Friends and Eats

on June 18, 2012
in All Posts

Look who is being friendly!

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Alright.  That’s a staged photo.  What you can’t see outside of the crop is my hand on Maggie’s tummy, holding her close to Henry.  Hah.  She is still really unsure of this invader. 

 

I can imagine her little pea-sized brain churning:  “Who is that? Why does he cry?  Why does he smell like pee?  Has mom still not figured out diapering?  Why does mom hold him all the time?!”

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Fast friends, Henry and Maggie are not.  But maybe one day.

 

Last night was our first decent night. We’ve figured out how to put Henry down at night in the bassinet.  He can’t just be fed and plopped down; he’s got to be cradled and soothed back to sleep first.  Then, he’ll sleep for nearly two hours, when I wake him up to eat again.  It sounds super exhausting, but it hasn’t been so bad.  It’s broken sleep, but it’s sleep.

 

Then, I wake up early and entertain Henry, take out the dogs, and do some work and chores.  The Husband sleeps another two hours or so, and we swap – I go back to bed.  It’s a really nice system.  I wish we could do it forever, but he’s got to go back to work at the clinic on Wednesday.

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So, almost a week post-birth and I am finally regaining my appetite!  Here’s a day’s worth of eats.  Eaten mostly on the couch and in-between Henry feedings. 

 

Breakfast: banana oatmeal.

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Lunch:  grilled cheese, cherries, apples, hummus and chips.

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Snacks included snickerdoodles, pistachio toffee, and almonds.

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And dinner:  tofu stir fry, courtesy of Chef Husband.

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Of all those delicious eats, the best food of the day were definitely the snickerdoodle cookies.  Yum.  I wish we had another box…

 

Thought of the Day:

 

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.” – Bill Watterson

{ 58 comments }

 

  • Stacie @ Snaps and Bits June 18, 2012, 9:10 pm

    Maggie will probably be Henry’s best friend next week! Glad you are eating again. Enjoy this special time!

  • Katie @ Peace Love & Oats June 18, 2012, 9:11 pm

    Haha you all are going on zero sleep and your food still looks more delicious than mine! Glad you all are doing well!

  • Lindsay June 18, 2012, 9:12 pm

    Woo hoo! Go girl! I haven’t had a child yet, but I know from my friends that the when-do-I-do-anything-other-than-breasfeed conundrum can drive you insane. You seem to be balancing it all so well! Thanks for the honest and earnest report from birth to the few days spent welcoming Henry. It’s refreshing to read a truly honest post about parenthood in all of its glory. 🙂

  • Allie June 18, 2012, 9:15 pm

    What kind of crackers are those? Are they gluten free?? I’ve had a hard time finding gluten free crackers that taste good.

    Henry is ADORABLE, btw.

    Allie

    • CaitlinHTP June 18, 2012, 9:19 pm

      They are some sort of edamame cracker from Trader Joe’s. They are tasty (and GF).

      • Amber K June 19, 2012, 2:10 pm

        Oh, my husband just tried those this past weekend and he said we have to go to Trader Joe’s to find them!

  • Julia H. @ Going Gulia June 18, 2012, 9:18 pm

    Haha, Maggie should like Henry now before he starts getting older & starts climbing all over her like he’s a cowboy riding a horse! That’s what my little cousins do to their 2 dogs. Quite the sight to see…

  • Jordan @ Bake Write Sleep June 18, 2012, 9:20 pm

    I’m jealous you moved somewhere with a TJ’s and left me here in Florida without one =P

    I’m sure Maggie will lovelovelove Henry. <3

  • Earthy Nicole June 18, 2012, 9:22 pm

    Snickerdoodles are one of my fave cookies. Mmm…
    Gosh, Henry reminds me of my little girl so much. She was 6lbs. 2oz. when she was born so his tiny little baby body reminds me of hers… Time really flies, Caitlin. I hate to sound like an old fogey but it’s so true. Btw, his blankie looks so comfy!

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) June 18, 2012, 9:32 pm

    Our cat Maggie (that passed away 3 years ago) never fully warmed up to the boys and they were 7 and 11 at the time. She tolerated them, but never fully accepted them like she did Tony and I. She knew we were still there for her and that the boys cared for her…that;s all I could ask for.

    Henry is so sweet and adorable! I’m glad you’re getting back to “normal”!

  • Allison June 18, 2012, 9:35 pm

    Are you waking him up in the night or he wakes you up? Maybe I read that wrong! Sounds like your doing great I love the pics!

    • CaitlinHTP June 18, 2012, 10:18 pm

      H only eats for 10 minutes at a time so I end up feeding him every 1 – 2 hours to keep his weight up.  It’s pretty intense. The lact consult says he will hopefully outgrow it in a week or so.  Hopefully sooner rather than later!  So I have to wake him up so he will eat.

