Monday, August 3, 2015

Kade’s 6th Week

Hi Kade! You celebrated 6 weeks old on Sunday,7/26. …I can hardly believe it! This is all about your sweet sixth week.

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Weight: I weighed you on our scale at home and you weighed 10 lbs and 6 oz! And buddy, you are LONG! You are growing SO fast!! I bet you make another big percentile jump at your 2 month checkup.

About to buckle you in….you look like a giant baby!!

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Health: You had a few greenish diapers this week, and although I read breastfed babies can have a variety of colors, I think it might have been after I ate dairy. I’m going to try to be cautious about it from now on.

Other than some boogies that make you snore, you are a very healthy little guy. You have your daddy’s nose, but I’m praying you don’t have sinus issues like he does. And speaking of…you’re pretty much his mini me!

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Sleep: You are still in our room for now (I keep saying I’m going to move you) and using Miracle Blanket swaddle, although you usually break through after a couple of hours. You like the paci to go to sleep & in the car. You’ll usually take one good nap by yourself, but the rest of them you wake up halfway into the nap. You’ll sleep super sound if you’re being held though.

Here’s the schedule (from Moms on Call) we are pretty closely following with wake/play times after feeds.

6:30 am FEED

7:00 NAP

9:00 am FEED

10:00 NAP

12:00 FEED

1:00 NAP

3:00 FEED

4:00 NAP

5:30 FEED

6:30 NAP

8:00 BATH

8:30 FEED

9:00 BEDTIME

2:30-3:30ish FEED (this is the one we will work on dropping soon)

What Kade is up to:

I seriously need some fingernail clippers. Those bad boys are sharp!

Your hair is thinning out/falling out on top. Bring on the grandpa do.

You have a little bit of cradle cap too.

Still cute as a button though! Changing every day.

You are giving us some sweet smiles.

And you are really enjoying bath time now.

You are content for a little while on your own, but you really prefer to be held. I think you and I would both benefit from some baby wearing. I reallllly need to get on learning how to do it.

Nursing: I am making a lot of milk right now and trying to pump one extra time a day. I usually get 6-8 oz when I pump at a feeding time (for example, when we’re going to church I pump so I can feed from a bottle instead of trying to nurse in public). I get around 5 oz during my midnight pump session. (Trying to store up for our upcoming trip.) I am drinking Mother’s Milk Tea once a day and eating lactation cookies…because why not enjoy a “treat” that helps with supply for my extra calories?

To be totally honest, breastfeeding is not something I enjoy. I am so, so thankful I am able to so I don’t want to complain about it (Jonathan told me to watch it or God will take that from me).  I know I’ll be doing it off and on for the next several years, so I am praying that the Lord will allow me to start enjoying it. It is tough for me because I feel so lazy & unproductive sitting on the couch to nurse. It means Jonathan has to do way more around the house to help to carry my load. I struggle with being “still” because it just feels so unproductive and all I can think about is the nine million things I need to be up doing.

And nursing in public is just a big fat stress ball. I try to be modest, but I don’t think I’m very good at it because my mom and Jonathan are both constantly saying something about it. It’s just hard because I have to be able to see him to help him latch, and it’s HOT, and he’s sweating under the nursing cover, and I mostly wear t-shirts…I don’t know. I’m just awkward so it’s not fun.

Anyway, I AM thankful you are growing so well and it is going to smoothly this time.

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PostPartum: Yikes. I had a little bit of a tough week. So far life with two has been pretty easy, but I didn’t get much sleep this week and it made for a rough couple of days. I feel silly even sharing this, but I am trying to keep it real.

I felt very inadequate this week (helllllo, Satan trying to steal my joy!), especially comparing myself to other moms who do this all on their own all the time and with way more kids. Shout out especially to the military moms!

Jonathan was busy working at the church and building our fence this week, and my mom broke her wrist (bless her heart), so I was solo all week with both boys.  I am normally a very productive and efficient person, but I got so far behind on my “to-do” lists that I started to feel very overwhelmed and lots of anxiety about it. I ended up staying up till the baby’s middle of the night feeding two nights in a row to get things done, and that lack of sleep was NOT good for me. I started to get a sore throat, and I felt very irritable and short. I just had such a long list of things that needed to be done-things that other people can’t help with- like handling paperwork for our biz, writing thank you cards, mailing out birth announcements, Bible study, going to the grocery store, organizing some paperwork, health insurance stuff (such a nightmare!), planning details for some upcoming trips, taking care of some responsibilities for our business, worrying about my mom, cleaning & keeping the house in order, unpacking my hospital bag (should I be embarrassed to admit that it sat in my closet floor for 6 weeks?), doing the dishes, grocery shopping, going to the post office, picking up Kade’s birth certificate, renewing my drivers license, sanitizing bottles and pump parts, making 3 meals a day + snacks and cleaning up each time, changing countless diapers, and nursing every 3 hours while taking care of a 2 year old…it just felt very overwhelming. That meant Jase watched way more Veggie Tales than I would have liked. Plus, I didn’t get a chance to work out at all this week, and I realllly need that hour a few times a week to refocus and reenergize. My clothes weren’t fitting well and I was having a tough time finding anything to wear besides workout clothes, and my face was breaking out. Jonathan was not very understanding when I had a meltdown about all of it & said my hormones were out of control, so that amplified my feelings & made me feel even crazier.

