Visiting Great Grandmother

Baikal was lucky to get to visit with her Great Grandmother, Peggy. We call her Grandmother Orange because she lives in Florida and we always get to have fresh picked oranges when we go to visit. Grandmother Orange has just been admitted to hospice, so her visiting times are limited. She has 4 children, 11 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. She has always loved children.


Grandmother talking to Baikal.


Baikal talking to Grandmother.



Lovely ladies.


Time for a rest.


Two peas in a pod.


Having a good time.


Four generations of beautiful!

First Road Trip

Baikal had her first of many road trips this past weekend. My mom, sister, Baikal, and I all drove down to Orlando to visit relatives. Baikal slept most of the way.


We had the pleasure at staying at Green Shutters, the home of my Aunt and Uncle. Baikal really enjoyed the home cooked meals, guitar serenades, and being rocked to sleep all of which are standard for any Green Shutters stay.



Green Shutters also has a ponkan tree, which produces a fruit similar to the tangerine. They are delicious and we enjoyed picking them off the tree and having them for breakfast. Read about ponkans here.




Baikal enjoyed visiting with Grandmother and Aunt Mary and Uncle John. She slept during a visit to Silver Springs and their famous glass bottom boat tour.

Friends

So many of our friends are pregnant or just had babies. It is so nice to have fellow soldiers in the trenches. I have learned a good bit from my fellow moms. Right now Baikal is having a bit of an issue with taking her bottle. I have received lots of suggestions and will let you know how it goes.


Here is Baikal with Christopher Wallace. He was born on Thanksgiving day. His mother, Ingrid, is a coworker of Matt's. She loves her boy so much! He is a joy for sure.





Baikal gets to hang out with Paul Thomas on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Having two babies is a bit of a challange, but oh so rewarding when you can get them to both stop crying. Here are Baikal and Paul holding hands. Matt is not so sure he wants to encourage this...

Impressions

Did you know that Baikal is good at impressions? Here she is as Shrek the cartoon caracter.

1 Month

Baikal turned one month old on January 18th. She is growing bigger and bigger everyday, but still hasn't graduated out of the smallest sized pampers.


I did not get a cake or balloons for this big day, but we did have Paul Thomas over to celebrate. I sang "Happy Birthday" to Baikal while Paul harmonized.

Smiles

Baikal is starting to smile in response to sounds and movements. This is different from her earlier smiles, which were mostly attributed to gas.


Curt and Amy love to try to make Baikal smile.


Hanging out in a new outfit. Baikal was mostly wearing her snap front t-shirts, but now that her umbilical cord stump has fallen off, she can sport the latest in onesie fashion.


Baikal loves to stick out that tongue.



Smiling with mom.


Up close and personal.


Too cool for school.

List for New Moms

It was so helpful to get advice from moms when I was pregnant because I found buying baby products to be overwhelming. Not to mention that the large chain store that I thought would make getting prepared for baby easier (you know, that R Us store) actually made it more difficult. So here it is, my must have list for new moms. These are things that you will use within the first two weeks after labor.

Almost all of these items can be purchased at Target. I recommend purchasing them a few weeks before your due date, but you can always send out your husband to get them if you go into labor early.

1. Lansinoh wipes- Need 3 boxes. These wipes seem to be better for newborn skin. They are found near the bottles and breast pumps at Target.
2. Bassinet/Pack and Play- Matt borrowed one from a coworker and it has been wonderful. Nothing fancy, just something that is small and can roll from room to room. Some people prefer moses baskets, too. It is just nice to have a place where baby can fall asleep close to you.
3. Newborn diapers- Recommend having 100 before you come home from the hospital.
4. Breast pads- Need 2 boxes for the first two weeks. Take about 12 pads to the hospital in your bag.
5. Cloth diapers-Need about 15. They work as burp cloths and clean up cloths while you are breastfeeding.
6. Lanolin nipple ointment-One package. Apply twice a day to prevent badness.
7. Breast pump-Any will do.
8. Ziplock milk freezer bags-start saving milk for those rainy days.
9. Medela microware cleaning bags- sterilize your pacifiers, bottles, etc. in the microwave. Easy.
10. Maxipads- Need industrial strength and lots. Take some to hospital in your bag.
11. Long sleeve snap front t-shirts for baby- Until the umbilical cord falls off, this is the easiest clothing for baby.
12. Swaddling blankets- The hospital will provide you with some good ones. I also really like the swaddling blanket called, "The miracle blanket." You can get it at amazon. It keeps even the most active babies still.
13. Abdominal binder- They sell these at CVS or the hospital may give one to you after the birth of your child. They are like a big ace bandage that helps keep your stomach in for those first few weeks post-partum.