      • Daria June 19, 2012, 2:58 am

        Caitlin, my son was born weighing 6 lb 7 oz, and we had the same issue – he would only nurse for 5-10 minutes at a time. I remember worrying about this, because I thought they have to nurse for at least 20 minutes. But you know what, at some point I was so exhausted and sleep-deprived that I stopped waking him up and just let him sleep. I don’t know who came up with that “20 minute rule”! My son never nursed for 20 minutes and he was gaining weight beautifully! I can’t believe how much I worried about this and it was all a waste of time. I think Henry is getting more milk that you think in those 5-10 minute feedings!

        • CaitlinHTP June 19, 2012, 8:26 am

          This makes me feel so much better. Did he nurse for 5 – 10 minutes frequently or did it eventually space out? He’s gaining weight appropriately so I know I’m doing the right thing but the round the clock feeding is so intense.

          • lauri June 19, 2012, 10:08 am

            my lactation consultant also told me that I had to nurse for 20mins and I too stressed about this a lot during the first couple weeks! But my little one never went more than 10-15mins and she has gained weight beautifully! Now she only nurses 5-10mins at a time 9weeks old, but she will drink a 4oz bottle of pumped BM in 5mins so I know she is getting enough. Some babies r just better at getting the milk out than others. I know its hard, but try not to stress too much about everything the lactation cons said… its their job to make it sound so cut and dry, I would’ve gone crazy if I had woken brantley up every 2hrs to nurse for 20mins around the clock! Ktrust your instincts’!l

          • Abby June 19, 2012, 11:29 am

            My son would only eat for 5 minutes at a time too, even though the lactation consultants said he “should” be eating for 20-30 minutes. But I found that when he slept longer, he woke up hungrier and would nurse for longer. Of course, do whatever YOU are comfortable with — but for me, letting my son sleep until he woke up hungry worked great. He was sleeping longer (good for me!) and eating more (good for him!)…

          • Abby June 19, 2012, 11:33 am

            Oh! I forgot something… I DID wake my son up during the day if he was sleeping “too long” (longer than 3 hours) because it helped him learn the difference between night and day. I worked hard on this but it paid off — he was very quickly sleeping for longer stretches at night and just waking up for two short feeds.

          • Daria June 20, 2012, 1:18 am

            My son’s feedings were ALWAYS pretty short, shorter than 20 minutes. I have no idea why, that’s just the way he liked it, I guess. After worrying about this for the first month of his life, I saw his weight gain was really good, so I just stopped looking at the clock. Occasionally, he would nurse longer, but it wasn’t common. And when he got older, (6-12 months) he became even more efficient at sucking that milk out, so he’d easily empty an engorged breast in 5-10 minutes!

            By the way, we really struggled with breastfeeding for the first 2-3 months and everyday I thought about quitting! There was always something: latch problems, weird short feeding periods around the clock, then I kept getting clogged ducts… but somehow we managed to survive and after about 3 months breasteefing FINALLY became easy. Hang in there! you’re doing great!

  • Vanessa (@IsleStyleLiving) June 18, 2012, 9:37 pm

    I can’t believe you’re blogging so often!!

    After I gave birth all I wanted to do was sleep… sometimes I forced myself to shower but that was about it- never mind getting the time to take pictures of my food =)

  • Kristin June 18, 2012, 9:44 pm

    Congrats on Henry! I enjoyed reading your birth story – beautiful! I had a question — because of your hubby’s career, will you br vaccinating Henry? Just wondering what your stance was on that.

  • Nicole June 18, 2012, 9:57 pm

    Caitlin I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your birth story! It brought me to tears, especially when I saw you holding your sweet baby right after he was born. What an incredible blessing! I am so in awe of how a woman can birth a baby, and am so excited be part of that (3 more months!) – no matter how baby arrives.

    God bless you guys as a new family of 3 (plus 2!)

  • Meaghan June 18, 2012, 10:17 pm

    Caitlin you’re doing so awesome – and Henry is SO adorable. Your birth story was beautiful and that peaceful baby is clearly so worth it. I loved how honest you were/are and how you attribute your preparation/Bradley classes and commitment to staying active during your pregnancy to your ability to deliver naturally (Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s easy!). Both things I will definitely keep in mind when the time comes.

  • Reenie June 18, 2012, 10:18 pm

    Ahhhh I bet in time Maggie will be Henry’s best friend or vice versa =)

  • Andrea June 18, 2012, 10:20 pm

    So you never revealed if Henry ended up having red hair or not? It’s hard to tell from the pictures – it looks brown, but in some pictures it looks like there could be a hint of red in there! He is such an angel. Sooooooooo new!!!!

