I titled this post nearly two weeks ago but now that the post has been delayed so many times we are closer to reaching another milestone - Lola's first month and the end of my confinement (Hallelujah)!
We came home from the hospital to some beautiful flowers - a pink little potted flower plant from our helper, Jovielyn, to Lola, and a big bouquet of lilies from Michael, to me.
We also received some really sweet gift baskets and thoughtful gift packages from friends and colleagues near and far. Our friends in Singapore sent Lola a few of their favorite Skiphop toys, and we got a beautiful soft elephant from Michael's coworkers, and a pretty pink gift basket with baby bath products from my office.
Since then, it has been a non-stop blur of feeding, burping, diaper changing, swaddling, pumping, feeding and some more burping around here. I had read not to expect to get much done in the first month except to feed the baby, and I would say that that is pretty much spot-on. Because I try to sleep when the baby sleeps (with pretty limited success I have to admit), insurance bills remain unclaimed, banking and credit card administration remain postponed, and myriad items for follow up remain neglected. As someone who loves crossing items off of her list, I would be lying if I said that it didn't bother me that I'm not getting these tasks completed as quickly as I would like. However, I'm also keen to enjoy this time with Lola and to take things easy as I recover. This has been a huge physical and mental shift and I think I'm only starting to realize all of the changes that have taken place. I'm also feeling pretty tired and trying to give myself the grace of rest as I need.
My family has been here on and off this month, which has been really amazing (though also very stressful in other ways) and I've found it a bit difficult at times to manage so many different people along with my heightened post-partum emotions. Today, though, I bid farewell to my sister and her fiance in the afternoon, and then to my parents in the evening, and am feeling a little bereft as I sit in my suddenly very quiet apartment.
Our little girl has already managed to exhibit a very dominant will and forceful personality. She has gained weight steadily and is clever and strong, but still tiny and cuddly and adorable, and I love when she snuggles into my neck or falls asleep in my arms. I also love smelling her clean, milky baby smell. There should be a way to bottle this scent. Her eyes gleam brightest in the evening when she is at her most alert and awake. When you see what she manages to communicate with just crying and squirming at her disposal (she likes her zip up swaddle but not the wrapped blankets, she gets hot very easily, she prefers her milk warm but not too warm, she vastly prefers breast milk and will only tolerate formula if she's really hungry, she has a few favorite burping positions), you can't help but marvel at her well-honed survival skills.
Lola had her first pediatrician check up at 10 days old. It was great to venture out of the house, though a bit nerve-wracking to expose her to all the germs from the toddlers in the doctor's office. She was very well behaved and got a lot of coos and compliments all around. She slept through all of these with the world-worn air of a dignitary who could not deign to acknowledge such remarks. I put her in a flowery onesie for the occasion. The doctor confirmed that she had regained her birth weight, which was great.
This is her favorite position - cuddled on the chest with her legs in froggy position. As it is, I've nicknamed her my little tree frog.
These are pictures from her early days at home - it's amazing to see how much she has grown in just a couple of weeks!
We came home from the hospital to some beautiful flowers - a pink little potted flower plant from our helper, Jovielyn, to Lola, and a big bouquet of lilies from Michael, to me.
We also received some really sweet gift baskets and thoughtful gift packages from friends and colleagues near and far. Our friends in Singapore sent Lola a few of their favorite Skiphop toys, and we got a beautiful soft elephant from Michael's coworkers, and a pretty pink gift basket with baby bath products from my office.
Since then, it has been a non-stop blur of feeding, burping, diaper changing, swaddling, pumping, feeding and some more burping around here. I had read not to expect to get much done in the first month except to feed the baby, and I would say that that is pretty much spot-on. Because I try to sleep when the baby sleeps (with pretty limited success I have to admit), insurance bills remain unclaimed, banking and credit card administration remain postponed, and myriad items for follow up remain neglected. As someone who loves crossing items off of her list, I would be lying if I said that it didn't bother me that I'm not getting these tasks completed as quickly as I would like. However, I'm also keen to enjoy this time with Lola and to take things easy as I recover. This has been a huge physical and mental shift and I think I'm only starting to realize all of the changes that have taken place. I'm also feeling pretty tired and trying to give myself the grace of rest as I need.
My family has been here on and off this month, which has been really amazing (though also very stressful in other ways) and I've found it a bit difficult at times to manage so many different people along with my heightened post-partum emotions. Today, though, I bid farewell to my sister and her fiance in the afternoon, and then to my parents in the evening, and am feeling a little bereft as I sit in my suddenly very quiet apartment.
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| A thrilled first-time grandpa! |
Our little girl has already managed to exhibit a very dominant will and forceful personality. She has gained weight steadily and is clever and strong, but still tiny and cuddly and adorable, and I love when she snuggles into my neck or falls asleep in my arms. I also love smelling her clean, milky baby smell. There should be a way to bottle this scent. Her eyes gleam brightest in the evening when she is at her most alert and awake. When you see what she manages to communicate with just crying and squirming at her disposal (she likes her zip up swaddle but not the wrapped blankets, she gets hot very easily, she prefers her milk warm but not too warm, she vastly prefers breast milk and will only tolerate formula if she's really hungry, she has a few favorite burping positions), you can't help but marvel at her well-honed survival skills.
Lola had her first pediatrician check up at 10 days old. It was great to venture out of the house, though a bit nerve-wracking to expose her to all the germs from the toddlers in the doctor's office. She was very well behaved and got a lot of coos and compliments all around. She slept through all of these with the world-worn air of a dignitary who could not deign to acknowledge such remarks. I put her in a flowery onesie for the occasion. The doctor confirmed that she had regained her birth weight, which was great.
This is her favorite position - cuddled on the chest with her legs in froggy position. As it is, I've nicknamed her my little tree frog.
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| Swaddled and sleeping soundly - is there anything sweeter? |
She is so adorable! <3 <3
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
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