Callie

So, today we went to the pediatrician since Callie has been having a lot of crying fits that do not end. Yesterday's Lactation Consultant suggest reflux based on sour milk breath... Pediatrician said reflux and colic. However she said Colic is between 6-10pm (weird!). So, Callie screamed all through the doctor visit...

After a heap of a mess of Cigna, Express Scripts and OCPS insurance dept... I went to get Zantac Rx filled. I hope it helps her!

I know babies cry, I just know they should be able to be consoled by SOMETHING right away somehow right!?

Callie is asleep on my chest, so I am just loving THIS MOMENT. Mommyhood is THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE.

Tomorrow she is 4 weeks old (Although on the 2nd she will be technically a MONTH OLD). I cannot believe that! I am so not ready to work, but then again, I am so not prepared to be at home all day. We are not in a routine yet. Praying it all falls in to place soon. SHE IS SO STINKIN' CUTE, I just wish I could see her awake and happy and not crying!

Gobble Gobble!

Today, Callie celebrated her first Holiday! We had Turkey Day at our home, since the drive to Miami was a little bit much to endure at 3 weeks old.

Callie in her swing on Turkey Day morning

Daddy, Mommy and Baby (Mommy took forever to find something 'FALL' inspired that fit...)

Our table pre-feast (Finally whipped out some "O" plates and some china pieces)

Our little Gobbler's Turkey Butt!!!

Mommy and Callie

Callie's Appointment

Yesterday we went to our 3rd followup appointment for Callie. SHE SURPASSED HER BIRTH WEIGHT!!!!

HALLELUJAH!

She was being monitored by her pediatrician, since she was not up to birth weight still as of her 3rd appointment. We worked hard around the Ortiz household: feeding non stop! Usually the pediatrician expects .5 to 1 oz per day gained, (post birth), so we upped her feeds starting on day 9-12 and she gained 4 ounces, and then from last Monday to yesterday, she gained 11 ounces, putting her at 7.5! Her birthweight was 7.39 aka "7.4" on Birth Certificate. SIGH OF RELIEF.

At my appointment!

7.5!!!

Now we are allowed to feed her up to every 3 hours during the day, and 4 at night, unless she demands it (like at 3 am instead of 4:30am last night lol)

Keep Following!

Mommy and Callie's Update

Callie is 15 days old now. I cannot believe that! We have still been following the pediatricians recommendation of feeding her every 2 hours during the day, and every 3 hours at night. THIS IS BEYOND EXHAUSTING, because Mommy is the only only able to feed her. Callie is being a little stubborn (Where'd she get THAT from?), and she will not take a bottle. We tried 7 kinds, I think we stopped counting at 7? She could totally write reviews for these companies (Money making plug here...). The Breastflow is the best one thus far, but oh man, she does not like it. We try only one time a day with a bottle, when Daddy is home at night. If she does not take to it, we wait until the next day, because it has become a traumatic cry session, and I know when she is hungry she has to eat.

So, OCD Mommy has her feeding (and diaper) log, where we record the time and duration etc. of her feeds. Lately, she has been waking up and cueing/crying for food (Dunstan life saver sound "NEH") earlier than the 2 hour mark. It's tiring. It's an amazing feeling knowing that I can provide the healthiest nourishment for my baby, however it's so frustrating that no one else can really help...

Since midnight, she has fed at these times and durations (cumulative time):

2:06am- 5 minutes

5:07- 17 minutes

6:02- 5 minutes

8:20- 17 minutes

9:20- 7 minutes

9:50- 5 minutes

The ideal amount of feeds is 10-12 in a 24 hour period. I get worried and concerned with the smaller feed times, but Kahlil explained to me, think of the longer sessions like main meals, and the smaller ones like snacks. That makes it a little easier to cope with. When you cannot see how many ounces are coming out, you naturally feel like they are not getting enough!!!

Sigh. So, Mommy's Baby Blues aside.... Here are some updates on the precious pumpkin Callie! She is doing so well at holding her neck up. Her first day of life she already held her head up! She is getting stronger! She enjoys having Mommy do laundry often! She has had a few baths at home, and they are getting progressively easier! We had to learn some tips online, because the first bath (video will NOT be posted lol), was traumatic to everyone! Her belly button stump fell off at day 11, so in a few days we can give her a bath IN the water! That should help her stay warm.

Mommy was getting dizzy a lot, so she is now on iron pills, most likely from the blood loss in pregnancy.

Patch is adjusting well. He did great when she came home and is getting better as the days go on... He is protective and loves to sleep on the Boppy! He also started sleeping under our bed?

Below is a video of her hiccups. She had hiccups in the womb A LOT towards the end of my pregnancy, and still gets them frequently. 

One of my favorite pictures. She is so alert now (compared to her first few days home, where she was lethargic!). She focuses on the headboard when I sit with her in bed. She focuses on my fingers when she holds them. She will stare right in to Daddy's eyes when he holds her. It is so amazing to see! Sometimes her eyes go crossed-eyed when she focuses, and it is so funny.

Besitos (kisses) from Callie. She makes the MOST AMAZING faces. Especially when we first wake her up to feed her, she has this stretch she does first, followed up by a puckered lip (above), and then she sticks one lip out like a sad face. She also raises her eye brows and looks surprised (both with eyes open and closed). It is amazing to see the facial expressions at such a young age. I always wonder if they associate it with the feelings yet...

My Pumpkin all wide-eyed and alert. Look at those gorgeous almond-shaped eyes!

