Behind the Scenes with a 1 Month Old (Baby #2)
Overall Update
Baby: She’s 9lbs even (Birth weight was 8lbs 6oz) and 21”. She’s straight 50th percentile which feels so teeny tiny to me after 98th percentile Archer.
Mom: Since I had a VBAC – the recovery has been 10x easier but that means it’s been easier to push myself too far and forget to ask for help. So some days I’m crazy exhausted by the end and that’s all on me really for not setting boundaries very well. Otherwise I’m doing great. To be honest, the newborn stage isn’t all that overwhelming to me – I’m more affected by lack of sleep so I have to just prioritize sleeping as much as I can.
Eating
Baby: nursing is going great! She eats every 2-3 hours during the day and every 5ish at night. She doesn’t do a bottle yet since I haven’t incorporated pumping at this point.
She is a big spit upper however and tends to be on the gassy side. So every feeding requires a burp cloth VERY nearby and a full 3-5 mins of burping. Archer rarely spit up so we are all unprepared for this usually.
She’s gaining weight like a champ and is never fussy eating or spitting up so our pediatrician isn’t concerned with any potential reflux. “It’s just a laundry issue!” – Doctor. I’ve never agreed more wholeheartedly with a medical professional.
Mom: My appetite has been huge. Especially since I didn’t eat much at the end of pregnancy. Some of my favorite snacks have been Uncrustables and these granola bars from Kashi. I forgot about the ravenous nursing hunger!
Sleeping
It’s a work in progress. She’s definitely getting better at night and naps like a champ during the day. She’s still in our room for now in a bassinet. We’re following Moms on Call with her like we did for Archer but have started sooner than we did with him. I like that its more routine based than a set schedule (every schedule has caveats for if it’s a crazy day). Plus, it lines up pretty nicely with Archer.
Diapers
Still in newborn!!! It’s shocking to me since they sent us home with size 1 diaper’s from the hospital with archer. I’m a big fan of Huggies Little Snugglers this time around again – that’s what our hospital has used both times. I’ve never been a Pampers fan and that remains true, Target diapers aren’t bad but smell really chemically and Aldi doesn’t seem to absorb evenly. All of which isn’t a big deal at this age since you change them so often but would probably risk a blowout if you had to keep them in it longer on an outing. I was looking back on my one month post with Archer and we had already had MULTIPLE blowouts at this point with him and that hasn’t hit us yet with Sydney…
What we wear:
Baby: A lot of jammies! We change outfits a lot because of the spit up issue. She’s still mostly in newborn size but is getting a little long for some of it. It’s been cold here so I’ve loved these hats for her also! I’ve had a really hard time finding socks that fit, however…I love these little bootie slippers so she wears these a lot.
Mom: I’ve loved these cami’s from H&M and these bras from Uniqlo – they aren’t technically nursing bras but they’re easy to pull up or down to nurse.
Gear we love:
She LOVES this pacifier – we initially got it in a freebie box when I was pregnant with Archer. He never took it but for some reason we kept it around and it’s all she’ll use! I’ll go ahead and tell you to get a colored set because good luck finding the clear ones in the middle of the dang night.
We’ve used the Dock a Tot a lot – it’s convenient to take room to room and to travel with!
I also purchased a new baby carrier that I LOVE! It’s the Ergobaby Embrace – it’s like a mix of a wrap carrier (like the Moby or Solly) but clips around you so it’s super easy to take on and off, perfect for being out and about!
The toddler: He’s adjusting super well – much better than I could have ever imagined. I’m realizing he is just a genuinely kind hearted kid (by God’s grace alone!!) and he just cares so much for his baby sister. He’s at a great age for grabbing diapers, wipes and burp rags for me when I’m stuck on the couch nursing.
Managing the two:
We had to rearrange the car seats to get the best set up (Archer is now forward facing behind the passenger seat and Sydney is behind me). This works best for school drop off for him and for me to just hand him things and now I get her out of the car first, circle around to the trunk and get the stroller and then get him out.
To be honest – we had her, had Christmas, Robert was gone for a week on a YL trip and then he and I went with Sydney to Orlando for another YL trip so we haven’t had to manage the two alone all that often. As long as Archer is handled, we can make it work.
Lessons I’ve learned:
– There are pros and cons to having a successful VBAC and then feeling great postpartum. Pro: Being able to be as close to normal as possible with Archer and not having to take pain meds. Con: Nothing is telling me to slow down and it’s easier to power through when I really shouldn’t.
– Two year olds can be really sweet and helpful
– I need to verbalize my needs so that I realize what they are as well as the people around me.