Monday, December 26, 2016

Baby's 1st Christmas

From parades, lights, and movies to cookies, presents, and a candlelight service, we have had a very special Christmas season with our little girl. For Boomer and me, it was memorable as we celebrated the holiday as first-time parents. What a blessing to celebrate Christ's birth with our own little one! 

A couple days before Christmas, Em and I went over to Grammy and Grandpa's to make Christmas cookies. It is a Bakewell tradition to make several different types: chocolate chip, Snickerdoodle, Swedish tea cakes, and of course, iced sugar cookies. Grammy got a head-start earlier in the week, and it's a good thing that she did, because with a newborn, 3-year-old, and 1-year-old, just the sugar cookies took a whole afternoon! Zander was very involved this year, and we all laughed at how he would smash the cookie cutter right in the middle of the rolled out dough! He didn't quite understand trying to maximize the space -- needless to say, Grammy stayed busy re-rolling the dough. We made quite a mess, but a lot of memories, too!



On Christmas Eve, we were back over at Grammy and Grandpa's for our traditional finger foods and presents. All of the adults opened their presents, while Santa waits until Christmas Day to bring gifts for the kids. We then went to our church's Christmas Eve candlelight service. It was the first time we had been to church with Em, and it was special to worship with her. On Christmas morning, we went over to the Houston's to see what Santa brought Zander and Maddox, and then we hit the road to Star. We arrived in Star around noon and celebrated with Granny, Paw Paw, Aunt Carlin, Aunt Darby, Uncle Goosie, Uncle Kyle, and the kiddos -- Trivett, Adelynn, and Kessley. It is so fun to see how both sides of our families are growing; there are more people around the table and more little ones playing on the floor. We are so blessed! 
 

This was a very special Christmas! There were some crazy moments -- blowout diapers, a pan of burnt cookies, messes in the living room. There was also a lot of laughter, snuggles, and family photos. As we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, it is a blessing to raise our little girl in a Christ-honoring home. We pray that she will one day know Jesus Christ as her Savior. 


Merry Christmas from the Kennedys!

Thursday, December 22, 2016

A Few Updates

We have had several follow-up appointments this week, both for Emerson and for me. In my last post, I wrote that I thought I had a stomach bug. It turns out I had a kidney and bladder infection. Fun fun! In addition to appointments for me, we again went to the pediatrician for another weight check. On Monday, Emerson weighed 8 lbs 10 oz. The pediatrician was happy with the progress, and Em is now on her way to gaining weight at a steady rate. We also had a follow-up appointment at the pediatric dentist. Dentist? Sooo, I've kept a few details out of my blog while Grammy and Grandpa have been away on their cruise. With limited communication during the 17 days, I did not want to worry them. Now that they are back, I'll share what else we have been going through the past two weeks. 

After my first lactation appointment on December 3rd, the lactation consultant thought that Em could have a 'tongue tie.' While not extremely common, it is not very rare either. A lot of nursing mothers will experience difficulty with breastfeeding, and the tongue tie will likely be the cause. If the issue is not resolved at birth, it could lead to a speech impediment a few years later. Otherwise, into adulthood, there are usually no side effects. Apparently it is a hereditary trait where the membrane below the tongue restricts movement of the mouth. My mother-in-law thinks that perhaps Boomer had a 'tongue tie' when he was born! For the procedure, we went to Charlotte on December 6th, just a few days after the lactation appointment, to a dentist who commonly performs these 'tongue clippings.' In addition to the site below the tongue, he also saw the need to clip the similar membrane above the upper lip. The procedure is completed with a laser and causes minimal pain or bleeding to the child. It has been just over two weeks since the procedure, and we are seeing improvement in breastfeeding. My subsequent appointments with lactation showed that each time, Em would get more and more from me. We are still giving her a bottle with additional breastmilk after each feeding, but hopefully we can eliminate that soon. For now, I continue to pump about 4 times a day. We also have to do special 'exercises' with Em's mouth and tongue to help her re-learn movements and to prevent incorrect healing of the lip and tongue sites. 

