Life with our 6 week old

Nearly 6 weeks old! First documented smile!!

It's incredible how Hannah has just fallen into her place in our family.  She is such a mellow little sweetheart, and for the most part, just goes with the flow.  She has adopted our routine, with her most wakeful time of the day being in the afternoon into the late evening.  She and Emmy have coordinated their witching hours as well, which makes for good fun during dinner prep and bathtime.  She's been cluster feeding from around 5pm until 11pm (or so) and is usually ready to go down for the night between 11pm-midnight.  She'll sleep for two solid 3 to 4 hour stretches (we're usually up in the two o'clock and six o'clock hours to nurse.)  If only Emmy slept past 9 each morning, I could piece together a full night of sleep!  I've been attempting to grab some shut-eye with Hannah during Emmy's nap, but it's kind of hit or miss.  I have chosen to embrace my exhaustion and reward my hard work with chocolate.  I'm certain my chocolate habit is not going to bode well for my 6 week post partum weigh-in on Thursday. (FYI, I call my doctor's appointments weigh-ins.)

On a baby feeding note: Hannah's has been eating well!  We finally turned a corner last week with nursing!  PRAISE JESUS!!! I am healed, and, for the most part, pain-free (without pain meds!)  I had to take Hannah back to the pediatrician's office for her second newborn screen blood redraw (due to two insufficient samples grrr :-/) when she was three weeks old.  The only positive of having to take her in was that we got to weigh her, and she was 8 pounds 5 ounces!  She gained a whole pound in the week following her two week well baby check-up!  HALLEJUAH!!! So, I can only guess her weight at six weeks! (Which is God's honest truth, because I refuse to step on the bathroom scale with her to find out.)  She is definitely filling out, but still has the most adorable little chicken legs. :) 

Hannah has been infinitely patient with Emmy, whose love can border on the smothering side.  There is no leaving the two of them alone in a room together.  I am usually carrying Hannah while Emmy is present so that Hannah is protected from Emmy's whole body hugs.  I can see how younger children could get tough from early on.  (And how my own personal productivity has drastically plummeted from an already abysmal state-it's hard to fold laundry with an infant in your arms and a two year old playing dress up with the clean clothes.)  Emmy definitely gets frustrated with my inability to jump up and play with her because of my having to feed or hold Hannah much of the time.  Luckily, she is easily appeased with an episode of Caillou (which buys me 11 glorious minutes of peace!)  

Older sibling jealousy aide, Emmy could not be more proud of her baby sister.  We don't get far when walking to her classroom on school days without Emmy throwing back the carseat cover to introduce Hannah to whomever is passing by.  It's really, really sweet.  She's also very much tuned-in to Hannah's cries.  She is quick to offer Hannah her "bobby" and pats her gently while saying "Ok, Baby Hannah" in a soft voice.  I can sense that Emmy takes her role as big sister and nurturer very seriously (when I'm not holding or feeding Hannah that is.)

I have ventured out on a few errands with both of the girls by myself.  The logistics of getting all of us from A to B is no joke and usually takes a bunch of forethought.  We pretty much fill up a whole grocery cart with just Emmy, Hannah in her carseat, and my purse/diaper bag before we even begin shopping.  I've found the key is to load up the girls into a cart at the car before we go in, to avoid Emmy running off, or worse yet, pitching a tantrum and going limp noodle when I attempt to hoist her into the cart inside the store. (Daddy's way more fun than Mommy because he lets her walk :-P.)  This newfound complication to weekday shopping has undoubtedly helped to minimize my non-internet spending, because there's not much besides milk, toilet paper or chocolate that will motivate me to do it.  Instead, I've probably broken records by the number of errands that Hannah and I have run during Emmy's Mom's Day Out mornings and during naptime on weekends while Nick is home.  I'm sure that, in due time, my little teammates will become wonderful helpers, but we're not quite there yet....  

All my girls in eachother's hair...This is my day in one photo.

She looks so angelic here...:-P