"I had my second doctor's appointment today. It was really fun! My mommy and my grandma walked me there in my new stroller. It was funny because they could not figure out how to work the stroller. They had to call my daddy, while I just sat there patiently, sucking on my binky. Anyway, my mommy strolled me in to the doctor and they made me take off all of my clothes. Thank goodness I got to keep my diaper on! The nurse weighed and measured me and I am still 19.5 inches long and I weigh 7lbs 9ozs. Mommy is doing a good job feeding me because I already exceeded my birth weight. Also, the doctor said mommy can let me sleep through the night, instead of waking me up to eat. Phewwwwww! I hated being woken up from my sweet dreams. Also, the doctor kept calling me a love bucket and even sang me the same song that mommy sings to me everyday. Guess what? I didn't even cry. Today was a great day!"
- Ashley Jane
Monday, March 26, 2007
Comment Process Change
Due to "hooligans", I've had to change the comment process for this site. When you submit a comment, I get emailed and then I can either publish the comment to the site or delete it.
99.99% will be published unless you're a hooligan as mentioned above.
99.99% will be published unless you're a hooligan as mentioned above.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Drunk From Milk
Someone is straight up knocked out from the already busy day. She has just finished a feeding and is "drunk" as the industry calls it. Infants act very similar after a feeding to someone who's "three sheets to the wind" as my grandma says. The influx of the warm milk into their bodies slow them way down and they fall straight asleep.
Photo Shoot
Ashley had a photo session today with Jane Hasty Photography. Kelly received this as a gift from the school where she taught. What a great idea for a gift! I'll provide a follow up to this post when the photos are viewable on her site.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Grandma's Make The World Go Round
Kelly's mom left yesterday afternoon after having logged some serious awake hours at our humble abode. Her help and attention to our needs went above and beyond her call of duty as a grandma. She was with us throughout the challenging times when Ashley wasn't happy and there were many a mornings when I came out and she had been up for hours holding Ashley so we could sleep. Kelly and I both have no idea what we would have done without her help. Grandma Rothery, thank you so much for everything you've done for us over the past week. We are blessed to have a grandma as caring, thoughtful, sensitive and hard working as you.
One funny story while she was here, there was a span of a few days where both Kelly and her mom didn't get much sleep at all. It became apparent that I needed to volunteer my duties for the "night watch" aka sleeping on the couch with the bassinet by my head. If Ashley were to wake up or cry, I'm to calm her down, rock her, burp her, etc.
I was a bit apprehensive at first because I'm a total noob at this infant thing. The night started out great. Around 1am, Ashley woke up crying so I picked her up, gave her the pacifier, rocked her a bit and boom, she was out like a light. "I can so do this" I thought. Well, the next thing I know, Kelly and Grandma are standing over top of me with a concerned look on their faces asking what the heck happened out here during the night. As I wipe the droll off my cheek and squint from the sun shining in, I look over and Ashley had vomited all over her crib all night and I couldn't have slept harder through each ordeal. I have since been relieved of my night shift duties.
Anyway, Grandma Strauss just arrived this morning to take over for Grandma Rothery. For all of you kids out there looking to follow our lead with the kid, you need to make sure you lineup the grandma's to come stay with you and help out. They are wonderful.
One funny story while she was here, there was a span of a few days where both Kelly and her mom didn't get much sleep at all. It became apparent that I needed to volunteer my duties for the "night watch" aka sleeping on the couch with the bassinet by my head. If Ashley were to wake up or cry, I'm to calm her down, rock her, burp her, etc.
I was a bit apprehensive at first because I'm a total noob at this infant thing. The night started out great. Around 1am, Ashley woke up crying so I picked her up, gave her the pacifier, rocked her a bit and boom, she was out like a light. "I can so do this" I thought. Well, the next thing I know, Kelly and Grandma are standing over top of me with a concerned look on their faces asking what the heck happened out here during the night. As I wipe the droll off my cheek and squint from the sun shining in, I look over and Ashley had vomited all over her crib all night and I couldn't have slept harder through each ordeal. I have since been relieved of my night shift duties.
