Charlotte Fay Nieters Journey : January 2014

Three Months Old

No stats to report this month as we don't have another doctor appointment until four months. I do know that Charlotte has just upgraded to 6 month sleepers because the 3 month ones are pulling on her shoulders so she must be growing :)

So much has happened this month! Between two and three months we have seen the most growth and development. She is giggling, baby talking, smiles constantly and is getting the chubbiest little thighs you could lay your eyes on! Here she is giggling:

She is doing this thing lately where it seems like she is attacking you...we watched The Walking Dead this January for our hibernation and Dave thinks she watched too many zombies and is now trying to eat us ;)

Mommy Update:

I am still breastfeeding Charlotte full time which let me tell you is a full time job in itself. I usually still get up twice in the middle of the night to feed her and change her diaper. Occasionally she will stretch and only wake up for one feeding in the night. Pumping has to be the worst thing in the world and I am really annoyed by it. Right now Charlotte goes to my moms 2-4 days a week so I can work so she is taking three bottles a day while she is there. Which mean I have to pump three bottles while I work. Me and Wal-Mart parking lots have become quite close.

I got mastitis when Charlotte was three weeks old which is an infection in your milk glands. Some of the symptoms include a huge knot in your boob with a ton of pain, high fever, vomiting, and the worst chills. To put it lightly...I thought I was literally dying. The only cure is medicine and to get the milk out so you have to keep feeding / pumping which you have no energy to do. The doctor gave me penicillin and I was better in 24 hours. But then from not eating or drinking much while I was so sick I was dehydrated which dried up my milk supply. It took about a week to get back to normal. I did a lot of research about this sickness and most moms who get mastitis give up breastfeeding...but luckily I made it through!!

I must say I still was undecided up until being in the hospital when Charlotte was born if I was going to breastfeed or formula feed. I just went in saying I would give it a try and if it didn't work then at least I could say I tried. Breastfeeding overall is the most natural thing I can think of...it is really hard to explain how comfortable it is once you get past the first two or three weeks. It is really nice to go places and not worry about measuring out formula and packing bottles. I just go into a bedroom, shut the door for 10-15 minutes and done! I will say that the Boppy is my best friend for feeding. I use it everyday for every feeding.

That was quite the rant about breastfeeding...I have lost a total of 30 pounds since Charlotte was born and am really on track with eating healthy as much as possible and try to exercise three days a week. Even if that means going to the gym and walking on the treadmill for 45 minutes...it is something. I would like to lose another 10-15 pounds before we go to Florida at the end of April for vacation. I didn't realize how different I would physically feel after having a baby. Things just don't work the same as they used to. Running is definitely taking some time to get back into the swing of things. My legs feel like they are detaching from my body sometimes. I am so much slower than I was before I had Charlotte...my best time for a 5K is 26:35 and right now I am close to 40:00...terrible! But, I have to start somewhere and just keep at it so hopefully it will come back eventually.

Here are a ton of pics from this month:

Happy New Year!