Is it Brad Pitt? Elmo Loves Brad Pitt.

9 months old

Naomi has now officially been out of my belly longer than she was in it. And she has grown so much since then. Shall we look at comparison pictures?

Remember Naomi as a newborn...

And Naomi now.

Wow. A world of difference. Dark hair turned blonde. Muddy eyes turned crystal clear blue. 4 teeth (yes, the two upper front teeth are in now!). 12lbs, 12 oz added to her weight, now at 21lbs even (90%). 8.75" to her height, putting her at 27.75" (75%). And just look at her. She is no longer a fragile little baby. She is a strong, active, INTERACTIVE kid!

She makes friends everywhere we go. Every errand we run takes twice as long now as she needs to say hi to everyone she sees (mostly a wave and HUGE grin, but sometimes even a little not-so-confident, am-I-saying-the-right-word? "hi.") And, of course, everyone needs to stop and indulge her. They can't refuse that face, and I don't blame them. She is just magnetic and I am in awe of her daily.

With this big-kid personality comes some big-kid moving around. Naomi is crawling. Full speed. And Climbing. While Naomi is not yet sturdy enough to stand on her own, she is happiest on her feet practicing. You are most likely to find her cruising around the furniture these days. This has already gotten her in trouble, as most of you already know. On Friday, Sept 25 Naomi pulled a top-heavy speaker over, making mincemeat of the tip of her middle finger on her right hand. This incident earned her her first three stitches. Besides the initial pain, little miss didn't let the stitches or very dramatic-looking bandage phase her. She was back to her old tricks that afternoon.

I think I was more traumatized by it than she was. But leave it to Naomi to make ME feel better as she crawls to me, saying "mama" through a huge smile and with wide, happy eyes. My heart melts and the world spins in the right direction again...

The eighth month...

August flew, plain and simple. Jam packed, full of travels and visits and fun and work and... teeth.

The three of us took a long weekend in San Francisco August 8-10, coinciding with the SF International Gift Fair. Business is always a good reason to travel, and why not make it a family affair! We had a fantastic time exploring the city, eating scrumptious food (read: foie gras sushi that was to DIE for, our first experience with In-n-Out Burger, and casual tasties from Taylor's Automatic Refresher). I think Naomi was hungry to enjoy the grastronomical side of San Fran, too, as that is where she cut her first tooth! For the record, that was August 10th, and it was the bottom-middle-left.

The bottom-middle-right came on August 18.

Another big event happened the beginning of August. Naomi met her maternal grandma! My mom came out for a visit and got to spend some long overdue time with Naomi. During her visit we took a trip out to the the beautiful San Juan islands and spent the day at Friday Harbor. It was here that Grandma picked up this sweet hat, perfect to keep our little nymph warm all winter!


Naomi also got to meet some of her island O'hana! We were able to catch up with our friend Tamar (in San Francisco) and Tamar's mom, Judy (on a trip to Tacoma). Tamar and Judy are also Aunty and Granny to Naomi's far-away friend Kilinoe, and Sister and Mom to MY faraway friend Tina.*

Our friends Scott and Jarvalen, and their little one, Brennan, were also in town for a wedding in August and made some time to stop by for lunch and a playdate!


August is also a lovely time in Tacoma - the weather is perfect (but a bit hot this year), the days are long (daylight 'til 10pm!) and the vibe is just relaxed and fun. One of my favorite things about summer is being able to walk down the street to the farmer's market. On one particular trip we were able to spend time with my friend Jennifer and her kids, Opal (3) and Ellis (newborn). Opal is the cutest - she just LOVES Naomi, and Naomi just loves to watch Opal do her thing and learn how big girls play. This particular photo amuses me, though, so I thought I would share! (Note the sign in the background and Naomi illustrating the point...)


Mid August also marked Naomi's first National Park visit. Mount Rainier towered over us in all it's glory. Just stunning...


I told you August was busy. There was also probably a barbeque somewhere in there, a few trips up to Lake Stevens to visit Aunty Em and Uncle Chad, a heat wave... we'll be looking forward to a slower, cooler fall.

*HEY TINA - don't you think it's time for you and Kili to take a trip up North to finally meet Naomi?

I'm freaked out by this.

Yoga is part of my life, and I can't wait to introduce Naomi to Yoga one day... but absolutely not like this.

