Spring?

Imani got to spend Spring Break with my parents. She was so excited to be with them and I think she was relieved to get a break from us and the new sister business. She got to be the only one with Grandma and Papa and she played with her cousins, Kenda and Leah, just about every day.
I took the opportunity to sleep as much as possible every day! It was great to get some much needed rest but the house did seem empty without her. The first day I felt lost, not having to worry about feeding a 3 yr old all day or getting school work done or naptime. Isaac and I also got to have TWO dates. Of course, Nia came along, but she was not much trouble : )
Also, glad to report that Nia is gaining weight! We were able to go to 3 hr feeding times which allows me enough time now to make a trip to the store or go to church without worrying about feeding her there. I'm still pretty nervous about breastfeeding in public. I hope I get better at it. So last Thursday she weighed 7 lbs 14 oz--almost an 8 pounder at 5 weeks!

Good Day for the Girls

Yesterday we had great news for both of our girls. I went to a breastfeeding support group and I got to weigh Nia and feed her to see how much she is getting from me. She had gained 14 ounces in 10 days! yahoooo!!! That eased my mind a lot. (Babies this age usually gain about an ounce per day). So now she weighs 6lbs 14 oz. Wow, she is almost a 7 pounder. Big girl : ) Also, we went to Imani's eye doctor appointment. She got glasses at the end of last year, and we have been patching her right eye for a couple months now. Good news--her left eye has improved greatly! She got to have dinner at Winger's to celebrate. She loves the mac and cheese and the little Curious George fruit snacks.
It was also my first real outing with Nia. We are trying not to take her anywhere too public since it is the RSV season. It was nice to do something "normal" since I'm in the house all the time. I do get to take nice walks every day to get some exercise and fresh air. Sometimes I take the girls and sometimes I get to go on my own. I CANNOT wait to run. It is killing me. I almost broke into a run today, but I held myself back. I'm only 3 weeks post C-section, so I will refrain for now.

My Beautiful Family

Not mentioned

In my pursuit of figuring out how to blog and updating everyone on Nia, I failed to mention how my fam was here and helped us out immensely! My mom came on the morning of the 14th so Isaac and I could have a date on our anniversary--5 years! Then my sister flew in from California on the 16th and gave me highlights the night before I had Nia--so nice to have a hairdresser in the fam : ) While I was in the hospital for four days, Isaac was able to be there with me and stay the nights while my mom and Amy took good care of little Imani (and had some rough nights with her--sorry). We are so grateful for that. We knew Imani was in good hands. She had a lot of fun with her Grandma and Aunt Amy. Then my dad was able to come up for a couple days as he is loaded with doing taxes right now.

Imani loves her new little sister--she waited so long to see her!

Isaac's dad came to visit in October

Pediatrician appt

We took Nia to her second appt today. She gained 4 oz since last Monday, but she is still only 6 lbs, and her birthweight was 6lbs 5 oz. So I have to squeeze in another feeding in the day and probably undress her completely so she will stay awake and eat. Sometimes she takes 45-60 minutes for a full feeding, so he said go every 2 1/2 hrs, and she needs to eat for 30 minutes ONLY. Hopefully this will get her to eat better and gain weight. Our new pediatrician is SOOO wonderful. What a blessing! My new friend, Megan, recommended him. Thank God for doctors who really care and know what they are doing!
Imani had a good night last night. The pediatrician also talked with her about being a big girl and staying in her room. That helped too!
The girls in my Wed Bible study cooked up a bunch of meals for me to put in my freezer. About 3 other friends are also helping with meals. It is just amazing how God provides exactly what we need. I never thought I'd have so much help, since we are new to the area and aren't really members of a church yet. The friends I've made here are truly blessing from the Lord.
Isaac works the next 5 nights, so we'll see how this week goes!

Yeah!

Okay, I'm figuring it out! Thanks Jacque for the help. Well, Nia is 12 days old. Imani is getting better with the adjustment. Some days are better than others. We'd appreciate continued prayers for her, especially when it comes to sleeping. Last night I had just fed the baby and got her to sleep around 4 or 5. Then, in comes Imani.... "had a bad dream" .....so I took her back to her bed....I finally fell asleep again for about 45 minutes, then comes Imani again. "need a new bandaid for big toe" That didn't go over so well with me, especially since Nia was about to get up to eat again and I was wiped...
Anyway, despite the hard things, I LOVE my two little girls. It is so much better the second time. I'm trying to enjoy every moment with this little tiny baby. I know it only lasts for a minute. Then, all of a sudden, they are almost 4! I'm feeling great physically also. Still tired, but nothing like the first time.

I'm trying to figure out how to blog!

Those of you who are checking in on my blogging ability--so sorry that I'm not doing so well. I'm trying. Let's see if these pics show up this time!