Can I just take a shower?

This morning, I made the mistake of trying to take a shower while Alyssa was drifting off to sleep in her bassinet. I should have known it wouldn't work. She hates to lay anywhere except her swing or bouncy seat (or someone's arms, of course). She started crying, and by the time I could get out of the shower and get to her, there was a big tear rolling down her cheek. Poor Alyssa! Thankfully, she had tired herself out so much that all I had to do was pick her up and walk with her for a minute or two, and she was sleeping like a rock.

Our big brown cat, Lucinda, is totally in love with Alyssa. She came up and licked her on the head while she was eating this morning. It was very sweet. But then later she tried to kiss her right on the mouth (searching for milk perhaps?), and that was just too gross...I had to launch Lucinda off the bed. Poor Lucinda!

New adventures

Alyssa has been sleeping well the last few nights. Mommy even managed to get an astounding 7 1/2 hours of sleep herself Thursday night! (They weren't consecutive hours, but it's still really impressive!)

Alyssa got to see her first IU basketball game with the Cooks tonight. Despite Alyssa'a best cheering in her new IU outfit, they lost. But thankfully, it's the last IU game she'll ever see that is coached by Mike Davis. ;)

She also got to meet her cousins Elliot and Anthony tonight. Elliot seemed to think she was okay, but he refused to trade in his little brother for her.

Mommy and Daddy went on their first date since Alyssa'a arrival (lunch at Red Lobster) while Alyssa stayed with Nana and Pop Scheck for a couple hours. She slept the whole time except for while she was getting her diaper changed.

In Love

Alyssa is doing well and growing every day! She has had a couple of fussy nights, but we're hopeful that she'll sleep well tonight, because we have finally been able to keep her awake for a few hours this evening.

It seems like Alyssa changes so much every day. It's fun to look at her face each morning in the daylight and see how she has changed overnight. I'm totally in awe of this beautiful little girl that God has created.

Reflux

We got a great report from Dr. Beach today. Alyssa now weighs 7lb 6 1/2 oz, which is awesome. She is still having some reflux problems (which she demonstrated by spitting up all over herself and Mommy as we were getting her undressed to weigh her), and the doctor could hear the reflux happening with the stethescope, but at least Alyssa is happier and gaining weight now. We might try a different kind of medicine if she continues to have problems.

Alyssa seems to get more beautiful every day! She is becoming more alert and spending more time looking around. She is always very fussy between about midnight and 1:00am, but other than that, she is sleeping fairly well.She still loves her bouncy seat, and she likes to hear the running water sound that her bassinet makes. (She sometimes wakes up just because the sound has stopped.) She also likes to have the TV in our bedroom on all night. She cries if we turn it off. (We hope she doesn't keep that habit up when she's old enough to actually watch the TV!) And if she naps in her own room, we actually have to leave the light on for her so she can sleep. I guess she has had enough of being in the dark after nine months all cooped up in the womb.

Bath Time

Alyssa took a bath in her tub tonight. She loved the warm water, and it was very calming for her. I think she's going to like taking baths before bedtime.

Feeling better

Alyssa's tummy is still doing well. Dr. Beach called this morning to check on her, which I thought was really cool, and she was happy with the report. We go back to the doctor on Friday to check Alyssa's weight. Alyssa slept perfectly last night. We're settling into a pretty good routine for eating and sleeping. She usually wakes up like clockwork every four hours or so. She's starting to become a lot more alert, so we're getting to see her beautiful eyes open more. She seems happy and content, and when she does cry, it's not the "I'm in pain" screaming anymore. She's such a good baby! We set her carset in the pack n play bassinet last night and put her in it to sleep so that her head would be elevated. She really seems to like it. I have a feeling that the transition to sleeping in the bed later on might be a challenge, but for now we just want to know that she's sleeping comfortably. (Besides, we're hoping that this might train her that she's supposed to go to sleep whenever she's in her carseat!)

Alyssa seems to enjoy nursing now, and she nurses for a while before each bottle. It makes feedings a lot longer (and quite a bit more painful for Mom), but it seems to be helping to keep her tummy moving along so she doesn't get tummy aches as much, and she's getting some good healthy antibodies. She is a little piglet! She will nurse for 20-30 minutes and then drink as much as 3 ounces of formula, and she often thinks she wants more than that! That's more than most babies her age drink, but as long as it's not causing her tummy problems or coming back up, it's okay with us-especially since she has been losing weight. Hopefully she will have beefed up a bit by Friday.

We have loved and cherished Alyssa from the moment we knew about her, but we're really getting to enjoy spending time with her now that she is on the outside and she and Mommy are both feeling healthy. We think she's the best! God has given us such a special blessing!

Unplugged

Alyssa is officially "unplugged"...her umbilical cord stump fell off today. Now she can take real baths in her tub! :)

Miracle drug!

WOW, we have definitely found the reason for Alyssa's all-night crying and tummy trouble! After taking the acid-reducing medicine, Alyssa slept all night except for feedings! Mommy and Daddy were amazed and SO thankful! Alyssa always looks beautiful to us, but she's all the more beautiful when I have had more than 20 minutes of sleep during the night. :)

6 long nights!

After six nights of literally all-night crying (Alyssa and sometimes Mommy) and tummy problems, we took Alyssa back to the doctor today. As we suspected, the doctor said it sounds like she has reflux. She prescribed some medicine to try and said if it doesn't work, Alyssa will need to have an Upper GI barium x-ray on Monday. We're really hoping the medicine works! Alyssa has been spending a lot of time in her bouncy seat since it sits her upright and helps keep the acid down in her tummy. We hope that tonight will be more comfortable for all three of us!

Alyssa's weight is down to 6lb 14oz. It isn't a big concern since most babies don't regain their birth weight until 2 weeks of age, but it is a bit puzzling since she actually weighed more than birth weight on Monday. She'll have her weight checked again next week just to be sure it's headed in the right direction.

Speaking of weight...when I lose two more pounds, I'll be back to pre-pregnancy weight! I have lost 13 pounds in the last 4 days alone. (I think most of it was water in my feet!)