On July 2, at 5:58 pm, Miles Paul was born! He was 8 lb. 10 oz and 22 inches.
He arrived via c-section after a 24+ hour induction, due to preeclampsia, and two hours of pushing. This was my first c-section and I plan on writing about experiencing a different birth than the one you planned in a future post. After a very scary labor where my blood pressure repeatedly tanked and I lost consciousness numerous times, I can say with certainty that Miles will be the last baby I have.
I am breastfeeding again and plan on doing so until Miles is at least six months old. When I nursed Norah, my supply started dipping around the six month mark, but I was able to continue nursing while supplementing with formula until she was nine months old.
Miles is strong and healthy, but has silent reflux. He cries more than I remember Norah crying and has some difficulties after eating. He’s uncomfortable now so we’re trying to find a plan and medication that works for him. He also has a tongue and lip tie like his sister. We saw an ENT to release the tongue tie when he was one week old, but his saliva glands were too close to successfully release the tongue. He will need to go back to the ENT when he’s 18 months old to see if they can improve the tie.
We are still getting used to being a family of four and learning a new routine. Everything takes much longer to get done than we think it will. It took almost two hours to get out of the house for a recent Walmart trip! We aren’t on a schedule yet, but when Mike goes back to work next week we’ll get back into the swing of things. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about doing anything but taking care of the kids for the next seven weeks.
Norah is adjusting to being a big sister. The first week was a bit difficult for her because I was mostly bed and couch ridden and she wanted me to do more things with her than I could. As I gain more strength and heal, she has warmed up and been more receptive to the little baby that is constantly attached to me. She asks if Miles is looking for her and she has given him several hugs and smooches. She has also asked if she can carry him around a few times and been disappointed to hear that she can’t.
I had a lot of anxiety after Norah was born and was very hard on myself. I wanted to make sure I did everything “right” and I felt guilty when Norah had jaundice and a tongue tie. This time around, I feel a lot calmer and am not having the same feelings of guilt. I’ve also felt more relaxed about parenting Norah and letting go of the little things that don’t really matter like what she wears when we go out. I look forward to seeing how Norah and Miles interact as they grow up, but I’m also enjoying the baby snuggles and sweet head smell now because I know how precious this time is.
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