) today and did great.  She only cried for a second and then was fine and went to sleep as soon as we got in the car.  Mila is on Spring Break from preschool so she was with us, and I warned her that Nellie would be getting shots and would cry, but she would be okay.  After the nurse put the band aids on the shot spots, Mila said, "Mimi kiss it?" and leaned over and kissed both ouchies; it was precious.

Nellie measured 24.25in (.25in longer than Mila at 4mo) and weighed in at 12lbs, 8oz (almost 3lbs lighter than Mila at 4mo).  In her weight, she went from the 49th percentile at 2mo to the 22nd percentile now and her growth chart line "is starting to do a U turn," per the doctor.  Dr. Brouwer asked how the feeding is going and I said I am still exclusively nursing her but that she seems to be a very efficient eater because she only nurses for about 5-15min each time and is then done, but she also doesn't go to nurse in between sessions either so maybe she is satisfied?  Dr. Brouwer said that with breastmilk, while it's best for baby, we don't know how many calories Nellie is getting; I might just be producing the skim foremilk and not the fatty hindmilk that includes all of the nutritional value.  Therefore, she's filling up on milk, but it's not necessarily the milk and calories that she needs. She said that she sees this about once a month or so with moms and babies; it's just the way the mom's body produces the milk.  As of now, the slow down in her weight is not affecting her height but the doctor does want Nellie to start taking a bottle of formula every day when I am at work and I will continue nursing when I am home with her.  Once I start doing that, she said she is 100% certain that Nellie's growth chart line will be right on track at her next, 6 month, appointment.

This wasn't a complete surprise to me, even still, it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

Happy Easter!

Advice from a Random Mom

When my friend Whitney was recently here she asked me, “Meg, are you going to remember all of these things to tell me when I have kids???”  Of course I said yes, but, let’s be honest, I can’t even remember what I had for dinner two nights ago; so I decided to start a list and then add to it as I think of things. So if you want to know the thoughts of one random mom in the world, bookmark the page and check back!

Pregnancy/Delivery

• If you’re set on having a vaginal delivery and have to have a c-section, it will be every bit as heartbreaking emotionally as you think it might be.  But the recovery isn’t nearly as bad as what you read on the internet.
• Download the BabyCenter app and join the birth club of the month you are due.  The posts are sometimes comical but mostly helpful and you can follow it all the way past pregnancy and a LOT of your questions or wonderings will be answered. Plus you can post anonymously and it keeps you entertained when you can’t sleep.
• You don’t need nearly as much stuff on your registry as the “suggested lists” tell you.  Don’t register for many clothes or blankets, people love buying those for you.
• My must have baby items (most can be found at any baby store): carrier (my fav is the Beco Gemeni; I also have the Moby, which is ok but not the best), hand pump (so nice not to have to hook up the electric pump all the time), Aden & Anais swaddle blankets (buy two packages!), video monitor (I like the ones that allow you to have more than one camera with one monitor for when you have more kids; you can buy the second camera later), Snoogle.
• Belly bands are a lifesaver to extend the wearing of your normal pants; I wore some of mine all the way up until the 8^th month!

Breastfeeding

• Breastfeeding is hard!  If it’s important to you you should give it at least 4-6 weeks to get used to it before quitting.  Your baby isn’t going to die of you not feeding her; you have so many appointments in the first couple of months that if she’s not gaining enough weight then your doctor will tell you to start formula.
• You don’t have to have a freezer full of milk pumped; all you need is enough for the next day, so don't start pumping until you start to give a bottle or about a week or so before you go back to work.
• A breastfed baby needs the same amount of milk at 1 month as she does at 6 months (I had NO idea!) so your body adjusts in the first couple of weeks after birth.  If you’re not getting much when you pump, it’s likely a) all that the baby needs or b) you don’t get as much from the pump as the baby gets when suckling; it doesn’t necessarily mean your supply is dwindling.
• Take Fenugreek pills (I took 12 a day at first and then 4 a day after the first month) and make at least one batch of lactation cookies.
• The My Brest Friend pillow is WAY better than the Boppy.

Baby

• Babywise isn’t for everyone but it’s one of the best things I can recommend to new moms.  This cheat sheet is awesome too.
• ENCAPSULATE YOUR PLACENTA and take the pills. Trust me.  I didn't have even a touch of the baby blues (not to mention postpartum depression) this time around and I think it really did help with my milk production.
• Write about your experience on a blog (even if you don't share it), in a journal or a napkin for your pregnancy and about the baby, it's SO helpful to look back and see what you were going through (and validate your feelings) the second time around.
• We used Pampers Swaddlers for the newborn size (and loved them) and then switched over to Costco and Target brand diapers; they are just as good and cost significantly less!

Bronze Boobies - Nellie!

Hooray! I have made it to three months EXCLUSIVELY breastfeeding and could NOT be happier!  I don't know what is different this time around, maybe it's that every baby is different or maybe it's that I am more comfortable this time around but I am so glad it's working out so well. I am still not 100% confident in it but Nellie is latching fine and is having plenty of wet and poopy diapers and gaining weight so I just decided not to stress about it; I think that's half the battle.

