Laynie's First Month

Ok...I'm really going to try to be better at this. I'm praying I stick to blogging to remember all of the little details as Laynie grows. It's so sad how fast you forget things and I see how quick I forgot those details about Rex growing so I want to try to keep up with it this time. If you see I'm slacking and care at all, feel free to remind me to blog! haha!

Laynie's first month home has been great! She is a very good baby. I was deathly afraid that I would have a tougher baby this time because Rex was such a good baby. So far, that is not the case. Let's pray it stays that way and she saves me some grief until she's a teenager! ha!

Our first week home, Corey stayed home the whole week. Corey was was completely on Rex duty because I was not able to tend to him much because of my surgery. Obviously my movement was limited and I wasn't able to pick him up so Daddy and Rex have really had lots of bonding time over the last month! My mom was here quite a bit that week and especially in the following weeks when Corey went back to work until she went back to work. My goodness, where in the world would I be without that woman?? My step-mom Elvia and step sister Cindy also came in from Denton that Thursday when Laynie was a week old to meet her and help me out. It was wonderful!

At Laynie's one month check up, she weighed 8 pounds, 11.5 ounces. She weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces when we left the hospital and was back to her birthweight at her 2 week check up so she is gaining well! At this appointment she also got her 2nd hep-b shot. She let out one big cry when they gave it to her, took a big breath in and was finished. Thank God because that little cry just kills me! She's a tough little girl so far! She was in newborn diapers until about 3 weeks and is now in size 1. This girl poops quite a bit and keeps me on my toes with diaper changes and laundry! We've hide quite a few blow outs! I understand the frequent and looser bowel movements are typical in breast fed babies so I guess it comes with the territory! She is wearing newborn size clothes but has stretched a little too long to wear some of the jammies.

For the first 2 weeks, she was exclusively breast fed. Around 3 weeks, I started pumping and trying a bottle. We had plans to go to our friends Mari and Clemente's engagement party that weekend after she turned 3 weeks so I had to start pumping and wanted to make sure she would take a bottle before we went. We first gave her the playtex drop ins since this is what Rex used. She would take it but sometimes struggled with it so around one month, I tried the Tommee Tippee because of the wider based nipple and she latched on great! Based on the bottle feedings she has had, she eats about 3 ounces.

Nursing has been bittersweet. I love having that bond with her and sharing that time with her. There is some definitely fulfillment for me as a mother knowing that I am nourishing her. The first month was very painful though and there were times I was definitely ready to throw in the towel, especially on the days when she wants to nurse more frequently. I'm glad that I've toughed it out and am on the downward slope now that it is easier. During the day, she typically eats every 2 hours, max but more often eats every hour and a half. The frequency in feedings is a big part of what has made breast feeding difficult. She cat naps during the day unless she is being held. In the evenings, she starts to wind down and takes a longer nap (just in time for Daddy to be home...little stinker!). At night she wakes every 3-4 hours to eat and goes right back to sleep. Thus far, nights have been great! Let's pray it stays the same!

Our first outing beside going to the doctor was to my Aunt Martha's house. We...well...I was ready to get out of the house! Laynie was just over a week old. At two weeks, we went to Scarlet's birthday party. At 3 weeks, Nini and grandpa (My parents) babysat for the first time here at the house. At 4 weeks, Gammie and Poppa (Corey's dad and stepmom) came over to babysit while we went to dinner from Brooke's birthday.

Laynie smiled at me for the first time on her 1 month birthday. When she smiles she looks even more like me! She really is a little clone of me! Around 3 weeks, her hair started to stick up in the back. The front lays down smooth then at about the crown of her head, the hair sticks straight up! My mom said mine did that when I was a baby and Corey's mom said his did too so it's definitely in her genes!

Rex has been such a sweet sweet big brother. He finally accepted that she was not baby Lucy at about 2 weeks! He knows that she is baby Laynie and looks for her in the mornings when he wakes up. He loves to help me with her and loves playing with her, especially when she is laying on her jungle gym on the floor. I'm so thankful and excited that he's so interactive with her already. I can't wait to watch them more and more as time goes on.

The month has been full of lots of visitors and there's so much more family for her to meet! We're so thankful for all of the love we've felt since Laynie's arrival from our friends and family!