1 month

Kathryn is 1 month old, and I sound like every other mom, but seriously, time is flying by!

We are adjusting to life as a family of four.  I wouldn't say that it is easy yet (will it ever be?) but I'm managing the chaos with a bit more confidence every day.  I even had my first evening parenting solo when Rich worked late one night---I made dinner, baths, books and bedtime for both girls--and I'm here to tell the story, so I guess that means we all survived!

Kathryn is an easy baby.  I have been hesitant to really accept it, because I keep thinking that I will jinx it by saying it, but it's true.  With all the days of endless crying, reflux and dairy allergies that Alex had, we were prepared for this crazy colicky newborn stage.  We weren't looking forward to it, but we knew we survived before, and we could do it again.  But Kathryn is just happy to nurse, sleep and be held.  She doesn't cry much, and it's always for a "reason" (food, diaper, sleep, etc....).  What a treat for us!  I don't like the expression, "she's a good baby," because it implies that their temperament is their fault, and even with all of the screaming with Alex, we would never say she was a bad baby.  Both of them are my good babies! But WOW, I will at least admit that Kathryn is easier.  (Of course, who knows what is around the corner, I'm preaching from 1 month here!)

We are getting the sleep thing figured out, and I am hoping she will be a champion sleeper like her sister.  She is doing great so far.  She wakes up once or twice a night to feed, and goes back down once her belly is full.  I'm having a harder time going back to sleep than she is! We moved her to her crib last week (from our room) and she adjusted right away!

Some pics at 1 month old:

Big Sister

Alexandra has taken so well to her new role as a big sister.  She comforts the baby when she is crying, tries to "share" her toys with her, helps us with diaper changes and even tries to hold a bottle for her.  We are trying to spend extra quality time with her so that she still gets plenty of attention.

I took her outside last weekend and she enjoyed some time in the baby pool.  She loved it!

 

Kathryn Newborn Photos

My friend Sarah also shares my photography obsession and came over when Kathryn was 7 days old to take photos.  She brought a ton of fun props and we both took a million photos. Here are a few favorites that I took:

And here are a few of Sarah's shots that I just love!

Stop by Sarah's website to see more of her gorgeous photography!  It is such fun to have a friend who shares in one of my hobbies! Here's to more photoshoots together!!!

And Baby makes 4!

It has been a busy 2 weeks since Kathryn came to us.  I want to write down her birth story before I forget it, and considering how sleep-deprived I am, the brain is getting foggy by the minute!  So there's no time like the present!

The night before our scheduled surgery, we took Alex to her grandparents and Rich and I went out to dinner for a 'Last Supper.'  We wanted to indulge in something tasty, knowing that the pregnancy diet was coming to an end shortly....meaning it's salads and proteins for me now!  We had a juicy burger and french fries, followed by our favorite dessert, Red Velvet Cake.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m., 2 hours before the surgery time.  They prepped me for surgery, and ran blood tests, which thankfully came back normal and allowed me to have the standard spinal anesthesia instead of general anesthesia, which we had worried about.  At 9:45 a.m., they wheeled me to the O.R. and administered my epidural.  They called Rich into the room, and asked us if we were ready. Within minutes, we heard her first cries, and it was music to our ears.

This delivery was easier in some ways than my first because of its planned nature, but so much harder in the recovery.  Now that I'm on the other side, I am sort of shocked that women actually choose to have "elective" C-sections without medical reason.  My reason was medically warranted, but it wasn't a mandatory decision.  My doctor highly recommended the C-section due to my long 30 hour labor, vacuum delivery and some other complications that occurred with Alex's delivery, but it wasn't like I had to go with her recommendation.  She was more than willing to give me the opportunity to labor and take my chances on future more serious complications.  I didn't want to risk it, considering the worst-case scenario might be a future of incontinence.  But even until the day before, I felt unsure of my choice.

When Kathryn arrived, she weighed a pound and a half MORE than her sister, and the first thing my doctor said as she held her up was, "You made the right decision! We would have ended up on this table no matter what, and it wouldn't have been nearly this easy!" So I guess I am happy that I chose well? But the pain and recovery of a C-section really took me by surprise.  I don't do well with pain medication, and I had not anticipated how difficult it would be to recover from major surgery while trying to care for a newborn, breastfeed, pay attention to a toddler, and entertain visitors each day.

I'm happy to be past the 2 week mark, as I'm just starting to feel slightly normal and can function without too much pain.

But enough about me!  Kathryn Grace is a beautiful, sweet, mellow baby.  She resembles her older sister to an uncanny likeness physically, but I think she is quite different in personality and temperament.  She is a much better eater, much quieter baby, and seems to be able to go with the flow of our family life without a problem.  She is beautiful and all three of us are just in love with her already.   Alex hasn't shown any jealousy yet, and has been really sweet and loving with her baby sister.  We are praying that it stays that way!