7 months

Naomi's July was a busy one! The two biggest developments were a) sitting on her own (even in a grocery cart!), and b) the extent to which she is babbling now.

It is clear that we have a chatter on our hands. She is an expert in B's, M's, and D's (think in a string of "mamamama babababababa dadadadadadadada" followed by a squeal or making a raspberry sound with her lips. It is particularly cute, I must say, when she is moving her lips, practicing how to form her mouth for a particular sound, but not making any. Then, a minute later, she will give us a confident BABABABABA if that is the sound we asked for. Having an exchange with Naomi is lovely.

Even better is that it is clear now that she is understanding more and more of what we say. Among her favorite phrases to hear are "Jersey Puppy" "Who's that pretty baby" (when looking in the mirror), and "You want some num-nums?" (Num-nums being food).

Naomi also has favorite songs. She has for a while, but a particular few calm her down when needed. First best is Apples and Bananas. Runner up is Itsy Bitsy Spider. We do a lot of singing in the car these days...



The biggest event in July, of course, was the visit of Grandma (Jim's mom) and 12 year old cousin Trellany! Making the trip from Alabama to visit Naomi for the first time, Rhonda and Trellany were able to spend 10 days with us. Most of it was spent relaxing and allowing our visitors time to spend with Naomi. We did take a trip to Snoqualmie Falls on one day, caught a Mariner's game on another - always a favorite thing to do in Seattle! - and even walked in the CCFA 5k! Come back and visit again soon!

Naomi & Trellany at Qwest Field

Grandma & Trellany at Snoqualmie Falls

The CCFA 5k (Bree & Metztli joined us, too!)

Happy 4th of July!

They could have pared this down to Animal, Beaker, and Chef and I would have been just as thrilled to find this today! Those three are my all-time faves....

Have a fun and safe holiday!

6 months old!

Today marks Naomi's half birthday. Man, this goes quick! What is Naomi up to these days?

Naomi now sits on her own unassisted. I love that! She is just looking like such a big girl now.

She still plays with everything with her feet, like a little monkey. It's pretty hysterical, actually. I'm not sure I've ever seen another baby handle things with their feet the way Naomi does. It is almost as much as she uses her hands!

While rolling from back to front is her favorite past time, she is still refusing to go form belly to back. She knows how. She has done it, but we think she is just lazy. She would prefer to whine until one of us flips her over. We figure this can't last forever. Come her crawling which is sure to be just around the corner seeing how she handles herself from the sit position, she's going to have get over it and do it eventually.

She does squirm and get whatever she wants to get wherever it happens to be. It is not uncommon now for me to turn around for two minutes and she is in the complete opposite direction from where I left her. She also wakes up from her naps sideways in her bed and has taken to sleeping on her side lately. I am grateful for this because it is allowing the hair on the back of her head to grow in!

Solid foods. ACK! What a mess! so far her favorite is bananas mixed in oatmeal. I laugh because this is my father's favorite breakfast, too. Two peas in a pod, those two.

Still no teeth. I'm waiting for that terror. She is teething and everything she picks up goes directly into her mouth but I feel for teeth every day and nothing yet. She will occassionally wake up crying late at night because her gums hurt. I know they are coming in soon.

Naomi's current favorite toy is a Little Tikes piano Judy Hassing gave us a long time ago. She just loves to sit on the couch and bang on that thing. And she thinks it is hysterical when I try to sing the notes she plays. (Why does everyone laugh when I sing?)

In other friend-based news...

Naomi and her friend, Metztli had their first playdate recently! The girls are just SO cute together. Metztli is so gentle with Naomi, shares her toys, and even gives her sweet little besos! Ah! So much fun! It is also nice for me to be able to visit with Metztli's mama, Bree.

Metztli and Naomi

A new friend for Naomi has been born! Making his debut on June 21st was Eliot. A BOYFRIEND! He's pretty darn cute, too. We can't wait until Eliot is grown up a little bit and the kids can play together. Congratulations mama KC and daddy Jac!

Elllllliiiiooooot (*ET Voice)

There is another new friend on the way, too. We're not yet sure whether it will be a boy or a girl, but we do know that whatever it is, that baby is LATE! Good luck Jennifer and Kelly and big sister Opal!

Cute picture of KC (left) and Jennifer at Kc's baby shower! (Belly Buttons!)

