On Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a great joy, but also a great challenge. Little did I know, 3 months ago, that I would be able to squirt milk, out of my boob, clear across the room. This is quite a talent - and was a shock - the first time I did it.

Lia and I had little trouble getting started. Once she came out, my body was free territory, and the senior midwife stuck my boob in her mouth and off we went. Our midwife said that we were naturals and we should teach other woman. Great.

At that point, little did I know, that Lia would assert her own opinion about that whole thing, and torture me at will.

Here's what happens. Lia goes on a hunger strike. My boobs hurt. Lia gets hungry. Much awkward positioning and crying follows and ...

somehow I find myself sticking my boob in front of Lia's mouth, in the middle of a traffic jam, in a tunnel, not really caring when my sister points out the old man in the next car checking things out. Unfortunately, the body contortions and shamelessness did not pay off, and Lia gave me a look that said - what are you doing to me, get that thing out of my face, and punctuated it with some crying. That is the first in long string of what the hell moms.

Lia and I are living in the lap of luxury at my parents house, where we usually recline on the bed, and Lia can eat at her leisure. I think this is bad training, because next time we are jambed in an airplane bathroom, standing against a wall in a dark corner, or hiding in Lia's UV beach tent, Lia will turn her head in disdain as if to say, forget it, find me a double bed with 400 thread Egyptian cotton sheets, gently position me on my side, position yourself just so, allow me to ponder it for a while and then MAYBE, I will eat, stopping my hysterical crying and your chest pains.

Despite the challenges, breastfeeding is a bonding experience, and a joy, and a miracle of biology, and yes, I will really miss it when I am sitting in a cramped bathroom at work hooked to a pump, and of course, best of all, it is free.

Fast Approaching 3 Months

Baby smiles!!!!!!!

My sweet little baby will be three months old in a few days. Time is moving far to quickly.

Lia is still a sweet and wonderful baby, turning baby haters to baby lovers in an instant.

Her likes include:
Staring at a hand of cards - completely mesmerizing
Blowing raspberries
Smiling and raising her eyebrows
Standing (with assistance)
Kicking vigorously
Doing shoulder bridges
Baths

Her dislikes include:
Being held like a baby - so undignified
Planes
Eating when overly hungry (this can be an issue)
Tummy time for longer then 2 minutes
Shirts that go over the head
Hooter Hiders
Going to bed early

Achievements
Lia has progressed to making angry noises to warn you that she is about it cry if you don't do something FAST!
She can roll over - but only by accident
Many noises - the favorite is oooo gaa
And Lia is a baby body builder - she is pure muscle

6 Weeks Old Already

Wow...having a baby keeps you busy. Yes, there are long periods of sleeping, but those periods are being used to recover from the awake periods of constant baby interaction. When somebody asks me what I have been doing. The answer is often...well, hanging out with the baby.

Lia is a sweety. I think she is probably a relatively easy baby, but she does have her moments. Babies can really scream. And when they start up, they often don´t want to calm down. Luckily, the screaming does not even happen every day, just occasionally and afterward she passes out for hours. I still don´t understand the evolutionary purpose of the screaming - I mean, she has all of her needs taken care of and really, there is no point in screaming. But, she seems to get really pissed off at the world sometimes and ready to let go.

We have been making a lot of progress. I no longer am terrified to be alone in public with Lia (this resulted from the hard core screaming that happened the first time I took her for a walk alone). Nothing like a screaming baby to make you feel like the most negligent person ever. Here we are getting ready for an outing.



Since then we have mastered the stroller and the Moby wrap. Lia and I are becoming pros at leaving the house.

Every day, Lia is more alert and interactive. She coos and has conversations with us, and is more and more aware of the world around her.



Here she is checking out the patterns in her bassinet. (Thanks for the baby stimulating blanket Grandma!) Yes, babies like bright colors with sharp contrast - as they can actually see them.

Our neighbor knit Lia the cutest outfit. She very nicely slept through the fitting session.



She may have a future as a clothing model.

I will leave you with the cutest thing ever...a baby butt!!

Baby Sarah and Baby Lia

Lia and I seem to have scowling and pinchably fat cheeks in common.

Letter to Lia - 1 Week Old Today!

Dear Lia,

You are one week old today! I can’t believe it. Time has been flying by. I can already not imagine life without you. We were very lucky to have your grandma and my mom here to help us. She helped make the transition – me to being a mother, and you to being a baby (as the doctor kept saying, just over one week ago, you were still just a fetus) – smoothly.

You are an incredibly easy baby. You almost never cry. You look at everybody with your blue eyes and they fall in love with you. Evolution did a good job with making babies lovable, but you are especially lovable. The midwife says that we are doing an amazing job breast feeding and you easily gained back your weight. (I will tell you a secret though – I have no idea what I am doing, so you get all the credit.) She also says that you are already getting a bottom and developing your curves.

The nights have been long, but not even too hard. You wake up and want to eat, need to be changed, and like to be held. Today you were very alert during the day, so maybe you will go easy on me tonight!

