Lunch with Papa & Traveling Details...

Mondays are what I like to call Mabel & Mommy days...I know I'm weird. Anyway, Monday is just for us. We hang out together, Mabel can nurse as much as she wants and we do what ever we want, even if it is just hanging out in our PJs all day (that is more for Mumma than Mabel).

Today we wanted to get out of the house. We needed to swing by our playdate location of last week and pick up Mabel's three favorite books...no matter how hard I try to remember everything I always seem to leave something behind! I once heard someone say that kids are like snails they just leave a trail of stuff behind...I think moms of little ones are too!

So Mabel and I had a great morning, she didn't want to nap much - but that isn't anything new. When I'm home she does not want to nap...although on Sunday she took a great long nap in her crib in the afternoon, it set a unrealistic expectation for Monday (that never happened). We ventured out and met Papa for lunch at Wholefoods. Papa was working so this was such a treat for all of us. We had a great time, Mabel love to people watch and I brought her apples, cereal and bits and she ate with us! She warms my heart! Then we strapped Mabel into our new hip carrier and Mabel and I did a little grocery shopping. After all the excitement she fell asleep in the car and we got our books and went home. I would consider that a very successful outing.

Car travel with the Spica:
I have to say I HATE the car seat. It first of all is huge, but the biggest pain is that she needs a wedge under her to keep her in the right spot and first of all that wedge is pain to get in the right place and then it sometimes moves and she slides down if you don't get it just right. The way her legs are in the cast the belts just don't seem quite right as they come over her legs a bit, but the Hospital fitted her and this is the best it is and they assure us it is safe since this is what this car seat is made for. Mabel does love how high it makes her sit so she can see out of all the windows so that is a plus I guess.

Clothing makes the baby:
If you are concerned with strangers staring at your baby wondering what in the world happened to her to cause her to be in a spica cast then the right clothing will hide everything. I would be lying if I said I didn't care what people thought about Mabel in her cast. I do care. I don't want people staring at her or thinking there is something wrong with her because there isn't. So it is and always has been important for me to cover the cast. Covering the cast also seems to help keep it cleaner by the way. I have rompers that cover the cast and pants that are also made to cover the cast. With the clothing I found no one ever seems to notice.

The right baby carrier:
Mabel's cast is made in the prefect shape to fit around my hips. I got a new hip carrier that I can put her in when we are out and no one seems to even notice the shape her legs are in. If we carry her she also looks natural but if I'm alone with her and need to shop or something the carrier is perfect so I have free hands. I can't wear it too long b/c of the extra weight of the cast, but it is comfortable for about 3 minutes and that is plenty. I also can use her Baby Bjorn for walks but in the cast she does project a little more from me than she did so it is hard to do tasks with her in it.

One Week Down - 11 to go...

Well, we are adjusting well (I think). Mabel is her old self, I'll be honest I was afraid being in a cast would change her. Today I couldn't have been more excited to find out that one of her pre-cast outfits still fits her. It is an overall set and the buttons down the legs makes it fit over the cast - the stretchy fabric helps too.

Last night I got her to sleep on her back. She has taken to wanting to fall asleep on me and then be put in the crib on her tummy. Before the cast she always moved around a lot in her crib and most of the time she was on her side or stomach, but I always put her in the crib on her back. It is so drilled into my head that "back is best" when sleeping that I've been a wreak thinking of her on her tummy in the crib the last few days. To add to my fears she also needs a pillow in there to prop her up - another "no-no"! She may be able to sleep but I can't. Now that she's on her back I'm feeling much better about the whole thing. She is also sleeping much better and tonight is the first night that she didn't seem to need Tylenol. Today marks a week since her surgery and cast.

Things I learned this week:

The diaper changes are not as hard as I feared. I think I mastered it the first time I did it since I read a lot of tips from parents online. I find that the newborn diapers the hospital told us to use does not work, Mabel had a leak day two (how upset was I!) so I've been using her #3 diapers from before the cast. I also figured out that her right side is problematic b/c there is quite a gap between her leg & the cast so after I tuck the diaper in I also put some cotton in the opening to create a dam keeping the diaper in contact with her leg. At night I use the cotton all the way around the opening. We also added waterproof tape on the inside of the diaper area opening making it easier to keep the inside of the cast clean. I had created a diaper changing table the day we got home with a pillow on each side of the table so that when we change her we start with her on her belly, I open the diaper from the back cleaning the bum first leaving the large outer diaper under her, that way if she does pee it goes down right on the diaper - she's peed a couple of times and this works perfect to catch it. I then tuck the new diaper in the cast, put the backside of the large diaper back on her and then I just flip her right over onto her back onto the other pillow behind her and I clean her front side and then finish tucking the diaper and cotton and closing up the large outer diaper. Works great and having the table set up really helps - I added a table cloth over the pillows to make it look better in the room (form & function). I came up with this system at the hospital. I had remembered one parent saying they used a pillow to elevate their little girl's chest to keep the pee from going into the cast - great tip!

Mabel is still Mabel. This has not changed her, but she does seem frustrated as I would imagine. She has started pointing a lot more, maybe related I don't know. She also has taken to crying if I take something away that I don't want her to have.

She wants to snuggle lots. She has always been a snuggler, but more so now. She just can't be too close. She wants to be held all the time, doesn't want to nap and wants to nurse all day. She never really napped well and we did joke that nursing was her hobby so...as I said above Mabel is still Mabel.

Nursing is easier than I thought it would be. With my trusty bobby she is just fine nursing away. My arms do get a bit more tired if she falls asleep on me - the extra weight, but a couple more pillows do the trick.

A balloon can be the best entertainment! Mabel has a balloon that Zack bought her, we wanted to get her one at the hospital but never got a chance. He got her one the day after we got home and ever since it has been her best friend. She rides around in her stroller "taking the balloon for a walk" around the house. It also keeps her busy during diaper changes.

Bath time can still be bath time even though there isn't a bathtub involved. My new bath system seems to make her happy and we are happy too. I hate that she can't take a real bath, but she is clean, sweet smelling still and we can pretend the bouncy seat is a tub for the next few weeks.

We miss the highchair. Mabel loved her high chair, but she can't fit in it anymore. It is a great high chair mind you! I loved the tray - it caught everything and was easy to contain the messy hand prints. Now she eats in her booster seat at the table, still fun but more work for us. Now that she is in the dining room and not the kitchen I put her in her stroller while I make her meal then we go into the dining room to get in the booster to eat. I made the mistake of trying to feed her in the stroller...bad idea. Our system is as follows. Mabel in the booster with her sleeves rolled up, covered in a smock with a bib and I took towels and sewed corners on them to fit over the arms of the dining room chair and ties on the back to hold it into place. This catches everything and keeps the chair and my rug clean. Overkill? Maybe...but it works for us, keeps her clean and the chair so I'm happy.

Clothing is out there and stuff can work. I ordered some rompers to get started that I love. I also found some pants on line. I got onesies and leg warmers and a skirt a few sizes too big. I think we're pretty good to have options. I love dressing her and I am determined to keep having fun doing it. I'll be honest it is depressing going to the store and seeing something cute and knowing she can't fit into it, but it is temporary so we'll buy it later.

I've learned to accept the whole thing...

I know there is a lot more to tell, but I can't think of any right now...I've also learned to "function" again on limited sleep...now the next challenge is going back to work and leaving her...that will be the hardest thing for me!