And that's it, I think. It's been a really busy month for mommy with work so, again, apologies for my lack of posting. I'll keep trying to work on that!

The whining.

Please tell me this is a passing phase.

5 months old!

The amount that Naomi has changed in the last month is just incredible. I know I sound like typical first time parent, but this it is just stunning to watch day in and day out.

Naomi is now 15 1/2 pounds (according to our postal scale), and while I don't exactly how long she is, she must have just gone through a growth spurt. She is just looking really long all of a sudden.

Her feet are still her favorite toys, but a close second are her lips as she purses them, spits from them, and experiments will all sorts of new noises. Girl really likes to talk!

Also, if you haven't noticed, her hair is going super blond. I am still a little shocked at this. I thought for sure she was going to be a raven haired little girl. But, she is looking more like her daddy every day. I might be Maury Povich's first guest on for a MATERNITY test. Not sure where I fit into the equation. Did I really give birth to her? Did we mix her up at the hospital?

Let's see... what else:

• Elmo obsession in full swing. If Elmo comes on while she is eating. She will stop in her tracks and refuse her bottle.
• While she loves Elmo, Naomi has started to fuss and cry as soon as Mr. Noodle comes on. I always hated Mr. Noodle, too.
• Naomi's new favorite place to be is in the corner of the couch (or bassinet, or crib) - anywhere we can prop her up and let her sit on her own for a good while. She feels like a grown-up, I think.
• Naomi is an awesome sleeper, for the most part. We have had some rough nights but overall she is doing really well. I just love that she has gotten so good at self-soothing. She doesn't make a peep when I put her down for naps or for bedtime. She does still want a 4-5:00am bottle... hopefully I can break her of that once we start cereal (in a week or two!).

Naomi is the happiest baby. We are so lucky. She is just so easy! I know our next one is going to be a terror.... isn't that how it works??

As happy as she is, though, Naomi is a stubborn little girl. She does NOT like to be on her belly or roll over. She can do it. She just refuses. She is, however, ahead of the curve on sitting up. She is pretty good and getting more stable every day. I think she'll easily be able to really sit on her own by the end of this month. She can handle about 10 seconds at a time right now without losing balance, but like a good girl she puts her hands out for support.

I am really excited for the next few months. This is a huge milestone period for babies.... eating, sitting, crawling, maybe a first word... we'll keep you posted on progress!

Mother's Day

My first mother's day was lovely and low-key. Perfect. Bagels & lox for breakfast, a quiet morning playing Wii Fit (my gift from Naomi - fun!), then a picnic lunch at Owen Beach here in Tacoma with a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier and Commencement Bay. But who was looking at those silly sights when you have a face like this to look at...

I feel so lucky to be Naomi's mommy... she is such a gift.

4 months, and time keeps flying...

N's first baseball game, April 18, 2009. Go Tacoma Rainiers!

This has been a busy month, and you know it has been since this is the first real post since I was announcing Naomi's 3 month birthday! Yikes... I gotta get on it...Need to carve out more time...on the flip side, it really means that business has picked up for me so it is really hard to complain about that!

Anyway, Little Miss Independent turns 4 months today. She actually had her 4 month appointment a couple weeks ago as we are part of a group of families that goes all at the same time. So, here are the stats - really at 3 1/2 months:

Height: 22 1/2" (10%)
Weight: 12.1 (25%)
Head Circumference: 39.8cm (25%)

OK, so she's kinda short. Don't make fun! We're not the tallest people in the world...

Our little fishy goes to the pool... N's first swim, April 19, 2009.

As far as big developments are concerned, here is what is going on:

Naomi thinks she is all grown up now. How do I know? She insists on holding her bottle herself. We still need to give a little support but she is mostly there. Baby is already doing 6 1/2oz curls! Her daddy is so proud...

On the subject of food, there are some times that she is watching us eat and I think she is literally going to POUNCE on my plate! She tracks food from the plate, onto the fork, and into our mouths. I don't know how we are going to hold her off on solids until she is 6 months old without her getting really pissed!

I was watching Oprah today and could not hear the TV. Why? Because Naomi was talking her head off. Obviously not words, but she babbles like crazy. Constantly. I think we're in trouble. Of course we've all been nurturing it, talking back to her and asking her questions. I know in her mind we are having real conversations... it's pretty adorable actually, especially when she gets her plethora of facial expressions going.