Daddy snapped this picture before she got a bath. Look at the happy baby!

Callie's Update

Today we went to the pediatrician for another followup appointment. She went from 6.6 to 6.10! She is still not up to her birth weight of 7.4, but we are working on it! She is a feeding machine, which means Mama is a sleepy head!!! I basically feed, change her, go to the bathroom, and then it's time to feed again. She may be going through a growth spurt, because sometimes she wakes to feed every hour! During the day we are feeding every 2-2.5 hours and at night every 3. Since I am exclusively breast feeding, it is very energy consuming since I am the only one who can feed her, although she had gone for Kahlil's nipples!!! We have tried 7 types of bottles to supplement the milk, and have daddy do it, but she is not liking any! I have not been able to nap, except twice at night I took a snoozer at 6pm which was kind of pointless...

Meanwhile, this snuggle muffin is asleep on my shoulder and I am so in love with her! It is such an amazing feeling to hear her breathing in your ear! She is a snorer too! So adorable.

Callie had her photo session yesterday, and it was amazingly awesome! We are so anxious to get the pictures to share with you all, and hang in our house. We finally will fill a blank wall with FAMILY pics!!!

Daddy and I have been very exhausted, and tomorrow he goes back to work for 4 days before Turkey Day break. I don't want him to go back!!!

Patch has been doing well with Callie. He is VERY protective.

Callie is the light of my life. She makes me laugh and cry at the same time. Happy tears. I wish ALL of my grandparents were able to meet her. She has not met my Grandma, her great grandma!!! I hope soon that she meets the rest of the family (my Dad/Step mom, Step Dad, uncles/aunts, step siblings and more.)

Callie really has made Kahlil and I value our time together. I had a minute tonight to hug Kahlil, and I really missed that feeling! We have been 100% about Callie, and have barely had a moment to say Good morning!

I will be updating silly moments another day... this blog was just a quick spurt of words... time to try and feed the Pumpkin so that Mommy can sleep.

Callie

So, since coming home, Callie has had so much going on. She slept SOLID for the first few days, we had to wake HER to eat every 3 hours... we went to the pediatrician on Monday, November 7 and her weight was at 6.6 from 7.4 in the hospital. The pediatrician said everything looked great and her only concern was that 6.6 was close to 10% loss which is their cut off... So she wanted us to feed every 2-2.5 hours during the day and 3 at night. Callie does have mongolian spots on her bottom, which I thought was a bruise, and was upset! She has no jaundice and great coloring. She had no more heart murmur. Callie has excellent control of her neck: she held it up her first day of life, and moved her head!

At our followup on Thursday, November 10, she was still at 6.6, so the pediatrician wanted to make some adjustments. She wanted me to take an herbal supplement to increase milk production, as well as supplement in between or after feedings with formula. I said "what about pumped milk?", she did not know I had some frozen already, so she said that was even better! (I don't want to have to resort to formula unless really necessary...). We found out that basically I was not eating enough calories, fats and proteins (pedi gave an excuse to eat flan lol). So if Mommy does not have enough calories, baby does not get enough, and therefore her energy is low. We thought she was just a great sleeper, however now we know it was because she was lethargic from not enough milk/calories. So, I am trying to eat every few hours when I can. I have to remember to do this for her!!! We need the weight to be up on Monday at the next followup!

So since then, Mommy had a breakdown because she felt like she was not doing the right thing, and could not provide. We spoke to WAY too many people and got WAY TOO MANY DIFFERING IDEAS/ADVICE. Today we went to the lactation consultant, who was actually our doula, and she weighed Callie. Callie was 6.10 according to their scale. We did a 'let down' test, and weighed Callie before and after a feeding. She was able to retain close to an ounce from me. So, we need to supplement a few times a day with .5-1 more ounce, which means I have to PUMP, PUMP, PUMP every other feeding for 10 minutes for a few days to build supply. This is so demanding and tiring, but it is for her health.

Lactation consultant said I can have a glass of wine and that "pump and dump" is not necessary... not like I have wine in the house since it's been 10 months of no wine allowed during pregnancy.

Callie has been WAY more alert in between feeds, which is a great sign that the lethargy is not as bad. I am praying to continue down this right path. I was in such a dark place yesterday, crying my eyes out and feeling like a failure. It's hard to feel like you cannot provide what G-d gave you the natural ability to do, but I know now that: I NEED TO EAT MORE, I NEED TO STRESS LESS, BABY WILL NOT STARVE, SHE WILL BE OK.

Here are some pics from her pediatrician appointments (1st/followup)

 first appt

  first appt

 same weight at follow up 6.6oz

temperature taken

TIME TO FEED HER AND NAP.... NO TIME TO DO ANYTHING BUT TAKE CARE OF HER :) IT'S MY JOB, AND I AM GOING TO GO DO IT!!!

POOPY PANTS

I have to post this quickly, as Kahlil is telling his mom via phone... Yesterday, Callie had projectile poop and pee, and Kahlil had a trail of (non-smelly) poop dripping down his shirt and shorts! Then, he changed, and while bathing her, she spit up all over him, and again- he had to change... lol.

I too witnessed the projectile peeing and pooping! It is so insane.... I am so glad that diaper changes are not as bad as I would think. When breastfeeding, it is not that stinky poop!!!

I have found this site: http://www.babycenter.com/baby-poop-photos

ENJOY

Welcome to Callie's Adventures! Stay Tuned!

Thanks to those who followed my pregnancy blog! Here you can subscribe to my new blog about Callie! :)