Three Weeks Old?!

How is it possible that my sweet baby girl is already three weeks old tomorrow?! When I think about how slooooooow the last few weeks of my pregnancy went by I am amazed how quickly time is going now that Hazel is here. Before you know it, we will be on our way to Alabama!

I've had several requests for more pictures of Hazel--as if I need an excuse to show my baby off! Haha. But first--a few bullets to discuss what's on my mind and what life with a newborn is like.

• Hazel has changed SO much already. It makes me a little sad, actually. If you compare the pictures I post you will be able to see it too.
• Breastfeeding is going great. It's everything I expected it to be and more. I love our bonding time and I love how she calms down almost instantly when I get her in my arms.  Hazel was back over her birth weight at her 2 week appointment--go boobs! She's starting to find her voice and making all kinds of funny and adorable noises when she nurses. She also pants when she's getting close to the breast--almost like she's excited.
• We are attempting to introduce a bottle (I pump and use breast milk) so that she'll take one in the car during our move if we're unable to stop to nurse (i.e. rush hour city traffic, no where to pull over, etc.) She hated the Avent bottles but chugged down 2 oz. from a TommeeTippee today. Winning.
• I LOVE babywearing. Seriously. I love having my baby close to me when I'm out and about and it's been great at home to have my hands free when I want to get some things done. Hazel loves it too and I've used my ring sling more than once to calm her down. She cuddles with me and goes right to sleep. <3 I have a feeling it's going to come in very handy once Mike goes back to work next week.
• Hot flashes--ugh! No one told me about these. I'm still getting them almost daily but not as often. When they happen I feel like I'm back on fertility drugs!
• On the subject of hot flashes, they really need to make a postpartum deodorant. I smell all the time thanks to these hormones. 
• I am still spotting but my recovery is going pretty well, I think. I still feel swollen in sore if I do too much walking so I'm still taking it relatively easy. My perineum stitches feel all right but my labial stitches are still sore. Sitting on hard surfaces is still very uncomfortable. 
• I love my mama cloth! SO much more comfortable during postpartum recovery and I just wash them with my diapers. 
• Witch hazel pads didn't work for me but I loved Earth Mama Angel Baby's New Mama Bottom Spray. Definitely pack this in your hospital bag!
• I have more stretch marks now than I did when I was pregnant. How is that possible?
• I've lost about half of my pregnancy weight. Hopefully the rest will come off after I'm cleared to start exercising again!
• We are actually getting quite a bit of sleep thanks to bedsharing. She has slept on my chest most of the nights which means I am able to nurse her without her waking up fully and getting all worked up. She nurses in her sleep most of the time and I love cuddling her all night long. She's only going to be this little once, you know? I do have a co-sleeper on my side of the bed that I lay her in when I get up to go to the bathroom or when I'm overly tired and am afraid to sleep with her next to me.
• She sounds like a monkey when she cries.  No long "waaaaaahs" from my little girl. She stutters and sounds like, "ah ah ah ah ah"--a little monkey. I'll try to post a video some time. 
• I.love.cloth.diapering. Even Mike loves cloth diapering! He's commented more than once on how easy it is and how he can't believe that people literally throw money away on disposables. Right now I'm doing laundry every day but I don't really need to. It's really not a big deal and Mike helps me stuff and fold diapers at night. Right now we're using prefolds and Thirsties X-small and Duo covers during the day and some Alva and Knicker Knappies pockets at night. I know it's saving us a ton of money because we will go through at least 10 diapers a day, sometimes more. 
• The movers are coming on the 18th of September. That's....soon.  I am not as excited about the move as I used to be. Now that Hazel and the twins are here I am really sad that they won't grow up together. I'm going to miss having my brother close by too. At least I can talk about moving without crying now though. Thanks Placenta Pills! 

Our first night home. Nana Zero watching over Hazel

Cousins!
Arthur, Hazel and Sadie

 

 

 

Kickin' it old school in my leg warmers

Baby Flash Dance

First trip in the Ergo!

This newborn dress barely fits anymore! No, she can't grow up yet!