Where has all the time gone! I can't believe it has been 3 weeks with Amanda Joy and I still haven't written about all the events! I am so very sorry. Let me try to get a quick recap out :)
The c-section went very well and Amanda Joy was born at 2:38 pm on April 22. She was 5 pounds 7 ounces and 17 1/2 inches long - a little petite peanut! She had a head full of almost black hair and didn't waste any time sharing with everyone how strong her lungs wer
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Daddy got to spend some time with her in the nursery while they were weighing her, cleaning her and dressing her while I went to recovery. I was able to be awake for Amanda's birth, something that was not possible with Abi's, so that was a new and wonderful experience. I got to see Amanda before we heard a sound! They lowered the sheet enough for me to see how tiny she was. :) Once again, we had the most wonderful care at the hospital. The nursing staff and doctors are so great at NCH and we are so thankful to have been able to have both girls there.
Abi has really taken well to having Amanda in the family. She came to the hospital the evening Amanda was born and as soon as she saw her she got a smile on her face and said, "Baby!" She wanted to hold her, kiss her, hug her.... it was a really comforting site to see. You never really know how a child will react to having another little one around. Of course, she was at the hospital and maybe something else would happen when we brought her home.
Not the case! Abi is still excited to have the baby around! Even at home! For a while "baby" was the last person she wanted to see before going night night and the first person she wanted to see when she got up in the morning. Abi's whole face lights up when she sees Amanda. She doesn't want to call her by name though - just "baby." That's okay with us since she seems to love her so much. In time the name will come :)
My recovery is going well. I got a UTI the day I was hoping to leave the hospital, so that kept me a day longer than I had hoped. Then it took a while to get rid of the infection, but it did finally pass. The rest of the recovery has really been fairly easy. Mommy and Daddy are both a bit sleep deprived, but that is to be expected. Amanda is still learning her days and nights, so that should all begin to regulate in the next few weeks. I (Mommy) am not handling the fatigue nearly as well as Daddy, but I am hoping to refocus my thoughts and get back in the game :) I know that Abi must have cried a lot, even screamed, but I don't remember it being this much. However, I guess those are the things you overlook as time goes by :) Just like forgetting the pain of labor, you forget all the crying, screaming and longing for more sleep. This too shall pass :) I just need to focus on the needs of my babies and not the lack of sleep :)
I think one thing we discovered this afternoon is that she isn't getting enough to eat from the breast. She can't stay awake long enough when she is nursing, so I am going to pump more and we will do both nursing and bottle until the milk supply picks back up. That should help with some of her sad cries. She is gaining weight though! She was already up to 5 pounds 15 ounces at her appointment last week! She is just a growing girl who wants more!! So we will aim to give her just that :)
Okay, I must go and get dinner ready for the family. I just wanted everyone to know that we are all well and adjusting to life as a family of four. I will be back with pictures and more stories soon! Thank you so much for your patience. I sure do appreciate it!