Honestly, I feel like a loser even sharing that. None of those are real problems or anything to whine about.

And normally I really ENJOY all of that…truly! I LOVE being a wife and mom and homemaker and entrepreneur. I love making meals for our family and taking care of babies and running errands.  But the lack of sleep really took it’s toll and made it all feel very overwhelming, especially when I didn’t have as much help around the house or with the boys. (It was my own stupid fault for staying up so late, but I just couldn’t get ANYTHING done during the day!) Thankfully I feel better now. I went to the gym and came home and took a shower…and felt like a new woman. Simple fix, huh?

Really though, I wasn’t having my quiet time, and that played a big part in it too. I need that time with the Lord every morning or my life feels like chaos! My sweet mentor sent me this and it was perfect read too.

Big Brother Jase: Jase is so helpful & loves to take care of you. Y’all are the sweetest brothers! I pray that you two will have a strong bond and be best friends.

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Thoughts: Cutie Kade…I can just tell God has big things in store for your life! I cannot wait to see how he uses you in a mighty way for his kingdom. I pray every day you will be a warrior for him and I consider it an honor to have a part in helping train you up. I love being your mom!!

4 comments:

Rebecca Evans said...

Danielle, what a blessing to read your blog!! I want you to know how much I have learned and how much our Lord has spoken to me through your honest and obedient words...it has truly been insightful and inspiring!! I pray that God releases you from feeling like a failure because of your difficult week...in all actuality, you sharing that transparency has made me feel better about the times I have felt so overwhelmed (and my husband too, only making me feel worse, lol)....and I don't even have children yet. Thank you so much for being obedient to the gift that God has given you to share, teach and inspire!! What a blessing!!!!!

Heather Honto said...

I have been reading your blog for a while now but this time I was moved to pray for you. I pray the Lord helps you to enjoy feeding Kade, I pray that he will grant you peace and help you to enjoy being still for a little while, I pray he sends someone to you who will help you out a little each day and I pray that he show you that it's ok to slow down and let some things go. I know how it is when you're raised Southern. Lord forbid you fail to observe all social graces!!! I know you don't know me and it's ok if you don't post this. I really just sent it to encourage you. You've got a sister in Christ from TN that's brought your before the throne.

Amber Ventura said...

Oh Danielle! I feel us on this post. Please don't feel like a loser when you blog a post like this one. It's so real and honestly, it's just how life with little ones is sometimes. I just had my fourth baby 3 weeks ago and I still find myself in my robe and a nursing bra at lunchtime lately 😳😳 and I was really beating myself up about it until a few days ago. I asked my older kids to pray for me and hold me accountable and they have the past few nights. The first day I was tested like crazy a bs thought I might lose it! I cried the minute my husband walked in... Unfortunately (or so I thought at first), my son saw me crying (he's 4) and asked what was wrong. I told him mommy was just having a bad moment but that I would be ok. When I leaned down to kiss and reassure him, he pulled me close and said "I've been asking God to help you momma. And He is going to!! Really soon!! So don't cry. It's gonna be ok" kissed me and darted off doing some Spider-Man kick along the way. I couldn't help but smile as I looked around my messy house through teary eyes. What mattered most was getting tended: the little hearts in my house. Remember, houses get messy and chores don't always get done when a new person enters the family. And that's ok. Give yourself grace and soak in the moments. The organizational skills with two kids comes so quickly, it really does. Before you know it, you'll have it down to a science and he will seem so much like a big boy already. Especially your second. Although we don't know one another personally (I mean we're friends on Instagram so that can count right? Haha! 😜) your faith continually inspires me and I love your blog! So I'll pray for you too as my sister in Christ! You're a great mom!!! And a great wife!! The transition with each child will bring its own set of challenges. Just roll with the punches and you'll get there 😊 We mommas just need to lift each other up!

Kaylie Turner said...

I'm the same way about nursing in public. The covered goods nursing cover is a lifesaver!! http://www.coveredgoods.com
It covers front, back, and sides so if you wear Tshirts or other non friendly nursing shirts you can lift your shirt up and no one will see your back or sides. It's so light weight and comfortable! I don't know what I did without it. It also can be used to cover the car seat on windy or rainy days and it won't blow off! See the website for more details. It really is worth it. Good luck momma! http://www.coveredgoods.com