Cleansing

It's the fourth day since we brought Violet home. As of this point I feel as though she's always been here. I think what mostly has to do with this "fitting in" is that Melissa and I have worked to find a solution to our feeding/nursing difficulties.

We had two appointments yesterday. One with the "dude" and the other was with our pediatrician Dr. Braverman. We decided to go with Braverman because of the suggestion given to us by one of the most helpful and kind women on staff at Good Shepherd hospital.

At the visit with Dr. Dan, Melissa explained the level of pain and discomfort she's feeling because of the stitches that were administered postpartum. As stated earlier on in one of my posts, it was as if I was caring for two people instead of just Violet. Her mobility was severely hindered by the ordeal and she consistently would yelp in pain while attempting to sit down or adjusting herself in bed. It broke my heart anytime she would break down and cry out of frustration. Dr. Dan told her that she's going to be in pain for a little while longer as the healing continues. No infections or anything out of the ordinary, but he did prescribe a stool softener to help her cope with the work that was done. I told her any chance that I got that she's stronger than I am. I don't think I would have held together mentally and physically as long as she has.

We then drove to see/meet our pediatrician, Dr. Braverman. He came in and ran us through a gamut of questions and then proceeded to address the issues Melissa and I were having with nursing. He assured us, well me really, that supplementing breast milk with formula is not a bad thing. He said that the most important part of feeding Violet, is feeding Violet. This simple explanation made Melissa and I relax. She and I were driving each other to tears and frustration over the nursing issue. After our chat with Dr. B, we set up an appointment to see him again in three days (in 2 now) to check her weight again. I really don't see this as being a problem. I guess Melissa and I have taken this on as a goal to reach. Dr. Braverman also said that she's a speck jaundiced, but that is to be expected. He said that she's actually less jaundiced that most children who are being nursed. He said she's strong, lean, and mean.

Since then, Melissa and I have hit the ground running with pumping, nursing, and formula and it's amazing how much little Violet's temperament has done a 180. Yesterday we noticed an immediate change in her alertness as well as demeanor once we started feeding her every 2-3 hours. Today has been even better... she's not freaking out like she was previously during changing. A well-fed baby is a happy baby.

Melissa is doing much better today as well. She's much more mobile and ambulatory. I can tell she's well-rested because she's finding fault with me again, a trait that long since disappeared when she started labor.

Things are looking up and it's good that Melissa and I work so well together. I can totally understand how sometimes having a kid can really put a strain on a marriage. When confronted with this initial problem of Violet's weight and feedings she and I tackled it head on and are now reaping the benefits of a happier and more content Violet.

Today was Violet's first bath day. Melissa and I decided to give this a whirl as she began to smell of spit-up and formula instead of flowers. Here are some images to commemorate the occasion:


Our knees buckled when we saw this pic.
Check out the monkey feet!


Violet down with the frog style.


Do we have a future cosplayer in our midst?


Melissa swears that she didn't pose these two.
Cute nonetheless. I was wrong about Aerith needing therapy.
She's been really brave and sweet with Violet.
Cloud, I think, is jealous.

More to come, and don't forget to vote on Violet's eye color. It's not going to solidify for a while. Give it a shot.