I meant to post more pictures and updates on Clara (and the rest of us) recently, but . . . well . . . even with the wonderful help I've had, it's hard to make time for blogging. Of course, snuggling and nursing the new one takes priority. And the three big kids need love from Mama, too. And there's meal planning now, cooking, naps to orchestrate, various small chores, etc. My easy recovery and constant help (Grandma McNinch and now my mom) since Jer went back to work have certainly made for a happier postpartum period, though!
Now Clara is two and a half weeks old, or 41 weeks gestation (today)--the same age as her brother when he was born! I still marvel at her early arrival. And here she is--growing and rooting and snuggling and breathing and nursing and fussing and hiccuping on the outside. I love how she bobs her head and snuffles, mouthing my shoulder, when she's hungry. I love how she latches on desperately and settles into methodical, contented sucking. I love how she pulls her feet up under her and sleeps so peacefully on my chest (which she's doing right now). I love how tiny she is. I love the smell of her head and the softness of that new baby hair.
Her long feet are like her older sisters', and she angles them and points the little toes when concentrated on nursing. Her pretty hands still have some long nails, but I'm afraid to trim them and risk clipping her finger (Jer felt so bad when he did this to newborn Josiah).
She has deep dimples, probably more pronounced than Lydia's. Her Neuman eyes are like the other kids', I think, but she has a bigger nose than her sisters do. Her cord fell off at six days but needed cauterization (as Abby's did). It looks like it's closed and healed now, but her belly button sticks out quite a bit--my mom says it's a slight umbilical hernia. Hopefully it'll go down on its own?
We had a pediatrician appointment when Clara was five days old. She weighed 6 lbs 7 oz at that check-up--three ounces more than birth weight! At one week old she weighed 6 lbs 9 oz. The doctors were surprised she was already well over her birth weight. Of course, even with gaining about an ounce a day, she's still pretty small . . . smaller than plenty of newborns fresh from the womb! (A friend of mine just had a 9 lb 3 oz baby--almost three pounds larger than Clara at birth!) But we can see all her nursing taking effect--her cheeks are rounder, her double chin is developing, and her feet and hands and bum clearly have more padding.
We had a pediatrician appointment when Clara was five days old. She weighed 6 lbs 7 oz at that check-up--three ounces more than birth weight! At one week old she weighed 6 lbs 9 oz. The doctors were surprised she was already well over her birth weight. Of course, even with gaining about an ounce a day, she's still pretty small . . . smaller than plenty of newborns fresh from the womb! (A friend of mine just had a 9 lb 3 oz baby--almost three pounds larger than Clara at birth!) But we can see all her nursing taking effect--her cheeks are rounder, her double chin is developing, and her feet and hands and bum clearly have more padding.
As we expected, Clara was quite sleepy the first week or so. She still sleeps much of the time. But her awake periods are longer, and she's more focused when she looks at people. Sometimes she looks like she's almost ready to smile at me when she stares at my face, bright-eyed and interested.
Last night she cried and fussed on and off for about an hour or so--nursing consoled her briefly, until she became agitated with the let-down and cried angrily. I think her belly bothered her, but change in position, burping, etc. failed to relieve the discomfort. Finally she did settle down, nurse quietly, and fall asleep. But it all reminded me of Josiah's colicky evenings as a baby. I hope she doesn't end up with hours of colic every night for weeks like he did! And perhaps I need to take a look at my diet to eliminate some potential irritants.
Last night she cried and fussed on and off for about an hour or so--nursing consoled her briefly, until she became agitated with the let-down and cried angrily. I think her belly bothered her, but change in position, burping, etc. failed to relieve the discomfort. Finally she did settle down, nurse quietly, and fall asleep. But it all reminded me of Josiah's colicky evenings as a baby. I hope she doesn't end up with hours of colic every night for weeks like he did! And perhaps I need to take a look at my diet to eliminate some potential irritants.
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