Anyway, Grandma Strauss just arrived this morning to take over for Grandma Rothery. For all of you kids out there looking to follow our lead with the kid, you need to make sure you lineup the grandma's to come stay with you and help out. They are wonderful.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Widow's Peak
Does anyone know where Ashley gets her widow's peak from? I don't think that it is my side of the family. I think it might be somewhere on the Strauss/Nash side. At least I think that it is a widow's peak.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Tummy Time
I put Ashley on the couch for a little "tummy time" as the industry calls it. I guess it helps strengthen their necks/arms/backs to eventually get strong enough to roll on their backs and later on walk. If that means she'll get an edge on the competition (other kids), you can expect lots of pictures of this little babooshka on her tummy.
12 Minutes With Ashley
Here is an unedited video of nothing but Ashley for 12 minutes. She's wide awake the whole time and moving all over the place. I thought this might be enjoyable for the grandmas/grandpas/parents out there and blindingly boring for others. So proceed with caution. Some highlights: sneezes at 2:57 and pushes out some gas at 3:27. If you turn up your volume, you can hear them both. Pretty funny.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Kelly And Ashley Sleeping
Kelly and Ashley are plain tuckered out from the day. I caught them sleeping a few seconds ago on our couch.
72 Hours With Ashley
I'll preface this post by apologizing for the level of details in the last post. This one should be a bit less unpleasant. Also, it's been awhile since I've posted last. We've been a bit busy so I'll try and catch up with this post.
The first few hours in the post partum room were chalk full of visitors. Our families had come into town from St. Louis and Cleveland and were eagerly awaiting the chance to see Ashley. In addition to our families, we had nurses, lactation consultants, workers to sign up Ashley for a social security number and a birth certificate, etc. It was a busy place with a revolving door.
The nurses informed us of our new schedule of feedings every 2-3 hours. In addition, we were to keep track of her bathroom schedule on a dry eraser board so they can make sure all of her plumbing was working correctly and she was getting the proper nutrition. It's funny how you treat babies and their bathroom schedule. You look forward to the times she has a dirty diaper and physically cheer out loud when they do.
One thing the nurses never told me was something I encountered the first time I changed her diaper. Meconium it's called. I couldn't believe my eyes as I ran to the nurse's emergency button exclaiming "Ashley is dying from the inside!" Kelly calmed me down saying it's completely normal. What I saw in that tiny diaper was black tar. Same consistency and same color and I'm as serious as a heart attack. I learned this is the output from the baby ingesting all the fluids and materials in momma's stomach during pregnancy. It's unreal.
One of the biggest obstacles we encountered the first day was that Kelly's milk was slow to come in. This was apparent when Ashley would start crying as soon as she finished feeding from momma. Since she wasn't getting nutrition from Kelly and she started to lose too much weight, we had to start supplementing her diet with formula.
Instead of giving the formula with your standard bottle, we used a supplemental nursing system (SNS). Basically, you pour the formula into a cylindrical shaped container which has a long tube that pulls the formula out of the container. You attach this tube with tape right onto momma's boob. So when Ashley nurses, she would get both formula and whatever momma was producing at the time.
In addition to the formula, the nurses brought in a breast pump to help get Kelly's milk to come in quicker. So every 3 hours we'd fill up the SNS, tape it on, Ashley would feed for 30 minutes, I'd clean the SNS, Kelly would burp Ashley, I'd take Ashley, Kelly would use the breast pump for 15 minutes, I'd hand over Ashley, clean the pump and Kelly would sleep with Ashley. Lot's of work, right? Keep in mind the "every 3 hours" counter starts when you start the above process. Since this process mentioned above takes about an hour, we essentially had 2 hours in between feedings.
So we spent from Monday around 1pm until Wednesday around noon in this post partum room. On Wednesday, the pediatrician cleared us to leave and we packed up, bundled up and used our car seat for the first time.
I've never driven so cautious in my life on the way to our apartment from the hospital. The speed limit felt like we were cruising at warp speed. Each driver around me was a threat to my new family so I had full defensive driving mode in gear. Of course we had to stop to purchase a breast pump on the way home. BTW, whoever is making these things has to be a millionaire. They are unbelievably expensive and another unexpected cost was out the door.
Since we've been home, we've been challenged with the feedings. The process has been grueling and poor Kelly has been a trooper through each and every time. However, we woke up this morning and our prayers have been answered. Kelly's milk is now flowing like the beer in the bars around our apartment today on St Patrick's Day. So we've ditched the SNS and breast pump in place of your standard and natural feedings. Finally!
