Getting settled

We had a rough couple of days with breast feeding, but it appears the tide really is turning now. We saw the lactation consultant yesterday and got some good advice and made a plan to make breast feeding work. So far everything is getting better every time we try!

Allie has continued gaining weight and was up to 8 pounds, 7 ounces at the doctor's office yesterday, from her low of 7 pounds, 15 ounces. We've finally graduated from daily pediatrician visits and don't need to go back until Friday for her two-week check up. Newborns usually are back up to their birth weight within two weeks and its starting to look like Allie will be there by that time too, even though she had a late start.

Allie has also started to wake up on her own for the occasional feeding, instead of us waking her up.

Life is starting to slow down a little for us now. We've really enjoyed some family bonding time since yesterday. Allie and I are doing some more skin-to-skin time, which I really like. I love the feeling of her breathing on my chest. And from how she sleeps there, she must like the feeling she gets from me too.

Mommy and daddy are doing well. We're just a little sleep deprived, and a little frazzled at times. But we're enjoying getting to know our little one.

I'm feeling pretty close to recovered, physically, except for some stuff that I'm told lasts awhile. My feet have been incredibly swollen, even more than in pregnancy. Its making some things, like wearing shoes, difficult. My fingers are still swollen too. But I'm able to get up and move again and I'm really enjoying sleeping on my back. The swelling in my feet is finally going down too. Once that goes down all the way and I can wear normal shoes again, I'm looking forward to getting out and walking more. The weather this week is supposed to stay really nice.

Grandma and Grandpa Durso and Aunt Julie were here this weekend and we had a lot of fun getting Allie out of the house for her first non-doctor's office outings, which were to Lake Monona, West Towne Mall and Biaggi's. I think she slept the whole time every time we went out. Anyway, we had a lot of fun during their visit and were sad to see them go.

I'm still taking plenty of pictures of Allie and I'm hoping to take some time to post some as well as writing Allie's birth story and work on Allie's baby book. We've also got a lot of house stuff that has been neglected the past few weeks. We're settling into a bit of a routine.