Little Huckleberry has really given me a run for my money. Seems like I should know what I am doing given that I've done this before... but he is his own little person and not like the others. We went back to the pediatrician yesterday and he had not put on weight like we had hoped. He had only gained 3 oz in the previous week. I was concerned because he was very sleepy, not waking himself up to eat and not having poopy diapers. After consulting with 2 different lactations consultants and the pediatrician, we decided to increase the amount of milk in the supplemental nursing system and hope that would help. So for the past 24 hours pretty much all I have done is nurse and pump, nurse and pump, nurse and pump. I was feeling pretty discouraged earlier today. Sometimes working in a hospital is helpful, sometimes not so much... This is one of those times. In sleep deprived worry I start to imagine that he has all sorts of diagnoses. Never mind the fact that the pediatrician just told me yesterday that other than the weight gain he is completely healthy. Anyway, late this afternoon he seemed to wake up. He has had 3 poopy diapers, acted hungry and eaten a bunch. I am hoping that he is turning the corner. I'll take him back to weigh him tomorrow. Dave went out today to get me a full stock of supplies- a new supplemental nurser, tea and herbs to increase milk supply and a hospital-grade rental pump.
Grandma took charge of Duchess today so I could get some rest. They had quite a day- cleaned her room, had lunch at Chick-Fil-A, went to Target for a Dora ballet t-shirt and lip gloss and also managed to get to the grocery store. I'm pretty sure Madison didn't stop talking the whole time! Next time Grandma is packing ear plugs...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Grow, Baby, Grow!
Little Huckleberry is still struggling with gaining weight. We had another visit with a Lactation Consultant today to learn how to use a Supplemental Nursing System, or SNS. It is a small bottle filled with expressed breast milk and a skinny little tube that goes into his mouth while he is at the breast. It allows him to get more milk into his tummy with the same amount of effort as nursing alone. He works so hard to eat that he tires himself out and burns a lot of calories or shuts down and falls asleep. The good news is that he had gained 2 oz since Wed, but he is still not having as many poopy diapers as he should. So we'll try the SNS over the weekend and hope he continues to gain and his diapers improve. I'll weigh him again on Mon and we see the pediatrician on Wed. If the SNS is not enough than the Lactation Consultant has some other tricks for us to try. I am so thankful that I have the connection with the LCs at Baylor. They have all been so kind and helpful to a tired, stressed-out Mama! I don't know what we'd do without them!
Duchess just can't leave Huck alone... She is always all over him- kissing him, hugging him, touching. Especially if I am holding him. Poor guy, at least she is being sweet. The stash of small toys and movies I bought before Huck was born has been very helpful! I thought Bubba was beginning to show a little less tolerance for the disruption in his life so we had an ice cream date yesterday. I took just him out to Sonic and he enjoyed it for about the first 20 minutes, then he started searching the car for toys to play with. If 20 minutes is all it takes to make him feel better than I am grateful!
Duchess just can't leave Huck alone... She is always all over him- kissing him, hugging him, touching. Especially if I am holding him. Poor guy, at least she is being sweet. The stash of small toys and movies I bought before Huck was born has been very helpful! I thought Bubba was beginning to show a little less tolerance for the disruption in his life so we had an ice cream date yesterday. I took just him out to Sonic and he enjoyed it for about the first 20 minutes, then he started searching the car for toys to play with. If 20 minutes is all it takes to make him feel better than I am grateful!
Monday, March 21, 2011
sleepy head
Is there anything more precious than the faces a baby makes while he/she is sleeping? The pouty face, furrowed brow, pursed lips, half smile... And not to mention the squeaks, purrs and sighs. I love it! The hubby and I are sitting here watching Top Chef (the one show we watch together) and I think we have spent more time looking at the baby instead of the TV.
