Bringing Home Baby

It is time to face reality.  My precious time at home with Finley is almost up.  

Now I want to be very clear that I really love my job.  In this day and age, I am just happy to have a job, not to mention one that I enjoy going to each and every day.  That being said, my maternity leave has flown by and the thought of being away from this darling girl, even for a few hours leaves a little ache in my heart. (and a little nausea in my belly…)  The good news is that I am only going back part time for the next 8 weeks so I won’t have to dive right into a full day.  (in case you’re wondering, my part time shift means that I will be doing the morning show - but not tackling new In Search Of stories quite yet.)

To bring you up to speed, we still have no schedule.  My dear friend Lisa Klein dropped off the book “The Happiest Baby on the Block,” which I have started to read.  I also picked up “Baby Wise” and hope both of those can offer me up some ideas.  But here’s the next problem - when you have a colicky baby…WHEN DO YOU HAVE TIME TO READ?!?!  

Also this week, the Thompson household has been hit with the common cold, Finley included.  We’ve had to use the nasal aspirator to suction out the congestion in her nose and man is that no fun.  I think I might have it the worst and since every over-the-counter medication says “if breast feeding, ask your doctor before use,” I have avoided any meds that might ease the misery. Geez, I am really whining aren’t I??

I have been trying to get up to date on Finley’s baby book, writing down all the details of the world today. How much a gallon of milk costs and who is popular in music and movies - and I had a thought.  So many of you have been great about posting comments, I thought it might be really neat to have you all write your own words of wisdom to Finley and I will save them for her to read someday.  It could be advice for her life to come, or thoughts on our world or community.  Maybe just some well wishes to her or something more creative.  Whatever you want.  I’m sure she will look back and read these someday and feel pretty special that people took the time to send her a note.  

Getting back to my original discussion about going back to work…I am looking forward to having some grown-up interaction. (if you call talking with Bill Graul “grown-up” interaction…)  You can certainly get lost in dirty diapers and crying babies if you don’t force yourself to take time away from it all.  Actually, this blog has been a good outlet for me during my time off. Thank you all for keeping up with the Thompson’s while we’ve been away.  In one week - I will see you in the morning!  (and you will all pretend you don’t notice the bags under my eyes!!)

Jennifer

Look at the smiling baby!

Argh Matey! (Finley's best Pirate impersonation...)

Thank god for the Baby Bjorn!  For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s basically a sling that holds the baby on your chest.  It’s been a lifesaver for Jen and I over these past couple of days.  We’re quickly learning that Finley likes to be bounced up and down a lot.  It’s the one thing that seems to keep her calm. We’ve tried the swing (she’ll last in that a max. of 5 min.), we’ve tried the bouncy chair (I should say chairs, we have 3), we’ve tried the play mat (again, about 5 min. max) and nothing has really seemed to keep her occupied.  There’s only so much bouncing you can do holding her in your arms so the Baby Bjorn has been a great relief.  We’ve also had a minor breakthrough with the pacifier.  She wouldn’t take it for the longest time, but now she’s starting to take to it.  Yeah.

I wrote in a previous post about feeling like the helpless husband.  Well, that feeling is back.  We had a rough week.  Jen was up a couple of nights feeding non-stop, we’re in the process of buying a new house which isn’t going as planned and the stress level is high.  I just want to say to her, “go get a pedicure or go spend a couple of hours by yourself”, but Finley isn’t allowing that to happen right now.  Yes, it has been difficult this past week, but Jen and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  There’s plenty of time throughout the day when Finley is wide awake and smiling and it makes us smile too.  Here’s some new pics that Jen snapped this past weekend.  Enjoy!

Mike

Finley Mae, 6 Weeks Old

Mike and I just realized that we never saw the picture of Finley in the Tribune.  If you are someone that doesn’t throw your newspapers out very often, check to see if you have the day they printed the pictures of the babies in early January.  If you find it - send it to the station at 141 South 6th St in La Crosse.  We really would like to have it for her baby book.  Thanks in advance for looking!

Jennifer

So I broke down today.  I was finally freaked out about something enough to call the doctor and bring Finley in for an unscheduled check up.  It’s Mike’s fault.  He’s the one who looked at her this morning and said “she really looks like she’s straining to breathe.”  Then when I said I’m calling the doctor - he said it was probably nothing.  Hello!  Don’t tell a high strung mom it looks like your baby is having trouble breathing and then act surprised when she wants to call the doctor.

Things have actually been a little challenging with our peanut lately.  I think I mentioned in a previous post that she was cluster feeding all the time.  At first I chalked it up to a growth spurt - but unless the last three weeks have been a growth spurt, there’s something else going on.  Last night for instance, she fed from 6:30 PM until 2:30 AM.  Everytime I would try and lay her down, she started screaming bloody murder.  It was Mike’s birthday and already he had to skip out on our special family dinner because he had to help out at work - but then he had to deal with me calling him after the 10PM news to say hurry home to help with Mrs. Cranky Pants. Happy Birthday to him.  

Anyway, when I got to the doctor today to talk about the breathing problem, she took one look at me and the bags under my eyes and asked “how’s mom.”  Instant waterworks.  It ended up being a cry fest as I explained how she was eating and crying all night.  And then she said it.  The word no parent wants to hear.  ”It sounds like she has a little colic.”  Nooooo!!!!!!  I can deal with the endless feedings and the lack of sleep, but listening to Finley cry and watching her lip quiver and not being able to do anything about it…is like a knife in the gut.  And basically, you just have to wait it out until they outgrow it.  I’m trying to look at this with the glass half full though.  Lisa Klein’s oldest daughter had colic about ten times worse than Finley.  She screamed all day and night and sometimes even feeding couldn’t calm that girl down.  And man did she have some lungs.  So, it could be a lot worse.  (it’s a wonder Lisa ever had #2)

The breathing issue by the way, turned out to be nothing.  My doctor, bless her heart, checked over all the vitals; ears, eyes, heart, lungs and everything looked just fine.  She clearly was more concerned about me. 

On a positive note - she smiled for the first time a few days ago.  She had smiled in her sleep before, but a big toot usually followed, so I’m guessing those times were just gas.  But a few days ago, wide awake, she looked up at me and showed off that toothless grin.  That makes that 7 hours of crying instantly fade away…

Jen

I need some advice.  I am about three weeks away from having to go back to work (I’ll blog about my emotions on that another time…) and Finley is showing absolutely no signs of getting on a schedule.  Sometimes she sleeps in three hour stretches at night - sometimes she doesn’t sleep a wink the entire night.  I want to try and have a routine for Mike’s and my sake by the time I have to leave him alone with her - but I have no clue how to establish that!  Any tips?  

Oh and one quick funny story - Mike was getting Finley dressed the other day and she starts crying and I hear him cursing at the outfit.  ”Why do they make these stupid things like this!?!”  I look over and Finley is practically bent in half as he’s trying to shove her legs through the opening for her head…not realizing the 12 snaps down at the bottom that are for her legs to go through.  I just looked at him and said “you’re an idiot.”  Men.

Here’s a few new pictures.  Enjoy!

Finley Mae, 1 Month Old