We Are Home!

We have finally made it home.  Oh what a nice feeling!  You were ready to eat when we got home.  So I fed you and then I think we took a nap.  Breastfeeding was not an easy thing for me.  All the nurses kept telling me that everything looked good while you were feeding.  But it sure didn't feel like it!  I know it takes a while to get pass the soreness, but this was just bad.  I don't know how else to put it.  You were latching but it was not a "good latch".  It hurt the whole time you were feeding and it wasn't supposed to.  I called the hospital to talk to a nurse and I called Barbara to find out what else I could do.  Grandpa and Grandma Wall came over for a visit and Grandpa and your daddy went to the store to get a few things that we still needed so that we could bottle feed you (who knew you needed special water!).  I was so worried that you wouldn't take the bottle and that I was a bad mom for not trying harder to feed you myself.  There were tears that night, but once your daddy started to feed you the bottle, and you took to it so well, I was able to relax.  It gave me a chance to rest.  After about a day, I started pumping and that was much better for the both of us I think.  We alternated between formula and breast milk.   You were still getting the nutrients that you needed and your daddy was also able to feed you now.  It was important to me that he was able to do that.  I think that is a special time for the two of you and I am glad things worked out the way that they did.  Pumping didn't last very long though.  Once your daddy had to go back to work, it was hard for me to find the time to do it.  And I knew that once I had to go back to work, it would be even more difficult to do.  But, you never seemed to notice or mind that you were having formula.  You are a very happy and healthy baby girl!

And now the routine at home has started.  We were able to set our alarm by you.  Every two hours you would wake up ready to eat.  The first few nights we would both get up with you just to help each other out a little.  We would get up, get you out of bed (you have slept in your crib in your room from day 1), change your diaper while the bottle was warming, and then feed you.  We had to keep you upright for 30 minutes after eating.  You would always fall asleep after your feeding (and so would we).  After the 30 minutes we would put you back to bed and head back to our bed.  We got to sleep for about an hour and a half or so and the cycle would start all over again!