The Giles Files: Meeting Callie - Part 2 The First Week

Callie - 1 week old

It has been a lot of fun getting to know Callie over the past week. She is a real sweetheart.
I think, as newborns at least, she and Andrew look significantly alike. I watched some videos of Andrew right after he was born, and they even have the same cry! Don't get me wrong, Callie does have more petite and feminine features. But the biggest difference is the hair! I thought Andrew had hair-- you couldn't see much of it in the pictures because it was all in the back for him. But he was bald compared to Callie. She has so much more hair!

Andrew when he was a couple days old.

Callie at a couple days old.

I had hair when I was born... and actually I think Callie and I look pretty similar too.

Here is a picture of me when I was born.

The hospital picture of me
shows my hair to be a little lighter.

Oh and why not, here's one of Briant too.
There's were Andrew's baldness came from!

Okay, enough comparing.

Everyone has been commenting how small she is.
When you take pictures of babies, they look way bigger than
when you actually see them in person. This picture
shows my hand and her hand and her head.
Maybe that will help.
We have had lots of fun with bows since she was born.

Callie had her days and nights mixed up a little bit her first few days of life. It's normal for them to want to nurse a lot-- and it's good because it stimulates to get your milk to come in. But she was nonstop nursing from like 11PM-3AM a couple nights in a row and I was nodding off because I lost a whole nights rest the night she was born. I didn't have Briant to help me and in our hospital they do rooming in and don't take them to the nursery, but I had an incredible night nurse who was very perceptive. She knew I had hit a wall and needed some sleep, so she took her for me and I finally got a couple hours of sleep (she always got her to sleep and brought her back in a deep sleep every time --I almost asked for her number). By the third night, I guess my body was sick of it and I got a migraine. I feel like I've been getting over that migraine this whole week. Thanks to the Mountain Dew and Ibuprofen, it is starting to subside.

While it is fun to be pampered in the hospital (all the food you want, and everyone waiting on you hand a foot), it starts to feel like a prison after a couple of days. You can see the trees outside and fresh air calling your name... torturing you. The toddler gets restless because there really isn't a lot he can do (and wonders why you don't come home with him every night). Anyway, we were all ready for us to come home.

A couple hours before we came home. The boys were so ready
to get out of the there.

Doing great in her car seat!

Andrew cried and cried until we got to the car.
Callie just settled right in and loved it!

We got this awesome rock n play sleeper. It
sleeps at a little bit of an incline and she seems to
really like it! We started out swaddling, but
she sleeps just fine unswaddled right now.
We'll see if that lasts. She also startles at everything...
except Andrew screaming and screeching!
I told her she need to toughen up!

I don't love being inside all the time. I've been outside just a few times, for Doctor and WIC visits and a slow walk around our neighborhood with Callie in the stroller. It's good for all of us to get fresh air, and I plan to keep up the walking.

Nursing has been going MUCH better this time around. I'm feeling more confident every day. I've got some tricks that work for me and am finding my groove. I still have to find my way to a routine, but I know I can't rush that right now (even though I'm craving it). Right now is the time to love on my baby, and catch up on my sleep whenever possible since I have Briant to help with Andrew.

But I still hate being stuck inside and keep thinking of my life out there waiting. I'm anxious to start feeling more like myself again (and gets some baby weight off). I can't wait for some clothes to actually fit right again and not show both muffin tops! My bike and a good run sounds good! It's been so long since I could bend over and twist and stretch out-- and now I'm so close! I just have to wait till after we move, than I can get my life back in order.

Anyway, back to Callie!

She is such a sweet little baby. She is very alert and really only cries when she is hungry. We have to check her often because she will totally just sit in a dirty diaper, totally fine with it.
Unlike her brother when he was a newborn, we haven't worried about much of anything with her. She has gained all her weight back and fills her diaper like she's suppose to. She eats regularly and sleeps great too. She still wears newborn clothes, but I'm sure that will change quickly if she continues to eat well. Her umbilical cord hasn't fallen off yet, but it looks great and I haven't had the issues we had with Andrew's.
One thing we learned about all that hair... you have to wash it more often because it gets greasy quickly. But of course I'll take it! I love all the bows and I love dressing her up!

Andrew seems to really like Callie. He is always asking to see her and is always telling us "She is SO cute!" And while he is having a little defiance streak (throwing fits when he doesn't get his way), he hasn't taken any of it out on his sister yet. He gets plenty of playtime with his dad right now. I'm so grateful Briant can be there for him. I hope I can handle two when he goes back to work (I get overwhelmed thinking about it).

We have blessed so much this week. We have a beautiful healthy daughter. We've felt so much love from family and friends as we have welcomed Callie into our lives this week. Friends and neighbors have come to visit and bring food, which has helped us out so much! I even had one friend bring me Orange Leaf in the hospital! She knows me all too well! I'm so grateful for the Lord and the blessings he has given to us. We are mindful of Him and His Son and have felt the Spirit accompany this sweet little girl with much love. She is a real sweetheart and so special to us, and we are excited for the joy she will bring to us all.