Whew! So that's all out in the open now! We are very excited that Grammy and Grandpa are home. As much as we missed them, I know that they missed us, too! Here are a few pictures that Grandpa took from their travels! Emerson was definitely on their minds :)
Emerson Street - Napier, New Zealand
Emerson Brewery - Dunedin, New Zealand
On Sunday, Boomer and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary! Grammy was home just in time to babysit (Thank you, Grammy!), and Boomer and I had our first date since having Emerson. In the past, we have usually gone away for the weekend: Asheville (1st), Charlotte (2nd), Wilmington (3rd), Williamsburg (4th), and Blowing Rock (5th). This year as new parents, Boomer did a great job planning a fun afternoon and evening for us. We first saw a live matinee performance of White Christmas, one of my favorite Christmas movies. The performance was in Winston-Salem, at the Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance. We had never been there before, but it is a quaint, intimate theater with about 150 seats. Sunday was their last performance after two-weeks of sold-out shows. It was a lot of fun! Then we went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, 4th Street Filling Station. Right before we got our entrees, I noticed a familiar face at one of the other tables -- it was one of our delivery nurses! We laughed about how different we both must look outside of the hospital. Like proud parents, we showed her pictures of Em, now 5 weeks old. After dinner, we were back home by 7PM to relieve Grammy and put baby girl to sleep. While not a weekend away, it was still a very special anniversary!


In between appointments, Em and I visited Great-Gma and Great-Gpa and snapped this photo of the four generations. How special it is to have everyone together in Kernersville!
We have a lot of fun things planned over the next few days as we celebrate Christmas. I'm looking forward to having Emerson as part of traditions from this year forward -- and making some new traditions, too!

Thursday, December 15, 2016

To My Sister

I want to take a quick break from my usual weekly musings to write a special post about my big sister. Even as I begin typing this, I know it will be impossible to make it to the end with dry eyes. The last few weeks have been an adventure. There have been highs, and there have been lows. At the lows, I have had so many questions, doubts, fears, and frustrations. And each time, Megan has been there to lift me back up. Boomer certainly deserves a lot of credit, too (perhaps he will get his own post soon!), but there is just something special about the bond of two sisters, especially once both become mothers. Now that we are both in this journey called motherhood, right in the thick of it, I find myself clinging to her even more. I could say so much about all of our memories before babies; there are too many to even count. However, since the moment I told her I was pregnant, our bond was strengthened further. After Boomer, she was the very next one I trusted with this secret, and she has helped in every stage of the pregnancy and now postpartum. Things that may have seemed daunting or overwhelming (like registering at Babies R Us, setting up a nursery, choosing doctors and a daycare) all were eased by her experience. Things that seemed scary (like the delivery, breastfeeding, Em's low weight) soon seemed conquerable. Like a mommy mentor, she has a way of listening and then talking through things so that I always feel better afterwards. Never have I felt more blessed to be the little sister. She has been my cheerleader through it all.

The last few weeks, Megan has brought over dinners, changed diapers, picked up things from the store, showed me how to use a breast pump (and then sat with me while I tried it for the first time!), made me laugh when I needed comic relief, and generally provided adult company when Boomer had to work late. She has also loved on our little girl in only the way a doting aunt can. Juggling many responsibilities herself (a demanding full-time job, a rambunctious 3-year-old, a cuddly 1-year old, and a husband, too!) it is as if she has put all of those things on hold when she is with me. She has missed several nights of tucking her boys in and spending time with Zack so that she could be with me. Last night, we had our first dinner out just the two of us. Megan insisted that it was a big milestone to go out after baby for an hour or two, and she was right. It felt good to have a breather from this new life, a life that I wouldn't trade for anything but that requires some recharging sometimes. And so, to my sister, I say: 

Megan, 

Thank you. Thank you for all the time you have spent with Em and me over the last five weeks. Thank you for lending an ear when I needed to talk things out. Thank you for celebrating the victories with me and for cheering me on through the hard times. Thank you for selflessly giving of yourself and your time. Emerson and I are both so lucky to have you in our lives. We look forward to girls-days-out, shopping trips, pedicures, and spa days. If Boomer and I are blessed with another baby girl, my prayer is that Emerson will be to her what you have been to me. You are such an amazing mother, sister, daughter, and friend. 

I love you more than I can put into words!
Lindsey


P.S. And as I expected, I can hardly see the screen through my tears! :)

 

Saturday, December 10, 2016

1 Month Old!

Today marks one month since Emerson Leigh made her debut in this world! Since it is a Saturday, we have been enjoying a day at home as our little family of three. The Kennedy girls love when Daddy is home! The morning started off with Emerson getting her first big girl bath in the tub. We have been doing sponge baths up until this point, but her umbilical cord fell off a long time ago, so it was okay to do an immersion bath. I was waiting for a time when Boomer and I could both do it since it seems to be a two-person job. I think Emerson liked it!