And, last but not least... (DRUM ROLL)...

Yesterday, on the very last day of her 3rd month, Naomi completed her first solo roll-over (tummy to back)! I swear I thought she was never going to accomplish this. I am SO relieved!

Like I said, April's been a busy month. For all of us.

Lamb-a-rama-ding-dong, N's current favorite doll.
An Easter gift from Grandma and cousin Trellany.

Paul Rudd, YOU rock!

Happy Earth Day, everybody!

Ready for her close-up!

For those of you who are on Facebook, you have already seen this latest video. Naomi is becoming so much fun!



PS. For those of you who do not know, PUNIM means cute face in Yiddish. It is a term I grew up with in my Jewish household.

Happy Easter!

3 Months Old!

La Bandita Incognita

Wow, time is flying! Yesterday marked Naomi's 3rd full month of life and we are in awe of how much happens in such little time! She has changed TONS and seems like such a big girl compared to just a few short months ago.

Naomi's neck and back are getting SO strong, she just loves to be in the sitting position. While she can't quite balance herself yet, she loves sitting in my lap (where she is right now, no doubt learning how to type) and in her bumbo. She does hate tummy time, though, and at this rate I'm not sure she'll ever complete a roll-over... but she'll have to learn walk eventually, right?!

No matter where she is, Naomi needs to have toys around. Little Miss is VERY handsy! Currently her favorites are those colorful linking rings, but the other day she was playing with her friend, Athena's suction toys (below) and she LOVED them, so we ordered two for our own collection.

Illumination Station by Sassy

By the way, happy first birthday, Athena!


There is lots of giggling and cooing happening around here, which is a total delight to the ears. We just love watching Naomi watch and try to repond to us... makes my heart pitter-patter with every silly face she makes!

On a sadder note, Naomi has started to protest breastfeeding. She refuses to spend more than 5 minutes on each side even though I know I still have milk in there... I am really trying to hold on to the breastfeeding if I can, but it may be out of my control! Can't make her, and can't let her starve. Hello, stubborn capricorn.

Bring Bedtime ON!

I can't help it, I have to boast. Really. I am so ecstatic about our newest development, I just can't contain myself. It has changed my world. Naomi is such a big girl, and I am so proud of her! She has been nicknamed "super-sleeper." Why, you ask...

Naomi now sleeps from 8/9pm through to 8/9am, getting up only once at about 5am for a 45 minute feeding!

Seriously, this is a complete triumph. We have this sleeping thing WHIPPED! I was so stressed about getting her on a sleep schedule. I had my doubts about how to get her to soothe herself, but now she is a total champ! She took to it right away and doesn't even fuss!

Serious props to my friend, Bree, mama to Metztli. It was her encouragement and advice that got us to this glorious state of rest. HALLELUJAH!

Adios, Mr. Noodle!

I believe the Elmo craze has begun in our household. I admit to sitting Naomi down in front of Sesame Street in the mornings. When Elmo's World comes on, it is all giggles and coos around here.

Jim found this Youtube clip today and I admit this makes Elmo a little more tolerable to me... however inappropriate it is for Naomi. Ricky Gervais would make a FINE permanent replacement for Mr. Noodle, don't you think? These two have CHEMISTRY!



No worries - we'll wait until she is at least a teenager to share this one with her. In the meantime, we adults may share!

The newest member of our household

Naomi's grandfather has finally made the move west!

My father, better known as "Papa" around here these days, suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago. Tiny Naomi and I flew east for 10 days to help dad recover. While we were there, we decided it be best for him to make the move he has been talking about for years and join us on the west coast. Maybe he wasn't anticipating a move quite so soon, but we sure are happy to have him no matter the circumstances. Naomi just ADORES her grandfather. He can get her smiling and giggling like no one else! They are just the best of friends already.

So, Papa will be staying with us for a few months while he regains his health, and finds work and an apartment. WELCOME, PAPA!

2 Months Old!

On Sunday Naomi turned 2 months old, and yesterday she had her 2 month well visit with the doctor. Here are the stats:

• Height: 22" (27%)
• Weight: 10lbs 0oz (27%)
• Head Circumference: 37.6cm (27%)

She is in spectacular health, and as the doctor said, "VERY PROPORTIONATE." such great news, she felt the need for a DANCE PARTY!

