Lilly

This blog is all about our littlest.

This is our little bug having her first real bath. When she was born she was our biggest at 7 pounds 14 ounces 12 hours after birth she was 7 pounds 10 ounces and at her first doctor's appointment four days after birth she weighed 7 lbs 2 ounces. She lost so much weight so quickly the pediatrian was concerned and I was shocked. She was the quickest and best nurser of my three, so I didn't understand why she was losing weight. At three weeks she was 7 pounds 9 ounces, and still wasn't back to birth weight so I set up an appointment to meet with the lactation consultant at St. Lukes. Lilly wasn't ever fussy and wasn't sleeping all the time so we didn't think she wasn't getting enough to eat-we just weren't sure why she wasn't gaining weight. The lactation consultant weighed her before nursing and after nursing and in the three days from seeing the pediatrian for the third week in a row without much progress and seeing the lactation consultant she had gained almost 4 ounces-major progress. The lactation consultant said that she didn't see anything wrong and that the gain of four ounces was great. When I took her in to see the pediatrician at four weeks of age she weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces. We are not sure why it took so long for her to start gaining weight or why she lost so much initially, but she is gaining now and doing great.

This is our little thinker, sleeping soundly. Something I haven't done in weeks and not just because I'm up every couple of hours to nurse or because I have been concerned about Lilly's weight because at all of the pediatrician appointments there was also the concern that Lilly's hips weren't totally developed. She had to have an ultrasound and then I met with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon to discuss her hips. Her left hip is fine, but her right hip joint is a little shallow and "immature." It took several weeks to have the ultrasound and meet with the doctor, but last week I found out that everything is probably going to be okay. The doctor will see her again in seven months and thinks that there is a 95% chance the hip will have developed and that she won't need any type of surgery. So now it's just the waking up every couple of hours to nurse.

After a bath.

She's our first binky baby. She constantly wants to be sucking and tries constantly to get to her fingers. When I took her to her first pediatrician apointment they said it would be better to give her a binky than let her get in the habit of sucking her fingers. I believe the pediatrician said, "You can't take away her fingers, but you'll be able to take away the binky." So a binky baby she is.

This is the end of one of her huge smiles. I haven't been able to get it at its height yet. She has a huge smile where she squints her eyes and her mouth opens wide. She also raises her eyebrows whenever she is talked to like she is listening so intently.

She is such a sweet good baby who brings such joy to our family. Her big sisters adore her and are constantly touching her and hugging her-sometimes I think she will be smothered in all of their love. We love our Lilly Beth!