life

We are settling into our lives really well and are getting comfortable with each other! Aimee is growing steadily and gaining an ounce a day still...and eating every 2 hours! Maggie is growing and thriving and teething (again!) and just living life. I am loving having my mum here and really don't want her to go home. Maybe Maggie will hide her passport lol ;) jsut teasing. BUT I do wish she could stay lots longer. xx

Momma's getting more sleep!

It's crazy, when you bring a new tiny baby home they eat constantly every 2hours at least and they say anytime that they fuss in between to just stick them on the boob. Well Aimee has been gaining so consistently that the midwife told us that she can go 3 hourly at night...Aimee on the other hand didn't think this was the case and decided to wake up not every two hours but every hour and a half. BUT the last couple nights she has started to sleep 3 hourly and wake really happily and settled. She wakes once in the night after 2 hours but has a really good feed and goes straight back down. I am so grateful because this has given me 3 hours extra to sleep thru the night and if I take a nap when Mags goes to bed it works really nicely. I'm also getting into a groove with the whole night feeding thing. I have started taking a box of shreddies to bed with me and I munch on that as I am feeding to keep my calories up and to keep myself awake :) might sprinkle some icing sugar on some to make them a bit tastier. I'm also straight breast feeding and not pumping now as the healthvisitor was so pleased with her weight. I'm just praying that on Weds when they weigh her again they will let me go 3 hourly during the day as well. It would just make things simpler. Although I can't wait to go and do my first "in public" breast feeding...not that I am going to wack them out and shout "look at me boobies ya'll" but I am proud of myself and won't be one of those women who hide in the bathroom. ;) I have my 'shmina and am all ready for an excuse to go have a cup of coffee somewhere. Maybe mom and I will go have coffee somewhere tomorow with Mags. Have a great weekend everyone! xx

our own

so yesterday Aimee was weighed and is now 5lb6oz and had gained 9oz in 6 days..more then an oz a day! She also got signed off from the neonatal outreach team over the phone. Today she was signed off by the midwife and now is just under the watch of the health visitor who will keep monitering her weight weekly and this is a good thing because I like to see her progress. It was getting really frustrating because it felt like she wasn't a baby of our own that she still belonged to the health services. She is now our own baby :) And is eating constantly. I pray that she settles into a routine of somesort soon as at the moment she eats non stop and sleeps only when held. During  the day it's ok but I do struggle at night. But God only gives us those things that He knows we can handle right? My mum is here at the moment for another 5 weeks and is giving such amazing support! It's so nice to have her here bossing me around :) Love it! Plus she is such a good cook I am definately getting the food I need. Maggie is head over heels in love with Aimee and can't stop kissing and loving on her!

Aimee Alice

I made it to 33 weeks, 6 days and 19 hours :) Aimee was born on a beautiful autumn evening in the hospital room. I did it naturally (not by choice mind you lol) and the most amazing perfect gift in the world was that I was able to hold her almost instantly for quite a while. It wasn't skin to skin as she had to be so wrapped up but it was me staring down at this perfect bundle of smallness...this little dot that was new to everything. She was born weighing 4lb15 1/2oz and came out screaming her little head off. Bless her! There werer no complications and she went straight into an incubator to get her temp regulated. She was out of it and into a cot by the next morning. She was born on Monday and was home by Thursday night. THe most amazing thing happened though. When she was first born my milk hadn't come through I couldn't even give her my colostrum as it was just dry bones. So we had resigned ourselves once again to bottles. I was upset but knew that she was more important than my need to "be a proper mum" to her by breastfeeding. I just knew this is our last baby and I wanted to experience it just once.  Anywys we were rooming in and my milk had come in but I didn't want to confuse her and I didn't think she would go on anyways so I sat there listening to her suddenly refusing her bottle and she kept nuzzling in towards my breasts..finally I gave in and put her on. The miracle moment was when she isntantly latched on and GULPED down an entire feed. The most amazing feeling is being able to provide the basic sustenence that your child needs. Since she is tiny though she gets tired easily so she would come off quickly and go to sleep, this was something I wasn't quite sure of what to do with as it was all so sudden and new to me. But they let us go home anyways. 
Aimee really struggled to put any weight on and actually lost 12% in the first few days. This is devastating for me and I am doing everything possible to keep her healthy.  We are working with the doctors, nurses, neonatal staff, and midwives doing everything we are told. Every two hours I pump, feed, top up with the breast and then snuggle her to replenish my supply. On Monday she hadn't lost anymore she just hadn't gained either. I am a believer in faith, I believe in claiming things in the name of Jesus and I believe that we are only given things that He knows that we can handle. I am believing and claiming growth in her and strength in her. Yes doing all those things for her feeds are difficult when I could quite easily reach for a bottle of formula and give it to her. BUT she wouldn't be getting all the nutrients.  The midwives are supportive either way and have said that whatever I choose to do they will support but they are so encouraging with my breast feeding and really that boost that I needed. God is a God of provision, He provides us with exactly what we need, when we need it. So He knows what Aimee needs and is providing it to exact measures. She is beautiful and I am finding this whole thing so enjoyable. Maggie is in love with her new sister but also very confused so I continually pray for her as she walks this journey with us, and Steve is in love but so overwhelmed by fear and memories of Maggie, and everything that he struggles at times. But that is expected. GOD IS GOOD! AND HE WILL PROVIDE AND MAKE MY BABY THRIVE!!!