Huck is 1 week old today. We spent the day visiting various professionals to discuss his difficulty with breastfeeding. You'd think that since I breastfed the other two for more than 3 years combined it would be easy, but no. He has an immature suck-swallow-breath pattern and is having some difficulties transferring enough milk into his tummy. The fact that he was a little more than 2 weeks early is probably the cause. He is still losing a little bit of weight, but fortunately he started off with some extras reserves so the pediatrician is not super worried. I had a good appointment with a lactation consultant and can see a difference already. I learned how to do suck training and a new method for latching him on. Hopefully he'll keep improving.
Otherwise he is a happy little guy. He has nice awake alert periods, makes good eye contact, has some good self-soothing skills and he even tolerated his bath yesterday without mush distress at all. His siblings love him. The Duchess can not leave him alone! She is constantly touching, hugging, kissing, and/or talking to him. Sometimes all at the same time... I think it is an attention seeking tactic since the intensity drastically increases if I am holding Huck. At least she is being sweet- it could be a whole lot worse! Both kids took pictures to school today to show all their friends.
You know that advice to sleep when the baby sleeps? I'm going to go follow that advice now!
Huck is 1 week old today. We spent the day visiting various professionals to discuss his difficulty with breastfeeding. You'd think that since I breastfed the other two for more than 3 years combined it would be easy, but no. He has an immature suck-swallow-breath pattern and is having some difficulties transferring enough milk into his tummy. The fact that he was a little more than 2 weeks early is probably the cause. He is still losing a little bit of weight, but fortunately he started off with some extras reserves so the pediatrician is not super worried. I had a good appointment with a lactation consultant and can see a difference already. I learned how to do suck training and a new method for latching him on. Hopefully he'll keep improving.
Otherwise he is a happy little guy. He has nice awake alert periods, makes good eye contact, has some good self-soothing skills and he even tolerated his bath yesterday without mush distress at all. His siblings love him. The Duchess can not leave him alone! She is constantly touching, hugging, kissing, and/or talking to him. Sometimes all at the same time... I think it is an attention seeking tactic since the intensity drastically increases if I am holding Huck. At least she is being sweet- it could be a whole lot worse! Both kids took pictures to school today to show all their friends.
You know that advice to sleep when the baby sleeps? I'm going to go follow that advice now!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Introducing... Harrison Ulysses Knefley
It's a Boy! Harrison Ulysses joined us in the world on Monday, March 14th at 2:48 AM. He weighed 8 lbs 12 oz and was 20 3/4 in long. He was in a hurry to get here- he was born just 1 hour and 15 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. I woke up about midnight when my water broke. Contractions kicked in about 45 minutes later as we were loading the kids into the car to drop them off at a friends house. By the time we got to the hospital at about 1:30 I was contracting every 3-4 minutes. Things went quickly and contractions were hard to manage. The Hubby did a great job supporting me and encouraging me even when I said I couldn't manage it any more. My wonderful doula arrived and talked me through the intensity. Before I knew it I was pushing and then holding a little boy in my arms!
He is a great little guy. He sleeps well most of the time, is eating well and tolerating all the love and adoration of his big siblings. They both think he is pretty great, but get a little frustrated that Mommy is not able to do everything they'd like. Thankfully MomMom is here to help as the Hubby is crazy at work with March Madness going on.!
So I guess it was nesting going on after all! Amazing
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Nesting?
So was my day spent nesting in preparation for this new baby's arrival? Or just being a mom on a Saturday? Only time will tell, I guess... Today's accomplishments?
- kitchen- clean!
- playroom- clean!
- family room- clean!
- baby swing set up in the family room- done!
- pack and play set up in the playroom- done!
- cradle in the bedroom- done!
- car seat in the car- done!
- kids laundry- done!
- laundry put away- done!