  • ErikaMC June 18, 2012, 10:22 pm

    I did not have any appetite after having our baby (10 months ago) and it took a few weeks for it to return.

    I know you probably get a lot of advise and I don’t want to sound like a know-it-all but you really don’t need to wake Henry up to feed him. He will not starve by going longer than two hours. He will wake up and let you know when he is hungry… unless your doctor told you otherwise than you should do as they say.

    You are doing great and everyday will only get better and better. Enjoy ever single moment as they go way too fast.

    • CaitlinHTP June 19, 2012, 8:28 am

      I’m doing this because my lactation consultant told me to. I wish I didn’t have to and I hope he outgrows it soon!

  • Alison June 18, 2012, 10:22 pm

    My daughter is 21 months old and I just recently bought her the Disney movie “Lady and the Tramp.” This sounds so cheesy but you should watch the first 40 minutes to get insight into Maggie’s brain:-)

  • Liza June 18, 2012, 10:30 pm

    Hang in there girl. In a few weeks this will all seem like second nature and you will forget what life was like before he was there!

  • TeamLiporidex June 18, 2012, 10:45 pm

    Congrats on Henry! We have a little 9 month old Boy of our own. What an amazing experience! The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how much these little people change and change quickly! I can still remeber back when falling asleep eating was a good thing, then a no-no. Or when we loved him sleeping in the car, and then fast forward to trying to keep him awake during car trips. Just follow your instincts and listen to yoru docs – as long as he’s on the sweet part of the growth curve, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

    However, realize that while he is who he is – what you do now will set him up for teh rest of his life. So if he doesnt complain, leave him be. A dear friend taught me to look at our baby and ask “can you improve on this situation?”. if the answer was “NO!” then we leave him alone. Trust him, he KNOWS how to get your attention when he needs you!

    • Trinity June 19, 2012, 6:15 am

      So much this. Babies tell you when they’re hungry and I imagine Henry is sleeping close enough for you to hear the start of his stirrings. The 2 hour rule is a suggestion you can feel free to reject if it doesnt work for your family!

  • Amanda June 18, 2012, 11:03 pm

    There is something really precious about Henry in the background of your banana oatmeal picture. He seems to be fitting in well to your blogging world.

    I am not a mother, but I so appreciate your honesty and candor as you discuss your birth-story and adjusting to mother-hood. It really is a pleasure to read your adventures and insights!

  • Stellina @ My Yogurt Addiction June 18, 2012, 11:12 pm

    Henry is adorable!!!!!!!!! Those photos are so cute, and you are really awesome at cropping photos! That photo does not look staged at all, haha! Love your thought of the day, sooo true!

  • Corrie Anne June 18, 2012, 11:12 pm

    awwwa puppies + babies. i’m loving reading about all of this. thanks for sharing!!

  • Angela June 18, 2012, 11:25 pm

    Even thought that photo is staged is still so sweet!

  • Allison June 18, 2012, 11:34 pm

    No sleep and all, I am completely envious of your life!

  • Heather@YSP June 19, 2012, 4:50 am

    Broken sleep may become the new normal. I run on MUCH less sleep now than I ever did before, and even though my daughter is three I’m still a super light sleeper now when I used to be the one who could snooze through anything. It’s so funny how completely a child changes your life.

  • Dawn June 19, 2012, 6:06 am

    on the diapers-think nice and tight and all folded in! you can do it–babysitting taught me, and it took awhile, but i got it. I think you might be worrying about cutting off circulation? I LOVE your blog and I so enjoy these honest searching posts. Your boy is beautiful. Like you, and his dad.

  • Michele Albert June 19, 2012, 8:18 am

    I am so happy for you and your husband, congratulations! Please know that if I lived closer I would be happy to bring you dinner AND unload the dishwasher!

  • Nicole June 19, 2012, 8:21 am

    Henry is absolutely precious! Hang in there-it will definitely get better with time. You’re doing a great job Mommy!

  • Alex @ Raw Recovery June 19, 2012, 8:46 am

    I love the Henry/Maggie picture 🙂 So happy for you Caitlin! Congratulations and job well done for being so strong through labor. <3

  • steph June 19, 2012, 8:57 am

    beauties!!!!! thank you for blogging during this period, you are a superstar! go caitlin!

  • Katie D. June 19, 2012, 8:58 am

    This might sound stupid, but how do you play/entertain a newborn? I’m so totally baby clueless 🙂

    • CaitlinHTP June 19, 2012, 9:04 am

      I just sing to him and move his arms and legs around. I wave a rattle in his face and try to get him to track it with his eyes but he’s not good at that yet.

      • Tammy Root June 19, 2012, 12:50 pm

        You can also buy newborn books — ones that are black and white, and have abstract shapes. Marea loves looking at those.