Random Videos

For those of you who don't know, we have been posting random little videos of Naomi to Jim's YouTube channel. I want to start posting them here, too, just to keep everything in one place. Let's start with the one we shot today...

This is how I see our baby every day since the sling is where she is happiest and how I can get stuff done. My back is paying the price, but sanity is reaping the rewards.

No Need for Maury Povich

I don't think there is any disputing paternity here...

Product Review: SEVENTH GENERATION DIAPERS, STAGE 1

Don't waste your money with these if you are eco-conscious and have a newborn. Supposedly they are good for 8-14lbs. Our 8lb Naomi grew out of these by her 2 week doctor appointment, and NO she does not have an unusually large caboose. We have heard other poor reviews about this particular size of Seventh Generation diapers so we will hold out hope for Stage 2 since we have all that diaper credit from Amazon. We just got some in but want to get through the Kirkland diapers from Costco we bought in the interim.

New Section: Things We've Learned

I have been thinking of starting a new section of this blog dedicated to sharing things we learn along the way. Not big things, just minor thoughts and everyday tips that have made the details of parenting easier. Things that we never knew but have had to learn quickly. Kinda like a reference for soon-to-be parents, or parents who are dealing with specific challenges. Let's call it a place for us to exchange ideas. We would love for all of the parents in our lives to participate in the comments. We will post a recap of shared ideas the next time we post to this section.

Here is what we have compiled so far (in no particular order):

• T-shirts & pants are the best outfits - easier than onesies. It makes it super easy to check diapers without having to completely undress (and upset) baby.
• Do not use nail clippers on your baby until the nails actually separate from the skin. They are not born this way and you'll draw blood. (Luckily we learned this before any kind of catastrophe.) DO bring a mini nail file to the hospital with you. Baby's nails are RAZOR SHARP and need to be trimmed immediately and often. Best to do this while baby is sleeping.
• If you can't get to the nails and/or they grow fast, definitely use those little cotton mittens (or the onesies with the fold-down sleeves).
  
• Make or buy BIGGER receiving blankets. Baby will grow out of the standard ones within 2 weeks, and the bigger ones are easier to swaddle baby with anyway.
• Don’t waste money on all those cute infant clothes! Maybe one or two "show-off" outfits, but the rest should be just a few essentials the baby can wear over & over again. Besides, friends and family will most likely give you a ton of clothes - hand-me-downs and new. They just can't help themselves!
• Get a BIG diaper bag. You'll need the room. And make it one you REALLY like since you will no longer be wearing a purse! I think it is OK to spend money on this item - it will be a constant part of your wardrobe.
  
• Always carry TWO extra outfits in your diaper bag. On a bad day, one may not be enough. And make sure you have a big ziploc in there to carry the poopy or wet clothes without ruining your bag.
  
• Socks don’t stay on – no matter how “wiggle proof” they claim to be. I haven’t figured out a solution yet, but when I do I’m going to start another business .
• If having the baby sleep in bed with you the first few weeks or months means YOU get to sleep, too, make peace with that solution and do it. Ignore the nay-sayers. You’re not going to roll onto your baby. And you are going to be able to function during the day!
  
• You can not spoil your baby when they are newborn. If they need you, go to them and make them feel secure. Instinct tells me that this will NOT make them more dependent later on. (I'll update this as Naomi gets older and let you know where I think this threshold is.)
• A baby's hands and feet are not a good indicator of how hot or cool the baby is. Check the back of baby's neck instead.
• If baby doesn't poop for several days straight, it does NOT necessarily mean there is something wrong. Don't freak.
• You'll also want to carry little bags like these in your diaper bag for when you don't have a place to dispose of those dirty diapers.
  

We'll just keep adding to it as we keep learning. Maybe one day compile them all officially on paper... participate and share the credit! Looking forward to hearing all of your tips and tricks!

Labor = FUN!

As I mentioned before, we had some fun while I was in labor. Here are some highlights:

These are the sexy disposable maternity panties you are advised to wear during labor and after to hold the football field-sized pads that you need to wear to catch the before and after mess. We needed to see how big they actually can get. It turns out you can easily fit a VW bug in one.


The peanut gallery thought it would be funny to give their impressions of what their pushing faces would look like while I was in labor. I thought I'd share that with you all.


And, of course, the classic cigar shot.

Mother's Milk

Ugh. This has been the biggest challenge yet.