I found this awesome story on the timeline of a breastfed baby and these facts of a three month old breastfed baby are so interesting to me:

3 Months

• Some babies at this age, because they have become experienced feeders, will nurse for only five or seven minutes, or even as little as two or less per feed (Gonzalez 2014).
• If your baby is beginning to give up his night feeds, you will find that he nurses longer at his day feeds.
• At this age, your exclusively breastfed baby may go for ten or twelve days without pooping (Gonzalez 2014).
• Your breastfed baby will tend to need much less burping now.
• Interesting fact: If you are exclusively breastfeeding, your milk is currently providing 535 calories, 6.8g of protein and 37g fat for your baby per day! (Thompson 2012).
• You’ve probably heard the delicious fact that breastfeeding uses up the fat stores you laid down in pregnancy. The greatest weight loss is seen in the three to six month period (Moody et al). You’ve just hit the start of this uber fat-burning period.
• You may find that your baby becomes more distracted during feeds now. This is because her eyesight has developed and she can see across the room. When your baby seems distracted, take care that this doesn't mark the beginning of a habit developing when your baby feeds less and less during the day, then makes up for it at night.
• Are you finding that your baby is sleeping better at night now? At three months, nocturnal sleep is actually increased in breastfed babies compared to formula fed babies due to tryptophan in breast milk which acts as a regulator (Cubero et al 2005).
• By breastfeeding for at least 3 months you have given your baby a 27 percent reduction in the risk of asthma if you have no family history of asthma and a 40 percent reduction if you have a family history of asthma (Tufts-New England Medical Center Evidence-Based Practice Center).
• If you have exclusively breastfed for this long, your baby will have enhanced development in key parts of the brain compared to other children who were fed formula or a combination of formula and breastmilk (Dean et al).
• By this stage you have also given your baby between a 19 and 27 percent reduction in incidence of childhood Type 1 Diabetes (Tufts-New England Medical Center Evidence-Based Practice Center).

Now, on to my goal of 6 months!

Happy 3 Months, Nellie!

3 Month Stats

You haven't been measured since your 2 month appointment so these are my best estimates:

Weight: 12 pounds,  8 ounces 

Length: 25 inches  

Eating: you're still exclusively breastfed (yay!) and eating every three hours.  You only take bottles on Fridays when I am at work and are drinking 2.5-3oz each time.  You nurse five times a day and usually one to two times every night, but only about five minutes each time at night.  

Bedtime: your bedtime is between 7:30pm and 8pm and you are pretty good about going right down.  We have got in the habit of putting you to sleep and then laying you on the couch next to me.  Putting you in our room in the co-sleeper just seems too far away but I know we need to get working on that! While you were waking up pretty consistently at 2am and 5am to nurse you, you now usually sleep until about 5am and then get a little fussy, sometimes waking to nurse and sometimes not.

Awake:  you spend your morning wake time staring at your sister and cooing at her while she eats breakfast.  After than you usually run errands with mommy and then spend some time on your activity mat.  You will spend quite a while on your mat looking at the lights, batting at the dangling things and you also like to kick around in the mamaRoo.

Naps: You are a great napper...IF someone is holding you!  I have been working on  a little bit of sleep training with you with a routine of swaddling you, singing songs and then placing you down in your crib and it works about 70% of the time.

Diapers: you just moved up to Size 2 diapers but they are huge on you! 

Clothes: most 3 month clothes are still big on you with the 0-3 month clothes fitting the best.  I keep you mostly dressed in one piece jammies because it's easiest and a little cool for just a onesie.

Favorites: you love looking at people's faces and smiling.  And as long as someone is holding you you are a happy little thing.  I got out the Sassy Bugs that your sister loved so much but you aren't impressed.  

Development: your head control is almost perfect and when you are awake you are looking at everything within your view.  You are batting at everything that hangs in front of you and have just recently started grabbing on to objects yourself, rather than us putting them in your hand.  We recently put a rattle and Sophie in your hand but you weren't into them.  You are cooing and talking so much more now, just starting this week!

Dear lady bug,

Hard to believe you've been here for three months...but even harder to imagine you not being here at all!  You got your shots this month, which was harder on mommy than it was on you, I think.  You only cried for a second and then we spent the rest of the day snuggling on the couch.

We've been working on getting you to sleep in your own crib, and it's going ok, but you still prefer to sleep when someone is holding you.  You're sleeping in our room in the co-sleeper at night; I am not sure when I will move you into your room since you and Mila are sharing. I think I will wait until you are sleeping through the night completely so you don't wake each other up.

Even if I put you in the middle of the co-sleeper you love to snuggle over to one side.  You are also the loudest sleeper ever. Your grunts and breathing usually wake us up at least once a night, it sounds like you are moving a sofa up a flight of stairs!

We've been enjoying a lot of family time and your sister just ADORES you.  She's constantly saying "Hiiiii seeeester" and wanting to hold your hand.  Sometimes she gets a little aggressive with her hugs so we have to remind her to be gentle with you; she always makes sure that we know where you are and that you won't be left behind ("Sister come too?").

I think it hit me the other day that we have two kids!  I didn't realize this until we put the second high chair at the table and saw the two of you sitting there together.  It made me a little emotional and it's so cute to see the two of you together, holding hands and looking at each other while Mila eats her meals.

You aren't really a fan of tummy time but do love your activity mat. I need to be better about putting you on your tummy but you have such great head control that I forget since you already are so amazing!  

Sometimes playing so much you get tucker out and fall fast asleep!

You've also started holding onto items that we put in your hands, even if you aren't as impressed as we are!

You are such a serious baby and usually reserve your smiles for when someone is looking right at you and smiling as well.  I like that you make us work for it, girlfriend.  You hold out until the very last minute and these just erupt in a gummy, little smile, it's too cute!

You had your first trip to the beach this month but spent pretty much the whole time sleeping in the carrier.  

You have the cutest little voice and have started talking to us so much lately.  I was also able to catch your laugh on video!

You're such a sweet, loving little baby.  We are SO lucky and blessed to have you in our lives.

Love, 
Mommy