  • Joanne June 19, 2012, 9:03 am

    So cute – Henry and Maggie. How’s James doing with Henry? They’ll all be best of buds very soon.
    Good to hear you’re getting into a good routine. That makes life easier for everyone.

    • CaitlinHTP June 19, 2012, 9:07 am

      he really likes Henry! 🙂

  • Carolina John June 19, 2012, 9:34 am

    I can’t believe you still have time to blog. Get some rest!

  • Kelly June 19, 2012, 9:40 am

    Here is something I had WISHED somebody had told me when I was a new mom nursing – some foods that you consume will make your milk gassy and you will have a very miserable new born. My first week home, I made a HUGE chicken broccoli casserole and ate it all week for lunch and dinner, and finished every evening with a bowl of chocolate ice cream – apparently broccoli and chocolate are 2 foods that will wreak havoc on your baby 🙁

    • TeamLiporidex June 19, 2012, 6:21 pm

      We were told some of the same things by friends, but wound up simply not adjusting Sandra’s diet at all. I dont think there were any downsides. The upside is that our baby eats the same stuff that we eat – spicy and all! It makes going out with him super easy – we just cut/tear him smaller pieces for his little 9 month old mouth.

  • lauri June 19, 2012, 9:57 am

    Congratulations on your beautiful boy! We brought our little girl home 9 weeks ago! My lactation consultant also told me that I MUST wake her up every 2-3hrs to feed…. but I’ve never once woken her up! She wakes up on her own when she is ready to eat and you will definitely hear him stir! My husband can get out of bed, shower, get dressed and I sleep through it all. But as soon as she starts to stir, I instantly wake up! At first she was only sleeping 2-3hrs at a time, now at 9 weeks she sleeps 6hrs straight! Good luck!

  • lauri June 19, 2012, 10:26 am

    Also, are u using anything to help u track his feedings, pees, and poos? I downloaded the ‘feed baby’ app and its been an awesome tool for tracking her In’s and Out’s. As long as he is peeing several times/day and pooping a few times/day you know he is getting enough.

    I also downloaded a ‘white noise’ app and use that to help her sleep!

  • Michelle M June 19, 2012, 10:43 am

    When you’re diapering Henry, make sure it’s nice and tight, but also make sure his penis is not pointed straight up. Nobody told me that extremely useful tip when my son was a baby. My mom thought I had lost my mind when she saw me diapering him one day. These are the kinds of things nobody ever tells a new mom.

  • Lisa in IL June 19, 2012, 11:35 am

    who told you to wake him up to eat? My babies are all grown up & things might have changed but seriously why wake a sleeping baby in the middle of the night. feed him, when he wakes feed him change him & put him back to sleep. girlfriend it’s not rocket science, it’s basic survival!

    Yes breast feeding takes a while to click but once it does you will be so happy you stuck it out. If he’s not nursing long enough so that you feel like your milk is empty try changing his diaper between switching sides. He might be dozing off during the first side & not really full and then a couple of hours later because he wasn’t full he wants to nurse again. I’m not a lactation consultant, I did nurse 3 babies through their first year of life. Each baby is different and what works with one might not work with the other. Listen to your instincts they rarely serve you wrong. You got this Caitlin!

  • c June 19, 2012, 12:08 pm

    Why do you need to wake him up. He eats for 10 minutes at at a time bec thats all it takes to make him full. If he wanted to eat more why would he stop eating. Some babies are just faster than others. 20 minutes of eating is a LONG time. Let your baby sleep. He’ll wake up on his own when he wants to eat.

  • Charitydawn June 19, 2012, 12:37 pm

    wow just read your tweet on the 72 diapers in 6 days.. and promptly went out and bought more new born diapers.. That’s alot of diapers!
    From the sounds of it you’re doing fantastic as a first time mom! As a soon to be first time mom, my suggestion do what ever is comfortable for you! Lots of people are giving me advise as well, but I plan on winging it 😉 People tell me the first month of it is the worst so your 1/4 of the way there! 😀

  • Laura June 19, 2012, 1:13 pm

    Good job getting on the healthy eating train right away! Sometimes when I’m in transitions I eat like crap (too little and too sweet) until I’m comfy again but these look like nice, easy enough ideas. And your babe is such a cutie 😉

  • Caitlin June 19, 2012, 10:02 pm

    I just recently found your blog and seriously, if you’re going to start showing your meals with Handsome Henry in the background, then I may just become a stalker of everything HTP!

  • Dental Consultant June 20, 2012, 3:20 am

    Oh that 3rd pic is just too cute! Is that some sort of beanbag that tiny precious Henry is napping on? Looks really comfy!

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