Milestones: More alert and aware of surroundings
So let me just say that I adore Emily. She is just amazing and the love of our lives. However, she was not an "easy" baby to handle in those early days. And I won't say we didn't wonder what the heck we had gotten ourselves into with this whole baby thing, haha!
We brought her home on Mother's Day and she was very jaundiced. The first week was spent going to and from the hospital to get her bilirubin levels checked. We were then given a "Bili-blanket" that she needed to lay on all day and all night wearing nothing but a diaper. Being that she wasn't really that great of a sleeper in the first place unless she was swaddled....this did not bode well! However, it was only a couple days and thank goodness her levels went down and all was good.
Laying on the Bili Blanket
Trying to sleep with the Bili Blanket
Swaddle me up!
Week two things settled down a bit. My mom came to visit for the week. Unfortunately we didn't get along the greatest and well, in hindsight it was a very large lack of communication on both our parts - not to mention my raging unbalanced hormones. I regret how poorly it went and wish I could have a do-over. But all is forgiven now and I shouldn't focus on the past.
We had a photo-shoot that week and Emily was less than thrilled. But even amongst the screams, Dionne from The Shooting Gallery Photography got some amazing pics as expected!
Hanging with Daddy
Not a happy girl
Ahhh....it's about time you swaddled me
Happy Family
Grandma Choate
Getting cozy
Grandma Burling
Three generations
Mommy and me
Makes my heart melt
Sleepy after a long session
A little smile
The days were long just the two of us. She was very colicky and gassy. She spent most of her time sleeping and crying. There were not many "happy" moments. She didn't smile yet, didn't do much of anything but lay there and look at you. I really wasn't sure what to do with her! I just sat and bounced bounced and bounced. Occasionally she would let me put her in the swing to give my arm a break, but she preferred the bouncer hands down.
Month one was a doozy. Lots of doctor visits, lack of sleep and a heck of a time breastfeeding. I felt confident when I left the hospital, but by the end of the first week I didn't know how I was going to make it to the end of the second week. I muddled through. Emily was "tongue-tied" a bit and so we went and had her frenulum clipped in attempts to make it easier. It was a quick procedure and she screamed, but was over it by the time we got home. It helped a little, but really not enough. Each feeding was painful and stressful. I am thankful to have made it as far as I did (2 months + 1 month of frozen saved up), but still wish it would of been more of a success. It has by far been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.
Up next Month 2!
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