I was determined all throughout pregnancy to exclusively breastfeed. I was convinced that I would love this time with my baby, that it would be easy and natural and the best thing I could give her. I would go so far as to say I was judgmental against mothers who did not breastfeed. I couldn't understand why on earth someone would buy formula when you could get the best milk for free.

I can say now that I was wrong in every sense. Breastfeeding is not easy. It is not as intuitive as I thought it would be. It is not always a choice to breastfeed exclusively, or at all. And I wholeheartedly understand why some families turn to formula. You have to really WANT to breastfeed, and WANT to make it work if it is going to work at all. If you are not all in, then you are basically all out.

Let me just say that we totally got off on the wrong foot, and I actually place a lot of blame on the hospital for the problems we have had with breastfeeding, and furthermore how it may have contributed to Naomi's jaundice.

First of all, if I could change any one thing about my birth experience it would be that I regret not insisting on the baby being allowed to try to latch within the first hour of birth. The nurses put her on my belly for all of 2 minutes after she was born before whisking her away to do all sorts of nonsense such as footprints and a bath - stuff that could have waited. But, this being my first birth, I was kinda taking the nurse's lead. Now I know better and will be able to be a better advocate for myself and my baby next time around. SO, it was a good hour+ after birth before we had a chance to try and breastfeed.

To boot, since Naomi was born on a "holiday" there were no lactation consultants on duty for a full 36 HOURS after Naomi was born. Any advice we got was piece-mealed to us by whatever nurse was on duty. (I should note here that while the labor and delivery nurses I worked with were the absolute best I could have hoped for, the post-partum nurses were all TERRIBLE. I'm not joking. It was night and day comparing the two sets of nurses and the hospital really needs to examine this issue. I won't go into detail, but the 36 hours after birth that I was in the hospital were split between a chatterbox, a passive aggressive bitch, and a nice woman who had hands so cracked, dry, and nasty looking that I cringed every time she touched me or the baby.)

Anyway, the advice we got was completely inconsistent and just thrown at us in passing. Even when they brought me a pump so I could get things moving a little better, they just dropped it off. I had to figure the damn thing out myself. It was completely frustrating, both for me and Naomi, and as a result Naomi didn't eat much while we were in the hospital at all. The only real attempt we had was when we finally got a consultant in for an hour before we went home. Naomi's latch was all disorganized, she couldn't get the hang of it, and it was so painful for me I began to dread every feeding time. I likened it to having your nipples clamped every three hours for a full hour. (Why people are into that, I'll never know.) In total, I would say Naomi MAYBE got half an ounce in that whole time. It was a disaster.

And then we went home and she still didn't eat much. By the time we got to the doctor on Monday morning she had dropped to 7lbs - that is a full 1.25lb weight loss since birth. WAY unhealthy. The pediatrician ordered us to start supplementing my feedings with 1oz of formula.

Now, this may seem weird, but I feel like I needed to be given that permission. Until it became "doctor's orders" I wouldn't even consider it. The nurses and the lactation consultants never even mentioned it as an option. The pediatrician at the hospital mentioned it in passing but did so when the lactation consultant was in the room, so I had to watch her roll her eyes. I felt so completely judged, failing in the number one job of being a mom. I also felt like I was on my own. I had no idea what I was doing, how I would know if she was getting enough, and just had this overwhelming feeling that after9 months of being completely in synch, my body was now failing her body.

But as we went through the 4 days after Naomi's birth before going to our permanent pediatrician, I felt horrible knowing that there was no way she was getting what she needed. She no longer produced tears, her lips were completely chapped. She was unhappy, lethargic, jaundice.

So when I started tube-feeding her the formula after every breastfeeding session and I knew she was getting something in her belly I felt so much better. That was the same day she started her light therapy. While it was all very stressful, I finally felt like at least she was getting what she needed and I was doing whatever had to be done to get her healthy and thriving. I felt so much better. And Naomi started to bounce back quickly. She gained a whole 7 ounces on the first day!

After that, I just struggled trying to get my milk to come in any kind of quantity. I pumped after every feeding. I tried drinking tons of water, taking fenugreek, went back to the lactation consultant.

Fast forward to now, we are still breastfeeding and still supplementing 2oz after every feeding. I am not really sure when to stop, or if I should. I know that she is drinking well from me, but she also looks forward to her bottle after the boob. So I give it to her. I feel good knowing that she is still getting the benefits of whatever milk I am able make for her, but she is also getting as much food as she needs.

