Wow! Mariko is now six weeks old! I can't believe it!! I think I will always say that no matter how old, or young, she is :-)
Toshi's mom is here to help out last week and this week. It's been wonderful to have help again after two weeks of on our own. It was a strange adjustment since I had been used to doing everything on my own while Toshi was at work, but it's been wonderful, especially since she doesn't mind early mornings! Also, since Mariko has been sleeping more at night and doing so wonderfully gaining weight that we don't have to wake her up (7 pounds 5 ounces at last weeks checkup!), we are getting more sleep as well! Toshi does the shift until 2 (usually a (9:30 and 1:30am or so feedings). When he gest up for the later feeding I pump to make sure we have enough milk for the following feedings. I get up for the next one - usually around 4:30 and then pump again. After that Yoko takes over for the next one (usually around 7:30 or 8) and I sleep in while Toshi gets up for work.
Toshi's work days are still usually pretty short and he's nearing the end of his mammo requirement - 240 studies in 6 months - and his obligations at work will be even less once that's done. After that he will only be required to go to conference and will just go in to get studying done for boards. It has been incredible that his schedule has been so light since Mariko was born. It has made a huge difference in what our lives have been like these past six weeks. He was able to spend basically as much time as he wanted with her in the NICU and we were able to sleep in prior to going to see her. Since then he has been able to sleep in if needed and has been around in the afternoons and evenings to help out. I know that if I was breast feeding that I would pretty much be on my own for all of it anyway since he wouldn't be able to help with feedings (which I think will spoil me the next time around when I do need to do it all on my own - assuming breast feeding work) but it has been wonderful having him help and I look forward to that continuing!
Just got an email from Toshi at work - he's done with his mammo! YAY!
Yoko is here through Monday morning. We are then on our own for a week before Jeffrey comes on Monday evening. He'll be here through early Thursday. A quick trip but it will be wonderful to have him! After that about a week until dad comes to help with the week that Toshi is gone in New Jersey for his review course. Then it will be the middle of April - dad leaves the 13th. From there almost exactly two months until we move to Seattle. Our leave date is June 15th!! YAY! So excited about moving back home. It has been a long four years - with some great times and some not great times and we are so excited to get to move back to the West Coast where we feel we belong. Although we've made some great friends in NY it is not for us!! Ready to be back in Seattle!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
5 weeks
Mariko is five weeks old today. I can't believe it. It has gone by so fast! On Wednesday we did a one month photo shoot including picking out what our monthly photo will be - I bought the month stickers and we have white onesies and we are sitting her next to this small stuffed monkey. I also wanted to put her next to the giant monkey but that didn't work out quite as planned. Anyway, it will be fun to see how she grows each month. Right now she's not much bigger than the monkey!
What a five weeks it has been!
The NICU, home, me with mastitis, the issues with breast feeding and finally giving up, pumping and bottle feeding all the time (thank goodness Toshi can help! I think this will spoil me assuming that the next time around that breast feeding works), then I got thrush. Thank goodness Mariko didn't get it but I took her to the doctor just to be sure. That was Monday of last week - the only week since we brought her home that we weren't supposed to need to go to the doctor. However, they did weigh her and she's at 6lbs 6oz so she's still gaining weight like a champ! On Tuesday we have her one month visit (a bit late since we had been the first three weeks we brought her home and they told us we could wait another week). Tuesday, also, Toshi's mom comes to visit for two weeks. I know that Toshi is excited to have her here and it will be nice to have Mariko visit with her Obaasama (spelling?). She'll be here just under two weeks and then we'll have another break before Jeffrey and possibly Lindsay come to visit.
We have gotten in to a pretty good rhythm and Mariko is starting to be awake more now which is great - not a lot but she usually has one or two good chunks of awake time during the day. She often still falls asleep right after eating but I think that preemies tend to sleep even more than full-term newborns and she's eating and gaining so I'm not worried (although I'm still not used to having her go 4 hours without eating!) She's been letting us sleep at night - up to four hours usually once or twice - so that's good. Toshi and I take turns. He usually does feedings until 2am and then I take over. We have her in her room (since we had a hard time sleeping with her in our room) and at 2 am the monitor gets passed off to me. The hard thing is getting up to pump once in the night. I either end up getting once when Toshi gets up to feed her or I'm up for twice as long when I get up to feed her so I can feed her and pump. Haven't quite figured that out yet and I'm not yet comfortable going more than 5 hours without pumping. I hope that at some point (when she's sleeping longer) that I can go longer too and not need to get up the extra time.
I guess that's about all. It's been an interesting 4 weeks since we brought her home. I can't believe it's already been that long! Also, it is now only 3.5 months until we move home. It's getting closer and I can't wait!
What a five weeks it has been!
The NICU, home, me with mastitis, the issues with breast feeding and finally giving up, pumping and bottle feeding all the time (thank goodness Toshi can help! I think this will spoil me assuming that the next time around that breast feeding works), then I got thrush. Thank goodness Mariko didn't get it but I took her to the doctor just to be sure. That was Monday of last week - the only week since we brought her home that we weren't supposed to need to go to the doctor. However, they did weigh her and she's at 6lbs 6oz so she's still gaining weight like a champ! On Tuesday we have her one month visit (a bit late since we had been the first three weeks we brought her home and they told us we could wait another week). Tuesday, also, Toshi's mom comes to visit for two weeks. I know that Toshi is excited to have her here and it will be nice to have Mariko visit with her Obaasama (spelling?). She'll be here just under two weeks and then we'll have another break before Jeffrey and possibly Lindsay come to visit.
We have gotten in to a pretty good rhythm and Mariko is starting to be awake more now which is great - not a lot but she usually has one or two good chunks of awake time during the day. She often still falls asleep right after eating but I think that preemies tend to sleep even more than full-term newborns and she's eating and gaining so I'm not worried (although I'm still not used to having her go 4 hours without eating!) She's been letting us sleep at night - up to four hours usually once or twice - so that's good. Toshi and I take turns. He usually does feedings until 2am and then I take over. We have her in her room (since we had a hard time sleeping with her in our room) and at 2 am the monitor gets passed off to me. The hard thing is getting up to pump once in the night. I either end up getting once when Toshi gets up to feed her or I'm up for twice as long when I get up to feed her so I can feed her and pump. Haven't quite figured that out yet and I'm not yet comfortable going more than 5 hours without pumping. I hope that at some point (when she's sleeping longer) that I can go longer too and not need to get up the extra time.
I guess that's about all. It's been an interesting 4 weeks since we brought her home. I can't believe it's already been that long! Also, it is now only 3.5 months until we move home. It's getting closer and I can't wait!
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