 After Em was squeaky clean (oh, and after she peed while we were drying her off but before we got her in her diaper!), we took out the 1 month onesie for a photo shoot. These special onesies were passed on to me from my sister. She used them with both of her boys, and I can't wait to compare all of the pictures. Right now, it seems that our children have their fathers' genes, so there may not be too many similarities!
As I mentioned, I have heard from many people that Emerson looks like Boomer. Here are a few more pics from the week, where she is perhaps looking like Daddy!
To give a quick update on Emerson's weight and her feeding, we are seeing progress each day. We had several appointments this week, at the pediatrician on Monday and then with lactation on Wednesday. At the pediatrician appointment, Emerson was up to 7 lbs 14 oz. In just a week, she put back on about 15 ounces and was finally back to birthweight. Praise the Lord! Our strict feeding schedule had helped Emerson regain the weight she had lost during the first two weeks. At our lactation appointment on Wednesday, Em seemed to be slightly more efficient at breastfeeding. After 30 minutes at the breast, Em took in about 1 oz of milk (in comparison to 0.5 oz after 45 minutes at last week's appointment.) It was recommended that we still give her a bottle with at least an additional 1.5 oz of milk. I am continuing to pump often throughout the day. We have almost completely eliminated the use of supplemental formula, and I have started to even freeze some extra milk. We had one last appointment on Friday. It was actually a home visit through the hospital's follow-up program. The nurse that came brought a scale, so Em was weighed one more time. Her weight is finally in the 8s -- 8 lbs 2 oz as of yesterday! We still have some work to do to improve her efficiency when breastfeeding, but it seems that we are on the right track.


Amidst the week of appointments, we also had our first night out to dinner (I forgot to take a picture!) Boomer took both of his girls out to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in Kville. Our regular waitresses were glad to see us back and were excited to meet Miss Emerson. On a low note, I had a stomach bug Thursday night and in to Friday. I didn't have all the usual symptoms, but the stomach pain lasted about 24 hours. Unfortunately my mom and dad are still on their cruise (we miss them so much!), so Boomer stayed home from work on Friday to help with Em. He had to go out that evening for a performance at school, but he called in reinforcements, and Meg came over to hang out with us. Both Meg and Boomer were so helpful this week. I continue to be humbled by this whole parenting thing, and I am so thankful for the network of support surrounding me.


Monday, December 5, 2016

A Week at Home

Emerson's first two weeks were filled with outings and road trips, but we spent most of this third week at home. After her doctor's appointment last week which showed that she was still below birthweight, the focus this week was our new feeding schedule. By the doctor's orders, we are feeding every 2 to 3 hours (day and night). A typical feeding includes breastfeeding for 20 minutes, bottle feeding 2 ounces of breastmilk or supplemental formula, and then pumping for another 20-25 minutes. With this schedule, it has been difficult to plan going out. We have been blessed with many visitors though to keep us company. On Friday, Cathy came to hang with us for the day and to go with us to our lactation appointment. The appointment revealed a lot. It seems that it takes Emerson a lot of work to get a mouthful of milk. She continues to try to breastfeed, but with such slow progress, she often falls asleep. She then feeds quickly from the bottle, because the flow is much quicker. She doesn't have to work her mouth that hard to get the milk from the bottle. We are continuing to feed in the three stages, but I am hoping for some answers this week. It is very time consuming and exhausting. We have another appointment today with the pediatrician and an appointment on Wednesday with the lactation consultant. On a positive note, at Friday's lactation appointment, Em's weight was up 7 ounces! She is still shy of her birthweight, but we are definitely heading in the right direction.

While at home, in between feedings, we did some tummy time, and Emerson also helped with our Christmas cards.
Our one big outing this week was on Saturday to the Yadkinville Christmas parade. Boomer's school is close to Yadkinville, and the Forbush band, cheerleaders, and ROTC were all participating in the parade. It was a chilly morning (mid 40s) so we were sure to bundle up. I tried out the Mobi wrap for the first time, and it seemed to work well -- Emerson slept the whole time. The parade was a fun way to kick off the Christmas season. Emerson even met Santa and Mrs. Clause!

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Giving Thanks

This past week was a big week for our little girl -- we celebrated our first Thanksgiving, and we took our first big road trip. To back up just a bit to before the Thanksgiving festivities, we had a few more days to settle in at home and to learn about life with our little girl. We attempted tummy time for the first time. Emerson was not a big fan, but she proves to be pretty strong! She already has good neck control, and she also grips tightly when you offer her your finger. We ventured out to have dinner at Sarah and Josh's house, and we couldn't resist getting a picture of our little girls, Emerson and Laurel, born just six days apart. Two generations of best friends in one picture! Meg, Zack, and my two nephews also came, and it was a fun night having all of our little ones together.
On Wednesday, we hit the road for the four-hour trip (well...seven-hour trip) to Woodstock, VA. Woodstock is just about 30 minutes north of Harrisonburg, located in the Shenandoah Valley. Both of Boomer's parents grew up in Woodstock, and it has been a tradition each year to celebrate Thanksgiving with all of his extended family that live there. We had a meal on Thanksgiving Day with Cathy's brother and his family, and then on Friday, we had the large gathering with the Kennedy family. Each year, we take a family photo with all of the aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. It was special that we could make the trip this year and to introduce Emerson to all of her Virginia family. How precious it is to see how the family grows each year!
Emerson did great in the car and in the hotel. We turned an ottoman into a changing table, and we were able to request a crib for our room when we checked in. Emerson seemed unfazed by the changes. She continued to eat and sleep as usual. (Speaking of eating, I'll get back to that later...) The hardest part of traveling was the packing beforehand! For such a little human, there was a lot to bring -- diapers, butt paste, lotion, medicine, outfits, extra outfits, pacifier. Although the packing (and unpacking) was a pain, I am encouraged that we will be able to travel more with our little girl in the future. I am already thinking to the summer and where our Kennedy Ballpark Tour will take us next!

