THE FIRST ENTRY

Welcome to Kaitlyn’s Blog..

I have decided that if I don’t stop and start write some of this down now, this time with our baby will fly by… And I would hate to miss out on something, so here I sit typing one handed as I am in the midst of trying to express with the other hand (this is motherhood!)

Our first 3 weeks with Kaitlyn have been both an absolute joy and blessing and the hardest thing Ash and I have ever done. I don’t think anyone can prepare you for being a parent, and there just aren’t the words to describe how it feels to bring your baby home. I think we are learning every day, and although there are definitely still tears (well on my end anyway), once and a while we feel as though we are getting it right (VERY occasionally).

The hospital stay had its ups and downs, from Kaitlyn being taken away to the nursery on our first night for being a “noisy baby”, to all the wonderful gifts and visitors we received during our stay. It was a battle, but by our second day in the hospital, we had our own room (thanks to some assistance from Mum and Dad), and Ash was able to stay overnight.

We lived through one of the scariest nights so far, when I awoke to find Kaitlyn arching her back, completely rigid and not breathing. A quick rush to the nurse’s station, and it turned out she had been holding her breath so as not to choke on some mucous in her throat – a coping mechanism which meant, if I hadn’t found her, she would have righted herself anyway, and we would have been none the wiser. It was such a scary feeling though, and I’m sure just the beginning of many many years of worry!

One of the best parts for me during our stay was Kaitlyn’s first bath, given to her by her Dad. She absolutely loved it, and looked so gorgeous. Baths have come to be a bit of a favourite for her and her Dad since coming home, they have a grand old time each night relaxing in the tub.

Ash has taken to fatherhood so well, he just adores his little girl, and can spend hours holding her. I think he must miss her while at work, as the moment he walks in the door; he has his hands out ready for a cuddle. I look forward to the weekends so much, as it is so lovely to have him with us the whole time.

Since coming home, things have been a little tougher than expected, with Kaitlyn losing weight, as my milk supply was too low. We are now on a routine of waking her every three hours for a feed, then supplementing with either a bottle of formula or my milk and then expressing once she is down. I am also on medication to boost my supply, but to be honest, after seven days on the stuff, it doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference. I will be really disappointed if breastfeeding doesn’t work out; however the current routine takes about two hours to get through, so the three hour mark comes around very quickly (hope this is a good excuse for my slackness in not returning phone calls and emails – sorry!)

The most important thing is, Kaitlyn had put on three hundred grams after three days on this routine, we then go for another weigh in on Friday, by which time I am hoping she will be back to her birth weight.

UPDATE: Kaitlyn reached 3.9kg at her weigh in - hooray!

By far, the person who has gotten me through the first few hard weeks has been Mum. I'll admit, initially when she told me she was having a month off when the baby arrived to help out, I thought she would be sitting around with not a lot to do – surely I would have this baby caper under control by the time I left the hospital!

As it turns out, she has been a complete lifesaver, giving me so much support from feeding Kaitlyn, to cooking dinners, to cleaning, washing, ironing, and simply giving me time out – the list is endless. I can't imagine how I would have made it through without her. More than anything, I will miss her company when she returns to work. It brings tears to my eyes now, knowing she only has one week left with us. I don’t know how I can ever thank my Mum for all she has done, I love her so much and I am so grateful for the wonderful time we have spent together.

So this brings to an end the first entry. I will do my best to update the blog fortnightly at least – I have to put some use to all the photos I am taking!

And for my family overseas, our holiday to the UK has been booked. The dates we will be there are: 14th February to 8th March – can’t wait to see you all and have you meet Kaitlyn!

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