Baby Weight

I feel like my previous post pregnancy experiences have sort of messed with me a bit.  Not sure if its because I'm 30 now, because of the stress of moving/remodeling, if its having to feed my baby all the live long day,or the c section, but it has been way harder to start shedding the baby weight than my other two girls.  

This last week I finally started running consistently and even though I am tired and my body hurts, it feels SO good.  I haven't gotten to the point yet where I am ready to eat really really healthy.  But its nice to feel like I am at least on my way.  I tried to exercise a few times before 8 weeks post delivery, and my body just seemed to say no.  I'd never experienced that before, but then again, I had never had surgery before either.  I'm grateful that the time has come that I can start feeling more healthy and be able to take care of myself a little bit better.  It makes me a better mom for sure.

Wembley Update

I'm not sure if it was the age, or if it was the fact that she was being more satisfied with feeding, but right around 6 weeks is when I feel like the sun broke through the clouds with this little girl.  She started being more awake, sleeping better during the day (previously she wouldn't sleep without me holding her), and she became more expressive.  It's right around the time I started saying, "Oh yeah!  I forgot that this is what I enjoy about being a mom to a baby,"

Lip Tie

In the midst of tons of family, trying to pack a house, and remodel, I have had some difficulties feeding Wembley and getting her to gain weight.  When she was about 5 weeks, we discovered that she had a really bad lip tie.  I researched and read and talked to a lot of different people about whether this would affect nursing.  It is a fairly new thing to even consider isolated lip tie as a nursing issue, so I wasn't sure if I should have it lasered.  But the pediatrician noted that it was pretty severe, and so I figured when she gets orthodontia work, she will probably have to get it done anyways.  Might as well do it now and hope that it helps nursing.

When we went to see the ENT doctor, he was convinced based on her symptoms that she had a tongue tie as well before even looking at her mouth.  She, however, did not.  We decided to go through with the frenectomy.  I was really anxious: it was sad thinking about Wembley in pain, and I also felt extremely desperate for this to be the answer to her feeding problems.

It was a family affair, and Briz did a good job comforting her sister before the surgery.

She also spent most of the time taking selfies: her new favorite thing.

They took Wembley in the other room, which I had mixed feelings about.  I'm not sure I could have handled being in the same room, but I hated that I wasn't there with her.  When she came back she wasn't crying, her eyes were just swollen with tears :(  I nursed her immediately and she seemed to do better, but I wasn't sure if this was simply beause she was traumatized.  

Over the next week I decided to cold turkey the bottle and really try to hammer out nursing.  She did pretty good for a few days.  Her latch was significantly better and she seemed to be gradually eating more (although still not enough).  After a few days. however, she developed thrush again and then started puking like a maniac and immediately became even worse at nursing.  Finally at about 6 weeks, I decided that it wasn't worth my sanity anymore.  I was anxious about her lack of weight gain, was having to pump and supplement all of the time anyways, and I hated that she never seemed to be satisfied.  So we took a break from nursing.  I am now pumping and bottle feeding full time and its quite a pain.  But I love that she is gaining steady weight, that I don't worry about that, and it is nice to have a bit of freedom.  I haven't given up 100% on nursing.  I am going to continually try to introduce to see how she does, hoping that as she gets bigger and stronger, she may improve.  

Skyhawks

In July after the Cottle family reunion, cousin visits, and wedding, Briz started sports camp.  It was really hot that week (as its been all summer) so she would get ridiculously sweaty and tired.  She decided that basketball is her favorite, then baseball, then soccer. She doesn't like the whole no hands rule in soccer.  It took some convincing for her to try it out this fall.  She was of course extremely excited about her certificate at the end.  Briz is becoming a good little athlete, who genuinely likes sports.  Her latest favorite these days is golf.  It definitely eases Nick and my mind because we are very afraid of her girliness at times.