Cecilia | The First 2 Weeks

Today Cecilia is two weeks old. Isn't it funny how quickly babies seem like they have been here for ages?  What was our life like just two weeks ago before Cici? I can't remember.

We had a good hospital stay. We made the decision early to exclusively bottle-feed Cecilia, since our attempted breast feeding has NEVER worked with any of our 4 children and I wondered how I could attempt to breastfeed AND watch a crazy 11 month old.  Then we found out we would be driving across the country in 3 weeks and our decision seemed even more wise, since pulling over every three hours to try breastfeeding would get us to Utah in roughly 4 months (we would have to stop at Winter Quarters in Nebraska like the old-time Pioneers and die of Scarlet Fever...and nobody wants that).

I made it through the hospital visit with only one snarky bottle-feeding comment from a nurse.  I'll consider that a success. It was nice to get to get rest during the night hours by sending Cecilia to the nursery, where they could bottle feed her.  I really wish I had been a pro at breastfeeding, but it was pretty much a disaster every time.  So, as with many things in life, you accept it and move on (while feeling the requisite amount of Mommy-guilt, of course).

We found out early on that Cici, like all of our other kids, is lactose intolerant so we switched her from regular formula to soy and now she is having the accompanying gas problems.  In an act of desperation I bought some Simethicone drops (which worked for Ella when she was a baby) and they seem to be doing the trick.  Sadly, I bought the drops after a full week of my in-laws having to walk and bounce our baby non-stop while she fussed from gasiness.  Sorry, Dennis & Louise.

Jude is completely aware of her and doesn't seem jealous UNTIL someone is feeding her a bottle. Then he stands at your legs sobbing.  No, their bottles look nothing alike (since his is a semi-sippy-cup), but he doesn't care. Then, this week we got his old baby swing out to try and sooth her gas, and he was SO MAD.  Need proof? This was his face when Celilia was in "his" swing...OH! THE BETRAYAL!!!

Then, this past week when Cecilia was crying, Jude crawled over to her and offered her HIS bottle. So sweet.  He's coming around to the whole sharing situation.  The girls are completely in love with her, as are her parents.  She is tiny and sweet and snuggly and, most importantly, she's ours.  It has been wonderful for me to feel my heart expand and the doubts disappear.  I adore her (as is evidenced by my Instagram feed) and she fills up all of our hearts with the overflowing love that only a brand new baby brings.