Mallory’s First Official Doctor Visit

Ok, so it’s her second visit but the first one didn’t count because it was theday after she got out of the hospital.  Here’s the details – her growth is freaking amazing.

• Height: +2″
• Weight: +3lbs (she’s now up to 10.5 lbs!)
• Head Circumference: +4″

We also found out that she has a granuloma of her belly button.  Essentially, it didn’t close properly and was still oozing.  The doc swabbed it with some silver nitrate and it should heal fairly quickly.  We also got cleared for her first immersion tub bath so we’ll have pics / video of that shortly.

Other than that, she’s doing perfect as can be.

Mommy Life

Lots of you are wondering how I’m dealing with transitioning to life as a new mother.  After 5+ weeks I feel like I’m finally ready to comment on it.

I feel like I’m playing ‘Mommy.’

Seriously, it doesn’t feel real or permanent.  Yes, we have a whole room in the house devoted to her, we’ve got baby paraphenalia strewn around the house (including our $20 yard sale swing), and I’m constantly changing diapers and feeding her, but it still seems so… strange.

I’m gradually getting used to the lack of sleep, limited time to get things done around the house, zero free time to work on jewelry or scrapbooking, and the fact that it now takes me 15 – 20 minutes of preparation to set foot outside of the house.  I’ve actually become better at thinking ahead and getting things done before they need done.  Putting together a bottle is a LOT easier when done in advance rather than when you have a starving baby screaming at maximum level in your ear.

We’re still uncomfortable that such a little helpless thing is so completely dependent on us, but it’s getting easier with each passing day.  Ben is getting more comfortable with soothing her when she cries instead of having me take care of her all the time, which is a huge help.  He’s pitching in with feedings, diaper changes, and being the ‘first responder’ when she cries.  I don’t feel like I’m in this alone so much anymore.

On the other hand, we’ve been exposed to the greatest most awesome outstanding instance of unconditional love.  She recognizes my voice, turns her head to find me, and smiles when we spend time together.  She wakes up every morning at 6:30 and is *so* happy to see me.  We’re gradually building our daily routine, which is going to go out the window here in about 3 weeks when I go back to work.

If we could swing it financially, I would love to be a stay at home mom so I could be with her every day.  I’m afraid that a stranger is going to see her first milestones like rolling over, crawling, walking, and saying her first words.  I like our babysitter and trust her, but it’s still not the same.

So… there it is.  I probably won’t get around to writing another post for a few weeks 🙂