A trip to town

Benjamin and I ventured out for our first Mommy/baby trip together.  

I think he's already mastered the, "Really, that camera again?" look for me. 

I love this outfit, including the socks that look like tennis shoes.

Next is the view from my rearview mirror. 

The trick is to watch the road more than I look in the mirror to check on him.

I think I did well to be a careful (but not Sunday) driver while still peeking at stop signs. 

I love the Bearview mirror that I received as a gift from my registry at The Baby Place.  

As you can tell from the link, Amazon.com carries them as well.  

We'll probably be buying a 2nd one for Josh's car.

Wouldn't surprise me if Grammy finds she likes the convenience of seeing little B too.

What was the special occasion?  Voting, of course!

We traveled over to the courthouse, stopped by the gas station for a gallon of milk, 

and swung by the Hardee's drive thru to pick up a #1, ketchup & pickle only, thank you.

Sprite to drink...sigh.  I miss my Cokes.  Caffeine's not good for newborns. :(

All in all, it was a good trip.  Benjamin slept the whole time, and he got plenty of "Ooh's and Aah's" from the ladies at the courthouse.  Even kids who saw him said, "Oh, a baby."  And when I left, "Awww, the baby's leaving."  The workers at the gas station offered to take him if we ever get tired of him.  lol.

He'll stick around the cabin now for the next several days...possibly the whole week

while friends and family drops by to see him.  

I, however, will venture out (leaving Daddy to babysit) on Saturday while I go to

 Bows to Toes

Hip hip hooray for consignment sales!  I love them.  If you ever happen to consign there mention my name as the person you heard about it from, and I'll get Baby Bucks to spend at the sale. :)

FAQ's

 

Are you breastfeeding?

Yes, I was fortunate enough to have weaned Benjamin off of the formula they were supplementing in NICU (after feeding him what I was able to pump) within 24 hours of him being home.  The Lord answered my prayers and allowed my milk to come in within 4 days of delivery.  All I needed was some real, stress-free skin-to-skin contact with my baby.  I also had very good advice about pumping between delivery and that time so that my body would respond to the demand.  Benjamin's had some trouble learning latch since he was introduced to a pacifier & bottles while at the hospital.  We're using a shield until he figures it out a little bit better.  I'm very grateful for my pump, and I have gotten plenty of use out of it already.  It's helping me through a current road block.  My milk supply has significantly decreased (I'm assuming due to the steroids), and pumping is helping us both get through so Benjamin doesn't get too frustrated.  I take my last pill in the morning, so I'm hoping to see an increase again.

Is your rash gone?

Mostly?  The redness and inflammation has reduced.  The itching is still quite aggravating.  I notice it is mostly aggravated by heat, like when I have a warm baby resting against my body, or I get warm and cozy while sleeping.  Overall there is improvement, and it hasn't spread anywhere else.  Please pray it continues to go away after the pills wear off.  I really don't want to go on any more meds.

When do I get to see the baby?

Between having a baby in the NICU for 3 days, start of the school year germs, and first-time parent protective instincts, Benjamin hasn't ventured out for much.  I cringed having to take him to the pediatrician's office two days in a row for bilirubin checks, and I was glad to for a "healthy" side to the waiting room.  Our plans are to let him go to church for the first time on Labor Day Sunday, and once we pass that time I will start making trips to schools, workplaces, and other establishments with people wanting to see him.  I've welcomed (healthy) visitors to our home to come see us and him.  I'm happy for the occasional visit (especially now that I've past the exhausted phase, and now I'm just tired) because I'm a bit stir crazy.  Plus, our visitors often bring us food!  ;)

When are you going back to work?

It looks like it will be mid-October when I head back to work.  I'm fortunate to be able to take my full Family Medical Leave.  I've had so many people tell me that, "Oh, you're not gonna want to leave that baby once you have him here."  Well, no, I don't want to, but our household budget runs on both of our incomes, so I'll venture back to work so that we can pay the bills.  Plus, I actually miss my job.  I don't relish waking up early in the morning, but I really do love being a teacher, and as hard as it will be to leave Benjamin during the day, at least I'm in the profession where God has lead me.

Who's going to keep Benjamin?

Right now the arrangements are for our pastor's wife to have him part of the week, and my mom will keep him the rest of the week.  I have several daycares that I'm comfortable with, but overall I appreciate the ability to let him stay and have one-on-one care.  

2 weeks old

Today I'm two weeks old!

My accomplishments for the week:

1.  Last night (this morning) I lost my umbilical cord.  Mom noticed at a 2 AM diaper change, and she had to look around in my sleeper to see where it went.  Now I have a precious baby belly button.

2.  Today I'm back to my birth weight of 8 lb, 4 oz...when my belly is full.  I haven't been measured recently, but mom plans to see if I've gotten any longer.  I am quite gangly for my size, although I do have mom & dad's short legs.  (outfit from Aunt Kimmie)

3.  Today I officially christened mom during a diaper change.  She took too long trying to put some Vaseline on me, so I peed on her arm and the floor.  Daddy was very amused.

4.  I am quickly learning that my mother is a menace with a camera, and I'm going to have to tolerate her taking lots of pictures of me.  I do occasionally strike a pose though. 

 

(Daddy captured this one while Mommy was napping too.) 

Mommy got these the next day.  Favorites for sure.

Time for me to eat soon.  Mom is going to sneak a banana split first for energy.  :)