eleanor: week four

weight
7lbs 14oz at yesterdays check up. they had wanted us to come in between her 2 week and 6 week appointment since she technically wasnt gaining the "half ounce to ounce per day" they like to see, but going from 7lbs 4oz to 7lbs 14oz in 14 days does mean she now is. so yay eleanor! (and yay mommy boobs!) her breastfeeding journey is much different than henrys (we were supplementing a lot of formula by this point with henry) and as much as i am happy that i am able to do this for her, im thinking its likely time to start introducing at least one bottle here and there with her. i have yet to do much pumping (they told me to wait 4 weeks), but when i have pumped (if she doesnt eat much) i am not getting anything, so i dont know how i will be able to store anything in time to go back to work and have enough saved up. i have been able to collect some let down/leakage from one side while she is eating on the other and have a few bags of about 2-3ounces in the freezer, but those wont last long.

health
the vit D drops are still unopen on my counter... oops. she still seems pretty healthy. and she definitely poops on the regular, takes after her brother for sure. (she fits in well in this house haha)

sleep
she is definitely staying awake more during the day (for longer periods of time), and still sleeping well at night. she wakes up before 4 hours to feed, likes to eat more often during the day (2.5 to 3 hours). when she is awake during the day she hates being put down, but what do you do with a newborn (who hates to just lay around when awake?) so we sit and watch tv and i stare at her or wear her and walk around (which she then falls asleep on me).

clothes
i have officially retired two pieces of clothes that she cant stretch out her long skinny chicken legs in anymore. its beginning already!! still wearing newborn and 0-3 onesies, the "newborn" clothes are the ones that are getting tight or too short. she also has been kicking off her socks, just like hen used to.

nicknames
Elle bug, Elsie, Ellies. Muffin is sticking pretty hard (henry was "monkey")
(i refuse to call her "ellie belly")

outings
last weekend eleanor made her first trip to skowhegan, and then came with me to spectate the mount desert island marathon in bar harbor! she was a great little passenger (made it to bangor before needing to eat at a rest stop) and basically slept the entire race. i took her out of the car seat and wore her for a bit so that she wasnt sitting in the car seat all day long (we left at 515am and didnt get home until about 515pm!). it was about 32 degrees when we left the house but warmed up to the low 50s. she was snuggled up in blankets and warm clothes and seemed perfectly content. she also gave me her first major blowout. lovely.

baby gear love

nothing new really... loving diapers and wipes at this point ;)

swing? nope. no thank you.

"the 5 S's" 
swaddling- we gave up on this a long time ago. she does like to be bundled up in blankets, just not swaddled in them. side lying- she does enjoy lying on her side, definitely more so than her back (she will not fall asleep directly laying on her back and hates laying on the floor on her back). shushing- actually is working now! kinda. sucking- still going strong breastfeeding, also using a pacifier (unlike henry)... which is kinda a catch 22 for us since it soothes her until she spits it out (which she does a LOT) and then she freaks because she wants it back. its super cute watching her try to get it back in her mouth herself (which she actually is able to do sometimes). swinging- still hates the swing seat.

crying
she continues to be gassy which brings on small bouts of screams and cries until the gas passes, but overall just cries if she is hungry or wants to be held.

milestones
gaining weight (yay!). working on her walking reflex (henry loves watching her and wants to help her do her "jumps"). she is more alert, tracks voices and faces. is being much more vocal.

postpartum/motherhood
overall i feel really good. despite having about 6 more weeks at home, im already feeling like its gone by too fast and im not ready to get back to work (but i do miss my work peeps!). its a bit overwhelming thinking about all of the things that will need to get done in the mornings before i leave (and i dont have a typical 9-5 job, so that makes it more difficult). i cant even imagine if/when i will run before work anymore just due to time and all that would need to be done. i dont know why im bothering to even worry about it yet but these are things im thinking about. im enjoying going out for short runs after tyler gets home from work, so maybe my early am runs wont even be a concern anymore.

if you dont take full advantage of doing things like this to your children
are you even a mother? 

and some days i make grilled cheese with whatevers left #momlife

hows henry doing?
still being a super awesome big brother. he enjoys reading to her at night, helping put her to bed, and is always curious about her eating. he still wont change diapers though... we'll keep working on that haha

early morning bed buddies

how are duke and chips?
duke ended up having an extended staycation at grandma and papa's house this week due to some car troubles... he also wasnt pooping for a few days but that has seemed to fix itself now (where he lacked in that department henry and eleanor surely made up for it here!). chips is actually acting quite odd lately... sleeping in weird places (she used to sleep with me on the bed, now she is on different stairs, in a box under the stairs that holds winter hats, on the kitchen rug...). she also wants to be on someones lap non stop, which isnt really like her. i think she is just feeling left out maybe.

hows daddy doing?
he says he is in disbelief that its been 4 weeks already (i think we all feel that way)