Grateful!

Well, I survived my first week on my own with two kids!  And it just makes me that much more grateful for all the help we had during the first few weeks from both my parents and Jared's.  It was such a help having Grandparents to keep Gavin entertained, to care for Liam when I needed a break, and to remind me to take care of myself and rest while I could.  I don't know how I would have survived on my own with Jared at work all day.  There were some rough days the first few weeks where I was feeling really overwhelmed with Liam's weight gain and bilirubin levels.  When we left the hospital Liam had lost more weight than the pediatrician liked, and suggested we supplement him a bit.  I think that was a mistake, because in addition to pumping and thinking I wasn't producing enough milk, I became stressed that he wasn't eating and gaining so we gave him more bottles.  He ended up gaining plenty that first week, but then he was just interested in a bottle for the next few days. By two weeks he was basically back down to his birth weight.  My pediatrician said maybe I did need to keep supplementing, but I told him I wanted to try going one more week without, to see if he'd eventually start nursing better from me.  That next week I felt pretty much like a cow, constantly nursing Liam and pumping often to increase my milk supply.  It wasn't a fun week but in the end it was worth it.  Liam's weight gain jumped way up, and he's nursing much better.  Plus, I've started letting him go longer at night between feedings, so I don't feel quite so much like a zombie.

Here's a history of Liam's weight gain (loss) over the past few weeks: 

Birth: 6lb 6oz

2 Days: 5lb 15oz

1 Week: 6lb 12oz

2 Weeks: 6lb 7oz

3 Weeks: 7lb 6.5oz

Liam is now almost a month old (on Sunday), and this first week on my own has gone well although a definite adjustment - balancing quality time with Gavin and limiting TV time, taking care of Liam, and keeping up with chores and other things.  I've never been big on naps, so I'm trying to remind myself to take them when I have the chance.  And I am oh so grateful for preschool!  Those two and a half hours three days a week help keep me sane!  And of course Gavin absolutely loves it!  With family gone we've started having to was dishes again...but with all the frozen meals from my mom and Patti, I don't think I'll be cooking again any time soon!  We've also had some meals delivered from the RS, and a couple friends have been awesome to invite Gavin over to play.  I'll weigh Liam again on Monday, so fingers crossed we're done with this yo-yo-ing and his weight is still on its way up!