Much of Haley’s second month of life was focused on weight gain. We went to a lactation consultant and realized Haley was not really eating - even though she was “nursing” all the time, she wasn’t effectively sucking. So she wasn’t gaining weight and my supply was dwindling. After more tears, some herbal remedies, constant pumping and weekly visits to the lactation consultant Haley was consistently gaining weight, but only 2-3 oz per week, instead of the 7-8 that “they” like to see. Everyone agreed that Haley looked healthy and was developmentally on track, but was just tiny. So Justin and I decided to start supplementing with some formula so she would put on weight faster. Starting out we gave her 1-2 ounces a couple of times a day. That did the trick and she gained 6 oz in one week. Once she started eating more it seemed like she realized she was missing food at night and started eating every 3 hours around the clock. So my 3.5-4 hours of sleep turned into 1.5-2 hours at a time. She continued to gain weight and weighed 7 lbs 15 oz at her two month check up. She moved from the 2% to the 3% in height and weight.
Haley smiled for the first time this month and started cooing. She gave lots of half smiles, but after a week or so started with the full out grins. It was so sweet to hear her ‘talking’ and her smile would just melt my heart. Grandpa Mike was the first visitor that Haley got to show off for and I know he loved it. Granny, Pops and David came to visit on Valentine’s Day, so Justin and I got to have our first outing without the baby. We went out for sushi and thought we would go to a movie, but EVERY movie except for The Pink Panther 2 was sold out for both the 7:00 and 9:00 showings – just one of the perks of living in a small town with nothing to do! So we got some ice cream and went back home.
Haley found her hands this month and loves to hold them together. She also started holding onto things like my bra or shirt when nursing or my sleeve or hair when changing diapers. She can’t grab things on purpose yet but when they touch her hands she likes to hold on. She also LOVES looking at Scooter. He is still a little weary of her and won’t make eye contact with her, but as long as he can look in a different direction he is fine with letting her stare at him. He does try to sneak in a few sniffs or licks here and there when she is distracted though. We tried to get out of the house a couple of times a week – but it was quite an event for both of us to be showered, dressed, and fed at the same time. Haley continued to be fussy in the evenings and we still slept in the recliner, eating every 3 hours for the whole month.
We were still dealing with lack of sleep and a pretty unpredictable schedule, but parenting became a lot more fun once Haley started interacting with us. One little smile or coo went a long way to make the tough times worth it.
Haley smiled for the first time this month and started cooing. She gave lots of half smiles, but after a week or so started with the full out grins. It was so sweet to hear her ‘talking’ and her smile would just melt my heart. Grandpa Mike was the first visitor that Haley got to show off for and I know he loved it. Granny, Pops and David came to visit on Valentine’s Day, so Justin and I got to have our first outing without the baby. We went out for sushi and thought we would go to a movie, but EVERY movie except for The Pink Panther 2 was sold out for both the 7:00 and 9:00 showings – just one of the perks of living in a small town with nothing to do! So we got some ice cream and went back home.
Haley found her hands this month and loves to hold them together. She also started holding onto things like my bra or shirt when nursing or my sleeve or hair when changing diapers. She can’t grab things on purpose yet but when they touch her hands she likes to hold on. She also LOVES looking at Scooter. He is still a little weary of her and won’t make eye contact with her, but as long as he can look in a different direction he is fine with letting her stare at him. He does try to sneak in a few sniffs or licks here and there when she is distracted though. We tried to get out of the house a couple of times a week – but it was quite an event for both of us to be showered, dressed, and fed at the same time. Haley continued to be fussy in the evenings and we still slept in the recliner, eating every 3 hours for the whole month.
We were still dealing with lack of sleep and a pretty unpredictable schedule, but parenting became a lot more fun once Haley started interacting with us. One little smile or coo went a long way to make the tough times worth it.
Comments