I think I got more done today that I have in a long time. And I even got a nap in there! On the list for tomorrow? Help the kids clean up their rooms and finish grown-up laundry. And I wouldn't be too upset to have a baby either :-)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sleepovers
Sleepovers are a much anticipated event at our house, especially by Duchess. You would think that it involved friends coming over, movies, popcorn... but, no. A sleepover is just the two kids getting to sleep in the same room on a non-school night. They are both trying to grasp the concept that a school night is one on which there is school the next day but not necessarily a day that they went to school. Sometimes they will share Bubba's bed, sometimes sleep in sleeping bags on the floor in Duchess's room, but they always laugh and talk for at least an hour after bedtime. The Hubby and I enjoy it because it usually means that we get them into bed with little fuss and few stall tactics. Duchess starts asking about when the next sleepover will be on Mondays.
Speaking of sleeping habits... Duchess has decided that she no longer wants to sleep in her crib. Not surprising since she is 3 1/2, but up until about a month ago she loved her crib. When we would ask her about a big girl bed she would say she didn't want one. But she has changed her mind, so for the last month or so she has been having a "camp out" and sleeps on the floor in her room in her princess sleeping bag with about 5 dolls. We are thinking that we will get her a toddler bed for now and when we are ready to move the two kids in together we will get them bunk beds.
Of course all sleep patterns are about to be thrown up in the air when this little one decides to join us... wonder if I'll remember how to do it with a newborn!
Speaking of sleeping habits... Duchess has decided that she no longer wants to sleep in her crib. Not surprising since she is 3 1/2, but up until about a month ago she loved her crib. When we would ask her about a big girl bed she would say she didn't want one. But she has changed her mind, so for the last month or so she has been having a "camp out" and sleeps on the floor in her room in her princess sleeping bag with about 5 dolls. We are thinking that we will get her a toddler bed for now and when we are ready to move the two kids in together we will get them bunk beds.
Of course all sleep patterns are about to be thrown up in the air when this little one decides to join us... wonder if I'll remember how to do it with a newborn!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Getting started
I have been thinking about starting a blog for awhile now. I'm sure it won't be witty, or inspired or even all that well written. It won't be interesting to those who don't know our family, but my purpose in writing it is for me and our family. There is a lot going on in our family these days and the kids are growing so fast- I don't want to forget any of those moments! So a little about where we are now...
Me- The Mom, the Wife, the part-time Child Life Specialist, part-time Childbirth Educator and Doula. I guess I wear a lot of hats these days... Oh yeah, and I am pregnancy with Baby #3 due in 3-4 weeks. Right now I work about 20 hours a week at Children's Medical Center, just as I have for the past 11 years. I work in out-patient Radiology. The work is not super challenging, but I enjoy the staff I work with and knowing that I make a difference in the child and family's experience. I also teach Childbirth classes at Baylor University Medical Center several times a month. I love teaching and get great satisfaction from helping parents-to-be meet their newborns before they ever hold the baby in their arms. I also take Doula clients and assist mothers and fathers welcome their baby to the world. It is a privilege and honor every time to be invited into the delivery room- no moment is more sacred! I love being a mom, it is what I have wanted since I was young. I remember I used to say I was going to have 10!
The Hubby- Hubby works as a bartender/manager at the McKinney Avenue Tavern. His schedule is a little crazy and he always has a list of things to do. But the great thing about it is that he is able to take care of the kids on the days I work. That means we rarely have to worry about childcare. He is a great dad- he knows what the kids need and like, he plays with them, is silly with them, and takes great care of them. He loves to golf but doesn't have enough time to play as often as he'd like.
"Bubba"- Bubba is 5 1/2 years old and in Kindergarten. He is doing really well- I can't believe all he is learning this year! He is reading, writing paragraphs, doing addition and subtraction and loves science. He is really into rocks and fossils with dinosaur bones being his favorites. He has a great imagination and likes to write his own books. He loves to play outside and ride his bike, dig in the dirt and build things. He is a great big brother and watches out for his little sister and me.
"Duchess"- Duchess is 3 1/2 and goes to preschool 2 days a week. She is all girl- loves Dora, Barbie, Princesses and dress-ups. She is a bit on the dramatic side... She loves to talk- a lot- unless we are in public than she barely says a word! Sometimes she speaks so quickly we can't even understand her. She has finally decided she is finished with diapers and has been doing such a great job staying dry that it is unbelievable. She is funny without even trying. She loves babies and taking care of her many baby dolls.
