First off, I have to admit, blogging with a baby is difficult. Especially a baby who is very attached to her mom and wants to be held or cuddled all the time. No one item -her swing, the bouncy chair, the crib- does the trick every try, but usually she'll entertain herself for upwards of twenty minutes while I shower, eat or do laundry...but non-essential personal tasks like blogging, reading or knitting fall waaaaay to the back of the priority list when Teagan's self-soothing.
The first five weeks of motherhood has been a beautiful experience. When Teagan was a few days old, I was using both hands while nursing her and needed Babydaddy to help hydrate and nourish me during our marathon feeding sessions. While he was bringing a bottle of water to my lips for a drink, I fell asleep. The cold water hit my chest, jerking me awake and bringing me to tears. Sleep comes more easily now and Teagan nurses much more quickly now.
Breastfeeding is incredibly rewarding...especially when Teagan's weight climbed from 6 pounds to 8 pounds 4 ounces in a month. I did that! Thanks, boobies! I can't take all the credit; Teagan loves to nurse and often chomps at my boobs, making a pig-like grunt-snort. Unfortunately, although she's a faster eater, she likes to use my boobs as a soother. Recognizing her need to suck, I've tried soothers, to no avail. She gags and spits them out. Once in a while, her fingers will do the trick, but so will pillow corners, her monkey's nose, daddy's bicep...
We're going to try pumping and introducing a bottle for occasional feeds, so Babydaddy has the opportunity to bond with his little girl. This will also come in handy when we take our first family vacation to Florida in March...with all four babysitters -I mean grandparents! Babydaddy and I are hoping to go on a few dates, instead of capitalizing on nap time to spend some alone time together. Plus, I can't wait to break out Teagan's "Florida clothes" -her 3 month summer outfits handed down from fantastic friends and family.
For now, the laundry needs tending, Teagan is squirming herself awake on my chest and I'm hungry!
