1st Month

It's been an amazing month, eventful, confusing, exhausting, enlightening, heart-filling, recovering, awe-inspiring, trying and beautiful. Deia has given us such love and light and we are changed forever. Sleepless nights are forgiven when you wake up to see that little face.  You'll do anything for her in that moment, and always really.  The cliff notes on her first few weeks....  She was born with the sweetest disposition and continues to only cry for the basics. Unfortunately she had jaundice and we had to spend 3 days in the hospital for her light therapy. She loved the lights!  Warmth, like a tanning bed.  We called it her vacation! Because we needed to flush her out and keep her hydrated, I nursed her every 2 hours, pumped and we introduced the bottle with breast milk and also formula.  That made her a lazy breastfeeder and that made my milk supply plummet.  She was also tongue-tied so her latch, although effective, was painful. We had her little frenulum clipped and after diligent pumping and feeding schedule, my milk is plentiful and she has surpassed her birth weight.  Phew.  She had an ultrasound on her little breech hips and we shall see what comes of that.  Deia is getting her tummy time and beginning to strengthen her neck and she is smiling a ton, involuntarily of course :-)  But it's sweet to catch her mid-smirk.  For now she sleeps in our bed and has proven to be a real snuggler.  She will wiggle her way under my armpit if I leave the space open for her to nuzzle in. We are lucky that she'll sleep at least a good 4 hour stretch or two.  Her schedule is hardly predictable at 4 weeks but she is showing clear signs of becoming more awake during the day, more aware and curious.  She is 9 pounds 11 oz and is a good eater, finally! Her poops are impressive....when changing her, we call her the Repeat Offender :-) Her eyes are still saphire blue and her lips are a perfect pink. We probably over-kiss her, but who cares.  We cannot resist!