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l33tminion) wrote2016-01-09 11:49 pm
l33tminion) wrote2016-01-09 11:49 pm
First Week
DJ and Michelle transported us home from the hospital on Wednesday, which was tremendously helpful. As much as we appreciated the extra support of the nursing staff, it was surely time to get home. We got back around 3 in the afternoon, loaded the baby into the stroller, and went to the Indep for a late lunch / early supper. It was wonderful, the first chance Julie and I had to share a sit-down meal since the birth. A taste of a new normality that includes some of the things we've previously enjoyed, with the new addition.
On Thursday, Julie's mom, Heather, showed up to meet her second grandchild and provide some much-needed support. She's been taking some of the late support shifts and helping around the house while spending quality time with Erica. She cooked a big lasagna dinner for us tonight (Julie's absolute favorite). She's been having one heck of a rough week, too. Her dad just got out of surgery, her dog, Electra, was seriously ill and is just now (hopefully) on the mend, and a drunk driver ran into her (thankfully empty) car. Best wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery and continued health for great-grandfather and the dog-in-law!
The baby is quite a bit of work, but the primary job is nutrition, and on that front, Julie is Nutrition Team Captain and I'm playing support. Perhaps I'll have a bit more flexibility in my contribution once she can pump some a few weeks in. I'm doing all I can, and trying to make some headway in my to-do list of household tasks, get some extra sleep, and fit in a bit of relaxation (including some ventures out into the neighborhood, the doctors say a bit of walking will be good for Julie's recovery). It's actually going fairly well. The trickiest part may be when we get back to work. Or maybe not, some aspects will be easier by that point.
The kid's been most fussy in the early morning, midnight to 6AM or so. Often the kid sleeps fine alone, often swaddled in a blanket or wrap. But especially pre-dawn, sometimes nothing will calm her effectively other than being close to mom. The advice was adamant that babies should not co-sleep unsupervised, so the last few days I've spent an hour or two standing vigil while Julie and Eris get some much-needed shut-eye. (Sometimes followed by an early breakfast and a late-morning nap.)
Still enjoying cooking. In addition to dinner side-dishes, bulgar wheat makes an excellent breakfast cereal. I made that chermoula sauce again to season some sauteed chicken. Worked well, though next time I may try marinating with that overnight.
We had our first pediatrician appointment on Friday. All seems well. Next is Tuesday. The return to birth-weight is not quite complete, but progress is underway. They are insistent that we record the time/number of the baby's inputs/outputs. Of course, there's an app for that, because we're living in THE FUTURE. The doctor also recommended we feed the baby a daily dose of infant vitamin drops. Those are served up from a little one-mil syringe, and the kid drinks them right down.
Aunt Milly came over to help us make a late-evening Target run Friday night, and commented that Julie and I seemed awfully calm for being away from the baby for the first time (hospital nursery aside). The baby was never any more than a few minutes away, and was asleep under the watchful eye of grammie (Heather's preferred grand-motherial tile), so couldn't have been in better hands. The trip was late-evening because Milly's afternoon was spent dealing with a medial emergency. Evidently, my cousin Sarah, currently working on music education and study in the Dominican Republic, came down with a bout of dengue fever! Wishing her a swift and straightforward recovery as well!
On Thursday, Julie's mom, Heather, showed up to meet her second grandchild and provide some much-needed support. She's been taking some of the late support shifts and helping around the house while spending quality time with Erica. She cooked a big lasagna dinner for us tonight (Julie's absolute favorite). She's been having one heck of a rough week, too. Her dad just got out of surgery, her dog, Electra, was seriously ill and is just now (hopefully) on the mend, and a drunk driver ran into her (thankfully empty) car. Best wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery and continued health for great-grandfather and the dog-in-law!
The baby is quite a bit of work, but the primary job is nutrition, and on that front, Julie is Nutrition Team Captain and I'm playing support. Perhaps I'll have a bit more flexibility in my contribution once she can pump some a few weeks in. I'm doing all I can, and trying to make some headway in my to-do list of household tasks, get some extra sleep, and fit in a bit of relaxation (including some ventures out into the neighborhood, the doctors say a bit of walking will be good for Julie's recovery). It's actually going fairly well. The trickiest part may be when we get back to work. Or maybe not, some aspects will be easier by that point.
The kid's been most fussy in the early morning, midnight to 6AM or so. Often the kid sleeps fine alone, often swaddled in a blanket or wrap. But especially pre-dawn, sometimes nothing will calm her effectively other than being close to mom. The advice was adamant that babies should not co-sleep unsupervised, so the last few days I've spent an hour or two standing vigil while Julie and Eris get some much-needed shut-eye. (Sometimes followed by an early breakfast and a late-morning nap.)
Still enjoying cooking. In addition to dinner side-dishes, bulgar wheat makes an excellent breakfast cereal. I made that chermoula sauce again to season some sauteed chicken. Worked well, though next time I may try marinating with that overnight.
We had our first pediatrician appointment on Friday. All seems well. Next is Tuesday. The return to birth-weight is not quite complete, but progress is underway. They are insistent that we record the time/number of the baby's inputs/outputs. Of course, there's an app for that, because we're living in THE FUTURE. The doctor also recommended we feed the baby a daily dose of infant vitamin drops. Those are served up from a little one-mil syringe, and the kid drinks them right down.
Aunt Milly came over to help us make a late-evening Target run Friday night, and commented that Julie and I seemed awfully calm for being away from the baby for the first time (hospital nursery aside). The baby was never any more than a few minutes away, and was asleep under the watchful eye of grammie (Heather's preferred grand-motherial tile), so couldn't have been in better hands. The trip was late-evening because Milly's afternoon was spent dealing with a medial emergency. Evidently, my cousin Sarah, currently working on music education and study in the Dominican Republic, came down with a bout of dengue fever! Wishing her a swift and straightforward recovery as well!