Baby#3 (aka Huckleberry)- This new addition is due sometime in the next several weeks. We do not know the gender and the house is divided as to what we hope it will be. This pregnancy has been unlike either of the others. I started contracting around Thanksgiving and got put on bed rest for about 4 weeks in Jan/Feb because of it. Just 2 weeks ago this little one dislocated one of my ribs. This turned out to be the most painful experience I have ever had in my life. Surgery, natural childbirth... nothing compared to that. A middle of the night trip to L&D assured it was not my heart, a PE or anything more serious. The next day the chiropractor diagnosed it and worked with me for 10 days to get me (almost) back to normal. We suspect that this baby is another big one- it feels like it me and the last sono says so as well. We are ready for his/her arrival and are grateful that he/she held out until this point so we won't have a mandatory NICU admission.
So that's all for now. Thanks for joining us on this crazy ride!
Me- The Mom, the Wife, the part-time Child Life Specialist, part-time Childbirth Educator and Doula. I guess I wear a lot of hats these days... Oh yeah, and I am pregnancy with Baby #3 due in 3-4 weeks. Right now I work about 20 hours a week at Children's Medical Center, just as I have for the past 11 years. I work in out-patient Radiology. The work is not super challenging, but I enjoy the staff I work with and knowing that I make a difference in the child and family's experience. I also teach Childbirth classes at Baylor University Medical Center several times a month. I love teaching and get great satisfaction from helping parents-to-be meet their newborns before they ever hold the baby in their arms. I also take Doula clients and assist mothers and fathers welcome their baby to the world. It is a privilege and honor every time to be invited into the delivery room- no moment is more sacred! I love being a mom, it is what I have wanted since I was young. I remember I used to say I was going to have 10!
The Hubby- Hubby works as a bartender/manager at the McKinney Avenue Tavern. His schedule is a little crazy and he always has a list of things to do. But the great thing about it is that he is able to take care of the kids on the days I work. That means we rarely have to worry about childcare. He is a great dad- he knows what the kids need and like, he plays with them, is silly with them, and takes great care of them. He loves to golf but doesn't have enough time to play as often as he'd like.
"Bubba"- Bubba is 5 1/2 years old and in Kindergarten. He is doing really well- I can't believe all he is learning this year! He is reading, writing paragraphs, doing addition and subtraction and loves science. He is really into rocks and fossils with dinosaur bones being his favorites. He has a great imagination and likes to write his own books. He loves to play outside and ride his bike, dig in the dirt and build things. He is a great big brother and watches out for his little sister and me.
"Duchess"- Duchess is 3 1/2 and goes to preschool 2 days a week. She is all girl- loves Dora, Barbie, Princesses and dress-ups. She is a bit on the dramatic side... She loves to talk- a lot- unless we are in public than she barely says a word! Sometimes she speaks so quickly we can't even understand her. She has finally decided she is finished with diapers and has been doing such a great job staying dry that it is unbelievable. She is funny without even trying. She loves babies and taking care of her many baby dolls.
Baby#3 (aka Huckleberry)- This new addition is due sometime in the next several weeks. We do not know the gender and the house is divided as to what we hope it will be. This pregnancy has been unlike either of the others. I started contracting around Thanksgiving and got put on bed rest for about 4 weeks in Jan/Feb because of it. Just 2 weeks ago this little one dislocated one of my ribs. This turned out to be the most painful experience I have ever had in my life. Surgery, natural childbirth... nothing compared to that. A middle of the night trip to L&D assured it was not my heart, a PE or anything more serious. The next day the chiropractor diagnosed it and worked with me for 10 days to get me (almost) back to normal. We suspect that this baby is another big one- it feels like it me and the last sono says so as well. We are ready for his/her arrival and are grateful that he/she held out until this point so we won't have a mandatory NICU admission.
So that's all for now. Thanks for joining us on this crazy ride!
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