Catching up....

STATUS: Olivia Bee is now 20 days old!!!

Catching up...
on sleep.
on emails.
on the blog.
on Skype appointments.

It's been one hell of a two weeks!
We have FINALLY 'tricked'....*ahem*, TAUGHT, Olivia the difference between day and night.
Our secret? Placing the bouncer in the crib. It knocks her out, she only sleeps it at night along with her swaddle and the lights out, and teaches her the scenery of her own room/crib. You have to maintain a ritual of shutting down the house gradually at the same time every night, etc. It was difficult at first since one night I just had to say...I am going to stay up ALL NIGHT and let her sleep on my chest. Then the following day she was alert and playful (thank goodness Jason was still at home at the time)....cause I was a zombie by then!) - by that night, snooze city with only 10-20 minute waking times every 2-2.5 hours for feedings (which is really the most you can ask for from a newborn!).

As for me, Jason has returned to work, and I am still getting accustomed to the every couple of hours bit (which we are gradually solving in shifts....ie, Jason wakes and feeds formula, AKA: baby crack, from 10:00 PM until about 2:00 AM. I take over with ye olde breast milk from 2:00 AM until about 6:00 AM...when she is wide awake...in between Jason's shifts I still have to drag my ass up to pump some breastmilk for freezing and to help with the engorgement - ugggggh!). Olivia is spending more and more time awake during the days - happy and alert. I am thankful for this since this affords me time to place her in her bassinet or rocker 10-30 minutes at a time to do my own thing in the house...this is, of course, with hourly feedings at 10-20 minutes each. I can feel it getting easier but it does still take a toll on my recovery - considering I was used to Jason atleast taking her half the time when I needed to get out of the chair (it makes all the difference in the incision area - whew! - the first day was rough!).

Some days are touch and go...MAMA SAID THERE'D BE DAYS LIKE THIS.

This is where I ended this post. Unfortunately all of this is a blur since I am just now getting around to posting it IN SEPTEMBER. Say whaaaa?!?