Crazy Day of Outings

Wednesday 8/29
We had our official first doctor's check-up for Ella this morning. (Of course, she received an A+.  Why would you doubt it?)  What amused me was trying to get three ladies out the door on time!  Knowing how hard it is to get just me ready on time, I really shouldn't have been surprised that adding my mother and my daughter to the mix would make it about a thousand times more difficult.  Haha.  So, I fed Ella breakfast when she wanted it, but of course, as soon as we started to look at our watches and try to hurry out the door, she starts getting hungry again!  Bah!  I called John (who was meeting us there) and said that I would try to feed her quickly and just hope that it would last her until we got home again..... Nope!  Kids do what they want.  We weren't really late, but Ella did need a quick little top-off while we waited for the doctor to see us.  Other than the trauma of being naked for Dr. Cold Hands, we rather enjoyed riding in the car.

Trying to look classy for the doctor, but my socks are too big!

Doctor's report -- she's practically regained all the weight she lost after birth.  She only lost 2% while in the hospital (average is about 7%) and had already gained all but the last ounce or two back.  Babies have the first week to resume their birth weight.  Ella also was looking so good that she did not get the official bilirubin test for jaundice.  Actually, it was the amount of diapers she was going through that made the doc feel the most comfortable about her progress.  What can I say, pooping champion!

We took naps in the afternoon, but when John went to the gym, we met him there afterwards to meet and greet some of the friendly staff who have been watching me get ever bigger these past few months.  Our trainer was impressed that I was up and about already.  He said that he's already used me as fitness motivation for some of his other clients.  "See her?  She did natural childbirth and looks great!"  Haha.

Still wearing these dad-gum mittens
because I keep scratching my face

All this good news is usually moderated with some bad.  And the bad came later that night.  Mom was helping me a lot with "the night shift," as I called it, so that I could rest a little and John would still be able to go to work in the morning.  However, we hadn't really yet figured out temperature control for our house.  While pregnant, I had cranked the thermostat to the "arctic tundra" setting, but I was concerned that it would be freezing Ella in the night.  We had been dressing her in long-sleeve pajamas as we wrestled to get the thermostat regulated again.  Well..... this night Ella decided to tell us that it was too much clothing for sleeping. Unfortunately, I don't speak Baby so what really happened was many, many hours of a fussy, cranky baby who wanted nothing to do with anything.  I finally was about to lose my sanity (and maybe cry again) around 2:30, so I called the pediatrician, only to find out that their ask-a-nurse is not available from midnight to 6am! Argh!  I either had to wait four more hours of listening to my baby suffer or go to the emergency room. Thankfully, pretty soon after that, she needed a diaper changed and I felt her little hot belly, deciding to get her less clothing as an experiment.  You know, when you finally understand what the baby is trying to tell you, you get pretty fast results!  Ella calmed down really quickly and was able to sleep a little after that.  Mark me down for already completing my first sleepless night concerned about my baby's health.  There aren't anymore of those in my future, right?  (sarcasm)