Mae is One Week Old!

And what a week it's been! Mae has been settling in at home fairly well. We just need to get her onto a more diurnal schedule. Last night gives us some hope since we got two blocks of 3 hours of sleep. She is her most awake between 10pm and midnight which is past this teacher's bedtime. And she likes to sleep in until 8am or so.

Mae's been eating like a champ. She lost a good bit of weight at the hospital since the milk takes a couple days to kick in but we had learned from Izzy's experience to supplement before dehydration sets in and she was back up to 7 lb by Friday at her first doctor's visit. She was very good for the pediatrician with minimal fuss. We have started her on bottles of pumped milk in the wee hours of the morning since I just don't function at 3am (who does?) Fortunately, she has done just as well with those as with the real thing. We've been using the Breast Flow bottles like we did with Izzy. She'll also take a pacifier if really she's no longer hungry and just wants to suck on something.

Overall I would say Mae's fairly low key. She likes to watch us and Izzy and her mobile. She's already addicted to that monkey mobile and the rainforest music. She also likes the vibrating bouncy seat. It's nice that this time around we can take her outside with us since the weather has been cooperating. I can watch Izzy play on her swingset and splash table and have Mae with me. Yesterday we took our first walk through the neighborhood which Murphy definitely appreciated. Murphy stayed close the whole time. Especially when a neighbor came to say hi.

Izzy has been warming up to her sister. It was love at second sight. We've had a couple pleas to sit in my lap when I'm feeding Mae but Izzy came up with her own compromise: She'll sit between my calves and lean back on the couch to be with me. We've been trying our best to keep Izzy's routine and schedules stable. Day care has been a BIG help with that. Izzy's also becoming a good helper and is willing to throw away diapers and retrieve burp cloths and blankets. She also likes to help bounce Mae in her seat. Overall Izzy has adjusted better than we hoped but we are braced for the other shoe to drop. Especially in a couple weeks when daycare closes for vacation.

What Mae can do:
Focus on a person's face at close range.
Drink from a bottle
Suck on hands
Lift head to change direction while in tummy time
Sleep through ambient noise (tv, visitors, Izzy)
Kick out of even a good swaddle

Mae Likes:
Cuddling
Watching people
Her new ducky rattle from Izzy
The playpen mobile
Sleep all day, Party all night!

Mae Dislikes:
Having a dirty diaper
Diaper changes
Being hungry