My Journal--First Month

We called the midwife tonight because Calvin threw up some brown stuff. She said it was fine--he was cleaning out his esophaegous sp? or something. It was kind of scary seeing him throw up something brown!!

Dec. 17, 1998

The midwife came for the one day check up this evening. She didn't do much, but it was nice to have her visit us. She saw that Calvin was doing well, that nursing was going all right, and she also checked to make sure my uterus was getting smaller, which it was.

We called her again tonight because Calvin's diaper had a reddish tinge to it. It was okay. She said she forgot to warn us that this might happen. Since our firt child was a girl, I remembered that girl babies might have a little bloody discharge when she they are newborn, but that is from the vagina. I didn't know why a boy would have that! Well, apparently it has something to do with the kidneys starting to work or something like that??? But anyway, it was okay. :)

Dec. 19, 1998

Calvin looked "tan" for a couple months!

Calvin is looking a little yellow today. Our midwife said not to worry about it unless he looks like the color of a pumkin. He doesn't look too yellow, so we are not going to worry about it. I'm just going to try to nurse him lots, which is what I am doing anyway!

He sure has nursed a lot today and yesterday. . . I think he was trying to make my milk come in, and, imagine that, it worked! lol My milk "came in" today. I didn't get engorged, but I started leaking on the right side. I think that's a good sign. ;)

I feel kind of sad today.

Dec. 20, 1998

Calvin's cord dropped off today. It surprised me that it dropped off so soon. We've been putting some rubbing alcohol on it, but haven't been really consistent with it. We mainly concentrated on keeping it dry. Ellen's cord took at least three weeks to drop off, and we were very careful to wipe her's with rubbing alcohol at every diaper change.

December 24, 1998

There is still a little bit of blood in his belly button sometimes. Some of it is dry blood, but it also looks wet sometimes, too. I wipe it out with rubbing alcohol sometimes just to be on the safe side!

December 22, 1998

My right shoulder and my rib cage on the right side hurt so incredibly bad last night. It hurt so bad, I was afraid I might have to go to the hospital. I couldn't get out of bed without John's help, and I couldn't position Calvin in my lap to nurse him without John's help. For some reason I felt better while sitting up, so I slept awhile in the rocking chair holding and nursing Calvin. I had lots of pillows to support my arms.

I'm feeling better now. That's how I'm getting better... I'm really trying to relax my arms and am using lots of pillow to support my arms.

I guess I just strained my shoulder and rib cage from holding and nursing Calvin so much and not using proper support. Perhaps it was also from wearing him in the sling a bit and typing at the computer. The sling puts pressure on my right side, and I use my right arm more frequently when I'm at the computer.

New moms have got to take it easy!!!!! I've learned the hard way.

December 26, 1998

We went to see the midwife today. Calvin has regained his birth weight and then some! He is 8 pounds and 6 oz. :) I'm very happy. Looks like breasfeeding is going well. :) My nipples are still sore a bit, but nothing very bad.

I mentioned the blood in the belly button. She took a look and saw the dried blood. She told us that is normal and that it would take many baths before all the dried blood would be gone. Apparently if it bleeds it would really bleed a lot, and of course then something would need to be done to stop it.

Also, Calvin's right eye waters and gets a lot of good in it. I've been wiping it with a damp cotton ball... a couple times I dampened it with breastmilk, but usually with water. We were told the goopiness is normal. We would need to be concerned if he got red in his eye. That would mean there was an infection, and she could put the eye drops in his eye. By the way, we refused the eye drops after birth.

Daddy got to have a couple weeks off from work, and that was wonderful! He was gone for several hours a couple times this week and it was sooooo hard for me to take care of both children. I wonder how I will cope next week.

At night he has been changing most of the diapers... the amount of diaper changes needed at night seems to be diminishing... He is not going poopy so much at night.

December 29, 1998

I read in Dr. Spock's book the other day that the symptoms of goopiness in the eye and eye watering mean that Calvin has a plugged tear duct... at least I think that's probably what it was. It's better now, though.

Jan. 10, 1999

Calvin is the sweetest little boy! We love him very, very much!!! :D He is less than a month old, so he doesn't "do" much yet except nurse and sleep--he sleeps in our arms, a sling, or in his carseat nearby us during the day and with us in our bed at night. Also, of course, we have to change his diapers often!! :) He makes the cutest noises and the most adorable faces. He is a content baby. He loves to stretch.

Jan. 12, 1999

Calvin really had a huge blow out poopy this afternoon.

Jan. 13

Ellen, Calvin, and I went for a short walk in the park today. Ellen rode in the stroller, and I carried Calvin in the sling. He nursed and then fell asleep in it. But we had to go inside sooner than I think Ellen and I would've liked because it started raining.

Jan. 15

We went to my parent's house for dinner. This is the first time Calvin has been inside any other building except for our house and the midwife's office. He did well. He wanted to nurse quite a bit. I held him in the sling, and he nursed while I ate dinner. The sling is quite handy!!