Little hands and little feet

Baikal has the cutest little hands and feet. Her feet are long and narrow, with no current signs of the Rybolt bunion. Time will tell though if she has avoided this genetic trait. For now, she is able to wear normal shoes instead of the orthopedic ones needed to handle the Rybolt bunion.


I had to start clipping her fingernails because they were growing fast and to a sharp razor point. This was making breastfeeding a bit of a challenge. It is scary to clip her nails because they are so small and delicate. It is just a matter of time before Baikal and I can go get manicures at the local Nails, Talk and Tan.

Hair loss for babies

B is starting to lose her hair. I tried a new hair style on her. She seemed to think that her new hair gave her a tough exterior. I am not sure I want to encourage attitude from a three week old. Of course, she could always use big sunglasses or hats to act as a distraction.

Me and B

Baikal is now at three weeks. My sister-in-law Sam recommeded that I start taking pictures of B at week and month intervals. Here is a picture of her at 2 weeks with an index card.


Baikal is over her cold. Thank goodness! Last week was a tough one, because she wasn't sleeping much...translation I wasn't sleeping much. Thankfully, Matt and aunt Courtney were there to help out and let me catch up on some sleep.
Baikal is up to 8 lbs. 9 oz. which is average for her age. I continue to try to give her "tummy time" to help work on strengthening her neck. She loves to arch her back and have her head all the way back. I need to post a picture of it, because it is really impressive.

More Pictures

"Soon to be" Uncle Kevin will marry Aunt Emilie in September of 2006. He will be an uncle a month before that, since his sister is pregnant with twins! Here he is practicing baby duties.


Aunt Emilie is lobbying to get Baikal to be a Ohio State fan. Baikal doesn't seem to mind though.


Aunt Susann made a great baked ziti dinner for us. Thanks auntie!


Grandmother Miller with Baikal. Grandmas know how to make babies the happiest!

Heavy day

Baikal has been sick with a cold since Monday. The only time she isn't fussy is when she is feeding or sleeping. Courtney came over last night and helped try to calm her down while Matt and I took a break. What a nice sister!

Also we had a tasty dinner provided by the Frilingos family. It was great to see Paul Thomas and how much he has grown! Beth said that he weighs in at a great 14 lbs. Wonderful!

Today is a heavy day. Aside from Baikal's cold, I have received news that my father-in-law's dog had to be put to sleep, one of my friend's dog had to be put to sleep, and that my grandmother in Florida has been admitted to hospice. My grandmother has been in assisted living for some time, but her health seems to be declining more rapidly recently. The doctor also found a large blood clot in her leg yesterday. It is a heavy day.
Someone recently asked me if I was scared when the doctor told me that I had to have the c-section. My response was "not at all." After 38 hours of pain (remember that they had to wait for the lab work to give me my epidural) and uncertainty (was I dilated enough?, was the baby doing OK?, were the contractions ever going to move from my back to my abdomen?!?) when the doctor said that it was time for a c-section my reaction was, "Let's do it so that my labor can end and I can see my baby." I trusted that my doctor was doing what was best and that when it was all over, it would be wonderful.
The c-section wasn't a walk in the breeze. I was shaking uncontrollably due to the pain medication and was restrained to keep me still. I was conscious of the sounds and smells of the room. When a nurse noticed a rash that had developed on my neck after the anesthesia was administered, I still wasn't worried even though she was. I was made to drink a liquid that prevented the vomit that kept rising from my stomach and into my mouth, from damaging my throat. I could only turn my head to the left or right to allow the spit to drain from my mouth. Looking back on it now, I should have been scared. It was a scary thing. Of course I was on some powerful drugs, so that probably numbed my reaction. But most of all, I was ready to stop being in pain and I trusted the people that were taking care of me.

I hold on to this thought when reflecting on my heavy day. For those of you who are dealing with a loved one who is suffering or in pain, I can only say that in my recent experience, to no longer be in pain or to no longer dwell in the uncertainty of my labor was a wonderful gift and I am so thankful for those that allowed it to end.

Ohhhh stairs....

Just in case you weren't aware, I am to limit myself to one set of stairs a day and no driving for the next few weeks. Since the computer is upstairs, my blog will suffer. However, I did receive a sweet new digital camera from Matt (Thanks sweetie!) for Christmas and it is packed with new pictures to upload. I also got a nice printer from the Millers so that I can begin the baby picture shrine. Woohoo!

On a different note, today is the first day of trying to get Baikal on a somewhat routine eat, play, and sleep schedule. I am using the Babywise book as a guide. So far she started the day off great and then cried and fussed for three hours. She is currently down for the count. Apparently she didn't get the memo about the new routine. Oh well...at least I still have leftover Christmas chocolate to help me through the day.


Since newborns are now supposed to sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS, it is important to give them time on their belly (or so I have read). Baikal is doing some head raises after only being out of the womb 10 days. Her father is so proud of her work out regimen and has already ordered a kid sized Bowflex machine.