I love holding you and watching your face change expressions. You are a master of facial expressions, smiling one moment, grimacing the next, then yawning (when you yawn you look like a turtle). You also move your arms all the time.

Your daddy also loves you very much. He thinks that you are so smart that you are ready to play catch. He is especially good at calming you down when you have indigestion. (I think this might be a family calamity.) We found out that the two of you have the same little indentation next to your ears.

It amazes me that you developed out of a microscopic sperm and egg. Then you grew in my stomach nine more months, and here you are. You are doing such a good job entering the world. (I know it must have been pretty traumatic.)

I love you forever and more than I could ever express Lia.

Your Mommy.

Birth Story (Warning - may be graphic)

Here I am during labor - very attractive.



Here I am the same day after labor - I am totally out of it, but doing much better.

Lia Grace took her time coming to the world. She was due on April 15th but finally made an appearance on the morning of April 23rd. Here is the story.

April 22nd was a beautiful day. My mom and I spent the morning walking and eating delicious food. I took a few hours to paint "Red Fish" for Lia´s room and felt like I was having contractions most of the day. (The Braxton Hicks kind). Jan came home (exhausted) and we had lentil casserole for dinner.

Then mom and I decided to take a walk down to the ice cream shop. (at about 7:30pm) I had almond and she had Raffaello (named after a coconut flavored candy). As I was about to start on my latte machiatto (yes, I drank too much caffiene during my pregnancy), I felt a gush of warm fluid. My first thought was - did I just pee. My second thought was...there is a puddle of fluid forming under me, how embarrasing.

I called Jan and told him to bring me my emergency change of clothing (which I had been faithfully toating around with me, but left at home that night.) After a few attempts at standing up - more fluid came out every time, I managed to get to the bathroom and change. By the time I was out a taxi arrived and my mom and I headed to the hospital. Jan went to get the supplies.

I still thought that it may be a false alarm - but sure enough . it was the amniotic fluid and it was gushing. The contractions were coming - but the midwife thought that they "were not the the real thing" and told me that I should walk around. She checked Jan and I into a room where we could sleep and rest up for the labor. Jan decided to hang out there, while my mom and I met Cheryl and Jane to get some walking in.

We walked around the block and by then (very quickly) the contractions felt like "someone shoving a knife into my stomach." Basically they were horrendously painful. In between I was ok though. So I walked and then slumped against any available wall during the contractions. We got around the block and sat on the steps. Drunk people and students road their bikes by us, and the high light was being offered, in slurred English, a cigarette. I turned it down.

Then mom said good night, and Cheryl and Jane escorted me to my room. Jan was there and I told him that I didn´t think we were going to get much rest as I flung my self on the floor and moaned in pain. (really). Then a midwife came and measured my contractions some more. After maybe an hour and a check she determined that my cervix actually was closing with each contraction and that Lia was facing forward and jamming her forehead into my pelvic bone with each contraction. She recommended an epidural. We wanted to avoid all needles, so asked for a second opinion. The midwife didn ot appreciate this, but she did say we could try out the birthing tub. (that was the closest I got to my dream of a water birth) After writhing around in the water for a while, we decided that this really was not helping anything, and that we would go ahead and get the epidural.

This was pretty traumatic (think catheter in your spinal cord), although I agree that it was for the best.

As the epidural was being adminstered I started shaking uncontrallably - this continued for the next several hours. The midwife even tried to stop it by sticking a needle in my head (yes, accupunture - I was really not into the needle in the head thing)

Unfortunately, the epidural did not do much for the pain and in fact half of my body was totally uneffected. The other half did feel numb for a while, but the pain quickly came back. After another dosage of drugs, there was still no change.

Then, to continue the medication trend, they gave an IV pain killer. This was great, not because it got rid of any pain - but as I read somewhere - the pain mattered a bit less and in between contractions I could relax much more. This was also the most productive part of the labor (prob from 4am to 6).

Around 5 the midwife said she was getting a coffee and the shift would change soon - someone would check on us in 30 min. or so. This was a bit upsetting given the excrutiating pain and the fact that I felt like was dying - ok, enjoy your coffee while I lie here suffering.

Then the new team showed up, checked me, and I was 10 centimeters dilated. The baby was ready to come. They disconnected me from everything, and Jan and I tried out a variety of labor positions. Standing, hanging, sitting up, moving around. It worked, and after pushing very hard for what felt like a long time, Lia came out. It hurt a lot, but knowing the pushing actually would end the pain and that my baby was coming, but it much easily.

I am not (too) ashamed to say that I screamed a lot and made a ruckus. I had been training for months while pooping, so I was ready for it. (As Jane says, I need to eat more fiber).

At 8:13 am. Lia showed up, not very wrinkly, and incredibly alert. They laid her on my chest immediately - she looked and me and her daddy, and did not cry at all. After about 10 minutes she breast fed for the first time and was already a pro.

I was shocked to find that she was not a giant baby like I had been and the ultrasounds had forecasted, but actually fairly average sized. She weighed a bit over 8 pounds. All of the baby clothes we have are too big!

The new family

Lia Grace - Born April 23rd

We waited



And waited



And a baby was born!