Getting better... and 3 weeks old!

Things are getting easier with Kat as time goes on. Those first 2 weeks when I was still recovering from the C-section and Tim was working most of the time were so rough! I was getting maybe 2 hours of sleep a day if I was lucky, sometimes more if Tim watched the baby to let me catch a nap. Kat slept all the time during the day and wanted to party all night long... I was just exhausted and in pain... blech...

Things are really starting to get better though! Lots of reasons why, first and foremost is that Kat is having way more alert time during the day where she just wants to look around and play. It's higher maintenance than sleepy baby, but more fun and less stressful never knowing when she'd wake up and demand food. (usually the minute I sat down to eat or pump) It also means she's sleeping more at night, she's doing about 2 1/2 hours between nighttime feedings- and as long as she's not sick or gassy I do manage to get about 5-6 hours a night.

Another good one is that I finally got a double electric breast pump- yeah I know you all wanted to know that. But seriously, it's giving me more milk (which makes for a happier baby and a happier momma) and it's shaving 40 minutes off of each pump time as opposed to my manual. This thing has bought me almost an extra 480 minutes a day (if my calculator is right lol) Tim's mom is my HERO for getting me this... Kat is also latching on more often- she rarely nurses for long, but at least it's a step in the right direction!

Finally, and the part I'm feeling most proud of is that basically I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride with the whole motherhood thing. I am simply getting better at it... and it's making things easier for me. It's incredibly gratifying when all it takes for Kat to start feeling better is me to curl up with her and talk to her. She watches me very intently and pats my face a lot... it's our special time. Granted I still don't have a lot of free time, but I'm feeling less wild eyed and crazy. There were times those first 2 weeks when I wondered if I could do it. Now that I'm healing, and things are getting easier I only feel like that every great once in awhile LOL... any mother would know I was lying if I said I never felt that way anymore.

So Kat is officially 3 weeks old today! YAY! She's already hit some early milestones...

~First smile- Thanksgiving Day- According to the charts this is an Advanced Skill for a 1 month old
~Follows Objects with her Eyes- Since she was about 2 days old- According to the charts this is a Mastered Skill for a 2 month old baby
~ Holds her head steady at a 45 degree angle- since about 2-3 days old (no kidding! her neck muscles are very developed)- according to charts this is an Advanced skill for a 2 month old
~Can bear weight on her legs- since about 2 weeks old, if you hold her hands she pushes up with her legs and holds her weight- According to charts this an advanced 2 month old skill
~ Turns towards loud sounds- Since about 2 weeks old- this is an Advanced 3 month old skill
~ Lifts head and shoulders when lying on Tummy (mini-pushup)- She's been doing this for about a week now, if she's laying on her tummy she'll push her whole upper body up and turn her head the other direction and lay back down- this is an Advanced skill for a 2 month old

Her motor skills are so much more advanced than I'm used to for such a young baby! It does make things easier, since she holds her head up for periods she's less scary to hold for guys like Tim who haven't been around babies much! She's really strong already, and will scoot around if you leave her on her back on a blanket... she kicks her feet and scoots on her back- it's really funny but you have to really watch her! I'm sure every mother thinks her child is a prodigy... and I'm no exception. Just watching her is amazing, she's so curious and takes everything in. She watches everything we do, the animals.... everything. I think we not only have an adorable little girl, but likely a smart one! Yay!