Grant One Week

November 28th-December 5th


What a difference a week can make!  One week ago I was sleeping 9 hours a day and wondering just what motherhood had in store for me.  I knew that my life was about to change but didn't know how it would feel to be a mother and to finally know that little life inside me that had been growing for 9 months.  What a joy motherhood is!  It's been the hardest but most rewarding week of my life.  There is nothing like holding your baby boy and knowing that he's all yours.  

Loves:  Being held, eating, his paci, and cuddling with Mom and Dad.

Eating:  Grant loves to eat and has mostly been taking breast milk that I have pumped.  He has had a hard time latching on and gets really mad if he doesn't get fed as quickly as he would like.  Mommy has been frustrated that he isn't breast feeding like she would like and sometimes feels like a failure.  I'm not gonna give up on it though.  Sometimes he will breast feed without any problems which gives me some hope that he can do it.  I know that having to bottle feed him formula and having a paci has caused some nipple confusion for him.

Sleeping:  Grant has been a really good sleeper.  He wakes up, gets a diaper change,  and then we feed him.  Soon after that he falls right back to sleep.  Right now he is sleeping between 2 1/2 to 3 hours at a time.  Some times we have to wake him up to feed.  He has had a little trouble sleeping at night because his paci keeps falling out and I have to put it back in over and over again.  This has caused us both to be frustrated.  We are thinking about trying to wean him off the paci so that we all get more sleep at night.  

This Weeks Happenings:  We found out that Grant has jaundice on the day we left the hospital.  We were thankful that the doctor ordered a home therapy where he could lay in a bili bed at home instead of staying at the hospital.  I was terribly upset to find out that he would have to stay in the bed all day and night except for feedings but I knew it was for the best.  The first night we got home Grant started in the bili bed and seemed to be doing well until about midnight.  When we woke him up to feed at midnight he really wouldn't wake up and was very unresponsive.  We panicked and called the doctor's office and got a hold of the doctor on call.  She walked us through some things to do to wake him up and some exercises to see that he was ok.  After rubbing a wet wash cloth over his head and making him really mad he woke up and fed for us.  The following day a nurse came out and tested his bilirubin level and we found out that it had gone down from 14.8 to 11 which was great news.  We were told that he could get off the bili bed the following day.  Saturday Lauren and her boyfriend came for a visit and Grant enjoyed being held for hours.  Grant had his first visit with Dr. Barron.  He got a great report.  When he was born he weighed 6 lbs and 2 oz and when we left the hospital he weighed 5 lbs 14 oz.  At his first appointment he was back up to 6 lbs 4 oz.  Dr. Barron says that is great!

  Waiting with Dad at the doctor's office

Clothes:  He is wearing newborn clothes but most of them are still really long on his arms and his legs.  He won't put his legs down in the leg holes and gets frustrated with the outfits.  He is also wearing newborn diapers.  I'll be glad when he grows a little and can wear 0-3 month clothes since we have a lot of those.

See how big my clothes are?

Mommy Moments: I am so excited to say that I have lost about 10 pounds and it's exciting to watch my stomach shrinking.  My pelvis pain has gone completely away and I'm feeling much better.  

Firsts:  Grant had his first bath and seemed to enjoy it.  He also pooped on Mommy for the first time when getting his diaper changed.  

Food:  He is eating 2 oz. at every feeding.  He generally eats every three hours.

Favorite Moments:

Mommy's Favorite:  Watching him smile and his turtle face.

Daddy's Favorite:  All his facial expressions

Nicknames: Benjamin Button, Buddy, Little Man

Here are some pictures from the past week!

Daddy bringing me home for the first time.

Don't I look like a part of the Christmas decor?!

Daddy really loves holding me for hours on end!

My first time snoozing in my bouncy seat.

Week 39

Today: 39 Weeks

Baby Size: According to my sources the baby is the size of a watermelon. He should weigh about 7 lbs  and is 20  inches from crown to toe.


Weight Gain: At my 39 week appointment I was +25 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes:  Yes!  My tops seems to be getting shorter since they are having so much of my watermelon belly to cover.

Sleep: Still sleeping about 8-9 hours a night but I wake up a lot throughout the night.  

Symptoms:  Cramps, heartburn, restless legs, pelvic pain, back pain, and tendinitis in my wrist.

Movement: He hasn't been moving as much this week.  I've been a little worried and stressed out about it and I brought it up to the doctor at my doctor's visit.  He ordered a bio physical profile and Grant was sleeping most of the time.  The doctor wasn't satisfied so he sent me straight over to the hospital to have him monitored for a couple of hours.  I hadn't eating all day and was starving and you could tell that it was affecting the baby as well.  After watching the monitor for hours they said he was doing fine and that I needed to go get something to eat.

Best Moments this Week:  When I went to the doctor's office I was one centimeter dilated.  Dr. Sharp decided that I would go into the hospital on Sunday night and get a Cytotec induction.  He said that he hoped it would thin out my cervix.  He said that if it didn't work then he would send me back home and he would check me again on Wednesday and induce on Thursday.  I'm really hoping that it works cause I would hate to have to go back home after getting my hopes up.

Food Cravings: Cakes and cupcakes

What I Miss: I miss my old body and feeling good.  I'm ready to have my body back!

Looking Forward To: I'm ecstatic about being induced on Sunday.  It has really kept me calm knowing that we are moving forward.  I so hope that I will be meeting Grant on Monday.  I'm looking forward to adding a member to our family but also a little sad that it won't just be the two of us anymore.  I have relished the time I've spent talking with Josh lately.  I want to cherish this time together.