How we are doing

Roman is two weeks old today. Hooray! I must admit that while I am crazy about that little guy, the early weeks of a baby's life are not my favorite. (Are they anyone's favorite?) Two down!

We got him home and I guess some selective amnesia had set in. Stephen was like, "Didn't Stella just sleep through the night when we brought her home?" Um, no. They come programmed with these 2-4 hour cycles...

Luckily for us my mom is here to help. So grateful for this time with her! She has been amazing helping with Stella and life in general.

When we first got home, I was so excited because nursing was going so well. We really struggled with that when Stella was born. That kid had a teeny tiny mouth, it was like a cosmic joke. She never really got the hang of a good latch and nursing was agonizing. And my milk never really came in, so after about 3 weeks of wondering why she cried so much, we switched to a pump-and-supplement routine and continued it for the first year. So when Roman took to it so easily, I was so happy and relieved. It seemed like things would be so much more simple. We got home on a Monday and I should have knocked on some wood. Or eaten a sandwich.

So this may make me a weirdo, but I eat really well when I am pregnant. Something about that compressed stomach, heartburn, and constant cravings for fresh fruit means I eat a lot of teeny tiny meals, which is great for my metabolism. Add in a very regimented meal plan for the gestational diabetes (it is seriously like nutritional calculus), and I ended up 12 pounds lighter at the end of this pregnancy than I was when I started it. These habits are great for my longer-term goals, but sadly do not support breastfeeding. Apparently I do not eat nearly enough to sustain two people - by Thursday the milk was gone. GONE. Freaking GONE. I thought I was eating enough and am just absolutely shocked by how quickly it all fell apart. Luckily we dropped in on the pediatrician and got this figured out before we all went crazy. Started pumping and supplementing and my sweet baby boy is back to his very promising sleep habits, but those bottle-fed meals have spoiled him and he is now too lazy to nurse. So here we go again. On the bright side, this is a routine I know and am comfortable with. It worked for Stella, and hopefully will be much easier to do this time around without an office job. Plus, other people get to help feed him if they want, which means night shift does not have to automatically be me. I think I was just not meant to nurse a baby. Stephen pointed out that I am not physically meant to deliver a baby either, so  we should just be happy with having two healthy kiddos. We're on to something there!

Roman is approaching his birth weight - he is at 8 lbs 8 oz and a strong little guy. He was holding his head up in the delivery room. He's got a sweet disposition so far, and we can't really complain about the nights - he is sleeping for 5-7 hours at a stretch each night. I am totally knocking on some wood for that one. And I'll probably eat a sandwich too, just in case.

So you know how when you get an epidural they have you sign that form acknowledging the possible downsides? Well, lucky me, I am one of the few who got them. I am leaking spinal fluid and it is causing horrible headaches (like someone is trying to pull my brain out through the back of my skull), numbness and itching. When we first got home I was trying to focus on getting up and around quickly (still very nervous about handling two kids on my own with a c-section recovery), but I hit a few walls. To say the least. So I am on bedrest in hopes that the spinal situation will resolve itself. (If it doesn't, we are in for a trip back to the hospital for something called a blood patch. With a name like that it just can't be good.)
I feel like Rapunzel - I am not allowed to go downstairs. Trying to take advantage of having my mom here and get some good rest, I really really really need this to resolve itself. Soon!

Overall things are good. I have a baby who sleeps (so far!), a daughter who loves being a big sister, an unbelievably wonderful husband, a good support network of family and friends, and my mom is here to take care of me until Monday. I am doing my best to be a good patient and come up with a plan for getting through the holidays. Things could be better, but then again they could also be worse. Focusing on the positive over here!

Meet Roman!

Roman Augustino Mandala

Born 11/5/2010

8 lbs, 12 oz

has mom's hairline but otherwise looks a lot like his sister.

proud daddy!

Stella loves being a big sister - so far! 

Love this pic of Stella and cousin Gabe meeting Roman. Stella is like "wait wait!" and Gabe is like "yikes!"

This was a scheduled c-section. The surgery took a bit longer this time and the epidural morphine took a lot longer to wear off, so we didn't name him until the next day. Probably a good thing we waited, since he was almost a Dmitri. Roman's middle name is in honor of Stephen's grandfather, and there were many happy tears when we shared that with his side of the family.