On Saturday, we made the trek home to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Bakewells. We had another yummy meal (shout-out to my brother-in-law for his excellent cooking!) with my grandparents, parents, and sister and her family.
Although everyone else ate a lot over the holidays, it seems our little Emerson did not! On Monday, we went back to the doctor for Emerson's two-week appointment. Unfortunately, she is still below birth weight. Feedings have been pretty slow, and Emerson often falls asleep after a few minutes. We have tried all forms of 'torture' (wet rag, tickling, stripping her of her clothes) to keep her awake, but she still falls asleep. While she seems to be content, she isn't getting quite as much as she needs. The doctor helped develop a plan of supplementing the breastmilk so that Emerson is getting more calories. It has lengthened our feedings even more so, as I now will attempt to breastfeed for 20 minutes, then feed her the formula/expressed breastmilk, and then pump to keep my supply up. The goal is for her to put on some weight and then return to only breastfeeding again. Emerson will go back to the doctor next Monday to check her weight again, and I also scheduled an appointment with a lactation consultant for this Friday. We are doing everything we can to keep her interested in eating and to put on some of those adorable baby rolls. Thank you for your prayers for the week ahead!

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Our First Week

Today marks one week being home with Emerson Leigh. Last Saturday, we were discharged from the hospital to start our journey as a family of 3. I am happy to report that it has been a good week! Boomer went back to work on Monday, and Grammy has been coming over each day. I am so thankful for her help! It has been nice to have the company, not to mention an experienced mom. Now that I am a mother myself, I can't put into words how much I appreciate what my own mother did for me. I have relied on her and my mother-in-law Cathy a lot this week.  Cathy, Emerson's Granny, is a nurse, so I have been frequently texting her, and she has been great to answer all of my questions. Does E's belly button look strange? Should I try a pacifier? Is she eating enough? Should I try pumping?

I know Boomer has missed seeing his girls during the day, and he has tried to come home as soon as he can each evening. I snapped this cute picture of him coming home from work on that first day -- and then this second picture just a couple of hours later :)
Boomer may have been surprised just a bit on Monday because while he was at work, Grammy and I decorated for Christmas! Boomer's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, so I usually try to wait until after that, but I was ready to put up our tree. Emerson supervised while we decorated. Boomer was too excited to see his little girl that he didn't mind too much!

We have had several visitors, and Emerson has met more of her family and friends. She met Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Bakewell on Sunday, and then Coley (Aunt CoCo) on Tuesday.
We also had visits from Sarah, Josh, Luke, and their newborn Laurel, and my coworker, Megan. We ventured out for the first time on Tuesday with a trip to Target and for Emerson's first doctor's appointment. Lifting and driving are still discouraged, so Grammy was again such a big help! E's appointment went well. Her weight had dropped just slightly to 7 pounds, 10 ounces. She had lost about 5 ounces since birth, which is fairly common as newborns adjust to eating outside of the womb. I really like our pediatrician, and he said we have a healthy baby girl! We will go back again in two weeks.
On Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving early with Great Gma and Great Gpa Bakewell at their apartment complex, Arbor Ridge. It was only our second outing, but Emerson was great. All of the other residents at Arbor Ridge loved getting a peek at our little girl. Her Great Gma and Gpa have been talking about her a lot! Special 'thank you' to Aunt CoCo for E's Thanksgiving outfit!
A few other firsts this week: first bath and Emerson's first mail!
During the week and during E's naps, we put the finishing touches on the nursery. Even Grandpa came over to pitch in and help with hanging pictures. It was a team effort. I am excited about the finished look!
Just before writing this, I got a text from Coley reminding me of what I was doing five years ago -- my, how times have changed! I may not be running a marathon anytime soon, so for now, I will enjoy a quiet Saturday at home, watching football and cuddling with my sweet little girl!