Isla is 4 months old, 13.05lbs and 25 inches long!
This has been a month of transitions. I went back to workJanuary 7th. Really, I started my fieldwork (working full time forfree – well really getting paid with knowledge – cheesy I know). I alreadywrote in my last post about what a week that was. Isla has since been onPrevacid (the liquid form which is $35 a month rather than the tablets at $65 amonth) and we’ve seen improvements. One of the other transitions is that Islais now sleeping in her own room! Literally the night I started fieldwork shestopped sleeping for longer periods at night and started waking up every 1.5-2hours. I was getting about 45 minutes of sleep at a time because I couldn’tsleep with her fussing next to me. We also suspect that Isla is now teething….veryred cheeks, sucking like crazy on her fingers, drooling, and more fussy thanusual. Going to fieldwork where I was new to the place, the people, beingchallenged with new tasks and information and being expected to perform at acertain OT level was tough on virtually no sleep for three and a half weeksstraight. Thank goodness I had my mother in law staying with us for the firstthree weeks! Isla has been in daycare the last two weeks and its going well.They absolutely adore her which makes me and Alex happy. Isla likes them tooand is always smiling when we drop her off and pick her up.
We’ve come a long way since the beginning of January. Thatfirst week all I could do was work all day, come home take care of Isla, andcry. Now I work all day come home and make dinner, do the dishes/laundry, giveIsla a bath, pump (milk management is what I termed all that has to do withpumping and man does it take up a considerable amount of time), put her to bed,and try to get ready for the next day – all without crying :) And all with Alex’shelp of course. Isla is also back to sleeping for longer periods of time. Shetypically goes to bed at 8pm and will be up about twice before 5am. Much muchbetter than before!
I couldn’t have made it through this past month without mymother in law. She was amazing taking care of Isla every day. I know Islamisses her like crazy. She also spoiled the heck out of us with her help, time,gifts, and love. I wish she could move in with us for the next couple of months :) Thank you Annette,your time with us meant the world to me and to Isla and Alex too. <3
This has been a big month for change in Isla’s development. Shehas been so happy and will just stare into our eyes when we are smiling at her.I know she can feel our love and that she loves us too. There are some thingsthat don’t need words to be communicated and the love between parents and a babythis age is one of them. (The pictures were edited by Annette, thank you :))
Some of her new tricks are:
Taking a toy ball(with holes for her fingers) when I give it to her
Sits up in herbumbo chair
Laughsoccasionally – has huge open mouth smiles all the time
Shecan almost roll from her tummy to back
Shetracks people and objects from a distance
Sheloves to watch TV – not kidding, especially MSU basketball :)
Splasheswith a purpose in the bathtub
Herhair is falling out like crazy (and mine)
Blowsbubbles with her mouth
Ismaking all kinds of new “talking” sounds
Shecan get the wubanub type of binkys in her mouth on her own – just notconsistently
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| Gotta love those baby slippers! |
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| Just Chillin |
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| This is why we now have to strap her in :) |
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| So Innocent |
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| NO MORE PICTURES...please |
Breastfeeding as a working mom: not as easy as Ianticipated. First of all it was awkward to have my big pumping bag with me thefirst day and to have to find a place to store it. Then there were a few timeswhere I was pumping in a room and I heard people with keys outside the door. Iyelled not to come in but they were just “testing the lock” not actuallyopening the door. Enough to stress me out. Then my supply was going down. I wasall stressed that I wouldn’t be able to meet my goal of using only breast milkfor the first six months. Really my first goal is 6 months, second goal is thissummer, and final goal is 1 year. I don’t plan on breastfeeding past one year.Anyways, what I found to work is pumping every chance I get at home. I pumpbefore work (after feeding her in the morning), twice at work, when I get home,and then again after every time I feed her at home (just not in the middle ofthe night). Doing this has increased my supply and I’m able to pump enough for herto get through the next day at daycare. It takes up so much time, but I wouldn’tdo it if I wasn’t passionate about it. There are two reasons I’m dedicated tobreastfeeding: 1) it’s free 2) I believe in its magic. In other words, thehealth benefits it has for baby. Like everything else this past month, once theroutine was established, it has become more normal and it’s not so stressfulanymore. I know I’ll make it to at least 6 months :)