I'm at peace with that.

A Very Ripe Lemon

Shortly after birth, Naomi had to fight a pretty bad case of Jaundice. it could have been caused by a few things...

First of all, all babies are born with premature livers. It is difficult for little ones to filter out all of the excess red blood cells in their bodies that they need in utero to transport all the nutrients they need to develop around their bodies. SO, all babies are checked for jaundice, both at birth and a few days later.

Naomi was also born with a pretty large bruise on her head. We think she banged up against my pelvic bone for a while while trying to engage, which is why it took her so long to get into position. A bruide like that increases the risk for jaundice - more broken red blood cells that need to be filtered out of the body.

And, finally, I had a really tough time with my milk production. More about this in the next post, but basically Naomi was not getting enough milk that would have helped her flush out the excess bilirubin.

So, the odds were stacked against her and when we went to her first pediatrician appointment on the Monday following her birth they sent us to the lab right away. This photo was taken the day before we went to the doctor - compare her skin coloring to mine. It made me feel awful for calling her Lemon all this time!


Her first bilirubin count came back at 21.9 - the docs like to see it under 12 in a newborn. 25 is considered a very dangerous number. Luckily we caught it before it got that far. So, Naomi was ordered to be on light therapy until her level hit under the 12 mark. She was on her bed from Monday, 01/05, through Thursday, 01/08. This was truly difficult as we were not able to take her off the bed other than to feed her. So, for 45 minutes every 3 hours I was able to hold her. Otherwise, she slept. But she made marked progress each day, finally hitting 10 on Friday, 01/09, with her final blood draw. We were so happy when that was over!

Labor & Delivery

For my entire life I had been completely TERRIFIED of this day. The day I had to go through labor and deliver a baby. I was convinced it would be traumatizing, both physically and emotionally. It would be painful. It would be bloody. It would be chaotic. It would be, in short, a nightmare. But then your urge to have a baby and start a family finally overrides your fears and you just get pregnant and decide to deal with the agony when it comes, keeping in mind it can't last forever.

I realize that the above scenario is a reality for some people. I was so glad that for me it was the complete opposite.

I woke up at at 4:30am on 12/31 feeling what I thought might be Braxton Hicks contractions (painless practice contractions). I tried to time them to see if they were real and if I could detect any kind of rhythm to them. They seemed to be about 8 minutes apart. So, I woke Jim up at 5:00 to let him know that I thought that MAYBE I was starting labor...

Like a movie cliche, he jumped out of bed ready to go gather our stuff and hit the road to the hospital. I laughed at him and told him to get back into bed. If this was labor, chances are we had quite a while to go. Besides, we weren't supposed to call the hospital until we hit the 5-1-1 mark (contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting about 1 minute, for at least an hour). So, we laid back in bed and tried to fall back to sleep... we didn't get very far.

At 5:35 I felt a slight sharp pain, not unlike how it would feel if the baby kicked my cervix. Then I felt it again a few seconds later, followed by a distinct "gush." I thought to myself, "Either my water just broke or I just peed the bed."

For those of you who don't know, once your water breaks you have 24 hours to deliver the baby, otherwise risking serious infection. So, we called the hospital and told them what was up. They told us to come in immediately. What I really wanted to do was take a shower but I figured I'd be able to do that once I got to the hospital and checked in.

We got to the hospital at about 7:00. The nurse confirmed that my water did break and that I was in labor. My blood pressure was a bit high, which was strange as it is always in the normal range. Because of this I was confined to bed and not allowed to take the shower I was hoping for!

Despite the doc's request to start Pitocin, I decided to go for it on my own for a while to see how far I can get. I had a long way to go since I was only 1cm dilated when they checked me. The doctor decided that I could try it for a while but she was concerned that my contractions were not strong enough to get me very far.

We checked again at 10:30 and I had made it 3cm. Again, I requested to go ahead without Pitocin for the time being. I was still able to breathe through the contractions pretty well.

We checked again at 1pm. By this time I was only at 5cm and while I was progressing, my contractions were still pretty weak (although getting more and more painful) and were not going to get me all the way there. The doctor pushed me this time to start Pitocin in order to avoid coming down to the wire and risking a c-section. I had decided in my birthplan that induction with Pitocin were necessary I would definitely need an epidural started BEFORE the Pitocin. I have heard nightmares about going the other way around.