Today was a big day for another reason, Ashley had her first pediatrician appointment. Katie and Grandma Rothery gave Ashley a bath last night to prepare for her second time out into the world. Our little girl smelled for real. She had legit body odor coming from underneath her armpits. I couldn't believe it when I first smelled it. I thought it was just my smell because sitting around all day staring at the clock waiting for feedings doesn't bode well for personal hygiene.
The appointment went well, she's perfectly healthy and has gained 5 ounces since she left the hospital. She's up to 6lbs and 9 ounces.
So we're finally caught up to real time. Hope everyone's having a happy St. Patrick's Day! Boy am I in a different place than last year at this time. That's okay though, Ashley is worth that times 500.
The first few hours in the post partum room were chalk full of visitors. Our families had come into town from St. Louis and Cleveland and were eagerly awaiting the chance to see Ashley. In addition to our families, we had nurses, lactation consultants, workers to sign up Ashley for a social security number and a birth certificate, etc. It was a busy place with a revolving door.
The nurses informed us of our new schedule of feedings every 2-3 hours. In addition, we were to keep track of her bathroom schedule on a dry eraser board so they can make sure all of her plumbing was working correctly and she was getting the proper nutrition. It's funny how you treat babies and their bathroom schedule. You look forward to the times she has a dirty diaper and physically cheer out loud when they do.
One thing the nurses never told me was something I encountered the first time I changed her diaper. Meconium it's called. I couldn't believe my eyes as I ran to the nurse's emergency button exclaiming "Ashley is dying from the inside!" Kelly calmed me down saying it's completely normal. What I saw in that tiny diaper was black tar. Same consistency and same color and I'm as serious as a heart attack. I learned this is the output from the baby ingesting all the fluids and materials in momma's stomach during pregnancy. It's unreal.
One of the biggest obstacles we encountered the first day was that Kelly's milk was slow to come in. This was apparent when Ashley would start crying as soon as she finished feeding from momma. Since she wasn't getting nutrition from Kelly and she started to lose too much weight, we had to start supplementing her diet with formula.
Instead of giving the formula with your standard bottle, we used a supplemental nursing system (SNS). Basically, you pour the formula into a cylindrical shaped container which has a long tube that pulls the formula out of the container. You attach this tube with tape right onto momma's boob. So when Ashley nurses, she would get both formula and whatever momma was producing at the time.
In addition to the formula, the nurses brought in a breast pump to help get Kelly's milk to come in quicker. So every 3 hours we'd fill up the SNS, tape it on, Ashley would feed for 30 minutes, I'd clean the SNS, Kelly would burp Ashley, I'd take Ashley, Kelly would use the breast pump for 15 minutes, I'd hand over Ashley, clean the pump and Kelly would sleep with Ashley. Lot's of work, right? Keep in mind the "every 3 hours" counter starts when you start the above process. Since this process mentioned above takes about an hour, we essentially had 2 hours in between feedings.
So we spent from Monday around 1pm until Wednesday around noon in this post partum room. On Wednesday, the pediatrician cleared us to leave and we packed up, bundled up and used our car seat for the first time.
I've never driven so cautious in my life on the way to our apartment from the hospital. The speed limit felt like we were cruising at warp speed. Each driver around me was a threat to my new family so I had full defensive driving mode in gear. Of course we had to stop to purchase a breast pump on the way home. BTW, whoever is making these things has to be a millionaire. They are unbelievably expensive and another unexpected cost was out the door.
Since we've been home, we've been challenged with the feedings. The process has been grueling and poor Kelly has been a trooper through each and every time. However, we woke up this morning and our prayers have been answered. Kelly's milk is now flowing like the beer in the bars around our apartment today on St Patrick's Day. So we've ditched the SNS and breast pump in place of your standard and natural feedings. Finally!
Today was a big day for another reason, Ashley had her first pediatrician appointment. Katie and Grandma Rothery gave Ashley a bath last night to prepare for her second time out into the world. Our little girl smelled for real. She had legit body odor coming from underneath her armpits. I couldn't believe it when I first smelled it. I thought it was just my smell because sitting around all day staring at the clock waiting for feedings doesn't bode well for personal hygiene.
The appointment went well, she's perfectly healthy and has gained 5 ounces since she left the hospital. She's up to 6lbs and 9 ounces.
So we're finally caught up to real time. Hope everyone's having a happy St. Patrick's Day! Boy am I in a different place than last year at this time. That's okay though, Ashley is worth that times 500.
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