2 Week Check-Ups

Gold stars all around!

Today began with Claire's 2-week check-up. It was our first solo trip out together and my first time to drive since the day before she was born, but I feel great and the pediatrician's office is only 1.5 miles from our house, so we did just fine. Claire has not only regained her birth weight (which is the goal by the 2 week check-up)- she's 4 ounces above it! Dr. P was very pleased. Claire made her displeasure at her nakedness known by squawking and shooting pee all over the scale and table with surprising force. JP hopes she always prefers her skin to be fully covered. I'm still breastfeeding, though we're supplementing a little with formula. It enables JP to take one night feeding, which is nice for him (snuggly baby time), nice for me (uninterrupted sleep time), and nice for our marriage (we're all about the equal division of labor). It also seems like there's one time a day (usually about 5 or 6pm) where I just don't cut it. She'll nurse from both sides, seem satisfied, and then start squawking about 30 minutes later like she's starving to death. Two ounces of formula later and she's very happy. It's been working well. At two weeks she's in the 95th percentile for height (22 inches), 75th percentile for weight (8 lbs. 14 oz.), and 95th percentile for head circumference (38 cm). Everything looks perfect!

(Side note: Claire is sleeping on my chest right now with her legs tucked up, her arms hanging down each side, and her little mouth hanging open. It looks so peaceful and adorable and there is still room for my laptop to sit on my legs so I can type.)

After a nap for Claire and some lunch for me we headed out to my two-week incision check. Claire refused to wake up to eat until we had to leave, so she got a very brief (very insufficient) snack before we had to jump in the car. Luckily the drive knocked her out and our wait for the doctor was brief- Claire was able to keep it together and didn't scare all the pregnant ladies in the waiting room.

Like Claire, my appointment began with a weigh-in, but unlike Claire, weight gain was not the goal. I gained about 45 lbs with this pregnancy (the same amount as Landon, but this time I was pregnant for four weeks longer, so I guess that's a victory!). I have lost 30. Given that I have done nothing but sit on the couch and take a few short walks around the block, I take that to mean nearly all of those 30 were just baby/fluid-related. Isn't that incredible? It takes a lot of stuff to grown an 8 lb. 10 oz. little girl. So that means I have 15 lbs to go. If the original 30 were related to the baby, I'm pretty sure the leftover 15 came from the cookies, but I don't regret a bite. Unless of course I haven't lost the 15 lbs before I start work, then I'll regret it - not even a dinky doozie is worth having to re-buy my work wardrobe.

Anyway, the physician assistant cooed over Claire, who was red and angry at not being offered a meal within 15 seconds of waking up. I was able to hold her during the exam, which was awkward but made Claire happy, and the PA announced that my incision was the best she'd seen in months and she was going to congratulate my OB. And I'm no expert, but it does seem to be healing beautifully - I'm no longer swollen or sensitive at all and it's just a thin little pink line. I really feel completely back to normal.

Claire slept again on the car ride home, finally got to eat her lunch, and has been asleep on me ever since. When you throw in that I spent a delightful two hours one-on-one with Landon this morning and then got to watch two old episodes of The West Wing (one of my favorite TV shows ever) on Bravo, it's been a pretty fantastic day!