This is where it gets kinda blurry... blurry in a good way. Once I got the epidural I was no longer watching the clock, counting to my next contraction, dreading every second. After I got my epidural everything was, dare I say, pleasant.

Seriously. I enjoyed the rest of labor and delivery. I'm not kidding. I enjoyed the anticipation, knowing that Naomi was about to arrive, wondering if she was going to be a 2008 baby or a 2009 baby. Emily and Chad and their friend Jashwant from school came and hung out with us. We talked, laughed, watched TV, (they) played cards. Jim and I even napped for a while. I didn't feel a thing! And this is what we did until about 11:30pm when I finished dilating and the baby was engaged and ready to be delivered. Chad and Jash went to wait outside. Jim and Emily stayed with me to watch the baby being born.

I admit, this is where I got REALLY nervous. Not about Naomi's arrival, but about pushing. Really, I was terrified of the physical trauma that pushing could leave behind. But, at the point of no return, what can a woman do? So, I pushed.

With an epidural, if you haven't experienced this, pushing is a bit tricky. The doc had to literally tell me HOW to push because I couldn't feel anything. In fact, I was so numb below the waist that the part of my body that hurt the most were my TEETH. I had just had my braces adjusted a couple days before so they were still sore. And that was my only complaint. I think the doctor thought I was crazy when I vocalized that discomfort!

I think this is where I was amazed, once again, at how smoothly everything went. My doctor handled everything exactly how I would have want it to be handled. Everything was calm, I had great music on in the background, a cool washcloth on my forehead, and the lights dimmed in the room. The hour that I pushed went by quickly - I just took it one push at a time and before I knew it, Naomi had arrived: January 1, 2009 at 12:34am.

Emily noted that Tori Amos' "Happy Phantom" was on as she was born, if you are curious. She also said something that made me really proud. Apparently, I make giving birth "look easy." Also, I guess my pushing face looks like I am smiling, although I can say that I was really working hard on the pushing and I was not intentionally smiling. But, it makes me feel good to think I looked really happy when Naomi was coming into the world.

To back up for a second, I have to give serious props to Jim. He got through the whole thing like a total stud. He was calm, he held my left leg as I pushed, he surprised me by actually watching Naomi being born AND cutting the cord! If you missed the post I wrote about this previously, read it here. You'll note that he made a complete 180º in this area as we had previously decided that he would NOT watch and NOT cut the cord. I just think it ended up not being as scary or gross as we had prepared ourelves for. The worst part, he says, was having to sit and stare at my placenta for 20 minutes as it sat in the metal bowl on the table while they tended to the baby and stitched me up (no worries - only a minor tear requiring 2 stitches, and that didn't hurt either).

And that was that. The room cleared out, and soon it was just me, Jim, and Naomi. And we were completely blissed out. I can say for myself I fell in love twice that day: once with my new, perfect little girl, then once again with my husband, the man who gave me the biggest gift I could ever ask for.

I'd like to post, but...

I am just too tired.

I have been asked for updates and new photos many times in the past week but to be honest, I sleep when I can. If you have ever had a newborn in the house, you know what I am talking about. There are many things I would like to share with you as a week with Naomi has brought a lot of change and happenings, but for now you'll have to settle for a list of things I would LIKE to post about eventually, once I can open my eyes again:

Labor & Delivery Story and Photos: We had a surprisingly pleasant labor & delivery experience. I had prepared myself for the worst, but feel like I was lucky to get the best experience I could ever have hoped for. I will eventually tell you all about it. Once I get photos from my sister, I will share some those, too. Not gross ones. And not ones I think I look horrendous in.

A Very Ripe Lemon (Jaundice): Yep. Naomi is doing photo-therapy for a case of jaundice. Will tell you what that is all about at some point.

Mother's Milk: Turns out this is a challenge in itself. Why did I think milk came in magically? Maybe for some it does. For me, not so much.

SO, be patient with me. I'll get back to you all soon. I'm taking notes and you're on my to-do list. In the meantime, if you need more of Naomi because she is just so delicious, check out Jim's YouTube Channel. There is some random stuff up there...

She's Here!!!

Everybody please welcome Naomi James Roberts.

*Sorry about the shaky video.