Update on things at home

Well, our little Zac is now 2.5 weeks old and we are slowly settling into a routine. People usually say that the first 6 weeks of a baby's life are hectic and quite an adjustment for you as the parent. With Lily, I could honestly say that it didn't take too much adjusting and I found it quite smooth sailing. Yes, the sleep deprivation takes quite some getting used to, but she was a great sleeper and I remember many a night having to wake her up for a feed as she had slept through the usual 3-4 hours you can wait between feeds. Although, having said all that, your memory does tend to fade and you forget the "bad" things so perhaps it was worse than I can recall. Yet another reason why I'm so grateful for this blog - to jolt that ever fading memory of mine!

Zac in the other hand is quite a niggly baby. I seem to have to cuddle him quite a lot in order to soothe him. Now perhaps I didn't notice this with Lily as I held her most of the time whereas with Zac I have Lily to play with and to give attention to so I can't be holding him 24/7. He also battles a lot more with winds, especially at night. I find we are usually awake for a minimum of an hour to up to two hours every time he has a feed as we have to burp for what seems like an eternity. I feel so sorry for the little guy as he seems like he is in such agony lifting his little legs and folding himself over. I don't want to tempt fate, but the last couple of nights have been much better and I've found letting him sleep on my chest makes for a much longer, quieter night for the both of us. Plus, I get that one-on-one time with my little boy that I don't always get during the day. Love it!

Zac is also a very hungry little thing and just loves to be on the boob! As a result he gained almost 400g in a week when we last had him weighed! On one hand I'm thrilled that he is drinking and gaining weight so nicely but on the other hand, I don't want him to get big so quickly. I want to enjoy the teeny tiny little baby I have for a while. He is still very petite and his newborn outfits are far too big but he is certainly going to grow into them soon at this rate!

Due to the intense feeding, my poor nipples have really taken a bashing. I've had 5 laser treatment sessions and they're finally getting a little better. I found myself literally holding my breath before every single feed when Zac would latch. The pain was that intense! I knew that I would probably go through all of this though as I went through the exact same thing with Lily. Why after going through 9 months of pregnancy and a painful delivery do we have to then endure painful nipples and engorged breasts?! Sometimes I question creation! And then to top it all off, I have thrush which makes the nipples painfully tingly post feeds, I could almost quit the breastfeeding there and then! Thankfully my doctor has prescribed some meds which I'm going to start today. Hopefully they work and my days of painful nipples are long gone.

Lily is being such a wonderful big sister. She absolutely adores her brother and gives him kisses all the time. She often just goes up to him and says in a high pitched "I'm talking to a baby" voice,"Hello Zac" or "Hello boy" followed by a kiss on his head. It is so heartwarming and I'm hoping it lasts. Lily is truly such a gentle, kind soul. We are truly blessed! She is also growing up so quickly and is talking up a storm stringing words and sentences together beautifully. I just love talking and listening to her. As a result there are so many smiles and lots of laughter in our household. On the whole, we are all adjusting quite well to our new family of four.

Hubby is so much more hands on which I'm truly grateful for. I know I can rely on him to help me should I need it whereas prior to Zac's arrival, I did most of the baby related duties. As a result if him being more involved, I can see a closer bond developing between him and Lily. It is so wonderful to see. They just adore each other which makes my heart swell.

And that's an update on how things are going in the Aufrichtig home at the moment. Here's to hoping the baby winds cease, that Zac becomes more chilled in the upcoming ing weeks, that Lily remains the kind big sister to Zac and that hubby and I continue to work well together to raise our precious little family.